Playoff Aminu

I was listening to a podcast (can't remember which one) and they were talking about how most players are about 15% worse in the playoffs but a small group of people are better and you need those players on a championship team. It made me think about how great Aminu has seemed to be in the playoffs. In Dallas. And in Portland against the Clippers and the do or die game last year against the Warriors. I always pay close attention to who plays well on our team when our backs are officially against the wall and the only people who showed up in Game 4 last year were Dame and Aminu. So I looked up the stats to see if they backed up my perception. Sure enough, they do. It is jaw dropping how much he steps up when the season is on the line:

Aminu's career regular season stats: 7.4 ppg 5.8 rpg 1.2 apg 1.0 spg 0.6 bpg 42.4% FG, 33.7% 3FG in 24.5 mpg

Aminu's career playoff stats: 13.3 ppg 7.9 rpg 1.5 apg 1.1 apg 1.1 bpg 45.9% FG, 42.9% 3FG in 31.8 mpg

On this note, we still haven't met Playoff Nurk. I can't wait to see him this spring.

 

The context being that many teams dare him to shoot in the playoffs.

 

True. The Clippers were running away from him when he had the ball and he made them pay.

 

He pretty much won us one of the games in the Clippers series.

 

Playoff Aminu in Game 4 win over Clippers:

30 points 10 rebounds 11/20 FGs

https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201604250POR.html

 

Playoff Aminu in Game 3 win over Warriors:

23 points 10 rebounds 8/9 FGs

https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201605070POR.html

 

And Game 4 against Warriors in 2017 was a blowout, yes, but it's telling who showed up when chips were down. Dame, Aminu, and to a lesser degree, Napier:

https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201704240POR.html

 

Done. Playoff Aminu is real.

 

Yup, but I wouldn't say hehes better, just Thai he's allowed wide open 3s.

Also, he didn't make the playoffs in the first few years of his career when he was worse than he is now, which makes his regular season stats look worse than his playoff stats.

 

Aminu in playoff win over Houston while in Dallas:

16 points 12 rebounds

Anyone who remembers that series knows that Aminu was the only guy on Dallas who seemed interested in winning those games.

https://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/201504260DAL.html

 

Truth. Aminu single-handedly won us at least one game and that other he was a huge hand in.

 

Kinda. He only averaged 5.6 ppg for Dallas the year he was in the playoffs and only 10.2 ppg in the year we played the Clippers. So yes, his numbers took a huge leap in the playoffs. And just because one is open, doesn't mean that person will make that shot. If we're ever going to win big with Dame & CJ, we need guys like Aminu who can make defenses pay for trapping them.

 

Like I said, I can't wait to meet Playoff Nurk. We saw a hobbled version for 16 minutes last year and he gave us an impressive 2 points 11 rebounds 4 assists performance with a team high +8. We looked best in that 16 minutes than at any other time in the series. If he's healthy, I think we win some games in that series.

 

Explain. Is it Terry's fault when he turns over the ball or misses layups?

 

I love Chief...he's a guy who puts defense first...doesn't need to score to help you win a game but he can score...his form is improved this season. When he dribbles the ball you can tell he played soccer growing up...his handles look like a soccer forward pushing the ball ahead a step and a half at a time...at least struck me that way..he's loose with the ball and I think that's why..I see some of that same looseness in Nurk's game...both improve their control and handles and they'll make a leap as players.

 

bump