What worked…
Starting Payton. His whole-court energy and availability for drop-off passes were crucial. Contain DLo? Accomplished. (As perhaps could’ve been the case with Walker, too.)
What didn’t…
Steph’s, DGreen’s, and Klay’s late-game execution. Fatigue? Hero-ball? Presumption? No matter. Didn’t work. Doesn’t work. The crisp ball movement of the beginning of the game (greatly facilitated by Payton’s activity)? Gone.
No more entitlement for DGreen and Klay. They’ve already spent all the entitlement they’ve been given.
What next…
The best, most helpful mindset/approach for Poole in Game 5 would be for him to try to be the best backup PG for Steph he can be—with an absolutely full commitment (a) to the best defensive effort he can make; and (b) to facilitating ball movement and accepting good shots more than launching them.