There is zero chance Ibaka returns for this series. The Finals are an outside possibility, but not this series.

Same starting five tonight. #Facepalm

Does anyone remember KD playing in Rucker Park where he scored 66? I think it is a thing there that once someone starts to get on fire, the whole crowd starts to increase the noise, not like on defense, but more of "Yeah" sound and then erupt when he makes a basket. Here is the link to the video, skip to 3:45 and again around 4:15 and you can see the sound I am talking about.

KD Rucker Park - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDoCRzD6wxE)

I think if a few people could start to do that Sunday night, it would catch on quickly and be great to see on national TV.

Here are the JTF keys to Thunder victory.

1) Westbrook needs to drive to the basket on every possession - preferably right at Parker. Get the Spurs in foul trouble early and often.
2) Durant either needs to shoot the second he touches the ball or pass it. He is a turnover waiting to happen. He should have the ball in his hands no more than 3 seconds per possession.
3) Block out on the defensive rebounds (someone needs to show Perk what that is because he never does it).

#1 is an absolute must. Russ can get to the rim anytime he wants against SA as was proven in the 3rd quarter of game 1.

#2 -- never understood why KD doesn't play off the ball in the post. OKC had only 7 turnovers at the point they took the lead with 4 mins left in the 3rd and then turned it over 3 straight possessions. Killer.

#3 -- I actually thought Perk played decently in game 1. Perk on Duncan is probably our best defensive advantage in the series as silly as that sounds. SA's best minutes after we had taken the lead came with Duncan on the bench.

With this same starting 5, Thabo needs to shoot the 3 and not pump fake and settle for a 15 foot 2. He's too hesitant. He's not a good shooter, but he needs to shoot with confidence. If he's missing bad then he just can't stay in the game. He has to be at least a threat. Collison needs to create some plays passing and get some garbage buckets. His shot looks bad and that shouldn't be his primary offensive contribution. He also needs to just give up on the 3 point shot. Play sound defense and let's do this.

I would be surprised if they didn't feed Thabo a few shots right off the back to see if he is a go or not. and he can't take up a whole shot clock to wind up his shot either.

Wow no Butler or PJ in the starting lineup?

Brooks seriously will not make a change until faced with elimination.

Here is to another terrible start to tonight's game.

Thunder play better:

1) With a lead
2) From behind

What do you all say?

Here are the JTF keys to Thunder victory.

1) Westbrook needs to drive to the basket on every possession - preferably right at Parker. Get the Spurs in foul trouble early and often.
2) Durant either needs to shoot the second he touches the ball or pass it. He is a turnover waiting to happen. He should have the ball in his hands no more than 3 seconds per possession.
3) Block out on the defensive rebounds (someone needs to show Perk what that is because he never does it).

Clearly the Thunder didn't listen to me.

Clearly the Thunder didn't listen to me.

That seems to be a common occurrence, Kerry. :)

Embarrassing.

Clearly the Thunder didn't listen to me.

But, how about Steven Adams? Six rebounds against the Spurs and seven points in his 24 minutes. What a pick he was. Everybody was right about his free-throw shooting though.

Yeesh......clearly they miss Ibaka a lot more than they missed Westbrook earlier in the year. They are looking pretty well done.

Yeesh......clearly they miss Ibaka a lot more than they missed Westbrook earlier in the year. They are looking pretty well done.

I don't think it's as much about Ibaka as it is Durant and Westbrook going 1 for 10 from three point and the team going 2 for 17. Sometimes they fall and sometimes...

Edit - Make that 2 for 19.

They dug themselves this hole when they went that huge stretch when, every time, Westbrook would take the ball down and jack a three point shot. Every. single. Time. Then Durant decided to get into the fun and HE started jacking three point shots. Every. Single. Time.

They dug themselves this hole when they went that huge stretch when, every time, Westbrook would take the ball down and jack a three point shot. Every. single. Time. Then Durant decided to get into the fun and HE started jacking three point shots. Every. Single. Time.

..and that is the reason you need a coach that the Thunder respect.

Also, getting beat is one thing. Getting run out of the gym is another. We lost and lost heart at the same time. THAT is where a coach should get in their grill and demonstrate to them that WE DONT LOSE LIKE THAT HERE. 35 point loss? No excuse.

Brooks was sitting on the bench in the 4th qtr....how does he do that? ... that is accepting defeat.

I guess they are just gonna "flip on the switch in OKC" and play better.

Brooks, you may need put a fire under them or SA will sweep ya in 4.

So much to say about the worst loss in FRANCHISE HISTORY (regular or postseason). This much is for sure:

1. Presti has been given too much credit. There is simply no two-way talent behind Ibaka and that falls solely on him. This team was severely damaged during the 2012 offseason after a trip to the NBA Finals. Sure, Adams is looking like a nice pick but Presti traded away a top 10 player in the league for a "nice pick."

2. OKC has a coach that simply cannot adjust on the fly. He inserts PJ3 into the game in the 2nd quarter and Tony Parker covers him for 8 straight possessions. Brooks didn't call for the ball to go to him ONCE....even as simply a decoy. Why even bring Perry in??

3. The type of basketball OKC plays is not going to win them a title. Period. Poor defense is not a playoff issue -- it was an issue ALL season (worst in the league in 3-pt defense, and also worst team in the league in allowing uncontested shots). Turnovers....are not a playoff issue (been a problem EVERY year under Brooks and has not improved).

Ask yourself this question -- if Chris Bosh gets injured, does Lebron allow a game like this to happen? Do the Heat lose by 35? No chance. The "team" aspect went out the window when Presti traded an all-star away for pennies. No elite, championship-caliber team suffers double-digit deficits in 9 of its 15 playoff games. It is clear a change at the top is necessary. Plain and simple.

Didn't care for that game much at all.

Didn't care for that game much at all.Right now you're looking at a 4 game sweep by the Spurs. And what is most irritating, the Thunder players don't seem to be bothered by all this too much.

That Scott Brooks press conf. Done it for me. It is seriously time to fire this man. We are constantly getting EMPTY minutes from Thabo, Collison and Perkins. Smh.

The team's chemistry was poor, the coach has to take some blame for that as well.

For example, Russell Westbrook yelling at Durant telling him to "wake-up!" while pointing to his head. Frustration.
You can watch it here.
https://vine.co/v/MH9H1vvO1Qe

The last few posts have some validity to them. However, I really think everyone is missing the main point. We do not have a back-up for Ibaka. Some sports analysts assessed rightly when they said it was a MAJOR blow to the team. He brings so much to both end of the floor. Much more on the defensive end. If he was playing, I think SA does not have as many point in the paint in game one. Tonight's game is was just a confirmation of how much Ibaka impacts a game with the ability to score and rebound. He could have been that third option tonight in the to help curb the tidal wave they got hit with in the third Quarter. I think the Thunder can win these next two games at home, However, they wont win if #0 and #35 do not shoot well.

Right now The Thunder are probably the 3rd best team in the Playoffs. Behind Miami and San Antonio. San Antonio just turns it up a couple of notches in the post-season. I think everyone has come to grips with we are a post-Harden team. For San Antonio Tim and Manu have about 2 to 3 years left. After that, It doesn't matter what anybody says concerning Pop's offense that it is so good they don't need Tim or Manu; they will drop a couple of notches in the West. At that point, as long as we can keep the core in tact, develop the talent already on board, maybe add a couple of valuable players from free agency, then I think we will be the favorites to win a title not just a contender. So, we will have to be a bit more patient.

One point mentioned in a recent post that I would tend to agree with, is that Scott Brooks can at many times can be a very poor Playoffs coach. I do not think there is a negative sentiment in the organization that would move Presti to make a coaching change though. At lest not at this point. So, I think we will have to be patient Thunder fans for at least a couple more years.

Well, after saying all that, I hope the Thunder can find something defensively in Ibaka's absence to turn things around in games 3 and 4. Without Home advantage, I just don't see us going back to SA and getting one there this time around. I hope the Thunder prove me wrongs though. Thunder UP!

Hypothetical, and it might have been discussed already, say Brooks is let go. Fisher is being discussed for a coaching position somewhere. Would he be a good (or bad) choice for OKC to have some ease in the transition or would it just be awkward?

Right now you're looking at a 4 game sweep by the Spurs. And what is most irritating, the Thunder players don't seem to be bothered by all this too much.

The Thunder team is not as GOOD as SA, they know it, I know it, you should know it, accept it and move on to next year where hopefully this team will get 3 more players to make this a team instead of a batman and robin show

Embarrassing.

More like humiliating. Not competitive on any level. At one point in the 4th quarter the Spurs were shooting 80% in the second half.

Hypothetical, and it might have been discussed already, say Brooks is let go. Fisher is being discussed for a coaching position somewhere. Would he be a good (or bad) choice for OKC to have some ease in the transition or would it just be awkward?

The Thunder have too much name recongnition to get a rookie coach. OKCs next coach will need to have won an NBA championship already. I don't see Brooks (or Perkins) being around next season.

Ask yourself this question -- if Chris Bosh gets injured, does Lebron allow a game like this to happen? Do the Heat lose by 35? No chance. The "team" aspect went out the window when Presti traded an all-star away for pennies. No elite, championship-caliber team suffers double-digit deficits in 9 of its 15 playoff games. It is clear a change at the top is necessary. Plain and simple.

Yes. The Heat lost game 3 of the 2013 NBA Finals WITH BOSH 113-77 - 1 point worse than this loss.

While there are reasons to be concerned with the Thunder in this series and the future, it's important not to get carried away with sweeping reactions. The Spurs are an incredible team and we lost a really good player. It's certainly not looking like we're getting through this series, but the Thunder aren't as far off as some are making it.

I don't see Brooks (or Perkins) being around next season.

Perkins almost for sure will be back. He's not getting amnestied in the last year of his deal. Besides, Perkins is probably playing the best he's played with the Thunder right now. He's the least of the team's problems.

Dam... Team is straight up broken without Ibaka. Sad.

We could get swept off our own floor at this rate.


Brooks won't make any adjustments until game 4 when we are down 0-3. I was shocked to see Jones get some minutes. However, the starting lineup is a joke and he brings the same crew out everytime after halftime. We are losing these games in the bottom half of 2nd and start of the 3rd. Two games in a row without rotation adjustments other than tossing PJ in there for a test run. JOKE

Even if Brooks was coaching perfectly, I still don't think we beat the Spurs. They are at their healthiest and best right now. Green is back to torching us, as usual.


This 4 day break before Sunday's game almost seems cruel at this point. Just give us the bullet and move on!

Here's my two cents on the state of the Thunder.

I don't think the Thunder as an organization are that far off from winning a title. That doesn't mean it will happen, but it could. Here are the problems in my mind. First, as much as everyone is knocking Brooks for his rotations, he's actually been really flexible in trying everything. He's throwing different lineups out there, but nothing is really working. The problem in my mind is the lack of discipline and structure. Westbrook jacked up numerous 3s last night and defended them in the post game. Great coaches don't allow their players to play undisciplined by taking low percentage shots. Why can't Brooks get his stars, particularly Westbook but KD at times too, to learn to take better shots? This is year 6. Secondly, whenever things start to break down, we just don't have enough offensive structure to get players besides KD and Russ good shots. If the Thunder decide to move past Brooks because of this I think it would be justified. However, we have to remember that while Brooks is not a great X and Os coach, he's good at a lot of other things - development, consistency, player trust - that his players and the organization value. Still, I'd be happy with a guy like Jeff Van Gundy who would have no problem telling Russell that if he's going to shoot 3s then he's going to sit on the bench (a conversation that should have happened in training camp).

While Brooks deserves a lot of blame so do Westbrook and KD for not playing smarter. Also, I've been saying for months that I'm not even sure Thabo is an NBA-level player. His offensive regression has been so severe that I can't think of another team in the league that would give him meaningful playoff minutes. He's okay (not great) as a defensive specialist, but we need two way players. Unfortunately, the Thunder are already grooming a Thabo replacement in Andre Roberson who is even worse offensively. He has absolutely no offensive skill. The off season will be interesting. Do we re-sign Reggie? I hope we can get him for a reasonable amount. Do we let Thabo go? Probably. But who do we get? Bring back Caron? We have a lot of decent assets (e.g., PGIII, Lamb, Roberson, 2 first round draft picks), maybe we could flip them for a veteran. There's a reason championship contenders don't play young guys much. Despite the disappointment now, I still think the Thunder just need to play smarter, develop a better offensive system, and sign a veteran than can score consistently to seriously contend next year. If Adams continues to grow and Reggie improves any more than we'll be in really good shape.

This 0-2 deficit is very unlike 2012 and I don't expect the Thunder to come back, but let's get loud at home and get a win and see if we can get some confidence.

Brooks won't make any adjustments until game 4 when we are down 0-3. I was shocked to see Jones get some minutes. However, the starting lineup is a joke and he brings the same crew out everytime after halftime. We are losing these games in the bottom half of 2nd and start of the 3rd. Two games in a row without rotation adjustments other than tossing PJ in there for a test run. JOKE

Why do people keep saying this? I've seen multiple people express this sentiment. Brooks has made tons of adjustments by trying multiple lineups. Brooks' adjustments are not working, but it's completely inaccurate to say he's not making adjustments. You could actually make the case that Brooks has made too many adjustments with his lineups.

The Thunder will not win a championship under Scott Brooks. He's demonstrated repeatedly that he has taken this team as far as he can take them. There has to be major changes if the Thunder hopes to ever win a title. The clock is ticking for this team, with free agency looming in a couple years and our stars begin to seriously evaluate their options. I had a lot of respect for Presti, but that is diminishing as well. How long before he pulls the trigger to make some very important changes to give this team the best chance to get a title (or two) before Durant's current contract is up? If little changes and/or if the Thunder doesn't win a title before then, I wouldn't blame KD for leaving to find the best chance for him to get a title ring (or two or three) before his career ends.

The Thunder will not win a championship under Scott Brooks. He's demonstrated repeatedly that he has taken this team as far as he can take them. There has to be major changes if the Thunder hopes to ever win a title. The clock is ticking for this team, with free agency looming in a couple years and our stars begin to seriously evaluate their options. I had a lot of respect for Presti, but that is diminishing as well. How long before he pulls the trigger to make some very important changes to give this team the best chance to get a title (or two) before Durant's current contract is up? If little changes and/or if the Thunder doesn't win a title before then, I wouldn't blame KD for leaving to find the best chance for him to get a title ring (or two or three) before his career ends.

Major changes like having a 100% healthy team? Now you know how this team would look had we kept Harden instead of Ibaka. CLEARLY HE'S A BETTER DEFENDER OF THE INTERIOR THA MOST THINK.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S5

Hypothetical, and it might have been discussed already, say Brooks is let go. Fisher is being discussed for a coaching position somewhere. Would he be a good (or bad) choice for OKC to have some ease in the transition or would it just be awkward?

Don't think Fisher would be the kind of coach they need. I'm not sure about this, but was there not a defensive coach on the staff just a couple of years ago who got a head (or higher-level) gig with another team? And I don't think he was explicitly replaced? Not sure, but the point being that we may have evolved to a defense-by-committee situation.

Hey, I have no problem admitting the Spurs are better. It would be foolish not to. Neither OKC, nor most any other team, could take the hit they've taken the last two years and expect to perform at the same level. Sucks. Rotten breaks. But that's how it goes. But that doesn't mean that you should be OK with giving up a 35-40 point loss in a division championship final. Surely pride comes into play at some point and you play some kind of defense, because a lot of what I saw last night was just the Spurs being patient until someone didn't rotate and cover and offer up wide-open look after wide-open look when they weren't just driving the lane. Yeah, that's part of what Ibaka does, but good grief, there has to be the notion of defense on the whole team, not just one guy.

That's what just scares me about how this team is structured...okay, "scares" is too strong a word, but it just seems so dad-gum fragile. Glass jaw. House of cards. Pull out one card, and the whole thing just tumbles to the ground.

I'm basketball stupid and I freely admit it, so that's surely a naive analysis, just what my eyeballs tell me. They brought in Perkins a few years ago to give the team some physical toughness, but part of me thinks now they need something to bring in some mental toughness. Thought when they were up 36-32 in the first quarter that what I'd been thinking was finally happening - the bench was playing above expectations - and then it all just imploded like the Hindenberg. No counterpunch. Nothing.

Frustrating, disappointing, and all that. Losing Westbrook last year the way we did, now losing Ibaka when we did, about the only thing worse would be getting all the way to a Game 7 final next year and Durant spraining his ankle during warmups...

Major changes like having a 100% healthy team?
Rarely, this late into the year does is a team 100% healthy. The key is DEPTH. What depth do we have? That's on Presti and Brooks. What discipline do we have? That's on Brooks. Where's the defense? That's on Brooks.

Why do people keep saying this? I've seen multiple people express this sentiment. Brooks has made tons of adjustments by trying multiple lineups. Brooks' adjustments are not working, but it's completely inaccurate to say he's not making adjustments. You could actually make the case that Brooks has made too many adjustments with his lineups.

Ibaka going down and forcing someone else to start does not = adjustments. If anything, Jones should be starting for Ibaka, he is the closest replacement.

Brooks set us up for this disaster by not playing Lamb, Jones, Adams (hell even Roberson) in any regular season meaningful minutes. Lamb had that random spurt of games where he got minutes, then stopped knocking down shots. Brooks removed him and never gave him another chance.

Brooks only makes a change when someone was hurt, that's why guys this season got minutes. Not because Brooks wanted to build these players to shine on the big stage.


Look @ Green for the Spurs. That is our Lamb. From scrub to star, but not under Brook's watch.

Here's my two cents on the state of the Thunder.

I don't think the Thunder as an organization are that far off from winning a title. That doesn't mean it will happen, but it could. Here are the problems in my mind. First, as much as everyone is knocking Brooks for his rotations, he's actually been really flexible in trying everything. He's throwing different lineups out there, but nothing is really working. The problem in my mind is the lack of discipline and structure. Westbrook jacked up numerous 3s last night and defended them in the post game. Great coaches don't allow their players to play undisciplined by taking low percentage shots. Why can't Brooks get his stars, particularly Westbook but KD at times too, to learn to take better shots? This is year 6. Secondly, whenever things start to break down, we just don't have enough offensive structure to get players besides KD and Russ good shots. If the Thunder decide to move past Brooks because of this I think it would be justified. However, we have to remember that while Brooks is not a great X and Os coach, he's good at a lot of other things - development, consistency, player trust - that his players and the organization value. Still, I'd be happy with a guy like Jeff Van Gundy who would have no problem telling Russell that if he's going to shoot 3s then he's going to sit on the bench (a conversation that should have happened in training camp).

While Brooks deserves a lot of blame so do Westbrook and KD for not playing smarter. Also, I've been saying for months that I'm not even sure Thabo is an NBA-level player. His offensive regression has been so severe that I can't think of another team in the league that would give him meaningful playoff minutes. He's okay (not great) as a defensive specialist, but we need two way players. Unfortunately, the Thunder are already grooming a Thabo replacement in Andre Roberson who is even worse offensively. He has absolutely no offensive skill. The off season will be interesting. Do we re-sign Reggie? I hope we can get him for a reasonable amount. Do we let Thabo go? Probably. But who do we get? Bring back Caron? We have a lot of decent assets (e.g., PGIII, Lamb, Roberson, 2 first round draft picks), maybe we could flip them for a veteran. There's a reason championship contenders don't play young guys much. Despite the disappointment now, I still think the Thunder just need to play smarter, develop a better offensive system, and sign a veteran than can score consistently to seriously contend next year. If Adams continues to grow and Reggie improves any more than we'll be in really good shape.

This 0-2 deficit is very unlike 2012 and I don't expect the Thunder to come back, but let's get loud at home and get a win and see if we can get some confidence.

Just a quick point of clarification of this one: we have Reggie signed through the end of next season and then he becomes a RFA.

The only players who are up at the end of this season are Thabo, Fish, Caron and the other lower paid players like Reggie Williams, Royal, Mustafa Shakur and Grant Jerrett. Thabeet is on a team option and with his lack of playing time, I don't see us resigning him for $1.25 million.

Just a quick point of clarification of this one: we have Reggie signed through the end of next season and then he becomes a RFA.

Yes, but Reggie is eligible for an extension THIS offseason. This is same point in Harden's career - with one year left on his rookie deal - when we traded him.

You can win in the regular season playing street ball which is what we generally play.
The first two game agains the Spurs show that a less talented team that plays with a real game plan will win. If you took our team and applied 1/3 of the Spurs structure we would be a pretty amazing team.
The Spurs apply basic b-ball fundamentals that we sorely lack.

If you took our team and applied 1/3 of the Spurs structure we would be a pretty amazing team.
The Spurs apply basic b-ball fundamentals that we sorely lack.

gKhmI5mBEw8

Right after he invented the pass he invented the flop.

Yes, but Reggie is eligible for an extension THIS offseason. This is same point in Harden's career - with one year left on his rookie deal - when we traded him.

According to Hoopshype, he is not eligible for a qualifying offer until after the 2014-2015 season. Here is the direct link:

HoopsHype - NBA Salaries - Oklahoma City Thunder (http://hoopshype.com/salaries/oklahoma_city.htm)

And according to Realgm.com basketball, he is a RFA in 2015.

Reggie Jackson Player Profile, Oklahoma City Thunder, News, Rumors, NBA Stats, NCAA Stats, D-League Stats, Game Logs, Bests, Awards - RealGM (http://basketball.realgm.com/player/Reggie-Jackson/Summary/3771)

My mistake, you are saying they can extend him an offer this season, got it.

The Spurs consistently apply basketball principles that you are taught in junior high which we rarely, much less consistently, use.
--block out
--it's faster to pass the ball down the court than dribble it. This is why the Spurs set up their offence so much faster than we do.
--in the half court...stay spaced. We have some of the worst spacing I have ever seen...which is what happens when you don't run plays and people are just standing around
--we throw temper tantrums like little kids

We have several players (Collison, Sefolosha, Perkins) of late who are hesitate about their shots; that may factor into why they miss. When they are wide open; they need to go ahead with the shot--instead they look to see if someone else is open. Opponents lay off these players; they know they're a non factor.

Individual players need to rely on their own confidence. Durant & Westbrook are targeted; once they become non factors, the game becomes academic. Glad Brooks threw in the white flag; Durant and Westbrook will need rest until the team can adjust without Ibaka.


http://www.thunderfans.com/vforum/images/smilies/okc.gif "Oklahoma City looks oh-so pretty... ...as I get my kicks on Route 66." --Nat King Cole.http://www.thunderfans.com/vforum/images/smilies/okc.gif

Brooks was sitting on the bench in the 4th qtr....how does he do that? ... that is accepting defeat.

I guess they are just gonna "flip on the switch in OKC" and play better.

Brooks, you may need put a fire under them or SA will sweep ya in 4.Not just the 4th quarter. I went ballistic in the 3rd quarter when the Thunder were down by 20 or so. They showed Popovich for a few seconds and then went right to Brooks for a few seconds. Popovich was on his feet, waving his arms and screaming at someone. You would have thought SA was down by 20. Brooks was in his seat looking lost. I've been a Brooks defender but I'm beginning to think he really is lost.

Still Thunder, different topic. Mods, please move if this doesn't apply to this thread -



THNDRUP: License plates to support NBA team generate $47,000 annually, The Journal Record

Serge is listed as day-to-day now.

Serge is listed as day-to-day now.

That's crazy. I didn't think there was anyway he'd even be close to playing in this series. Very glad I was wrong. The big question is, how much will it hurt his athleticism if he can play?

DAM! I knew it!

This large break between Game 2 and 3 could make this a series.

In Ibaka we trust.

Royce Young says might be as soon as Game 3. That would be huge.

The Spurs consistently apply basketball principles that you are taught in junior high which we rarely, much less consistently, use.
--block out
--it's faster to pass the ball down the court than dribble it. This is why the Spurs set up their offence so much faster than we do.
--in the half court...stay spaced. We have some of the worst spacing I have ever seen...which is what happens when you don't run plays and people are just standing around
--we throw temper tantrums like little kids

All 4 points are spot on. For item 2, we do the exact opposite by letting Durant bring the ball up the court and when we do the ball travels more vertically than it does horizontally. It is amazing how fast the Spurs get back on offense (usually why RW is still on the other baseline arguing about a no-call).

gKhmI5mBEw8
'Pass the ball' (sounding like a damsel in distress)...

Come on State Farm; this sequel 'byproduct' on Chris & Cliff is just plain stale. There are only so many commercials that you can produce with this individual 'looking stupid' at himself...


Right after he invented the pass he invented the flop.
Looked like on the Ibaka injury; Chris Paul attempted one of his infamous flops when his legs got tangled with those of Serge. Not to put the blame on Paul, but if that was the play in which Ibaka was injured--it sure looked as though Paul wanted the official's attention.


http://www.nba.com/video/channels/nba_tv/2014/05/17/20140516-gt-ibaka-injury.nba/


http://www.thunderfans.com/vforum/images/smilies/okc.gif "Oklahoma City looks oh-so pretty... ...as I get my kicks on Route 66." --Nat King Cole.http://www.thunderfans.com/vforum/images/smilies/okc.gif

All 4 points are spot on. For item 2, we do the exact opposite by letting Durant bring the ball up the court and when we do the ball travels more vertically than it does horizontally. It is amazing how fast the Spurs get back on offense (usually why RW is still on the other baseline arguing about a no-call).

It takes us forever to get the ball down the court. It's either a full fast break or a slow stroll down the court. We give every defense time to set up.
Get the ball down the floor, if no opening then set up your play. The quick movement down the floor is what creates mismatches.

It's because the Thunder always moves the ball up the court with the dribble. The ball moves faster via pass than it does via dribble. It's why the Spurs - as slow as they are - catch the Thunder on their heels on defense. The Spurs pass. The Thunder doesn't. It's as simple as that.

And by the way, the Thunder doesn't pass, not because of "selfishness," but because the scorers have no options to pass TO. Guys don't hit their spots, they don't move without the ball, they stand around, and usually 3 of the 5 guys on the floor are zero threat to score. It's why KD and Russ are always playing "hero ball"; they have no other options. The other team's defense doesn't have to account for anyone other than the two All-Stars. When KD is blanketed via double-team or elite defender - or simply in a funk or pouting - Russ has one option: Russ.

The team often (usually?) doesn't have discipline, offensive sets OR the right guys on the floor. Recipe for disaster.

And by the way, the Thunder doesn't pass, not because of "selfishness," but because the scorers have no options to pass TO. Guys don't hit their spots, they don't move without the ball, they stand around, and usually 3 of the 5 guys on the floor are zero threat to score. It's why KD and Russ are always playing "hero ball"; they have no other options. The other team's defense doesn't have to account for anyone other than the two All-Stars. When KD is blanketed via double-team or elite defender - or simply in a funk or pouting - Russ has one option: Russ.

The team often (usually?) doesn't have discipline, offensive sets OR the right guys on the floor. Recipe for disaster.

and they have had a top 2 O in the league in both of the last 2 years ... and they were top 7 this year even with out russ ..

The scoring ability of Russ and especially KD usually covers for the lack of offense from the rest of the team. USUALLY. It leads to teammates and coaches becoming complacent. "Hey, we've got KD. He'll bail us out..."

The only player on that team who NEVER slips into complacency is Russ.