2018-2019 OKC Thunder Regular Season Pt 1: A Renewed Hope

[Pillendreher]

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I like these kind of stats.

[ThunderBolt]

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I like these kind of stats.

I dont know if anyone posted it but on sportscenter there was an interesting stat today. In only two games/quarters this year has a a single player outscored an opposing team. Paul George did it both times.

[Pillendreher]

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I like these kind of stats.

I dont know if anyone posted it but on sportscenter there was an interesting stat today. In only two games/quarters this year has a a single player outscored an opposing team. Paul George did it both times.

Also going back to last season: The Thunder are 17-2 when George scores 30 or more.

[retrobro90]

Ferguson and Adams yelling at each other. Guys had to be broken up. It's clear everyone is playing with a lot of fire.

Were you able to read lips? I bet it was because Ferg called Adams "Aquaman" and Adams called Ferg "Turd Ferguson".

I wasn't able to read lips but there was clear yelling between the two and Felton had to step in the middle and cool them off. Ray had a big smile on his face though like he was excited for that type of exchange. This was all three of them standing prior to a time out huddle.

2. The only time we EVER see PG at the 4 is when guys are in foul trouble. This should be an obvious wrinkle to our gameplan and would clearly help this team since we've struggled with our spacing since day 1. Grant was in trouble last night. We rolled out a small lineup and wouldn't you know it we came back from 23 down. George probably has some reluctance about playing that position which is why I say this is probably out of Billy's control (at least a little).

I fear we lack the wings to play small that often. Who's the wing you're playing instead of George?[/quote]

This is a fair point but if you only count Grant and 2Pat our depth is probably even more shallow at the 4. Plenty of teams roll out three guard lineups with worse defensive personnel than what we have and there's going to be plenty of times where our squad could use that type of quickness advantage for scoring runs.

[Pillendreher]

This is a fair point but if you only count Grant and 2Pat our depth is probably even more shallow at the 4. Plenty of teams roll out three guard lineups with worse defensive personnel than what we have and there's going to be plenty of times where our squad could use that type of quickness advantage for scoring runs.

Now you're just daring Donovan into playing Westbrook-Schröder-Felton.

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[retrobro90]

This is a fair point but if you only count Grant and 2Pat our depth is probably even more shallow at the 4. Plenty of teams roll out three guard lineups with worse defensive personnel than what we have and there's going to be plenty of times where our squad could use that type of quickness advantage for scoring runs.

Now you're just daring Donovan into playing Westbrook-Schröder-Felton.

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Lmao I was so wrong about Felton this year. He's done. He looked winded in warmups. When he shoots it looks like it takes every once of energy he has.

[getrichordie]

There's no guarantee Beal helps this team's offense. He's a better floor spacer/ball handler than everyone in our 2 guard rotation but he also needs the ball to be effective/maximized. He's not Klay Thompson. Who's to say our offense won't sputter and RW gets in his own head about who needs touches? What happens to our offense when we take away potentially the best screen setter in the game? What happens to our defense when we take away Adams?

WCS is an empty stats player. Worse awareness on defense than Ayton. Doesn't box out. Doesn't communicate. Loves to take long 2s. Giles is a decent passer but will be lucky to have a long term role as a backup considering his injury history and the fact that he doesn't have a size or quickness advantage at the 5.

Beal does not need the ball in his hands to score, man. What makes you say that?

He would be perfect for our offense. We would run him off of screens all day long or let him get into the paint and kick it to a George or Grant in the corner while teams worry about the lob threat in WCS. Furthermore, Beal played for Donovan IIRC. So he knows the offense.

Also, Giles is more 4 than 5 but he’s a guy who I think would look great as a small ball 5.

And as far as WCS putting up empty stats, I couldn’t disagree more. Dude can play and he has heart. He has played really well for SAC this year. He was giving Adams problems when we were playing them because he’s so fast and he has a nice little flip shot just like Adams.

Go watch a Kings game or at least check out their highlights.

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Beal needs the ball to be maximized. Clearly he can spot up and cut as well but that's not why you bring in Bradley Beal. Also, around screens? Who actually sets real picks on this roster without Steven? WCS slips every time. Giles is whole-heartedly not a 4. He's a plodder. The Kings play him next to WCS because WCS is mobile and does a better job guarding one on one on the perimeter than he does fighting for position in the paint.

WCS does not give Adams problems lmao. We play Adams high in PnR coverage and if Willy dives hard off the slip before OKC help can get there then yes he gets to dunk. Bravo. If Willy and Adams battle in the paint there is no contest. Adams wins 100% of that matchup.

You should probably go watch a Kings game and not just highlights.

Ah, yes. Because a paint battle is what you are going to see in the playoffs versus a GS. That’s not the only things bigs do to impact the game, lol.

Anyways, why is everyone talking so primitively? If you are concerned about Beal need ball in his hands, just stagger your guys. Russ and PG run 1st unit and Beal and Schroder run 2nd unit. C’mon guys, it’s not that hard.

And don’t tell me Beal can’t be used off ball with Russ and George...


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[bondom34]

They had 3 stars last year and never staggered. And Adams isn't getting into paint battles.

[spearsy23]

I know for a fact that after dre’s Injury slick said something along the lines of the thunder didn’t need to necessarily have someone who could do all things Dre does defensively, they just needed to find a player who could impact the game to the same level even if it wasn’t as one sided as Dre. If I thought it would actually matter, I would fine the quote.

Makes sense. If you can find someone who can do what 70% of what Dre does defensively and the other 30% of that impact comes on offense, you’ll be fine on the court. That’s what Grant essentially is.

edit: probably more of an 75/25 or 80/20 blend with Grant.

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Yet slick didn't go back and quote the argument I made to everyone on this board, including him, that given the minutes grant would rapidly develop too, and be able to replace Roberson. Funny

...he literally have you credit for that in the lengthy post you pretended to read.

[spearsy23]

Haha right? Musta taken hours! You could make anyone look bad combing through years of quotes, especially slick watts

about 10 minutes.

my reply is timestamped 1 hour, 22 minutes after your post, so it couldn't have 'taken hours'. unless i traveled in time. which is far too dangerous for something like this.

But how did you do it so quickly? I ask because I've at times wanted to find old posts of my own to reference but I never want to take the time. Are you using a script or something? Does google find individual posts from a given username in a forum?

Using Google add site:realgm.com before your query.

Usually when I do it I remember a key phrase from the post and Google it with quotes. Also useing the Boolean AND helps when you're looking for a specific user

[spearsy23]

They had 3 stars last year and never staggered.

[bondom34]

They had 3 stars last year and never staggered.

[retrobro90]

Beal does not need the ball in his hands to score, man. What makes you say that?

He would be perfect for our offense. We would run him off of screens all day long or let him get into the paint and kick it to a George or Grant in the corner while teams worry about the lob threat in WCS. Furthermore, Beal played for Donovan IIRC. So he knows the offense.

Also, Giles is more 4 than 5 but he’s a guy who I think would look great as a small ball 5.

And as far as WCS putting up empty stats, I couldn’t disagree more. Dude can play and he has heart. He has played really well for SAC this year. He was giving Adams problems when we were playing them because he’s so fast and he has a nice little flip shot just like Adams.

Go watch a Kings game or at least check out their highlights.

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Beal needs the ball to be maximized. Clearly he can spot up and cut as well but that's not why you bring in Bradley Beal. Also, around screens? Who actually sets real picks on this roster without Steven? WCS slips every time. Giles is whole-heartedly not a 4. He's a plodder. The Kings play him next to WCS because WCS is mobile and does a better job guarding one on one on the perimeter than he does fighting for position in the paint.

WCS does not give Adams problems lmao. We play Adams high in PnR coverage and if Willy dives hard off the slip before OKC help can get there then yes he gets to dunk. Bravo. If Willy and Adams battle in the paint there is no contest. Adams wins 100% of that matchup.

You should probably go watch a Kings game and not just highlights.

Ah, yes. Because a paint battle is what you are going to see in the playoffs versus a GS. That’s not the only things bigs do to impact the game, lol.

Anyways, why is everyone talking so primitively? If you are concerned about Beal need ball in his hands, just stagger your guys. Russ and PG run 1st unit and Beal and Schroder run 2nd unit. C’mon guys, it’s not that hard.

And don’t tell me Beal can’t be used off ball with Russ and George...


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Adams battling in the paint is one of his best skills. Whether he's posting up or boxing out or crashing the offensive glass or sealing his man in transition. Having Adams is a huge advantage against a team like GSW.

Beal would not be maximized on this roster and his impact would never exceed what Adams already brings to the table. Look at the words you just typed. Stagger him so he plays with Schroder? How many shots do you think Beal gets up on this roster? Adams is a C. He operates from spots on the floor no one else on our squad can. We have three dudes who can all create opportunities for him on the perimeter and he can get his own shot in the post. Do you want "your turn/my turn" offense or do you want good offense?

Anyway please continue to post trade proposals that are, without exception, massive overpays by OKC.

[getrichordie]

Beal needs the ball to be maximized. Clearly he can spot up and cut as well but that's not why you bring in Bradley Beal. Also, around screens? Who actually sets real picks on this roster without Steven? WCS slips every time. Giles is whole-heartedly not a 4. He's a plodder. The Kings play him next to WCS because WCS is mobile and does a better job guarding one on one on the perimeter than he does fighting for position in the paint.

WCS does not give Adams problems lmao. We play Adams high in PnR coverage and if Willy dives hard off the slip before OKC help can get there then yes he gets to dunk. Bravo. If Willy and Adams battle in the paint there is no contest. Adams wins 100% of that matchup.

You should probably go watch a Kings game and not just highlights.

Ah, yes. Because a paint battle is what you are going to see in the playoffs versus a GS. That’s not the only things bigs do to impact the game, lol.

Anyways, why is everyone talking so primitively? If you are concerned about Beal need ball in his hands, just stagger your guys. Russ and PG run 1st unit and Beal and Schroder run 2nd unit. C’mon guys, it’s not that hard.

And don’t tell me Beal can’t be used off ball with Russ and George...


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Adams battling in the paint is one of his best skills. Whether he's posting up or boxing out or crashing the offensive glass or sealing his man in transition. Having Adams is a huge advantage against a team like GSW.

Beal would not be maximized on this roster and his impact would never exceed what Adams already brings to the table. Look at the words you just typed. Stagger him so he plays with Schroder? How many shots do you think Beal gets up on this roster? Adams is a C. He operates from spots on the floor no one else on our squad can. We have three dudes who can all create opportunities for him on the perimeter and he can get his own shot in the post. Do you want "your turn/my turn" offense or do you want good offense?

Anyway please continue to post trade proposals that are, without exception, massive overpays by OKC.

Sorry, I had to just laugh out loud for a second.

There’s literally zero evidence that Beal can’t take on the scoring load. Schroder is learning how to play more off ball so they can both attack and kick. And Noel is a genuine lob threat. That’s what really good second unit offense will look like.

Beal can score off ball, on ball, whatever, and he can take guys 1 on 1 in ISO situations as well. How is he not a good fit for our team?

As far as the Adams paint skills stuff — go look at his recent playoff numbers. It’s not that impressive. He’s a great regular season player and a really solid playoff big, but he’s overrated when it comes to playoffs.

Look at what GSW’s weaknesses are: rebounding. Winning through Adams’ interior defense and rebounding prowess is not the only way to win.

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[bondom34]

Cutting Beal's touches seems to let him not score, and Adams has been amazing in postseason play.

[slick_watts]

Beal can score off ball, on ball, whatever, and he can take guys 1 on 1 in ISO situations as well. How is he not a good fit for our team?

i think you're falling into the trap of arguing against the position you want someone to take instead of arguing the position actually being taken which is (from what i can tell) that this team would not maximize beal's skillset in the way it maximize's adams.

you really have to look no further than victor oladipo to find evidence for this belief. there's only one ball on the court and westbrook's going to finish possessions with that ball 30% or more of the time no matter who he is on the court with. beal is an excellent shooter and would of course help with knocking down spot up attempts and maybe getting the creating leftovers from westbrook and schroder-- but his skill set would not be leveraged optimally on our team.

adams on the other hand has his skilled milked for all he has. his offensive rebounding is vital to the team's current success and more or less unique on our roster. as is his screen setting and defensive aptitude at the 5. there is certainly a strong argument for not swapping adams for beal on this basis alone.

no one is questioning what bradley beal is capable of. but trading adams for him in any realistic scenario (i.e. not straight up) would present a lot of challenges with balancing the roster and also fielding a viable payroll. even in your dream scenario where the thunder get beal and cauley-stein-- that only solves the problem for one year. and you'd still have the same integration concerns with beal.

a lot of what retrobro90 is saying is why i'd prefer porter in a vacuum. far less skill overlap.

[Dn4sty]

I’d love Beal on the team, but there is no question that it would be a challenge to integrate the roster in a way that worked. Talent alone would overcome a lot of issues, yet unless Beal could function is a version of a Klay Thompson role, it would be present a lot of challenges.

Plus I think it’s a really big deal to have an elite offensive rebounder on the court with Russ to maximize his play.

I’d make the trade for Beal if it led to Adams having to be shipped out, in spite of this.

[Dn4sty]

Beal can score off ball, on ball, whatever, and he can take guys 1 on 1 in ISO situations as well. How is he not a good fit for our team?

i think you're falling into the trap of arguing against the position you want someone to take instead of arguing the position actually being taken which is (from what i can tell) that this team would not maximize beal's skillset in the way it maximize's adams.

you really have to look no further than victor oladipo to find evidence for this belief. there's only one ball on the court and westbrook's going to finish possessions with that ball 30% or more of the time no matter who he is on the court with. beal is an excellent shooter and would of course help with knocking down spot up attempts and maybe getting the creating leftovers from westbrook and schroder-- but his skill set would not be leveraged optimally on our team.

adams on the other hand has his skilled milked for all he has. his offensive rebounding is vital to the team's current success and more or less unique on our roster. as is his screen setting and defensive aptitude at the 5. there is certainly a strong argument for not swapping adams for beal on this basis alone.

no one is questioning what bradley beal is capable of. but trading adams for him in any realistic scenario (i.e. not straight up) would present a lot of challenges with balancing the roster and also fielding a viable payroll. even in your dream scenario where the thunder get beal and cauley-stein-- that only solves the problem for one year. and you'd still have the same integration concerns with beal.

a lot of what retrobro90 is saying is why i'd prefer porter in a vacuum. far less skill overlap.

I’ll give you credit, this is one of your best posts I’ve seen on this board.

I think the other thing that helps with Porter is I think he’s more than fine playing as third option and would be completely happy doing so. Having a guy that is a decent/solid defender, a legit shooter, and versatile positionally is amazing. It’s even more amazing when he’s completely cool with that being his role.

[retrobro90]

Ah, yes. Because a paint battle is what you are going to see in the playoffs versus a GS. That’s not the only things bigs do to impact the game, lol.

Anyways, why is everyone talking so primitively? If you are concerned about Beal need ball in his hands, just stagger your guys. Russ and PG run 1st unit and Beal and Schroder run 2nd unit. C’mon guys, it’s not that hard.

And don’t tell me Beal can’t be used off ball with Russ and George...


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Adams battling in the paint is one of his best skills. Whether he's posting up or boxing out or crashing the offensive glass or sealing his man in transition. Having Adams is a huge advantage against a team like GSW.

Beal would not be maximized on this roster and his impact would never exceed what Adams already brings to the table. Look at the words you just typed. Stagger him so he plays with Schroder? How many shots do you think Beal gets up on this roster? Adams is a C. He operates from spots on the floor no one else on our squad can. We have three dudes who can all create opportunities for him on the perimeter and he can get his own shot in the post. Do you want "your turn/my turn" offense or do you want good offense?

Anyway please continue to post trade proposals that are, without exception, massive overpays by OKC.

Sorry, I had to just laugh out loud for a second.

There’s literally zero evidence that Beal can’t take on the scoring load. Schroder is learning how to play more off ball so they can both attack and kick. And Noel is a genuine lob threat. That’s what really good second unit offense will look like.

Beal can score off ball, on ball, whatever, and he can take guys 1 on 1 in ISO situations as well. How is he not a good fit for our team?

As far as the Adams paint skills stuff — go look at his recent playoff numbers. It’s not that impressive. He’s a great regular season player and a really solid playoff big, but he’s overrated when it comes to playoffs.

Look at what GSW’s weaknesses are: rebounding. Winning through Adams’ interior defense and rebounding prowess is not the only way to win.

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Go back and read my statement. I'm not arguing Beal can't take on the scoring load. I'm saying his scoring load will be minimized and marginalized.

I know what Beal is capable of on the floor. You don't have to spell out what his game is. He takes possessions and shots just like any all star calibre perimeter player. That shot distribution looks way more balanced when part of it is going through hyper efficient Steve VS it being shared between three perimeter scorers.

I don't need to look at Adams' playoff numbers over the course of two 5 and 6 game first round series'. I've watched him for years. I know what he does.

Look at what GSW’s weaknesses are: rebounding. Winning through Adams’ interior defense and rebounding prowess is not the only way to win.

Even Sarah Huckabee Sanders doesn't contradict herself this quickly.

[bondom34]

I'm just glad I'm not the only Porter fan.