1/15 | G43: Oklahoma City Thunder at Atlanta Hawks - 6:30PM CST

[Dn4sty]

Someone needs to answer for pick and roll defense. Either the players are playing stupid or they are being coached stupid.

[Dadouv47]

We also couldn't beat several bad teams lately because PG13 wasn't efficient. Our offense is so bad that when PG13 is off, we just can't win.

[Osirus89]

I had a feeling this would be a dropped game. Atlanta has been playing pretty well recently.

I'm not even sure what they will do at the deadline. The issues run deep and picking up a "decent" rotation guy won't help all that much. I just don't know. This will be an interesting offseason.

[NaturalThunder]

Two 45 point quarters. We allowed the bleeping Hawks to score 45 points in a quarter...TWICE. And gave up 142 points to them in a non-OT game.

We've officially hit rock bottom.

This team sucks.

[ThunderBolt]

How bad is this team right now?

How do you lose, in a five game stretch, at home to the Wizards and T-Wolves and get blown out on the road by the Hawks?

Again, some of you scoffed/laughed at me, but the bottom is absolutely falling out for this team right now. We're really bad.

I think we’re better than last year but so are a lot of other teams in the west. If we are going to fall to fifth or sixth in the west I would just rather see if the new lottery percentages will work in our favor.

[NaturalThunder]

We also couldn't beat several bad teams lately because PG13 wasn't efficient. Our offense is so bad that when PG13 is off, we just can't win.

We scored 126 points. Our offensive rating tonight was 119.5.

Our defense was atrocious. The Hawks ORtg coming into tonight was 104.5 which is good for 29th in the league. Tonight their offensive rating was 134.7.

Again, offense wasn't the problem tonight. It was horrendous defense against a really bad offensive team.

[Andre Roberstan]

Someone needs to answer for pick and roll defense. Either the players are playing stupid or they are being coached stupid.

OKC plays one of the most aggressive schemes in the league, partly so they can force turnovers to make up for their bad offense and get transition buckets.

When everyone's locked in, it's a swarming forest of arms that forces teams to rotate through to their second, third and fourth options on offense.

If guys are half a step slow, it falls apart quickly. So through the regular season when guys aren't necessarily trying as hard you'll have some games (especially against bad teams or on B2Bs) where they just get absolutely lit up. I wasn't able to watch this one tonight but I'll bet that was the biggest issue.

[ThunderBolt]

I understand not being locked in but considering we had lost 3 out of our last 4 and 2 of those losses were at home to bad teams, there really isn’t a good excuse for this.

[ozwizard8]

Donovan is a bad coach. Its simple as that.
We can discuss Adams shortcomings on defense, p&r. We can blame Westbrook and how hard build an offensive system around him. Inefficiency and stuff.. The infamous lack of shooters excuse...

The problem is Donovan.

OKC never win an easy game with him.
OKC's good record, good defensive stats wasnt about him at all. I dont care which color commentator on ESPN says what.
A month ago I heard Doris Burke talking about Donovan being a candidate of coach of the year. What a joke...

Sam Presti build an amazing roster again like always. He turned Melo and his max contract into more than servicable player. After Scott Brooks now he's wasting it with B.Donovan.

***
Even if you have a bad defenders in your roster you can still become a decent defensive team with good coaching. You can hide 1 or 2 really bad defenders.
To have great D you need personnel and some decent coaching.

OKC team has great defensive roster.
S.Adams isnt mobile or athletic enough to be top 3 defender among the Centers. But he's certainly at top 10. Probably top 5.
Jerami Grant is plus defender. Most of players playing 4 is undersized anyway. No one out there is athletic as he is.
Paul George one of the best defenders out there.
Ferguson/Schroder also has physical tools to defend. Schroder is good defender when he is motivated.
Westbrook doesnt save energy for offense like he used to. And at that size and athleticism he is certainly plus defender to have.
Nerlens Noel is one of the best defenders in the league for 2nd unit.

And this team got scored 142 against Hawks.

Dont show me good defensive games and stats. This roster by default would defend at top level. I think this roster is the best defensive lineup+bench for entire NBA.
Defensive scheme, plan opponent team scouting is abysmal. Donovan's rotations seem to be made for creating momentum for opposing team.

There is no excuse for this defense. Donovan even managed to fail this. Make him in GSW coach and they'll become a 5th seed in West.
*****
Clueless offense continues. Luckily this team has WB-PG. Presti also add another playmaker Schroder so we dont even need much offensive plan. Donovan cant even help the team to select plays, find the holes in opposing teams defense. Hawks or another team OKC always try to find points in same memorized way. Of course on some days PG or WB become inefficient with their ISO games.
Remember last years playoffs? It'll get even worse on playoffs. Its so easy to adjust against OKC. Donovan cant reply those adjustments and team cant do it too. Roster quality is responsible for Thunder's win column. Give this roster to Rick Carlisle OKC would be 1st seed. Remember his Pacers-Pistons teams.

Just find a coach that can draw plays after timeout. Find a coach that can secure win after you blow out your opponent in 1st quarter like that Wizards game. Find a coach make life easier for his players.
Just some decent rotations would be a big improvement for this team.

[jayu70]

As a Hawks fan, I did not expect this win much less 142 points on the OKC defense.
Coach in his post game presser said he exploited OKC's switching defense with Collins and especially in the PnR. Steven Adams like to step up in the PnR so the emphasis was to get the ball inside to the rolling bigs.

[Dn4sty]

Erik Horne asked some pretty pointed questions

Pick and Roll Defense (he went back and re-asked about it after Billy’s answer(s) two additional times)

Bench play

Abrines (he pushed him on Abrines)

Billy’s answers were lame

[Dn4sty]

As a Hawks fan, I did not expect this win much less 142 points on the OKC defense.
Coach in his post game presser said he exploited OKC's switching defense with Collins and especially in the PnR. Steven Adams like to step up in the PnR so the emphasis was to get the ball inside to the rolling bigs.

It was literally open all night. This is no slight to Len/Collins (who played excellent), but I shudder to think this is the way OKC will play far more talented bigs.

[ozwizard8]

As a Hawks fan, I did not expect this win much less 142 points on the OKC defense.
Coach in his post game presser said he exploited OKC's switching defense with Collins and especially in the PnR. Steven Adams like to step up in the PnR so the emphasis was to get the ball inside to the rolling bigs.

This is on Billy Donovan.
Its an easy move to see and reply.
We're not playing against GSW. Against Hawks there are multiple solutions to cover this.

Billy Donovan simply cant make adjustments.
I remember the away game in Dallas. Rick Carlisle just used JJ Barea and killed OKC. Instead of answering that move he brought Patterson+Adams against a offense run by JJ Barea. Of course even at old age he feasted on us. They got the run they need, they got the momentum before entering last minutes of the game.
Wizards was ready to accept the L after couple minutes in OKC. They get revived simply by some B.Beal plays.
Donovan didnt do necessary moves to stop him. Then in 2nd half he overreacted and couldnt answer any new plays the opponent does.

Todays game was perfect example of how bad our coach is.
On offense WB-George-Schroder-off rebounds and low post by Adams simply bail Donovan. But in fact our offensive scheme is also bad.

[Raijin]

Schroder-Diallo-Nader-2Pat-Grant to start the 2nd quarter were obliterated. Outscored by 9 in 5 minutes.

Schroder-Ferg-Diallo-Nader-2Pat started the 4th. They were also obliterated - outscored by 7 in 2 minutes!

Not a lot of time for our good players to rest... Billy has to stagger PG, or do something! Until Noel + Abrines come back this bench will continue to kill us.

[Kizz Fastfists]

Donovan is incompetent. Every rational person has known that for over a year. Presti keeping him and picking up his option for next year also makes Presti incompetent. Presti has to go or Donovan stays. The only chance for Presti to get fired is for OKC to miss the playoffs. If OKC misses the playoffs then ownership will bring in the new front office under the orders to rebuild, because I can't believe they would keep paying the tax AFTER missing the playoffs. The franchise is stuck in the worst possible position. Fans can either hope they miss the playoffs for positive change, which will include a short-term drop off or they can hope they make the playoffs and lose in the first round for a few more years.

[Old Man Game]

I think lot of our dudes we're 3/4ths hungover. The ATL is an underrated nba party town.

Sent from my Pixel using RealGM mobile app

[1bigfan13]

Simply an embarrassing difference performance. Another inexcusable loss to one of the league's worst teams. I think this is who they are now. A .500-ish team who will in all likelihood be bounced from the playoffs in the 1st round.......again.

I've lost all faith in this team.

I'd put together a package and trade Ferguson, Diallo, and Abrines for ONE decent 3 point shooter.

How does damn near every team in the league seems to find at least 1 or 2 really good long range shooters but Presti can't find one to save his life.

[1bigfan13]

I assume the Thunder will be losing to the Lebron-less Lakers and the NY Knick as well because that's what they do. Mail it in versus struggling teams.

[Pillendreher]

I think lot of our dudes we're 3/4ths hungover.

They sure as hell looked like it. Worst loss of the season by far. The only time they got anything resembling a "stop" was when they forced a turnover. Other than that, it was open season all night long. Embarassing and pathetic. You can't lose 3 straight games to Washington, Minnesota and Atlanta. That right there might be the difference between a tough Playoff matchup and HCA.

[DoubleJ13]

Rough game. Everybody looked half asleep the first half, they woke up enough to have a good 3rd quarter, & then went back to sleeping. Bench got absolutly wrecked & the starters (outside of Russ & Grant being the ones keeping them at all in it) didn't do much better.

As soon as Russ has started to string together some decent games after that miserable December, PG has started his yearly going into a funk, & Schroder has been pretty bad for a while now too but it was overlooked because of just how off Russ was looking. Abrines turning into big foot where all you see is the occasional video & Noel going out haven't helped either since Noel has been pretty solid all year & we need shooting so badly. Why Presti doesn't give a big a 10 day while Noel is out so we have to go small & force more minutes on other guys I'll never know.