2019-20 OKC Thunder Regular Season Thread

spearsy23 · Post #201 » by **spearsy23** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 2:55 am

We've been worse than I expected tbh.

Post #202 » by **ThunderBolt** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 4:01 am

spearsy23 wrote:We've been worse than I expected tbh.

I’m ok with that for two reasons. We get a better draft pick and this teams style of play is more enjoyable for me to watch.

spearsy23 · Post #203 » by **spearsy23** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 1:21 pm

ThunderBolt wrote:
spearsy23 wrote:We've been worse than I expected tbh.

I’m ok with that for two reasons. We get a better draft pick and this teams style of play is more enjoyable for me to watch.

We still don't play a very fun style of basketball. Really the only thing that's changed is that we don't get out in transition and we start every possession with that perimeter weave. We don't generally go downhill off of it, so it's mostly just a way to waste time and get the ball to whoever we decide should be the decision maker on that trip.

Post #204 » by **ThunderBolt** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 1:33 pm

spearsy23 wrote:
ThunderBolt wrote:
spearsy23 wrote:We've been worse than I expected tbh.

I’m ok with that for two reasons. We get a better draft pick and this teams style of play is more enjoyable for me to watch.

We still don't play a very fun style of basketball. Really the only thing that's changed is that we don't get out in transition and we start every possession with that perimeter weave. We don't generally go downhill off of it, so it's mostly just a way to waste time and get the ball to whoever we decide should be the decision maker on that trip.

I think its a lot more enjoyable to watch but I didn't have high expectations. I don't know what the balance is between wanting to look like a well coached team and the consequences that brings.

Post #205 » by **slick_watts** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 1:44 pm

we do have a .58 SRS. our record is worse than our strength considering all the close games we've lost to good teams. probably a best case scenario right now for a rebuild. record worse than expected, cp3 and gallo playing well. i don't think the team is particularly fun to watch but lots of thunder fans do because they are plucky and underdogs and oklahomans seem to loooooooove being underdogs with no expectations.

the team would be so much more fun to watch of schroder was traded.

Post #206 » by **ThunderBolt** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 1:52 pm

slick_watts wrote:we do have a .58 SRS. our record is worse than our strength considering all the close games we've lost to good teams. probably a best case scenario right now for a rebuild. record worse than expected, cp3 and gallo playing well. i don't think the team is particularly fun to watch but lots of thunder fans do because they are plucky and underdogs and oklahomans seem to loooooooove being underdogs with no expectations.

the team would be so much more fun to watch of schroder was traded.

Maybe for some. I just really didn't enjoy Russ that much.

Post #207 » by **slick_watts** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 1:54 pm

ThunderBolt wrote:
slick_watts wrote:we do have a .58 SRS. our record is worse than our strength considering all the close games we've lost to good teams. probably a best case scenario right now for a rebuild. record worse than expected, cp3 and gallo playing well. i don't think the team is particularly fun to watch but lots of thunder fans do because they are plucky and underdogs and oklahomans seem to loooooooove being underdogs with no expectations.

the team would be so much more fun to watch of schroder was traded.

Maybe for some. I just really didn't enjoy Russ that much.

i loved him.

Kizz Fastfists · Post #208 » by **Kizz Fastfists** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 2:35 pm

Russ was entertaining. He is no longer a player that wins you games.

Post #209 » by **ThunderBolt** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 2:39 pm

If Morey leaves or gets canned, our most valuable assets could become the houston picks and swaps.

spearsy23 · Post #210 » by **spearsy23** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 3:14 pm

ThunderBolt wrote:
spearsy23 wrote:
ThunderBolt wrote:I’m ok with that for two reasons. We get a better draft pick and this teams style of play is more enjoyable for me to watch.

We still don't play a very fun style of basketball. Really the only thing that's changed is that we don't get out in transition and we start every possession with that perimeter weave. We don't generally go downhill off of it, so it's mostly just a way to waste time and get the ball to whoever we decide should be the decision maker on that trip.

I think its a lot more enjoyable to watch but I didn't have high expectations. I don't know what the balance is between wanting to look like a well coached team and the consequences that brings.

I was hoping for more variety and emphasis on getting open looks. Kinda like Brett brown's first couple of years where they were near the top of the league in shot quality but the players sucked. Or the nets pre-kyrie. I love Kenny Atkinson's last two years.

I know being well coached has consequences on a rebuilding team, but I believe we've seen that being poorly coached in that phase can have consequences when you're contending too.

spearsy23 · Post #211 » by **spearsy23** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 3:14 pm

Kizz Fastfists wrote:Russ was entertaining. He is no longer a player that wins you games.

Not like Chris Paul, eh?

Kizz Fastfists · Post #212 » by **Kizz Fastfists** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 3:22 pm

spearsy23 wrote:Not like Chris Paul, eh?

I find CP3 entertaining and at this point he is better than Russ. Both are declining and not what they once were. Neither can carry a team through a season anymore but they are both capable of carrying a team on a random night.

Post #213 » by **ThunderBolt** » Sat Nov 23, 2019 3:28 pm

spearsy23 wrote:
ThunderBolt wrote:
spearsy23 wrote:We still don't play a very fun style of basketball. Really the only thing that's changed is that we don't get out in transition and we start every possession with that perimeter weave. We don't generally go downhill off of it, so it's mostly just a way to waste time and get the ball to whoever we decide should be the decision maker on that trip.

I think its a lot more enjoyable to watch but I didn't have high expectations. I don't know what the balance is between wanting to look like a well coached team and the consequences that brings.

I was hoping for more variety and emphasis on getting open looks. Kinda like Brett brown's first couple of years where they were near the top of the league in shot quality but the players sucked. Or the nets pre-kyrie. I love Kenny Atkinson's last two years.

I know being well coached has consequences on a rebuilding team, but I believe we've seen that being poorly coached in that phase can have consequences when you're contending too.

One of the consequences would also be retaining billy.

Post #214 » by **ThunderBolt** » Mon Nov 25, 2019 4:40 pm

Read on Twitter

Post #215 » by **ThunderBolt** » Mon Nov 25, 2019 4:40 pm

Read on Twitter

jambalaya · Post #216 » by **jambalaya** » Tue Nov 26, 2019 2:56 am

Bring Dort up, play him immediately. If he does well, get him signed to a real deal. You don't want him to refuse to sign a real deal.

jambalaya · Post #217 » by **jambalaya** » Tue Nov 26, 2019 4:31 am

Too many shots from Schroder and SGA, especially from mid-range. Need more 3s or at rim the rim from somebody, now and in future. Not enough rebounding.

Ferguson is not the future. Give all his minutes to Dort for 2 weeks and assess.

jambalaya · Post #218 » by **jambalaya** » Sat Nov 30, 2019 5:10 am

What do you need to make playoffs In 2 - 3 years? Generally above average starters who have played good minutes for at least 2-3 years and subs who have learned their role. Thunder dont have those future building blocks yet. Will the Thunder have that in 3-4 years or longer? How long til they realistically contend to the level of maybe going to conference finals? 4 years best case? 5-7? It would take some trade wizardry or free agent wizardy later to spend this up. Ideally they might know at least 3 of their future starters identified within 1-2 years. If not, the timetable "back" will be at the long end of the range I gave or longer.

jambalaya · Post #219 » by **jambalaya** » Sat Nov 30, 2019 9:04 am

Either the Thunder are still committed to doing as much or more than other would be contenders or they are not. Either they think they can get players to stay into or fulfill 3rd contracts or they have a plan to win a title while on 2nd contracts (that would probably mean trading draft assets near or future to concentrate their value more than now and probably getting more veteran / premium veteran role players and having a more traditional average age roster). Either they aggressively combine draft picks and / or tank to get top 5 picks or they think they can get above average starters and stars / superstars without them. Either they change their offense / defense, star / role player, perimeter / interior design mix or they don't and think they are completely fine exactly the same even though they didn't win a title with 3 HOFs and only got one finals appearance and one finals game won. Either they accept that contention again will be a 5-7 plus year process or they think they can do it quicker or they actually do it quicker.

They have varied the design in some respects but not from a perimeter offensive star lead design, not to a shot distribution clearly above average from 3 on attempts and make %, and not to a team older than the youngest title winning team in modern times.

If they are to win a title, I'd guess they'll need an interior player better than peak Ibaka (and probably at both ends of the court), perimeter players more consistently devoted to defense and role players with far better outside shots and far more experience.

spearsy23 · Post #220 » by **spearsy23** » Sat Nov 30, 2019 1:38 pm

it's year one, they haven't even began rebuilding the team..