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Harden starting for Thabo again (YES!). Green and Ibaka going up against Duncan and Blair (AAAAH!).

Should be a fun one. Aldrich will not play so we might also see the matchup of the century: Mullens vs. Blair.

I really hope KD's play in the preseason is just him not really caring about the preseason.

I mean, 3-12 with 2 TOs?

The only good game I recall from his was against Moscow.

Durants been playing a lot of point guard and his shot started slow last year too

Why isn't Aldrich getting minutes?

Harden and Green with good games so far.

Harden - 18/6/3
Green - 18/6
Durant - 17/7/3
Westbrook - 11/2/5

Mid third quarter

Jimmy76 wrote:Durants been playing a lot of point guard and his shot started slow last year too

Why isn't Aldrich getting minutes?

Aldrich is hurt, out for this game

fallacy wrote:

Jimmy76 wrote:Durants been playing a lot of point guard and his shot started slow last year too

Why isn't Aldrich getting minutes?

Aldrich is hurt, out for this game

With what?

I need to find the Thunder version of Coro

Jimmy76 wrote:

fallacy wrote:

Jimmy76 wrote:Durants been playing a lot of point guard and his shot started slow last year too

Why isn't Aldrich getting minutes?

Aldrich is hurt, out for this game

With what?

I need to find the Thunder version of Coro

Shoulder sprain, he is day to day.

I'm not watching the game, but Harden seems to be having a great one.

5-6 from the field, 6 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 block. He's filling out the stat sheet.

4 minutes left, 100-100

Westbrook - 15/5/7
Harden - 18/6/4. 2 blocks/1 steal
Durant - 26/8/3. 1 steal
Green - 23/8. 1 steal
Ibaka - 10/5. 4 blocks

Great defense to end the game for the thunder

111-102

SAS had some scrubs in at the end when we sealed it.

Very nice game from James Harden. He's making the case to start, IMO.

It sounded to me like Green and Durant were forcing the issue a lot, especially Durant. Green should not be getting 20 FGA in a game...

Defense still needs work and the bench was terrible in this game, Mullens, Maynor, White, Cook all bad games.

slick_watts wrote:SAS had some scrubs in at the end when we sealed it.

Very nice game from James Harden. He's making the case to start, IMO.

It sounded to me like Green and Durant were forcing the issue a lot, especially Durant. Green should not be getting 20 FGA in a game...

Defense still needs work and the bench was terrible in this game, Mullens, Maynor, White, Cook all bad games.

thankfully Mullens and White wont get much time if any once the regular season starts.

It's not just Mullens and White. Green / Ibaka is not a PF / C combo that's going to work defensively. The defense has been very bad all preseason. Krstic and Collison are the team's two best post defenders, and the team misses them a lot. Ibaka struggles a lot at center without another guy on the court to make the right plays.

I want to see more Aldrich / Ibaka. If Krstic or Collison miss any regular season time, Aldrich / Ibaka is going to have to work if the team wants to carry over any semblance of defensive continuity from last season.

For people wondering/complaining about the minutes for the starters and the bench; the plan was to play all the starters very high minutes tonight and give them the day off tomorrow. Tomorrow we will see almost exclusively bench players.

slick_watts wrote:It's not just Mullens and White. Green / Ibaka is not a PF / C combo that's going to work defensively. The defense has been very bad all preseason. Krstic and Collison are the team's two best post defenders, and the team misses them a lot. Ibaka struggles a lot at center without another guy on the court to make the right plays.

I want to see more Aldrich / Ibaka. If Krstic or Collison miss any regular season time, Aldrich / Ibaka is going to have to work if the team wants to carry over any semblance of defensive continuity from last season.

OKC needs to let go of Jeff Green as a PF and start trying Ibaka there full time.

Playing both Green and Ibaka out of position (at the 4/5 respectively) is only going to hurt them.

James Harden has done everything he could have done to prove he's ready to be a starter this season.

I believe Brooks should sit KD out for the final two preseason games, not just tonight. It's going to be a long season with an 82 game season + postseason coming up and he's played all summer in Europe while playing 28 mpg in preseason thus far.

Eleqtrique wrote:James Harden has done everything he could have done to prove he's ready to be a starter this season.

I believe Brooks should sit KD out for the final two preseason games, not just tonight. It's going to be a long season with an 82 game season + postseason coming up and he's played all summer in Europe while playing 28 mpg in preseason thus far.

I think that is an excellent idea. Truely.

We all know what KD can do. Two preseason games won't mean jack. Give him a nice little rest.

Plus with both Collison and Nonads being hurt it give Brooks a chance to run out.

C Aldrich
PF Ibaka
SF Green
SG Harden
PG Westbrook

Bench Thabo, Maynor, Mullens, White.

It would give a chance to see what guys can do at their true positions.

I'm really tired of Brooks playing both Ibaka and Green out of position at the same time. Bring in Aldrich and slide Ibaka and Green over and lets see what that line up that can do.