Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Boston Celtics 11/7/2010

[slick_watts]

Russell Westbrook / Thabo Sefolosha / Kevin Durant / Jeff Green / Nenad Krstic

VS.




Rajon Rondo / Ray Allen / Paul Pierce / Kevin Garnett / Shaquille O'neal

Matchup

The Celtics are battling a couple injuries but are playing some great basketball. Rajon Rondo is putting up more assists per game than our entire team, but will be playing with plantar fasciitis in both feet. Shaquille O'neal is listed as questionable for this game - if he can't go I'm guessing Glen Davis will start in his place.

The big key to this game is Kevin Garnett. He's looked mobile and healthy to start the season. Going up against Jeff Green, who is giving up more than half a foot of length, he might be able to prowl around and play center field defensively. The Celtics will probably have little trouble forcing us into taking jump shots instead of getting the ball to the rim.

Defensively, I think this is a team we can match up well against. We'll be giving up some size in the front court to Glen Davis and Kevin Garnett, but other than that I don't think there are any significant advantages offensively for Boston. If we don't see Aldrich in this game I'll scream.

Offensively, the Thunder need to move the ball and attack the defense instead of settling for jumpers or running off isolations 90% of the time. Boston is a very disciplined defensive team, but they have been middle of the road in terms of fouling. Getting to the line and (hopefully) getting some of their big guys into foul trouble should be a point of emphasis.

Some Numbers

Although the defense has sucked (27th overall) and we can't shoot (29th in eFG%), there are two big aspects of the season so far that are very encouraging. The Thunder are 3rd (!) in the NBA in TOV% and 4th in the league in opponent FT/FGA (fouling). Those two numbers are nice, but OKC will have to start making shots and playing defense if they want to win consistently.

A Question

Small ball saved the day in Portland, even though it almost gave the game away with Jeff Green attempting to guard and box out Marcus Camby. Do we fall back on small ball against the Celtics?

[HeartSouloma]

Hope your right about this. If we keep on playing small ball, then i don't know how we going to win. I rather play Ibaka on KG.

[fallacy]

For the love of god, play aldrich. I don't think brooks will and it will get nasty. Barring KD or westbrook just dominating this game, i don't see us winning. Plus, we usually play like crap on sundays for some reason.

OKC - 98
Boston - 106

EDIT: Shaq won't play tonight. Rondo also has some fake injury in his feet that doesn't affect him at all. So whenever you hear something about rondo being hurt, he's perfectly fine

[slick_watts]

Just heard the Jeff Green will miss the game with an ankle injury, Serge Ibaka will start at PF in his place.

[Joel Embust]

Kevin with three careless turnovers in the first 9 minutes of the game.

[slick_watts]

Kevin with three careless turnovers in the first 9 minutes of the game.

They're letting him handle the ball a lot more in isolations. It's stupid. They're trying to force him into being LeBron or Wade when he's so much better working 50% of the time off the ball. He scores so easily off the ball. Don't understand it.

The defense has been vanished again. Poor defense on the PnR... getting lost on rotations.

[slick_watts]

I'm trying to keep the faith in Harden but he just looks lost and confused offensively. Doesn't seem sure of what he should do, looks like he's thinking way too much.

[BIG EDDIE]

Durant seems to turn the ball over ALL THE TIME against tough defensive teams.
I really dont know why? I mean, protecthe ball while dribbling, damn, its not like he is a 7 fee Center with cement hands.

[Jimmy76]

Harden should be doing what Maynor is now

[slick_watts]

This team has been terrible. The offense is even worse than last year, somehow. The defense has completely vanished.

[Jimmy76]

This team has been terrible. The offense is even worse than last year, somehow. The defense has completely vanished.

yeah im not sure what happened

was ron adams that important?

should be a head coach if so

[slick_watts]

This team has been terrible. The offense is even worse than last year, somehow. The defense has completely vanished.

yeah im not sure what happened

was ron adams that important?

should be a head coach if so

Scott Brooks is a player coach. He can get the players to buy into something, he's a great motivator. He's not a system coach. Not an X's and O's guy at all. The defensive execution this season and preseason has been largely absent without Ron Adams. Our guys aren't rotating properly, aren't going through screens when they should, are getting caught ball watching...

[Sinant]

At least the Thunder won't be able to hide behind Durant playing badly anymore.

He's had a great first half(well, shooting the ball, anyways), and they're getting run out of the gym.

[BIG EDDIE]

I feel like watching the Nets play.
Its horrible and I dont know how this all will change in the near future.
I mean, Im a big fan of playing basketball the RIGHT WAY and the Thunder are playing 0% the right way at the moment... Very sad.

[wiff]

Well that's all I can take of this game.

They have just been playing soooo poorly.

They one and only good thing that came out of this game is that Ibaka finally got a start.

[wiff]

Sorry guys I turned it back on right as Harden buried the 3ball and to close it to six. Then watched Big Baby bury the same 18ft jumper twice in a row. I will just keep the game off and maybe they will claw back into it.

[Jimmy76]

high to westbrook finally reared his ugly head

[Jimmy76]

my dream lineup!

[slick_watts]

This team is just poorly coached. There's so much talent on the court at times but hardly any of it is utilized. We have James Harden on the perimeter being left wide open half the time on KD / RW drives but he doesn't get the ball save but once (he made it). We have a athletic forwards who barely move without the ball except to set screens for Durant. We have a couple decent finishing big men, but we never run a pick and roll.

Defensively, since Ron Adams left, it looks just like the offense. There's a lack of communication on pick and rolls, the bigs and guards get mixed up on when to switch and when not to switch. There's no understanding about who do go under the screen for (Rondo) and who to fight through the screen for (Robinson). It's just a mess.

We'll make some runs in a game like this because of the talent of Durant and Westbrook but this team isn't playing like an NBA coached team right now. It's pretty much all being shot from the hip. There doesn't look like there's anything new or anything being run better than last season after another offseason of work. It's really early and maybe I'm overreacting, but I'm slowly losing faith in Brooks' ability to implement effective gameplans for this team. It's no coincidence IMO that our defense took a huge hit functionally with the departure of Ron Adams.

[HeartSouloma]

Dam.... i wonder if were going to get 40+50 wins in order to make it to the playoffs. Right now i wish we have a guy like JVG on our team or even Tom Thibodeau.... The defense suck, too many turn overs. GOSH CAN WE PLEASE GET A NEW COACH NEXT SEASON!!! Hope this don't go on during the playoffs.