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Another Cook start. Need a win tonight!

Really poor D so far and we are not rebounding well either.

Didn't think I'd say this after last season, but we're REALLY missing Thabo!

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook must eventually learn how to play with James Harden. Harden does pretty much everything better than them with the ball in his hands, and against a team like Memphis Durant and Westbrook are just going to turn it over way too much trying to get their own offense going.

Also, Kendrick Perkins has been awful. One defensive rebound in 19 minutes. Starting to feel a little worried about the extension we gave him. These are the kinds of games he's supposed to stand out in and be super useful...

Nice push here! Within striking distance now. One or two more big plays and the roof's gonna blow off the arena too.

slick_watts wrote: Also, Kendrick Perkins has been awful. One defensive rebound in 19 minutes. Starting to feel a little worried about the extension we gave him. These are the kinds of games he's supposed to stand out in and be super useful...

Well, good thing there's an amnesty clause if he continues to struggle.

Harden is an animal!

Also, both Durant and Westbrook can play fine with Harden individually, but when they're on the court together they have a tendency to just look for each other.

Krodis wrote:Also, both Durant and Westbrook can play fine with Harden individually, but when they're on the court together they have a tendency to just look for each other.

Agreed... nice observation.

None of them are really cutters or offensive rebounders. All of them excel in either iso or a 2 man game. Not all 3 of them can be in a two man game.

I wonder what Westbrook's percentage is on that bank shot he's been working on.

wizkid27 wrote:None of them are really cutters or offensive rebounders. All of them excel in either iso or a 2 man game. Not all 3 of them can be in a two man game.

Westbrook is actually a pretty darn good cutter, but that requires the ball in Harden's hands.

I think the offense runs best with Harden as the primary ball-handler, Westbrook as a cutter and secondary ball-handler, and Durant just being Durant.

wizkid27 wrote:None of them are really cutters or offensive rebounders. All of them excel in either iso or a 2 man game. Not all 3 of them can be in a two man game.

Agreed, but Harden's much, much better handling the ball than either Durant or Westbrook in the half court. It just seems weird to me that he's marginalized to the degree that he is when the other two are in the game. He should handle the ball more often.

I like turtles.

My girlfriend likes turtles*

To be fair, this fourth quarter they seem to have gotten the message because the ball has been in Harden's hands a lot.

Clutch three by Durant... very poor defense on that Conley three before it.

Durant with 34 points despite only 5-7 from the line. His mid range game has been unbelievable this season... we're at a 22 game sample now with him shooting 50%+ from 16-23 feet (Dirk-like) and creating way more of his offense than usual. The fact that he's at 60%+ TS while getting to the line so much less says a lot. Starting to believe this is a legit evolution in his game and not a hot shooting streak...

It certainly does look like a change in his game more than anything. He's taking different shots than he used to in the mid-game.

Dirk is starting to look like his best comparison.

a more fluid/athletic Dirk was his ceiling on draftexpress.com

can't wait to watch this one later tonight.