Maybe last year's team didn't "overachieve"...they were just better

[sleestak33]

After 31 games OKC is 16-15 and have struggled massively to find any kind of a groove and they still look discombobulated. Last year at the same time they were 19-12 and Russ was having his monster season. After seeing what PG and Carmelo are doing now that they're here and also seeing what Oladipo (who has exploded), Sabonis, Kanter (doing what he's always done AND STARTING) and McDermott are doing it looks like we actually got the worst end of the two trades. I was on board with the trades (although I thought they shouldn't have gotten Carmelo...Kanter was too important) and I thought they would be right up there with Houston and the Warriors but it's turning out that the big3 are all too similar in their style of play and it's just not working. Maybe in 31 more games things will look different but as of right now there's no question if they had left the team just like it was OKC would have been much better off.

[slick_watts]

1) your expectation that the team would be right up there with houston and the warriors was foolish.

2) the team is a bit better than last year despite the worse record.

3) the biggest problem with the team so far is westbrook playing bad, not the trade imbalance.

[oken]

I was happy for both of the trades but not for the OKC part, I was happy for the players as they would finally be able to show their potential under a better coach and a system that had something more than "get Russel the ball".

Maybe it is time to realize that the reason why this is not going to work is the submissive, player-pampering culture that has seeped into the veins of OKC Thunder for some time now.

[Thundershock88]

Last years "team" was terrible. Russell was the team. We had Semaj Christon getting valuable minutes off the bench.... We would have been lucky to win 30 games if 'Brook didn't go all time mode.

[ThunderBolt]

Last years "team" was terrible. Russell was the team. We had Semaj Christon getting valuable minutes off the bench.... We would have been lucky to win 30 games if 'Brook didn't go all time mode.

I think you could argue that last years team was better at every position except backup pg and small forward.

[Thundershock88]

Last years "team" was terrible. Russell was the team. We had Semaj Christon getting valuable minutes off the bench.... We would have been lucky to win 30 games if 'Brook didn't go all time mode.

I think you could argue that last years team was better at every position except backup pg and small forward.

And that would be revisionist history. How quickly you guys forget. Look, this team is underachieving in the win column, but in no way, shape, or form are they are a worse roster than last year.

[Kiwi_thunder]

Last years "team" was terrible. Russell was the team. We had Semaj Christon getting valuable minutes off the bench.... We would have been lucky to win 30 games if 'Brook didn't go all time mode.

Let’s get serious about last year’s team - it was all about Westbrook’s MVP chase, the team was him plus four guys on the court either boxing out other players or catching rebounds to give back to Russ to shoot again. They also had to make sure they scored off his passes, team concepts came secondary to all that.

[ThunderBolt]

Last years "team" was terrible. Russell was the team. We had Semaj Christon getting valuable minutes off the bench.... We would have been lucky to win 30 games if 'Brook didn't go all time mode.

I think you could argue that last years team was better at every position except backup pg and small forward.

And that would be revisionist history. How quickly you guys forget. Look, this team is underachieving in the win column, but in no way, shape, or form are they are a worse roster than last year.

Maybe not every position but last years russ was better than this years russ. Taj was better than Melo and Patterson. Enes was a better backup center than Dakari. Steven and Jerami are better than last year but our depth has taken a hit that we haven’t easily replaced.

[Thundershock88]

I think you could argue that last years team was better at every position except backup pg and small forward.

And that would be revisionist history. How quickly you guys forget. Look, this team is underachieving in the win column, but in no way, shape, or form are they are a worse roster than last year.

Maybe not every position but last years russ was better than this years russ. Taj was better than Melo and Patterson. Enes was a better backup center than Dakari. Steven and Jerami are better than last year but our depth has taken a hit that we haven’t easily replaced.

I think a lot of that is chemistry. Patterson seems to finally be coming into his normal form, and Melo was the main guy on his team. He's having to adjust. Taj knew his role and he did it well.

[bondom34]

Oh ffs really people turning on Russ lol. Last years team was better at pf and backup big for sure. Starting 2 as well. But the season being only about him is whatever makes you feel better. There wasn't a reliable second option on that team who could create offense including last years Dipo.

[slick_watts]

Oh ffs really people turning on Russ lol. Last years team was better at pf and backup big for sure. Starting 2 as well. But the season being only about him is whatever makes you feel better

if you adjust russ' pull-up shot attempt eFG% and FT% ALONE to last year's percentages you improve our offense by nearly 2pp100 when he's in the game. to say nothing of his three point shooting, increased turnovers, etc.

russ' issues to start the year is the biggest difference between last year's team and this year's team offensively.

[Thundershock88]

Oh ffs really people turning on Russ lol. Last years team was better at pf and backup big for sure. Starting 2 as well. But the season being only about him is whatever makes you feel better

if you adjust russ' pull-up shot attempt eFG% and FT% ALONE to last year's percentages you improve our offense by nearly 2pp100 when he's in the game. to say nothing of his three point shooting, increased turnovers, etc.

russ' issues to start the year is the biggest difference between last year's team and this year's team offensively.

I really don't think he has been healthy. He finally looks different the last 3 games. Didn't seem like his knees were all there. Of course, that's all speculation, but something was definitely wrong.

[Dadouv47]

Our defense (and offensive potential) will allow us to win games against GREAT teams. Last year we couldn't beat a ''good'' team unless Westbrook was 50/10/10

[Osirus89]

Our defense (and offensive potential) will allow us to win games against GREAT teams. Last year we couldn't beat a ''good'' team unless Westbrook was 50/10/10

Hell.. we couldn't beat the Magic without him going nuclear towards the end of last season.

This starting premise is invalid. This years team is far better than last years team. Remember Taj and McDermott were not on the start of last years team. We were looking forward to Cameron Payne coming back and had Morrow, Lauvergne, Singler playing rotation minutes with a rookie starting at PF.


Jerami was a space cadet on the floor last season being put at SF and Steven looked horrible at times last season.
This team is better. By a massive margin. They have underperformed up to this point. Last year, Russ was out of his mind.

Oops I forgot about Semaj as the back up point. Nuff said.

[Funcrusher]

Last years "team" was terrible. Russell was the team. We had Semaj Christon getting valuable minutes off the bench.... We would have been lucky to win 30 games if 'Brook didn't go all time mode.

I think you could argue that last years team was better at every position except backup pg and small forward.

[ThunderBolt]

Last years "team" was terrible. Russell was the team. We had Semaj Christon getting valuable minutes off the bench.... We would have been lucky to win 30 games if 'Brook didn't go all time mode.

I think you could argue that last years team was better at every position except backup pg and small forward.

Not every position but many of them.
Last years russ > this years russ
Taj and Sabonis > Patterson and Melo
Enes > Dakari
Oladipo> Roberson
Abrines has been the same
I dont know about Huestis vs McDermott

[Funcrusher]

I think you could argue that last years team was better at every position except backup pg and small forward.

Not every position but many of them.
Last years russ > this years russ
Taj and Sabonis > Patterson and Melo
Enes > Dakari
Oladipo> Roberson
Abrines has been the same
I dont know about Huestis vs McDermott

Overall though I think the center position has been better this year. Adams>Last Year Adams/Enes. Dakari has showed some promise in the limited minutes Donovan gives him, and at this point I think he should be getting the necessary playing time as their backup big.

I don't think Taj and Sabonis have been better than Patterson and Melo, and if so only slightly.

[Kizz Fastfists]

Not every position but many of them.
Last years russ > this years russ
Taj and Sabonis > Patterson and Melo
Enes > Dakari
Oladipo> Roberson
Abrines has been the same
I dont know about Huestis vs McDermott

Compared to last year up to THIS point:

Russ < Russ
Roberson = Roberson
PG > Dipo
Melo = Sabonis
Adams > Adams
Dakari > Enes
Felton > Semaj
Abrines = Abrines
Patterson = Lauvergne
Huestis = Singler
Grant = Grant

Russ of last year was better. Adams of this year has been better. Roberson is a push. PG and Melo is better, in totality, then Dipo and Sabonis although it is much closer then most expected. Russ has been enough worse then last year that it makes the starters worse so far. The bench is slightly better with Felton being the most significant upgrade, but Dakari has been better then Enes on a per minute basis if we still care about the scoreboard more then individual ppg and Patterson is better then Lauvergne.

I don't consider it fair to include Taj and McDermott when talking about the team this year because they were deadline additions and Presti could pull off another crazy deadline trade to improve the depth issues. After the deadline and we are talking about how this year's team will stack up to last year comparing the playoff rosters of both teams is fair, but until the deadline I will give Presti time to add another Taj type of player to the bench, preferably a wing instead of a PF.

[Dadouv47]

Not every position but many of them.
Last years russ > this years russ
Taj and Sabonis > Patterson and Melo
Enes > Dakari
Oladipo> Roberson
Abrines has been the same
I dont know about Huestis vs McDermott

Compared to last year up to THIS point:

Russ < Russ
Roberson = Roberson
PG > Dipo
Melo = Sabonis
Adams > Adams
Dakari > Enes
Felton > Semaj
Abrines = Abrines
Patterson = Lauvergne
Huestis = Singler
Grant = Grant

Russ of last year was better. Adams of this year has been better. Roberson is a push. PG and Melo is better, in totality, then Dipo and Sabonis although it is much closer then most expected. Russ has been enough worse then last year that it makes the starters worse so far. The bench is slightly better with Felton being the most significant upgrade, but Dakari has been better then Enes on a per minute basis if we still care about the scoreboard more then individual ppg and Patterson is better then Lauvergne.

I don't consider it fair to include Taj and McDermott when talking about the team this year because they were deadline additions and Presti could pull off another crazy deadline trade to improve the depth issues. After the deadline and we are talking about how this year's team will stack up to last year comparing the playoff rosters of both teams is fair, but until the deadline I will give Presti time to add another Taj type of player to the bench, preferably a wing instead of a PF.

Grant > Grant and it's not close. Not a big fan but he improved a lot.

And would say Melo = Taj (not Sabonis)

Dakari over Enes is though to say. Kanter's scoring would be helpful this year.

[Kizz Fastfists]

Dakari over Enes is though to say. Kanter's scoring would be helpful this year.

Dakari has a better Ortg, Drtg and RPM then Kanter had last year. If they would give Dakari enough minutes then I think it would turn into a very interesting discussion. The problem is that Dakari has played 113 minutes all season while Kanter was playing that every 5.5 games. There is no reason not to be giving Dakari 20 MPG for a few weeks to see if the numbers hold up or are just a result of SSS. Dakari isn't going to put up the same point that Enes did, but Dakari is averaging over 2 steals and blocks per 100 possessions and along with his rebounding could help with easy transition baskets and closing out defensive possessions.