11/12 | G13: Phoenix Suns at Oklahoma City Thunder - 7PM CST

[Thabo Sefolosha]

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PHOENIX SUNS at OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER
7PM CST |
Suns: 2-10 | # in West
ROSTER:

Spoiler:

Thunder: 7-5 | # in West
ROSTER:

Spoiler:

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SUMMARY
Thunder Last 3

Spoiler:

11/07/18 @ CLE W 95-86
11/08/18 vs HOU W 98-80
11/10/18 @ DAL L 96-111

Thunder Upcoming 3

Spoiler:

11/14/18 vs NYK 7PM CST
11/17/18 @ PHX 8PM CST
11/19/18 @ SAC 9PM CST

PLAYER OF THE GAME
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| NBA.com | | Thunder.com | | ESPN.com/NBA

[alessandrux]

We have to win this one, we already lost a winnable game yesterday.

Phoenix (or Booker) can get hot,and if they do and we are cold it might get ugly. But we have to exploit their non-existing point guard play which means a lot of pick-and-roll (and getting Schröder and Adams more in sync moving forward would be a nice plus).

I like our chances,this is with an injured Westbrook a must-win.

[ThunderBolt]

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[Osirus89]

I just want the win.

I wouldn't be completely shocked if it was a loss, but I would be one salty mf if they lose to the suns.

[getrichordie]

Speaking of the Suns game, I see a potential trade that I think would benefit both sides. Booker has made it clear that he wants to get to the playoffs this year. Suns F.O. may be feeling pressure to improve roster. It will cost Patterson, but Patterson's minutes, in my opinion, can be made up for.

Bender is a UFA after this season which makes this a bit tricky. Ideally, he's a stretch 4 you can bring off your bench and hit open 3s and has shown he can be a presence on defense. Presti sells him on contending for a championship and the culture.

Melton was a defensive presence in college and while we have yet to see anything in NBA, there's a lot to get excited about. If we are able to land him, it means bye bye to Felton and if he shows enough progression soon enough, Schroder could become an asset we can move down the line more readily.

Patterson solves the Suns hole at the 4 and Warren can go back to his natural fit at the 3. PHX shows Booker it's interested in winning now.

Patterson for Bender + Melton

Not sure how that value works out, but I know Phoenix is low on Bender and have a need at the 4.

[Pillendreher]

Speaking of the Suns game, I see a potential trade that I think would benefit both sides. Booker has made it clear that he wants to get to the playoffs this year. Suns F.O. may be feeling pressure to improve roster. It will cost Patterson, but Patterson's minutes, in my opinion, can be made up for.

Bender is a UFA after this season which makes this a bit tricky. Ideally, he's a stretch 4 you can bring off your bench and hit open 3s and has shown he can be a presence on defense. Presti sells him on contending for a championship and the culture.

Melton was a defensive presence in college and while we have yet to see anything in NBA, there's a lot to get excited about. If we are able to land him, it means bye bye to Felton and if he shows enough progression soon enough, Schroder could become an asset we can move down the line more readily.

Patterson solves the Suns hole at the 4 and Warren can go back to his natural fit at the 3. PHX shows Booker it's interested in winning now.

Patterson for Bender + Melton

Not sure how that value works out, but I know Phoenix is low on Bender and have a need at the 4.

And why would we trade one of our shooters for two scrubs?

[oken]

We have to win this one, we already lost a winnable game yesterday.

Phoenix (or Booker) can get hot,and if they do and we are cold it might get ugly. But we have to exploit their non-existing point guard play which means a lot of pick-and-roll (and getting Schröder and Adams more in sync moving forward would be a nice plus).

I like our chances,this is with an injured Westbrook a must-win.

There is no such thing as a winnable game with a squad like this. They can always blow by opponents or completely suck as with Donovan it always boils down to personal talent instead of team play and we know who is the real boss around.

[getrichordie]

Speaking of the Suns game, I see a potential trade that I think would benefit both sides. Booker has made it clear that he wants to get to the playoffs this year. Suns F.O. may be feeling pressure to improve roster. It will cost Patterson, but Patterson's minutes, in my opinion, can be made up for.

Bender is a UFA after this season which makes this a bit tricky. Ideally, he's a stretch 4 you can bring off your bench and hit open 3s and has shown he can be a presence on defense. Presti sells him on contending for a championship and the culture.

Melton was a defensive presence in college and while we have yet to see anything in NBA, there's a lot to get excited about. If we are able to land him, it means bye bye to Felton and if he shows enough progression soon enough, Schroder could become an asset we can move down the line more readily.

Patterson solves the Suns hole at the 4 and Warren can go back to his natural fit at the 3. PHX shows Booker it's interested in winning now.

Patterson for Bender + Melton

Not sure how that value works out, but I know Phoenix is low on Bender and have a need at the 4.

And why would we trade one of our shooters for two scrubs?

My thinking is that come playoff time, Patterson won’t play much in big games. He historically hasn’t done well in the playoffs. His 3P% is 33.9% in 47 playoff games and 1131 playoff games to be exact. In 133 playoff three point attempts, he has made 45. If you look at his last three playoff runs, he has shot 31 for 100 on 3PA. More than half of his playoff threes are from the corner where he has shot just 30%.

I’m just saying that I’d take a swing at Bender’s upside and see if he can give you more production by the end of the season on 10-14 minutes a night. Worst case scenario is that Grant plays a little more and George gets some duties at the 4.

The upside is that Bender shoots 37% from the corner and this is only his third year and I personally think he will flourish with the right organization. Dude is only 20 and has shown improvement from year 1 to year 2. Not sure why Suns are low on him, but why not take a gamble? After all, we are going to lose in the 1st/2nd round, right?

Melton is a guy who can possibly open up some options. He’s touted for his defensive ability which is in line with the identity the team is trying to establish. Why not kick the tires on him and see what he brings to the table?

[Pillendreher]

My thinking is that come playoff time, Patterson won’t play much in big games. He historically hasn’t done well in the playoffs. His 3P% is 33.9% in 47 playoff games and 1131 playoff games to be exact. In 133 playoff three point attempts, he has made 45. If you look at his last three playoff runs, he has shot 31 for 100 on 3PA. More than half of his playoff threes are from the corner where he has shot just 30%.

Be that as it may, I don't know why that should concern us. This team needs him, period.

I’m just saying that I’d take a swing at Bender’s upside and see if he can give you more production by the end of the season on 10-14 minutes a night.

His own team didn't even pick up his 4th year option. Bender is horrible.

Worst case scenario is that Grant plays a little more and George gets some duties at the 4.

And we get even worse shooting wise. Do you realize that that matters?

The upside is that Bender shoots 37% from the corner and this is only his third year and I personally think he will flourish with the right organization. Dude is only 20 and has shown improvement from year 1 to year 2. Not sure why Suns are low on him, but why not take a gamble? After all, we are going to lose in the 1st/2nd round, right?

There is no upside to this. We need to get more shooting on this team, not trade away shooting in the hope that a bust like Bender can provide a little something. We're not a bottom feeder looking to gain assets.

Melton is a guy who can possibly open up some options. He’s touted for his defensive ability which is in line with the identity the team is trying to establish. Why not kick the tires on him and see what he brings to the table?

Because we already have enough raw players in need of development as it is. What this team needs is solid players that know what to do and can give them steady production, not another project.

[getrichordie]

My thinking is that come playoff time, Patterson won’t play much in big games. He historically hasn’t done well in the playoffs. His 3P% is 33.9% in 47 playoff games and 1131 playoff games to be exact. In 133 playoff three point attempts, he has made 45. If you look at his last three playoff runs, he has shot 31 for 100 on 3PA. More than half of his playoff threes are from the corner where he has shot just 30%.

Be that as it may, I don't know why that should concern us. This team needs him, period.

I’m just saying that I’d take a swing at Bender’s upside and see if he can give you more production by the end of the season on 10-14 minutes a night.

His own team didn't even pick up his 4th year option. Bender is horrible.

Worst case scenario is that Grant plays a little more and George gets some duties at the 4.

And we get even worse shooting wise. Do you realize that that matters?

The upside is that Bender shoots 37% from the corner and this is only his third year and I personally think he will flourish with the right organization. Dude is only 20 and has shown improvement from year 1 to year 2. Not sure why Suns are low on him, but why not take a gamble? After all, we are going to lose in the 1st/2nd round, right?

There is no upside to this. We need to get more shooting on this team, not trade away shooting in the hope that a bust like Bender can provide a little something. We're not a bottom feeder looking to gain assets.

Melton is a guy who can possibly open up some options. He’s touted for his defensive ability which is in line with the identity the team is trying to establish. Why not kick the tires on him and see what he brings to the table?

Because we already have enough raw players in need of development as it is. What this team needs is solid players that know what to do and can give them steady production, not another project.

I get your concern and I fully understand your point, but Patterson isn’t as impactful as you make him out to be. Come playoff time, as recent history has shown us, he will have very little positive impact (if any at all).

Listen, I’ve been right about a few things. A couple of seasons ago, I suggested we trade for Dinwiddie. The next season, people are acting like he came out of nowhere.

I have the same gut instinct about Bender. The dude has impactful talent that PHX just isn’t utilizing. He would fit right in. He’s a catch and shoot guy who doesn’t let the ball stick in his hands. He is very capable of providing help defense that Patterson is not due to his height and length.


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[Pillendreher]

I get your concern and I fully understand your point, but Patterson isn’t as impactful as you make him out to be. Come playoff time, as recent history has shown us, he will have very little positive impact (if any at all).

Sure, because Donovan will up Grant minutes to 38 a night and Patterson will probably get a couple of DNPs. That doesn't make it the correct decision.

Listen, I’ve been right about a few things. A couple of seasons ago, I suggested we trade for Dinwiddie. The next season, people are acting like he came out of nowhere.

Is that supposed to convince me?! I had Dinwiddie on my fantasy team as well while he was still on Detroit. That doesn't make me Nostradamus.

I have the same gut instinct about Bender. The dude has impactful talent that PHX just isn’t utilizing. He would fit right in. He’s a catch and shoot guy who doesn’t let the ball stick in his hands. He is very capable of providing help defense that Patterson is not due to his height and length.

The guy sucks, period. He's on the worst team in the league and he's not even getting minutes. He'll be out of the league within the next 12 to 24 months.

Thinking like this is what got us into this whole mess in the first place. Stop trying to restart the clock all the **** time. Be glad that both Ferguson and Diallo have been playing better than expected, but stop trying to constantly go for the scrap yard project. Russ turned 30 today. We don't have time to trade a proven roleplayer for yet another scrub that maybe, possibly, could contribute something down the line. We need contributors now.
I pray Presti understands this as well and doesn't get complacent just because George stayed.

[getrichordie]

I get your concern and I fully understand your point, but Patterson isn’t as impactful as you make him out to be. Come playoff time, as recent history has shown us, he will have very little positive impact (if any at all).

Sure, because Donovan will up Grant minutes to 38 a night and Patterson will probably get a couple of DNPs. That doesn't make it the correct decision.

Listen, I’ve been right about a few things. A couple of seasons ago, I suggested we trade for Dinwiddie. The next season, people are acting like he came out of nowhere.

Is that supposed to convince me?! I had Dinwiddie on my fantasy team as well while he was still on Detroit. That doesn't make me Nostradamus.

I have the same gut instinct about Bender. The dude has impactful talent that PHX just isn’t utilizing. He would fit right in. He’s a catch and shoot guy who doesn’t let the ball stick in his hands. He is very capable of providing help defense that Patterson is not due to his height and length.

The guy sucks, period. He's on the worst team in the league and he's not even getting minutes. He'll be out of the league within the next 12 to 24 months.

Thinking like this is what got us into this whole mess in the first place. Stop trying to restart the clock all the **** time. Be glad that both Ferguson and Diallo have been playing better than expected, but stop trying to constantly go for the scrap yard project. Russ turned 30 today. We don't have time to trade a proven roleplayer for yet another scrub that maybe, possibly, could contribute something down the line. We need contributors now.
I pray Presti understands this as well and doesn't get complacent just because George stayed.

I predicted the Kanter trade.

Listen, I think the thing most people don’t get about the way Presti operates is that he follows trends. Hardcore fans don’t always see the “vision” for whatever reason, but Presti has been key at picking players to surround Russ with.

The reason Presti goes out and gets all of these long athletic players is because we need to defend to make up for Russ’ defensive weaknesses. We need to get O-boards because Russ will miss more shots than he makes. We have to have a blanket defense if we are even going to think about winning a championship with Russ. That’s what Presti is trying to create. Melton can be apart of that and I believe that Bender can give you more.

We’ve shown time and time again that we can get the most out of guys. Westbrook. Durant. Harden. Grant. Adams. We are seeing it in 2nd year player Ferguson and rookie Diallo. Dion Waiters. Alex Abrines is coming in hot this year. We develop players. We have to be good at that because we are a small market team.

There is very little that we can do to acquire a finished project that doesn’t have some type of huge weakness that will either impact the team negatively on offense or defense. Any big trade will kill our depth at certain positions.

So we are stuck looking at the young guys who may not have looked like the real deal and by understanding what their weaknesses are, we mold them. Younger players are way easier to coach up than older players who are more set in their ways.

Basically, at the end of the day I believe in our ability to develop players. I also believe in the fact that 20 year old players tend to trend upward more times than not in the NBA. I believe we can develop Bender to be just as impactful if not more than Patterson by the time playoffs come.


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[getrichordie]

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[bondom34]

Phoenix wouldn't trade Melton, he's why they took on Anderson. And Bender is useless. Beyond useless.

[getrichordie]

Phoenix wouldn't trade Melton, he's why they took on Anderson. And Bender is useless. Beyond useless.

Oh, damn! I forgot about Phoenix taking on that horrible contract. They must love Melton then. You realize that Bender is 20 right? Worst case scenario, he has shown he is capable of replacing Patterson’s corner 3 and his defense. That’s enough for me.


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[Pillendreher]

Worst case scenario, he has shown he is capable of replacing Patterson’s corner 3 and his defense. That’s enough for me.

No, that's actually the best case scenario. Worst case scenario is that you just traded away a proven roleplayer for a scrub who won't even see the floor.

[bondom34]

Phoenix wouldn't trade Melton, he's why they took on Anderson. And Bender is useless. Beyond useless.

Oh, damn! I forgot about Phoenix taking on that horrible contract. They must love Melton then. You realize that Bender is 20 right? Worst case scenario, he has shown he is capable of replacing Patterson’s corner 3 and his defense. That’s enough for me.


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No, no he hasn't. At all. He hasn't shown he can play in the NBA ever, he was awful every year of his career and hasn't been able to do anything. He was the 82nd ranked PF in RPM last season and had over double the negative BPM of Patterson. He's never even been replacement level and is a career 34% 3 point shooter. His career high TS is below average and his career high PER is around 7. He's awful, and shouldn't be in the NBA. He literally can't get on the court for by far the worst team in the NBA.

[ThunderBolt]

Yes Presti has a vision. Other gms have visions too. This idea that everything Presti does has a genius vision behind it that we can’t see is nonsense.

Grant has improved and I’m not near as down on him as Pill. That being said, even if you love grant,the trade was horrible. We treated Ilyasova as a salary dump and he’s shown that he has value around the league. Milwaukee gave him 7 million for a reason. In addition to doing that we gave a freaking FRP for grant. Grant was the 39th pick in the draft and buried in the Philly bench. Kudos to Presti and co for developing grant. It’s good Grant has improved because we basically paid 50,000 for a Toyota Yaris.

[getrichordie]

Yes Presti has a vision. Other gms have visions too. This idea that everything Presti does has a genius vision behind it that we can’t see is nonsense.

Grant has improved and I’m not near as down on him as Pill. That being said, even if you love grant,the trade was horrible. We treated Ilyasova as a salary dump and he’s shown that he has value around the league. Milwaukee gave him 7 million for a reason. In addition to doing that we gave a freaking FRP for grant. Grant was the 39th pick in the draft and buried in the Philly bench. Kudos to Presti and co for developing grant. It’s good Grant has improved because we basically paid 50,000 for a Toyota Yaris.

Wow. You think that lowly of Grant? Our 2020 1st is top-20 protected. And Ilyasova is a terrible fit with what we are trying to do. Everyone played the “trade Ilyasova” game. There’s a reason he was traded like 5 times in like 2 years. Have you no faith in our lord and savior, Presti?


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[getrichordie]

Yes Presti has a vision. Other gms have visions too. This idea that everything Presti does has a genius vision behind it that we can’t see is nonsense.

Grant has improved and I’m not near as down on him as Pill. That being said, even if you love grant,the trade was horrible. We treated Ilyasova as a salary dump and he’s shown that he has value around the league. Milwaukee gave him 7 million for a reason. In addition to doing that we gave a freaking FRP for grant. Grant was the 39th pick in the draft and buried in the Philly bench. Kudos to Presti and co for developing grant. It’s good Grant has improved because we basically paid 50,000 for a Toyota Yaris.

Lol. No one said Presti has genius vision. I’m saying I think a lot of fans don’t understand what the vision is for the team.



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