ESPN double-header 10/29/14 CHI @ NYK, OKC @ POR

[dfins891]

So the plan is to just have Westbrook take every shot? Westbrook was awesome, but he was taking shots before anyone else even touched the ball. How do you get into a rhythm if you never touch it? I guess the expectation is to just lose every game until Jackson and Durant get back.

This isn't even true. The Thunder had a lot of ball movement/ off the ball movement tonight, way more than normal. They kept running Perry and Roberson off pin downs and ran a lot of PnRs with the bigs. At the end of the day you can keep passing them the ball to get them in "rythym" but they are all still going to suck.

[og15]

Welp this one was fun while it lasted but the result is not a shock at all

A lot of times it is keeping it up that is hard when a roster is weak. A lot of the bad teams will have a good amount of games where they don't just get killed all the way but stick around for three quarters, but then they just can't keep it up and lose by double digits in the end.

Thunder currently have a pretty poor roster, it will be hard till a few more guys return.

[Greatness]

Ibaka is a very disappointing player. No matter what the situation he just gets his 14 and 9. You would think he would expand his game and be more assertive with the injuries to Westbrook and now KD but nope.

What....

Did no one see him step up last year with Durant?


He just came off of a 15ppg(58%TS), 9rpg, 3bpg season(19.6 PER, 9.6 WS, .178 WS/48).

I wouldn't call that stepping up. Durant still had to carry them night in night out. I was expecting Ibaka to become an 18/10 guy.

[bondom34]

I don't get why people are talking about Morrow and Lamb missing like that's a big deal. Those guys are absolute scrubs themselves and have had zero relevant NBA moments. Jackson is a good player for sure but those guys aren't gonna right the ship.

Lamb had moments last year and Morrow was 3rd in 3 point shooting in the league. They had no shooters tonight, that was the problem.

[Threethrows]

Not surprised the Thunder came out strong, especially Westbrook. Not surprised the Blazers came out flat, early season games don't always live up to majority expectations. The end result is what a lot of people thought though, Thunder just don't have the offensive firepower to keep up with some Western conference teams right now.

I think they will win their share of games still, but if things don't go well, simply because the west is so tight I could see them losing too many games to have home court at the end of the year.

[Greatness]

I don't get why people are talking about Morrow and Lamb missing like that's a big deal. Those guys are absolute scrubs themselves and have had zero relevant NBA moments. Jackson is a good player for sure but those guys aren't gonna right the ship.

Lamb had moments last year and Morrow was 3rd in 3 point shooting in the league. They had no shooters tonight, that was the problem.

For you sake I hope they turn it around.

[dfins891]

I don't get why people are talking about Morrow and Lamb missing like that's a big deal. Those guys are absolute scrubs themselves and have had zero relevant NBA moments. Jackson is a good player for sure but those guys aren't gonna right the ship.

Lamb had moments last year and Morrow was 3rd in 3 point shooting in the league. They had no shooters tonight, that was the problem.

We will be the worst 3 point shooting team in the league by a wide margin until Morrow/Durant return. Our most dangerous 3 point shooters are Ibaka and Collison lol. Its too bad because the best way for a team to be successful with Westbrook as a first option is a team with shooters. Teams have no reasons not to just collapse hard on every Westbrook drive and pack the paint.

[KD35Brah]

Ibaka is a very disappointing player. No matter what the situation he just gets his 14 and 9. You would think he would expand his game and be more assertive with the injuries to Westbrook and now KD but nope.

What....

Did no one see him step up last year with Durant?


He just came off of a 15ppg(58%TS), 9rpg, 3bpg season(19.6 PER, 9.6 WS, .178 WS/48).

I wouldn't call that stepping up. Durant still had to carry them night in night out. I was expecting Ibaka to become an 18/10 guy.

He averaged 16ppg(60% TS, 59% EFG) in that stretch without Westbrook. He only averaged 13ppg in 2013, so yes he DID step, because no one knew he capable of that. Several 20+ point games as well.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bdDL_4hKkfQ[/youtube]
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d9Eo6Tq4dA0[/youtube]
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqfxYZNGH1w[/youtube] With Russ
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zO266HpvxrQ[/youtube]with Russ

So where did this myth that Ibaka didn't step up come from? Because he didn't average 20ppg, 15rpg, and/or 6bpg?.

[monopoman]

Lilard is a average combo guard who chucks 3's. Statistically one of the worse finishers in the paint in the entire league.

Russell has him on straps. A team who is coherent enough defensively will expose his deficiencies. Hence why he played so terrible vs the Spurs.

Kyrie >>>>>>>> Lillard



You mad?

Good luck with that, Kyrie is not as good as Lillard and I know a lot of people agree with that, but base your opinion off one game man!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_V5pssL58Lc[/youtube]

Looking forward to watching Lillard do this to Cleveland again this year!

[whatchaknow]

Lilard is a average combo guard who chucks 3's. Statistically one of the worse finishers in the paint in the entire league.

Russell has him on straps. A team who is coherent enough defensively will expose his deficiencies. Hence why he played so terrible vs the Spurs.

Kyrie >>>>>>>> Lillard



You mad?

Good luck with that, Kyrie is not as good as Lillard and I know a lot of people agree with that, but base your opinion off one game man!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_V5pssL58Lc[/youtube]

Looking forward to watching Lillard do this to Cleveland again this year!

Welcome to the GB.. In a few games when Lillard drops 30 the guys saying how overrated Lillard is will disappear. Don't be fooled though they'll be right back the moment he has another bad game to tell you they were right all along. Everything is so overanalyzed on a game to game basis here.

Just like tonight the board was about to explode and crown the Thunder as Westbrooks team when they were winning, now its they're not sure the Thunder will make the playoffs. They lost to one of the best home teams in the league without half their team in a close game until the final minutes. They will be fine and Lillard will be fine. 1 of 82

[monopoman]

Lilard is a average combo guard who chucks 3's. Statistically one of the worse finishers in the paint in the entire league.

Russell has him on straps. A team who is coherent enough defensively will expose his deficiencies. Hence why he played so terrible vs the Spurs.

Kyrie >>>>>>>> Lillard



You mad?

Good luck with that, Kyrie is not as good as Lillard and I know a lot of people agree with that, but base your opinion off one game man!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_V5pssL58Lc[/youtube]

Looking forward to watching Lillard do this to Cleveland again this year!

Welcome to the GB.. In a few games when Lillard drops 30 the guys saying how overrated Lillard is will disappear. Don't be fooled though they'll be right back the moment he has another bad game to tell you they were right all along. Everything is so overanalyzed on a game to game basis here.

Just like tonight the board was about to explode and crown the Thunder as Westbrooks team when they were winning, now its they're not sure the Thunder will make the playoffs. They lost to one of the best home teams in the league without half their team in a close game until the final minutes. They will be fine and Lillard will be fine. 1 of 82

Oh, I've seen the overreactions myself, I know what you are talking about. I just found it hilarious that a Kyrie fan would talk crap when one of the most cold blooded shots of the season was when Lillard was on Cleveland's home court.

[Brandon-Clyde]

Lilard is a average combo guard who chucks 3's. Statistically one of the worse finishers in the paint in the entire league.

Russell has him on straps. A team who is coherent enough defensively will expose his deficiencies. Hence why he played so terrible vs the Spurs.

Kyrie >>>>>>>> Lillard



You mad?

Good luck with that, Kyrie is not as good as Lillard and I know a lot of people agree with that, but base your opinion off one game man!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_V5pssL58Lc[/youtube]

Looking forward to watching Lillard do this to Cleveland again this year!

Considering the time he posted he wasn't even basing it on a full game, he was basing it on the 1st half alone

[AgentGreen]

Westbrook has so much talent, if only he was a real teamplayer. You cant win games with taking every shot yourself.

[GREENE1148]

Westbrook has so much talent, if only he was a real teamplayer. You cant win games with taking every shot yourself.

Yeah, if only he had managed to get Kendrick Perkins and Perry Jones more involved, then the Thunder would have won, silly Westbrook, scoring 38 points on 57.5% True Shooting...

Seriously, you putting this on Westbrook is just stupid, look at the box score, Perry Jones 1/9, Sebastian Telfair 1/9, Nick Collison 1/5, Serge Ibaka 4/11...

The teams best 3 point shooter right now is Serge, who has made 46 in his career... The three wing players that are available have 24 between them, total, for their NBA careers... The team was 2/16 from deep... But Westbrooks fault right? Because that's a fun narrative to run with.

[Shem]

Westbrook is going to run away with the mvp award this season, Thunder will still be winning at a .700 clip without Durant

Not off to a very good start...

BTW, loved the overreaction on this thread. As if one game decides how it will always be from this point forward. It won't be long before Lillard has a 30+ point game and Westbrook goes out and puts up a 3-15 shooting night and people will change their minds again and called Westbrook a chucker as if that is how it's always going to be from this point forward. And thing is... I'm flat out explaining how people react and will still do it anyway in the future...

[a_sensei]

Lilard is a average combo guard who chucks 3's. Statistically one of the worse finishers in the paint in the entire league.

Russell has him on straps. A team who is coherent enough defensively will expose his deficiencies. Hence why he played so terrible vs the Spurs.

Kyrie >>>>>>>> Lillard



You mad?

Do you always add such great insight?