Around the NBA - 2024-25 Season Continued Again

[8516knicks]

OKC is a tough nut to crack. I think you gotta get the ball out of SGA’s hands as much as possible and trap him hard on picks and also when he drives to mid range. Gotta funnel ball to guys like Dort and Chet and hope they miss from the perimeter. I think Minny will be better in game two.

Who guards Shai for us? Curious - OG or Mikal?

[Iron Mantis]

Randle still balled out and did his usual great performance. Need the rest of the team to show up.

Read on Twitter

His “usual great performance” hmmm

He is playing with a lot of confidence and can even defend when he wants to. Why doesn’t he always want to?

It’s a great statline but not a great performance bc it all came early and his team lost

At best it’s a big asterisk

True. There's no "great performance" if your team loses by 26 PTS....

They left him open for 3PT all 1st half ..that's where his points came from.

Once they began defending him in the 2nd half, he was completely neutralized and his 5 turnovers lead to buckets for the Thunder.

[sol537]

Randle was their best player today but he was awful in the 2nd half on both ends.

Game two should be much closer. MIN got a ton of open three’s bust missed the vast majority of them. They’re wisely doubling ANT on his drives.

[K_ick_God]

To some extent at least, Minny and Indy have not been tested

Lakers and Warriors each were half a team

Cavs hurt, had a meltdown in G2

[Capn'O]

They could’ve went to him a lot more in the second half but the wolves were also getting tons of open looks so I wasn’t really upset they weren’t forcing it to him. They gotta knock down those 3s. Really unacceptable performances from Donte, NAW and Naz Reid. They need to lock themselves in a gym overnight and take 10000000 3s lol

Right but the Thunder were gonna give them those looks until there was a payoff.

I don’t blame OKC for that strategy. Donte and NAW have been shooting bricks in the playoffs. If they start hitting shots it changes the whole game.

Oh well, at least Randle was solid. I’ll take that at least

I just think they should have thrown it in deep with the brick fest going on. If Randle gets cooking again maybe they feed off that. Edwards was settling too. I didn't like how they played in the 2nd at all.

[Guano]

My kids face when I tell the its time to put their phone up and get ready for bed

[sol537]

OKC is a tough nut to crack. I think you gotta get the ball out of SGA’s hands as much as possible and trap him hard on picks and also when he drives to mid range. Gotta funnel ball to guys like Dort and Chet and hope they miss from the perimeter. I think Minny will be better in game two.

Who guards Shai for us? Curious - OG or Mikal?

Mikal and Deuce mostly and then you gotta send help when he gets to mid range. OG slows JDub. The key would be limiting turnovers and hurting them from 3pt land (ie timely shooting) as well as offensive boards.

Indy first though.

[3toheadmelo]

Right but the Thunder were gonna give them those looks until there was a payoff.

I don’t blame OKC for that strategy. Donte and NAW have been shooting bricks in the playoffs. If they start hitting shots it changes the whole game.

Oh well, at least Randle was solid. I’ll take that at least

I just think they should have thrown it in deep with the brick fest going on. If Randle gets cooking again maybe they feed off that. Edwards was settling too. I didn't like how they played in the 2nd at all.

Maybe they should’ve just kept going to Randle cause that’s what was working I guess. Idk what ant was doing out there. He settles for too much contested 3s when he should be driving to the rim every time.

[3toheadmelo]

Read on Twitter

[matchman]

They could’ve went to him a lot more in the second half but the wolves were also getting tons of open looks so I wasn’t really upset they weren’t forcing it to him. They gotta knock down those 3s. Really unacceptable performances from Donte, NAW and Naz Reid. They need to lock themselves in a gym overnight and take 10000000 3s lol

Right but the Thunder were gonna give them those looks until there was a payoff.

I don’t blame OKC for that strategy. Donte and NAW have been shooting bricks in the playoffs. If they start hitting shots it changes the whole game.

Oh well, at least Randle was solid. I’ll take that at least

He will probably get the bag in Minny or somewhere else.

[3toheadmelo]

Right but the Thunder were gonna give them those looks until there was a payoff.

I don’t blame OKC for that strategy. Donte and NAW have been shooting bricks in the playoffs. If they start hitting shots it changes the whole game.

Oh well, at least Randle was solid. I’ll take that at least

He will probably get the bag in Minny or somewhere else.

At least he’s a getting a bag in the nba while Frank is getting DNPs in Europe

[WargamesX]

10-27 for 33 points

UNETHICAL HOOPER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Even with the fouls 33 points on 27 shots is a complete trash stat line.

[WargamesX]

Mike Malone looking like a pretty good analyst

It’s ironic he up and did the analyst gig once it was clear Thibs ain’t losing the Knicks job…

I am pretty sure this was in the works before the Knicks got to the ECF cause things like this take time, but like I said it’s ironic.

[Montmorencie]

Man, can Minny put it together please. Can't stand these free throw merchants and cheating with the falls Thunder.

[Capn'O]

10-27 for 33 points

UNETHICAL HOOPER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Even with the fouls 33 points on 27 shots is a complete trash stat line.

He played awful in the first half but absolutely cooked in the 2nd. Seemed to figure out the defense.

MJ had plenty of those statlines if you look back.

[WargamesX]

10-27 for 33 points

UNETHICAL HOOPER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Even with the fouls 33 points on 27 shots is a complete trash stat line.

He played awful in the first half but absolutely cooked in the 2nd. Seemed to figure out the defense.

MJ had plenty of those statlines if you look back.

Let’s not compare him to MJ

[Capn'O]

Even with the fouls 33 points on 27 shots is a complete trash stat line.

He played awful in the first half but absolutely cooked in the 2nd. Seemed to figure out the defense.

MJ had plenty of those statlines if you look back.

Let’s not compare him to MJ

Point being, every great has really bad shooting games, even better players than SGA. In this one, his good stretch catalyzed the Thunder pulling away.

[ctorres]

OKC is a tough nut to crack. I think you gotta get the ball out of SGA’s hands as much as possible and trap him hard on picks and also when he drives to mid range. Gotta funnel ball to guys like Dort and Chet and hope they miss from the perimeter. I think Minny will be better in game two.

Who guards Shai for us? Curious - OG or Mikal?

I say neither. Guard everyone else. Don't touch Shai or come close. See how much he can score without attempting a free throw.

I'd say OG will likely end up on him though.

[stuporman]

He’s having an excellent playoffs but I do think Randle is a hot streak player; not a momentum turning player

Some would argue he's a momentum turning player...

[Montmorencie]

I am really trying to understand Adam Silver's motivation to support and push for this Oklahoma organization. I mean why?

They are not building a dynasty. Not good enough, barely beat Nuggets team with 3 and a half players rotation.

They are not big market or franchise.

They are boring af. Shai is the mid range version of Harden and the other guys lack personality. If this team say dominates the league for 5 years, the ratings will go down.

They do not have big international representative.

So why the hell are they getting all the damn calls?????????????