Thunder vs. Blazers

[BIG EDDIE]

LOL, I got this from a fan from the Blazers forum. He keeps calling us "the Sonics"

The Sonics are our first opponent this season that is a proven better team and is a road game. A win is not expected but I do expect to get some wins this year that are not expected.

We don’t have many advantages against the Sonics. The Sonics are an excellent transition team and if we try to push the pace against them, they will almost certainly mop the floor with us. This would be an excellent time for Nate to abandon his objective of the Blazers playing faster this year. Unfortunately, the Sonics are also a better half court team, but a slower pace would allow us fewer turnovers and a better chance for a close game that either team can win with better execution down the stretch.

Anyway, should be an entertaining game. The Blazers are a strong team this year, very deep and maybe even better without Brandon Roy.
Hope Thabo and especially Cook are back in action tonight.

[fallacy]

Sef out. Harden starts, cook will play

[HeartSouloma]

Sef out. Harden starts, cook will play

Why is sef out? Is he sick or just terrible?

Any ways lets get this win

[Krodis]

It's amazing how this team actually looks good with the best lineup in (Westbrook/Harden/Durant/Collison/Perkins).

[Clangus]

What the hell is with the refs this game? Whistle happy much? Callahan has it in for us today I think.

[slick_watts]

So Russ and Harden are carrying the team offensively but the defense has been terrible. Russ is gambling for steals every possession and it's leading to open shots / breakdowns. Serge has been terrible one on one and on PnR, and seems like he's been late on help also. Wings are letting their man into the middle which is always bad.

Poor defensive fundamentals. Most disappointed with Russ over pursuing and Serge falling asleep.

[fallacy]

Don't like the flow of this game so far, too many fouls on us. If we don't stop fouling we're going to lose this game.

[fallacy]

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand the second half starts out the same as the first half, a ghost foul on Durant. The whistle was blown after we had the rebound.


Yeah, we're not winning this game

[Krodis]

Durant has been WAY off this game, and was off most of last game too.

[slick_watts]

aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand the second half starts out the same as the first half, a ghost foul on Durant. The whistle was blown after we had the rebound.


Yeah, we're not winning this game

We can still win but the defense has to be better. Westbrook is still chasing everything. I'm most upset about KD's defense. Matthews had a fast break layup and Durant has position to contest but didn't even get his hand up.

James Harden's really the only guy into this game right now.

[Krodis]

The offensive continuity is just awful. Half our possessions we take up most of the shot clock slowly getting Durant some dumb isolation.

[Clangus]

Perk has been trying hard. Good to see, him and Collison and Harden have been ok

[slick_watts]

The offensive continuity is just awful. Half our possessions we take up most of the shot clock slowly getting Durant some dumb isolation.

Agreed. Portland has good defenders to check him and he's catching the ball way out there, so it's leading to poor shot attempts. James Harden did not see the ball nearly enough that quarter, Portland could not defend him in the PnR at all.

But Portland's a vet team with a good coach. They are better prepared to make adjustments in-game and are more confident sticking to a game plan. I don't get the feeling Brooks imparts the same to our players because they have a tendency to be undisciplined on both ends when there is any kind of struggle.

Westbrook and especially Durant have to get their heads in the game and get back to what was successful offensively early - sharing the ball, using your skills to break a defense and get good shots for others. Portland's basically begging for Russ / KD to take over on their own and so far they are obliging, and our offense is struggling.

[jade_hippo]

Did I hear Jim Ross say being a white guy stinks... the black guys get all the girls. I was half watching while feeding a baby and that made me chuckle.

[slick_watts]

Not that the players are blameless - Durant has been awful in this game on both ends and Westbrook has been ok offensively but terrible defensively - but we're just getting outplayed by a better coached and better prepared team just like last night. Coaching, BBIQ, game planning, basketball tactics ... these are the things that will hold the Thunder back from being a truly great team. Brooks going to Durant at PF has killed what little flow the game had for us, making it even easier for Portland to score. We keep trying to run the same plays to isolate Durant but Portland is gobbling it up, and there's no secondary action.

[slick_watts]

Scott Brooks inserted Kevin Durant for Nazr Mohammed with about 10 minutes left in the fourth and OKC down two points.

It should be noted that Durant had struggled all game to that point, especially on defense where he looked a bit lax with his shot not falling.

Portland went on to go on a 17-7 run, getting open 3pt looks on help to Durant's man Kurt Thomas, seeing Gerald Wallace slice into a defense with no paint protection, etc.

I thought the Thunder traded Jeff Green for Kendrick Perkins to match up against the bigger teams in the West and play tougher in the paint? What's the point of it if we're going to go small against one of the best paint teams and rebounding teams in the NBA and erase any advantage we might have? What's the advantage of playing small ball with Kevin Durant at PF if he still has Gerald Wallace defending him and there's no cross match up?

Our coach is out coached.

[Clangus]

Scott Brooks inserted Kevin Durant for Nazr Mohammed with about 10 minutes left in the fourth and OKC down two points.

It should be noted that Durant had struggled all game to that point, especially on defense where he looked a bit lax with his shot not falling.

Portland went on to go on a 17-7 run, getting open 3pt looks on help to Durant's man Kurt Thomas, seeing Gerald Wallace slice into a defense with no paint protection, etc.

I thought the Thunder traded Jeff Green for Kendrick Perkins to match up against the bigger teams in the West and play tougher in the paint? What's the point of it if we're going to go small against one of the best paint teams and rebounding teams in the NBA and erase any advantage we might have? What's the advantage of playing small ball with Kevin Durant at PF if he still has Gerald Wallace defending him and there's no cross match up?

Our coach is out coached.

Going to happen quite a bit this year i fear. My gosh that was poor. He'd been better going big with Harden, Durant, Ibaka, Collison, Perk - would have been just as "effective"
Stupid Brooks.

Credit to Blazers defense, though, KD usually makes a tonne of those shots (Except against Portland, where he often struggles)

Next up San Antonio. which is no gimme even with Manu out. If Manu was playing i think we'd be in very real danger of losing 3 in a row.

[slick_watts]

I'm certain he went 'small' to try and jump start the offense, but when Nate subbed Wallace in for Thomas he should have abandoned that idea since the favorable matchup created by going small was erased. Brooks made an adjustment, Nate countered, and that was that. Brooks played small the whole rest of the way. Makes no sense.

[CKRT]

Hopefully Brooks sees how good Harden is when he gets 35+ minutes a game.

Pipe dream, I know.

[Phailadelphia]

I think its two fold: 1) everything Slick was said in here, and 2) they're not showing that increased maturity we expected from them this year. Still making mistakes, turning the ball over.