2016 Playoffs Round 1: OKC Thunder vs. Dallas Mavericks

[Andre Roberstan]

Somebody check on Texas Chuck and make sure he's still alive

[KD35Brah]

At the end of the day we'll need Morrow and Foye's contributions more than what Payne would give us.

We don't need Foye at all. Payne is the key to our bench and he always has been.

Yah, we absolutely need Foye's experience in the playoffs.
And the key to our bench is Kanter and Waiters, Singler to a lesser extent and obviously Collison. When they play well and within the system, our bench is easily one of th best in the league. As we are seeing right now.

[NaturalThunder]

Well, I guess if an injury stoppage is going to have to be made for one of our guys in a playoff game, it's best if it's 73 year old Nazr Mohammed.

[Bravenewworld]

We don't need Foye at all. Payne is the key to our bench and he always has been.

Yah, we absolutely need Foye's experience in the playoffs.
And the key to our bench is Kanter and Waiters, Singler to a lesser extent and obviously Collison. When they play well and within the system, our bench is easily one of th best in the league. As we are seeing right now.

Foye has been to the Playoffs once.

Waiters is key as in we improve with every minute he doesn't spend on the floor.

And I don't know what team you're talking about but if course this bench isn't one of the best in the league. It's the other way around actually.

Foye still an older player who is more experienced and skill wise is perfectly capable. Experience is a very important part of the playoffs... im not sure how or why i'd need to explain this to any basketball fan. Especially in the context of rookie versus experienced player. In the playoffs rookies tend to only really offer up energy and some quick points, but their mistakes often outweigh their positives. Hence why every successful championship... virtually every championship team or even conference championship team, relies on an experienced back up guard.


And when OKCs bench is functioning the way its supposed to, its clearly one of the best in the NBA. Are you not watching the game? They've been going over the aspects of our bench that makes it great and how it needs to function in order for us to be a contending team. If youre also watching this game, you will notice how good they can be. Not by the score but by how they are playing. The system is an extension of the starting line up w/more of a traditional Donovan set up.

[KD35Brah]

Foye and Waiters are such garbage, they can't even take advantage of the Mavs' 3rd string.

[Bravenewworld]

Foye and Waiters are such garbage, they can't even take advantage of the Mavs' 3rd string.

Like i said in my previous post, i really dont know what to say to you if you dont grasp the importance of an experienced back up guard in the playoffs... this is 101 material man.

[Pillendreher]

Foye still an older player who is more experienced and skill wise is perfectly capable.

That's such an bs justification. Foye is as terrible as Waiters. Both guys shouldn't be even on the floor.
And experience at being a bad NBA player doesn't make up for lack of skill. Payne is already way better than Foye ever was.

And when OKCs bench is functioning the way its supposed to, its clearly one of the best in the NBA. Are you not watching the game? They've been going over the aspects of our bench that makes it great and how it needs to function in order for us to be a contending team. If youre also watching this game, you will notice how good they can be. Not by the score but by how they are playing. The system is an extension of the starting line up w/more of a traditional Donovan set up.

Cool. So you haven't been watching games over the last 2,5 months and try to make up for it with a bunch of crop pressed into sentences. Got it.

[Bravenewworld]

That's such an bs justification. Foye is as terrible as Waiters. Both guys shouldn't be even on the floor.
And experience at being a bad NBA player doesn't make up for lack of skill. Payne is already way better than Foye ever was.

Just like there is a difference between playoff experience and regular season experience of the same years. There is a difference between experience in the regular season and being a rookie. You cant really recognize one and not the other.

Specifically to Randy Foye he is a nine year vet. One year of playoff experience (2 rounds) is still extremely valuable to this team. In terms of maintaining control and pace of the second unit, is much more valuable then what would equate to an energy guy (which at this point your PO assumptions of Payne are just that. Unfounded assumptions that he will break the typical role and rule for rookies in his position in the PO) To put this value in perspective for you and how these things are actually valued among people who know wtf theyre talking about. We will look at a situation a third year player, with 6 more PO games experience then Foye, who has also been statistically similar to Foye.

Despite the fan clamor, Pop has insisted on giving Gary his minutes (I never thought it to be true, but apparently Pop doesn't actually listen to us fans). Gary hasn't been shooting well and he probably couldn't guard Alcatraz from a helicopter on a clear day. But Pop sticks with him nonetheless. One thing I've been considering a possibility is that Pop really values playoff experience. He clearly values it so much that he is willing to continue to let a player who has been one of the biggest statistical letdowns of the season take the court in favor of less experienced but seemingly more capable players.

http://www.poundingtherock.com/2013/2/28/4034588/gregg-popovich-kahwi-leonard-gary-neal-playoff-minutes

Huh... the situation sounds similar actually. And hey, WTF does Greg Popovich know about basketball compared to silly people on realGM.

I dont know why you feel so comfortable shoving these things aside. Even without playoff experience, we are still talking about a player who has faced 9 years of situations the rookie has not. A player who has most likely learned how to handle themselves in pressure situations or at least has a better command of. This is such a 101 thing i dont even feel i need to continue to list the differences, values and importance.

But hey, WTF do i know though right? Its not like every single coach in the NBA, NCAA and high school basketball will say the exact same thing. Its not like every single coach in the NBA would reduce Paynes minutes for the POs and give Foye more. No, we definitely wont see anything like that will we?

[Old Man Game]

Dude, Dallas should have just tanked. That was just sad tonight. I've never been the biggest Dirk fan but I respect him as a competitor and his career. Sad to see how little help he has in these last years of his career. They seriously need to blow that team up. Tape and string isn't holding it together anymore.

[KD35Brah]

Is there anywhere i can watch the postgame immediately after game?

[bondom34]

Is there anywhere i can watch the postgame immediately after game?

Dunno but NBATV had on the pressers.

[bondom34]

Foye still an older player who is more experienced and skill wise is perfectly capable.

That's such an bs justification. Foye is as terrible as Waiters. Both guys shouldn't be even on the floor.
And experience at being a bad NBA player doesn't make up for lack of skill. Payne is already way better than Foye ever was.

And when OKCs bench is functioning the way its supposed to, its clearly one of the best in the NBA. Are you not watching the game? They've been going over the aspects of our bench that makes it great and how it needs to function in order for us to be a contending team. If youre also watching this game, you will notice how good they can be. Not by the score but by how they are playing. The system is an extension of the starting line up w/more of a traditional Donovan set up.

Cool. So you haven't been watching games over the last 2,5 months and try to make up for it with a bunch of crop pressed into sentences. Got it.

Don't try reasoning, it doesn't work.

Oh and the article on Pop?

Great so play guys with playoff experience. Foye has 11 games. Singler 0. So comparing them to Morrow or Payne is pretty irrelevant.

[Texas Chuck]

Gulp....

I was kinda afraid of something like this, but man that was ugly.

[Andre Roberstan]

Gulp....

I was kinda afraid of something like this, but man that was ugly.

I expected it to be a whole lot more competitive than it was. Thunder are out for blood this year it looks like. Don't know if it'll make a difference in the end, but we'll need that kind of tough defense to go anywhere.

Felt bad for you guys about the time it hit halftime and it was clear there was no way it was going to even be close.

[bondom34]

Gulp....

I was kinda afraid of something like this, but man that was ugly.

I'm fully expecting a tight game 2. Just from the start everyone was cold for you guys. RC will adjust, if JJ's alright (hope he is) it will still be tight.

[KD35Brah]

For anyone who missed it

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aD-44oxtXrU[/youtube]

[Pillendreher]

Don't try reasoning, it doesn't work.

Oh and the article on Pop?

Great so play guys with playoff experience. Foye has 11 games. Singler 0. So comparing them to Morrow or Payne is pretty irrelevant.

I don't even what to say to that kind of madness. We've never been one of the best benches in the league. Actually, we've been close to the worst bench in the league, not the other way around.

And I'm looking forward to Miami not playing Winslow and Richardson, just because they're rookies, you know?

---------------------------------

Let me say a few things concerning the game. We took way too mayn 3s and didn't move the ball all that well for certain stretches of the game. Russ got himself 11 assists, but to me he wasn't really 'in this game': He didn't have a nice flow to it, but instead was all over the place chucking 3s, turning the ball over. But good for him to still get 11 ast. in under 30 minutes.
Ibaka was spectacular last night. Hit his open shots, made some sick passes, even picked up his dribble and used it to his advantage. His rebounding was great, he was out there contesting shots, blocking them, defending the **** out of the pick and roll. If he is 'back', we're a significantly better team.

But let me talk about the one thing that really stood out: Our defense! The rotations were sharp, the PnR coverage was magnificent and our effort overall was there for most of the time. Roberson shut Barea's sorry ass down, Ibaka was patroling the paint like the defensive anchor he once was and our overall length bothered the Mavs a great, great deal. Sure, they missed a ton of shots, but we never made it easy on them.
Funny sidenote: The way we were hedging the Pick and Roll was exactly how we defended it under Brooks. And, oh my, we looked like a good defensive team. Maybe Brooks knew what he was doing all along.

One last thing: Donovan didn't went full stagger tonight. In the first quarter, the bench was out there by itself for about three minutes. This gives me hope Payne will get minutes, because he always did until Donovan wanted to try the staggering (which didn't work in my opinion).

[tweet]https://twitter.com/royceyoung/status/721566569898254337[/tweet]

THUNDER UP!

[bondom34]

Yeah Russ wasn't great early but turned around, Serge awesome, KD too. And Adams is gonna be a beast for years. And Robes too, man this was the perfect storm of a game, hope they keep focused.

[Pillendreher]

Robes was the perfect answer to that fool on Bill Simmons' podcast calling him a terrible player (Those weren't the exact words, but he sure as hell described him like that). To quote KD:'People are gonna eat their words'.

[Pillendreher]