2016 Playoffs Round 1: OKC Thunder vs. Dallas Mavericks

[Old Man Game]

And it's so awesome we have a vet team that doesn't let under named teams getting physical with them get them out of their games.

[bondom34]

Sure glad we fired Brooks so we could have nice crisp offense late in fourth quarters in playoff games. No posting up KD 19-25 get from the basket. Tons of ball movement. Life is so radical.

Gonna avoid dt for a bit...

[Old Man Game]

Sure glad we fired Brooks so we could have nice crisp offense late in fourth quarters in playoff games. No posting up KD 19-25 get from the basket. Tons of ball movement. Life is so radical.

Gonna avoid dt for a bit...

Haha. I haven't even looked yet. I knew or guys would find a way to screw of at least one winnable game this series. I'm disappointed but not surprised.

[jbk1234]

I mean, the entire game KD was awful and Kanter didn't exist. If you thought that game was on him I really don't know what to think. He wasn't good, but Durant was awful and the coach is terrible. The best 3 bench players played a combined 20ish minutes and 1 of them was a DNP.

I saw a PG chucking up 3 point shots early in the clock and not playing good D. That's what I saw.

He took two three pointers and one was a wide open one off of a designed play... You saw what you wanted too, I guess.

I didn't count the TO's but I could be bias from too much Kyrie exposure.

[bondom34]

Sure glad we fired Brooks so we could have nice crisp offense late in fourth quarters in playoff games. No posting up KD 19-25 get from the basket. Tons of ball movement. Life is so radical.

Gonna avoid dt for a bit...

Haha. I haven't even looked yet. I knew or guys would find a way to screw of at least one winnable game this series. I'm disappointed but not surprised.

I thought 5 before the series, now 5 or 6. I'm not totally overreacting and don't see KD being this bad ever again. But Justin's gonna be whew boy for a few days.

[bondom34]

I saw a PG chucking up 3 point shots early in the clock and not playing good D. That's what I saw.

He took two three pointers and one was a wide open one off of a designed play... You saw what you wanted too, I guess.

I didn't count the TO's but I could be bias from too much Kyrie exposure.

There was 1

[spearsy23]

Did you completely forget Brooks running the same play every time we ran down the court which Memphis was shutting down ever single time?

You aren't winning **** with Russ and KD playing this garbage. No matter what team they are playing.

You mean the series where we had KD playing without any other competent offensive player for the first time in his career against one of the best defensive teams in the league? Yeah, Scotty didn't pull magic out of his butt, but he was never a bad coach. Remember the 2013 WCF? Or literally every playoff series with a healthy Russ/KD/Serge?

You got your years mixed up.

2014 Grizzlies series, Brooks shortcomings were in full display. Clippers couldn't guard Russ and KD, simple as that. I don't even want to talk about the Spurs series.

Wait, you're talking about the series we won? I mean, those Grizz teams were good tough teams, beating them isn't like beating this Mavs team. Yeah, it wasn't super imaginative, but Brooks offense almost always won out even when it didn't look pretty. And the 2012 Spurs series he out coached Pops, and we looked like we would go toe to toe with them in 2014 whenever Serge was healthy. People have built up Brooks failures into something larger than they actually ever were.

[Andre Roberstan]

He took two three pointers and one was a wide open one off of a designed play... You saw what you wanted too, I guess.

I didn't count the TO's but I could be bias from too much Kyrie exposure.

There was 1

#WESTBRICK #NEVERGONNAWIN #STAYWOKE

[jbk1234]

I didn't count the TO's but I could be bias from too much Kyrie exposure.

There was 1

#WESTBRICK #NEVERGONNAWIN #STAYWOKE

Wes is a great player - there's just times when I'm like stop dribbling, stop taking 3 point shots, stop playing out of control, and I know you're a much better defender than what I'm seeing. I've already admitted I might be biased against PGs because of Kyrie.

[bondom34]

There was 1

#WESTBRICK #NEVERGONNAWIN #STAYWOKE

Wes is a great player - there's just times when I'm like stop dribbling, stop taking 3 point shots, stop playing out of control, and I know you're a much better defender than what I'm seeing. I've already admitted I might be biased against PGs because of Kyrie.

I mean, you said he lost it by jacking 3s and defense and TOs when he did none of the 3 man.

[KD35Brah]

You mean the series where we had KD playing without any other competent offensive player for the first time in his career against one of the best defensive teams in the league? Yeah, Scotty didn't pull magic out of his butt, but he was never a bad coach. Remember the 2013 WCF? Or literally every playoff series with a healthy Russ/KD/Serge?

You got your years mixed up.

2014 Grizzlies series, Brooks shortcomings were in full display. Clippers couldn't guard Russ and KD, simple as that. I don't even want to talk about the Spurs series.

Wait, you're talking about the series we won? I mean, those Grizz teams were good tough teams, beating them isn't like beating this Mavs team. Yeah, it wasn't super imaginative, but Brooks offense almost always won out even when it didn't look pretty. And the 2012 Spurs series he out coached Pops, and we looked like we would go toe to toe with them in 2014 whenever Serge was healthy. People have built up Brooks failures into something larger than they actually ever were.

So because he won with 3 of the best players in the series that means he's a good coach? They won because they had the better team.

You are literally handing Brooks credit because he had the best players in majority of his series. He didn't outcoached ****, KD and Harden comepletely took over the series against the Spurs. Along with Thabo having the best game of his career in game 3(or 4).

Once again the 2 best player were in OKC for the Grizzlies and Clippers series. Also giving him credit for Thabo and Perkins being defensive geniuses is pretty outlandish.

Apparently you had no problem with brooks not developing Lamb(same problem with Payne now) and riding with Butler and Fisher. Harden even got into a fight with Brooks in the 2012 Finals over his ass playing Fisher more minutes over him.

Stop acting like Brooks was this lokey genius who had no flaws and was a god at rotations and plays which is far from the truth.

[jbk1234]

#WESTBRICK #NEVERGONNAWIN #STAYWOKE

Wes is a great player - there's just times when I'm like stop dribbling, stop taking 3 point shots, stop playing out of control, and I know you're a much better defender than what I'm seeing. I've already admitted I might be biased against PGs because of Kyrie.

I mean, you said he lost it by jacking 3s and defense and TOs when he did none of the 3 man.

He was 1-6 from 3 point range with 4 turnovers and fatty Felton ate him up. But I'll wait for the replay.

[Andre Roberstan]

Wes is a great player - there's just times when I'm like stop dribbling, stop taking 3 point shots, stop playing out of control, and I know you're a much better defender than what I'm seeing. I've already admitted I might be biased against PGs because of Kyrie.

I mean, you said he lost it by jacking 3s and defense and TOs when he did none of the 3 man.

He was 1-6 from 3 point range with 4 turnovers and fatty Felton ate him up. But I'll wait for the replay.

His defense wasn't great, but I place far more blame on the asinine lineup with Foye at the point than I do on Russ.

[bwgood77]

Tough loss. But I guess the silver lining is that Durant shooting 21% on 33 shots and him and Westbrook combined 27% on 55 shots and still basically losing at the buzzer. I mean, how often are they going to shoot that poorly?

Well the problem is games like this just show what an atrocious coach Donovan is. Especially Durant kept forcing the issue. A decent coach finds a way around off nights. Donovan didn't even try anything. I mean at this point I'm pretty sure he doesn't even have a 'concept' or a plan. He lucked into a great job and is in no way qualified for it.

I haven't watched them as much as anyone here I'm sure, but their record this year was the same as it was when they lost in the WCF with Harden, and slightly worse than the year they losts in the finals with him. The following two years post Harden, they actually won 4 and 5 more games than this year, and did better regular season than the prior two (interesting this is the case as much as people bash letting Harden go), but their offensive rating this year is better than any of those years, though the defensive rating slightly worse, except for in 2010-11.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/OKC/

Obviously a better eye ball test gives another perspective, but there really hasn't been a huge difference up to this point in the results, and guys that probably helped more than Waiters (Kevin Martin) and Payne has been able to (Reggie Jackson) that is somewhat understandable, as well as a new coach adapting.

Didn't Brooks take a lot of heat as well?

I mean, people REALLY seem to hate Donovan, but Brooks took some heat as well (at least nationally), and on top of that they are only behind two historic teams.

Obviously I'm playing devil's advocate and am not nearly as knowledgeable on his in game adjustments and the like, but I imagine it takes a bit of adjustment time for a coach with two extremely high usage players, who are really kind of set in their ways. Bigger adjustments to approach likely occur in the offseason.

Are they surrounded by the same level of talent? He REALLY seems to take a lot of heat based on the posts I've seen here. Of course there is always a bit of overreaction after tough losses.

I'm a bit fan of continuity particularly with coaches though, and it was a tough time to move away from Brooks with impending free agency coming up.

I still don't think they leave though, and I imagine as coaches learn what it takes in the nba, they adapt, likely more in their strategies coming into the season.

[jbk1234]

I mean, you said he lost it by jacking 3s and defense and TOs when he did none of the 3 man.

He was 1-6 from 3 point range with 4 turnovers and fatty Felton ate him up. But I'll wait for the replay.

His defense wasn't great, but I place far more blame on the asinine lineup with Foye at the point than I do on Russ.

But I think the bench got the lead back for you guys in the 4th quarter and then you put the starters back in.

[NaturalThunder]

I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight. We're 84 games into the season and still have serious fourth quarter issues. Just blew a 7-point 4th quarter lead (midway through the 4th no less) to a old, injury depleted Mavs team who has no business being on the court with us in the first place. That was one of the most improbable playoff losses/wins I've ever seen. I've never been more embarrassed to be a Thunder fan.

[bondom34]

Wes is a great player - there's just times when I'm like stop dribbling, stop taking 3 point shots, stop playing out of control, and I know you're a much better defender than what I'm seeing. I've already admitted I might be biased against PGs because of Kyrie.

I mean, you said he lost it by jacking 3s and defense and TOs when he did none of the 3 man.

He was 1-6 from 3 point range with 4 turnovers and fatty Felton ate him up. But I'll wait for the replay.

You said 4th quarter when he was 0-2 with 1 turnover. And they lost the lead when Adams came in for Kanter. They got the lead with Durant/WB/Kanter/Dion/Ibaka.

You can check the score on NBA.com or popcornmachine, but you're seeing things.

[bwgood77]

I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight. We're 84 games into the season and still have serious fourth quarter issues. Just blew a 7-point 4th quarter lead (midway through the 4th no less) to a old, injury depleted Mavs team who has no business being on the court with us in the first place. That was one of the most improbable playoff losses/wins I've ever seen. I've never been more embarrassed to be a Thunder fan.

It happens. You won the first game by 38. The Suns, in 2003, with a rookie Amare, and Stephon Marbury, were 44-38 and the Spurs were 60-22. The Suns won two games in that series (including game 1) on buzzer beaters and had the series tied at 2-2. They nearly won game 6. They had no business being in that series either.

Of course the Spurs went on to win the title that year.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/playoffs/2003-nba-western-conference-first-round-suns-vs-spurs.html

Plus, imo Carlisle may be the best coach in the league, but at least top 2 or 3, and is a GREAT playoff coach.

[bondom34]

I'm not going to be able to sleep tonight. We're 84 games into the season and still have serious fourth quarter issues. Just blew a 7-point 4th quarter lead (midway through the 4th no less) to a old, injury depleted Mavs team who has no business being on the court with us in the first place. That was one of the most improbable playoff losses/wins I've ever seen. I've never been more embarrassed to be a Thunder fan.

I know you take these hard. I sorta do too but if they bounce back Thursday all is back to normal. They may have needed to refocus, and I think game 1 was like an early game 3 from Russ. It went in and they got too confident.

[bondom34]

Tough loss. But I guess the silver lining is that Durant shooting 21% on 33 shots and him and Westbrook combined 27% on 55 shots and still basically losing at the buzzer. I mean, how often are they going to shoot that poorly?

Well the problem is games like this just show what an atrocious coach Donovan is. Especially Durant kept forcing the issue. A decent coach finds a way around off nights. Donovan didn't even try anything. I mean at this point I'm pretty sure he doesn't even have a 'concept' or a plan. He lucked into a great job and is in no way qualified for it.

I haven't watched them as much as anyone here I'm sure, but their record this year was the same as it was when they lost in the WCF with Harden, and slightly worse than the year they losts in the finals with him. The following two years post Harden, they actually won 4 and 5 more games than this year, and did better regular season than the prior two (interesting this is the case as much as people bash letting Harden go), but their offensive rating this year is better than any of those years, though the defensive rating slightly worse, except for in 2010-11.

http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/OKC/

Obviously a better eye ball test gives another perspective, but there really hasn't been a huge difference up to this point in the results, and guys that probably helped more than Waiters (Kevin Martin) and Payne has been able to (Reggie Jackson) that is somewhat understandable, as well as a new coach adapting.

Didn't Brooks take a lot of heat as well?

I mean, people REALLY seem to hate Donovan, but Brooks took some heat as well (at least nationally), and on top of that they are only behind two historic teams.

Obviously I'm playing devil's advocate and am not nearly as knowledgeable on his in game adjustments and the like, but I imagine it takes a bit of adjustment time for a coach with two extremely high usage players, who are really kind of set in their ways. Bigger adjustments to approach likely occur in the offseason.

Are they surrounded by the same level of talent? He REALLY seems to take a lot of heat based on the posts I've seen here. Of course there is always a bit of overreaction after tough losses.

I'm a bit fan of continuity particularly with coaches though, and it was a tough time to move away from Brooks with impending free agency coming up.

I still don't think they leave though, and I imagine as coaches learn what it takes in the nba, they adapt, likely more in their strategies coming into the season.

Oh, the problem with the coach is rotations. He just doesn't understand them.

And I get all fans compain but he went 2 months into the season before he realized the backup PG sucked. So after he switched and it worked, he benched the guy playing well for Randy Foye. And here we stand with lineups having no PG and Durant turning it over 7 times a game. But hey, why play a PG when you can let Foye and Dion try it.