10/21 - 8PM CST | G2: Oklahoma City Thunder at Utah Jazz

[NaturalThunder]

I know it''s overreactionary, but right now my expectations for this season are about on par with what they were for last season. We played one of the two worst teams in the NBA. Tonight we played a middle of the pack NBA team and got beat convincingly.

We're not very good right now.

[slick_watts]

could hardenASG13 explain what value alex abrines is bringing to the team right now? the jazz are attacking him relentlessly. is he doing anything offensively to justify his presence on the court?

[ThunderTime]

Russ cost us this game with his pass-first playstyle tonight. Hope he finds the balance between driving and facilitating again next game.

[NaturalThunder]

We're barely going to score 80 points. We have three guys who averaged 20+ PPG last year, and we're struggling to break the 80 point barrier.

[Dadouv47]

I'm not going to overact about this game because I know our team needs to find chemistry (and WB was TERRIBLE), but the Spurs and Rockets aren't going to lose many easy games We need 3th seed as worse badly

[ozwizard8]

B.Donovan looks clueless. He couldnt do any adjustments all game.
Horrible game from Wb. Asist and rebound numbers arent important this game.
Too many turnovers, absymal shooting. Bad d.
Rubio beat him on offense and defense.

Anyway it'll take time to find chemistry. Donovan didnt look good though.

[ThunderTime]

could hardenASG13 explain what value alex abrines is bringing to the team right now? the jazz are attacking him relentlessly. is he doing anything offensively to justify his presence on the court?

He isnt here right now he is busy watching Kanter offensive highlight videos on youtube.

[NaturalThunder]

Tonight has badly emphasized how this is going to take some time. Russ looked like someone completely different; like he doesn't know what to do.

6 points, 7 turnovers, 2/11 shooting...

That's the main reason we lost tonight. If Russ is Russ from year's past, then we probably win this game. But tonight he struggled badly figuring out how to play with PG13 and Melo.

[Dadouv47]

Tomorrow's game will be huge. Roberson has to show his defensive ability against Butler and/or Wiggins. So far he's our worst player of the season.

[Thabo Sefolosha]

POSTGAME: https://forums.realgm.com/boards/viewtopic.php?f=334&t=1626803

[spearsy23]

Tomorrow's game will be huge. Roberson has to show his defensive ability against Butler and/or Wiggins. So far he's our worst player of the season.

Huh? He only played 13 minutes tonight but was better than Grant or Abrines.

[Bergmaniac]

Westbrook looked completely lost out there, pretty weird. He missed most of his shots by miles, couldn't get to the rim at all, so many terrible passes, only thing he did well was rebound in the first half.

George and Melo really need to stop shooting every time they get the ball. Westbrook is clearly willing to give them plenty of shots, so no need to force so much. The whole team needs to start making more passes and moving off the ball more. This "Let Russ create everything and don't run any plays where someone has to pass after receiving the ball from him" stuff is too predictable and easy to defend by good teams.

[sleestak33]

Adams (our 100 million dollar man) 33 minutes 9 points 5 rebounds Rudy Gobert 33 minutes 16 points 13 rebounds. As I've said many times, Adams is NOT some excellent defender and gets outplayed all the time with this being just another dramatic example. It's not why they lost but there needs to be accountability when he gets dominated like this. Westbrook is trying hard to be a distributor but they're completely discombobulated right now and that's understandable. 6 points on 2-11 shooting though is hard to conceive. They're not beating anybody if Russ does that. On a positive note Andre "nonexistent" Roberson's minutes were down to only 14 which is where I'd like to see them although they still need to remove him from the starting lineup. Hey at least he hit a 3 though...now he's up to 1-8 for the year.

[spearsy23]

Adams (our 100 million dollar man) 33 minutes 9 points 5 rebounds Rudy Gobert 33 minutes 16 points 13 rebounds. As I've said many times, Adams is NOT some excellent defender and gets outplayed all the time with this being just another dramatic example. It's not why they lost but there needs to be accountability when he gets dominated like this. Westbrook is trying hard to be a distributor but they're completely discombobulated right now and that's understandable. 6 points on 2-11 shooting though is hard to conceive. They're not beating anybody if Russ does that. On a positive note Andre "nonexistent" Roberson's minutes were down to only 14 which is where I'd like to see them although they still need to remove him from the starting lineup. Hey at least he hit a 3 though...now he's up to 1-8 for the year.

Missed you after new York.

[hardenASG13]

could hardenASG13 explain what value alex abrines is bringing to the team right now? the jazz are attacking him relentlessly. is he doing anything offensively to justify his presence on the court?

A little bitter about your boy getting only 14 minutes? Defense wasn't the problem in this one, slick. Russ had his worst offensive game I can remember, way too many turnovers by the team, and Gobert vs. Adams was varsity vs. JV. Abrines hasn't shot the ball well yet this year.

His skill level as a shooter is what justifies his presence on the court, as the team desperately needed some offense, which in this one game he or several other guys didn't deliver. But as I've been trying to explain to you, when the defense functions well without Roberson, as it was last night and looks to be able to fairly easily with melo and George out there, there is simply no reason to play Roberson as he gives 0 on offense. He remains the worst offensive "shooting guard" in the league, and his closeouts on numerous occasions tonight were sloppy and ineffective. Get used to more abrines, I'm gonna enjoy this.

[slick_watts]

could hardenASG13 explain what value alex abrines is bringing to the team right now? the jazz are attacking him relentlessly. is he doing anything offensively to justify his presence on the court?

A little bitter about your boy getting only 14 minutes? Defense wasn't the problem in this one, slick. Russ had his worst offensive game I can remember, way too many turnovers by the team, and Gobert vs. Adams was varsity vs. JV. Abrines hasn't shot the ball well yet this year.

did you miss the jazz attacking abrines relentlessly with joe ingles? when rw/pg/ca came back in 4Q is when we should have brought roberson back, and we gave up 130pp100 in that stretch. abrines got crossed by ingles! a slow white guy.

bitter? i want the team to win.

[hardenASG13]

could hardenASG13 explain what value alex abrines is bringing to the team right now? the jazz are attacking him relentlessly. is he doing anything offensively to justify his presence on the court?

A little bitter about your boy getting only 14 minutes? Defense wasn't the problem in this one, slick. Russ had his worst offensive game I can remember, way too many turnovers by the team, and Gobert vs. Adams was varsity vs. JV. Abrines hasn't shot the ball well yet this year.

did you miss the jazz attacking abrines relentlessly with joe ingles? when rw/pg/ca came back in 4Q is when we should have brought roberson back, and we gave up 130pp100 in that stretch. abrines got crossed by ingles! a slow white guy.

bitter? i want the team to win.

Ha if they shot halfway decent they would've won. Roberson got blown by on numerous closeouts, over pursuing or falling for fakes by that same ingles. Pointing to a 6 minute stretch, despite the defense without Roberson being very good all night, somehow keeping the team in the game, should be below a member of the blogosphere intelligentsia like yourself. This is going to get pretty embarrassing for the Roberson crowd.

[ThunderBolt]

Adams (our 100 million dollar man) 33 minutes 9 points 5 rebounds Rudy Gobert 33 minutes 16 points 13 rebounds. As I've said many times, Adams is NOT some excellent defender and gets outplayed all the time with this being just another dramatic example. It's not why they lost but there needs to be accountability when he gets dominated like this. Westbrook is trying hard to be a distributor but they're completely discombobulated right now and that's understandable. 6 points on 2-11 shooting though is hard to conceive. They're not beating anybody if Russ does that. On a positive note Andre "nonexistent" Roberson's minutes were down to only 14 which is where I'd like to see them although they still need to remove him from the starting lineup. Hey at least he hit a 3 though...now he's up to 1-8 for the year.

Why don’t you quit dodging my questions like a coward?

[slick_watts]

Ha if they shot halfway decent they would've won.

isn't that what abrines is supposed to be in for...?

Roberson got blown by on numerous closeouts, over pursuing or falling for fakes by that same ingles.

video, please?

here's abrines falling over (being generous) allowing ingles open three: http://on.nba.com/2hW8lUg

and it's not only abrines. grant played at roberson's expense, as did felton (?) next to westbrook, and ferguson. makes no sense at all. andre roberson is on another level from these guys.

Pointing to a 6 minute stretch

we couldn't defend during this stretch.

This is going to get pretty embarrassing for the Roberson crowd.

embarrassing? we played roberson only 14 minutes, and lost.

[hardenASG13]

Ha if they shot halfway decent they would've won.

isn't that what abrines is supposed to be in for...?

Roberson got blown by on numerous closeouts, over pursuing or falling for fakes by that same ingles.

video, please?

here's abrines falling over (being generous) allowing ingles open three: http://on.nba.com/2hW8lUg

and it's not only abrines. grant played at roberson's expense, as did felton (?) next to westbrook, and ferguson. makes no sense at all. andre roberson is on another level from these guys.

Pointing to a 6 minute stretch

we couldn't defend during this stretch.

This is going to get pretty embarrassing for the Roberson crowd.

embarrassing? we played roberson only 14 minutes, and lost.

Yes, it's what abrines is in for. He didn't shoot well. Again, slick, they lost because they shot terribly, not because of any lack of defense (the only thing Roberson brings). Donovan was desperately and rightly looking for someone who could make a shot, so he went to his better offensive players.

Here's a video for you. Note Roberson being late then jumping past ingles on two of his threes, then completely losing him in transition. Guys were going by him on the catch several other times as well.

Watch on YouTube