1/25 - POSTGAME | Washington Wizards (112) - (121) Oklahoma City Thunder

[getrichordie]

Abrines is getting traded. Wonder what the package might be. I don’t think Presti is trading Grant so that leaves:

Abrines + Dakari
Abrines + Singler (unlikely)
Abrines + Huestis (possible, but I just don’t see Hinkie trading Huestis)

I think it will be Abrines + Dakari + SRP for someone. Belinelli would be my first guess.


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[Pillendreher]

Another weird game. For some part our defense was on point (hence all the steals and deflections), for the other part, both our rotations and defensive positions were off. Adams needs to give more space so he can recover on PnR. He can't both be the last line of defense and defend right next to the opposing guard simultaneously.

Offense was also all over the place. Some plays were great, some were just lazy and sloppy. Our dependance on jumpers was apparent once again and that's why we need another guy who can get to the rim besides Russ. Melo has been bricking midrangers these last two games and has not been getting enough 3PA (only 5 over the last 2), while George has been making his midrangers and is bricking 3s (3/15 last two).

Thank God Ferguson finally attacked the rim. He's too athletic to just bomb 3s all the time.
Overall our bench played well: Every bench guy +30 NetRtG.

Overall a weird game. Without those steals, we're in danger of losing. If we just put a hand up on a couple of those shots, we probably end this game by the 3rd quarter.

A win is a win, but we need more focus and discipline imo.

[Pillendreher]

Brooks wants to come back home

Read on Twitter

[Reign23]

russ. sheesh.

[Reign23]

Melo got up for a couple of dunks, looks to be much bouncier than early in the season.


Normally I'd disagree with having ferguson out there instead of robes while beal was torching us, but the offense was scoring so well (including a couple by ferg) that it didn't make sense to give them a chance to foul.

Fun back and forth from beal/Russ.

PG's hands and anticipation are incredible. Steven's are pretty damn good too.

not only earlier this season but more bouncy than the last 3 years. but his shooting is way too streaky currently.

regardless, thunder are on fire. unbeaten with this starting lineup since 1st of december is incredible.

[slick_watts]

To everyone that thinks Westbrook's defense is bad, watch beal and wall on this play

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Edit: I can't get over beal literally backing away to make absolute sure he's no threat to help.

westbrook and melo do this all the time.

anthony was atrocious in this game. i wish donovan would have the chutzpah to bench him for patterson when there's no benefit to playing anthony. he did not have a mismatch on offense and was a liability on defense.

speaking of defense, it continues to slip. as our opponent tov% regresses to the mean, so does our defense since we're not good on a factor level at anything else. watching westbrook and anthony repeatedly refuse to offer contests to the wizards shooters in 3q was sick, although beal did beat roberson twice off screens.

our scrub bench is much better without george in it which is interesting.

josh huestis shouldn't be playing. or if you play him, play him situationally. we got him and grant playing out of position every game.

[dakomish23]

To everyone that thinks Westbrook's defense is bad, watch beal and wall on this play

Read on Twitter

Edit: I can't get over beal literally backing away to make absolute sure he's no threat to help.

westbrook and melo do this all the time.

anthony was atrocious in this game. i wish donovan would have the chutzpah to bench him for patterson when there's no benefit to playing anthony. he did not have a mismatch on offense and was a liability on defense.

speaking of defense, it continues to slip. as our opponent tov% regresses to the mean, so does our defense since we're not good on a factor level at anything else. watching westbrook and anthony repeatedly refuse to offer contests to the wizards shooters in 3q was sick, although beal did beat roberson twice off screens.

our scrub bench is much better without george in it which is interesting.

josh huestis shouldn't be playing. or if you play him, play him situationally. we got him and grant playing out of position every game.

Anthony had a solid close to end the game.

Contest on Porter. Porter pump fake step back 3 after the contest - miss

Beal gets Melo to switch on him. Contested 3. Miss.

Put back dunk on Russ miss.

Cut to the rim for a dunk off the Russ dish.

Found Ferguson in the corner for the make.

You guys keep pretending that every play he makes is negative. It’s not.

[slick_watts]

You guys keep pretending that every play he makes is negative. It’s not.

no, i'm not pretending this. it's not black and white. he's a net negative. doesn't mean he doesn't make a positive contribution here or there. most of what anthony did in the 4q patterson could have done or facilitated, and patterson is not a liability defensively.

[slick_watts]

by the way i hope this:

Beal gets Melo to switch on him. Contested 3. Miss.

isn't referring to this play:

Gfycat Video - Click to Play

because aside from the fact that beal makes the shot, i'm not sure about dignifying melo's defense here as a 'contest' is appropriate.

or maybe this one?

Gfycat Video - Click to Play

better than the other one, and beal actually misses the shot. but are we really celebrating this contest by melo?

here's a real contest by a big man on bradley beal in 4q. he makes it but it's a much more aggressive contest it actually came during the shot and not after, as much melo contests do.

Gfycat Video - Click to Play

[dakomish23]

You guys keep pretending that every play he makes is negative. It’s not.

no, i'm not pretending this. it's not black and white. he's a net negative. doesn't mean he doesn't make a positive contribution here or there. most of what anthony did in the 4q patterson could have done or facilitated, and patterson is not a liability defensively.

You say that but yet Patterson doesn’t do it. You are assuming he could. How do you know Patterson doesn’t camp out the 3PT line instead of flooding up the miss or cut to the hoop for the dunk. How do you know Patterson doesn’t fire a pretty wide open 3 instead of swinging it to Ferguson?

You don’t. You just want to assume he would to validate your stance.

And what metric shows him as a net negative? Because I can show you a ton of stuff that shows him on the floor as a positive.

[spearsy23]

Melo stans are even more sensitive than kanter's

[Andre Roberstan]

A note: Donovan didn't say Westbrook didn't like plays, he said that he didn't like Donovan calling plays, if memory serves.

Which is why Rick Carlisle and Rondo clashed, because Carlisle likes to call all his plays from the bench.

I generally agree with Westbrook—trust your guys on the floor to make the decisions, draw stuff up or tell them what needs to change in timeouts.

[spearsy23]

A note: Donovan didn't say Westbrook didn't like plays, he said that he didn't like Donovan calling plays, if memory serves.

Which is why Rick Carlisle and Rondo clashed, because Carlisle likes to call all his plays from the bench.

I generally agree with Westbrook—trust your guys on the floor to make the decisions, draw stuff up or tell them what needs to change in timeouts.

I didn't hear it, but I thought that seemed like a really odd thing for Billy to come out with.

[dakomish23]

Melo stans are even more sensitive than kanter's

I’m surprised you had the availability to write this. Doesn’t moving the goalposts take up a most of your time?

[Andre Roberstan]

Melo stans are even more sensitive than kanter's

I’m surprised you had the availability to write this. Doesn’t moving the goalposts take up a most of your time?

Both of you stop here.

I should have probably said something when spearsy posted. But stick to arguing the posts, not the posters.