Slick Watts did you create this video

Old Man Game · Post #1 » by **Old Man Game** » Sat May 19, 2018 10:14 pm

This is essentially the same argument you've been making about Westbrook for awhile isn't it? That the team culture has essentially created this version of Russ we're seeing?

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Kizz Fastfists · Post #2 » by **Kizz Fastfists** » Sun May 20, 2018 4:26 am

I didn't hear anything to disagree with. Presti, Brooks and Donovan created a problem that has no solution if your goal is to do more than just make the playoffs.

Old Man Game · Post #3 » by **Old Man Game** » Sun May 20, 2018 8:42 pm

Kizz Fastfists wrote:I didn't hear anything to disagree with. Presti, Brooks and Donovan created a problem that has no solution if your goal is to do more than just make the playoffs.

I just find it interesting that this narrative is finally catching on. The prior narrative was always that just Russ is a ball hog, which I always thought was too reductive/simplistic. This new narrative is that Russ is a product of the environment that he's been raised in as a player. To the extent that he is all about shoot-first-ask-questions-later that's the result of inputs reinforcement he's received his entire career.

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Kizz Fastfists · Post #4 » by **Kizz Fastfists** » Mon May 21, 2018 3:21 am

Basically it is putting on the coaching and not on Russ. After this season I very much agree with that narrative. In the past it wasn't as obvious because Russ did defer a lot to the better player, kd. His first triple double season made sense since the supporting cast was misused and overall poor. This year it was clearly either Russ ignores coaching or the coaching has never tried to teach him. Some of the things Donovan did and that transpired, i.e. Melo making the decision not to go back into a game, make it seem more of an issue of weak coaches.

Post #5 » by **slick_watts** » Tue May 22, 2018 12:42 am

westbrook wasn't this kind of player when he entered the league, this personality and play style was molded over the course of many years. i made a claim at the time that the westbrook-centric hysteria for his contract extension in summer 2016 after kd left would bite them in the rear later, and it has. because now the thunder are stuck.

i didn't make that video but i share most of the same opinions. i'm more critical of westbrook himself, though, because i think as a star player with his clout he should have acquired some perspective by now.

Old Man Game · Post #6 » by **Old Man Game** » Tue May 22, 2018 1:45 am

slick_watts wrote:westbrook wasn't this kind of player when he entered the league, this personality and play style was molded over the course of many years. i made a claim at the time that the westbrook-centric hysteria for his contract extension in summer 2016 after kd left would bite them in the rear later, and it has. because now the thunder are stuck.

i didn't make that video but i share most of the same opinions. i'm more critical of westbrook himself, though, because i think as a star player with his clout he should have acquired some perspective by now.

There's this sort of perverse incentive some fans espouse that's like, 'don't change Russ, that's what makes him special' like there's just no way he could be asked to play more under control and still be effective. Can you imagine any other player getting that sort of deference?

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