hardenASG13 wrote:Look, grant is a lanky guy of course he's not setting huge screens. He's much better slipping if his defender shows at all, because he's quick, long and if he gets the ball on a pass with momentum to the rim, he's dunking it.
See, that's what I'm saying There's simply no room for this. That's why they have him out there on the perimeter.
hardenASG13 wrote:Getting guys open, or Westbrook or Schroeder having success getting into the lane, isn't a problem. Stop acting like the screening is more important than it is.
Screening is probably the most important thing for how this team is able to generate enough room to score. When everybody just stands around, you need screens to be able to attack the opposing defense.
hardenASG13 wrote:"Doesn't make momentum plays" doesn't mean looks unathletic. It means patterson rarely does it beyond hitting back to back 3s every 10 games or so. While not everything, when the other team is doing pull ups on the rim it does change the energy of the game and teams psyche some. It's something.
And how do you quantify said plays? Why do you think that Jerami Grant dunking once a game (I'm not making this up; per bbref, he has never even managed to dunk once per game) is somehow affecting both the Thunder and the opposing team? I've seen plenty of guys dunk against the Thunder. Is every dunk a "momentum play"? Or is it just dunks that make a player's athleticism really stand out?
hardenASG13 wrote:You will hear no counters from me that they need shooters around Westbrook, especially since adams is basically just an extension of Westbrook offensively (which is fine). I've been saying it for years. It's a shame they didn't when KD was here, they would've been the warriors. Patterson just isn't that guy. He hasn't been consistent in that role at all....wish he was.
Of course he is that guy. No, he's draining 5 3s every single game without exception. Yet as a Thunder he's shooting 38 % from 3. That's exactly what this team needs.
hardenASG13 wrote:Again the points on passing are really just saying 'I like this guy more than that guy'. Neither adams, roberson, or grant create much of anything with their passing game. To only criticize grant in that aspect is unfair. None of them are being relied on as playmakers, and itd be foolish if they were.
No, they are not. Yet the difference with those guys is they're doing stuff offensively that Grant isn't and they're both much better than him offensively. I'm talking about his passing as one skill that he might need to show if teams keep taking his drives away. He's not on his rookie salary anymore. He's making 9 million a year. And if all there is to him is driving/attacking the rim, which teams have been taking away because there is no shooting on the floor, then he needs to learn to do something else to help his team. He's not going to be able to live off of transition offense all season long.
