12/22 | G31: Oklahoma City Thunder at Utah Jazz - 8PM CST

[ThunderBolt]

If russ isn’t the focal point of the offense he can’t get in to any kind of rhythm. His mvp year we saw him have both horrible and amazing quarters in the same game. This year he’s deferring and the team is winning but he can’t get in to any kind of flow. We’re atop the west right now but this isn’t not sustainable with russ’ struggles.

[spearsy23]

I'd be more encouraged they can win with him shooting this way. And tbh kinda thought the last play was a clean block but either way. At least he still does other stuff but yea the shooting.

I thought it was too, but just given the reality of the landing they've gotta call it. The strip was clean.

Also, if we don't miss three free throws in the last two minutes we aren't in that position.

[spearsy23]

taking out ferg and replacing with schroder was the first real instance this year i thought that it could have cost the game. russ was hiding on jae crowder which meant schroder had to guard donovan or rubio. and russ got beat twice by crowder. it was odd. ferg was doing a decent job by the end of the game. but that's what happens when you promise minutes to a guy.

the schroder bench was awful again. schroder's second pass was a botched lob.

come back, russ. you're our only hope.

On the twice by Crowder are you including the offensive rebound? Russ threw his body into gobert on that one, which is probably the correct decision.

[ThunderBolt]

I will ride or die with Russ for ever.

You’ll likely get your opportunity. He’ll be here until he’s 38 if he wants to stay that long. I love russ for what he’s done for the organization and the loyalty he has shown. I’ll leave it at that.

[Dn4sty]

Gotta wonder if this team needs another scorer on the wing, more than just a guy who can hit an occasional catch and shoot 3.

There are several who aren’t on great contracts that could be likely obtainable.

[Dn4sty]

I'd be more encouraged they can win with him shooting this way. And tbh kinda thought the last play was a clean block but either way. At least he still does other stuff but yea the shooting.

I thought it was too, but just given the reality of the landing they've gotta call it. The strip was clean.

Also, if we don't miss three free throws in the last two minutes we aren't in that position.

The block was clean

[ThunderBolt]

Gotta wonder if this team needs another scorer on the wing, more than just a guy who can hit an occasional catch and shoot 3.

There are several who aren’t on great contracts that could be likely obtainable.

THJ for schroder would be fine with me.

[RunOKC]

Nice road wins against some Western teams after a few tough losses @NOP/@DEN

I'll take it.

[RalphSampsonJr]

How crap would it be if Russ is the reason this team cant get to that contender level. He needs to sort out whatever is happening if this team is to make waves in the post season

[getrichordie]

If russ isn’t the focal point of the offense he can’t get in to any kind of rhythm. His mvp year we saw him have both horrible and amazing quarters in the same game. This year he’s deferring and the team is winning but he can’t get in to any kind of flow. We’re atop the west right now but this isn’t not sustainable with russ’ struggles.

Well, let’s just go back to Russ-ball. Oh, wait. He might not be able to. Does anyone in here believe that we should go back to Russ-ball? Does anyone in here believe that Westbrook could be capable of Russ-ball again? Genuinely curious.


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[bondom34]

Again didn't watch a ton other than late game but not sure it's rhythm or what. Still, he's been distributing and most nights contributing in a lot of other ways. But lol Russ ball

[Kizz Fastfists]

How crap would it be if Russ is the reason this team cant get to that contender level. He needs to sort out whatever is happening if this team is to make waves in the post season

This was easily predictable years ago. Presti ignored it and tried to build around a player that he didn't have time to build around. OKC has enjoyed the easiest schedule in the NBA. They still have a relatively easy finish to the year and then 2019 will show what OKC is. If Russ has declined due to his knee injuries and age, as would be expected by anyone with a basic understanding of human biology, then OKC will be an easy first round exit in the playoffs once again. This might also be their last playoff run as Russ will only decline more.

If you believe PG is capable of sustaining his recent play you could try to argue that with PG as the best player and Russ as #2 or #3 that OKC can make the 2nd round. The question is who is really the 2nd best player on OKC right now? Adams or Russ? How far has Russ dropped? He is pretty much playing the same way he always has. He's taking the highest percentage of his shots from 3 in his career while only hitting 24.5% of them. He's shooting poorly. He's passing for assists, which he has always done well. He's either playing hurt enough that he really shouldn't be playing or he is declining faster than I expected. I don't see anything different in Russ' game I just it being slower, less explosive and less effective.

[RalphSampsonJr]

How crap would it be if Russ is the reason this team cant get to that contender level. He needs to sort out whatever is happening if this team is to make waves in the post season

This was easily predictable years ago. Presti ignored it and tried to build around a player that he didn't have time to build around. OKC has enjoyed the easiest schedule in the NBA. They still have a relatively easy finish to the year and then 2019 will show what OKC is. If Russ has declined due to his knee injuries and age, as would be expected by anyone with a basic understanding of human biology, then OKC will be an easy first round exit in the playoffs once again. This might also be their last playoff run as Russ will only decline more.

If you believe PG is capable of sustaining his recent play you could try to argue that with PG as the best player and Russ as #2 or #3 that OKC can make the 2nd round. The question is who is really the 2nd best player on OKC right now? Adams or Russ? How far has Russ dropped? He is pretty much playing the same way he always has. He's taking the highest percentage of his shots from 3 in his career while only hitting 24.5% of them. He's shooting poorly. He's passing for assists, which he has always done well. He's either playing hurt enough that he really shouldn't be playing or he is declining faster than I expected. I don't see anything different in Russ' game I just it being slower, less explosive and less effective.

Yea im starting to get very concerned about that contract. If the decline really has begun okc will be in serious trouble two years from now

[getrichordie]

How crap would it be if Russ is the reason this team cant get to that contender level. He needs to sort out whatever is happening if this team is to make waves in the post season

This was easily predictable years ago. Presti ignored it and tried to build around a player that he didn't have time to build around. OKC has enjoyed the easiest schedule in the NBA. They still have a relatively easy finish to the year and then 2019 will show what OKC is. If Russ has declined due to his knee injuries and age, as would be expected by anyone with a basic understanding of human biology, then OKC will be an easy first round exit in the playoffs once again. This might also be their last playoff run as Russ will only decline more.

If you believe PG is capable of sustaining his recent play you could try to argue that with PG as the best player and Russ as #2 or #3 that OKC can make the 2nd round. The question is who is really the 2nd best player on OKC right now? Adams or Russ? How far has Russ dropped? He is pretty much playing the same way he always has. He's taking the highest percentage of his shots from 3 in his career while only hitting 24.5% of them. He's shooting poorly. He's passing for assists, which he has always done well. He's either playing hurt enough that he really shouldn't be playing or he is declining faster than I expected. I don't see anything different in Russ' game I just it being slower, less explosive and less effective.

I think Russ’ game is changing but as far as I can see, it comes and goes and it is of my opinion that it is largely indicative of how mentally exhaustive it must be to have to forcibly abandon a lot of what has made his game successful and reinvent himself on the fly.

There’s games where he shows great decision-making and shot selection and then he has his games where maybe his shot selection/timing isn’t so great and he doesn’t make the best decisions.

I think that’s the biggest case for this being both a mental battle and a physical one for him. He’s always played so damned fast that he was able to out-athlete and out-work most of his competition. What we are seeing now is that he doesn’t really have a great grasp of “a slow game” or “methodical game”, if you will.

I’m going to keep saying this, but Occam’s Razor is applicable here. Most fans are drawing a blank and stating, “there must be something wrong with Russ!”, and the reality is that decline is the simplest explanation when you account for minutes accumulated and style of play.


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[spearsy23]

How crap would it be if Russ is the reason this team cant get to that contender level. He needs to sort out whatever is happening if this team is to make waves in the post season

This was easily predictable years ago. Presti ignored it and tried to build around a player that he didn't have time to build around. OKC has enjoyed the easiest schedule in the NBA. They still have a relatively easy finish to the year and then 2019 will show what OKC is. If Russ has declined due to his knee injuries and age, as would be expected by anyone with a basic understanding of human biology, then OKC will be an easy first round exit in the playoffs once again. This might also be their last playoff run as Russ will only decline more.

If you believe PG is capable of sustaining his recent play you could try to argue that with PG as the best player and Russ as #2 or #3 that OKC can make the 2nd round. The question is who is really the 2nd best player on OKC right now? Adams or Russ? How far has Russ dropped? He is pretty much playing the same way he always has. He's taking the highest percentage of his shots from 3 in his career while only hitting 24.5% of them. He's shooting poorly. He's passing for assists, which he has always done well. He's either playing hurt enough that he really shouldn't be playing or he is declining faster than I expected. I don't see anything different in Russ' game I just it being slower, less explosive and less effective.

I think Russ’ game is changing but as far as I can see, it comes and goes and it is of my opinion that it is largely indicative of how mentally exhaustive it must be to have to forcibly abandon a lot of what has made his game successful and reinvent himself on the fly.

There’s games where he shows great decision-making and shot selection and then he has his games where maybe his shot selection/timing isn’t so great and he doesn’t make the best decisions.

I think that’s the biggest case for this being both a mental battle and a physical one for him. He’s always played so damned fast that he was able to out-athlete and out-work most of his competition. What we are seeing now is that he doesn’t really have a great grasp of “a slow game” or “methodical game”, if you will.

I’m going to keep saying this, but Occam’s Razor is applicable here. Most fans are drawing a blank and stating, “there must be something wrong with Russ!”, and the reality is that decline is the simplest explanation when you account for minutes accumulated and style of play.


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How do you account for his play earlier in the season? Or did his athletic decline simply happen in the middle of November?

[Pillendreher]

taking out ferg and replacing with schroder was the first real instance this year i thought that it could have cost the game. russ was hiding on jae crowder which meant schroder had to guard donovan or rubio. and russ got beat twice by crowder. it was odd. ferg was doing a decent job by the end of the game. but that's what happens when you promise minutes to a guy.

I don't know why it's working this well, but Westbrook-Schröder is the best two-man-lineup with Westbrook on the floor the Thunder have right now. Basktball-reference has it at +17.2 NetRtG (next best: Westbrook-George at +13.7), stats.nba.com at +12.4 NetRtG (next best: Westbrook-George at +11.4), cleaningtheglass at +15.5 (Westbrook-George at +11.9).

If russ isn’t the focal point of the offense he can’t get in to any kind of rhythm. His mvp year we saw him have both horrible and amazing quarters in the same game. This year he’s deferring and the team is winning but he can’t get in to any kind of flow. We’re atop the west right now but this isn’t not sustainable with russ’ struggles.

I don't think it's quite as simple as that. He can be the focal point, but right now it looks like he doesn't even want to.

[Dadouv47]

Well PG13 is ridiculous.

I'm glad we won such a tough game on the road but I'm starting to get pissed/nervous about Russ. He can't make a shot. PG13 won't be able to sustain this level all year.

[ThunderBolt]

This was easily predictable years ago. Presti ignored it and tried to build around a player that he didn't have time to build around. OKC has enjoyed the easiest schedule in the NBA. They still have a relatively easy finish to the year and then 2019 will show what OKC is. If Russ has declined due to his knee injuries and age, as would be expected by anyone with a basic understanding of human biology, then OKC will be an easy first round exit in the playoffs once again. This might also be their last playoff run as Russ will only decline more.

If you believe PG is capable of sustaining his recent play you could try to argue that with PG as the best player and Russ as #2 or #3 that OKC can make the 2nd round. The question is who is really the 2nd best player on OKC right now? Adams or Russ? How far has Russ dropped? He is pretty much playing the same way he always has. He's taking the highest percentage of his shots from 3 in his career while only hitting 24.5% of them. He's shooting poorly. He's passing for assists, which he has always done well. He's either playing hurt enough that he really shouldn't be playing or he is declining faster than I expected. I don't see anything different in Russ' game I just it being slower, less explosive and less effective.

I think Russ’ game is changing but as far as I can see, it comes and goes and it is of my opinion that it is largely indicative of how mentally exhaustive it must be to have to forcibly abandon a lot of what has made his game successful and reinvent himself on the fly.

There’s games where he shows great decision-making and shot selection and then he has his games where maybe his shot selection/timing isn’t so great and he doesn’t make the best decisions.

I think that’s the biggest case for this being both a mental battle and a physical one for him. He’s always played so damned fast that he was able to out-athlete and out-work most of his competition. What we are seeing now is that he doesn’t really have a great grasp of “a slow game” or “methodical game”, if you will.

I’m going to keep saying this, but Occam’s Razor is applicable here. Most fans are drawing a blank and stating, “there must be something wrong with Russ!”, and the reality is that decline is the simplest explanation when you account for minutes accumulated and style of play.


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How do you account for his play earlier in the season? Or did his athletic decline simply happen in the middle of November?

The jumper has been broken all season. The sample size at the beginning of the season was small but he did look more athletic. I think it’s a combination of showing some decline, still fighting injury, teams are making it it harder for him to get to the basket because they know he can’t hit a jumper and now he’s losing confidence. I don’t think it’s just one thing.

[sleestak33]

Russ is going through a transition from having one of the highest usage rates in the history of the NBA into more of a facilitating type of point guard and it's clear he is struggling massively. That being said it's amazing what it's doing for the team as PG is fully reaching his potential and Adams/Grant are also massively improving and that's in large part due to Westbrook continuously setting these guys up more and not pounding the ball for 15 seconds on every possession like the last few years. Pretty amazing Russ goes 3-17 with 6 turnovers yet they still beat a really good Utah team on the road. He just has to learn how to play off the ball more and get his confidence back with his jumpshot. That was as good an NBA game as you'll watch and a great win.

[Old Man Game]

I didn't get to watch last night. Sounds like I missed an amazing game but with another terrible Russ shooting night. I'm sorry I think he's still injured. Age makes recovery slower. He probably should have missed more time with that ankle but instead decided to come back and play through a bit and here we are.