12/27 - POSTGAME | Toronto Raptors (107) - (124) Oklahoma City Thunder

[NaturalThunder]

we did a really good job with the off ball screens today freeing up paul george. o.g. oogie boogie couldn't keep up with them.

Reminded me of when PG was talking about being able to guard KD and we said "bet" and ran him off all the screens the next game so KD could light him up. Screening was good across the board (except for Grant, who is trashy trash on screens)

i really want to see abrines more with better bigs. he cannot get open with grant in the game as the big setting the screen on the strong side of the court. wish we'd play a 'traditional' lineup off the bench if we're not going to play melo-bench.

This. Make Adams the player we sub out with 3-5 minutes left in the 1st and 3rd and let him and PPat run with Felton, Abrines, and Grant/Huestis.

What would that do the starters, though, without Adams? What are the numbers with a Westbrook/Robes/PG/Melo/PPat lineup or a Westbrook/Robes/PG/Melo/Grant lineup compared to the normal starting lineup of Russ/Robes/PG/Melo/Adams?

[Old Man Game]

Alright alright alriiight. Good win. On to the next. Hope to get a good road win eventually.

[spearsy23]

We're 5-0 And have scored over 100 points every game since my schedule has gotten too busy to watch more than 3-4 minutes each game. So glad we're playing well, but now I'm pretty sure I'm a jinx...

[M2J]

It really is good to see them turning the corner. I had a feeling those shooting numbers would start to average out a bit.

But you can also see how comfortable they are starting to become with one another come on and of course that helps. I also think seeing the big four play well on a consistent basis further highlights the need for added depth

[bondom34]

Read on Twitter

[Pillendreher]

For posterity, if he doesn't re enter the game Abrines just played 6 minutes, 1 foul, no other box score statistics registered and a -19.

abrines really isn't this bad but he shouldn't be playing in a lineup with raymond felton. you can't hide them both on defense. abrines should see minutes with at least two other starters on the court imo. and they need to find a way to get him open shots. if he's not shooting he's worthless. same holds true for patterson. this george bench lineup doesn't do anything to leverage what value those two players do have.

I've been saying this for years. Donovan always forces the all bench squads and it has never worked. He needs to use these guys in their respective 'niches'.

35 games into the season, Adams has only played 61 minutes without Russ, Roberson 66. We're not maximizing our strenghts if we keep playing every mediocre to bad player we have at the same time.

yet another stupid rotation decision- it doesn't matter what the context is, we always bring grant in as the first 'big'. now he's in for adams, and we have no rim protection + melo is responsible for pnr defense. what happens? derozan takes the baseline without any big help. poeltl easy put back. grant's not a shooter, he doesn't do anything on offense. it makes no sense to play him AT CENTER next to carmelo anthony when we can have patterson there, or heck even dakari.

billy shows too much flexibility in some situations with his rotations but the things he seems to be dogmatically attached to hurt our team. grant is not a small ball center. especially next to carmelo anthony.

That is also a big problem. We don't realize that we keep playing these role players out of position. Huestis should ideally play the 4. Grant as well. And Patterson too.

Read on Twitter

Read on Twitter

Keep at it!

[Pillendreher]

Credit where credit is due: Russ is giving more effort on defense. He's not letting people blow by him all the time while calling a trash screen on the perimeter. He's actually been solid.

[Pillendreher]

Read on Twitter

He also may have a point. Russ is not doing everything all the time, but it feels like he got 'unleashed'. Matt Moore might have been right with regards to his midrange jumper: Maybe he really was thinking too much and it really threw him off his rhythm.

[InTheSabonus]

Even though earlier in the season Melo at times perhaps needed to take his own advice, some of his comments to the media, and more importantly what the mics pick up on the court, he actually seems like a really good leader. Russ actually listens to him on court. How many OKC players (or coaches) have ever really had the balls to tell Russ to calm down, let alone done so successfully?

And then there's Melo slowly starting to accept his role as a kind of third option (although sometimes it feels like it's more 2a and 2b with him and PG). And his defensive work isn't great but he made sure that he's working above what his defensive reputation was coming into this season.

So yeah. I'm impressed with Melo.

[Pillendreher]

And then there's Melo slowly starting to accept his role as a kind of third option (although sometimes it feels like it's more 2a and 2b with him and PG).

I don't think you can ever really get that out of him. He will never be a 'You only take spot up jumpers' kind of guy. But I don't mind him making a couple of tough shots every now and then as long as he's not actively gunning for them.

And his defensive work isn't great but he made sure that he's working above what his defensive reputation was coming into this season.

So yeah. I'm impressed with Melo.

His rebounding has been decent and he's doing his best most of the time defensively. He's not actually good back there, but I think he's at least solid. Can't be this good defensively without everybody being not-trash. There's no way we're this good on defense with Kanter playing instead of him for example.

[Reign23]

really impressive stretch of games here for okc. last night was fun to watch!

[Pillendreher]

Read on Twitter

This couldn't have happened against a better guy. JV is such a scrub, but he's trying to mask it by acting all tough.



Fat CP3 with the hustle!



Melo with the hops

[sleestak33]

Everything pretty much all of us have been saying on these message boards that OKC needed to do to improve is finally starting to happen. Ball movement is better as well as movement away from the ball. Adams is becoming more involved throughout the game as opposed to just the first half. Carmelo has dramatically cut down on his isolation jab step plays ending up with long 2 pointers and is taking more spot up shots and posting up more. Roberson has completely stopped shooting 3s which is something that should have happened 4 years ago and they're getting him out of standing in the corner where he's basically useless. Russ is shooting less 3s and just doing what he was doing last year instead of worrying about getting Carmelo and PG going. Lo and behold miraculously shots are now starting to fall. This game to me on top of this winning streak officially tells me they've turned the corner towards reaching their potential. I don't think we'll see teams like Dallas or New York pummeling them anymore and they should be much more fun to watch now.

[Old Man Game]

Credit where credit is due: Russ is giving more effort on defense. He's not letting people blow by him all the time while calling a trash screen on the perimeter. He's actually been solid.

This. So much this. I feel like this team goes as Russ' defensive effort goes.

[Old Man Game]

I don't get all the love Donovan has for Grant at center either. And for better or worse he's just the caliber of player they'll probably be able to re-sign this Summer.

[slick_watts]

melo isn't changing. westbrook is. but melo is who he is. we should play him with the bench more so his low efficiency chucking doesn't hurt so much.

[Old Man Game]

melo isn't changing. westbrook is. but melo is who he is. we should play him with the bench more so his low efficiency chucking doesn't hurt so much.

No, Melo isn't changing. Too old. Just wait until he's here next year chucking w/o PG to help cover up his defensive inadequacies. Fun!

[bondom34]

Well the optimism was fun while it lasted

[BigtimeNBAfan]

melo isn't changing. westbrook is. but melo is who he is. we should play him with the bench more so his low efficiency chucking doesn't hurt so much.

Melo has been pretty efficient lately.

[M2J]

melo isn't changing. westbrook is. but melo is who he is. we should play him with the bench more so his low efficiency chucking doesn't hurt so much.

He's been a key to the teams improved ball movement. Making quick decisions, and certainly doesn't just pass in assist type situations.

When on from there he shoots more 3s, but isos are closer to basket with bigger advantages over smaller players.. I would say definitely picking his spots better. With many of them also being late in the clocks to bail out team. Less pull up 3s. Working off the ball much more. Drawing lots of fouls off ball too.

They could continue to evolve it, but the Russ and Melo pick and pop to the corner while George curls from screens by Adams and Roberson has been great. Creating action with all three of them in scoring positions. It is either been creating open lanes for Russell. Or an open shot for Melo. If not open then oftentimes creates a mismatch for one of them