I am predicting OKC is not going to win many Finals with Mr. Max Contract 6th Man averaging 10pts on 37% shooting and getting slaughtered on defense every night. I'm a little interested in how that is going to play out in this offseason. Does this open the door for OKC to sign him for less? Would they want to? What about teams like Charlotte that were rumored to be willing to trade their #2 pick to bring in Harden and make him their max contract Mitch Richmond? They still interested? etc.
I flat out agree. Earlier on I said I'd tkae Harden over Westbrook. Boy do I take that back. James Harden has looked absolutely useless in the finals. Even Nick Collison has contributed more than Harden.
Oh well, like I said, the Thunder are just too god damn stupid. They don't box out, they don't run good plays - they would never have made it to the finals if not for the sheer talent of Westbrook and Durant. The problem is Miami has much better and athletic defenders than the Spurs, and so now the Thunder are reduced to an offense that would make Paul Westphal smile. Kendrick Perkins looks like he's thinking about some post-final buffet, and Thabo's only use is on offense.
Seriously, how many free throws, open 3s, layups and dunks have the Thunder blown? And they keep trying to get cute with their passes which result in turnovers and the Heat scoring in transition the other way.
Maybe it doesn't occur to them, and they think they're young and all, but if you ask me - going 1 on 1 in iso situations as your offense from the 1st quarter isn't exactly a championship-sustaining style of play. It could be better if they had good shooters, but with their shortened rotations they basically have Derek Fisher, Thabo and Harden as their perimeter shooters. Harden is sucking, Fisher isn't getting the shots because when he's the game no one is driving to create shots for him, and Thabo well ... to paraphrase anthony1 "can't hit the side of the barn".
Ah well, it's a good year to be a Miami fan. Spurs should have beat the Thunder.