We'll see how this goes. I reserve the right to merge these threads, if they don't generate enough traffic.
WC Playoffs Semis: #2 Spurs vs. #3 Thunder
- Thread starter Mr. S£im Citrus
- Start date
kingsboi
Hall of Famer
I don't have much faith in this Spurs/Thunder series being a good one as many media pundits tend to believe, its a two man team versus a well balanced team, it's much easier for a intelligent team, like San Antonio, to contain their two man game and just win this series. Spurs in 5, IMO.
See, you and I have always come down on different sides of this thing philosophically. And I'm not even talking about the Texas thing, because, well... for a nomad like myself, that kind of thing is just bizarre. But I'm not burdened by the need to see the teams I hate fail at the highest level; any level of failure works for me.
Alternatively, if you're rooting for the most "entertaining" series, you'd be just as well to root for the Thunder, anyway. They may well make for a more "entertaining" series, because of matchups.
Anxious to catch that NCIS: New Orleans re-run on CBS, are we?
LPKingsFan
All-Star
Man, the Spurs are fun to watch. A well-oiled machine on both sides of the floor.
Spurs are going to need more offense from their bench to beat the Warriors. Specifically, they're going to need Martin to rediscover his touch from outside.
Hold up: Nazr Mohammed is still in the league?
LPKingsFan
All-Star
Hah. That was my reaction as well.
K
KingMilz
Guest
Was the narrative not that Scott Brooks was to blame for the lack of ball movement by the Thunder? I'm seeing the same team with more talent (after Harden left) doing the exact same thing......
Sac.Kings
All-Star
The Thunder have to be the best most undisciplined team in the league. They win purely based on talent from Westbrook and Durant. That's their offense and always has been... maybe Brooks wasn't to blame after all. They are predictable on offense and against a team like San Antonio, that's a major fault that they will exploit. That's what they do.
Westbrook is a supremely talented player, but his major weakness continues to be poor shot selection and even with all of his assist making, I never get the impression that he "runs" the offense. He has the ball in his hands so much, it's bound to be a couple of points or an assist somewhere, especially when you have scoring machine in Durant on the wing.
Westbrook is a supremely talented player, but his major weakness continues to be poor shot selection and even with all of his assist making, I never get the impression that he "runs" the offense. He has the ball in his hands so much, it's bound to be a couple of points or an assist somewhere, especially when you have scoring machine in Durant on the wing.
kingsboi
Hall of Famer
That's exactly why OKC has yet to win a championship with Durant and Westbrook, they are a two man team. They don't have enough complimentary pieces, they try and try again year after year but just don't have enough to get over the hump.
KingsFanGER
Starter
Is it really the absence of complimentary pieces? Ibaka and Kanter are both great pick&pop bigs, Adams is a very very solid center and guys like Foye and Singler can knock down 3's. Their best wing defender suffers from the Tony Allen syndrom and will be ignored by Pop to double Westbrook or Durant, but that's really the only major problem I see for Okc from a roster standpoint.
But where is Westbrooks off the ball game? Why is Durant never in the post, where he could use his size? He is always defended by much smaller players and bails them out, because he only plays from the perimeter.
Durant or Westbrook coming off multiple screens? I never see that and don't understand why.
And let's not get started with the defense. LMA got any jumpshot he wanted all day long. I mean it's not a secret, that the guy is maybe the best mid range shooter among Pf's.
It 's only one game, but so far the Thunder look unprepared for this series. The Spurs did everything they wanted out there. There has to ne a way for the Thunder to take something away from the Spurs offense. Maybe find a way to force the ball into Duncan or Parker and start from there?
Sac.Kings
All-Star
The beauty of the Spur's offense is you really can't force them into bad shots that often. Those guys have it in their DNA to hit the open man and they have good enough players to break down defenses consistently and kick out for threes. Not to mention Kawhi likes the post so they can mix it up there too. The Thunder can try and do some pick n roll offense, but the "student" will definitely not beat the "teacher" at their own game. The Thunder's only hope is to play more disciplined basketball, hit the post more often (both Westbrook and Durant are taller/stronger than their counterparts), and rely on the supporting cast to hit open shots when things in the post don't go as planned.
However, we all know what's going to happen. Westbrook will continue chucking, Durant will continue to either shoot threes or pull up for midrange shots with maybe some drives mixed in, and the supporting cast will only get the ball when Durant or Westbrook can't get a shot off, which doesn't happen often. The playoffs bring out the true identity of teams, and OKC is a run n gun chuck the ball type of team with some defense mixed in. If they win the series, Durant and Westbrook will have to be nothing short of brilliant from now on. OKC can't afford for either one of them to be off or have a poor game. They will lose.
kingsboi
Hall of Famer
I think in OKC's case, they are missing one more scorer to take pressure off of Durant and Westbrook. I don't think Ibaka, Kanter do that, they score in spurts and are capable of having decent games, but we've seen this story with OKC before. Hey, you may be right and they just don't play enough defense, that very well could be it. So is it the two superstars not playing defense? Westrbrook is a good defender, Durant is capable when he is engaged, maybe it's lack of consistency on that side of the ball? Either way, Spurs and Warriors are just too good, they are in their own tier so whatever OKC tries, they will fall short IMO.
The admission by the NBA that there were EIGHT blown calls in the last 2 minutes is completely unacceptable to me. This is the freaking playoffs, where I thought they brought the best of the best of the officials. If they're doing that badly post-season, you have to shudder to think of all the blown calls the lesser deities make during the regular year. We've commented on it for a long time. There needs to be accountability and not just some stupid L2M report that changes nothing.
The players deserve better, the fans deserve better.
The players deserve better, the fans deserve better.
kingsboi
Hall of Famer
Look, I'm all for the officials letting the players play, but don't come out and start admitting that you had a x amount of blown calls and do it over and over again...makes you really question the integrity of the game. I want the players deciding the outcomes of the games, not the officials. If it involves some hand checking and bumping bodies around, that's cool. But the obvious calls aren't always obvious, now are they...
Sac.Kings
All-Star
One has to wonder just how much the refs have riding on these games.... I hate to think that way, but how do you not call a forearm to the throat an offensive foul when you are staring at the players? I thought anything above the shoulders was considered flagrant, let alone a common foul.
Sac.Kings
All-Star
Game 3 Westbrook goes 10-31 but Durant was 10-18... way to go Russell nice decision making. The Spurs are just too good. They play smart, within themselves and play awesome defense. I said it before if Durant and Westbrook aren't brilliant together, the Spurs will win. If just one has a bad game they don't stand a chance.
Suicide King
Starter
How can he not like that nickname? I mean, really?
Cause "The Servant" is obviously better...