NBA Season 2017/18

[shiznit]

Just watched OKC deadset struggle on the road to beat the Pacers.

And I’m not being a Kiwi homer here when I say Steven Adams carried the Thunder....

Russ, PG & Melo shot a combined 10 from 44...

Steven Adams shot 11 from 16... SMH

 

[shiznit]

OKC and Philly played an absolute thriller with OKC pulling it out after triple overtime...

Ben Simmons is really something else... what a great player he is.

 

[shaggs]

OKC and Philly played an absolute thriller with OKC pulling it out after triple overtime...

Ben Simmons is really something else... what a great player he is.

I agree that Simmons is something special, but do you think he lacks some aggression/killer instinct?

He seems so laid back. It’s first season so he will grow into the guy who decides those games.

 

[shiznit]

I agree that Simmons is something special, but do you think he lacks some aggression/killer instinct?

He seems so laid back. It’s first season so he will grow into the guy who decides those games.

I think that’s probably a byproduct of him #1 being a rookie... #2 not having developed a jump shot...

I don’t think he’s any different demeanour wise than KD... it’s just KD has that dagger of a jumper that kinda gives him that ability to go in for the kill.

He will get much, much better... he’s just starting to scratch the surface of his ability IMO...

 

[Iafeta]

Another day, another loss for OKC - against New York without Porzingis. A third of the way through the season things are concerning. They're awful in the fourth quarter, Westbrook seems more concerned throwing up random bricks to pad his stats sheet, Roberson is awful offensively, and they have no depth. I think it's a tell tale sign how well Olidipo is going without Westbrook that Russell needs to seriously rethink things

 

[Aragorn]

Russ needs to pull his head in.

No way thats happening when his ego is so badly stroked by the coach and the whole city.

Russ is going to keep doing what Russ does. Iso and hero ball until Oklahoma says enough and trades him for a bag of chips

 

[Rod]

The consequences of what Russ did last year are starting to bear out. Yes there are other circumstances at play (e.g. Oladipo got in the best shape of his career this off-season) but there's too much evidence to ignore now. I never thought Russ should have been MVP anyway but I think even if you thought he was the best player last year, ultimately as far as the franchise is concerned last season was basically a waste of time.

OKC are no closer to doing anything substantial than they were the day KD left. No improvement, no young players developed, no discernable gameplan. They may improve as we get closer to the post-season through the sheer talent on that roster but now I'm not sure a team could even get to the third round if Westbrook is your best player.

 

[shiznit]

For all the criticism I’ve given him... Russ can certainly carry a team.

Just watched them overcome a 10pt deficit late to beat the Nuggets 95-94.

Russ with 38pts
Abrines with 11pts
PG with 8pts
Melo with 4pts

Adams still out with concussion...

 

[Aragorn]

Thats the problem with Russ. He’ll have one breakthrough game in 9/10 goes that will then justify his hero ball antics.

Its a vicious cycle. That MVP title last year didn't help.

How about Houston. Paul and Harden. Batman and Robin. Real time Ballers those two.

 

[shiznit]

Thats the problem with Russ. He’ll have one breakthrough game in 9/10 goes that will then justify his hero ball antics.

Its a vicious cycle. That MVP title last year didn't help.

How about Houston. Paul and Harden. Batman and Robin. Real time Ballers those two.

Actually because there’s such a large drop off from the top echelon to the weaker teams i think he probably has 5 or 6 of those types of games in him out of every 10 games...

Which he kinda proved last season...

His problem is while there’s enough shitty teams in the league to allow his hero ball to carry his team to over .500... whether it gets to the top teams that shit don’t work.

He will get his ass kicked by the top teams.

The great irony is,.. I kinda think that the way they are built now... they are struggling to beat the average teams... but I think they are far tougher for the top teams to beat.

This might sound really silly based on how average they have been this season... With there elite defence and 3 key playmakers... I don’t think Houston or GS want anything to do with them in the finals.

 

[Iafeta]

All three of them have been well down on their best. It's like they're all out to boost their own reps rather than do the 1%ers to open up team opportunities. Maybe that's because if they go pass pass pass the fourth bloke is generally Roberson who is the worst offensive shooting guard known to man. Can't free throw, can't hit from the perimeter. Great defender though.

There's only one bloke there that I think is playing somewhere near their potential. Steven Adams.

Is it poor coaching perhaps?

 

[Rod]

The question I would ask for a team like OKC is, is what they are doing sustainable? Or replicable over a 7 game series. Because if the answer is no, then something needs to change, whether it's gameplan or a change in personnel. I don't want to keep harping on last year's team, but it was their major problem then and you could see it coming a mile away. Westbrook is unstoppable against the Nuggets on your typical Wednesday night but when it comes to the playoffs they got destroyed because trying to play a team like the Rockets or the Warriors the way they play is suicidal.

To me I look at this current team and the way they are comprised and I don't see a whole lot different. I disagree that the Warriors and Rockets would be scared of them in the playoffs. The Warriors know how to deal with Westbrook. The Rockets in their current state would blow OKC out of the water in a playoff series. OKC have a good starting defensive unit yes, but there is not enough there that would worry me if I was Kerr and D'Antoni.

Long story short is that Westbrook is not efficient enough offensively to be as ball-dominant as he is, and when he doesn't have the ball on offense he almost literally does nothing. Again I don't want to harp ad nauseum on last year but this harks back to then and what the coach and management let him get away with.

This all may be moot soon anyway as I don't think we're far away from a tipping point as far as their roster construction is concerned. This isn't like the Cavs where they can coast for half a year because you know they'll be right come playoff time. There is a small window here for OKC to make it work or they're back to square one. If it keeps going like this George will be gone (he may be gone anyway, but in any case I doubt he hangs around if the team is still playing like this in a few months time). Who knows with Anthony but I doubt he stays because OKC won't want to pay him. Then what do you have? Westbrook and Adams but without the supporting pieces you had to build with after Durant left.

 

[shiznit]

The question I would ask for a team like OKC is, is what they are doing sustainable? Or replicable over a 7 game series. Because if the answer is no, then something needs to change, whether it's gameplan or a change in personnel. I don't want to keep harping on last year's team, but it was their major problem then and you could see it coming a mile away. Westbrook is unstoppable against the Nuggets on your typical Wednesday night but when it comes to the playoffs they got destroyed because trying to play a team like the Rockets or the Warriors the way they play is suicidal.

To me I look at this current team and the way they are comprised and I don't see a whole lot different. I disagree that the Warriors and Rockets would be scared of them in the playoffs. The Warriors know how to deal with Westbrook. The Rockets in their current state would blow OKC out of the water in a playoff series. OKC have a good starting defensive unit yes, but there is not enough there that would worry me if I was Kerr and D'Antoni.

Long story short is that Westbrook is not efficient enough offensively to be as ball-dominant as he is, and when he doesn't have the ball on offense he almost literally does nothing. Again I don't want to harp ad nauseum on last year but this harks back to then and what the coach and management let him get away with.

This all may be moot soon anyway as I don't think we're far away from a tipping point as far as their roster construction is concerned. This isn't like the Cavs where they can coast for half a year because you know they'll be right come playoff time. There is a small window here for OKC to make it work or they're back to square one. If it keeps going like this George will be gone (he may be gone anyway, but in any case I doubt he hangs around if the team is still playing like this in a few months time). Who knows with Anthony but I doubt he stays because OKC won't want to pay him. Then what do you have? Westbrook and Adams but without the supporting pieces you had to build with after Durant left.

I don’t think Presti will break it uo at this stage... no one in their right mind will offer OKC anything near enough to OKC for PG when he’s got 6 months left on his contract.

Presti is better to ride it out for the rest of the season and hope they come good in the finals than trade him for probably a bag of chips right now.

I think Melo will stay... because he has a player option for next season at 27M... who the f**k is gonna offer him that...

I find it interesting that people are assuming that they will get blown off the court against one of the top teams when they really haven’t played any of the big guns in the West yet...

actually,... they played GSW... and they spanked them.

Sure it was one game... but that’s all we’ve really seen of them so far... they have Houston on Christmas... so we will get to see how they match up with them next week.

They are flawed as hell... but I still want to see how they play out considering how much talent they have.

 

[shiznit]

Now watch them get demolished by the Rockets on Christmas and make me look like a stupid asshole....

 

[Rod]

Oh you're right I forgot about Melo's player option. Jeez haha.

 

[shiznit]

Oh you're right I forgot about Melo's player option. Jeez haha.

Well I guess technically he could opt out and play for the vet minimum at s contender like the Cavs or wherever LeBron decides to go...

Hell he could sign for the Warriors at the vet minimum and get himself a ring...

But either way... he’s not getting anything close to 27M from anyone other than OKC next season.

 

[Aragorn]

Melo7 aint leaving 27M on the table for a ring.

 

[shiznit]

Just did my all star votes... you have to vote 3 front court and 2 guards for each side.

I voted:

East:
G: Kyrie
G: Ben Simmons
FC: LeBron
FC: The Greek Freak
FC: Embiid

West:
G: Harden
G: Klay
FC: KD
FC: Boogie Cousins
FC: Steven Adams - Yes... that’s a homer vote..

We need to get a kiwi in the all star game...

 

[shaggs]

Anyone getting bored of the drive and kick for a 3, no offensive rebound style of play???

Everyone is doing it. But not everyone is korver or curry.

 

[natheel]

Just did my all star votes... you have to vote 3 front court and 2 guards for each side.

I voted:

East:
G: Kyrie
G: Ben Simmons
FC: LeBron
FC: The Greek Freak
FC: Embiid

West:
G: Harden
G: Klay
FC: KD
FC: Boogie Cousins
FC: Steven Adams - Yes... that’s a homer vote..

We need to get a kiwi in the all star game...

Not bad

I'll do mine tonight.

Def voting Boogie and The Brow