THUNDER vs. SPURS - 2012 WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS THREAD

[Jdoug312]

Re: THUNDER vs. SPURS - 2012 WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS THREAD

Were you ignored in the real world today TMagic?

[phenom1990]

Re: THUNDER vs. SPURS - 2012 WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS THREAD

Spurs execution in that 3rd quarter was phenomenal. All basketball teams should be required to watch tape of that 3rd quarter.

[TMagic]

And once again, credit is not being given to the Spurs' Defense.

People look at the boxscore, check the number of shots and all of a sudden, they're not being aggressive.

Ever think that maybe the Spurs decided they weren't going to let Durant go off on them in the 4th like he has on other teams and would take their chances with Westbrook jacking up 30 shots and letting Harden trying to beat the Spurs by himself?

Just something to think about before gassing up the 'Well, if this was Lebron he'd get killed but because it's Durant, nobody says nothing' hype mobile

Nobody is saying the defense wasnt a factor.

Do you think if this was LA, that Kobe would only have 2 shots in the 4th in consecutive games? Highly doubtful.

My point is that Durant needs a little more "nasty" in the 4th.

[BringTheHeat]

Re: THUNDER vs. SPURS - 2012 WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS THREAD

Nobody is saying the defense wasnt a factor.

Do you think if this was LA, that Kobe would only have 2 shots in the 4th in consecutive games? Highly doubtful.

My point is that Durant needs a little more "nasty" in the 4th.

Agree completely, Durant needs to get on Westbrook, he needs to DEMAND the ball, don't be afraid to hurt Russ' feelings, or whatever is holding him back.

[Vni]

Re: THUNDER vs. SPURS - 2012 WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS THREAD

Kobe would probably have 20 shots in the 4th quarter in that kind of games but that's another problem

I think a MVP has to be a leader somehow, and I really don't see that in Durant. Harden is really taking over in theses games. He's mad, he has the eyes, he's angry, he's aggressive. Without him I don't think we see OKC coming back in the 4th.

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: THUNDER vs. SPURS - 2012 WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS THREAD

Timmay goes 2-11

Harden/Westbrook/Durant score 27+

Westbrook has 0 turnovers

Spurs have more turnovers, OKC attempts 1 more FT, rebounds are even

OKC only gets within 6 after being destroyed for most of the game.... yikes

SA gets their points in rhythm, OKC looks like they're expending maximum effort to get their buckets in the halfcourt. Russ just isn't getting the lanes he was getting prior.. SA is cutting him off.. even if they're scoring a ton of points they just aren't coming in the flow of the game like SA gets theirs... hmm

[BlastX21]

Re: THUNDER vs. SPURS - 2012 WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS THREAD

I wasnt happy about those last few minutes. The Thunder were just blazing by defenders and scoring easy buckets less than 10 seconds into the shot clock. Hopefully that doesn't happen in game 3.

Edit: That might be the Thunder's best gameplan. Run, play fast, shoot fast. Imagine this team running the Denver Nuggets offense.

[superjames1992]

Re: THUNDER vs. SPURS - 2012 WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS THREAD

I don't really think that a great player has to be selfish and be overly emotional about the game. Just look at Tim Duncan.

As a side note, it is really interesting to note the change of play the Spurs have went through over the years. Back in the day during the 2003-2007 era (and before), Tim Duncan got tons of touches down on the low post with his back to the basket. Now? Not so much. Now, Manu and Tony ran plenty of pick-and-rolls, as well, but nowadays, it is almost all pick-and-rolls. Of course, Tim is superb when rolling to the basket and has scored plenty of baskets doing it.

Of course, then there's the fact that this year's team is not nearly as well off defensively, but is a superb shooting team. Almost everyone, sans Timmy, Blair, and Splitter, can hit the three-pointer and that is huge. It spaces the floor for Tony, Manu, etc. and just creates open shots and points in the paint.

[23]

Re: THUNDER vs. SPURS - 2012 WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS THREAD

What you dont want is Durant to start acting like Kobe

He'll alienate his team faster than speed racer

There is a warped perception that you have to be some kind of selfish prick to succeed now

[ex carrabba fan]

Re: THUNDER vs. SPURS - 2012 WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS THREAD

I don't think it's warped, unless you're constructed like the Spurs, which pretty much no other team is, you need your best player to get up his fair share of shots.

Their offense is so predictable and if it's Scotty Brooks fault, so be it. I actually think that it's simply that the Spurs are just that good of a team. Nothing that Brooks, Durant, Westbrook or Harden can do about it.

But yeah, you might not need to go "Kobe" or anything, however you should definitely not go into a second fiddle role. Durant plain and simply needs to take control of the offense late in the game. Same goes for pretty much any other superstar once you get this far.

90% of teams are not built like SA so this team ball concept, while awesome in premise, isn't really possible unless you have a 9 man rotation. Most teams don't have that kind of talent much less a coach like Pops. So comparing the Spurs to other teams isn't really fair. Most teams need their best players to either win them the game or die with them missing the shots...

Bottom line is OKC bigs are virtually worthless offensively making it extremely difficult for them to compete with a team like SA. Against any other team, OKC would be fine with the bigs they have.. but the Spurs are just that potent. You need to have more versatility than OKC currently has.

[23]

Re: THUNDER vs. SPURS - 2012 WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS THREAD

I do think the perception the media is giving off nowadays about glorifying selfish basketball over making the right plays and such is definitely a warped sense of what the game is really about.

The offense is definitely predictable at times in the halfcourt if you will..partly Brooks fault, partly personnell, but in this case as you said and I think we've just about all aluded to..The Spurs are really that good and even moreso in the manner that they're going about it, this is the team that has been forever branded boring, which if you've ever watched them you'd honestly never really feel like that, because even now they're doing what they always have been, its not something that happened overnight.

Now Durant doesnt need to go out chucking for dear life, taking bad shots with 3 guys in his face and just to say i was being aggressive because it would tear apart any chemistry the team has. This is the part where the coach needs to really be more creative to get his guy some looks, and make adjustments...ITS THE PLAYOFFS

I think OKC is a team in itself, so its never a need to compare them to the Spurs, but again thats how these teams construct and run their franchises, thats the same reward they'll get. You can have a star but without the right role players the star aint winning nothing at all.

I dont think Ibaka is as worthless as Perk on offense, but we already know those guys are there moreso for defense than offense, and OKC has to do better than Nazi and Collison as backups to give teams more options to worry about.


As far as blame goes, I just think the Spurs are not only better but more experienced along with it, and they have a much better coach by a mile.

You can always blame WB for his streakyness, or for Durant not taking most of the shots, but the point is, this is the WCF, barring ref involvement... the better of the two will win

[Hotobu]

Re: THUNDER vs. SPURS - 2012 WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS THREAD

My problem with OKC is that Westbrook is consistently taking more shots than Durant. He's taken more shots than Durant total in the playoffs, and through the last 4 games (and I don't feel like going back further).

Tell me how these add up:

-3 time, and reigning scoring champ is on your team
-He's shooting ~ 50%
-He's second in shots attempted on your team

This does not make sense. Maybe for a game or two, but not for 4 consecutive games (possibly more), and no I don't care much that 2 of them were wins. There's a problem when a guy who scores that much that efficiently isn't taking more shots. The Spurs would still probably win, but at least OKC would lose going with a strategy that makes more sense than a more inefficient offensive player taking more shots... (does not compute)

Oh BTW Harden was 10/13.

[weeeeeeez]

Can't be mad at these first two games. Spurs are just a better team.

[Hotobu]

Re: THUNDER vs. SPURS - 2012 WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS THREAD

Can't be mad at these first two games. Spurs are just a better team.

I'd still be upset if I were a Thunder fan. It's like this, Miguel Cotto gets into the ring against Mayweather and you expect him to lose. He should lose because he's the inferior fighter. What'd be stupid though would be for him to fight southpaw the whole match. It's like... yeah you were probably gonna lose anyway, but at least you'd have a punchers chance fighting your most efficient style.

[BlastX21]

Re: THUNDER vs. SPURS - 2012 WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS THREAD

My problem with OKC is that Westbrook is consistently taking more shots than Durant. He's taken more shots than Durant total in the playoffs, and through the last 4 games (and I don't feel like going back further).

Tell me how these add up:

-3 time, and reigning scoring champ is on your team
-He's shooting ~ 50%
-He's second in shots attempted on your team

This does not make sense. Maybe for a game or two, but not for 4 consecutive games (possibly more), and no I don't care much that 2 of them were wins. There's a problem when a guy who scores that much that efficiently isn't taking more shots. The Spurs would still probably win, but at least OKC would lose going with a strategy that makes more sense than a more inefficient offensive player taking more shots... (does not compute)

Oh BTW Harden was 10/13.

Its easy to say this, but if Durant took as many shots as Westbrook does he would probably be less efficient. Durant doesn't force up contested jumpers like Russel and most other star players do. He either drives, comes off screen for the open shot, or goes post. All high % shots. Westbrook has more shots because he, at times, tries too hard. e.g, frequently driving into multiple paint defenders or taking contested jumpers. If Durant took more shots, its inevitable that some of them would be similar to that, which would hurt his efficiency. Not to say he shouldnt take more shots, but just understand that almost by definition, more shots = less shooting %.