THUNDER vs. SPURS - 2012 WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS THREAD

[Vni]

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

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

Sometimes you really exagerate people's opinion to make em sound ridiculous. I think it's fair to want the best scorer in the league to take some shots and be aggressive when his team is struggling in a 2nd game of a conference final. Harden felt it was enough, getting outplayed all over the court.

And btw almost 90% of OKC's offense in the 3rd and 4th where selfish plays, selfish great plays one after another from Westbrook and Harden. There where very few assists from what I saw. They where taking contested shots and making them, and Brooks was going to the rim contested too. Very very few assist or good team play there anyway. I don't even know how Harden gets this kind of shooting percentage when most of the ones he made where really tough tough shots or individual plays.

[superjames1992]

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.

I would argue that this has more to do with Westbrook jacking up contested jumpers than it does with Durant not being assertive enough.

If Durant starts jacking up shots with two guys in his face, he's not going to be as productive.

Of course, this is where OKC's lack of depth comes into play as there really isn't a lot of offensive firepower outside of Westbrook, Durant, and Harden. And that may just be the difference in the series as the Spurs aren't just the Big Three anymore.

[superjames1992]

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

I forgot to mention it earlier, but I want to give props to Scott Brooks for the hack-a-Splitter. It had me laughing!

It seemed to work, too. Splitter made half his free throws during the stretch, but more importantly, it destroyed the rhythm the Spurs had developed during the third quarter and allowed OKC to get back into it, even if they came up short in the end.

I don't know if it will work in the future, though, as Splitter really isn't all that terrible of a free throw shooter (he shoots in the mid-60s).

[Vni]

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

It was kinda unreal to see that.

[Drewski]

Not surprised at all Spurs are putting in work. A dismantled Mavs and dysfunctional Lakers aren't exactly measuring sticks. San Antonio playing great ball

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2

[Jasong7777]

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

Did Durant really only take two shots in the 4th for the second straight game?

Sounds off

Milkbox material.

[The 24th Letter]

You can give the Spurs defense a ton of credit....

but one thing they were not doing was ball denying Durant, so of he wanted more shots, he could've took them...and honestly, he's been getting virtually anything he wanted vs Leonard

That said, Russell and Harden were making contested layups, FTs and scoring at a fast pace..nothing wrong with keeping the ball in the hot mans hands.

[Jasong7777]

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

In Games 1 & 2 combined, Durant is 1-5 in the 4th quarter.

He's one of the best closers in the game. He needs to close.

[The 24th Letter]

I certainly won't argue with you sir...

Can't wait till tomm

[ProfessaPackMan]

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

How can one close when you're down by more than 7-10 pts the entire game?

[Jasong7777]

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

How can one close when you're down by more than 7-10 pts the entire game?

I was talking more so in game 1. When the Spurs was making the their comeback in the 4th quarter and while the game was still in the balance.

[ProfessaPackMan]

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.

They're going to need a little more than "nasty" from everyone if they want a chance to win this series and Durant going into chuck mode or cursing out his teammates left and right like Kobe(since now people think he should be like him all of a sudden)isn't going to solve the problem.

[The 24th Letter]

Lol hopefully Brooks has this same line of thinking that no adjustments should be made there....

I'll take less Durant touches in the 4th anyday...

Speaking of adjustments, I'm glad Scotty showed us his small ball lineup in the 4th, should give us time to prepare for it with the day off...

[SteelersFreak]

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

I didn't really care who won before because I just wanted to see basketball, but now I REALLY want the Spurs to win. If them playing like this can influence what current and future NBA players and coaches emulate then that'll be a good thing. I really do not like the amount of one on one iso basketball that's played today.

Unfortunately the media is never going to let that happen. If it comes down to the Spurs/Heat and the Spurs win, all the focus is going to be on how the Heat lost, not how the Spurs won and played the best team basketball we've seen in a long time.

In fact, that would make two champions in a row that won by playing smart, team basketball.

[ProfessaPackMan]

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

It's funny how to the Casuals, watching the Spurs is the most amazing thing(especially since they were boring, according to them) to see right now but yet to the Hardcore Fans it's like, 'Oh, they've been playing like this for years' lol.