Series Thread: 4) Oklahoma City Thunder vs 5) Utah Jazz

[LAD]

I don't see how I failed. OP was saying that Westbrook didn't shut down Donovan. I said I thought he was talking about rubio. How did I fail? You have issues.

No not you, OKC had a failed strategy.

 

[trojanfan12]

I know he's said he wants to live and play in LA, but has he ever said it's going to be for the Lakers?

I'm pretty sure he did. But I'm not 100% on that. I know that the media has said all along that it's the Lakers and I haven't seen any speculation around the Clippers.

However, I seem to remember him being quoted as saying that he had been a Clippers fan growing up, but no one seemed to take that seriously. So who knows?

 

[trojanfan12]

I think so, but you need high level role players and an optimal big.

I think Steven Adams is actually a perfect fit for Westbrook. But I think Westbrook should play the 2 and have another functional PG next to him for defensive assignments and to facilitate offense. Or at least have another player on the offense who can set up an offense

PG: Patrick Beverly
SG: Russell Westbrook
SF: Robert Covington
PF: Draymond Green
C: Steven Adams

You'd have Draymond to keep Westbrook in check and to help facilitate the offense, which you could run through him. You wouldn't have to rely on Russ having to set up teammates. Beverly and Covington are really good spot up 3 point shooters, which give Russ space to operate, without demanding touches. On top of that you had 4 elite defenders.

I don't think you can really pair Westbrook with another real superstar player because their styles will not mesh correctly. What you need are high level role players and someone who can reign Westbrook in when he's going full Russ mode. For all the shit that OKC fans give Draymond, he would actually be a perfect fit next to Westbrook(as he would almost any team).

That is real similar to what the Lakers did with Kobe after Shaq left. Pau was an all star level player, but not a superstar. Plus he could keep his ego in check. Then you had other high quality role players around him like D-Fish, MWP, etc. as well.

The fact that Kobe was a 2 guard helped as well because the ball wasn't in his hands as often as it would have been if he were a point guard.

 

[trojanfan12]

But I'm pretty sure rubio didn't have a good game. Westbrook got a couple of cheap fouls.

He didn't exactly have a bad game either. He did his job which is to run the offense. I think Westbrook hurt himself and his team by focusing too much on Rubio.

 

[Scapegoat]

He didn't exactly have a bad game either. He did his job which is to run the offense. I think Westbrook hurt himself and his team by focusing too much on Rubio.

He had a bad series. The whole team did.
This is the way it's gone. Every time they have played a team that had the answers for them the coaching staff hasn't found a way around they just back up and hit the wall harder.

 

[CitySushi]

That is real similar to what the Lakers did with Kobe after Shaq left. Pau was an all star level player, but not a superstar. Plus he could keep his ego in check. Then you had other high quality role players around him like D-Fish, MWP, etc. as well.

The fact that Kobe was a 2 guard helped as well because the ball wasn't in his hands as often as it would have been if he were a point guard.

Odom was a huge factor too. Thought he was always really underrated in his career for the things he could do with the basketball.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

Westbrook never has enough help.

The problem is that he doesn't know how to use the help he has.

So you're saying it's Westbrooks fault that Oklahoma's fault for never making it to the finals

 

[tlance]

So you're saying it's Westbrooks fault that Oklahoma's fault for never making it to the finals

Except for the fact that they did make the Finals once, yes.

Not all his fault this year. Not ALL his fault ever.

But they had the most talented roster in the NBA for a couple years there. Substitute Russ for Harden and they have multiple championships, IMO. Hell, substitute him for a true facilitator PG like Rubio and they might have one.

Some of those teams with KD were nasty. Russ doesn't play well with other star players.

 

[Scapegoat]

Except for the fact that they did make the Finals once, yes.

Not all his fault this year. Not ALL his fault ever.

But they had the most talented roster in the NBA for a couple years there. Substitute Russ for Harden and they have multiple championships, IMO. Hell, substitute him for a true facilitator PG like Rubio and they might have one.

Some of those teams with KD were nasty. Russ doesn't play well with other star players.

You can't play the IF this game.

 

[tlance]

You can't play the IF this game.

I know.

Was trying to answer the question the best way I could. I don't think it is fair to cast all the blame on Russ, but I do think he is the reason KD is gone and I do think he is by far the most difficult superstar to play with in the current NBA.

 

[Scapegoat]

I know.

Was trying to answer the question the best way I could. I don't think it is fair to cast all the blame on Russ, but I do think he is the reason KD is gone and I do think he is by far the most difficult superstar to play with in the current NBA.

I get what you're saying. But you never know about kd. He was a fake his whole time in OKC. And it's you might be right about Westbrook being the hardest player to play with in the current NBA. Same could have been said about Jordan and kobi too. So being easy to play isn't necessarily the worst thing in the world.

 

[tlance]

I get what you're saying. But you never know about kd. He was a fake his whole time in OKC. And it's you might be right about Westbrook being the hardest player to play with in the current NBA. Same could have been said about Jordan and kobi too. So being easy to play isn't necessarily the worst thing in the world.

Agreed on Jordan and Kobe.

Big difference there, however. Neither of those guys played point. I think that matters a lot.

You run down the list of all time great PGs, I don't think many, if any besides Russ would have people saying they were difficult to play with. Isaiah Thomas was a jerk and people didn't like him, but I don't think he was hard to play with.

 

[trojanfan12]

Odom was a huge factor too. Thought he was always really underrated in his career for the things he could do with the basketball.

Oh absolutely. In fact, I think that a case can be made that if they didn't have him, they may not have gotten the last 2 titles.

He was underrated based on his talent, not his accomplishments, imo. If he had played to the level of his talent his whole career, he may have been a Hall of Famer.

 

[Scapegoat]

Agreed on Jordan and Kobe.

Big difference there, however. Neither of those guys played point. I think that matters a lot.

You run down the list of all time great PGs, I don't think many, if any besides Russ would have people saying they were difficult to play with. Isaiah Thomas was a jerk and people didn't like him, but I don't think he was hard to play with.

They were not technically point guards but they were the primary ball handlers and the offense was run through them. See James Harden last season.
Iverson comes to mind. Also his trip to the finals involved a HOF coach.

 

[Wishbone]

Carmello Anthony literally said "I can't control whether or not the ball goes in the basket".

 

[thunderc]

So you're saying it's Westbrooks fault that Oklahoma's fault for never making it to the finals

I will answer this, it’s both Westbrook’s and Durant’s fault that they choked in 16 and didn’t win a title. Everything is different without choking off that 3-1 lead. Don’t tel me they weren’t built to win either. You don’t get to that point if you aren’t.

 

[Mecca]

I'm pretty sure he did. But I'm not 100% on that. I know that the media has said all along that it's the Lakers and I haven't seen any speculation around the Clippers.

However, I seem to remember him being quoted as saying that he had been a Clippers fan growing up, but no one seemed to take that seriously. So who knows?

He was a Clippers fan growing up.

He thought they were going to draft him.

We took fucking Amino.

Love affair ended.

He wants to go to the Lakers.

 

[True Lakers Fan]

I will answer this, it’s both Westbrook’s and Durant’s fault that they choked in 16 and didn’t win a title. Everything is different without choking off that 3-1 lead. Don’t tel me they weren’t built to win either. You don’t get to that point if you aren’t.

I agree that when both Durant and Westbrook were both there, that there was some choking going one, but truthfully I blame the management that let all of the players that could have helped them win a championship for the choke job in their management skills, more then I do Durant and Westbrook

That being said, however Nance is saying that absolutely everything is Westbrook's fault for everything since then and I don't buy that one.

 

[thunderc]

Thunder hopefully playing for some self respect tonight.

 

[bksballer89]

Thunder hopefully playing for some self respect tonight.

OKC win easily

by 10-15