Series Thread: 3) Portland Trailblazers vs 6) OKC Thunder

[Heatles84]

I blame RW because at this point in his career he should know better.

but, there is enough blame for Donovan too. He needs to take the reigns back from RW at times. And, he should've been better prepared to defend Dame's last shot last night. Again, I've said the last few years they need a better coach.

Unfortunately, for the Thunder, unless Popovich or Kerr walks through that door there isn't a coach in the league that has the cache to tell Russ what to do.

 

[LAD]

I feel like Russ wants to play the "right" way, but it just doesn't come naturally to him. He's really a throw back SF in a PG in today's modern era. His greatest strength is also his greatest weakness as a player. It's that he's unstoppable when he's on. He only knows how to try to dominate a game instead of methodically chip away. The one speed thing with him is a real issue. He doesn't do a great job of picking and choosing his spots. People give Lebron a lot of shit for deferring, but imo, he's made the right play 95% of the time. It's because Lebron can see what needs to be done at a certain time and will figure a way to make it happen.

I think you've hit the nail on the nail with the concept of presenting it to RW as a challenge.

What we see time & time again is that he needs to find another way to channel his passion & speed. Most of the time he is like a bull in a china shop when he gets going. More times than not he's out of control and misses easy lay ups at the rim.

I think a better coach would see it & most importantly know how to address it so that RW continues to be RW - just under control.

 

[trojanfan12]

Westbrook is such an enigma, never been another like him. All I know is in the end it’s the coaches job to utilize talent and there are hall of famers, and I mean a ton of them, that wish they could get to the rim at will like Westbrook can.

Never been another like him? Iverson was a smaller Westbrook.

Whether or not there are Hall of Famers who wish they could get to the rim like Westbrook. But considering his lack of titles, I doubt there are many that would trade careers with him (money probably, but not careers lol).

Also, while it is the coaches job to utilize that talent, it's also the players job to allow himself to be coached and reign it in a bit when the coach feels it's necessary.

Either Westbrook has refused to listen or Brooks/Donovan have never asked him to reign it in when necessary.

Westbrook seems to have an attitude very much like Kobe in that, he thinks he can win by himself. The difference appears to be that Kobe managed to learn (mainly because of Phil) that he actually does need his teammates. Westbrook hasn't.

 

[bksballer89]

Am I the only one who think PG came off salty with the whole bad shot comment?

How about you give some credit? This wasn't some lucky shot. Solid defense but better offense.

End of story

 

[trojanfan12]

Watching the game, I felt like Russ was actually looking to pass more and shoot less. I was kinda surprised that he wound up with 31 attempts.

It was a replay of when KD was there. He starts off looking to pass, but as the game goes on, he looks to pass less and less.

That's what happened last night and why he ended up shooting 11 more shots than PG while scorring 7 fewer points.

 

[Robotech]

Am I the only one who think PG came off salty with the whole bad shot comment?

How about you give some credit? This wasn't some lucky shot. Solid defense but better offense.

End of story

Pretty much everyone thinks he's being salty. Just say it was a great shot, congratulate Dame, and move on. This doesn't help PG at all.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

-You see that cat Dame is a bad mutha....
Shut your mouth...

-But I'm talkin' about Dame...
Then we can dig it.

- Who's the cat that drains a 3 when the game is on the line??
Dame!
-Right on...

-He's a complicated man but no one understands him but Rip City...
Dame Lillard.


Damn Right....

 

[Anointed One]

I couldn't be happier for OKC and their fans...

 

[Anointed One]

It was a replay of when KD was there. He starts off looking to pass, but as the game goes on, he looks to pass less and less.

That's what happened last night and why he ended up shooting 11 more shots than PG while scorring 7 fewer points.

Yep... He let Lillard get into his head...

 

[dtgold88]

Pretty much everyone thinks he's being salty. Just say it was a great shot, congratulate Dame, and move on. This doesn't help PG at all.

I think he's right, but still agree with you. As a player he should say what you suggested he say.

 

[dtgold88]

Yep and he made it very clear in his post game press conference. Not sure if everyone saw/read it but I'll post it now.

This is what Dame said about his thinking behind attempting that shot.

"I didn't want to put it into the referee hands," Lillard said. "Where if there was contact or maybe they get away with contact or I end up having to take a tougher shot because there was contact and they don't want to decide the game. So I was standing there looking at the rim and I was like this is a comfortable range."

Last week when Lillard was in Oklahoma City going through a workout, his trainer Phil Beckner suggested Lillard shoot a few deeps ones from near midcourt.

"He was like, 'You're gonna hit one of these,'" Lillard said. "He just kept saying, 'You gonna hit one of these' and when I was standing there I was like, 'I'm gonna shoot it.' [George] was a little bit off of me and I was [thinking] this was enough space for me just to raise up and shoot it for game."

Lillard on 37-foot buzzer shot: 'The last word'

Easy to say after he makes it. PG should not have made the comment but a 37 footer with 11 seconds left might not be the best shot they could have gotten.

But he still gets credit for hitting it!!

 

[Robotech]

I couldn't be happier for OKC and their fans...

LOL. I sure hope Seattle gets a team soon. I started following sports in the mid-80's and I loved the Supersonics name and uniform as a kid. So cool.

 

[dtgold88]

And if he misses the whole world is asking why the hell did Dame dribble out the entire clock to shoot a 37 footer

It's an amazing shot but you all are tripping

100%. 11 seconds left and best they can get is a 37 footer. Lebron won some games where I would have rather have had Kyrie take the last shot than the dribble, dribble, dribble fadeaway shot.

but make no mistake I still went nuts when he made them!!

 

[dtgold88]

He hit a 40 footer AND he was defended well. There is absolutely nothing you can do on that play. Have to give props to Dame and only Dame. That is just a great player making a great shot. Bad shot selection though.

Exactly. I don't recall where everyone was, but not crazy to think a double was coming once he got where they thought a shot would come.

 

[The Derski]

Say it louder for the people in the back!!!!!


Nope, Damian Lillard's series winner wasn't a bad shot

What a dumb thing to say anyway. Just makes PG look like a sore loser. It’s not like that’s the first time Lillard has ever pulled up from that far and made it.

Now if George tried to do that, it would be a bad shot.

 

[MizzouFalcon]

What a dumb thing to say anyway. Just makes PG look like a sore loser. It’s not like that’s the first time Lillard has ever pulled up from that far and made it.

Now if George tried to do that, it would be a bad shot.

He did it earlier in the game from almost the same spot.

 

[The Derski]

He did it earlier in the game from almost the same spot.

A blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while.

 

[dtgold88]

Curry is still significantly more consistent. I looked up Lillard's numbers, and I was surprised to see that he only shot 36.9% on threes this year and he is 36.8% for his career. He's actually never shot 40% in any of his seasons, while Curry's worst season was 41.1% and he is 43.6% for his career.

That said, I'm definitely very worried if Dame has the ball in his hand with a chance to win it.

And I could be wrong but thought I heard Steph was something like 0-5 on those type of shots.

 

[Tai Chi≈Surfing]

Am I the only one who think PG came off salty with the whole bad shot comment?

How about you give some credit? This wasn't some lucky shot. Solid defense but better offense.

End of story

Pretty much everyone thinks he's being salty. Just say it was a great shot, congratulate Dame, and move on. This doesn't help PG at all.

What a dumb thing to say anyway. Just makes PG look like a sore loser. It’s not like that’s the first time Lillard has ever pulled up from that far and made it.

Now if George tried to do that, it would be a bad shot.

I'm sure PG also thought the same thing about more than a few of RW's actual bad shots last night?

STFU, Paul.





#TheLastWord

 

[dtgold88]

I wouldn't say it's the majority of Thunder fans, but I'm reading a lot of comments online from Thunder fans that Westbrook should be traded or that OKC can never win with him. Still, though, most Thunder fans seem to be putting the blame or most of the blame on Billy Donovan.

which is usually what happens when it's a coach most don't like. win it's the players, lose it's the coach.