Series Thread: Western Conference Finals: OKC Thunder VS Golden State Warriors

[Shanemansj13]

I think the Warriors will win- but this is the first time they have really had significant pressure on their shoulders.

They cant go to OKC after losing 2 at home. Its a MUST WIN tonight for the Warriors. I cant wait to see how they respond.

I love the fact that RW just doesnt care though- he doesnt care about 73 wins, he doesnt care about home court, about must win games, about steph curry- he doesnt care about any of it--- all he cares about is ripping out the heart of whoever is lining up across from him.

And he did exactly that, it isn't always pretty but Curry can't guard him. They need to keep Klay on him, he is the only guy that can somewhat defend him and did a good job when he was on him. OKC needs to take advantage, that means Curry will be guarding the 2 guard--Roberson? Post Curry up.

These are the kinds of adjustments the Cavs have been doing well so far in the playoffs. I am interested to see how GS makes adjustments but also how OKC responds with adjustments made by GS.

 

[Heatles84]

There were a couple... but I was mostly referring to the media and analysts on the post game coverage.

I agree that the turnovers cost them.

Their style of play, imo, lends to looking "careless" when shots don't fall. When they are falling and they are winning it is called "free flowing", "relaxed", "playing loose". When the shots aren't falling and they lose it is called "carelessness", "rushed shots", "impatience".

I've seen a large number of careless turnovers from the Dubs, where they tried to make the fancy pass, that just didn't reach its target. Or where on one play, Green made a lazy pass to Curry and Westbrook jumped the route and had an easy bucket on the other end.

 

[Heatles84]

I suppose nobody here is giving the Thunder a snow balls chance in hell of winning tonight?

I'm telling you now. I think every game will be a close one. I have Golden St. winning by 8 tonight as I think the Dubs will be more focused and play with more urgency. Remember, they have the mind set of they can't drop the first two games of the series at home against the Thunder. If the Thunder head back to OKC up 2-0, that might just be the series right there.

 

[bksballer89]

I suppose nobody here is giving the Thunder a snow balls chance in hell of winning tonight?

Nope. DEAL WITH IT

Dubs 114
Thunder 103

 

[LAD]

Which is just as many as a few other teams, and a WHOLE lot more than most. But is still NOT THE BEST.
They had two separate years where at least one of their two best scorers went down to injury...in the playoffs. INJURIES HAPPEN TO EVERY TEAM
That means that OKC advancing to the finals again, and GOD FORBID winning a championship would mean that they were some sort of mutant abberration that stumbled upon such great luck that the Devil and a contract MUST be involved somehow.........right? I would imagine if they beat GS AND Cleveland then perhaps one or EITHER of those teams suffered injuries themselves.



#WARRIORZ4CHAMPZ

- GLAD TO SEE YOU'VE FINALLY COME TO YOUR SENSES!!!

 

[occupant]

...care to make a wager?

 

[LAD]

Last couple days have been busy and I haven't been on here.

I don't get why everyone is talking about the Warriors taking "quick shots" and having "bad shot selection" in Game 1.

That's who the Warriors have been all season long. If you made a montage of every FGA by Steph and Klay this season (without including the result of the shot) and showed it to a panel of coaches (in an alternate universe where no one knows Steph or Klay).... they would all have angry conniptions about how awful their shot selection is.

Their shot selection is completely terrible and has been all year long. Expect its not terrible because its Steph and Klay and they make an incredible amount of those shots.

Why should they change who they are in the playoffs? It has worked very well for them. That's how they play... they just didn't go down in the 2nd half. Partly because of OKC's tenacity and length but partly, imo, because sometimes shots just don't go down.

If you have a problem with their shot selection in the 4th quarter of game 1... then you should have a problem with their shot selection all year long, imo.

In a normal situation you would be correct. But, when they say "quick shots" they're speaking in terms of not using the shot clock more. If you watch GS they typically don't shoot early- they will run a play or two-thus opening up guys for good looks. they didn't do much of that in the 2nd half in Monday's game.

Bad shot selection wasn't in reference to Steph or Klay for the most part. This is in terms of Dray taking so many threes-early in the shot clock & Barnes taking contested shots from 3 and so on. This team has learned to live with Steph's shot selection because his FG% from 3 is better than most guys' 2pt FG%.

So what's worked well for them is moving the ball and Steph getting guys going and THEN looking for his own shot. They are methodical on offense-always looking to expose a mismatch. They got away from that & taking Klay off of RW really hurt them in the 3rd and early 4th quarters. I'm sure Kerr will make that adjustment and leave Klay on him all night.

 

[LAD]

...care to make a wager?

No because I don't bet EVER. Even when I know they will win I don't bet. It's not my thing. But I'm sure there are others here that will bet with you.

 

[occupant]

No because I don't bet EVER. Even when I know they will win I don't bet. It's not my thing. But I'm sure there are others here that will bet with you.

Is that your picture in the avatar?

 

[LAD]

Is that your picture in the avatar?

my daughter

 

[Clayton]

I disagree with the notion that this is a must win for GS. The Warriors can win 4 of 5 against anybody if their shots are falling and they match up well. The Warriors just need to find a way to match up with what the Thunder are doing. If Adams and Ibaka are playing well then many of the other dynamics dont really matter unless KD plays the worst game of his life or Westbrook reverts into a low percentage chucker.

 

[Robotech]

In a normal situation you would be correct. But, when they say "quick shots" they're speaking in terms of not using the shot clock more. If you watch GS they typically don't shoot early- they will run a play or two-thus opening up guys for good looks. they didn't do much of that in the 2nd half in Monday's game.

Bad shot selection wasn't in reference to Steph or Klay for the most part. This is in terms of Dray taking so many threes-early in the shot clock & Barnes taking contested shots from 3 and so on. This team has learned to live with Steph's shot selection because his FG% from 3 is better than most guys' 2pt FG%.

So what's worked well for them is moving the ball and Steph getting guys going and THEN looking for his own shot. They are methodical on offense-always looking to expose a mismatch. They got away from that & taking Klay off of RW really hurt them in the 3rd and early 4th quarters. I'm sure Kerr will make that adjustment and leave Klay on him all night.

Our offense really failed us. Ball movement was poor and we shot poorly. Draymond took too many wild shots and should have deferred to Curry more. Defensively, we did fine.

 

[LAD]

Our offense really failed us. Ball movement was poor and we shot poorly. Draymond took too many wild shots and should have deferred to Curry more. Defensively, we did fine.

Defensively they were fine on everyone not named RW in the 3rd & early 4th quarters. Klay will need to defend RW all night- otherwise he will go off & then the problem becomes he & KD both are effective.

 

[Heatles84]

I disagree with the notion that this is a must win for GS. The Warriors can win 4 of 5 against anybody if their shots are falling and they match up well. The Warriors just need to find a way to match up with what the Thunder are doing. If Adams and Ibaka are playing well then many of the other dynamics dont really matter unless KD plays the worst game of his life or Westbrook reverts into a low percentage chucker.

I have never seen a situation where a team that lost there first two games went onto win a series. The Dubs don't match up perfectly with the Thunder. The front court of Ibaka, Adams, and Kanter provide rebounding opportunities. When you're playing the Thunder, the last thing you want to do is give Westbrook and Durant extra possessions, and they're actually a solid defensive team from what I've seen in the playoffs.

Going down 0-2 is not ideal for any team - especially when you're playing a loaded team like the Thunder.

 

[Robotech]

Defensively they were fine on everyone not named RW in the 3rd & early 4th quarters. Klay will need to defend RW all night- otherwise he will go off & then the problem becomes he & KD both are effective.

Westbrook was on fire in the 3rd. Curry moved his feet well and contested most of those shots, but Westbrook was just too good during that stretch.

 

[gordontrue]

I have never seen a situation where a team that lost there first two games went onto win a series. The Dubs don't match up perfectly with the Thunder. The front court of Ibaka, Adams, and Kanter provide rebounding opportunities. When you're playing the Thunder, the last thing you want to do is give Westbrook and Durant extra possessions, and they're actually a solid defensive team from what I've seen in the playoffs.

Going down 0-2 is not ideal for any team - especially when you're playing a loaded team like the Thunder.

The Thunder came back from down 2-0 against the Spurs in the WCF back in 2012, winning 4 straight.

But they lost the first 2 on the road.

Losing the first 2 at home would be much more difficult to come back from, imo.

 

[Clayton]

I have never seen a situation where a team that lost there first two games went onto win a series.

How long have you been a Heat fan?

 

[Heatles84]

The Thunder came back from down 2-0 against the Spurs in the WCF back in 2012, winning 4 straight.

But they lost the first 2 on the road.

Losing the first 2 at home would be much more difficult to come back from, imo.

I meant lose their first two home games. Obviously teams have come back from down 0-2.

 

[Heatles84]

How long have you been a Heat fan?

Since the late 80's. And I meant lose the first two at home.

 

[gordontrue]

I meant lose their first two home games. Obviously teams have come back from down 0-2.

So I looked it up.

Only 1 team in NBA history has ever won a series after dropping the first two games at home.

The #1 seeded Suns did it vs the #8 seeded Lakers in 1993 back when the 1st round was best of 5.

No team has ever done it in a best of 7 series.