ClutchFans Game Thread: Thunder @ Rockets 2/25/2024

Yeah, they are in a great position, the fact that they are a darkhorse with their core 25 and younger is a compliment, not an insult, but its still a reality I feel. Maybe I'm wrong and they get past LAC or Denver...but would I be that surprised if, like Memphis or SAC they run into more experienced team this year and fizzle out? Nope. I'm expecting them to make it to the 2nd round personally although that might change given the match up of course.

But my thing is I'm not at all insulting them just that continued greatness is DIFFICULT, it's rare. It also takes pure luck. This is a team with basically no playoff experience. I want to see SGA dominate and bully another team in the playoffs before I crown his team because playoffs are just a different beast.

I'm saying the same thing about Minny although I have more confidence in Minny because they have a bit more experience...KAT still worries me sometimes and Gobert can be exposed in the playoffs depending on matchup.

 

There is no way OKC doesn't exit the decade without multiple titles.

Then again, most thought the same thing back in 2011.

 

I see it the same way, I want to see Chet have to guard Jokic night in and night out. Personally, I guess I'm insane, I think Joker eats him alive.

Hell, I think AD eats him alive when AD feels like it and Zion might literally try to eat him. This isn't even counting dudes like Sabonis or KAT.

I have a feeling SGA will be a good playoff performer though, not sure about those other guys yet.

 

Expiring after next year, right ? That's why I labeled the 44.9 as contingent for year after next. ( won't be here)...JMO but we didn't need to spend 22.6 mil on Brooks for this year( some of that could have gone towards a better PG and we didn't need to spend $8 mil on Landale. You could have purchased a mannequin from a department store and fared as well. Respectfully...just my feeling...if we struck out on anything, it's not the youngsters, it's these "vets"..that's my story and I'm sticking to it. I think time will bear that out.

https://clutchpoints.com/10-highest-paid-point-guards-2023-24-nba-season

Only Steph and Dame make more than FVV.

 

I agree Jay....it's not a knock on Chet, it's like talking about Bari needing to add muscle in the offseason to be more effective. Chet's body can't bang with the people you mentioned. Too thin. Whew Joker might kill him. Oh yeah SGA will be good.

 

Yeah, but playoffs are different. You're trying to act like they are not. Like there isn't anything to it and that regular season success is all that matters.

Nope. OKC is a playoff team now (and should be for the foreseeable future), that means they will be judged MORE by what they do in the playoffs than what they do in the regular season.

It's like ain't no one worried about the Cowboys even if they have a great regular season, their QB has a history of choking.

OKC could finish over Denver and if they see Denver in the 2nd round and you ask people who will win the series what do you think they'll say?

How many times have we seen "This team has a 3-1 record against the other team in the regular season..." who cares about that?

Just letting you OKC fans know that now you're going to be judged by what you do in the playoffs, not the regular season.

 

Woeful game from Udoka on the sidelines.

So we just watched literally last game the Amen defensive master class. We watched him playing good defense in his first stint this game.

Then barely saw any time after that.

Meanwhile the Thunder absolutely obliterated the Rockets defense by repeatedly abusing Green from the perimeter and going past him as if he wasn't there throughout the second and third quarters - when they had their 30 point turnaround.

I think it's been a month since I've seen Brooks be able to stay in front of someone he was defending as well.

Overall a subpar game from Sengun apart from a strong finish (when he is allowed to get in rhythm by heavy usage) and a strong start (again multiple times touching the ball and allowed to do something).

I don't know what that female refs deal was with him, but boy she was getting off calling things against him from the get go.

Oh, another Rockets game so of course it's another sub 40% shooting night from Kobe 2.0.

 

Playoffs change with time, do you think the 80s Playoffs had shooters like Steph and Klay?

Or even just the San Antonio teams....

The Thunder are the best at spacing and changing of pace...there is literally no other team outside of Boston that has that.

Denver has sort of a good enough spacing team as well.

Now we are in that Spacing era......refs might not call in favor of OKC yet.....

It just makes sense to call the OKC a contender. It feels right for this era.

 

This reminds me of how that Nets superteam was a dynasty in the making, Kyrie, Durant, Harden...then you had guys like Joe Harris...who suddenly couldn't make a shot in the playoffs.

So many players like that too, just role players, suddenly building brick houses when the playoffs roll around. I mean we Rocket fans should know about that. Not even talking about superstars...like how many of us remember guys like Ariza, Tucker, Ego, etc building brickhouses when we most needed them?

No hate against OKC just...hey, gotta see it to believe it.

 

The Nets were assembled, OKC grew together, like when Durant, Harden and Russ grew together but ultimately could not stick together?

This is a more organic process and the Rockets should be envious of that.

Like when a Sombor Joker grew to be the best big man on Earth?

• Assembled teams win because of their talent level but they also implode because they are fake friends and selfish......
• I believe that Lebron, Wade, CP3 and Bosh were really friends, because their families hang out.....I am not so sure about Harden and Durant. Kyrie.
• Harden and KD are just common party friends.....going for drinks and stuff but not deep friendship.
• This new OKC team is hopefully different. Bunch of very nice personalities too. Except for Giddey, I do no like him that much.

 

That’s not Bautista

 

We took so many bad shots tonight. Chet was dominating on defence and we just made it easy for him to control the game. Amen will be great but we don't need him trying fade aways.

 

You got to make shots against OKC because Chet is going to block everything in the paint.

 

Or bully Chet in the paint, he is very bully-able. Sadly, Sengun has not looked like himself lately. Looks less mobile and less willing to go into a shotblocker's chest and score. Also wasn't getting the calls going his way tonight.

 

Interestingly Dillon has Rockets worst +/- again.. -20

 

SGA was MVP of the 2018 SEC men's basketball tournament when Kentucky won. The Rockets and others underestimated a player from a good college basketball team compared to a kid on a team like G League Ignite.

SGA's shooting % has always been better than Jalen, and he was shooting better than Jalen is now his rookie year. Look at his first 3 year stats

1) 47.6 FG% 36.7% 3PT
2) 47.1 FG% 34.7% 3PT
3) 50.8%FG 41.8% 3PT

JAN/FEB 2024 averages
55.35 FG% 48.85 3PT%

Jalen's shooting percentages have gotten worse each year, and for FEB it's terrible. He's only shooting 37.2 FG% and 21.1 3PT%.

1) 42.6 FG% 34.3 3PT%
2) 41.7 FG% 33.8 3PT%
3) 40.7 FG% 30.7 3PT%

JAN/FEB 2024 averages
40.05 FG% 25.55 3PT%

 

Few quick observations about last night’s game:

1). Dillon Brooks has really fallen off. His defense is not elite, he’s slow, he was a team worst -20 last night, and has looked poor these last several game. The 4-yr $80 mil overpay is starting to look bad.

2). Jalen did some good things last night, but there were still too many times when he was out of the play and standing around. And of course he still can’t shoot. I continue to be befuddled why putting him in a 6-man/go get a bucket role wouldn’t be worth trying.

3). Everyone needs to have more patience with Bari. I suspect he was still healing from the ankle and that’s what led to his poor stretch of games heading into the all star break. He looks fully healed now, more confident. I expect him to finish out the season strong.

4). Amen should not be taking 3 pt shots. It’s essentially a wasted possession. Save that for the offseason. And for the love of God, please play Amen as many minutes as possible. He’s legit our best defender.