Western Conference Finals: Dallas Mavericks vs Oklahoma City Thunder

see I don't get why iso offense is so frowned upon. Go with what works. Ball movement is overrated. Just win games.

 

I keep haring a lot of talk about Westbrook taking too many shots at the end of the game and not getting the ball to Durant. At times that may be true but, when I watch the Thunder on offense down the stretch, I see Westbrook dribble the ball down the court, and Durant is hanging around the three point line spacing the floor. Durant makes no movement to get the ball or does no cutting anywhere on the court. There are no screens. There's basically no off the ball movement anywhere. At times Durant just gets denied the ball. Durant either isn't making any effort to shake his man or get the ball or Scott Brooks just isn't really helping him out by designing any kind of strategy that actually helps KD get the ball.

it's not just as easy as blaming westbrook.

 

The last 5 minutes of the game I was thinking when was the last time Kevin Durant touchd or shot the basketball? It seemed like he wasn't even out there. There is absolutely no excuse for a guy averaging 30 in the playoffs to not touch the ball down the stretch. In fact he should be taking most of the shots down the stretch.


No excuse for this and it definitely shouldn't be blamed all on Westbrook. Blame should be pointed in Brooks and Durant direction too. I seriously doubt Brooks is not wanting Durant to get himself open late in games.

 

i swear, it reminds me of the situation we had this year with kevin martin.

people just automatically blamed brooks and lowry for not getting k-mart the ball when martin was the one not making any effort to get open and getting denied off-ball.

 

It's because Durant is the leading scorer in the NBA so when he's not getting the ball people will blame Westbrook because he is known as a scoring PG. Double whammy for Westbrook, the reputation of both of them makes the blame game so straight in his direction.

The reason Durant has struggled getting the ball late in some of these close games is because he is not your normal top scorer in the league where you can isolate him and he will make things happen. He is best when he is coming off of screens and he is getting created for. I might be wrong but when Durant is isolated he either settles for a long tested jumper or he takes a wild shot that has no chance at doing in. Last 5 minutes of a game you would never see Kobe, Bron, Wade, or Melo go that long without taking a shot or at least creating for others. This has not been the case for Kevin Durant consistently down the stretch.

 

I'm actually kind of shocked that Durant getting denied the ball and shutdown by Jason Kidd down the stretch is not being talked about more.

Lord knows if some sg or pg did that to Dirk people would call him soft.

 

why wasn't slow feet Ibaka on Dirk defensively? Scotty is clutch in coaching. Just maybe if Phil had Odom on Dirk they could've been in the finals

 

Without Westbrook, the whole second half would be garbage time. Well, without Westbrook and Refs, actually.

Durant maybe the best player on the team or NBA leading scorer, but he can't blame his teammates didn't let him take over the game, while his teammate taking over the game, in the whole game.

"Take over" is active, and requires own action, not just waiting there for others to present to you. In a WCF game 3 at home, in the last 2 minutes, when a much shorter 38 years Jason Kidd can deny you the ball outside of the 3-pointer line, you are in no business in taking over anything.

 

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I'm not sure it is westbrook's fault.

They are trying to make westbrook into something he is not, a PG.

But yeah it cost them again tonight.

I bet if the grizzlies were willing to trade Conley for Westbrook, OKC would do that deal.

 

that wasn't even the most blatant one, in the 4th Durant just fell down all by himself and got a foul called on Marion.

 

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smh

 

i though kidd was done last year but he has impressed me.

jason kidd had been playing excellent ball denial defense this playoffs.

 

LOL refs doing all they could to get OKC to win

FAIL on both okc and the refs

 

Because its fairly easy to defend when your one-on-one players aren't making crazy difficult shots.

The Thunder would be immensely better with an Adelman-type offense. They have the athletes and shooters for it... hell, I even bet Westbrook and Durant could be great passers/facillitators... but they have absolutely no direction from Scotty Brooks other than "Share the ball, be aggressive, you guys are good..."

 

Mavs go up 3-1 tonight

 

You can see from the angle at 1:05 that contact was made with the elbow. Not enough to knock Harden over but it was malicious on Chandler's part. Still an obvious flop but I think Harden is a little off the hook after seeing that angle.

 

Agreed...I was thinking the same thing...Give Durant the damn ball!!!

Westbrook was feeling it, but still, Durant is THE guy...you live and die by him...

I think the Thunder win tonight and I'm looking forward to it...

 

flopping after someone hardly touches you = flopping after someone almost touches you

 

Dan Crawford on the court tonight. Mavs 3-16 in playoffs when he refs. Stern has called in the big dawg.