The Thunder built the seventeen point lead with Two FrontCourt players either ibaka and perkins or perkins and collison playing together alongside each other. If you analyse perkins statement he is questioning the strategy of going away form Two Front Court players ( a power forward and center) playing alongside each other. Westbrook's hotstart explains the offensive side of the equation, you cannot build a seventeen point lead with pure offense. The defense was superb with ibaka and perkins or perkins and collison. They have a good chemistry on defense with durant, westbrook in the backcourt. Plus Perkins and Collison had offensive production in the first quarter. Collison had a few putbacks, a perimeter shot, and a layup and Perkins had a couple of buckets as well. It started to go south when they played small ball . with only one of ibaka, collison or perkins and four small players particularly fisher. It would not be accurate to say that small ball kept them in the game. They built a 17 point lead with a Power Forward and Center on the floor and they lost the lead with only one big man on the floor. And that is really what Perkins is questioning.
Perkins brings up a great point, but it has nothin to do with him in the game. Why is Fischer playing an 8-10minute stretch in the 3rd and 4th Qtr with Thabo on the bench?
Perk needs to be able to catch the ball and put it in the hoop all in under 2 seconds, right now it takes him 10 seconds and 4 pump fakes and no jumping, plus the defensive match-ups make it damn tough to keep him and Ibaka on the floor together, if one of the vets is saying this they have no chance in game 5, self-destruct in 5,4,3,2............
Perkins also finds it disturbing that they won't pass him the ball when he is being guarded by Battier. He was guarded by Battier 1v1 and Wade 1v1. 0-2. I find it disturbing that he wants more minutes. He should receive less.
Totally agree with you. This public comment is the kind of finger-pointing a player does when he thinks they are done (at least subconsciously.) But... I've been surprised before, especially this year. The Thunder's offense seems to have completely reverted to early season form, or last year form, versus how they were playing team ball versus the Spurs. I don't get it.
Perkins saying this in public is totally uncalled for, even if true. And it's not true. Like many have pointed out. Perkins is a liability on both ends. He is simply too slow against the Heat and he doesn't have the skill to be any help on offense.
Perkins is an idiot. He should get 6 mins to start the game and 6 more to start the 3rd quarter. That's it. Brooks playing him waaay too long is why they lost game 2. Even more than Fisher, Perkins is the most useless player in OKC's normal rotation but Brooks still puts too much faith on those two guys. Baffling. Meanwhile beginning with Game 2, Spoelstra trots out a brand new starting lineup for the first time all season and Miami has won 3 in-a-row. The Heat have their own equivalent of Perkins/Fisher: Haslem. After getting 29 minutes in game 1, the last three have been 16, 14, 11. Again, props to Spoelstra for figuring out who on his team didn't fit this series and putting him on the pine. Whoever said changing things now guarantees losing is clueless just like Scott Brooks. The exact opposite is true in this series.
I'm not on board with you guys. This series is being won by physicality and toughness, not gamesmanship. I'd leave Perkins in. Let him foul as much as needed. Dominate the glass. Play some zone. The Thunder may be run and gun but they're still a better halfcourt team than Miami.
Miami changed first. Brooks still hasn't adjusted. Adjustments are a sign of a coach that recognizes a problem.
Well...its not like the Thunder are getting blown out...Brooks doesnt really need to make adjustments...he just needs the players not to make poor decisions down the stretch...when teams are getting blown out by 20 points..sure...make adjustments...but Miami is getting by b/c gritty plays by experienced players... If Brooks really wants to adjust...1. try zone 3-2; 2.he should playing again bc. his players cant make open shots...ie. Thabo, Fisher, Harden...3. They played right into Miami's strength...which is having a hard sprint in the beginning and slowing the game down in the end...OKC just needs to slow down the game in the beginning...they are going faster than its being played...
OKC needs to get rid of Perkins this offseason. I felt he was a poor acquisition when the team first got him last season. He should have gotten a few minutes to start the first and third quarters, and that's it. Collison should be getting way more minutes. Matchups are a big factor in the outcomes of games.
Haven't the Thunder gotten off to horrible starts in all the other games? He didn't suggest that he needed fewer minutes in those.
must be a homer...I am talking about the games itself...the scores arent completely one-sided... and yes Miami is leading 3-1...
Can't question his work ethic though. It must be frustrating helping OKC get past Dallas, LA, and San Antonio only to be benched in favor of Derek Fisher. <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/fVHn31J8d2w" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
He fits the team perfectly. And he earns like, 8 million / year? Not exactly going to open a lot of cap space / sign quality people for 8 million / year.
I am glad Perkins isnt playing a lot but Collison outplaying Ibaka is sad. Thunder have been lucky with their matchups until now. Dallas have Haywood/Dirk. Lakers have Gasol/Bynum. Spurs have Duncan/Diaw. Diaw can shoot threes but prefers to play inside. Heat have Battier and Bosh. If you cant punish these guys in the post then whats the point in having two bigs out their. If Battier and Bosh can continue to hit open shots having two bigs out their will only hurt you. Whats really sad is Thunder do play with more bigs than the Heat yet the Heat had more total/offensive rebounds in the last 3 games. The bigs are not getting the job done.
