Key Takeway: We Need to Play Small Ball Against OKC

OP should replace Sampson as assistant coach.

 

I agree wholeheartedly with the OP. T Jones, while showing great flashes of potential, is not what this team needs. He gets eaten alive by real PFs. So this is a hindrance in two ways. One, he doesn't do a good job of neutralizing or irritating opposing PFs or grabbing rebounds (defensive end) and two his shot is not respected which allows his man to roam and help Dwight (offensive end).

A stretch 4 would make Ibaka's rotations to Dwight much slower since he'd be farther from the paint. Dwight's main weakness in the post is he is terrible in a crowd. Once the double comes he gets flustered and rushes his thought process. You'll notice that anytime his guard cuts while he's in the middle of his move he fumbles the ball away. This team needs a junkyard dog 4 to defend the superstar PFs in the West or a spacing 4 man to make Dwight's job easier.

Since we have no junkyard dogs on our team or stretch 4's we are left with small ball.

However, for this to work effectively, the team has to realize one thing. Let Westbrook shoot as much as he wants. Let him drive as much as he wants. Let him do whatever he feels like. Bait him into it. Because superstars in the NBA are impossible to guard one on one especially playoff times. The best way to neutralize them is to take away their support system and team. Do not give up corner 3's from over helping. Do not rotate too many bigs to block his shot. Make the PGs give him a cushion and bait him into shooting pull up mid rangers and 3's he'll take them. His aggression will be his down fall. But Lin is better suited for this job then Beverly

Beverly has stated he likes playing an aggressive in your face style D. This is not ideal with Westbrook as he will get around everyone and shift your interior defense. You want someone to cushion him and make him think taking the midranger, even if it goes in, is a better alternate. Beverly needs to read scouting reports to help us.

At the same time physically deny Durant from touching the ball ever. If he gets it, play him straight up do not over help to allow the rest of the team to get touches. Play straight, physical, and reach as he is going up to strip the ball not to block it.

 

Against OKC small ball is definitely the answer.
I'd love to see us even mix in some zone D.

 

How about we just finish 4th, while OKC and LAC battle it out from the 2-3 spots, we take care of Portland and SAS in the 1st and 2nd rounds? Then we can worry about it in the WCF.

 

Somehow Garcia is good at guarding Durant, same as last year's playoffs.

Beverley was pretty bad tonight. Maybe playing Lin in the 4th would have been better.

 

To be honest - I'm perfectly happy if McHale is holding this up his sleeve for the Playoffs.

Would much rather a team have to scramble to adapt after being down a game or two in the Playoffs - then having the chance to prepare properly.

Although... I really doubt that's why we don't use it often.

 

OKC was just better tonight. By the second quarter it was pretty clear that Westbrook was going to own Beverley. It would've been better to play Lin have 30+ minutes and to get him more shots to see if he could get on a hot streak and get the team within striking distance. I

 

I'd bet money that the starting lineup barring injury by game 2 at the latest for a playoff series with OKC would be Dwight, Harden, Parsons, Lin, Bev

 

Can't even play aggressive on Kevin Durant, the ref will call a foul.

Seriously out of all the top players in the NBA, KD by far gets most of the "Superstar Calls"

LeBron hasn't even shot a free-throw in his last 2 games.

 

I hate Kevin Durant.

 

Nah, we should just go for the no 1 seed.

And IMHO, instead of going small ball, we should establish Dwight. Thats still the biggest advantage we can get.

 

We established Dwight had an off night, and at the rate he was going ended up being more of an advantage for the Thunder.

 

A better idea is just to try not to play them at all. I'd like us to drop to the 4 seed and play Portland so we don't have to worry about the Clippers or Thunder till the WCF (where just being there is surpassing expectations)

 

i really thought Asik was doing better job along with lin in the forth as the team was running around freely. Then mchale just went back to Dwight and Bev which turned the game around.

 

I heard one of the OKC announcers even saying during the 3rd or 4th quarter while Lin was running point that everyone was really moving well, and that Lin was running the offense smoothly. Last nights situation definitely could have used Asik and Lin more so than Dwight with Bev. Against OKC that might end up being the better matchup. Against other teams Lin should drop back to his 6th man role like rest of the season so far.

 

This should be the best way for Rockets. However, Spurs will be quite different once playoff starts. Don't take the results ar the regular season as an accurate reference. Rockets may be eliminated by Spurs at the end.

 

Dwight's skills are raw, luckily he plays in an era without great big centre. So he can still dominate the game most of the time. However his weaknesses will be exploded once other teams double him.

 

Even so - we have a much better chance of eliminating the Spurs in a series then we do OKC or the Clippers.

The players have confidence against the Spurs. And that can be a scary thing.

 

the scenario sounds good but how can you manage to make that happen when you try to win every game possible?

 

Agree we need to go small against them. Our set offense will always have problems against OKC and LAC-- teams with two shot blockers at all times. Key is to get stops and run. Making more of our 3s and FTs would help a lot.

Btw, wtf happened to Hamilton? Dude needs to be more, not less, aggressive. Passing up open shots is not his ticket to stardom; it's a ticket to a courtside seat.