[yahoo]Hawks vs Thunder

I think the Thunder's offensive woes will catch up to them tonight while the Hawks should be motived by the earlier loss. Judging by comments after the game, it's clear the Hawks were a bit surprised by the Thunder's athleticism. That won't happen again. What will keep the Thunder in the game is their defense, if they really bring it. But KD needs some help tonight from two of either Westbrook, Green or Harden. OKC can't beat a balanced and talented team with only one guy scoring. At some point in the 2nd half, I expect the Hawks to force someone to make shots. Will someone deliver?

 

Durant is just too damn good. His shooting efficiency is off the charts. Now if only he could raise his assists up, he could be considered MVP.

 

The assists aren't his fault. The Thunder are a poor offensive team, which is their Achilles heel. But for such a young team, their defense is quite good. I'm impressed they've kept the lead this long.

 

Did you see the 2 assists to Green and Westbrook late? KD is a good (not great) passer. They put a whipping on the Hawks the last couple of minutes and you could tell the Hawks really wanted this one.

Good win for the Thunder. I hope they and the Grizzlies both keep it up and contend for playoff berths.

 

No, KD is not a good passer. He is an AVERAGE or below average passer right now. Good passers include Hedo, Stephen Jackson, Joe Johnson, imo.

 

Certainly Hedo and JJ are better passers than KD at this point. In fact, JJ has had PG instincts from the beginning. Hedo learned his craft over time. As a passer, KD will develop like Hedo. He makes good passes quite often, but none of his teammates are gifted offensive players at all. Just give him a decent shooting perimeter guy or post player that can finish. Until then, he is so efficient it's better if he shoots than passes.

His rookie season, KD was a flat out poor passer. Last season he made a little progress. This season, his court vision has taken large step forward. He definitely is NOT a below average passer right now.

 

I think looking at a guys assist total is overrated. Not saying people don't watch the games, but just because someone's assist total isn't high doesn't mean he's not a good passer. At the end of the day your teammates have to make shots for you. I don't even think the Thunder have any great or good outside shooters.

 

I'll go a step further and say the Thunder don't have a single other guy that is an above-average offensive player other than KD. I challenge anyone to go to espn.com or nba.com and take a look at their roster and not be underwhelmed. How in the world are they 27-21? (I can answer that but ask the question to make a point). Not one single post-scorer on the roster. No other good outside shooter other than KD. One of the worst offenses in the NBA (IMO). But this very young team plays enough defense to get it done most of the time.

 

Thats just to show that Durant is a budding Superstar. He's right behind Kobe/Lebron/Wade status at this point.

 

Can you imagine Durant in Portland right now?

Roy
Durant
Aldridge

Good night Irene.

 

I've seen Durant make some nice passes. He has the passing ability as in the ability to pass the ball and have it end up where he wants it. I just haven't seen the playmaking instincts (though he's made huge strides) that will take him from being a great scorer to a more complete player. Sure, he's not playing with the best offensive talent but a playmaker would make them look good.

Still, the kid is amazing.

 

Agree with you. He's still learning and figuring out his limits and his passing trails his scoring. His teammates aren't 100% of it but they are a huge part of it. The Thunder need KD to be a volume shooter and scorer primarily, not a playmaker, and he's obliging. As he matures, he will become a more complete player and set up his teammates better and (hopefully) reduce turnovers.