We're a GREAT regular season team, but are already seeing the signs....

Centers don't come for free and I don't think we can get one that will make us the favorites over GS or San Antonio. Keep in mind that OKC's centers also outmuscled GS in last year's playoffs. They're really big and we're missing Capela. Despite their size, we've had big leads late in all three games.

I think Capela/Nene/Harrell is a great center rotation. I like Nene more than Koufos. Hopefully, we get to see this team healthy again before the trade deadline so Morey can fully assess what we need. I don't think it's a center, I think it's actually a Ryan Anderson upgrade.

 

Warriors were middle of the pack in defensive rebounding the last 2 full seasons.

Rockets are currently: middle of the pack in defensive rebounding (17th). Golden state, this year, is 26th.

You don't have to be great at it, just not the worst, like they were last year. The Raptors are the worst.

 

This kind of idea of : only good defense wins championship or we are only beating the bad teams, is just laughable.

The so called great defense is outdated, Utah is a team with great defense, and they are losing to mediocre teams quite often. This style of basketball is not suitable for this era with the current rules.

As for beating up the bad team, listen to Pop and check the record of the Spurs. They are excellent at beating the teams that they should beat and they are only about average or probably below average on records with the top tier teams.

This is what a good team should do.

 

so that is 2 out of the 37 games? San Antonio has Pau, Lamarcus and Kawhi - all very lengthy players yet we are still a better rebounding team than them. It's usually one and out for most of our games.

 

Just one more 3/D player and we good.

 

HIs defense isn't underrated. The one thing he can do to make him much more dangerous is to master the pump fake, one dribble, and shot. I've never seen him make one of these shots and he can get them at will.

 

FWI: Tickets to Jan 20 game vs the Warriors start at $100 for the 400 section

 

Orly?

 

Agreed with Plowman. Regular season success is one thing. The pace will slow down in the playoff and our weakness in rebounding and lack of a big man that can defend down low will be exposed in the playoff. If the playoff starts today we will be playing Memphis 1st round (Randolph/Gasol), San Antonio 2nd round (Aldridge/Gasol). Let's hope that Orlando sucks in the next 30 days and Ibaka wants out. I think Ibaka will be a great fit for us and he has playoff experience with OKC.

 

it's all based on Pat Riley style sloganeering "no rebounds no rings" - that stuff is so dated it's not even funny.

Rebounds are great, nobody is saying rebounds are bad. But everything is tradeoffs. Selling out to crash the boards may or may not be the optimal decision, depending on:
1. Your team's style of play
2. Your Personnel
3. The opponents's style of play
4. The opponent's personnel.
5. Plain dumbass luck

The top five defensive rebounding teams in the NBA right now are Detroit, Charlotte, Memphis, Denver and Dallas.

The worst five defensive rebounding teams are Toronto, Boston, New York, Indiana, Golden State.

I don't see any success correlation with the first group compared to the second one.

 

True dat.

We needed to address the 1 and the 5 situation before the injuries to Capela and Pat "Wolverine? No, try 'Mr. Glass'" Beverly (to be fair, his hustle style of play leaves him susceptible to injury, but it is frustrating not to have him 100%).

Harden had to have his historic game against the Knicks because their point guards ran roughshod over us with not even a speed bump to put in their path. Plus the Knicks had size advantage. I'm glad we're winning but spit, duct tape and Elmers glue lineups will start to fray sooner or later.

 

Win what?

Ya you win some games but your not doing squat with him in the playoffs.

He blows it every time and this is not just a this year thing this is his whole career.

It's his 9th year he doesn't know how to get his guys going at all he should run pick and roll with Adams and kanter all game like we do with harden.

They played better without him last night. They were down 18 with him having his best shooting game of his career, yes his whole career.

If Russ couldn't get it done with KD he isn't getting it done with anybody else.

If Sam Presti was really a good GM he would trade Russ right now. He got him to sign the extension, now it's easy to fleece Boston.

They could get both Brooklyn picks both will be top 5 at worst. Also can get jaylon brown Marcus smart and Jae crowder.

That's how you rebuild and fleece a team and really get back to being a real team on the rise.

They get all those players coming in to add to olidipo/adams/kanter.

Tell me that's not a better team now and moving forward than keeping Russ?

The thunder are not going to get worse. They have no money to add any pieces. This is it and it not good enough for at best a 6 seed.

 

For the first time this season I have a gripe with what D'Antoni was doing. Why on Earth did he stop playing Nene in the 4th quarter? We just kept bricking threes and OKC slowly chipped away the lead by dumping the ball inside for easy layups. We can't afford to play Harrell at center when we are going up against a quality center that can score, while our shot has gone cold.

 

The pace slows down in the last 2 minutes of every game when it's close and teh Rockets have thus far proven to be preternaturally adept at defending and grinding out scores in these types of situations.

Could just be a fluke but we have 2+ months of evidence at this point.

 

I'd also like to add that the only reason it was close was due to Westbrook. He had 49 pts while shooting 8-15 3ptrs while he was covered fairly well. That is well above the norm of his 32%. If he played somewhere close to his average, it would have been over by the 3rd. Should we also try to get a better defensive pt guard to replace Bev?

 

The defensive strategy of this Rox team is quite simple.

We dare the other teams to take long 2 and try to contain the 3 if possible, that's why we switch on everything.

If the other teams will be taking a lot of long shots, this will be great for us for many reasons :

1. Long FGA will more likely resulting long rebounds, we are not a good rebounding team, long rebound will take away lots of height advantage of the other team inside the paint and even out the rebounding battle.

2. More importantly, long rebound will be great for a team that's like to run and great at running it at fast pace. Any teams that likes to shot a lot of long jumpers against the Rox will dig a grave for themselves very quick.

Because of our lineup and style of play and the defensive scheme, if the other team will be great at 1 on 1 penetration, great at PG, have good size inside. They can get lots of easy points inside the paint and that's the easiest way to beat the Rox.

That's why even the Thunders are not even a top tier team this year, they always played us tough and almost every game going to the wire. Because this team does have all the tools and ways to beat the Rox.

 

GS and Cavs plays almost like us. Do they slow down during the playoffs? The myth that the MDA system cannot win the championship has already been refuted. Trust the system

 

I think MDA acknowledged this postgame. Nene got tired and needed to be taken out. You gotta remember he's up their in age and his body has taken a pounding. Maintenance is a big key for Nene, especially long term for this team for the postseason

 

Nene can't play more than 20 min in a game too much, especially when there is a game in 24 hours and no Clint.

He clocked in 16:55 last night, that is exactly his average.

It was frustrating watching that bench run and the bad defense I agree, but - either put nene in and try to stop the bleeding and have him be useless in the 4th, or have him fresh to hit the GW FT's - which do you choose?