Western Conference Semifinals: (2) Oklahoma City vs. (3) LA Clippers

They will still lose the series. They can't defend to save their lives.

 

Dwight for Thabeet. Done.

 

so higher volume and worse quality of shots?

 

So nobody talks about Brooks anymore when OKC is winning?

He's not a great coach, but the guy is destroying Doc Rivers. Talent goes a long way doesn't it.

 

How exactly is Bonehead "destroying Doc Rivers"? He is clearly an inferior coach but has two superstars that pull his slow wagon, basic playground offense across the finish line.

Just imagine if OKC had a coach who forced a legit offensive system based on movement and passing. Everyone would already know WB is a top 3-4 player.

 

In game 2, all but a couple of Westbrook's shots had him pass to nobody after crossing the half way line, Brooks may be a lousy coach, but that's not his doing. Westbrook is the reason that their offense stalls like it does.

 

Yes it is. Half the time there is no movement, hence nobody to pass to. It's like nobody else wants the ball or the first 20 seconds are dedicated to getting it to KD who can't get free. WB will be up top, two guys will be on the corners, one guy near the rim and KD is unable to seal his man. That's lazy junk offense. Finally with 5-6 seconds left on the shot clock, WB has to make a decision: Toss a bad pass to teammates who have disappeared or take the shot.

In those situations they should run PnR, pin-down screens, weaves, backdoor cuts or SOMETHING designed to get the ball moving. The Thunder need a set of fundamental plays to run in crunch time. Unfortunately, Bonehead's offense is predicated on isolation and the occasional PnR.

I'm not saying WB uses good judgement all the time, but he gets too much flak when OKC's offense goes stale late in games. Kenny Smith said he wouldn't be surprised if WB won an MVP in a couple of years. I think it's possible too, but only with a coach with the brains to put him in better situations and the clout to challenge him.

 

exactly it is the coach fault for not putting their players in the most successful position. I like how Brooks call a timeout late in the game to draw up a play. And almost everytime it's WB getting the ball, takes 10 seconds to throw it to KD and then KD does a step back jumper. The talent of that team is definitely carrying them to wins despite coaching

 

Give him credit for having good defense though. Unlike McFail who can't even get that right.

 

In game, Doc said he was OK letting Ibaka shoot his jumper...

 

they have players who can play defense like seflosha, ibaka, wb, kd to an extent, jackson, etc. however they haven't stopped lac all series yet, they just outscored them in their 2 wins.

I think they should be able to play much better defense with that roster

milk hair is terrible on offense and defense. i'm still baffled why les or morey seems to want to keep him.

 

I don't even give him credit for that. Their defense down the stretch of the season was non-existent. What have they done against the Clippers?

When it comes to physical talent, OKC has the most gifted players in the NBA when it comes to defense. Yet their schemes and discipline aren't that good. WB, in particular, hasn't been the same since Ron Adams left. This will sound crazy to most people, but WB was an incredible defender his 2nd year in the NBA and it's been downhill since.

If I had to compare the two, Bonehead is less incompetent as a defensive coach than offense. But that is very faint praise.

 

damn westbrook puttin up lebron (other than the efficiency) type numbers in the playoffs. 26/9/8

 

OKC consistently has had a pretty good defense. They go on stretches where they just are dominant because they have so much speed and athleticism.

I agree with everyone who says that OKC's peak is the best in the NBA.

 

This is a great series.

 

Damn:

 

Look like the milky way

 

Shot chart looks beautiful..

 

So you're saying Doc Rivers is a bum coach too? He has pretty good athletes and guys who can be elite defenders yet they can't stop OKC at all.

 

This might be the only series that gives me hope in terms of a good game/series.