Hawks are a machine

[bocabull]

Poetry in motion. This is Spurs basketball at its finest. The ball moves effortlessly and rapidly. They rebound well, shoot well, defend well, you name it.

They have won 20 of 22 including 9 straight against the West. Teague is developing into a star.

 

[playmakr]

And on the opposite end of the spectrum you have the Thunder, which a bunch of individual players jacking up shots from everywhere.

Thunder may need to make a coaching change before it's too late. Outplaying the Suns by 4 games over the last 46 will be tough.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

Thunder may need to make a coaching change before it's too late.

I use to think this. But after seeing how the team played with possibly the worst roster in the nba when westbrook and Durant were out, Brooks can coach. There was ball movement. There was energy. There was hustle. I mean, maybe you bring in a coach that can force KD to change but not if you want KD to stay in two years

Outplaying the Suns by 4 games over the last 46 will be tough.

With how they have played the last two games yes. But that won't happen. We saw the potential when KD came back the first time. Won seven in a row and then he got hurt again. They won some big games without KD as well. They will start playing better and roll off 8 of the next 10. no way they don't make the playoffs unless it is a historic year in the western conference

 

[SoonerBounce13]

Kiss of death for the Hawks? I know it's not adb, but boca saying this is close

 

[bocabull]

Tonight they rest Teague, Milsap, Carroll & Antic and still win by 18 on the road. They are the spitting image of the Spurs. Well oiled machine with depth where the pieces fit together perfectly.

 

[Smash Williams]

I use to think this. But after seeing how the team played with possibly the worst roster in the nba when westbrook and Durant were out, Brooks can coach. There was ball movement. There was energy. There was hustle. I mean, maybe you bring in a coach that can force KD to change but not if you want KD to stay in two years

They played hard, but in terms of wins and losses they did no better than expected. I don't think anyone has ever questioned Brooks' ability to get an undermanned squad to play hard.

I don't understand the argument about getting KD to change. He's an unselfish player. He's gone out of his way to improve his playmaking ability in the course of his career and made a conscious effort to create more opportunities his teammates. It's not KD's fault that Brooks uses KD's and Westbrook's individual talents as a crutch. It's not KD's fault that there's no secondary action after the initial pick-and-roll, so that the ballhandler is forced go iso once that initial action is stopped.

With how they have played the last two games yes. But that won't happen. We saw the potential when KD came back the first time. Won seven in a row and then he got hurt again. They won some big games without KD as well. They will start playing better and roll off 8 of the next 10. no way they don't make the playoffs unless it is a historic year in the western conference

Why will they start playing better? They can't play any worse than they have the last week, but it's far from a certainty that they'll play well enough to catch Phoenix. Below .500 and three games out of the playoffs halfway through the season...and they still haven't flipped the switch. How is that not troubling?

This may be the worst three-game stretch I've ever seen out of the Thunder since Brooks took over. Getting blown out at Golden State? Disappointing, but understandable. Getting shredded by 19 by a respectable but mediocre Kings squad the very next game? No excuse. Getting outplayed by Utah for three quarters and barely coming out alive at home, despite Westbrook and Durant combining for 57 points on an efficient 23-38 shooting? I honestly wondered if Brooks' job was on the line during that game, in spite of knowing that the Thunder has the least reactionary front office in the league.

***Just realized you posted that before the Utah game. That game change your perspective at all?

 

[bocabull]

Hawks Thunder this Friday. I like where the Thunder are at picking up momentum. The Hawks are a diffrrent animal than they have faced.

Looking forward to it.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

huge game for hawks and thunder. I have a bad feeling that Thabo is going to be hitting everything tomorrow night.

 

[playmakr]

The problem for the Thunder is they have won 4 of 5 or 5 of 6 whatever it is but have gained zero ground on PHX. When the Suns get the twins, I. Thomas, Dragic, and Bledsoe running together they are a terror. Keep in mind, the Thunder and Suns have two more games to play in the valley of the sun. If the Thunder don't split those games, which won't be easy, there is very little chance they get in.

 

[sperry]

The problem for the Thunder is they have won 4 of 5 or 5 of 6 whatever it is but have gained zero ground on PHX. When the Suns get the twins, I. Thomas, Dragic, and Bledsoe running together they are a terror. Keep in mind, the Thunder and Suns have two more games to play in the valley of the sun. If the Thunder don't split those games, which won't be easy, there is very little chance they get in.

OKC has won at 77% clip with Durant this season. Even if that regresses to the 72% clip they won with Durant over the previous three seasons, they will comfortably eclipse the Suns by 3 games.

 

[bocabull]

OKC has won at 77% clip with Durant this season. Even if that regresses to the 72% clip they won with Durant over the previous three seasons, they will comfortably eclipse the Suns by 3 games.

Or maybe the Rockets. As play said the Suns can be a handful. I think their better than Houston.

 

[playmakr]

OKC has won at 77% clip with Durant this season. Even if that regresses to the 72% clip they won with Durant over the previous three seasons, they will comfortably eclipse the Suns by 3 games.

I hope you are right, a Thunder-Warriors opening round series would be unreal.

It would be crazy if Spurs and OKC are the 7 and 8 seeds. You have the two teams that have represented the West in the Finals the last 3 years, and if not for Westbrook's injury 2 years ago they would have played each other the last 3 years in the WCF. As 7 and 8 seeds. That's a tough draw for the 1 and 2.

(I'm not predicting it, I'm sure the Spurs will make a run and slide up some with Kawhi back, although they did get blasted tonight )

 

[sperry]

I hope you are right, a Thunder-Warriors opening round series would be unreal.

It would be crazy if Spurs and OKC are the 7 and 8 seeds. You have the two teams that have represented the West in the Finals the last 3 years, and if not for Westbrook's injury 2 years ago they would have played each other the last 3 years in the WCF. As 7 and 8 seeds. That's a tough draw for the 1 and 2.

(I'm not predicting it, I'm sure the Spurs will make a run and slide up some with Kawhi back, although they did get blasted tonight )

It would be cool, but also lame for the two best teams in the NBA to play each other in round 1. I really hope the Thunder can move up to the 7 seed for htat reason. Warriors-Thunder deserves to be the WCF.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

The problem for the Thunder is they have won 4 of 5 or 5 of 6 whatever it is but have gained zero ground on PHX. When the Suns get the twins, I. Thomas, Dragic, and Bledsoe running together they are a terror. Keep in mind, the Thunder and Suns have two more games to play in the valley of the sun. If the Thunder don't split those games, which won't be easy, there is very little chance they get in.

Might be easier to catch Portland for the division title now that Aldridge, batum, lopez and freeland are all out. Esp with Aldridge's injury looking serious

 

[bocabull]

Didn't see the game. Tell me Thunder peeps are the Hawks as legit as everything points to? They are mowing down everybody.

 

[jmizzy4ou]

Certainly not a Thunder fan, but I'll answer. ATL looked pretty good tonight, but they didn't get the best shot of OKC, IMO..... I think they would compete in the west, but it would be harder with the deeper competition.


Did you see Klay Thompson go off for 37 points in one quarter??? UNBELIEVABLE!!!!

 

[bocabull]

Hawks have won 9 in a row vs the West too including road wins ar Houston, Dallas, Portland & the Clippers.

They many have actually assembled a cast of 8 championship caliber #2 options who fit perfectly together. 8 unselfish Scottie Pippens with the perfect coach.

I don't recall a run this impressive in quite a long time. 31 of 33 with lots of those games against elite teams at home and on the road.