Rockets v Thunder

[bocabull]

Houston is still a little banged up with Patrick Patterson out and Lin is still struggling a bit but they are playing some decent ball with the lowest payroll in the association.

Morey is looking brilliant. They are young, athletic, well rounded with an abundance of cap space to fill in the gaps. If Royce White comes around & they add some veteran scorers look out.

Looking forward to watching them play the Thunder tonight. Thunder still have an advantage but it's shrinking rapidly.

 

[stoops4pres]

Both teams have been hot lately. Everyone knows OKC has been playing great, but Houston has won 7 of their last 9 (and are the only team besides the Clippers to put up over 100 against the Grizzlies). I expect Harden to play much better than he did the first time in OKC.

 

[bocabull]

The last 3 playoff spots will be interesting. Clippers, Thunder, Grizzlies, Spurs & Lakers are locks barring some massive injuries.

So that leaves the Warriors, Rockets, Nuggets, Blazers, T-Wolves & Jazz fighting for those 3 spots. The Mavs could go on a streak but the loss of Kidd was probably fatal. Nuggets have the best shot, followed by the Warriors if they can get Bogut back leaving only 1 spot for the Rockets, T-Wolves, Blazers & Jazz. Tough sledding.

 

[coolm]

Not sure what Thunder team YOU GUYS have been watching, but the one in OKC hasn't been playing that well at all as of late ... and I would contend they weren't playing that well even during their winning streak.

They had flashes. I saw one of the best defensive gems they have ever played with RW and KD together a few games ago. But most of the time it has been jumper, jumper, jumper with a reprieve offered by one player or the other on both sides of the ball.

I think KMart's little slump has festered this latest stretch of iffy play. When he's on they ALL seem to click better.

KD has been KD, Serge has actually been the star of the last 20 games IMO, but RW is just so inconsistent offensively. I would LOVE to see him move the ball even more, quit looking for his shot, and focus on ballhandling and awesome defense. I think if he did that this team would jam right into overdrive. Not saying he shouldn't score ... but he needs some damn CP3 lessons. He could cement a spot in the HOF if he'd learn to let his shot go and focus otherwise. As it stands this team is a sine wave of offensive success based on if his shot is dropping.

Tough game against Houston. But the rockets' post injuries are going to hurt them in this game. To me that will decide the game in favor of OKC if the Thunder don't let Asik get off for like 20 boards.

As for Western Conference playoff spots:
Clips
OKC
Spurs
Lakers
Grizz
Warriors
Nuggets
Rockets or Jazz. I figure Rockets.

 

[stoops4pres]

Not sure what Thunder team YOU GUYS have been watching, but the one in OKC hasn't been playing that well at all as of late ... and I would contend they weren't playing that well even during their winning streak.

They had flashes. I saw one of the best defensive gems they have ever played with RW and KD together a few games ago. But most of the time it has been jumper, jumper, jumper with a reprieve offered by one player or the other on both sides of the ball.

I think KMart's little slump has festered this latest stretch of iffy play. When he's on they ALL seem to click better.

KD has been KD, Serge has actually been the star of the last 20 games IMO, but RW is just so inconsistent offensively. I would LOVE to see him move the ball even more, quit looking for his shot, and focus on ballhandling and awesome defense. I think if he did that this team would jam right into overdrive. Not saying he shouldn't score ... but he needs some damn CP3 lessons. He could cement a spot in the HOF if he'd learn to let his shot go and focus otherwise. As it stands this team is a sine wave of offensive success based on if his shot is dropping.

Tough game against Houston. But the rockets' post injuries are going to hurt them in this game. To me that will decide the game in favor of OKC if the Thunder don't let Asik get off for like 20 boards.

As for Western Conference playoff spots:
Clips
OKC
Spurs
Lakers
Grizz
Warriors
Nuggets
Rockets or Jazz. I figure Rockets.

I agree they've struggled the last couple games--all NBA teams go through that slump during the season--but I don't see how you can think the Thunder weren't playing well during their 12-game winning streak. After all, over half of their victories within that streak were by double-digits.

 

[coolm]

watched every game possible. they ended up big at the end but took many a dive during the contest. got to the point where you knew if someone wasn't on like donkey kong in the 4th they would have problems pulling it out.

The lakers game was the real exception. They just came out and whooped their purple azzes.

 

[coolm]

OKC has played a really good game tonight.

Martin came out stroking it right from his very first shot. RW's shots fell and everyone's offense just dropped into place. Some really nice defense played also - but their defensive effort has been getting steadily better all season IMO.

This was a butt whoopin no matter if I jinx them by writing this with 10 minutes left or not.

 

[playmakr]

Words can't describe how far apart the Thunder and Rockets are, and the gap is only widening. They don't have the horses to keep up. They will need some upgrades with their available cash.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

Not sure what Thunder team YOU GUYS have been watching, but the one in OKC hasn't been playing that well at all as of late ... and I would contend they weren't playing that well even during their winning streak.

They had flashes. I saw one of the best defensive gems they have ever played with RW and KD together a few games ago. But most of the time it has been jumper, jumper, jumper with a reprieve offered by one player or the other on both sides of the ball.

I think KMart's little slump has festered this latest stretch of iffy play. When he's on they ALL seem to click better.

KD has been KD, Serge has actually been the star of the last 20 games IMO, but RW is just so inconsistent offensively. I would LOVE to see him move the ball even more, quit looking for his shot, and focus on ballhandling and awesome defense. I think if he did that this team would jam right into overdrive. Not saying he shouldn't score ... but he needs some damn CP3 lessons. He could cement a spot in the HOF if he'd learn to let his shot go and focus otherwise. As it stands this team is a sine wave of offensive success based on if his shot is dropping.

Tough game against Houston. But the rockets' post injuries are going to hurt them in this game. To me that will decide the game in favor of OKC if the Thunder don't let Asik get off for like 20 boards.

As for Western Conference playoff spots:
Clips
OKC
Spurs
Lakers
Grizz
Warriors
Nuggets
Rockets or Jazz. I figure Rockets.

Lol

 

[stoops4pres]

watched every game possible. they ended up big at the end but took many a dive during the contest. got to the point where you knew if someone wasn't on like donkey kong in the 4th they would have problems pulling it out.

The lakers game was the real exception. They just came out and whooped their purple azzes.

I disagree, you should include more games than just the Lakers. During the streak, they beat the Bobcats by 45 (yikes), Jazz by 12, Rockets by 22, Hornets by 21, Pacers by 11, and Spurs by 14. All were substantial leads before the 4th quarter started.

 

[bocabull]

I understand where Coolm is coming from and he's correct. He's not interested in winning a bunch of games only to have holes that are exploited in the playoffs once again.

Thunder are the same jump shooting team that will have trouble executing in crunch time vs the elite teams. They really are a spitting image of the original Dirk Mavs before Tyson Chandler & Jason Kidd.

Coolm is looking down the road and not getting excited about every win knowing its a completely different ballgame after the pretenders are eliminated.

 

[stoops4pres]

I understand where Coolm is coming from and he's correct. He's not interested in winning a bunch of games only to have holes that are exploited in the playoffs once again.

Thunder are the same jump shooting team that will have trouble executing in crunch time vs the elite teams. They really are a spitting image of the original Dirk Mavs before Tyson Chandler & Jason Kidd.

Coolm is looking down the road and not getting excited about every win knowing its a completely different ballgame after the pretenders are eliminated.

I don't think many Thunder fans are. My only point was that the Thunder played very well during their win streak--their margin of victory during that span proves it.

And Brooks' propensity to disappear during crucial end-game situations, along with the Heat's perimeter offense, is MUCH more concerning for the Thunder than their inclination to rely on jump shots.

 

[coolm]

I disagree, you should include more games than just the Lakers. During the streak, they beat the Bobcats by 45 (yikes), Jazz by 12, Rockets by 22, Hornets by 21, Pacers by 11, and Spurs by 14. All were substantial leads before the 4th quarter started.

Did you actually watch those games or do you just look at the final score and think "they kicked their azzes"?

They trounced the Bobcats. no doubt. They tore up Houston as well.

The Hornets? I seem to remember that but for Reggie Jackson coming in to pull their fat from the fire they were getting rolled by NO in the second game. They handled them in the first.

They held on to beat Brooklyn while the Nets were down without a couple of their top players.

The Jazz game? I remember how Kanter and Watson tore their behinds up in the 4th quarter and got it within like 6 or 4 before OKC picked it back up and pulled away. This was another one of those massive homestand games ... OKC had and was playing more homegames than anyone else in the league and the fact they are a jumper team benefited from that. Had they been playing Denver's schedule the OKC fans would be wondering if they could get Harden back.

The Pacers game? I seem to remember a game where OKC was up by ONE at the half and lucky to be there. Scotty read them the riot act at the half and OKC was able to put up a better defensive effort in the second half ... but the Pacers still got it within like 3 or 4 with 5 minutes to play. Had the Pacers any more offense at all then OKC would have been in trouble. Their starters all scored in double figures but they had nothing from the bench. Martin lit it up for 24 and that was OKC's saving grace.

The Spurs game? I thought they showed themselves well in that one ... MUCH better than they did against Sacramento.

Like Boca said I just don't see them as playing at the top of their game right now and the streak games (when they were playing everything at home) weren't that impressive overall IMO.

 

[NickZepp]

Thunder have done a few things I really like on defense better than last year. But overall they haven't played better as a team than they did last year. Just not quite getting enough from some of the role players yet. Martin has played well. Ibaka has improved his overall game and Collison has been solid and Thabo has done his thing. Rest of the bench and role players haven't really done much yet. Maynor hasn't looked the same. It's been the KD and Westbrook show which is really all you need to be a great team. But I would like to see some others step up more. Ibaka needs to continue to improve. We need a guard off the bench to be better.

 

[stoops4pres]

They held on to beat Brooklyn while the Nets were down without a couple of their top players.

The Jazz game? I remember how Kanter and Watson tore their behinds up in the 4th quarter and got it within like 6 or 4 before OKC picked it back up and pulled away. This was another one of those massive homestand games ... OKC had and was playing more homegames than anyone else in the league and the fact they are a jumper team benefited from that. Had they been playing Denver's schedule the OKC fans would be wondering if they could get Harden back.

The Pacers game? I seem to remember a game where OKC was up by ONE at the half and lucky to be there. Scotty read them the riot act at the half and OKC was able to put up a better defensive effort in the second half ... but the Pacers still got it within like 3 or 4 with 5 minutes to play. Had the Pacers any more offense at all then OKC would have been in trouble. Their starters all scored in double figures but they had nothing from the bench. Martin lit it up for 24 and that was OKC's saving grace.

It's the NBA. Opponents frequently go on runs to cut the score down, even when they end up losing handily. A perfect example is the Utah game you briefly recapped: The Jazz cut the Thunder's lead down to 5 points for all of 30 seconds in the entire 4th quarter, then proceeded to oscillate between trailing in double digits (including up to a 15 point lead) for basically the remainder of the game.

I'm not crowning the Thunder as the future champs or anything, but I do think the Thunder deserve more credit for playing the way they did during their streak than what you are giving them. That's fair if you disagree. But if you're going to nitpick the minutia of the Thunder allowing a NBA opponent to actually make a game competitive, rather than seeing the overall picture that they played very well during their 12-game win streak (an extremely difficult task, even if the majority of those games were at home), then you'll continue to be disappointed as a fan.

Did you actually watch those games or do you just look at the final score and think "they kicked their azzes"?

Believe it or not, but I watched the majority of those games.

But the way you are belittling the Thunder's streak makes me want to ask, "Have you actually watched the NBA for a long time and know how these games go, or did you only start paying attention when the Thunder came to town a few years ago, and just think, 'the best teams are never supposed to struggle in the middle of games'?" Instead, rather than not giving you the benefit of the doubt, I will, and just assume you have paid attention to the NBA, but just have higher expectations than most.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

Did you actually watch those games or do you just look at the final score and think "they kicked their azzes"?

They trounced the Bobcats. no doubt. They tore up Houston as well.

The Hornets? I seem to remember that but for Reggie Jackson coming in to pull their fat from the fire they were getting rolled by NO in the second game. They handled them in the first.

They held on to beat Brooklyn while the Nets were down without a couple of their top players.

The Jazz game? I remember how Kanter and Watson tore their behinds up in the 4th quarter and got it within like 6 or 4 before OKC picked it back up and pulled away. This was another one of those massive homestand games ... OKC had and was playing more homegames than anyone else in the league and the fact they are a jumper team benefited from that. Had they been playing Denver's schedule the OKC fans would be wondering if they could get Harden back.

The Pacers game? I seem to remember a game where OKC was up by ONE at the half and lucky to be there. Scotty read them the riot act at the half and OKC was able to put up a better defensive effort in the second half ... but the Pacers still got it within like 3 or 4 with 5 minutes to play. Had the Pacers any more offense at all then OKC would have been in trouble. Their starters all scored in double figures but they had nothing from the bench. Martin lit it up for 24 and that was OKC's saving grace.

The Spurs game? I thought they showed themselves well in that one ... MUCH better than they did against Sacramento.

Like Boca said I just don't see them as playing at the top of their game right now and the streak games (when they were playing everything at home) weren't that impressive overall IMO.

Do u watch anybody buy the thunder? It's the frakin nba

 

[coolm]

Do u watch anybody buy the thunder? It's the frakin nba

I routinely watch OKC, Clips, and Golden State.

 

[bocabull]

Words can't describe how far apart the Thunder and Rockets are, and the gap is only widening. They don't have the horses to keep up.

You better hope the Thunder draw Utah in the first round. The real test of whether OKC can afford an NBA team has begun and the early results aren't promising.

As for the Rockets. They have a great young roster, loads of cap space and a huge market that will allow them to pay whatever they want. The gap is not only closing/closed it's about to flip in the other direction.

 

[playmakr]

You better hope the Thunder draw Utah in the first round. The real test of whether OKC can afford an NBA team has begun and the early results aren't promising.

As for the Rockets. They have a great young roster, loads of cap space and a huge market that will allow them to pay whatever they want. The gap is not only closing/closed it's about to flip in the other direction.

I don't know why I "better hope" anything with the Thunder. Sure, I like to see them do well outside of 2 games a year, which seems reasonable since I've lived here for almost a decade now. What I "hope"for is D Rose shuts it down and waits for next year. Heat and Lebron are playing at too high of level for a slowed/unexplosive Rose to beat them this year. If he can't dunk, he shouldn't be out there.

I just call it like I see it. The Thunder would/will beat Houston 4-1 in a series. They don't have the horses to keep up with them. Neither team may slow the other down much, but the thunder can and will out score them. The disturbing trend for the Thunder is their defensive intensity which could get them beat before finals, but it won't be to Houston. They can simply out score Houston if need be.

Is Houston in a great spot organizationally? Damn right. But let's see the moves Morey makes before I say the gap is closing. These things are never automatic. When you have Durant, Westbrook, and Ibaka locked up, you aren't going anywhere. Can they get over the hump? I don't know. Does being in OKC instead of a bigger city hurt them? Of course. But right now the CURRENT rosters aren't that close to me.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

You better hope the Thunder draw Utah in the first round. The real test of whether OKC can afford an NBA team has begun and the early results aren't promising.

As for the Rockets. They have a great young roster, loads of cap space and a huge market that will allow them to pay whatever they want. The gap is not only closing/closed it's about to flip in the other direction.

Lol you ate such a fool