The NBA Playoffs/Thunder/Blake Thread

[OUHoops]

That didn't take long.

http://newsok.com/article/4744890/?no_cache=1

Headline over Kevin Durant story missed the mark
by Mike Sherman Published: May 1, 2014

We take great pride in our headlines about big sporting events and news in Oklahoma. Thursday’s headline in The Oklahoman on Kevin Durant’s performance in the Memphis series missed the mark.

The words were overstated and unduly harsh. The headline and presentation left the impression that we were commenting on Durant’s season, career or even character. We were not. We were referring only to the Memphis series.

The fact the headline and presentation left that impression with so many readers is proof that we failed.

 

[AdaSooner]

Isn't Sherman the one who approves the headlines in the first place? Moral of this story: Think before you insert your foot in your mouth the next time!

I knew the headline wasn't for KD's performance during the regular season. Only a fool would think that. IMO, he did more than enough to earn POY honors. Still, that doesn't change the fact that his subpar performances in the last three games has put the Thunder behind the eight ball in the series with Memphis.

To have any chance of winning tonight's game, the Thunder's best player will have to step up his game and find a way to overcome the physical defense the Grizzlies continue to throw at him. It will be interesting to see if he's up to the challenge.

 

[sperry]

Isn't Sherman the one who approves the headlines in the first place? Moral of this story: Think before you insert your foot in your mouth the next time!

I knew the headline wasn't for KD's performance during the regular season. Only a fool would think that. IMO, he did more than enough to earn POY honors. Still, that doesn't change the fact that his subpar performances in the last three games has put the Thunder behind the eight ball in the series with Memphis.

To have any chance of winning tonight's game, the Thunder's best player will have to step up his game and find a way to overcome the physical defense the Grizzlies continue to throw at him. It will be interesting to see if he's up to the challenge.

It doesn't change the fact that the headline was ridiculous. KD has been spectacular his entire career in the playoffs. He's having a 3 game shooting slump and he's now "Mr. Unreliable"? I know I shouldn't expect better from the nation's worst newspaper, but that headline looked like it was written by a message board poster 10 beers deep and about 5 minutes after the game.

 

[BoulderSooner]

Jump shots are unreliable. Durant is not a miracle worker. If Portland chose Durant over Oden the Thunder would be a pathetic perennial lottery cellar dweller. He is the franchise. Calling him Mr. Unreliable is an unbelievable slight.

with out kd the thunder have green at the 3 and a different center .. still might have harden .. and would be a high seed playoff team ..

 

[AdaSooner]

It doesn't change the fact that the headline was ridiculous. KD has been spectacular his entire career in the playoffs. He's having a 3 game shooting slump and he's now "Mr. Unreliable"? I know I shouldn't expect better from the nation's worst newspaper, but that headline looked like it was written by a message board poster 10 beers deep and about 5 minutes after the game.

Can't say I disagree with you. :ez-laugh: That headline was likely written for effect and to get people riled up. If so, mission accomplished. Looks like it created more of a stir than they bargained for, though. Otherwise, Sherman would not be eating crow by trying to explain the decision to go with that headline in the first place.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

I think anybody with a brain knew that the headline meant for the series. people are dumb

 

[AdaSooner]

I think anybody with a brain knew that the headline meant for the series. people are dumb

Yep. Only a fool would even consider the idea that it was for anything but the Memphis series. The leading candidate for POY honors didn't get there by being "unreliable" during the regular season. I knew exactly what it mean before I read the article.

 

[bocabull]

The headline was deeply disrespectful. I guess the Oklahoman is a tabloid like the NY Post nobody should consider a news organization.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

The headline was deeply disrespectful. I guess the Oklahoman is a tabloid like the NY Post nobody should consider a news organization.

If KD doesn't like it, maybe he should stop standing around jacking threes or missing layups. Do something about it. Somebody that makes millions of dollars a year should be allowed to be criticized. People complaining have obviously not read the article

 

[playmakr]

If Portland chose Durant over Oden the Thunder would be a pathetic perennial lottery cellar dweller.

Obviously that was a major break, but do you really think they would be in the lottery with Westbrook, Harden, Ibaka, Jackson, and whatever they can get between the difference in Harden and Durant's deal?

I mean they would still have two of the top 10ish players in the league

 

[jerry]

Bad headline, but if I'm starting a franchise I take Lebron over KD because he is a more complete player not just a scorer.

 

[playmakr]

Bad headline, but if I'm starting a franchise I take Lebron over KD because he is a more complete player not just a scorer.

Yea you and 99% of everyone else.

 

[BoulderSooner]

The headline was deeply disrespectful. I guess the Oklahoman is a tabloid like the NY Post nobody should consider a news organization.

disrespectful? give me a break

 

[152219]

It doesn't change the fact that the headline was ridiculous. KD has been spectacular his entire career in the playoffs. He's having a 3 game shooting slump and he's now "Mr. Unreliable"? I know I shouldn't expect better from the nation's worst newspaper, but that headline looked like it was written by a message board poster 10 beers deep and about 5 minutes after the game.

These are Durant's shooting percentages in the playoffs in his career (is what he shot during the regular season)

FG%
.350 (.476)
.449 (.462)
.517 (.496)
.455 (.510)
.400 (.503)

3P%
.286 (.365)
.339 (.350)
.373 (.387)
.314 (.416)
.286 (.391)

Not surprising the one year he had a great shooting % in the playoffs was the year the Thunder made the Finals. The other years he has significantly shot the ball worse in the playoffs than in the regular season.

 

[SoonerBounce13]

I can't stand it. Can't turn on the radio. can't go to facebook. Everywhere i turn people are complaining about this headline and didn't even read the article. People are actually wanting to put signs in their yards to boycott the oklahoman lol

 

[Ham]

If Portland chose Durant over Oden the Thunder would be a pathetic perennial lottery cellar dweller.

Look, I'm a Celtic fan, but that's completely obtuse. If they had drafted Oden, they'd have cut him and later had room to keep Harden.

So it's conceivable they'd still have two All Stars on this team, not to mention Serge Ibaka and solid role players like Thabo and Collison.

Four straight OT games...all this BS hand-wringing, and a couple of bounces here or there and OKC wins this series 4-1 as we speak.

Yeah, you're right in your analysis otherwise, about jump-shots, etc.
But to pretend that this team is KD and nothing else and revising history to include Oden over Durant but ignoring all the rest is nothing short of silly.

 

[Ham]

I think the headline was typical crap from the Oklahoman.

That said, the idea that they'd apologize for it can only mean one thing.

They thought they'd gamble and increa$e intere$t with a $plashy headline...

That is, until it appeared they'd be losing advertisers or subscribers.

Like everything else, it's all about money. It's not about respect or any of that nonsense. For that horrific rag of a newspaper and every other one, it's all about money.

If the readers agreed with the headline, disrespectful or not, nothing happens. As with Donald Sterling. such is the free market at work.

 

[bocabull]

The headline and article could have been 95% identical swapping out "Mr. Unreliable" with "Time for KD to be MVP" and would have been fine.

MVPs step up in elimination games. It's a novice conclusion to label a player Mr. Unreliable after 5 games of an unfinished series.

Tonight is winning time and all that matters. The Oklahoman deserves all the criticism they receive for such shoddy journalism. Durant is a class act but after he drops 40 tonight it would be funny to hear him say Tramel knows as much about basketball as he does good haircuts. Nothing!!!

 

[jmizzy4ou]

these are durant's shooting percentages in the playoffs in his career (is what he shot during the regular season)

fg%
.350 (.476)
.449 (.462)
.517 (.496)
.455 (.510)
.400 (.503)

3p%
.286 (.365)
.339 (.350)
.373 (.387)
.314 (.416)
.286 (.391)

not surprising the one year he had a great shooting % in the playoffs was the year the thunder made the finals. The other years he has significantly shot the ball worse in the playoffs than in the regular season.

hmmmmmm.....

 

[sperry]

Why is it surprising that a guy's field goal percentage goes down when he plays every game against playoff level teams instead of the normal NBA schedule?


Because aside from his first year in the playoffs, and his 5 games of this series which are 11 of the 59 playoffs games he's played, his shooting percentages are not dipping precipitously from his regular season totals, and are quite solid.



So yes, I'm in agreement with you. Kevin Durant usually shoots well, but slightly less than his regular season averages, against the stiffer competition in the playoffs.