That right there is what you want to look like. Deadly shooters, excellent defense, strong rebounding, an elite 
superstar, top-notch contributing role players and overall awesome team basketball. Bold statement: The Lakers are a good basketball team. I want to be them.
From the opening tip, it was pretty obvious that Los Angeles was here to take care of business. They were focused, they were intense and they were clicking. OKC was in trouble from the get-go. And as someone watching the game, it was apparent early that this was not going to be a Thunder victory. In fact, OKC would be lucky to ever get within 10. So I put the winning thoughts away early and watched for things you could take with you.
- When Kobe was on the floor, the Lakers were +22. When he wasn’t, OKC was only +3. Kobe sat the entire fourth and the Thunder were even with the Lakers. OKC just never took advantage when the best player on the court sat down.
- You can’t fault the Thunder for not trying. The busted their butts tonight. Just nothing went down for them. Kevin Durant was off (4-13 in the first half), Russell Westbrook was scoreless with just one assist in the first half and the team only mustered 38 points at halftime. But to me, it looked like the were working hard. Just things didn’t go right. They gave up 37 first quarter points and the defense was bad, but it was just fundamentally bad. It wasn’t because they were trying. They were just overmatched.
- Maybe the most impressed I’ve been by KD happened with about 1:30 left in the third. Believe it or not, it happened on the defensive end and Durant didn’t even get his hands on the ball. The Lakers were ahead 90-70 and Durant had scored 13 in the quarter and was trying to get his team back in the game. L.A. came down with the ball with Durant on Jordan Farmer. The quicker and smaller Farmer tried to drive baseline but KD cut him off and Farmar backed out. Then Farmar immediately probed KD again and tried to drive. Durant, in an excellent defensive stance with his arms spread wide, cut him off again. Farmar passed it over to Pau Gasol and used Gasol for a screen to shed Durant. Farmar went high to the top of the key and Ariza cut through. Durant and Westbrook communicated perfectly with each other and made a flawless switch and KD picked up Ariza and denied him the ball, trailing him with his arms up. Ariza tried to post KD, but Durant denied him again. It was just obvious watching this whole sequence how hard KD was trying. Down 20 and having an off shooting night, Durant wasn’t going to budge. He wasn’t about to lay down for L.A. His defense has been criticized pretty heavily, but this possession he was textbook. He absolutely worked his tailed off, shuffling his feet, staying low, keeping his arms up and the Thunder paid it off by getting a stop. Plays like this show that he’s committed to being The Man and he’s going to be the superstar we’re dreaming about. Give him another year or two and he’s going to blow our minds.
- Speaking of quality defense, how about Thabo’s effort on Kobe? Two blocks and a forced airball. Bryant had just 19 on 6-18 shooting and never got anything easy. What a sequence when Thabo rejected Kobe at the rim (and I’m talking re-ject-ed) got the ball and led a fast break and capped it off with a saweet behind-the-backish type pass to Jeff Green. I really, really like Thabo Sefolosha.
- Westbrook needs to either start taking his first look or just pass and try again later. He’ll catch the ball in rhythm with an open look at the top of the key, head fake, jab step and then he realizes he’s still open so he’ll go ahead and take the jumper anyway, totally flatfooted and out of rhythm. He’s not a good jumpshooter (yet), and I’m not exactly thrilled about him taking a 22-footer at the top of the key with 18 on the shot clock in the first place, but at least give yourself a chance with it. If he wants to shoot, he needs to be decisive about it. I can almost see the wheels turning in his head. I’m open! SHOOT IT! Oh wait. How would coach feel about this one? Let’s see, 18 on the 24, I’ve got room… there’s rebounders under the glass, but I’m not really hitting my shots and this will make me like 2-8. Oh what the hey. Just chuck it.
- Some of you have been saying Thabo could be a Bruce Bowen-type player, specializing in defense and locking onto the other team’s main guy. But he needs a specialty shot like Bowen’s corner three. On back-to-back possessions Thabo swished open threes from both corners and had 10 points to go with seven rebounds. Another solid game for Blanks.
- It looked to me about halfway through the third, some of OKC’s players were visibly frustrated. They were begging for calls when they were out of control and turned it over. They threw up their arms when they lost the ball out of bounds on a rebound. The hung their heads when they missed an open look. I think the team really wanted to play well tonight. They kind of had this one circled as another, “Look world! We actually don’t suck!” game, but they just weren’t getting it done. And that understandably frustrated them.
- A growing problem with referees is what I’m calling the Reaction Call. A player may fall down on his own and travel with the ball, but because it “looked” bad, the ref blows it dead and calls a bogus foul. It happened to Westbrook once when Derek Fisher just ran out of his shoes and fell. Russ was whistled and he couldn’t believe it. Then minutes later, Westbrook was bumped out front in what looked to be a foul but it wasn’t called. Then Westbrook fell down and started to lose the ball and then the foul was called. Just call it when it happens. Quit waiting to see the result of the non-call that you started to let slide.
- What happened to Uncle Jeff? He carried the Thunder in the first half with 12 points on 5-7 shooting, but just took one shot in the second half. He only played like seven minutes and it just seemed like he disappeared. He had minutes in the fourth so it’s not like something was wrong, it just seemed like he got lost in the game.
- Out of the five key box score stats, the Lakers won three of five again (field goal percentage, three point percentage and turnovers). That makes five straight games L.A. has shot over 50 percent. That’s impressive.
- One thing about Westbrook is that it never really felt like he started forcing it in the second half. Sure he was 2-11 from the field, but I feel like a month ago he would’ve finished this game 3-18. His shot wasn’t dropping and so he did what he’s supposed to – attacked the rim. But instead of putting up tough layups, he slowed himself down and made a couple of really nice passes for easy buckets. He’s learning folks. He really is.
- Kyle Weaver needs minutes. He already looks like one of those smart, savvy veteran players that every good team needs. He made an excellent play doubling Gasol as he tried to spin baseline on Nick Collison, stole the ball and capped it with a slick behind-the-back pass to Collison for an easy two. It seems like he’s always getting his hands on passes or taking a charge. He’s not going to blow you away, but it seems like he’s consistently doing good things.
- I’m choosing not to be mad about tonight’s game. I realize some people probably will be, feeling like the Thunder didn’t show up and didn’t give max effort. And I would understand those qualms. But I feel like they gave great effort and tried their best, but just got whooped but a great team. We’ve seen the Lakers three times this year and I’m convinced they’re the best team in the league.
There’s really no specific reason for losing by 18 to tag to this game. OKC shot just 41 percent and turned it over more than they should, but in the end it was just a superior team asserting itself against an up-and-comer. It was just a schooling. The Laker bench never let OKC remotely back in it (unlike the Thunder in Minny or at home versus the Nets). Maybe OKC could take more from watching what the Lakers did right than watching what the Thunder did wrong.
Back to the road as OKC takes on the Raptors in Toronto on Friday.
I have also appreciated the fact that they have "handed the ball" to Durant in crunch time - I hope they keep doing it . . .
@Keith
Excellent point about Durant's continued development necessitating him being an initiator in crunch time. Couldn't agree more.
I think he is in "score mode" when he gets the ball in crunch time instead of "find the best shot" mode. And those two modes are rarely ever the same (unless he becomes completely unstoppable, which is a pleasant possibility).
I will say though that he is looking to find the open guy on double-teams more and more, which is a great sign of maturity (even Westbrook is doing this more on his careening drives to the basket).
I actually liked seeing the Thabo/Durant ball-handling lineup. Though, as it was mentioned, if we are going big like that, Weaver would be a better choice than Thabo. The reason I liked it is because Durant is going to be forced to play point the better he gets. Just like Lebron, Kobe, and Wade are the real PGs on their team, Durant is going to need PG skills to realize his full potential. In the fourth quarter when we feed him the ball, he needs to start looking at the possession like an initiator, not like his only option is to do it all himself.
They treated us with respect then they whooped us like a red haired step child. The Thunder lost faith cause they're shots weren't dropping and it was all over. (early)
Speaking of reaction calls, how about that trip down the floor where Thabo was gang tackled by about 4 Lakers and there was no call. Maybe I didn't have the right angle, but it looked like the refs couldn't figure out which Laker to call the foul on, so they just skipped the play entirely.
oh...sorry Joe...you just reffered to the lineup I was talking about...my bad...
What did you think of the big man line up we played with?
At one point it was
1. Thabo
2. KD
3. Uncle J
4. Collison
5. Kristic
We played defense well during that point...and it was during the 3rd when Kd started to catch fire a bit...
It was interesting...
@Joe
Totally agree, Joe.
Weaver has more court awareness then the majority of the PG's on our team and even some of the other team's backup PG's. He can handle the ball well enough to run the point as a backup and it would definitely create a defensive advantage to have all of the players on the floor be 6'6 or taller for the lineup that you mentioned.
Plus, we wouldn't have to have two backup PG's eating up roster spots.
I agree with you about the shooters Crow. Most of us here have been calling for a pure shooter to come off the bench since Wally Z was traded. We just haven't had one period. Lots of slashers, no bonafide shooters.
Did you all notice the funky lineup Brooks was toying with? Thabo, Durant, Green, Krstic and Collison. It had Durant and or Thabo handling the ball without a PG. It didn't last long, but in keeping with Royce's note that Weaver could use more minutes, and the fact that nobody is terribly impressed with Atkins, and the rest of this season is about "finding out what we've got", I would like to see Weaver at the one, Thabo at the two, Durant at the three, and then pick your bigs. What I am saying is that Weaver can get minutes at the one, he did it in college.
I have to give credit to Jackson and his staff for the development of Josh Powell. The guy scored in double figures against the Thunder - and it the last few Laker games I have seen, he has had a smiliaar output. This is significant because a played for the Mavericks a few years ago and was a non- factor. He is one of the reasons the Lakers have stayed afloat after the Bynum injury . . . His post game is well- developed - heck the THunder could use that!
Thunder won the 2 Factors on offense that have been their season strength- getting to line and offensive rebounding but FG% and turnovers trumped it big time. Sam has more slashers than shooters and more retrievers (offensive rebounders) than loss preventers (low turnover guys). FG% is job 1 for a team, coach and GM but they are 30th on that. 30th on own turnovers too. Want to be like the Lakers? They've done the easier half of it.
I agree that the Thunder got schooled by a much better team, with the operative word being "team". If OKC learned anything tonight from watching the Lakers play I hope they learned that they need to play smart and share the ball if they are going to be winners. This game was a perfect example of what happens at any level in the game of basketball, when players try to individually "take over a game". Let me be more specific, KD was 4 of 13 in the first half and Westbrook was 2 of 11, that's 23 shot attempts for 12 points total, while giving the ball back to LA for a potential 17 possesions. LA was attacking the basket and getting lay ups or short high percentage shots so OKC quickly was down by 20. All of this at a time when Uncle Jeff was 5 of 7, hustling and playing in rhythm. Royce asks "where did he go?" He went where all good players go when your teammates stop giving you the ball, he disappeared! He only got one more shot the rest of the game. I don't kn0ow about you but my coaches always taught me to keep "feeding the pig" until he's no longer hitting. That's what they needed to do tonight. KD and RW are fantastic talents but neither one of then is a very good team player. Maybe, instead of watching and learning from LA they need to watch Boston a bit more. As the NBA likes to advertise, amazing can really happen when three superstars learn to play together as a TEAM!
@Bernard
And it was a three from straightaway. He really had a nice third. He was trying to take the game over and did a pretty decent job. The team just couldn't get enough stops to get back in the game.
anyone noticed that Durant actually missed only one shot in the third Q?
@Kev
That may be true, but I really feel like he turned up the heat in the second half. I think it's a sign that he's "getting it." Like I keep saying over and over and over, he's just 20 and it will all come together. That possession shows that he can do it and that I think he wants to. And you're totally right, he has the ability and sequences like that leave you wanting more from him. But again, 20.
Royce,
It looks like we both recognized the great defensive possession Durant had in the 3rd quarter . However, I disagree that this played showed he was trying. To elaborate, I know he was trying on THAT play, but he takes too many plays off defensively.
Defensive Insights
1) Thabo and Durant led the way. Both had multiple deflections and blocks. I especially liked Weaver’s play in the 4th after the game had long been decided. Weaver had two deflections. He also forced Sasha Vujacic into a shot behind the goal and then knocked the ball off Sasha’s body out of bounds. He also took a charge. There’s a guy that plays all four (quarters). Thabo had his hands full against Kobe, but he probably played him as well as Shane Battier (a guy who’s gotten lots of pub for the way he contains Kobe). The only defensive “mistake” he made against Kobe was going well underneath a screen (this is something he very rarely does). As a result, Kobe was able to get his feet and hit a three pointer.
2) Durant showed flashes, but in the end it was more of the same. In the 3rd quarter, he blocked a Bryant attempt, and later he raced back to contest a sure two on a Bryant layup (the refs ended up calling a foul on KD). However, he had several lapses in the same quarter. He didn’t block out Trevor Ariza, and Trevor was able to get the offensive rebound and get an extra opportunity for the Lakers. He then went well underneath a screen and made no attempt to get around it. A few possessions later he jumped at Ariza to contest a jump shot, but Ariza saw this and pump faked and dribbled past him. A few moments later he gave up (rather readily) penetration to Ariza. However, he did finish the quarter with his best defensive possession of the game. He picked up a quicker Jordan Farmar on a switch in transition then stopped his penetration, Farmar handed the ball off to Ariza, and instead of staying with his man like he usually does, Durant quickly switched to Ariza and stopped him from penetrating as well. This is the potential that Durant shows on the defensive end – it’s frustrating because it just makes you want more.
3) The inside guys all seemed listless, and they seemed to give up after the Lakers opened up a big lead in the first. All night, the backline rotations, especially on pick and rolls, were either slow or nonexistent.