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Matt Scribbins provides insight and analysis throughout ESPN’s TrueHoop Network at HoopData and Magic Basketball. You can follow him on Twitter @mattscribbins.
By Matt Scribbins
The natural career progression goes something like this: Mr. Basketball → McDonald’s All-American → NCAA All-American → NBA Lottery Pick → setting screens off the bench. What? Thunder forward Nick Collison boasts an All-Star pedigree, but his traditional box score numbers are rather pedestrian. Consider these numbers from the 2010-2011 regular season:
- He scored more than 10 points only five times
- He never recorded more than 10 rebounds in a game
- The former Kansas Jayhawk averaged just 4.6 points and 4.5 rebounds per game this year, but his incredible impact is captured by other measures
Who was Oklahoma City’s best player according to adjusted +/- and rating data? It wasn’t the NBA’s scoring champion. It wasn’t the All-Star point guard, and it wasn’t Serge Iblocka. It was Nick Collison, who recorded just one double-double in the regular season. Heck, his foul total matched or exceeded his point total in 30 regular season games. Find a more ridiculous stat than that for a terrific NBA player.
Now, spend a few minutes trying to guess the identities of Player A and Player B.
I’ll give you some clues:
1. Both players were lottery picks in 2003
2. Both players signed new contracts in 2010
3. Both players currently ball for title contenders
Player A had a slightly better adjusted +/-, but that was it. Player B produced a better rating overall and also had better ratings on offense and defense. Did you guess Player A is LeBron James and Player B is Nick Collison?
Collison’s usage rate is Ben Wallace-esque, and his 10.83 PER doesn’t light up nerd’s spreadsheets. Similar to offensive linemen in football, he makes the essential plays every game that do not show up in the box score. He sets screens, makes proper rotations, and racks up hustle plays. He is often described as a role player for the Thunder, but truthfully, he is more of a role model for the team. The Thunder get it done when Collison is on the floor, and his next step may look like this: → NBA Champion.
if you are a thunder fan who says to get rid of a top 5 PG in westbrook? shut up. and slap yourself after you close your mouth..
@casualdanimal
KD looked worn out at the end of the game.
Did we just purely go cold, or did we not adjust like we needed to. It is hard to believe that we played great for three quarters and then all of the sudden we sucked, there has to be a reason for this beyond Russ hogging the ball and Tony allen playing great defense. Did Tony allen all of the sudden play differently in the 4th?
I just want to make sure that Memphis didn't make an adjustment in the 4th that we didn't respond to
I never said that. Assuming again. KD played bad in the 4th 2
gr8ball83 :@casualdanimal
westbrook or maynor guarding OJ mayo or tony allen or shane battier.
isn't there a mismatch there favoring Memphis?
okc baby :
You guys still look like asses. Even Maynor, Thabo, KD, Perk, Ibaka wouldnt have blown a 13 pt. lead that bad. hahaha
Okay this is what is bothering me, in essence, you are stating that the difference in the outcome lies with one player, russ, and that I don't think is fair or accurate
gr8ball83 :@okc
baby
Maynor was -8 in his 10 minutes. Russ was 0.
hahahaha ok
@casualdanimal
westbrook or maynor guarding OJ mayo or tony allen or shane battier.
@okc baby
Maynor was -8 in his 10 minutes. Russ was 0.
okc baby :
casualdanimal :@okc
I just don’t understand who you want on the court? Personally I wouldn’t want to take off my second best scoring option. From what I gather, I feel like you wanted
Perk
Ibaka
Durant
Thabo
Maynor
You will have a tough time convincing me that that was the lineup that would have won the game
baby
I was thinking more like: Maynor, Westbrook, KD, Perk, Ibaka or Maynor, Harden, KD, Perk, Ibaka or Collison
I think that maynor possibly could have helped, but I couldn't have benched Russ.
But I can't remember if that lineup would have matched up well with what memphis had in those last seven minutes
You guys still look like asses. Even Maynor, Thabo, KD, Perk, Ibaka wouldnt have blown a 13 pt. lead that bad. hahaha
@dylan
I thought he was Traber.
casualdanimal :@okc
I just don’t understand who you want on the court? Personally I wouldn’t want to take off my second best scoring option. From what I gather, I feel like you wanted
Perk
Ibaka
Durant
Thabo
Maynor
You will have a tough time convincing me that that was the lineup that would have won the game
baby
I was thinking more like: Maynor, Westbrook, KD, Perk, Ibaka or Maynor, Harden, KD, Perk, Ibaka or Collison
okc baby :
Assuming makes you look like a ass
So if the assumption was right, do we still look like asses
Every opinion okc baby has is corroborated by Jim Traber. That should tell you something.
casualdanimal :@okc
baby
No, when you talk about not having a quarterback down the stretch, thats obviously the pg position and maynor wasn’t playing down the stretch. So your talking about Westbrook, and in uncertain terms suggesting that there needs to be someone else at the “quarterback” position.
Ar you saying that down the stretch we should have Russ on the bench, maynor at pg and Harden at the 2 or another combination?
I guess your right. Westbrook was the PG that last 7 minutes
I just don't understand who you want on the court? Personally I wouldn't want to take off my second best scoring option. From what I gather, I feel like you wanted
Perk
Ibaka
Durant
Thabo
Maynor
You will have a tough time convincing me that that was the lineup that would have won the game
@okc baby
ChilamBilam12 :
Maynor was to scared to put a ball in the air, let alone lead the team back in the 4th when it was falling apart.. Westbrook played poorly, but there was a lot more to the 4th quarter meltdown then Westbrook.. Maynor is great, but he isn’t ready to lead yet.. and especially not in crunch time
Maynor scared hahahhaah
Plus they were denying Maynor the ball.
Maynor had 10 minutes. He got harden and Cook alot of good shots that they couldnt knock down. A dunk for collison, a steal and got to the line.
@okc baby
No, when you talk about not having a quarterback down the stretch, thats obviously the pg position and maynor wasn't playing down the stretch. So your talking about Westbrook, and in uncertain terms suggesting that there needs to be someone else at the "quarterback" position.
Ar you saying that down the stretch we should have Russ on the bench, maynor at pg and Harden at the 2 or another combination?
Maynor was to scared to put a ball in the air, let alone lead the team back in the 4th when it was falling apart.. Westbrook played poorly, but there was a lot more to the 4th quarter meltdown then Westbrook.. Maynor is great, but he isn't ready to lead yet.. and especially not in crunch time
@okc baby
you betcha
Maynor definitely should have been in last game. We would have won.
Assuming makes you look like a ass
@okc baby
considering you're always begging for Maynor to play over Westbrook, it seemed implied
@Jax Raging Bile Duct
You and I agree, then. I still think James was the best option even though he wasn't playing well. He needs to learn to work through his difficulties and contribute when the team needs him. If nothing else, he is an effective decoy.
gr8ball83 :
okc baby :
We need a PG that can control the offense down the stretch.
okc baby :
Not one that creates chaos.
And so.....hahha You think Russ cant be that guy
okc baby :
We need a PG that can control the offense down the stretch.
okc baby :
Not one that creates chaos.
gr8ball83 :@okc
baby
I think its funny that you want to get rid of Westbrook.
I think its funny how you make shit up. I never said that
John :@Jax
Raging Bile Duct
Then who do you replace him with? Cook was a defensive sieve and wasn’t hitting his shot.
I guess that's my point - James has to shed that rep and play well in big moments. Thabo is not going to his a shot, and if James and Cook aren't hitting, then one of those three is going to have to force the issue. Thabo can't do it, Cook can't force anything, that only leaves James - he has to do it.
I don't blame Brooks for benching James, but coming back with Thabo didn't help in the least. If Maynor was on, you could have come back with him and Russ, but he was just as bad. You could have moved KD to the 2 and gone big, which would have probably helped us gather more than 1 offensive rebounds in the last 14 minutes of the game. But Brooks goes back to playing the worst player on the court in crunch time, and it killed us.
@okc baby
I think its funny that you want to get rid of Westbrook.
Not one that creates chaos.
@ChilamBilam12
Probably still making more of the "scuff" the two got into during a timeout a couple of games ago, just like the analysts were doing during the game, making something out of nothing.
We need a PG that can control the offense down the stretch.
@John
at least cook is a threat to hit a shot. its like a smoke screen. when thabo's on the floor, there is no smoke.
Jax Raging Bile Duct :@John
I’d play James 10 times out of 10 instead of Thabo, at any point in the game. Sure, we have the best player on the floor in KD, but we also have the worst player on the floor in Thabo.
I’m just saying that I don’t blame Brooks for benching James, because he was playing really poor. The Grizz were benefiting more from James’ play than we were. At that point, you have to take him out.
I agree he wasnt contributing enough on offense and was getting destroyed by Mayo. Thabo was the better option. We just didnt have a quarterback.
DavyTheWise :@Jax
Raging Bile Duct
In the end it all comes down to performing in the chances you get, no doubt. The relativity between westbrook’s leniency from the coaches in his tenure compared to hardens is really the issue i’m getting at.
Completely agree. Russ get's too much leash, James doesn't get enough. And I value Maynor over Thabo by quite a bit, which is even more frustrating.
I can say from the people I know, some being VERY close, there's absolutely no locker room problem. It's just speculation and an assumption by lazy media members.
@Jax Raging Bile Duct
Then who do you replace him with? Cook was a defensive sieve and wasn't hitting his shot.
Jim Rome Show:
Rome: "who is the biggest threat to come out of the West"
Analyst: "gotta go with Dallas at this point, they're playing excellent basketball. Memphis is looking great, but i don't see them overpowering Dallas, and OKC is experiencing locker room problem between Durant and Westbrook."
I hate when analyst throw out unsubstantiated opinion instead of doing their job by "analyzing".. no where have i read that the two are having locker room issues, and yet he throws it out like its some understood fact
@Jax Raging Bile Duct
In the end it all comes down to performing in the chances you get, no doubt. The relativity between westbrook's leniency from the coaches in his tenure compared to hardens is really the issue i'm getting at.
@John
I'd play James 10 times out of 10 instead of Thabo, at any point in the game. Sure, we have the best player on the floor in KD, but we also have the worst player on the floor in Thabo.
I'm just saying that I don't blame Brooks for benching James, because he was playing really poor. The Grizz were benefiting more from James' play than we were. At that point, you have to take him out.
@Jax Raging Bile Duct
Can we really afford to bench James for Thabo down the stretch when we are obviously having trouble scoring? I think Thabo has his value but it definately isn't creating offense. Even if James hasn't played well earlier in the game, doesn't he have to be in to command at least some of the defense's attention and allow Kevin and Russ more room to operate?
ChilamBilam12 :
Where is this talk about Durant and Westbrook having locker room problems coming from?.. i’ve heard 2 different analysts say it on ESPN today including the Jim Rome show, but neither has elaborated at all.. i hope its just ignorant conjecture
I haven't heard anything like that from a primary source... but hopefully its just conjecture (good wordage sir)
@DavyTheWise
James is getting the chances - that's what I'm saying. He plays plenty of minutes, and he didn't deserve to play the minutes he did play in Game 3. James didn't do anything for the first 3 quarters other than watch OJ Mayo score at will. I'd have benched him too.
I get what you're saying about the leash the Russell gets vs the leash that Harden gets. I'd bench Russell a heck of a lot more than Brooks does, but I can't blame Brooks in the least for benching James on Saturday.
You've said twice that he isn't getting the opportunities, and I'm saying that he is, and he's not doing anything with them.
@John
It calmed my nerves a bit to watch KD's post practice interviews, he looked confident and loose.
cdub00 :
Now I am just waiting for Justin to find some obsure stat that “proves” that Harden is still our savior. lol
It doesn't have to be that obscure does it? When James plays well, we win. When he doesn't, we generally lose.
He's the 2nd or 3rd most important player on the team.
Where is this talk about Durant and Westbrook having locker room problems coming from?.. i've heard 2 different analysts say it on ESPN today including the Jim Rome show, but neither has elaborated at all.. i hope its just ignorant conjecture