Grizzlies vs. Thunder: Game 1 Pregame Primer

I missed most of the game, but from what I saw there was no heart except from KD and Russ, which of course sent Russ into hero mode. Oh well, bounce back game 2.

@Skeletor
Seemed that way to me, too, but officiating wasn't the reason we lost this game. For some reason, this team just doesn't know how to focus and play with intensity until it is forced to by falling behind. I'll say it again, turnovers, poor interior defense and untimely poor defensive rebounding lost this game. The officiating didn't help.

Joey Gladstone :

ATH :
The same idiots

So you’re name-calling, while at the same time telling others who are not name-calling to watch out and bite their tongue because they’ll be banned from the site?

The writers and media people, not any of you guys.

@cs
agree dont want to see durant post up at three point line agree but when russ drives i just wish hed be more of a pg and not a sg

@cs
russell(good decision making) westbrook
James(driving to basket) harden
KEVIN(SHOOTING) DURANT
serge(agressive on O and D) ibloka
Kendrick(hire clifford ray please) perkins

@justin

Fair points, and I wouldn't be bothered if the criticism was this level-headed.

@BANKER918
In reality the choice is between russ trying to shoot a layup with three guys on him or a shot clock violation while we watch durant try to post up at the three point line.

Neither of those things is great.

I know I'm about to sound like a big homer here consider the final FT disparity, but this is was one of the worst officiated games I've ever been to. The crowd was livid. All the bad calls were timely bad calls. WE'd be within 3, making a push, and then bogus charging call on RW or bogus push off on KD. Also, they were allowed to get away with murder on the defensive end, but we would barely nudge them when we were on D and be called for the fouls. This ref tandem was horrible, and I hope to never see them again.

@cs
yeah you can its the pg job the find your shooters when they are open. So youd rather have russ try to shoot a layup with three guys on him, or when he drives keep his head up and find the two time scoring champ wide open. When russ drove the ball allen was dropping off him KD had 8 ft of space between him and his defender.HUMMMM

I would like to see some Maynor/Westbrook backcourt time in game 2. What do you guys think?

@ATH

He has not had a good post season, and he's shooting too much for sure. His lack of elite point guard instincts (or, even 'good' PG instincts) hurts him more than any of the other top five PG's in our offense against a good defense...

ATH :
The same idiots

So you're name-calling, while at the same time telling others who are not name-calling to watch out and bite their tongue because they'll be banned from the site?

ATH :@Joey
Gladstone
No, but Royce took measure earlier in the season to cut down on trolls, so. Watch out, is all I’m saying.

Excuse me, but watch out for what exactly? Stating my opinions that you disagree with equates to trolling? If anything, Royce should worry about posters who try to chase other posters off his website just because they don't agree with them

The same idiots that think DRose is MVP, Kobe is clutchest, and Jeff Green was our third-best player have convinced Thunder fans Westbrook isn't a good point guard. Haven't we watched him enough to know that it isn't bad just 'cause it looks weird? That he improved his finishing at the rim dramatically this season? That he's won a lot more games for us than he's lost?

Whatever. I calm down when I remember the type of commenters on here who like him and the type who don't. He wasn't great today, but Thunder fans shouldn't buy into the memes.

If this coaching staff does only one thing in the next training camp, can that one thing be installing an actual offensive system? That's where a lot of the turnovers came, because our offense is so reliant on guys getting into the paint. Memphis had it absolutely packed much of the game and so it was a turnover factory when our guys tried to force it in there.

Westbrook got credited with some turnovers that were massive cases on stonehands as well.. the 3 or so times he tried to feed Ibaka or Perk in the low post they would fumble the ball away straight into the hands of Gasol or Randolph.. those are passes you have to come up with in the playoffs

@BANKER918

Cant blame it on russ if KD stands at the three point line like a statue. He couldnt have made it any harder to get him the ball.

ATH :@Joey
Gladstone
No, but Royce took measure earlier in the season to cut down on trolls, so. Watch out, is all I’m saying.

Then why for the love of God is okc baby still an active poster on this board? Lets get him banished as well

reason's for loss
1.russ should never shoot more than KD
2. russ should never shoot more than KD
3.russ should never shoot more than KD
4.russ should never shoot more than KD
5.russ should never shoot more than KD
...........

justin :

ATH :

justin :
The paint killed us but for most of the game the difference was turnovers.

We didn’t give up a lot of points in transition. They repeatedly killed us on the block, in the lane, and off the offensive glass.

The boards were almost equal. 16 ORB to 17 ORB. For most of the game we were shooting similar eFG%. The big difference was OKC 18 TOV, MEM 7 TOV. Memphis had 23 points of turnovers. Sorry, but that’s the difference in the game.
Many of the points of turnovers happened because we got matched up poorly in transition. These aren’t transition points, but they are points off turnovers.

Conceded. Those turnovers just manifested in a lot of their front line destroying ours. Better ball-handling would have given them fewer hacks at the tree.

lol.. ESPN is already questioning our ability to bounce back from this.. all 12 of its analysts picked us to win the series, and they already think it's over after game one huh?.. gotta love the media

@Matt32
Harden should have been starting since the Perkins trade. It is too late to fix that mistake now.

anyone else notice that the blocks we were coming up with were all for nothing.. i'm almost certain if i counted correctly, that all but one of our blocks still turned into points for Memphis because we couldn't come up with the defensive rebound after the fact.. all 4 of Ibaka's blocks were picked up and put back for two.. in total that's about 12 points off what should have been offensive possessions.. huge

@DJ 7
sheesh. well, makes sense. I keep seeing a lot of notes on our turnovers and paint scoring. If we can't shore both of those up we're done for. I don't think game one means we are losing everything, but if we continue to not have an answer for Randolph/Gasol then how are we supposed to win anything?

The theory of having Harden on the floor with Russ and KD is great, but the execution is not. Harden basically plays the same role as Thabo, spotting up outside the 3 point line, and the same plays are run with KD trying to fight through screens. When Harden is left alone, it is almost like Russ is conditioned to not pass him the ball because e is so used to Thabo being there. Harden needs to be utilized as more than just a spot up guy when all 3 are on the court together. The sheer talent of KD, Russ, and Harden have overcome the abysmal offense that is run by Brooks, and it is something that won't fly in the playoffs against superior defensive teams.

Tough loss. Hope we can come back and take game two

We also had the FT advantage most of the way until the end. Yes the defense was not good most of the time, but it was good enough to win this game if the Thunder did not turn it over 11 more times than their opponent.

@boscoe
Russ will be fine when he learns this is not his team. It looks likes he either doesnt know how or when to get KD the ball or chooses to make a bad pass to get the ball back. I hate to say it but he whines more than timmy duncan did, but russ has not earned the respect from the refs it takes to get those calls on a consistent basis. Honestly he wont get those call while KD is out there so why not get him the ball more.

@justin
Brooks is still living off a gameplan built for a team in development.. which in many ways we are.. but he has to stop babying these guys like they can't handle a more effective offensive set.. Brooks got out coached without a doubt, but the team was slow and flat the entire game, and then when they attempted to pick up the pace and play with some tenacity it turned into turnovers and a complete lack of offense entirely.. KD looked anything but clutch, Westbrook as you said, is stuck between trying to create and looking to distribute to players who can't make the shot, and then there's Harden who is either all there or completely out of it.. idk what to think

ATH :

justin :
The paint killed us but for most of the game the difference was turnovers.

We didn’t give up a lot of points in transition. They repeatedly killed us on the block, in the lane, and off the offensive glass.

The boards were almost equal. 16 ORB to 17 ORB. For most of the game we were shooting similar eFG%. The big difference was OKC 18 TOV, MEM 7 TOV. Memphis had 23 points of turnovers. Sorry, but that's the difference in the game.

Many of the points of turnovers happened because we got matched up poorly in transition. These aren't transition points, but they are points off turnovers.

@justin

Perfect example of this is the way Brooks threw Russ under the bus after game 4 of the Denver series. Westbrook has carried us for long stretches this season and more times than not has been our best crunch time scorer, but he does it ugly. When the coach questions him and he tries to change it screws his game up big time.

@justin
Poor defense, offensive rebounds, and turnovers.

justin :
The paint killed us but for most of the game the difference was turnovers.

We didn't give up a lot of points in transition. They repeatedly killed us on the block, in the lane, and off the offensive glass.

The paint killed us but for most of the game the difference was turnovers.

Brooks is horrible for Westbrook's development. I have some hope that Harden will start, there will be a coherent offensive gameplan next season and things will improve. But Brooks just puts him in the worst positions. Watching the Grizzlies move the ball and then Thabo get it and throw it right to a defender, or Perkins travel, or Ibaka throw up a soft brick hook shot right at the rim. What's Westbrook supposed to do?

Then when Harden is in he behaves the same way.

Brooks just doesn't inspire confidence in me the way the lineups and players are handled sometimes.

Joey Gladstone :@ChilamBilam12

Newsflash, you gotta give up something to get a Dwight Howard. Jesus Christ man.

i wasn't arguing against your point bro.. but you give up Westbrook and our starting center to pick up a better starting center.. not an entirely poor trade.. but who's gonna get the ball to Dwight if we don't have a solid option at the point?.. think it through man

@Joey Gladstone

No, but Royce took measure earlier in the season to cut down on trolls, so. Watch out, is all I'm saying.

I said on twitter i wouldnt accept as explanations for the game: 1. Westbrook did _____ wrong 2. Refs 3. "Hustle"

Looks like the paint killed us. I'm not one to panic after one game, but the paint is where Memphis will beat us if they do, and they apparently have thus far. Not a good sign. Perk+Ibaka+Nazr+Nick better wake the hell up.

Harden will have to play well, confident, and actually touch the ball it seems to have a chance at winning this series.

walrusmuse :just got online during my flight form mexico. what the hell? need (if possible) a concise explanation of why we just lost to Memphis again. I only saw last minute, and we missed a defensive rebound off Tony Allen 2 FT misses…WTF?!

We played like shit. Brooks reminded us why Coach of the Year is a shitty award to begin with, and why we need coach who can actually draw up plays. Westbrook tried his best to pass the ball but miscommnication led to maybe 2 turnovers, the rest where him being him. Harden was non-existent but in his defense Perkins got more of the ball than he did. KD let Allen/Battier get to him. We were a two play team of Durant off-ball screen, then if not possible Westbrook drive with 5 on the shot-clock and miss. We relied on foul calls way to much. Played poor unti defense down in the paint as in rebounding, and doubling. Brooks thought Collison would handle Zebo even though he hasn' all year, and should have let Perk play him. He also gave Harden like 26 minutes today. That plus Westbrook almost trying to repeat his 30 shot performance and Memphis playing well came to our loss.

I also think Westbrook's cry baby routine is starting to play against him in a very detrimental way.. he was hacked A LOT going to the basket today, which no doubt resulted in his poor inside shooting.. but the flop after every shot routine is getting old, and the refs aren't going to call a foul every time the guy takes it to the hole.. and where was our 3 point shooting today?.. it seemed like we were trying to beat Memphis at their own game by forcing things inside all day, when we have several players that are more then capable of stretching the floor from the perimeter.. Cook made that big 3 in the second, and didn't see the ball again until the 4th quarter.. your never going to get a guy hitting those shots consistently by only feeding him the ball 3 times a game

@ATH

So censorship is the name of the game on this site?

well this one is over. hope we prepare for game 2 better than game one... or we will get demolished again. have a good one all.

walrusmuse :just got online during my flight form mexico. what the hell? need (if possible) a concise explanation of why we just lost to Memphis again. I only saw last minute, and we missed a defensive rebound off Tony Allen 2 FT misses…WTF?!

We lost because Ibaka was the only front court player who showed up for work today. Perkins had 6 rebounds in 29 min. Nick had 2. Nahzi had 0. We were absolutely destroyed on the defensive glass. To be fair to Perk, he did so much loafing from one end to the other, the was on the wrong half of the court for many of those missed rebounds. Memphis might actually be the better team. They certainly were today.

Westbrook will be fine. This game was more about Scott Brooks and the defense.

@Joey Gladstone

Who are you? Royce may pull your plug if you keep this up.

@ChilamBilam12

Newsflash, you gotta give up something to get a Dwight Howard. Jesus Christ man.

ATH :

Westbrook struggled to finish and handle the dribble, but his decision-making was alright.....

Stopped reading there

walrusmuse :
just got online during my flight form mexico. what the hell? need (if possible) a concise explanation of why we just lost to Memphis again. I only saw last minute, and we missed a defensive rebound off Tony Allen 2 FT misses…WTF?!

that rebound is all you need to know.. horrible in the paint, even worse defense.. Randolph and Gasol combined for 62% shooting from the floor.. Westbrook went hero mode for the entire 2nd half again.. you know, basically everything that needs to happen for us to lose by 10

@Matt32

This post is pretty much spot on.

Westbrook is still adjusting to the speed of the game. Even though he has been playing well he is still raw.