Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images
So the All-Star Game was five days ago, but this just too good not to share. I’m not exactly sure what Russell Westbrook keeps in his shoes that allows him to fly, but in the sweet name of James Naismith, can he get up. Westbrook said that he dunks too angry, which is why he misses sometimes. Stay mad, Russ. Stay mad. One more picture after the jump. Click to embiggen.
Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE/Getty Images
Is this NOTTT PROOOOOFFF that OKC needs a True point guard to PASS the ball to the BIG 4!!!!! LETS GO REGGIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
should of said "top photo"
look at both these photos...Westbrook just explodes so quick that not one person in the crowd even looks like they know whats about to happen....HECK!! Cee Lo Green (bottom photo sidelines seats, i think thats him?) looks like he's asleep...so quick, so atheletic. just a beast!
@royceyoung way to use embiggen royce! I was writing something the other day and thought about using it too... its a perfectly cromulent word! it will make its way into the dictionary one day... a quality daily thunder article embiggen's the smallest man!
OT, but a controversial statement that I actually believe:
Blake Griffin will never be a better basketball player than he was his rookie season. discuss.
@andrew35 false, look at his per36, they are basically identical to last year
@andrew35 ??? False?
What do you think he will get better at? I can see an argument for defensive improvement...
There is very little to suggest he is improving as a jump shooter or FT shooter. And he will always be limited by his height when it comes to developing and executing post moves. He is playing with the best pure PG in the game this year and his numbers have remained the same as last years... His game is still based off of pure athleticism.
@SammyThunderer and its not abnormal for slight regression in 2nd year players
@andrew35 Learning to play smarter D isn't a small development. He's already been a more efficient scorer this year than he was last year. He may never develop a great jump shot but it's not a stretch to think it'll improve from where it is now.
not to mention I think he will have a short career due to his style of play...
embiggen?
@Barry Amenema it's a word
@f5alcon
Embiggen, the fauxcabulary word created for an episode of The Simpsons, has found its way into string theory. Here's the usage from a recently published paper on Gauge/gravity duality and meta-stable dynamical supersymmetry breaking:
http://arxiv.org/pdf/hep-th/0610212
@f5alcon that's so cray
@f5alcon @4razr its a perfectly cromulent word!
@4razr yeah, it isnt a dictionary word, but pop culture creates new words, and phrases, sometimes in scary ways, like jersey shore.
@f5alcon
I always take is as a pop-culture inside joke when I see Royce use it...
@f5alcon A perfectly cromulent word (for string theorists and Simpsons fans.
@Barry Amenema @f5alcon
D'oh! beat me to it...
Shoals on Beard:
http://www.gq.com/blogs/the-q/2012/03/james-harden-this-seasons-other-breakout-star.html
Wow, some egregious errors in that piece.
@SammyThunderer That article was bad enough to make me avoid ever clicking on another Shoals piece. Simply awful.
@andrew35 It's too bad, though, cause I really liked the last three graphs.
@SammyThunderer back up jeff green? joined the starting lineup? and of course the fact that lin is not eligible for MIP
@SammyThunderer "slated to backup OKC stalwart Jeff Green" lol
Hollinger
"You know who [playoff experience] does matter for, though? Coaches. The same study found each additional postseason game for coaches to be worth about .014 added postseason wins. It had always seemed to me that guys like Gregg Popovich, Doc Rivers, Stan Van Gundy and Rick Carlisle became better playoff coaches after they'd been through a couple of rodeos; apparently there's a basis for this. This same study also means there's hope yet for Mike Brown and Mike D'Antoni."
Hope for Brooks yet?
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/page/PERDiem-120302/nba-state-basketball-analytics
So why are all the analysts cutting Denver so much slack for missing players to injury? I thought their team was so awesome because everyone of their players is a "starter". Where's the 'next man up' mentality?
@sammasaaron Denver is GOOOD esp if Wilson Chandler plays soon.... If they get healthy for the playoffs THEY ARE SO DEEEEP.. They got 9 guys who score over 15 points a game all the time
@HustleGoHarden @sammasaaron I think that's what was said about them last year too.....
@dancassidy35 @sammasaaron lol its still TRUE watch out !!
If Russel takes his first BREAK in the PAST 3 YEARS.. we will get to see KD take maybe TWICE THE SHOTS as normal.. Could get INTERESTING
@HustleGoHarden 82?
@Remify HaHAA lets see it
My question is how come we didn't foul in the final 3 sec up 3, they almost frecking made it.
@Remify good point... i didnt even think about it.. That is just them being lazy i guess
We NEED Harden to score when KD has to rest
wont happen just let KD shoot every single shot
If Russ has to miss a game or two I think we have to put James in the starting lineup. Don't think we can produce enough/any offense otherwise.
@andrew35 Ugh. Thinking of optimal rotations without Russ is making my head hurt. I'm firmly in the camp that say play RJ as many minutes as you can stomach and give him every opportunity to continue to develop and turn the corner, but if Russ has to sit it'll be the first time all season I'll really miss Maynor.
@SammyThunderer Losing Russ for an extended period of time would hurt this team worse than losing Durant, imo. Scotty would have to create and run actual plays without Russ to lean on.
@SammyThunderer @andrew35 Reggie just needs to work on defense... PG like Rose and CP can really make him look DUM.. JUST cause hes a ROOK
@HustleGoHarden @SammyThunderer @andrew35 Rose and CP3 make most people look dumb
@HustleGoHarden @andrew35 I actually think his D's been pretty decent.
yeah our back up PGs arent bad just not great defenders esp Reggie being new to the NBA
If Russ can't play, who starts. I say Royal
@dancassidy35 That just makes me cringe that Ivey is our best option right now. Any news on Russ?
@Remify https://twitter.com/#!/dailythunder/status/175635728670261248
Straight from the chief
@Remify @dancassidy35 They should have taken him out when he sprained it. Probably aggravated it, trying to play through it.
@dancassidy35 Damn it. For some reason the twist in the Warriors game looked worse, he played the next game though. Now maybe because its the same ankle they will be more cautious?