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Durant and Westbrook named to All-NBA teams

by Royce Young on May 24, 2012 at 1:29 pm 522 Comments

For a third straight year, Kevin Durant has been named to the NBA’s first team All-NBA squad.

He’s joined by LeBron James, Chris Paul, Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant.

Durant, who has been named to three straight All-Star teams and won three straight scoring titles, finished as runner-up to LeBron James for the MVP.

Russell Westbrook was named to the second team with Tony Parker, Blake Griffin, Kevin Love and Andrew Bynum. Westbrook received five first team votes.

The third team is Rajon Rondo, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler and Dirk Nowitzki.

Westbrook, who could’ve now been eligible for the Rose Rule extension bump had he not waived it, has a strong case to be on the first team. He had probably his best season, finished fifth in scoring, and grew into one of the best three or four scorers in the game. Hard to remove CP3 or Kobe to insert Russ, but he certainly has a case.

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Jooseppi
Jooseppi 5pts

http://www.dailythunder.com/2012/05/friday-bolts-5-25-12/

Thunderbuzzy
Thunderbuzzy 5pts

Is it Sunday yet? I hate the long layoff! Let's get this WCF underway already!!

T-Fred
T-Fred 5pts

 @Thunderbuzzy tomorrow we all can watch Boston vs 76ers game 7 

Thunderbuzzy
Thunderbuzzy 5pts

 @tydude That's true. That series has been pretty interesting. Just seems to me as if Boston can thrash them when they bring the energy. Unfortunately they are so old they don't have a lot of that left.

bmuelle22
bmuelle22 5pts

 @Thunderbuzzy  @tydude i knew they weren't going to close the series out on the road in philly...they were like 2-10 on road close out games...well now 2-11

 

they will take game 7 at home only to run out of gas in the finals to LeBron and Wade...and i guess the rest of the heat team...if you can call it that lol

bmuelle22
bmuelle22 5pts

 @tydude  @Thunderbuzzy Boston put a beatdown on the 76ers

Tronchaser
Tronchaser 5pts

I tell you guy/gals this.  How many times have we seen this team down and given up on them? I know I have more than a couple of games.  And wouldn't you know it, they've clawed their way back in it and found a way to pull out a win.  I went to Midwest City High School waaaay back in the late 80's.  We had this thing called "Bomber Magic".  Sometimes, you just gotta believe at the end of the game, our boys will find a way to pull it out.

 

Of course, they may not. But I for one, am not going to give up on them because they face the daunting challenge of beating the Spurs.

 

Isn't this, as fans, what we live for?  To see our team overcome adversity and return home victorious?

 

I'm already planning a trip to the airport.

ThunderChick2010
ThunderChick2010 5pts like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @Tronchaser Preach it, Tronchaser!  (With you in one ear and Jax in the other, I'm going to need some kind of bipolar medication before this is all over.)

aise0603
aise0603 5pts

 @Tronchaser 

We're better than the Spurs.  When we win in 6, it won't be an upset.

T-Fred
T-Fred 5pts

I think Royce Young is probably getting ready to head to San Antonio 

bmuelle22
bmuelle22 5pts

Even if we steal game one i'm still thinking we are losing this series...obviously i want to win BUT...

 

* Popovich is going to make adjustments for game 2 and the rest of the series to stop us

* Laker's did the same thing after the beatdown they took game one and honestly they could of very well been up in the series 3-2...i'm not saying mwp is right about the lakers being better but still this series was a lot closer then 4-1.

 

I think stealing game one is basically going to be the difference of us going 5 games or 6-7.

 

Anyone saying Thunder in 5 or less is...well...lets just say we aren't stealing 2 games on the road in SA

Keith00
Keith00 5pts

 @bmuelle2112 I think game 1 decides the series. If we can't catch them off guard with a new wrinkle or focus that they aren't already prepared for, they will win. And if they win game 1, they definitely aren't going to lose game 2 when they are better prepared and at home. I think the crowd will still have to legitimately steal game 3 or 4 for us, and we will have to play a near perfect game to keep home court. Same with game 5, I don't see us winning on the road any game but the first.

 

If we win, we win in 6 at home by playing three near perfect games and stealing one at home. If we lose game one, I only see the series going 5 games. We won't beat the Spurs in San Antonio and I think a 2-0 lead will cause mental breakdowns in game 3 or 4 that give away our advantage at home.

bmuelle22
bmuelle22 5pts

 @Keith00 I can see us taking 2 of 3 games at home if we go 6 games but I don't see us sweeping all three games at home...Obviously sweeping all three games at home is the only way I see us winning this series because I do not see us winning anymore then 1 game on the road...

 

obviously I hope i'm wrong

T-Fred
T-Fred 5pts like.author.displayName 1 Like

Time for Thunder Up Anthem from KJ 103 http://www.kj103fm.com/player/?mid=22123519&station=KJYO-FM&program_id=HouseBand.xml&program_name=podcast

Jooseppi
Jooseppi 5pts

It won't happen, but I'd feel differently about how this series would go if they came out with a Russ-Harden-Sef-KD-Collison starting lineup.

aise0603
aise0603 5pts

 @Jooseppi I've read a lot about how they should move Sef to the bench to mirror Ginobili's minutes. 

ThunderChick2010
ThunderChick2010 5pts

If anyone is interested . . . I read in the morning paper that Jenni will be on ESPN (Outside the Lines) at 2pm today.

Thunderbuzzy
Thunderbuzzy 5pts

 @ThunderChick2010 Carlson?

ThunderChick2010
ThunderChick2010 5pts

 @Thunderbuzzy yes

ThunderChick2010
ThunderChick2010 5pts

 @Thunderbuzzy Not a big fan either--just thought some might be interested for the Oklahoma tie.

Thunderbuzzy
Thunderbuzzy 5pts

 @ThunderChick2010 I don't much care for her lol I am an OU fan but I just hated the way she threw that poor kid at OSU under the bus in her article. And even worse the way she handled herself after "the rant"

 

I hold grudges too bad I guess. But when someone does that they lose credibility to me. And credibility is the only thing that separates a good writer from a hack that works for Yahoo.

ThunderBelize
ThunderBelize 5pts

Skip - "Spurs go as Manu goes."  Think about that for a second... nah... it's Skip talking... LOL! Disregard... (feel free to flag this post!!)

Lost Ones
Lost Ones 5pts like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @ThunderBelize he's so behind on the times most of the time its embarassing.

Thunderbuzzy
Thunderbuzzy 5pts

 @Lost Ones  @ThunderBelize Considering Manu has played like junk so far in the playoffs and the Spurs have swept two series in a row lol he knows nothing of basketball

Tronchaser
Tronchaser 5pts like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 3 Like

Where are the Memphis Grizzlies when you need them? Didn't they know their sole point of their existence was to eliminate the Spurs from the playoffs to clear a path for our eventual championship?

 

Shame on the Grizzlies for letting me down.

ThunderChick2010
ThunderChick2010 5pts like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @Tronchaser I think their mammoth Game 1 collapse was THE CALL for them.

Tronchaser
Tronchaser 5pts

 @ThunderChick2010 I think you may be right.

todayisbananas
todayisbananas 5pts like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 3 Like

I just finished a workout, so I have to walk around with my arms flared so everyone will know.  I'm now going to sit down with my protein shake and read the bolts.  With my arms flared.  Bolts, please.

aise0603
aise0603 5pts

 @todayisbananas 

Sounds like you aren't getting your lunch handed to you today. (is that a good thing or a bad thing?)

todayisbananas
todayisbananas 5pts

 @aise0603 Good question. This will require some thought...

ThunderBelize
ThunderBelize 5pts

@Royce... Daily Bolts??!?!? you're killing us... not practice report wed or thursday... 2 more sleeps!

T-Fred
T-Fred 5pts

 @ThunderBelize they didn't have practice yesterday Thunder usually posted Practice recaps on the website 

Thunder S
Thunder S 5pts

In my opinion, the key to the series will be whether Russ can turn it up a few notches on defense. In the game where TP went off, the gameplan was clearly to turn TP into a scorer, and he obliged. Russ is a good athlete, but as Zach Lowe pointed out in his preview, he can get jumpy or over aggressive on the pick and roll. You have to be sound in your positioning against the spurs. Also, as coach nick pointed out, he had a lot of mental breakdowns in the game where the spurs went up by 27. If Russ can turn it up on a notch, playing smart, sound, but relentless D on TP, and we can stay home on shooters - a tall task no doubt, but one that may be aided by Mo Cheeks in this time to prepare- then i think that is the one variable no one has thought about yet.  Not that we have seen this consistently from Russell, but maybe he will rise to the challenge. 

Thunder S
Thunder S 5pts like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 4 Like

haha skip bayless says he might come to okc game 3. Stephen a smith told him to get bodyguards lol.

todayisbananas
todayisbananas 5pts like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @Thunder S Skip and Barkley should parade through Thunder Alley in the Pope-mobile. 

Jooseppi
Jooseppi 5pts

Thunder didn't have to play that great to beat LA or Dallas. Same with Spurs for the Clips and Utah. 

Both teams will have to play great to win this series.

I think it's more likely the Spurs do.

shiki
shiki 5pts

i dont care whether spurs are unbeatable,I just want thunder games

Jax Raging Bile Duct
Jax Raging Bile Duct 5pts like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 4 Like

Some of the opinions I read on this board about this upcoming series have me puzzled and shaking my head. I don't mind if you think we can win the series - that's what being a fan is all about. I don't mind if you compare player to player matchups and feel like the Thunder have an advantage at several - again, that's what fans are supposed to do. And I hope the Thunder do win the series. I think the Spurs win it in 5 games, and I'll be impressed if we push it to 6.

 

But I don't understand this business of calling the Spurs offense gimmicky, or this idea that the Spurs are built for regular season success and not playoff success. Those two ideas couldn't be further from the truth. The Spurs run as much PnR as any team in the league and they move the ball around a hedge or a double team better than anyone. There is nothing gimmicky about that at all. They hit 3's because the shooters are always set and wide open and in their spot. They are great in transition, excellent at paint penetration, excellent at ball movement, good in the low post, great beyond the arc. They have no offensive weakness. Their bench play is so quality that their whole 2nd team could compete for the 8th seed in the West.

 

And they're so mentally tough and veteran and well-coached that they are perfectly suited for the playoffs. You've got a well-oiled offensive machine hitting on all 8 cylinders and they haven't even hit their high gear yet (they will once Manu plays like Manu). They're so good right now that Blair can't even see the floor. Imagine that luxury?

 

I think the only way the Thunder win a game against the Spurs is to turn our defense up as high as it can go and hope everyone is hitting the shots they're getting (especially Russell's midrange and at least one guy from deep). Our perimeter defense is suspect most of the time, so that ball movement can really hurt us. We do happen to be pretty good at defending the types of things the Spurs like to do, but to do so consistently, against the first and second teams, is a tall order.

 

4razr
4razr 5pts

 @Jax Raging Bile Duct

 It is indeed a tall order. It's also a huge clash of styles. The Spurs have a purpose and a plan to everything they do. Their offense is built to take the most efficient shots in the game, those around the basket and from beyond the arc. They also make them at an excellent clip, leading to the most efficient offense in the league. The Thunder are the antithesis of this, as many have pointed out, relying on shots such as the midrange jumper that are among the least efficient, and depending a great deal on isolation, which also has a lower reward (in spite of improvement in this area). What the Thunder have done is to become very efficient with the most difficult shots in the game, leading the the second-most efficient offense. What has been said about playoff basketball is that everything on the offensive end becomes more difficult. What has been said specifically about the Thunder is that they will have difficulty executing at a high efficiency in the playoffs because they rely on the most diifficult shots and have nothing systematic to fall back on. We'll see if this is true. But it remains an anomaly to me that a team that has no inside offensive force (from the front line) and no consistent 3-point attack can put together such an efficient offense. It's a real testament to the unique physical tools and skill set of the Thunder players that they have been able to succeed with this combination. For me, this clash of styles is one of the compelling plotlines of the Finals.

ThunderChick2010
ThunderChick2010 5pts

Ah, the harsh light of day . . . just when I was starting to feel pretty good about this.  (Can't argue with anything you're saying.)

aise0603
aise0603 5pts like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @Jax Raging Bile Duct 

It sounds like you are responding to my post because I think I am the one that called them 'gimmicky'.  We'll see if I am right but I believe that passing teams don't win in long series against long defenses with active hands.  It's completely possible that the Thunder won't be able to slow down this offense but it's also completely reasonable to believe that the Thunder's speed, athleticism and length can force turnovers and disrupt their passing.  If that is the case, the Spurs don't have a plan B.

 

#Thunder_in_6

Jax Raging Bile Duct
Jax Raging Bile Duct 5pts

 @aise0603 You're the one who called it gimmicky, but several others have echoed those same sentiments.

 

In theory, we could play the passing lanes well. But I know our history of help defense, and how our help/recover style feeds the beast that is Spur ball movement. There will be several games where we'll survive on a hope that the Spurs just miss open shots.

Thunderbuzzy
Thunderbuzzy 5pts like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @Jax Raging Bile Duct  @aise0603 The Spurs are a great team. No doubt about that. But what has our Thunder done ever since they moved to OKC? They have exceeded expectations every year. I am not counting them out of anything. At the end of the day the Spurs have all the right ingredients for a title. But at the end of the day the Thunder have a handful of players who can completely take over a game.

 

If I was unbiased and made a prediction I would say the Spurs in 7. But as a Thunder fan among many, we believe we have what it takes. And we do.

Jax Raging Bile Duct
Jax Raging Bile Duct 5pts like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @aise0603 I take very little from our previous meetings with the Spurs. Too small a sample size to infer any significant trends from stats, especially when trying to predict a result.

 

But what this boils down to is execution and adjustments. You say we can adjust to their offensive style. Okay, if the Thunder do get a feel for the Spur PnR and resulting ball movement and they adjust their game accordingly, the Spurs just happen to have a team full of veterans with high IQ along with the best strategic coach in the league sitting on the bench. They're allowed to execute and adjust as well.

 

Our best hope is to find a way to force this game to be a game of athlete vs athlete. With the system the Spurs run, and with the experience and fluidity that the team runs it, I doubt you see us force them into something else.

aise0603
aise0603 5pts

 @Jax Raging Bile Duct 

Right, I agree with you that we've had a horrible history of help/recover style of defense and that plays into the Spurs hands.  But where we disagree is that I think that in a long series, you learn how a team is playing you and you adapt, usually by the end of a series, there aren't many 'open shots.'  That's my hypothesis.  Consider this:

The Spurs are +21 in the first half vs. the Thunder and -13 in the second half for the season.  My suggestion is that the Thunder aren't used to the 'gimmicky' offense at first but as the game goes along, they figure it out.  In a long series, you know it intimately from tip-off.  That's why players like Shaq, Kobe and MJ dominate in the playoffs and players like Paul, Nash and Stockton fall flat.

MissYouCole
MissYouCole 5pts like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

 @Jax Raging Bile Duct "Built for regular season" Only team that have swept both opponents in the playoffs.  There's being a fan and there's being ignorant.  

 

Wholeheartedly agree Jax

aise0603
aise0603 5pts

 @FREE_COLE  "There's being a fan and there's being ignorant."

 

That's really rude.  Why are you insulting me?  I have an opinion, you  have a different opinion.

MissYouCole
MissYouCole 5pts

 @aise0603 I didn't target you, and honestly didn't read your comment at all.  It was a broader comment on fandom as a whole.  

 

And your opinion just seems like it reaches on the wrong side of fandom.  There is absolutely nothing gimmicky about the spurs offense.  Here is their offense.  Duncan high screen for PnR/PnP, with open shooters on the wings.  Work the ball, set up someone for an open shot.  That's not gimmicks.  That's just the best type of basketball there is.  

 

http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/42873/the-san-antonio-spurs-arent-boring

http://www.48minutesofhell.com/series-preview-western-conference-finals-okc-vs-sas

 

We are a long shot in this series, who have to play better than we have yet to beat this spurs team. That's just the way it is

lemonparade4
lemonparade4 5pts

 @aise0603  @FREE_COLE To be fair, there are opinions, and then there are informed opinions...

Jooseppi
Jooseppi 5pts

 @aise0603  @FREE_COLE If I didn't know better I'd say you're the reincarnation of another poster here.

walkerdog
walkerdog 5pts like.author.displayName 1 Like

 @Jax Raging Bile Duct Sound like you been listening to sportscenter a little to much.

Jax Raging Bile Duct
Jax Raging Bile Duct 5pts like.author.displayName like.author.displayName 2 Like

 @walkerdog Haven't watched it weeks. But I have seen the Spurs play. That's all it takes.

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    May 24, 2012 at 7:34 pm

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