Billy Donovan Thunder

[80shusky]

Assuming the series occurs, shouldn't OKC be able to kill GS in the paint offensively? Obviously Curry is almost unguardable and is going to get his points but OKC should have size and athleticism in the paint I would think.

 

[EBonz30]

Assuming the series occurs, shouldn't OKC be able to kill GS in the paint offensively? Obviously Curry is almost unguardable and is going to get his points but OKC should have size and athleticism in the paint I would think.

Yea, but the issue is, is that 3 pointers are better than 2 pointers.

 

[superjohn]

You're probably right.. both teams turn the ball over a lot. But OKC has 2 of the best 3 players on the floor at crunch time. Plus their entire rotation is young and they're athletic with more size than the Warriors. The Bogut injury is huge. Hamstrings usually get better later rather than sooner.

Warriors have three pretty good players as well. Should be a great series, the Bogut injury is a concern.

 

[dogfan96]

Warriors have three pretty good players as well. Should be a great series, the Bogut injury is a concern.

No doubt Thompson and Green are very good players but KD/Westbrook are 2 of the 5 best players in the league in my estimation. And the Kanter/Adams duo will be a problem for GS. Should be interesting.

 

[EBonz30]

No doubt Thompson and Green are very good players but KD/Westbrook are 2 of the 5 best players in the league in my estimation. And the Kanter/Adams duo will be a problem for GS. Should be interesting.

Yea, but don't sleep on Thompson and Green, I see both are top 15 players in the league. Plus Warriors bench is way better than OKC.

Warriors will be the favorite and they have every right to be.

Just don't sleep on OKC.

 

[superjohn]

No doubt Thompson and Green are very good players but KD/Westbrook are 2 of the 5 best players in the league in my estimation. And the Kanter/Adams duo will be a problem for GS. Should be interesting.

KD and Westbrook are top 5 but Klay and Draymond aren't too far behind. Klay is the best 2 guard in the league IMO and Draymond is a triple double machine. Should be a classic Western conference finals. Agree with you about Adams and Kanter being a problem for Warriors down low. What's the word on Bogut's injury? They need him.

 

[dogfan96]

Yea, but don't sleep on Thompson and Green, I see both are top 15 players in the league. Plus Warriors bench is way better than OKC.

Warriors will be the favorite and they have every right to be.

Just don't sleep on OKC.

I wouldn't say that.. Kanter and Waiters have been playing great off the bench.. and the GS bench just got shortened by one if Bogut is out or limited.

 

[dogfan96]

KD and Westbrook are top 5 but Klay and Draymond aren't too far behind. Klay is the best 2 guard in the league IMO and Draymond is a triple double machine. Should be a classic Western conference finals. Agree with you about Adams and Kanter being a problem for Warriors down low. What's the word on Bogut's injury? They need him.

All I know is it's a hamstring and those tend to not heal quickly.

 

[EBonz30]

I wouldn't say that.. Kanter and Waiters have been playing great off the bench.. and the GS bench just got shortened by one if Bogut is out or limited.

Yes and I agree, I've been talking about Kanter and Waiters when I open this thread, but when you like at the following....

Livingston
Barbosa
Igoudala
Speights
Ezeli
Varejo

Much better than OKC

 

[superjohn]

Well the Spurs were favorites tonight, which is absurd.

If you know basketball and watched this series in detail you knew OKC was winning this game.

Like I've said before if it's college or NBA I watch more
Than anyone I've ever met or spoken too. I know you love to laugh at me and my opinions but a lot come true, nobody is perfect.

That is insane, wish I saw that line before the game. It was pretty obvious the Spurs were cooked after the fourth quarter of the last game.

 

[superjohn]

Yes and I agree, I've been talking about Kanter and Waiters when I open this thread, but when you like at the following....

Livingston
Barbosa
Igoudala
Speights
Ezeli
Varejo

Much better than OKC

I'm taking GS but don't discount Bogut being hurt, he is a very important player for them especially with the way OKC's frontline is playing recently.

 

[dogfan96]

Yes and I agree, I've been talking about Kanter and Waiters when I open this thread, but when you like at the following....

Livingston
Barbosa
Igoudala
Speights
Ezeli
Varejo

Much better than OKC

They're not gonna play 10/11 guys in the WCF.. Ezeli may end up starting and their other big will be Speights.. if Varejo gets meaningful minutes, GS is in trouble. This time of year, you usually go with your top 8 players. The big guns are gonna play more minutes unless there's foul trouble.

 

[Dogdeacon]

Not disagreeing with your overall point, but Duncan averaged 25ppg/3.3orb/3.7apg for one of his best years. Lamarcus is at 18/2.4/1.5 for 2016. Sometimes people forget Duncan is arguably (some yes, some no) a Top 5 player in the history of the NBA.

Good point, I take vintage Tim Duncan over Aldridge on either end of the floor. I was thinking mostly about the numbers Aldridge put up in the first couple games of the series when he was nearly Walton-esque before the Thunder figured out how to defend him. Duncan obviously had monster playoff games back in the day and was certainly way more consistent over a season. Duncan is/was arguably best power forward ever and Aldridge is simply an all-star.

Overall though I think very impressive beat down of a very good team by the Thunder. Maybe the Spurs were a little bit of an efficiency machine that didn't have an extra gear for the playoffs, but that's hard to grasp given how Pop staggers PT over the regular season. Chalk it up to simple over-matched athleticism & Donovan figuring out how to emphasize that= always have Russ or KD on the floor, play Kanter & Adams together a lot.

Should be a really fun series vs the Warriors. Bummer is we've got nothing for the weekend except the blech Heat-Raptors rock fight.

 

[EBonz30]

Good point, I take vintage Tim Duncan over Aldridge on either end of the floor. I was thinking mostly about the numbers Aldridge put up in the first couple games of the series when he was nearly Walton-esque before the Thunder figured out how to defend him. Duncan obviously had monster playoff games back in the day and was certainly way more consistent over a season. Duncan is/was arguably best power forward ever and Aldridge is simply an all-star.

Overall though I think very impressive beat down of a very good team by the Thunder. Maybe the Spurs were a little bit of an efficiency machine that didn't have an extra gear for the playoffs, but that's hard to grasp given how Pop staggers PT over the regular season. Chalk it up to simple over-matched athleticism & Donovan figuring out how to emphasize that= always have Russ or KD on the floor, play Kanter & Adams together a lot.

Should be a really fun series vs the Warriors. Bummer is we've got nothing for the weekend except the blech Heat-Raptors rock fight.

Aldridge is soft, always has been, not a player I want on my team, please don't ever compare him to the greatest Power Forward of all time.

Aldridge is a below average defender and average rebounder at best, yes he has a nice touch, but I like 2 way players, I am all about 2 way players that's why Westbrook, Butler, Dunn, Leonard, George, etc.... Are my favorite players...

It's also the main reason why the Warriors are so good, because Green and Thompson are top defenders in the league at their position, All-Defense 1st team. Everyone knows about their shooting, but people don't realize they have two of the top 10 defenders in the league in their starting lineup, not to mention Iguodala's great defense and Bogut's great defense, Livingston and Barnes ain't bad too, above average defenders.

 

[amory]

I needed the freaking Spurs to win that series to give Boston any chance of getting KD this offseason.

Now he's got too much hope.

I need the warriors to beat the crap out of the thunder to make him want to leave the west

 

[EBonz30]

I needed the freaking Spurs to win that series to give Boston any chance of getting KD this offseason.

Now he's got too much hope.

I need the warriors to beat the crap out of the thunder to make him want to leave the west

I was telling my brother and some of my co-workers who are all from
Boston that Durant would be a perfect fit for the Celtics, absolutely perfect.

Championship type team with Durant and Stevens.

 

[amory]

I was telling my brother and some of my co-workers who are all from
Boston that Durant would be a perfect fit for the Celtics, absolutely perfect.

Championship type team with Durant and Stevens.

He would. It's a pipe dream, though. Big name free agents don't come to Boston.

And now that they're in the Western Finals and will probably win 1 or 2 games, I think that'll be enough to keep Durant in OKC for at least one more year.

 

[EBonz30]

He would. It's a pipe dream, though. Big name free agents don't come to Boston.

And now that they're in the Western Finals and will probably win 1 or 2 games, I think that'll be enough to keep Durant in OKC for at least one more year.

I think it's hard if your Durant to leave now just because your obviously already on a top 3 team with the Thunder, what team are you going to go to do be better than that.

I am a New Yorker, but Boston is a great city, not sure why you wouldn't want to play for a historic franchise in the Celtics in a great city with a great coach, think they have a lot of great things going for them to get a top player.

You better just hope that Carmelo isn't the guy, I am praying he is, I would do anything to get him off my Knicks, total cancer.

 

[intlzncster]

I think it's hard if your Durant to leave now just because your obviously already on a top 3 team with the Thunder, what team are you going to go to do be better than that.

I am a New Yorker, but Boston is a great city, not sure why you wouldn't want to play for a historic franchise in the Celtics in a great city with a great coach, think they have a lot of great things going for them to get a top player.

You better just hope that Carmelo isn't the guy, I am praying he is, I would do anything to get him off my Knicks, total cancer.

Ainge wouldn't, couldn't be stupid enough to do that.

 

[champs99and04]

I was telling my brother and some of my co-workers who are all from
Boston that Durant would be a perfect fit for the Celtics, absolutely perfect.

Championship type team with Durant and Stevens.

The Celtics are more than one piece away IMO. They lost to Atlanta in six (granted without Bradley).

If Durant can lure another max type player, then I'd be on board.

 

[EBonz30]

The Celtics are more than one piece away IMO. They lost to Atlanta in six (granted without Bradley).

If Durant can lure another max type player, then I'd be on board.

Sign Durant and I believe they would win a title in the next few years, would they need another piece or two maybe, but they so many assets in draft picks and they are so far under the cap they are in perfect position, they just need to get that 1 superstar to come.

 

[superjohn]

Sign Durant and I believe they would win a title in the next few years, would they need another piece or two maybe, but they so many assets in draft picks and they are so far under the cap they are in perfect position, they just need to get that 1 superstar to come.

Unfortunately nowadays it takes at least 2 superstars to win it all.

 

[Windsorlocks]

Billy Donovan is doing his best to win the West.

 

[KemBuckets21]

You can't blame OKC for that. Harden wanted to be "the guy" which was never going to happen with the Thunder so there was about a 0% chance he wasn't going to leave. Might as well get what you can out of it and focus on Ibaka, who looked to be developing into an elite big at the time and was much more likely to stay put.

Besides, How could the thunder have gotten Jeremy Lamb if they didnt sacrifice harden?

 

[EBonz30]

Billy D on fire....

What I said came true about the turnover battle....

Think about this...

Durant 10-30
Westbrook 7-21

And Thunder still win on the road.

Westbrook treated Curry like a child, not sure if that continues, but I hope it does.

Westbrook made about over 30 winning plays in game 1, Curry made about 10 winning plays....Westbrook totally took over the game, really fun to watch.