Lamb no playing time

[gtcam]

you speak to qui

LOL at Brooks having Perkins in the game late with the Thunder down three.

Elite coaching!

you opine to quickly - they were getting beat on the boards so he put perk in to help and perk tied it
Brooks is not an elite coach but he isn't bad - was a very smart player - kinda like KO
He has, except Fisher and Perk, a very young team - KD likes Brooks a lot so that in it's self says a lot.

 

[aceboon]

So you fault him for being correct? did DD not play the 4 all season?

don't even bother yo, his ideology is "since DD isn't built like Charles Oakley and doesn't play bully ball in the post, he's doesn't play the 4". You can't get nowhere with that dude.

 

[selles]

Brooks is not an elite coach but he isn't bad - was a very smart player - kinda like KO

While I completely agree with BigErn's sentiment, I have to say that watching this game I don't think it would have been particularly close if KO were in Brooks' shoes.

 

[champs99and04]

As much as it would obviously suck to have KO coaching the Thunder, can you imagine what that team would look like with him on the sidelines? One word: dynasty.

 

[James]

As much as it would obviously suck to have KO coaching the Thunder, can you imagine what that team would look like with him on the sidelines? One word: dynasty.

champs I was thinking the same thing. Not only was I thinking about how he would look actually coaching defense, imagine the ACTUAL sets he could run with westbrook and durant in late game situations? Brooks has given a tremendous amount of freedom to westbrook, which has helped catapult him to top ten player in the league status. But he is young, both him and durant need a coach they will blindly follow through a desert. Westbrook giveth, westbrook taketh. shouldn't be that way. I wish there was a way he could simultaneously coach both

 

[superjohn]

I keep hearing about how young they are. Sure they are still young but Brooks has been coaching Durant and Westbrook for 6 full seasons, it's Durant's 7th season in the league. Six full seasons with the same core is a long time in the NBA.

 

[PcketknfNiels]

What do you guys expect from brooks when Durant and Westy both go 12-28 and 11-28, respectively? Thunder don't have much scoring depth after those 2

 

[Jluc]

Rotations shrink during the NBA playoffs. It sucks that lamb isnt playing but his time will come one day. When you have players like Durant, Westbrook, Caron, Jackson, and the experience of Fisher to go along with a smaller rotation its tough to crack some minutes, but like I said Lamb will have his time soon.

 

[BearJWS]

, I am not going back to some summer debate and I honestly don't give a damn what you think of my "analysis of basketball", the fact of the matter is DD played the majority of his minutes at the 4/PF guarding other 4s/PFs, the same way Lamb plays the majority of his minutes at the 3/SF guarding that position for OKC. The fact that you insisted Caron would no have impact on Lamb's minutes, and are still insisting that he doesn't clearly shows that you do not watch Thunder games so its pointless discussing Lamb's role with the team. To even go further and act like Scott Brooks is some elite coach is just further proof that you're lost. If I want to discuss the Thunder/NBA I'll discuss it with the peeps on here that know what they're talking about.

Thank you. This confirms you're not on my page & that's ok, though I appreciate your spunk & appreciate another opinion. Maybe you'll actually watch a game & evaluate how a player performs & their value/function to a team, before you put them in some kind of some stereotypical box. Sorry to upset you but it's how player performs & plays, not a 1-2-3-4-5 position assigned to them. Some teams run a 3 guard line up, some teams run a 2 guard line up. I'm not hating on you, so lets stop with the bashing. Brooks does an excellent job of evaluating his team's needs, hence OKC is a 2 seed in the West with one of the youngest teams in the league (Brooks seriously wanted Ollie on his coaching staff, so a bonus for us). Sometimes it's C. Bulter as Brook's SF, sometimes it's Lamb as another Guard. Lamb's competition is not Bulter, its Jackson. Neither Lamb or Jackson can offer anything Bulter offers (size/bulk/Experience). If Lamb can bring ball handling & shooting, he'll be a valuable player. Lamb is almost in a J.superjohn position (not saying Lamb in J.superjohn) I don't want to argue, you have some good points overall & we got off on the wrong foot. Let's get over this & hopefully we'll agree on some important points. Can we agree to disagree??? I left ESPN to not argue with some of the stubborn. I don't want to argue here, since I thought the BY would be a venue where I could express opinions without criticism . Let's get on the same team, ok? Maybe we don't agree on everything which makes a great team but let's not bash each other publicly, ok? If you have issues with me, you can private message me, I don't want to argue with you publically. I think we're on the same team but feel friction. I don't want that.... Let's agree to disagree without insulting each other, which it seems to have become. I don't want that. Can we do that? I hate arguing with people on my team. Truths? Too much negativity here. I don't want that. Let's just agree without bashing on each other. I think we both bring valid points. Let's just do it constructively without insulting each other. Our overall goal is the best for UConn. I hate arguing with people on my team!

 

[BearJWS]

You are so clueless. Of course they are one of the best teams in the NBA, nobody would ever claim they aren't and who the hell said Durant isn't one of the top 2 players in the league. Your rant at aceboon about Daniels playing pf is embarrassing. Keep thinking Brooks is one of the best coaches in the game.

So you're saying a 6'8.5" guy "in shoes" is a PF who doesn't average 6 rpg & takes 1/3rd of his shots from 3 pt range is a PF? Really.... Brooks is a top young coach in the NBA, just like Ollie is a top young coach in the NCAA. Take another look, dude.

 

[huskyharry]

Sefolosha was horrible for most of the game tonight but came up with a big steal near the end. Brooks loves him with a hot passion but he struggles to make a layup and makes some really terrible passes for an NBA player. The really sad part is that Caron and JLamb are fully available and are much better players.

I am also not a huge Reggie Jackson fan (shot 0 for 5 with two turnovers tonight). Coach Brooks also loves Derek Fisher and likes to play both together but it has been very ineffective.
But Westbrook was brutal tonight (really bad turnovers, bad gambles on defense and poor shooting).
Can't say that I am a Brooks fan, but clearly I am pulling for the Thunder for Caron's, JLamb's and Hasheem's sake, but the prognosis is not looking great at this point.

 

[James]

Sefalosha was horrible for most of the game tonight but came up with a big steal near the end. Brooks loves him with a hot passion but he struggles to make a layup and makes some really terrible passes for an NBA player. The really sad part is that Caron and JLamb are fully available and are much better players.

I am also not a huge Reggie Jackson fan (shot 0 for 5 with two turnovers tonight). Coach Brooks also loves Derek Fisher and likes to play both together but it has been very ineffective.
But Westbrook was brutal tonight (really bad turnovers, bad gambles on defense and poor shooting).
Can't say that I am a Brooks fan, but clearly I am pulling for the Thunder for Caron's, JLamb's and Hasheem's sake, but the prognosis is not looking great at this point.

reggie jackson is poor defensively IMO. he was letting beno udrih school him. Looking back at it, Brooks really shouldn't have played Thabo all those minutes either, at the same time he provided actual focused defense on conley. Westbrook couldn't even handle him which is strange.

 

[intlzncster]

I'm a fan of perkins. AMNESTY THAT! oh btw Lamb can't play, but has the talent to. Thats all on brooks, he didn't develop his youth, rather labeled them as 'prospects' to be toyed with during the regular season. At the end of the day the Thunder are seemingly loaded at every position, its hard to get lamb and even sefolosha minutes. This is a wierd poorly coached team. Westbrook had some harden like defensive lapses recently

That 11m Harden defensive clinic on youtube is absolutely hilarious.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

So you're saying a 6'8.5" guy "in shoes" is a PF who doesn't average 6 rpg & takes 1/3rd of his shots from 3 pt range is a PF? Really.... Brooks is a top young coach in the NBA, just like Ollie is a top young coach in the NCAA. Take another look, dude.

It's weird that you're the one telling people that they're stuck in a box when really that's where you are. I think you're letting the word "power" in power forward fool you. DeAndre played the 4 this year. The fact that he shoots threes and doesn't look like Karl Malone doesn't change that. It's actually not even a debate. You're just wrong. I'm actually kind of surprised you're still arguing this point.

 

[BearJWS]

It's weird that you're the one telling people that they're stuck in a box when really that's where you are. I think you're letting the word "power" in power forward fool you. DeAndre played the 4 this year. The fact that he shoots threes and doesn't look like Karl Malone doesn't change that. It's actually not even a debate. You're just wrong. I'm actually kind of surprised you're still arguing this point.

Whenever you can make a positive comment to the BY, it will be your first. But you keep keeping on with your negativity. I saw a team that played with 2 guards (Bazz & Boat), 2 SFs (Giffey & Daniels) and a Center (Nolan or Brimah), but thank you for playing. If not you, better write to all the publications that noted them otherwise.... Or maybe UConn & their staff mislabeled them too...

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

Okay at this point I honestly have no idea what you're talking about.

 

[caw]

Whenever you can make a positive comment to the BY, it will be your first. But you keep keeping on with your negativity. I saw a team that played with 2 guards (Bazz & Boat), 2 SFs (Giffey & Daniels) and a Center (Nolan or Brimah), but thank you for playing. If not you, better write to all the publications that noted them otherwise.... Or maybe UConn & their staff mislabeled them too...

Sure, but Daniels played the four defensively most of the time.

As for Lamb, he was fighting with Butler for minutes even if he isn't a SF. Butler took minutes from a 3-guard lineup and this minutes from Lamb as he was often used as the third guard. With Brooks preferring a more traditional two guard lineup and basically closing off the three guard lineup Lamb is not effectively fighting for time with Jackson, but Butler took the three guard lineup minutes.

Brooks isn't some uber coach but he's better than most in the NBA.

 

[Scoe]

On inside the NBA Barkley was saying that Russell Westbrook doesn't make players around him better saying he takes things too personal.

 

[UChusky916]

I've never seen a poster on the BY be so wrong, yet so determined to convince everyone that his opinions are facts as BearJWS. And that's saying something.

 

[intlzncster]

I've never seen a poster on the BY be so wrong, yet so determined to convince everyone that his opinions are facts as BearJWS. And that's saying something.

Maybe not a UCONN centered poster, but RutgersAl still holds the crown imo. He is legend.

 

[BigErnMcCracken]

So you're saying a 6'8.5" guy "in shoes" is a PF who doesn't average 6 rpg & takes 1/3rd of his shots from 3 pt range is a PF? Really.... Brooks is a top young coach in the NBA, just like Ollie is a top young coach in the NCAA. Take another look, dude.

You're so far from right I don't know why I'm bothering, but here you go. From Zach Lowe in Grantland today:

The good: Brooks has learned from past series against Memphis, and he is going small, with Durant at power forward, almost the second Joerger removes either Marc Gasol or Zach Randolph. He has used a relatively quick hook on the Thunder’s sometimes unwatchable starting lineup, swapping Nick Collison and Caron Butler in together for Kendrick Perkins and Thabo Sefolosha — a move that forces Mike Conley to guard Russell Westbrook.

See? When they play a small lineup Durant is . . . . their power forward! And he's skinny and shoots threes! Just like DeAndre! Amazing, right?

 

[tzznandrew]

You're so far from right I don't know why I'm bothering, but here you go. From Zach Lowe in Grantland today:

The good: Brooks has learned from past series against Memphis, and he is going small, with Durant at power forward, almost the second Joerger removes either Marc Gasol or Zach Randolph. He has used a relatively quick hook on the Thunder’s sometimes unwatchable starting lineup, swapping Nick Collison and Caron Butler in together for Kendrick Perkins and Thabo Sefolosha — a move that forces Mike Conley to guard Russell Westbrook.

See? When they play a small lineup Durant is . . . . their power forward! And he's skinny and shoots threes! Just like DeAndre! Amazing, right?

It's also an article that works to criticize Brooks' in-game coaching...which some of us here think is sub-par.

 

[aceboon]

it's worth noting that as both Lamb and PJ3's development were essentially tossed in the garbage by Brooks' s 2/3rds of the way thru, Caron just isn't that good of a basketball player at this stage of his career. Mediocre D(he's doing better now staying attached to Mike Miller), bricked jumpers and shots blocked at the rim cuz he doesn't have that lift, and now a turnover, he's killing the Thunder in Game 3 right now. Prob too far gone to turn back to the youngings in this kind of situation since you all but stopped playin em, but when you coach with the short sided approach that Brooks does, that's the lot you cast yourself in. Warde needs to go ahead and get that contract done with a high buyout because if the Thunder lose this series the heat on Brooks' s seat gonna be turned up to the lava setting.

 

[partial]

Even though they get so much praise for developing players it seems to me they haven't done as well developing Lamb and Jones two players that seem like beasts to me. It could be that maybe they're just not that good as players it seems more likely that brooks thinks he has a higher chance of winning using veterans and doesn't put too much trust in his young players. I really don't like his in game coaching but he has gotten regular season results so he can't be the worst ever and i'm sure i'm biased because I think Lamb can be really good if given the minutes.

 

[caw]

I take it all back this is horrible coaching. Down 17 and you put Fisher in?!? That's not bright.