2017 NBA Playoffs Thread - CLE @ BOS Game 5 on TNT

[the collector]

Props to best brook that team is ****** sorry 

Part of the PGs job is to instill confidence in his teammates. He didn't do this all season. You can't expect his teammates to suddenly step up now. For the same reasons he's great he's also a detriment to his team.

Wall and Rondo who are pass first guys build their teammates up with their style of play. I'll take the pass first guy over the score first guy at the PG position every time.

 

[trueprada]

Steven Adams had 3 shot attempts in 28 minutes. Help is available if used.

 

[broncos19dm]

Good W last night 

 

[100027]

Part of the PGs job is to instill confidence in his teammates. He didn't do this all season. You can't expect his teammates to suddenly step up now. For the same reasons he's great he's also a detriment to his team.

Wall and Rondo who are pass first guys build their teammates up with their style of play. I'll take the pass first guy over the score first guy at the PG position every time.

Pretty much.  Although if they're a role player/not the primary ball handler then a score-first PG can be OK.

 

[the collector]

Pretty much.  Although if they're a role player/not the primary ball handler then a score-first PG can be OK.

I agree. Like a Curry or Kyrie. They have Green and James who take the pressure off of them as passers and setting up teammates. Allowing them to play to their strength which is scoring.

Dame, Russ and IT are done. Not that they were favored to win their series but part of the reason why they weren't is because they have to do everything. It works in the regular season. In a 7 game series where teams can game plan and lock in they don't have a shot.

 

[Maximus Meridius]

Whip and Frisco at it every night in here

That was a mf'n mess to scroll through. Them dudes belong together.

 

[MVP]

I swear OKC was praised for their depth just a season ago

Losing KD, Ibaka, and Dion their top 3 scorers and elevating guys who are playing above their roles now has something to do with that.

 

[trynafeelmink]

Prior to that 4th quarter Russell was having one of the most dominant games in playoff history on 52% shooting. That style of play that everyone is complaining about had them up 12 almost exclusively due to his play and energy. he sat for a MINUTE and that 12 pt lead went to 3 . Now i will admit he def took a lot of wild shots to end the game but this isn't a matter of his team being capable and not getting chances, when shots are available and open his teammates are still hesitant and scared to shoot. dude literally can't get a rest w/o his team falling behind.

 

[Maximus Meridius]

I swear OKC was praised for their depth just a season ago

Losing KD, Ibaka, and Dion their top 3 scorers and elevating guys who are playing above their roles now has something to do with that.

He said that like OKC ain't lose anybody. Like losing a top 5 player won't effect how deep your team is.

 

[the collector]

Prior to that 4th quarter Russell was having one of the most dominant games in playoff history on 52% shooting. That style of play that everyone is complaining about had them up 12 almost exclusively due to his play and energy. he sat for a MINUTE and that 12 pt lead went to 3 . Now i will admit he def took a lot of wild shots to end the game but this isn't a matter of his team being capable and not getting chances, when shots are available and open his teammates are still hesitant and scared to shoot. dude literally can't get a rest w/o his team falling behind.

Wouldn't be a issue if Russ didn't have a I'll drag you guys along mentality all season. Role players don't flip switches. Russ wants MVP credit for dragging his teammates to the playoffs don't complain or act shocked now when you also have to drag them in the playoffs. The Thunder have been conditioned all season to let Russ do it.

 

[ill steelo]

Semaj Christon was -15 in just seven mins. Everybody been on this guy's head all season long. He's a d-league guy. No business getting playoff mins.

Kyle Singler -4 in 10 mins, several possessions guarding Harden. Poor help defense as if they hadn't game planned for what to do if that happens.

Donovan played 12 dudes last night. He still thinks this is college. Some parts of that game just don't translate to the NBA.

He was great against Pop & Kerr last year but he's regressing.

This series is going to be lost when Westbrook is off the floor. Offensively, that just shrinks his margin for error far too much.

 

[MVP]

And are we going to act like that's not how OKC has been playing in close games down the stretch all season. He has a 60% clutch time usage and has excelled for the majority all season. He missed shots. It happens. Hell he was bailing them out a lot in that 3rd quarter to get that lead to 12 in the first place with difficult shots at the end of the shot clock.

EDIT: Didn't even realize Billy D played 12 guys :x nonsense.

 

[the collector]

If this season doesn't highlight the flaws in Russ game then people who don't see it never will.

 

[trueprada]

 

[pums]

My brother a Westbrook/OKC fan called oladipo the guard version of Jeff Green I sorta see it

 

[hardens beard]

Can Oladipo play PG? Billy D might want to try that to keep Christion off the court and shorten his rotations.

 

[100027]

I agree. Like a Curry or Kyrie. They have Green and James who take the pressure off of them as passers and setting up teammates. Allowing them to play to their strength which is scoring.

Dame, Russ and IT are done. Not that they were favored to win their series but part of the reason why they weren't is because they have to do everything. It works in the regular season. In a 7 game series where teams can game plan and lock in they don't have a shot.

Well Curry is also a great playmaker and the offense can be run through him and be amazing, so I don't agree with putting him in that category.  Kyrie yes though, he's the example I was thinking of.  And I agree on Dame/Russ/IT though I believe Dame and Russ have it in them to elevate their games.

 

[ill steelo]

If this season doesn't highlight the flaws in Russ game then people who don't see it never will.

Russ was +11.

Semaj was -15.

Thunder lost by 4.

But let's talk about Russ & his flaws.

 

[MVP]

Can Oladipo play PG? Billy D might want to try that to keep Christion off the court and shorten his rotations.

He doesn't even get aggressive when Russ is off the court though. It's been an issue all season. I mean Norris Cole is over there and actually has playoff experience. #6 shouldn't see the floor.

 

[the collector]

Well Curry is also a great playmaker and the offense can be run through him and be amazing, so I don't agree with putting him in that category.  Kyrie yes though, he's the example I was thinking of.  And I agree on Dame/Russ/IT though I believe Dame and Russ have it in them to elevate their games.

I see what you mean. Curry is a unique case.

 

[100027]

Prior to that 4th quarter Russell was having one of the most dominant games in playoff history on 52% shooting. That style of play that everyone is complaining about had them up 12 almost exclusively due to his play and energy. he sat for a MINUTE and that 12 pt lead went to 3

. Now i will admit he def took a lot of wild shots to end the game but this isn't a matter of his team being capable and not getting chances, when shots are available and open his teammates are still hesitant and scared to shoot. dude literally can't get a rest w/o his team falling behind.

You saw this video?  :  

Have you considered that his teammates are hesitant to shoot because they're not getting the ball consistently?  Failing to move the ball always has a detrimental effect on the offense.

It also is a reason the "hero ball" narrative always reinforces itself, because playing hero ball makes your teammates play worse so it reinforces the narrative "I had to do it all myself".

 

[addict4sneakers]

The problem is that shooters for OKC can't defend and Harden is just going to pick on them in PNR.
Kanter can score but he's Turkish BBQ chicken.
Oladipo has been emasculated and he's cool with it.

I still don't give Russ a pass causes he's taking some awful shots down the stretch. He ate with Adams in the PNR but went full out Bean Ball in the 4th.

 

[trynafeelmink]

Wouldn't be a issue if Russ didn't have a I'll drag you guys along mentality all season. Role players don't flip switches. Russ wants MVP credit for dragging his teammates to the playoffs don't complain or act shocked now when you also have to drag them in the playoffs. The Thunder have been conditioned all season to let Russ do it.

My point is that Russell teammates are conditioned like that because they aren't talented enough for the thunder to win games w/o Russ dominating the rock. If from day one he only focused on getting his players open shots (Which he did A LOT this year also) the Thunder would miss the playoffs because those players don't have the skill to convert on those shots. you could talk Rhythm & "confidence" all you want but there's a big difference in deferring to Lou Will & Eric Gordon vs Oladipo & Roberson. the guys just aren't scorers.

 

[MVP]

Russ
Vic
Roberson
Taj (who's not playing nearly enough)
Adams
Kanter (when Harden is out of the game)
McBuckets/Grant (depending on offense/defense)
Cole

That's it.

I wish OKC could have gotten Lou Will instead of the Rockets.

 

[the collector]

Russ was +11.

Semaj was -15.

Thunder lost by 4.

But let's talk about Russ & his flaws.

I've been saying this all season. According to NT Russ supporters he has no flaws.

Russ had KD and still couldn't get it done. He'll never play with a better player. Was it his teams fault last season or years before that? What more does a MVP caliber player need then KD who was a damn MVP himself?