I wonder if a big part of the problem is just a matter of Father Time. Melo has just kind of looked slow (and is it just me or does he look a bit thick?) in this year's footage. Aging and wear-and-tear are a real thing in life. Westbrook, too. He is younger and still super athletic compared to the rest of the NBA, but the kind of mileage he put on his body can have an effect even on him. Those guys have not been using their talent optimally in a team setting, but maybe these guys, like Corey Brewer in some ways, are also running out of talent a bit.
Father time plays a role too, no doubt, but I think a fair bit of cohesion can reverse that. Chris Paul seems to have gotten younger in this offense. Maybe it's the steroids, but LeBron is becoming the Sean Connery of the NBA and gets better with age. The issue is, none of them is making the game easier for the other one, and that in itself is probably broadcasting each star's age. Melo did look bigger to me, and maybe a bit out of shape? I gotta believe Donovan's plan in summer camp was simple: Lock down defense for 4 quarters to keep it close, and in the 4th ride whomever they can on iso to victory... so last year's plan? I mean, it might work in the playoffs where rotations get smaller and shooting goes down, but I don't see how it beats the warriors, rockets or spurs. Who knows, maybe they are where they want to be?
Hmm..... so does that also apply to the Chicago Bulls that beat the Celtics last night? Just study the game takpes of the games they won and everything will work out? You want to fire Donovan during the season? Okay, who are you bringing in to coach? Is the new coach going to magically team Westbrook to stop standing disinterested on the perimeter until he gets the ball back? After 9 years, this new coach is going to magically (in the season) get Westbrook to cut to the basket and set screens when he doesn't have the ball? Something that Donovan has attempted to do for the last couple years. Is this new coach going to suddenly, after 15 years, get Anthony to set screens and cut to the basket? Will he suddenly convince Anthony to pass out of the post? Will the new coach get Paul George to flash to the basket? Will the new coach teach Roberson how to shoot so that if Westbrook/Anthony/George suddenly do move without the ball there is spacing? Will the new coach grow a bench out of thin air and resurrect the corpse of Patterson? The Thunder and Presti are learning what Morey learned when he got Howard. You cannot just throw several star players with games that don't mash together and expect it to work. Westbrook (for as good as he can be) does not move without the ball, he doesn't get easy shots for his teammates. Having another black hole that doesn't pass or move without the ball is a recipe for disaster; especially when you have poor shooting at SF. That leaves OKC with only George and Anthony as threats on the perimeter. They have tried to fix that somewhat with Alex Abrines but he can get exploited defensively. OKC will make the playoffs and they will go on a run and when 8-10 in a row at some point. However, their offense and personnel are antiquated and their defense isn't so special that will be able to win it all with this group.
I view a coach in the same light as I view a politician. You can have the best ideas in the world, be level headed, and have a track record of success but without real buy in from everyone nothing good will come of it. Firing Donovan is a stop gap. He will get fired at the end of this season (barring some brilliant turn around) but as you eluded without another prominent coach in hand it doesn't do a damn thing. Also, I just wanted to add, the Thunder did what we had seen NBA teams do for years in the draft. Go out and get the best player available. In the draft it works because talent is easily tradeable. With a no-trade clause Melo, a PG on his last year deal, and a #loyalty Westbrook, trades will be hard to come by. I would argue, when Morey acquired Howard there was a greater trade market. There was more balance in the NBA and Dwight could have been traded with greater ease. Now, in this arms race of super teams, people don't want to give up emerging talent for a superstar unless they have a super team in the works. That market is so much smaller.
That mofo tried to stab someone a beer bottle at a party we crashed in Burbank about a decade ago. We were in California for business and were invited to a party that was supposed to be a quiet get together with some actors (not famous) and a friend my wife knew. Everything was fine until a little Jewish guy showed up drunk and made trouble. My buddies were on it before I even knew something was wrong. He was there looking for a girl at the party and was threatening them with a broken beer bottles. He started crying and some at the party wanted to call the cops. My buddies just tossed him and kicked him until he rolled away. I didn't recognize him but later found out he was the roommate of someone at the party and he was Screech from Saved By the Bell. **** that guy.
Wojnarowski: "It's unlikely that in 2 months PG13 is going to be able to say to OKC [that he is staying]..Melo is going to opt in..They'll really have to gut that roster. You're looking at a payroll of over $250mil. And if you're PG13 you're looking at how they are going to build a team around you."
Trade him for kcp and Randle and move on. Turn around and look to move Roberson for free to a team willing Buyout Melo Funny enough I think the team, and Westbrook, will start playing a lot better but ultimately still fail in playoffs. But it does save a lot of luxury tax for a small market team to regroup and rethink their strategy this following offseason.
