ClutchFans Game Thread: Thunder @ Rockets 2/25/2024

Who was Grizzlies' GM and HC? How many future FRPs they held at that time?

 

Sure, of course they are one of the favorites......

Has nothing to do with normal health, if you assemble 34-35 year old stars, you are bound to get injuries close to the Playoffs ......

It is not like the Playoffs are consisting of just 3 games, it is not the In Season tournament.

They also do not have a superstar bigger than 6'7 and size matters!

If Boston can get Porzingis going then yeah they are the favorites again.

 

Again, I'll just refer to the betting odds, when people have money on the line they are not expecting them to come out of the west.

Beating teams on a random night does not equal the same as beating teams in a playoff series. Anyone arguing differently needs to watch more NBA ball. Playoffs are a different beast entirely where suddenly you're not guarding Jokic on a b2b or after he expanded energy playing another team...suddenly you're guarding him night in and night out.

It's entirely a different beast.

 

It's pretty funny, here I am thinking winning games was the signifier of a good NBA team, instead it's Vegas odds and some Internet yahoo calling you a 'darkhorse'

 

Grizzlies would probably be a top 4 team in the west and right in it if Ja were healthy.

FRPs are nice but not so nice for a team trying to win right now. They'll have to flip those for players that can play right now, not drafting players they also have to wait for them to develop.

 

It's pretty reasonable to be unsure of a team being a contender when they don't have a proven play-off performer.

 

You're acting like OKC beating quality teams in the regular season means they will also beat those same teams in a 7 game series.

I'd say you're the internet yahoo and ignorant of NBA history if you truly believe that.

 

Im not talking about the East, I don't care about Porzingis.

Yes, I think the Clippers have a much better shot at it. Zubac is good enough and having PG13, Harden, and Kawhi makes up for it.

I don't think OKC makes the finals. Yall treating me as crazy when it comes down to people putting money where their mouth is those people do not pick OKC despite their regular season record.

Why do you think that is?

 

They are also preserving 14th man Biyombo for their home games.

 

Reps were bad. Surprise surprise.
Team couldn't make shots or stop turning the ball over
They shot 50% from 3 but sure as hell felt like they didnt miss 1.
Chet is awkward looking

Still believe OKC is a fraud and I have no faith that will make any noise in the playoffs

 

Actually,I don't think that's true. We are dealing with with VERY YOUNG talent....and, good talent at that. Sengun,Bari and probably Tari have star potential IMO. Cam and Amen are not projects...they are ROOKIES ! They have played 2/3 of a season..think we can let them get through at least one season ? With the exception of Cam, every one of our young pieces would have been drafted in close proximity to where we drafted them...Jalen included. Role players don't routinely churn out double digit rebounds (33 last 2 games). I promise you there are 29 other teams who would disagree with your talent evaluation. Chet ? The stick that was injured last year? Chet will be 22 in May which is older than any of our young talent in question I believe. I think James Harden was kind of a "role player " when we got him from OKC.

 

I can understand that you want to defend the honor of the traditional power house teams.....

but OKC has all the signs of a team that is a contender sans Experience for me.....even the Wolves have the signs this year.....

Yeah, the Clippers have the best assembled roster on paper, but thing is the Clippers are not a great franchise.....lol.

 

Couldnt watch the game

How did Jalen play?

Did they play Amen differently than how teams normally do? Saw he shot 2-10 from the field

also looks like SGA and Chet cooked us lol

 

Experience is a pretty big deal and their lack of it is a wildcard and no one should be confident that they are going to go through the gauntlet of this conference.

What if SGA is a playoff flub? What if he's another star that has playoff bugaboos? What then?

What if first round they match up with Luka and every night it's clear that Luka is bigger, more skilled, and better...what happens then?

 

The only thing I truly believe is that the moving goal post of your "real contender" to "dark horse" spectrum is probably less interesting to the Thunder than beating the crap out of the league like they have been.

Anyway I'll leave you to it.

 

The Rockets are circling the drain.

As for people shocked by the Thunder being contenders…. Why are you surprised? They got incredible deals for Paul George and Russell Westbrook. Their GM didn’t throw around picks and over pay, they actually accumulated picks.

The throw in (SGA) from the George deal is better than anyone on the Rockets. They got the best player in last years draft and got an all star later in the draft with Williams.

As an organization OKC hired a competent coach and let him coach. There was no KPJ or having the GM bring in Wood or a GM stepping in and undermining the coach.

Hope isn’t all lost for Houston, but yeah - OKC has better talent right now and way better assets going forward.

 

Sure, that is why this is expediting their journey.......tough 7 games against the best teams.

You were the one saying....the grass is not always greener.....but yeah the grass is still pretty green.

Luka and Kyrie are the best guards other than Steph.period but both are not the most durable.....

I don't think Dallas is going to do much because their regular season record indicates they would not have HC advantage against the best teams in the West.

HC is huge for them.

 

No goalposts have been moved, did you define any of those terms? Sorry, I don't think the team with the...lets see...9th best odds to win the title are a 'Contender'.

Usually, people consider 4-5 teams as contenders but I guess your list goes deeper than that, that's fine.

 

Solid answers preferred instead of your opinions.
I want to know the Grizzlies era you mentioned to compare Presti-Daigneault-Picks and you give your opinions.Not good. If you tell me the year I can check Grizlies staff.

 

Dallas is going to give OKC as many problems as they are going to give the Clippers.......

I do not see the difference here.....

Dallas always played the Clips tough.