It's sickening how the media is basically allergic to criticizing Westbrook. Everything that happens to that team is IN SPITE of Russ being an all-time great in their eyes. It's infuriating, and amusing all at the same time. Everybody who went HAM on the Westbrook is MVP train last season should be put on blast.
LOL Bill Donovan. What a mess. Real talk? OKC should be playing Felton/Westbrook/George/Grant/Adams. And get Adams more involved. Don't tell Donovan.
They were handily beaten by the Kings, Celtics, Blazers and Jazz. The only real coin-flips were the two games against the Wolves. The other 4 games, If I recall correctly, they were pretty much losing from the jump. They won by blowout against Chicago, Indiana, New York and Milwaukee, resulting in their point differential. If alarms aren't being raised concerning the championship winning ability of this team, then something is wrong. How about this? (Carmelo Anthony really is the 74th best player in the NBA, and the media VASTLY overrated the "Big 3" coming into the season, claiming that they were "CLEARLY" the second best team out West. Disrespecting the Spurs, the Rockets, and several other teams). Is Carmelo truly a net negative? Because it is beginning to look like it. He looks like a 90's player stuck in the era of efficiency, and I pray that he continues to shoot long step back twos while Ryan Anderson and Eric Gordon shoot 10 threes a night.
I wanted melo big time but it def looks like we dodged a bullet. Anderson has outplayed him on both ends of the court. I still think he would be better on our team in our offense but that's besides the point now. At some point the problem is Westbrook. He's had the same problem with two different coaches and guys leave his team and play better. He had talent last season he just doesn't know how to use it. He has more talent this year and still doesn't know how to do it. It's triple double or bust for him and that only gets u into the mid 40s in terms of wins at best. Last season they overachieved. The advanced stats painted them more as a .500 ball club.
It would be awesome If they just got ridiculously bad and missed the playoffs. I can dream. (Suck it Stephen A)
I really smile every time I hear someone say "okc lost a lot of there depth" like what depth? Thought it was just Russ out there.
Yeah, I tend to agree with this. The Thunder are going to start winning a lot of these coin flip games and at some point will go on a run. I still believe that they can be an elite defensive team.
As bad as I want them to lose, it is true that they have the 2nd best defense in the early part of the season. We should weigh that as much as we weigh their early season losing record. That defense is elite. If they can figure out how to score efficiently then they will be a playoff team that could challenge most western conference playoff foes. But a man can dream and hope they just miss the playoffs entirely lol.
problem is none of their stars are efficient and they're just taking turns taking inefficient iso's. I don't know if it's chemistry or if it's just terrible to put 3 inefficient volume shooters together even if they are all "stars" in our league.
Anderson’s played well....on the road. He’s consistently anemic at home. Beginning to doubt if he’ll ever be a plus player for more than half the season
Yes, their defense is elite, but their defense was pretty damn good last year too. It's only half the equation, and in the playoffs, an elite offense will always beat an elite defense. Offensively though, unless they DRASTICALLY change the way they run things, they're not getting past the 2nd round at best. Right now, they're just an inefficient bunch of chuckers who have no interest in actually playing WITH one another.......they're all in it for themselves.
I agree with everything you said except for your last point. I dont think its selfishness as much as their skillsets just dont work next to each other