Look at the regular season, Cavs dominated Thunder, and didn't fair nearly as well against. The Cavs live and die on the perimeter nowadays and try to utilize their small ball unit most... The Warriors are far superior on the perimeter and are also faster neutralizing their small ball game.
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NBA Playoffs |OT| AKA Derrick Rose's family time
- Thread starter Jarate
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I don't think OKC can beat the Cavs without the three ball. They will lockdown the paint, but Lebron will get his. If not, Kyrie who's faster than Curry will get there.
Elfforkusu
Member
I think the Thunder match up slightly better against the Warriors than they do against the Cavs. But I also think the Warriors are better than the Cavs, so...?
Elfforkusu
Member
I can't picture KD leaving OKC. He seems to like it there, they can/will pay him, and he's got a crazy talented wingman (Westbrook). They just need a 3rd offensive option so they can steal minutes without needing one of those two guys on the court at all times.
Ninja Scooter
Member
Not sure if it matters to him, but another thing I've heard mentioned is that in OKC, KD is insulated in terms of the media and press. He seems kinda thin skinned I can't imagine how a bigger market where he is criticized more often might treat him.
rokkerkory
Member
impersonating draymond isn't gonna get it done!
rokkerkory
Member
Adams might be that 3rd guy. He is really maturing into his own and is still young.
I loved how on the first curry steal at the end how he had the werewithall to throw the ball behind him so that roberson couldn't pick him off. In the moment i thought roberson had knocked it away.
I was convinced one of the two was gonna go hard at green to foul him out. Russ had been drawing intentional fouls the whole second half like someone was giving out candy. Had draymond fouled out in those final minutes, it would have been a huge blow to GS
beat
Member
A James Harden, type, maybe.
Elfforkusu
Member
Agreed, there's a chance there.
They traded Harden a year too early, but I don't think he was the guy. There's only one ball.
From what I've read, he likes the small town vibes. The Thunder are The Team.
Ninja Scooter
Member
The only thing i'd be worried about with Adams is if his body holds up. He seems to be accumulating a lot of little knick-knack injuries, and plays balls out every second he's on the court. Reminds me of Joakim Noah in a way.
As a warriors fan I'd love to have Adams. That guy is a beast and only going to get better.
rokkerkory
Member
same here *drools*
I didn't think I'd be saying this, but OKC has no business losing this series. They've just been way too dominant, and the only reason the series is 3-3 instead of ending at 4-1 is because they're not playing to their abilities and potential.
eBay Huckster
Member
I'd be fine with this game 7 mirroring that one or the last one the Warriors played in the Conference Finals.
RBelong2Us
Member
Ummm have you watched the Warriors? If Curry was actually playing like Curry normally does this would be done a while back.
I think OKC has played above expectations and realistic potential.
Dthomp
Member
I've wondered this the last couple of seasons, but can't really think of what position would benefit them the most. I think this team needs a big C/PF that can get his easy down low and can move the ball. Adams could potentially be that guy, but with so much of the offense being dribble based ISO ball it's hard to know if you just come down and dump it in to him that he can be efficient enough to make a move or kick out on a double for a high percentage shot.
friskykillface
Banned
LeBron just needs to check KD and Kyrie not let Westbrook go for like 40+ and Thunder would get swept
They can throw Thompson at Adams and Fyre can just take Kanter/Adams out of the paint when he comes in
Warriors can at least match the Cavs in 3's , live by the 3, die by the 3 series
LeBron won't guard Steph, he doesn't want to get crossed up or a shot in his face, he guarded Rose x Rondo in the past because they can't shoot, his ego can't take those highlights being played 24/7
KD isn't leaving for another year
Curry is not playing as he normally does because of what OKC is doing to him defensively with switching and length and because of how much they're exhausting him both by constantly chipping him and running him around when he's on D.
A big reason it looked like Curry was "back" in the 4Q was because a) Kerr got him rest by playing that bench + Barnes lineup which seemed horrendous at the time and b) because OKC was totally gassed in the 4th and he didn't have to work as hard on D or to get his shot.
Basically OKC has long athletic bigs that can move laterally quickly enough to keep a hand in his face, so he's had trouble being able to shoot over them. The guys the play on the wing are also incredibly athletic, and long at their positions. No other team has bigs suited for that job. Especially the Cavs. Curry will make light work of Thompson, Love or Frye. BBQ Chicken as they say.
DietRob
i've been begging for over 5 years.
Sucks there isn't a game tonight. I've gotten used to watching the NBA each night for a couple weeks. Next season I'm going to watch more games. I'm in the Cavs media market so I guess they are my team next year since I'll be able to watch them most. And I'm a fan of great players so I enjoy watching LeBron.
Get league pass and watch whoever you want
Mix Master
Member
I'm sorry but donovan needs to be fired on the Goddamn spot if they lose on monday, before he even gets to the locker room he should be sent on his merry way.
and nuke the whole squad too and rebuild.
Be up 3-1 and lose brehs
Choklahoma City
and nuke the whole squad too and rebuild.
Be up 3-1 and lose brehs
Choklahoma City
Dion Blaster
Member
But is it really surprising that the best regular season team of all time would win just 3 games in a row? OKC is good but they only won like 55 games.
this is what I've been saying the whole time. how can you count out the 73 win team?
to me gs was still the favorite even when down 3-1
My 67 win Mavericks team got wrecked by an 8th seed Warriors team. Stranger things have happened before.
beat
Member
To be fair, OKC lost more than their fair share (or expected share) of close games, while conversely, GSW stole a bunch of games they "shouldn't" have won. On paper the teams are closer than their regular season records.
On the other hand, both tendencies happened in game six and have a decent enough chance of happening again in game seven. I feel like the late game problems of OKC were due to being shook, which they might get over, and fatigue, which they probably won't be able to fix due to their short bench, esp in an away game.
eBay Huckster
Member
someone remind me what Scott Foster is infamous for
is it the away games stat
is it the away games stat
Gully State
Member
He favors away teams or his calls do
beat
Member
eBay Huckster
Member
oh, so it's the away games stat PLUS a warriors game stat
interesting.
interesting.
PadWarrior
Member
bodyboarder
Member
Wow.
NervousXtian
Thought Emoji Movie was good. Take that as you will.
My thoughts as well.. I wouldn't bank on the guy being long for this league, not at the level he's playing right now. Too much energy exerted and too much contact on a body that size. He's had one surgery on his hand.. but that doesn't worry me as much. Just you see guys like him breakdown quick playing like that.
CassidyIzABeast
Member
I'm just glad I didn't throw any praise onto Billy Donovan for "figuring it out" over the last few games. That 4th quarter was Scotty Brooks as fuck. Give the ball to Durant/Westbrook and let us hold hand in prayer basketball as always.
W/L records in regular season only mean home court advantage in the playoffs. It's not impossible for GSW to win 3 straight for a reversal and a trip to the finals since it's been done before many times. As for OKC, 55 games is already a lot, but also consider that 2 of the top 4 players in NBA today are in that team so you expect them to go for the kill in game 6 at home so them winning that game isn't an impossible dream, so to speak.
Exactly. The thunder have a lethal scoring duo of their own in Durant and Westbrook to match Curry and Klay blow for blow. their players are pretty large, which allows them to bang up and tire out any warrior that tries to slash to the rim or throw up a runner. What really gives them the edge is their ability to crash the boards, securing second chances for themselves, while denying second chances for their opponents. It's why you see them blowout the warriors so much.
The problem the thunder have is that they're undisciplined. They revert to these bad habits where they don't protect the ball, play hero basketball, and become completely predictable and easy to defend in the half court. That lack of discipline is why the thunder finished so far behind the warriors and spurs in the regular season standings, and it's why they've blown a 3-1 series lead.
Face it Tiger..
Banned
Something i find interesting is that a lot of people (not necessarily in this thread) are suggesting that Game 7 should basically be a guaranteed (not necessarily easy) win for the Warriors given they have HCA, built up some momentum and the fact people are just losing faith in OKC thinking they're regressing back to choking.
But looking back at game 6. Warriors outscored the thunder on the 3 point line by a whopping 54 points. (GSW: 63 pts; OKC: 9 pts) Anyone who's familiar with the warriors and their 3 point prowess would naturally believe that if the warriors made 18 more three pointers than the opposing team that not only did the warriors win but that they also did it in a fairly easy blowout fashion
But they didn't. They only won the game by 7 points thanks to OKC's collapse particularly in the final minutes. This has to be a HUGE positive point of emphasis that surely Donovan isn't letting slip under the radar in getting ready for game seven.
Even just using the eye test from last game, you can see that the warriors struggled to a pretty large degree just to get their shots (OKC length, athleticism and all that jazz) but for most of the game OKC seemed to get to their spots far more easily.
Had OKC just maintained their composure in the stretch they could/should have won game 6 with relative ease even with the ton of shots that went awry for KD and westbrook.
There doesn't seem to be a whole lot that OKC needs to change in approaching game 7. I don't think they need to reinvent the wheel to pull out a win. Even if they just slightly tighten up what they delivered in game 6 it can easily be a 50/50 game in terms of who takes the win.
But looking back at game 6. Warriors outscored the thunder on the 3 point line by a whopping 54 points. (GSW: 63 pts; OKC: 9 pts) Anyone who's familiar with the warriors and their 3 point prowess would naturally believe that if the warriors made 18 more three pointers than the opposing team that not only did the warriors win but that they also did it in a fairly easy blowout fashion
But they didn't. They only won the game by 7 points thanks to OKC's collapse particularly in the final minutes. This has to be a HUGE positive point of emphasis that surely Donovan isn't letting slip under the radar in getting ready for game seven.
Even just using the eye test from last game, you can see that the warriors struggled to a pretty large degree just to get their shots (OKC length, athleticism and all that jazz) but for most of the game OKC seemed to get to their spots far more easily.
Had OKC just maintained their composure in the stretch they could/should have won game 6 with relative ease even with the ton of shots that went awry for KD and westbrook.
There doesn't seem to be a whole lot that OKC needs to change in approaching game 7. I don't think they need to reinvent the wheel to pull out a win. Even if they just slightly tighten up what they delivered in game 6 it can easily be a 50/50 game in terms of who takes the win.
Vegas has GSW favored by seven points. 538 has them favored by about 3.5. They definitely have an advantage (mentally and home-court). However, it's hard to discount the Thunder who have played them very tough and seem to have a much easier time scoring than the Warriors. That being said, I'm not gonna be the one to bet against the team with the best record of all time.
Jack The Nipper
Banned
I'm hoping the Warriors are class acts and drop the confetti for okc tonight after okc wins.
If okc just runs plays, passes and scores they can win
If okc just runs plays, passes and scores they can win
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