Thursday Bolts – 11.5.15
Anthony Slater: “With 5:11 left in the first half, the Thunder led by eight. OKC went into halftime
trailing by one. With 5:13 left in the fourth quarter, the Thunder again led by eight. OKC lost by five. Combined those two stretches and the Thunder was outscored by 22. That’s 10 crucial minutes that were just botched. The more memorable of those meltdowns, of course, came in the fourth quarter. In the final five minutes, the Thunder didn’t make a field goal, missing all six of their shots. There were grumblings from fans about the isolation ball, the lack of movement and creativity. And I get that. We’ve heard all about the offensive changes that are supposedly being made, the “move the floor” mentality, but this did have a Scott Brooks-y feel to it. So did the Houston game.”
Berry Tramel: “That was supposed to change with Donovan, and maybe it will. Five games is awfully early to expect a big difference. But it hasn’t changed yet. And let’s grant Durant this — the ball wasn’t sticky. It’s not like everyone stood around while Westbrook dribbled. That’s an improvement. But still, no high-quality shots ensued. The Raptors went to a small lineup down the stretch, and Donovan stayed big. That made it tough for the Thunder to guard Toronto, but it should have made it tough on the Raptors to guard the Thunder. Didn’t happen.”
Here’s what I came up with after that disappointing loss.
Ian Thomsen of NBA.com on what duo will take the most shots: “I’m guessing Westbrook and Durant will lead in this category because they are exceptionally talented and hungry to win. Will it be a bad thing if they dominate the shots for their team? It’s hard to answer that question because it’s been so long since we’ve seen them healthy together for an extended time. Maybe they are so good and so ready to fulfill their potential that the normal rules will not apply.”
TrueHoopTV podcast talking lots of Thunder.
Russ likes tennis? KD likes photography? Steven Adams likes dairy farming?
KC Johnson of the Chicago Tribune: “Butler, who doesn’t mind a made-for-TV moment now and then, actually sighed at the conclusion of this answer. He knows he’s guarding Durant or Westbrook on Thursday night. And he knows neither assignment will be fun. Durant’s having fun again. Where he plays next season can wait. There’s a title to chase, and his foot is cooperating. The shooting stroke never left.”
NumberFire: “Last season, Westbrook accounted for a league high 60.1% of his team’s points while he was on the floor. His Usage Rate was 37.2% last season which is the highest in the NBA over the past nine seasons. The newly-found depth allows Donovan to play with the lineup to find the best fit for the team as the season goes on. The roster is full of players that can contribute and eat up minutes. Everyone is currently healthy. Everyone is a year more experienced and, ostensibly, getting more comfortable with each other. The Oklahoma City Thunder are officially out of excuses.”
