RealGM

I hope JDub will play at his own pace and won't rush it like in game 1. He's one of the few players in the league that is able to change pace/speed so fast and impact a game so much because of it (not to Shai/Luka level but he knows how to do it). I think the Pels defense is legit but they can't stop us if both JDub and Shai are doing their best.

I also hope Cason will play more minutes than Giddey and that they will give Hayward's minutes to Wiggins. I'm probably dreaming because we keep trying with Hayward despite the fac't that he doesn't deserve to play from what he showed so far in OKC.

People who think that we are going to try to match up Pels size with more Jwill haven't watched the Thunder this season. We won't change anything because of Valanciunas or maybe going even smaller.

We will probably see a drop in minutes for giddey and a drop in the rotation to 10 man.

I’m hoping for more cason and wiggins minutes though.

/photo/1

Gonna be hard for the Pelz to comeback from that complete beat down.

If Jonas can't neutralize Chet and with no Zion they got nothing but a gimpy Ingram and a streaky CJ.

That ain't scaring anyone!

Huge game from our big 3. I still don't know who's the best player from the 2022 draft but he certainly plays in OKC.

Dort improved so much. Better shooter, he accept his role as a 4th or 5th option and make the extra pass when needed.

I have no clue why we keep playing Hayward though.

I think the lack of move at the deadline is what is likely going to cost us a second round series. Facing Lively/Gafford/PJ Washington or Zubac/Plumlee and ton of elite guards might be too much.

just a small rambling but i'm having a hard time deciding whether i should preserve my sleep time or watching these primetime thunder games

bbms wrote:just a small rambling but i'm having a hard time deciding whether i should preserve my sleep time or watching these primetime thunder games

lol us old guys are in the same boat. I struggled to stay awake till half time and then called it. Went to bed, got up at 6:30 and watched the second half before getting ready for work.


What a great win. But, time to put it in the rear view mirror and focus on Saturday. NOP isn't gonna lay down and die just cause the got blown out in game 2. Gotta be ready for them to make a big push in the first quarter Saturday.

Its pretty wild that Dort managed to make the role transition everyone was hoping for. Not a given that a guy will accept his role and play to his strengths. He has improved his shot selection, transitioned a good deal of energy from O to D, understood what his shooting strengths are and reigned in his often out of control play.

He is becoming the elite 3/D, low usage, pittbull that everyone knew he had the talents to become.

5 of his 8.3 shots coming from 3 while still getting to the line 2.0 times per game is a pretty great shot selection. Most guys whos % weighs that heavily to the 3 are not managing to get to the line that much. (Huerter for example shot 5.3 of his 8.8 shots from 3 and managed only 0.7 FTA per game).

bbms wrote:just a small rambling but i'm having a hard time deciding whether i should preserve my sleep time or watching these primetime thunder games

Even during the regular season we are televised like we are a west coast team.

ThunderBolt wrote:

bbms wrote:just a small rambling but i'm having a hard time deciding whether i should preserve my sleep time or watching these primetime thunder games

Even during the regular season we are televised like we are a west coast team.

I know you guys live in the Eastern side of the US, but for West Coasters like me, it's great!

PS - I was originally from OK, just a transient out west now.

Chet is staying with jv in the physical matchup, boy is he living up to hype. Kizz you sure are quiet.

Big nick wrote:Chet is staying with jv in the physical matchup, boy is he living up to hype. Kizz you sure are quiet.

Well he can speak for himself but I don't think Kizz had doubts about Chet. Issue is providing Chet some help and it's fine to want a better back up than JWill. Pels are pretty short but I have no clue how we will deal with Mavs/Clippers bigs when Chet gets some rest.

This is true but the way we are playing goes against what kizz says.

But I will agree we still need a good pf that can bang and shoot.

It's gonna be an interesting offseason regardless of what happens in the POs. On one hand, there's a LOT of positive stuff in our current team and u don't want to mess up but on the other you got serious and obvious needs.

Big nick wrote:Chet is staying with jv in the physical matchup, boy is he living up to hype. Kizz you sure are quiet.

I guess you missed that JV almost put OKC down 1-0 in game one by dominating the offensive glass. JV had more offensive rebounds in game 1 than the entire Thunder team. It is a problem. OKC needs another big man playing with Chet. OKC should sweep NOLA, but that doesn't mean OKC doesn't have issues cleaning up the glass as we saw all season. Just because NOLA can't make a shot doesn't mean that OKC doesn't have issues. How do you think it is going to look when OKC has to deal with a team that has multiple talented big men that can destroy them on the glass? I'm rooting hard for the Clippers so OKC can get to the WCF, because Dallas won't let OKC get away with giving up that many 2nd and 3rd looks. NOLA took 14 more shots than OKC in game one because they got 18 offensive rebounds. You think Dallas, LAC, Minny or Denver would fail to win with that many extra chances?

Kizz Fastfists wrote:

Big nick wrote:Chet is staying with jv in the physical matchup, boy is he living up to hype. Kizz you sure are quiet.

I guess you missed that JV almost put OKC down 1-0 in game one by dominating the offensive glass. JV had more offensive rebounds in game 1 than the entire Thunder team. It is a problem. OKC needs another big man playing with Chet. OKC should sweep NOLA, but that doesn't mean OKC doesn't have issues cleaning up the glass as we saw all season. Just because NOLA can't make a shot doesn't mean that OKC doesn't have issues. How do you think it is going to look when OKC has to deal with a team that has multiple talented big men that can destroy them on the glass? I'm rooting hard for the Clippers so OKC can get to the WCF, because Dallas won't let OKC get away with giving up that many 2nd and 3rd looks. NOLA took 14 more shots than OKC in game one because they got 18 offensive rebounds. You think Dallas, LAC, Minny or Denver would fail to win with that many extra chances?

I don't think playing against bigs in general is an issue but against fast/versatile bigs it is. That's why I don't like our chances against Dallas like u do and why I wanted to avoid to face Anthony Davis and the Lakers. Chet destroyed traditional bigs all season long and he's doing a good job against JV who can't defend him.

Our team found a way to punish slow big mens so those guys are not an issue. There's a reason we were one of the top defense and offense while being only 27th in rebounds. Wolves size isn't a problem to me for those reasons... we have seen it during the regular season that Gobert/KAT were not able to take advantage of the mismatch. Main issue with Minny is Mcdaniels and NAW defending Shai/JDub at a high level.

I don't like the idea of having another big playing with Chet but we badly need to add another versatile PF/C for some difficult match ups. Those guys are rarely available though (I don't think Olynyk is good enough to be the missing piece even if I agree that he would have been a nice addition).

It seems that all our ex-Thunder star-players like KD,RW,JH and PG will be out in the first round of the PO.

Mr Thunder Nick wrote:It seems that all our ex-Thunder star-players like KD,RW,JH and PG will be out in the first round of the PO.

Reggie Jackson is likely gonna win another ring though

I don't like his bark stuff that much but as long as he plays well...