Contenders or Pretenders?

[Nitro]

So, I have been hearing a LOT on various message boards that OKC are arguably the 2nd best team in the West and have the best shot at knocking off the Lakers in the post-season. Personally, I just don't get it. They made no big off-season moves, just the signing of MoPete, who's played only 89 games combined the last 2 seasons and didn't shoot over 40% in either. Obviously the young guys on the team will get better, but I just don't think they have enough talent to make much noise in the post-season, especially in the frontcourt. And before people bring up how they almost brought the Lakers to 7 games, if PJ put Kobe on Westbrook to start the series off, they would have been lucky to make it to 6 games.

 

So, what do ya'll think?

[YugoRocketsFan]

The Rockets took the Lakers to 7 games, where was our love? People said we would be last in West.

 

I think OKC will be good but I dont think they'll be 2nd seed.

[Blazed49]

Yeah I just don't get the infatuation with them. As u said no offseason moves. They're still small up front regardless. All anyone has to do is bang them around in the post.

[Dzy]

Pretenders. They'll be good, but not championship bound. Maybe they're hyped up because of the +27 wins they got this season?

[fedefox]

If their young guys get better and if home court is protected they have a good shot at the 2nd seed. Durant is expected to have an MVP-like season and Westbrook, Green and Harden should get better to help Kevin. They MUST get better at the C spot, that was they're biggest downside last season and could be a great difference against a healthy Yao or Tim Duncan, an improved Scola or a hot handed and well dished Jefferson.

They have the backcourt potential to be the second seed, but it will depend on the West's big men performance.

[moeroadkill]

well anything from 2-8 will be within a few games imo so saying that they will be 2nd best doesn't necessarily mean they are 2nd best by a landslide.

 

and about the whole kobe on westbrook getting locked down is such a load of [expletive], pardon my french. okay yeah they put kobe on westbrook and he got "locked down". if you think standing 5-6 feet away from someone is locking down then you better think again. after brooks got westbrook to come off some screens guess who was on him. fisher. and guess what fisher did after that, give westbrook about 6 feet in front and guess who locked up westbrook? fisher. and fisher cant lock down anyone im afraid... call me a homer but i fail to see how that is locking someone down. its playing smart knowing your opponent and using his weaknesses for your advantage and it worked, im not discrediting what phill or kobe (whoever came up with the idea) did. it worked and it paid off

 

presti is looking to add via free agency, he wants to build his team through the draft let them grow together etc etc.. his said this. weather its good or bad that remains to be seen, as of now its working quite nicely

 

also why he got mo pete and cook was to get cole, who i think will make a pretty big difference

[Real Deal]

People are saying the Thunder can get that second seed because, to be honest, there are about 3-4 teams in the West that can. Even then, there are just as many that can be the biggest threat to the Lakers' chance at a fourth-consecutive NBA Finals...but that doesn't mean they are an actual threat.

 

The Kobe/Westbrook strategy wasn't the end-all for the Thunder. When Kobe had his knee drained, that was it. Had that happened after Game 2, the series was over in five games max.

 

They are my second favorite team, and I do believe they may have the best chance among West teams at beating LA next season, but that's different from them actually having a big chance. I would say that belongs to the Celtics, Heat and Magic before the Thunder.

[Nitro]

and about the whole kobe on westbrook getting locked down is such a load of [expletive], pardon my french. okay yeah they put kobe on westbrook and he got "locked down". if you think standing 5-6 feet away from someone is locking down then you better think again. after brooks got westbrook to come off some screens guess who was on him. fisher. and guess what fisher did after that, give westbrook about 6 feet in front and guess who locked up westbrook? fisher. and fisher cant lock down anyone im afraid... call me a homer but i fail to see how that is locking someone down. its playing smart knowing your opponent and using his weaknesses for your advantage and it worked, im not discrediting what phill or kobe (whoever came up with the idea) did. it worked and it paid off

 

First off, I never used the words "locked down" when referring to Kobe being put on Westbrook. I said if PJ put Kobe on Westbrook to start the series off, the Thunder would have been lucky to bring the Lakers to 6. And I do think that should be considered locking someone down. If you force a all-star level player into his lowest % shot and take him out of his comfort zone, I'd say you are doing as well as you can defensively.

[moeroadkill]

First off, I never used the words "locked down" when referring to Kobe being put on Westbrook. I said if PJ put Kobe on Westbrook to start the series off, the Thunder would have been lucky to bring the Lakers to 6. And I do think that should be considered locking someone down. If you force a all-star level player into his lowest % shot and take him out of his comfort zone, I'd say you are doing as well as you can defensively.

 

sorry, i didnt mean to point the finger at you but i hear all the time people saying him getting locked down. and it bugs me

 

its hard to say really because kobe wasn't even contesting westbrooks 15 foot jumpers he was letting him shoot that so if westbrook hits his jumpers then it could very well go to 6 games

Edited July 26, 2010 by MoeRoadKill

[Nitro]

sorry, i didnt mean to point the finger at you but i hear all the time people saying him getting locked down. and it bugs me

 

its hard to say really because kobe wasn't even contesting westbrooks 15 foot jumpers he was letting him shoot that so if westbrook hits his jumpers then it could very well go to 6 games

 

Well, Westbrook shot a very poor 36% EFG on jumpers last season, so Kobe played him perfectly because it was well known that Westbrook couldn't hit the jumpers consistently. Unless he was on a hot streak, there's no reason for me to believe he would be hitting those jumpers. To give you a comparison, Rondo shot 37.4% EFG on jumpers last season, and Kobe shot 46.2% EFG. 36% is awful.

 

Anyway, it's semantics arguing if he locked him down or not. Not a big deal.

[Real Deal]

its hard to say really because kobe wasn't even contesting westbrooks 15 foot jumpers he was letting him shoot that so if westbrook hits his jumpers then it could very well go to 6 games

That's part of the defensive IQ, though. Rajon Rondo? Same thing happened with him. Neither Westbrook or Rondo want to shoot those jumpers, but Kobe will give it to them all day as long as he stops them on the break (which he did with Westbrook) and prevents them from having open lanes (which he did with Westbrook and Rondo both).

 

If Shaq hit open 15-20 footers in 2004, the Lakers would have beaten the Pistons...but they knew how to shut down the Kobe-Shaq connection, and they did it perfectly. Defensive IQ.

[YugoRocketsFan]

That's part of the defensive IQ, though. Rajon Rondo? Same thing happened with him. Neither Westbrook or Rondo want to shoot those jumpers, but Kobe will give it to them all day as long as he stops them on the break (which he did with Westbrook) and prevents them from having open lanes (which he did with Westbrook and Rondo both).

 

If Shaq hit open 15-20 footers in 2004, the Lakers would have beaten the Pistons...but they knew how to shut down the Kobe-Shaq connection, and they did it perfectly. Defensive IQ.

 

Teams let Rafer Alston shoot because he can't shoot for crap. Defensive IQ

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Real Deal]

Teams let Rafer Alston shoot because he can't shoot for crap. Defensive IQ

 

 

 

 

Who is Rafer Alston?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[YugoRocketsFan]

Who is Rafer Alston?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The worst PG ever

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[moeroadkill]

That's part of the defensive IQ, though. Rajon Rondo? Same thing happened with him. Neither Westbrook or Rondo want to shoot those jumpers, but Kobe will give it to them all day as long as he stops them on the break (which he did with Westbrook) and prevents them from having open lanes (which he did with Westbrook and Rondo both).

 

If Shaq hit open 15-20 footers in 2004, the Lakers would have beaten the Pistons...but they knew how to shut down the Kobe-Shaq connection, and they did it perfectly. Defensive IQ.

 

but the thing what separates rondo and westbrook is that when kobe wasnt on rondo, well, we know what happened. when kobe went off from westbrook and fisher was on him he still couldnt score.

 

u cant say that because shaq cant shoot, westbrook can usually hit them his really not a bad shooter when his in rhythm

[Nitro]

but the thing what separates rondo and westbrook is that when kobe wasnt on rondo, well, we know what happened. when kobe went off from westbrook and fisher was on him he still couldnt score.

 

When Fisher was the primary defender on Westbrook in the first 4 games, Westbrook shot above 50% in EVERY game. Then Kobe took the role of checking Westbrook starting in Game 5...and for those last two games, Westbrook couldn't shoot over 35%. Also in Game 5 Kobe helped force Westbrook into 8 TO's. Yes, Fisher may have switched onto Westbrook occasionally in those last two games, but Kobe was guarding him the vast majority of the time. And one could argue that Kobe's defense threw Westbrook out of his rythym, which indirectly helped Fisher out whenever he had to switch onto him.

[Newman]

Does this topic really have much to do with the match-up between Lakers and Thunder last year?

 

Anyway, besides the Lakers being a lock at the top of the West, 2nd to 8th is still rather foggy at the moment and the Thunder is certainly one of the teams that can compete for 2nd place in the West.

[Check my Stats]

No, I love KD and I like RW a ton too, but they just aren't talented enough to knock off the Lakers. Unless Harden develops into a 20 point scorer and Westbrook learns how to stick a jumper, I just don't see it happening... I loved the Aldrich acquisition and this team still probably has the brightest future in the league, but guys like Harden and Aldrich are still a couple years away from helping the Thunder contend for a title, in a couple years when the Lakers window is starting to close they have an opportunity for multiple titles if they can retain their core.

 

In a couple years come talk to me, don't be surprised if the Thunder as a team regress this year in terms of their record, I think they really overachieved last year. Houston will be back with yao, Memphis will be another year older, and seems the Hornets aren't trading CP3, I think the Thunder are going to have a hard enough time making the playoffs, nevermind knocking off LA.

[Abro]

the OKC will make some noise this year.. maybe wont have as good of a record as they did last season but they will still be good if everyone improves including durant they will be a tough team next year, but not contenders IMO not just yet. they still have an incredibly bright future tho.

[Big Penny]

OKC took the Lakers (with Kobe essentially not playing for most of the series) to 6 games and now all of a sudden they're the 2nd seed in the West (after making no roster changes). compare that to the Houston Rockets, who took a relatively healthy Laker team to 7 games 2 years ago (without their superstar), have improved their roster since then, but people are sure they're going to miss the playoffs

Edited July 27, 2010 by UnoCinco

[Sportsguy9695]

I say that there contenders. they will impressed me alot this year

[Abro]

i dont think the rockets are going to miss the playoffs if Yao comes back healthy and plays at least decent.