Spurs Rout Defenseless Thunder in Game 1

San Antonio Spurs 124 – Oklahoma City Thunder 92

I’ve slept on it and feel better. More centered, refreshed, and ready to tackle this recap. Keep this in mind, I don’t run this blog to sell advertising. Nor is writing about the Thunder what I do for a living. It’s a passion. Consequently, unlike Berry Tramel, Anthony Slater, Jenni Carlson, Erik Horne, or even Thunder homer ESPN blogger Royce Young–I could care less what Sam Presti and Clay Bennett might think. The downside of this is you don’t get much readership. The upside of it is you don’t find yourself playing the bullshit game of quid pro quo access with the Thunder organization in fear of losing off the record access.

But here’s what I’ll say about off the record access in this age of modern internet sports writing—what possible good does it do to have off the record access if you never write something honestly from the heart?

I don’t want to take anything away from the San Antonio Spurs. They’re a good basketball team which is coached by probably the second best NBA coach of all-time in Greg Popovich. I’d go Phil Jackson at one, Greg Popovich at two, and Red Auerbach at three. I give Pop the nod over Red simply because he coaches in a modern age where most NBA coaches can’t tell their superstars what to do. He does and it’s actually refreshing to see stars do things like play defense, make the smart pass, make the smart play, show some caring in their overall craft. Take less money to be a part of something special and actually care about their legacy.

Mark Cuban got it wrong. There’s only three current superstars in the NBA. They would be in this order…LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kawhi Leonard. Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are not superstars for the simple reason they don’t play defense. They could play defense, they have the ability to play defense, but they’ve opted not to for the most part.

Last night in San Antonio was a virtual disgrace for the entire Oklahoma City Thunder organization. This game was literally over eight minutes in when the Spurs led by twenty points. The Spurs went 18-22 from the field in the first period. Kawhi Leonard looked like a streaking Jerry Rice getting behind the alleged Thunder defense. It was pathetic. If a youth coach wanted to put together a video to show his kids how not to play team defense this would be Exhibit A.

Evidently within the braintrust of the Thunder coaching staff they don’t understand terms like space and time. Head on a swivel. Read and react. Talk to your teammates. Getting in a fucking guy’s chest. It appeared there was no preparation whatsoever for this basketball game. No half court defensive zone walk thru, no team film sessions–because if any of these occurred none of the Thunder players played like any of this occurred.

How many times did Kawhi Leonard get to the rim with ease? How many times did LaMarcus Aldridge find himself in his comfort zone spots on the floor with so  much space and time it was embarrassing? How many times was Danny Green left totally unattended on his favorite three point launching spots? It was so bad, my X Factor Tony Parker just lounged around dishing out 12 of the 39 San Antonio assists. Tony Parker did about what Peyton Manning did in the Super Bowl….just enough.

Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge went a combined 28-36 from the field. Danny Green went 6-7. The Spurs as a team shot 60% from the field and 60% from behind the arc.

On the flip side of this every shot OKC attempted was contested. Durant and Westbrook went a combined 11-34 from the field. It’s one thing to loaf defensively, it’s another to suck on the offensive end as well. Give Pop credit though, he went with Kawhi on Westbrook and it wasn’t even competitive. He went with Danny Green on Durant–and in both cases it was a resounding win for the Spurs matchup wise.

And it wasn’t just a case of the Thunder being mentally lazy. They were dumb. Four times in the first half the Thunder fouled a Spur beyond the three point line for three free throws. Four frigging times. The Sacramento Kings don’t even do this.

This game was such a blowout it was already decided before Enes Kanter even got on the floor for his first minutes. The only thing lacking from the Spurs’ complete and total humiliation of the Thunder was bad boy enforcer David West calling out Enes Kanter to center ice and whipping his ass in front of a frenzied Spurs crowd.

One game does not make a series, but OKC’s two one way superstars better locate some heart in a hurry and inspire their teammates or else this series might not go much further than the fifth game Darnell Mayberry predicted it would go.

I’m going to put this up for the Thunder players. Take a look.

Mike Jackson