This game might qualify as one of my lowest moments in ten years of watching the Thunder play basketball. It depressed me almost as much as the Trump presidency to see this team with this much potential play this bad this early in a season which may or may not hold much hope for the Thunder being relevant in April.
Disgraceful is the word I feel most inclined to use. The Thunder’s collective performance was disgraceful.
Sam Presti and Billy Donovan need to have a closed door meeting sometime today if they haven’t already. The question Sam Presti needs to ask of Billy Donovan is if he thinks he can effectively coach this basketball team moving forward.
From what I witnessed on Tuesday in a disgraceful performance at Sacramento is maybe he can’t. Ten games in it appears his team isn’t listening and the body language is bad…as in superstar prima donna NBA bad. You don’t see players do this with Greg Popovich or Steve Kerr or even upcomer Brad Stevens. They wouldn’t stand for it.
I’m trying to be fair. I really am.
This Kings team was 1-8 entering tonight and losers of seven straight games. The notion OKC could lose this game never entered my mind. In fact, when OKC went up 25-10 after the first period I started clicking my remote to catch parts of the new ESPN 30/30 film Nature Boy. The film was about pro wrestler Ric Flair. Since I’m not really a pro wrestling fan the story fascinated me. I knew about Hulk Hogan, Junkyard Dog, Rowdy Roddy Piper and the such, but I had no idea Ric Flair’s life was so depressing. Such a sad movie, but if I had to guess, I’m almost certain Donald Trump created his persona from in part…Ric Flair. Don’t laugh.
Anyway, back to the Thunder in Sacramento. After the first period—it was pitiful. This team didn’t look like they’d practiced or looked at film or had a walkthrough or even cared how they played. It was a disgrace.
It somewhat reminded of a game back in Year 1 when OKC played like this and PJ Carlesimo never coached another Thunder game. But if you look up and down that Thunder bench you won’t see a young Scott Brooks or a Monty Williams in wait. So—I’m not sure what Sam Presti does. I love Mo Cheeks, but he’s never gotten it done in several opportunities of being an NBA head coach.
OKC scored 16 points in the second period. Then after talking about it in their locker room they followed this with scoring 16 points in the third period. At one point the Thunder trailed by as many as 12 points, but made a run, got within one point, and then of course folded their tents when it mattered coming down the stretch.
Steven Adams and Jerami Grant were decent, the rest of the team was a dumpster fire.
The final score was 94-86 as if it mattered.
Collectively, OKC’s Super Three shot 15-54 on the night. The ball did not move. There were times I’d sit there counting endless seconds of dribbling by either Westbrook, Carmelo, or Paul. I had OKC down for 15 assists as a team. I just don’t get it. These three guys can move to Los Angeles tomorrow and they’re not winning a ring there unless they play the game the right way.
I don’t know what to say beyond this. I really don’t. If as a coach you can’t get your team to listen to you then you shouldn’t be coaching the team. But having written that–I’m not exactly sure who I would suggest Sam Presti talk to about coaching his three superstars.
OKC at Denver on Thursday night.