Unless you’re either Brian Davis or Michael Cage this wasn’t much of a surprise. Houston’s streaking Rockets came to town and basically did what they wanted to with relative ease with a national TNT audience witnessing the mismatch.
The final read 122-112, but it never felt that close to me. I honestly had trouble paying attention at times.
But know this, Chris Paul knows he is in a much better place then ever before in his pro career as this season heads towards the playoffs while Paul George and Carmelo Anthony aren’t feeling any of that.
The Rockets with mad offensive scientist Mike D’Antoni pushing the buttons looks like it could have the right stuff to challenge the Warriors in the West. Conversely, the Thunder wouldn’t make it out of the Midwest Regional on my NCAA bracket sheet even five days before Selection Sunday.
There’s some stark realities here if you’re a Thunder fan, namely even though Thunder ownership dropped a huge wad of cash putting this team together, there’s not one singular thread of evidence this team in any way has gotten better from Game 1 thru tonight.
I would challenge the Thunder Usual Homer Suspects to address that subject with me, but they can’t because even they know the answer.
In case you haven’t looked at OKC’s final eleven games of the season here it is for you in closing order…. at Toronto, at Boston, Miami, Portland, at San Antonio, Denver, at New Orleans, Golden State, at Houston, at Miami, and Memphis.
I wouldn’t worry about seeding any longer. I’d worry about making the Big Dance.
So, if you think the Thunder are struggling now you better fasten down the hatch and get ready for some serious looking in the mirror moments. Clay Bennett, Sam Presti, Billy Donovan, and Russell Westbrook are going to have some serious thinking to deal with in their own minds.
I’ve been very clear about this for quite some time, I don’t think Billy Donovan is the right coach for this team. I think Billy Donovan would be an excellent coach for a team in the SEC or ACC, but the NBA’s Northwest Division–not so much. At times this team looks like they might be on the verge of quitting on Donovan, but then they think about it and realize that might require too much effort on their part.
Again, this model with Donovan at OKC would have been okay if Durant had stayed with Westbrook with all the rookie scale players around them to be coached like college players, but that all changed this season with the departure of the kids and the arrival of NBA grownup multi millionaires.
If a coach can’t motivate his players, he’s pretty much useless in any sport at any level. Period. Don’t worry I’m not going to repeat the 1st or 2nd Rule of Coaching on here tonight.
But I will write the 3rd Rule of Coaching, that being, Rule #3, ‘Every coach is hired to at some point be fired.’
Even really nice guys.