I’ve moved beyond the Nixon comparisons. Even Nixon wasn’t this wretched. We got it all wrong. This isn’t like Nixon. This is more like The Godfather, The Departed, Goodfellas, or Reservoir Dogs. Probably Reservoir Dogs and The Departed being the better comparisons.
If you’re going to tell me we live in an era of metrics then by all means convince me you know what you’re doing with them… last night being a prime example.
How in the world you could grind for 48 minutes on the road and still with a chance to steal the game at the end draw up a play for an Alex Abrines who quite frankly has the look of a guy who in his own heart knows he isn’t going to make the shot—end up taking the shot is beyond me.
I don’t get it. Paul George is 7-12 shooting the three in these last two games. Those are numbers, right?
I find it vexing.
Ride your bell cow. But on a positive note it was good to see Russell execute the play and not instead chuck a one-legged three from just inside half court. Good play. Wrong shooter.
I’m old school. I genuinely am. Call me Mini Gran Torino is you will. There are certain axioms in the NBA I’ll always adhere to even in the Golden Age of Millenials. When I have two stars who are both making more than $25 million a piece and I have a chance to steal a road game with ten seconds left on the Smoothie King Center clock I’m drawing a play for one of those two dudes.
Given the fact Paul George of late has been playing better than pretty much anyone in the NBA minus perhaps Anthony Davis… as a coach I’m not drawing the picket fence play from Hoosiers. I’m looking square into Paul George’s eyes and saying this is what we do after you make the shot. Buddy isn’t taking this shot. I’m just that way.
But this wasn’t Hoosiers. This was Billy Donovan reminding us why it’s very rare for college coaches to make it big in the NBA. Ask Fred Hoiberg, ask John Calipari, heck—ask our own Lon Kruger.
Instead what Billy Donovan did was run the Chaos Play with Russell Westbrook executing it perfectly to get the most disappointing player on the Thunder roster the last shot on the road to try and remain atop the West.
Don’t get me wrong. It was a beautiful play. Only problem is the guy who got the open look didn’t really deserve this opportunity. Coming into tonight Alex Abrines was 31-97 (32%) shooting the three. He was 1-4 on the night before the miss. So what I’m saying here is why would I take that leap of faith at this moment in this situation. Why? It would be one thing if I looked at my bench and saw Big Shot Bob Horry. Not to be cruel…but Alex Abrines isn’t Big Shot Bob. Not even close.
Of course the shot clanked and then the Pelicans hit two free throws to ice a win which makes them a .500 team.
I could go on and on about how the Thunder were outrebounded 56-39 or how they committed 18 turnovers of how they shot 63% from the line. I could do all those things and they would be valid points as to why the Thunder lost this game. But in the end here’s what I know…Paul George didn’t shoot the ball on either of OKC’s last two possessions of the game. That somewhat bothers me because PG scored 25 points on the night going 9-17 from the field and 3-7 from behind the arc yet didn’t get a shot on those last two possessions.
On the other side, Anthony Davis was brilliant with a 44 point, 18 rebound double double. Billy Donovan allowed Jerami Grant to get in foul trouble trying to handle this impossible matchup. What I would have done is try Nerlen Noels on AD some. Why not? Why not give it a try. You can’t really go small with Davis and Randle paired together so why not give Noels some real minutes against the Pelicans. But again, this isn’t the SEC, these aren’t the Florida Gators. Just saying.
So in one fell swoop the Thunder fall to 17-9 and back to 3rd in the West only a half game out of 6th place. Such is the nature of the beast which is the NBA’s Western Conference.
Great game to watch. But in the end more evidence to support the notion this Thunder team won’t be dancing deep into the NBA’s playoffs if they can’t learn the basic axioms of what it takes to win an NBA championship.
If you want to read a great basketball book during the holidays this is one you won’t go wrong with.
I heard the author Gary Pomerantz promoting his book on the radio and bought a copy. I’m glad I did. It’s one of the very best basketball books I’ve ever read and in these times of societal racial turbulence the book will question all of us as to how we’ve dealt with racial issues in our own lives.
The book focuses on the relationship between Bob Cousy and Bill Russell during the Celtic glory days when under the guiding rule of Red Auerbach the Celts won eleven NBA championships in thirteen seasons. Never in professional sports since has there been a dynasty such as those Celtics.
It’s not only a story of basketball, but more of a story of how Bill Russell was permanently affected by the racial implications of being a black star living in Boston during his playing career and for two additional seasons as player/head coach. The book delves into the relationship between Bob Cousy and Bill Russell and why they were never able to fully connect on a friendship basis during their time together with the Celtics.
Pomerantz basically tells the story through the narrative voice of Cousy who made himself available for fifty-three interviews as the book was being written.
As Cousy has gotten older (now 90) he’s come to the realization he never reached out enough to Bill Russell during those turbulent days of overt racism in Boston in the 60’s. From Cousy’s perspective he blames himself for never reaching out to Russell on a more personal note. You can tell it haunts him to a certain degree and in a sense the book is a mea culpa from Cousy to Russell explaining why he didn’t do more. How his own personality prevented him from reaching out more to the troubled Russell.
The Last Pass is Cousy’s one and half page letter written at the age of ninety sent to Bill Russell (age 84) making a last ditch effort to explain his actions and to a sense come to terms with himself as he nears the end of his life.
You won’t go wrong reading this book.
Interestingly, Cousy in the book lists his five greatest point guards the NBA has seen and one Russell Westbrook makes the list. Russell Westbrook also made Cousy’s list of the twenty greatest NBA players of all-time. Suffice it to say as a hall of fame point guard himself, Cousy is very much intrigued by Russell Westbrook.
I would say yes he should and he is in my top five as we just passed the quarter mark of the regular season.
Here’s my top five this far into the season:
1 Kawhi Leonard Toronto
2 Giannis Antetokounmpo Milwaukee
3 LeBron James LA Lakers
4 Anthony Davis New Orleans
5 Paul George Oklahoma City
Paul George has been stellar for the Thunder so far this season. With Russell Westbrook missing games and at times being an offensive liability to start off the season–Paul George has picked up the slack and in my opinion easily been the Thunder’s MVP so far. And unlike Westbrook—Paul George legitimately plays both ends of the court for the duration of the game. He doesn’t cherry pick, he doesn’t take possessions off, he doesn’t take low risks on the defensive end, and in short along with Steven Adams, Dennis Schroder, and Jerami Grant is the No. 1 reason why OKC is atop the West heading into New Orleans.
Paul George is off to a career type of year if you look at his stats.
24.3 points per game (12th overall NBA), 7.8 rebounds per game, 4.3 assists per game, 2.24 steals a game (leads NBA), PER 22.1
43.% from the field, 36.5% from three, 82.5% from the line.
If you’re the MVP of the team leading the West you should be in the conversation. I think for Paul George to climb in the conversation he needs to have a higher efficiency from the field and get his three point percentage above the 40% mark. Otherwise for me, he checks all the boxes especially when you consider what he brings to the table defensively. Add to the mix, Oklahoma City as a franchise has a history with its players winning regular season MVPs. Small market or not, the Thunder have a national brand. People all over the world buy their jerseys. No. 13 jerseys caught my eye on Monday night inside the Peake and quite frankly I don’t think it will be much longer before OKC fans start the MVP chant when Paul George toes the free throw line. That’s another thing George needs to improve on…increasing his volume at the free throwline. As in getting there at least eight times a game.
Paul George unlike both Cupcake and Wild Thing though doesn’t bring much super star dysfunction to the national discussion. He’s a star, but he’s in sense a blue collar star if that makes any sense. Nobody gives a shit what type of blouse he wears to the arena. Nobody follows him on Twitter to see if Draymond is still his soulmate. He doesn’t paint his nails pink. He doesn’t have ‘Wanda’ tattooed on his lower abdomen. He oddly seems somewhat normal. He’s not that type of dude and quite frankly I hope he stays that way. It’s somewhat refreshing after following the two divas….Wild Thing and Cup Cake.
So…next game I attend I’ll be cheering MVP when Paul George toes the line.
Russell Westbrook says he likes Nick Gallo, but doesn’t like Barry Tramel. I can understand why. Nick Gallo is nothing more than a Thunder employed lapdog. Funny how the glow to answers goes poof when Gallo is through asking questions of Russell Westbrook.
From a completely objective view, usually the only semi-difficult questions tossed Westbrook’s way come from either Barry Tramel or Erik Horne. The rest of the local media appears to be intimidated by Westbrook. If indeed Westbrook respects the level of Nick Gallo’s ‘journalism’ then I would say Russell and the Thunder shouldn’t even make him available to the local media moving forward. There’s no reason to continue doing these postgame pressers. Pass on Westbrook and interview the other players.
Don’t look now, but Sam Presti’s Thunder sit atop the Western Conference standings by a half game over Cupcake’s Warriors. Maybe someone with a cell phone should point this out to Cupcake or possibly even Draymond.
And consider this, the Thunder at 17-8 have done this even with Russell Westbrook still embracing most of his worst habits.
Twenty-five games into this season and the MVP in the West is an easy pick. It’s the guy with two first names. As in Paul George.
If nothing else Paul George is on tract to win the NBA’s Player of the Month honor if he keeps trending as is through the month.
On Monday night in the Peake against the division rival Utah Jazz, Paul George led ‘his’ Thunder to a relatively easy 122-113 win over a Jazz team which looks like a team in need of a home stretch of games right now. Imagine if Presti had somehow gotten rid of Alex Abrines and Patrick Patterson and added Kyle Korver to this team. Visualize that.
Paul George is the MVP in the West after twenty-five games. Period. With Russell Westbrook apparently not getting enough sleep because of the twins, Paul George has not only filled that gap, but he’s filled the huge abyss which was left in Oklahoma City after Jerry West’s phone call to Cupcake on that fateful July night.
On this Monday night in OKC…Paul George scored the most efficient 31 points I’ve ever witnessed in my life on ten shots. It was beyond Durantesque. It was like a countryside mural of the hills in the Sound of Music. It was as if a basketball artist had created something beautiful before our eyes.
Steven Adams, Jerami Grant, Dennis Schroeder, Nerlens Noel, and Diallo were excellent in support as well. Terrance Ferguson is actually becoming decent in playing the Andre role. He’s not in any way hurting the Thunder.
Meanwhile, Abrines and Patterson continue to not really bring anything to the table on a consistent basis.
I can visualize the gears spinning in Sam Presti’s head right now. Diallo is going to be something. Ferguson has enough to make up for Andre’s absence. Wild Thing is never going to change. And right now the MVP in the West is Paul George with Steven Adams emerging as one of the best centers in the entire league and Schroder as Sixth Man of the Year.
If Wild Thing can come to terms with himself and if Presti can find another three point shooter who knows?
Donald Trump became POTUS. So who really knows anything anymore about anything?
But on this day on December 11th, the Thunder sit atop the Warriors for the first time since that 3-1 series lead and the eventual Durant divorce to run off with an upper tier stripper named Draymond.
Somebody should buy Sam Presti lunch today.
Browns 26 – Panthers 20
Colin Cowherd….really. Tell us who the number one sports figure in the state of Ohio is right now. Hint…it was LeBron. It isn’t anymore.
When it’s all been said and done…There’s Only One Oklahoma.
I was very pleased to see Bob Stoops and his wife at the ceremony tonight with the OU delegation. Keep this in mind about the Bob Stoops legacy…under his watch four different Sooners he recruited to OU have now won the Heisman and another two in Josh Huepel and Adrian Peterson made the finals to New York. OU now has seven Heisman Trophy winners which ties them with Notre Dame and Ohio State for the most Heisman winners.
A great night for the University of Oklahoma and for Kyler Murray.
I hope Bob Stoops stays around because he was a great coach and made one of the classiest exits from coaching I’ve ever witnessed.
Who knows, Bob Stoops did win another national championship at Florida as their defensive coordinator before he ever got to OU. That was his pedigree on the defensive side of the ball. You never know somebody might need a head coach or a coordinator.
The Thunder lost a game tonight in Chicago by a score of 114-112 against a team which fired its college coach this past Monday. Fred Hoiberg was a fine coach at Iowa State. But what I would say to Fred Hoiberg is know your wheelhouse, buddy. The Chicago Bulls aren’t the Iowa State Cyclones. The NBA isn’t the Big 12.
Without Hoiberg this young Bulls team which is in complete rebuild scored 70 first half points against a Thunder team which for the second straight game loafed through a first half against a bad team.
Let’s cut this even clearer for those who occasionally are interested in the truth. The Thunder are now 13-1 against teams with a record of below .500. The flip side is they’re 3-7 versus teams above the .500 barrier with wins against the Warriors, the Clippers, and the Pistons. Only one of these three teams will be playing basketball beyond the first round of the NBA Playoffs come April. Take a guess which team that will be. Hint…it will be the team with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.
How can you as any serious type of contender go into Chicago and give up 70 points in a first half and commit 23 turnovers which leads to 28 points for the Bulls.
You want to know how you can do this?
You do this when your point guard reverts back to YMCA U10 rec league decision making mode and makes decisions with the ball which I will not even go into on here. I just can’t. It does very bad things to me to watch basketball played at this level with so much money being payed out for this type of bullshit.
This isn’t changing.
Russell Westbrook has an addiction problem. In this case the addition is he enjoys playing stupid basketball at just the wrong times. I feel like such a shit as a human writing this, but it’s the truth.
For the second straight game Billy Donovan dialed up a beautiful play to get Paul George a clean look at the end. Only this time the ball veered just right.
It should never have come to that. This Chicago team isn’t even nearly as good as the Brooklyn team the Thunder escaped from on Wednesday.
It’s not me knee jerking to a loss in one game out of eighty-two, but more the realization Russell Westbrook is addicted to making low percentage decisions at just the wrong times.
Sam Presti did everything he could have done this summer. He crossed his i’s and dotted his t’s. Jerry West couldn’t have done much else minus one thing.
Think of it this way…if Tom Brady or Drew Brees throw four interceptions and do it over and over again…would they ever win a Super Bowl. You think OU has a chance against Alabama if Kyler Murray throws three picks?
Russell Westbrook isn’t Tom Brady or even Drew Brees although his regular season career numbers will turn out to be epic and historic.
Russell Westbrook is more like the Dan Fouts or Dan Marino of the NBA. Which isn’t a horrible thing if you can live with never winning the big ring and not taking your legacy to the Pantheon level.
It is what it is.
Sam Presti won’t solve anything by firing Billy Donovan. He’d be better served getting Russell Westbrook into a twelve steps program.
And in a subtle way, I’m guessing that’s what Jerry West told Kevin Durant that night on the phone in that historic phone call to the Hamptons.
Donovan Mitchell and Ricky Rubio at the Peake on Monday. That should be interesting.