Detroit Pistons 88 — Oklahoma City Thunder 82
Okay, let’s start it this way.
After last night’s game in Toronto, for the first time in nearly two full marathon NBA seasons–I had the feeling the Oklahoma City Thunder were on the cusp of becoming relevant as a contender again. Color me wrong, and I write this not because the Thunder lost a meaningless game as far as Western Conference seedings, but rather write it because the Thunder without Kevin Durant were breathtakingly horrific for 48 minutes against the Pistons tonight.
Maybe I’m just too old school. Maybe I’m reading something in Russell Westbrook, who didn’t buy into sitting tonight, which isn’t there. Maybe I’m just imagining something. But I have to tell you as I sat there watching Reggie Jackson talking shit at the end of this game after he played like a bigger pile of dog crap than the Thunder players, it made me angry.
For the first time in nearly two full basketball seasons, OKC had some mojo, some confidence, some positive feel about themselves, and I guess I’m to assume Billy Donovan decided to sit Kevin Durant rather than to play him light minutes and keep the confidence flowing in his team. You know, this isn’t a team with an abundance of swagger. This is a team right there with the abysmal Philly Sixers as far as choking fourth period leads this season. This has been a fragile team. BUT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN NEARLY TWO YEARS THEY APPEARED TO BE MOVING FORWARD AS A TEAM, then this.
This wasn’t the night to sit your alpha stud. This was the night to play your alpha stud, get a lead, put your foot on Reggie Jackson’s pathetic throat, and extend the streak to nine games. Rest could have come later in Denver, later in Sacramento against the piece of shit dumpster fire Kings, or even later against the Lakers at home. This was not the night for rest. This was a perfect night to build upon team confidence, swagger, mojo, but instead the Thunder looked worse than the Bad News Bears and lost to a Detroit team who played almost as horrible as the Thunder.
I’m not going through individual stats or critiquing any players. It was a disgraceful performance by almost all, but not because of a lack of effort, more to the point they were just absolutely horrific twenty-four hours removed from playing one their best games in nearly two years–and I put this squarely on Billy Donovan. If you’re going to rest stars—then why not rest them in the fourth period against the Spur’s Junior Varsity at home?
I don’t what to say. I really don’t. The Oklahoma Thunder have two of the world’s four best basketball players, but I’m not sure if they have the equivalent of RC Buford, Greg Popovich, Bob Myers, or Steve Kerr in the GM and head coaching positions to get this done in Oklahoma City.
I mean I’m sitting here thinking about Donovan saying last night’s win would mean nothing if the Thunder didn’t come out tonight and take the next incremental step forward as a team, then he does this.
Really?
Mike Jackson