Thunder View the Abyss With Dismal Loss to Mavs

Let’s do the score first. OKC’s reeling Thunder dropped to 8-11 on Saturday night by losing to the now 5-15 Dallas Mavericks. The final score read 97-81 and this loss might be especially revealing in that these Mavs without any rim protection just basically throttled the Thunder. This wasn’t a case of OKC choking on another second half lead, this was more of a case of the anemic Mavs outclassing OKC for most of the game.

I’m not stunned by the loss, but somewhat surprised by the margin. Sure, it was the second night of a road back to back as Brian Davis and Michael Cage chirped throughout the Fox telecast, but this was a Mavs team without rim protection. And, yet, OKC for some reason was outscored 36-24 in the paint and I’m to assume Coach Billy Donovan never came up with the thought maybe the Thunder should attack the rim at some point in the game. Maybe Donovan and staff figured Salah Mejri protecting the rim was just too much to encounter or that Dwight Powell and Dennis Rodman will at some point be mentioned in the same breaths.

Of the Thunder’s losses, this is by far the worst because OKC wasn’t really in this game and never gave the impression they were going to win this game.

The fork in the road post the victory over the Warriors has happened for sure, but not in the direction Thunder Nation had assumed it would take. OKC is in a fork headed south which is stunning considering all the potential with this roster.

Is Billy Donovan in over his head or is this group of players just uncoachable as a whole?

I don’t know. But for some reason with Salah Merji and Dwight Powell serving as Maverick rim protectors the Thunder decided to jack 35 three point attempts of which 13 were made.

Russell Westbrook scored 28 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, and had nine assists. Paul George had a brutal shooting game going 1-11 and finished with 2 points. Carmelo was blah scoring 15 points. Steven Adams, who’s getting paid $25 million this year attempted 8 shots. I guess OKC just figured Salah Merji and Dwight Powell were too much.

As a team, the Thunder shot 36%. Got outscored 36-24 in the paint. Had 24 assists vs. 17 turnovers-which isn’t horrible. Got outrebounded by a team with Dirk as its starting center by a 43-39 margin and made the Thunder look to be in tanking mode versus a franchise which plunged deep into the luxury tax this season. I told you Rick Carlisle is a smart coach.

I have no idea whatsoever what to write about these guys presently. I’ve tried Al Pacino pleading for scratching, bleeding and clawing. I’ve tried poetic narration by Robert Redford on the parallels between life and trout fishing. I thought the fishing parable might motivate Paul George, instead he’s stunk since the Warriors win. Go figure.

Is this the bottom of the abyss or does it get worse? Can it get worse? Will it get worse before the Thunder as a unit opt for a Twelve Step Recovery strategy? Fortunately, for me, the Sooners are streaking at 11-1 heading into the Big 12 Championship Game. My favorite team in the East—the Sixers are a compelling young team to watch. I need these things right now to divert my glare from the Thunder play.

So…let’s hope this ‘performance’ was rock bottom. Let’s hope the players body language doesn’t go completely south. Let’s hope Billy Donovan can get a grip on some of this and present a coaching voice the team will listen to. Hope, hope, hope — that’s pretty much what I’m clinging to right now…the hope this Super Team doesn’t completely meltdown between now and Christmas.

OKC in Orlando on Wednesday. The Thunder are now 2-8 on the road and this team needs a win in the worst way.

It’s all about hope heading into Orlando.

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