Here’s the thing, I expected a close game and it was one. There’s such an enormous difference in the coaching department when these two teams play each other… unless your head has been buried in the sand this is what you should have expected.
Plus, I think Dallas has some nice young pieces moving forward beyond the Dirk era. I like Harrison Barnes, I like Dennis Smith Jr., I’ve always liked Dwight Powell, Yogi Ferrell is decent, and I think as time moves along Nerlen Noels will be a nice role player, plus that hair. I’m a fan of Nerlen’s hair.
You have to be a realist, the Thunder is an undisciplined team which is its own worst enemy for periods of time in almost every game. It is what is. I mean, if I were Clay Bennett, I’m not even sure why I would pay the six million to have a head coach. Maybe just pay Nick Collison another million to call timeouts, talk to players in a coachly (word?) way, and placate the local college media in post game pressers. Save yourself five million and basically be what you are now… which is a team which doesn’t listen to its coach all that much.
Actually, this was a very entertaining game..so you know, I’m good. Dysfunction begats dysfunction.
Westbrook hit the game winner. Paul George had a nice game. Steven Adams was my player of the game. Carmelo was awful..again. Josh Huestis was decent. Ray Felton was good. Jerami was so-so–I expect more of him. Terrance Ferguson played what I thought were ten good minutes. Pat Patterson was okay. And once again Billy Donovan showered Alex Abrines with 20 minutes of love. Of course, Abrines only made one shot, but he wasn’t horrific.
You know what a good coach would have done tonight, he would have pounded the rim with Westbrook and Adams assaulting the Mav’s interior. Adams made all four of his shots, but instead—there’s OKC jacking 36 threes even though they only made ten of them. A good coach would not have allowed his team to play this stupidly. I honestly think Billy Donovan is intimidated by the three stars. Wouldn’t you be if you made six million and all three of these cats are making much, much more. Why else would Carmelo even be on the floor for that last defensive situational possession of the game following two timeouts? See what I mean? Things which Mike Boynton would be going ape shit berserk over. But Mike Boynton doesn’t have multiple star millionaires on his team. His players have to listen.
But always remember… it’ a superstar/agent driven league. Always.
OKC improves to 36-27 on the season and now heads to Phoenix to see if it can beat Devin Booker on the road. This will be an interesting Vegas spread in that OKC is in Portland the next night in what is looming as a fairly important game on Saturday. I can already hear the Michael Cage excuses bouncing off my ear drums. ‘Um.. the last game of a three game road swing is actually like playing the sixth game in six nights.” He actually says shit like this and it drive me crazy. What the fuck ever.
I worry about Antonio Davis a little bit. He’s not coming to terms with things like I am. He’s resisting the obvious. But I like him and wish him well. Seems like a nice man.
Dirk became the sixth player in NBA history to score 31,000 points. Good for him. I’ve always loved Dirk. I completely respect the way he stayed in Dallas and won his ring in 2011 on a team which didn’t have nearly as much talent as this Oklahoma City team. The other five players on the list? Michael, Kobe, Kareem, Wilt, and Karl Malone. I actually saw Malone in person in ’83 when his Louisiana Tech team came to OKC to play Wayman Tisdale’s Sooners in what was an epic NCAA Tournament game.
The Thunder in the Valley of Sun on Friday. Devin Booker seldom disappoints. It should be a fun game to watch.