I think the Kings are one of the more positive stories this season in the NBA. I’ve liked Dave Joerger ever since his days with Memphis. I like his story. He worked his tail off to become an NBA head coach. This wasn’t given to him. He was a D League coach, an assistant, then he finally got a chance in Memphis and did something with the chance. He speaks his mind and doesn’t mind if it hurts the feelings of a star player or even makes his GM mad. He’s a bit of a throwback in a league where it appears only Steve Kerr and Greg Popovich are allowed this latitude as an NBA head coach. Dave Joerger has an attitude without the latitude. Jimmy Buffet should write that song.
I like Dave Joerger. Just the game before he and Buddy Hield got into a bit of a shouting match at the end of a tough loss to the Warriors. Some people made a bid deal of it. I didn’t. So you know what Buddy Hield did the next game out? He came back to Oklahoma where he won a National Player of the Year award while leading the Sooners to a Final Four and basically lit up the OKC Thunder’s vaunted defense.
Buddy Hield was the best player on the floor for most of the game and then De’Aaron Fox closed the deal.
This was not an endorsement for Paul George getting my hypothetical MVP vote or for Billy Donovan getting my hypothetical vote to get the extension year which Sam Presti has already given the former Florida coach. This was a game where if your team wants to be regarded as being something almost special you suck it up on the second night of a ‘HOME’ back to back and find a way to win a game against a franchise which hasn’t been to the playoffs in twelve years. The twelve year drought by the way is the longest current span any NBA franchise has gone without making the NBA post season tournament.
This is big boy ball. The Thunder are healthy. They’re coming off a week long rest from the All-Star break. This is why I have trouble thinking the Thunder are a gut cinch to get past the first round. There’s something about these Donovan coached teams which bothers me beyond just the obvious overall underachievement since Game 4 versus the Warriors. It’s like they have a sense of entitlement for being good when they really haven’t been all that good since Game 4 versus the Warriors. Tell me beyond that win in Game 4 win versus the Warriors exactly what this franchise has done from a team achievement standpoint other than underachieve.
I think that’s a fair question. You won’t get that question from the cuddly soft college market media in Oklahoma, but I think it’s fair question. Little Nick Gallo would feint if I asked that question in his presence. What has this franchise done since Game 4 versus the Warriors other than meet the requirements of Sam Presti’s Doctrine of Sustainability in a Small Market. WHAT HAVE THEY DONE?
I don’t do many stats on here even though stats are obviously a huge part of this. I don’t want my blog to read like the usual blog per the times we live in. I’m a human factor guy. I believe we’re all still humans to a certain degree even though Trump is POTUS.
But here’s a casual stat for you in these last two games, since becoming a father, Dennis Schroder is a combined 8-28 shooting the basketball in two home games. Is there a metric which shows something like this? Long story short, the Thunder need the good version of Dennis Schroder if they hope to be special in April.
Just prior to tip I have no idea what the Vegas spread was on this game. For me, I had it at pick ’em because I think Dave Joerger is the perfect coach for this team as they go thru the process of becoming legit, which by the way the are. In case this escaped your attention, the Kings didn’t just win this game–they won the season series over the entitled Thunder by a 3-1 count.
This may be hyperbole, but other than Steph and Klay, right now I see the young backcourt tandem of Hield and Fox as one of the best in the league. Would I trade Hield and Fox for Westbrook and Ferguson if I were the Kings GM?
Of course not. Why would I do that? They just beat that team and won the season series…and btw have won exactly as many post season series as Westbrook and Ferguson–as in zero.
And for me—that’s the way I’m closing my recap.
The Thunder in Denver on Tuesday night against another overachieving team with another Coach of the Year candidate in Mike Malone. So be looking for a Mike Malone video on Tuesday.