Comments on: Thunder 96, Raptors 112

By: Kev

Kev — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:32:58 +0000

agree about cutting Duran’t minutes – he is too much of a defensive liability at 40 + minutes . . .

By: Linkage for Mar 27 11am to Mar 30 1am - Raptors Republic

Linkage for Mar 27 11am to Mar 30 1am - Raptors Republic — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 13:46:13 +0000

[...] DailyThunder.com: Thunder 96, Raptors 112 [...]

By: Crow

Crow — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 08:26:22 +0000

should be “flowing” not folling

By: Crow

Crow — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 08:23:39 +0000

If I were the coach and truly being free to think outside the box of Presti’s design I’d try Green off the bench behind a Collison-Krstic pairing. Their +8 together is the second best raw +/- result for a pairing on the whole team. I’d cut Durant’s minutes and tell him to play better defense or they’ll get cut more. I’d use Weaver=Thabo when some combo of Westbrook, Green or a center are folling or you need defense. that is the very best pairing, at least by small minutes raw +/-.

If I was a GM I’d quit with the Atkins nonsense and bring in the best D league PG or PGs for quickie auditions.

And I’d be preparing contigency plans for blockbuster trades this summer, next deadline or next summer at the latest.

By: Crow

Crow — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 08:08:30 +0000

If I was coaching I said a few weeks ago I’d put Weaver in the starting lineup, I’d minimize Durant-Green to half the game together and at least half of that against subs by making their rest time completely separate. Collison – Krstic is currently a toss=up but I might lean toward Collison with the starters. Sefolosha- Krstic off the bench playing slow might make sense.

By: Crow

Crow — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 19:58:22 +0000

(The draft comment at 12:47 was accidentally transferred.)

By: Kev

Kev — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 19:55:26 +0000

what would you do if you were coaching? He has the best five guys on the floor . . .

By: Crow

Crow — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 19:54:37 +0000

The current starting lineup is the worst performing of the top 10 most used lineups for the season. Presti-Brooks appear to have guessed badly on this one. How long will they persist in trying to make it work? Even allowing for the starter player pairs to be worse because of facing starters heavier there are few or no starter pairs that are better than mildly negative or maybe neutral. The goal is starter pairs that are actually winning.

By: Crow

Crow — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 19:47:25 +0000

The current starting lineup is the worst performing of the top 10 most used lineups for the season. Presti-Brooks guessed badly and persist in trying to make it work or maybe Presti si tanking again.

By: Crow

Crow — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 19:27:08 +0000

Another -10 for Durant-Sefolosha pairing. What may look good conceptually, may not work out. The results of Thabo-Deng would have caused me concern. Apparently not Presti. It was not enough quality shooting, passing or defense. There was no positive synergy.

Green does not fit with Durant at least yet. So far nobody fits well with Durant that Presti has brought in or kept. The only significant players who didn’t do poorly with Durant are vet wings- Desmond and Wally. And they weren’t good, just not real bad, -5 or worse. Obviously different styles so hard to say which direction to look is best. Thabo was a look in Mason’s direction. I’d look in Z’s direction, for a quality shooter and see how that goes. I’d say probably better a mid to older 20s over another young guy. but I doubt Presti gets or tries that hard for an older guy and goes real young again. Using his eye for young talent.

That doesn’t fit.

Durant is Green’s second worst pair. Sefolosha is each of their worst pairs to date. With Thabo, Durant shoots worse, rebounds less and wins less than half as often. Green shoots much worse, rebounds a little better and loses more but not as big a drop as Durant. Thabo shoots worse and rebounds worse and plays team defense far worse with Durant. He shots better and rebounds a little better but still sees team defense suck with Green compared to Thabo without Green.

Green and Durant are tied for Westbrook’s second worst pairs.

Weaver is Durant’s second best and Green’s best and Sefolosha’s best. Sam got that one right. For a bench player.

Durant is tied for Krstic worst pair and Green gets 4th worst. Westbrook-Krstic is nothing special. He plays second best with Thabo. Another pairing that could work for some bench minutes.

What is the starting lineup of the future. Hard to say with this mix. But it probably isn’t the current one.