Rockets vs. Thunder: Pregame Primer
vs. 
Houston Rockets (8-8, 4-4 road) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder (9-7, 4-3 home)
TV: FS Oklahoma (Cox 37, HD 722, Tulsa Cox 27, DirectTV 679, UVerse 753)
Stream: Click Here
Radio: WWLS The Sports Animal (98.1 FM, 640 AM, 97.1 FM Tulsa)
Time: 6:00 CST
Offensive Rating: Thunder – 104.7 (21st), Rockets – 107.6 (14th)
Defensive Rating: Thunder – 101.2 (4th), Rockets – 107.3 (19th)
Pace: Thunder – 92.1 (18th), Rockets – 94.4 (9th)
It’s a running theme – with each win, the next game feels bigger. Feels more important. Feels like a loss could be a setback. Especially when it’s at home.
And now at 9-7 and two games over .500 for the first time since 2-0, Oklahoma City has a chance to start a real winning streak and get things really cooking. I said it before the Milwaukee game, but with a five-game homestand, the Thunder could separate themselves from .500 by a decent amount.
Houston is coming in at 8-8 with two straight losses – both at home against the Spurs and Mavs. They’re 4-4 on the road, with tonight’s game being the first of an extended road trip. I’d say the Rockets will come out ready to fire as they sense a chance to get their trip off on the right foot.
THE MATCHUPS
Let me say I love the way the current Rockets play. Completely unselfish, feeding off one another and just gritty. Playing without a true star, it’s a joy to watch. At the same time it can limit them in crucial situations. Kevin Durant will have a tough go as he gets Shane Battier and Trevor Ariza, two high caliber defenders. That’s such a bonus for Houston to be able to basically rotate the two on KD, keeping fresh legs on him.
Ariza is really the Rockets top scoring threat and Thabo gets the call as usual. In the first meeting Ariza went for 21 points on 8-18 shooting and hit 2-5 from deep. Much like Milwaukee, the Rockets are undersized a bit inside with Chuck Hayes playing the five. But Hayes does yeoman’s work pulling down boards, taking charges and basically doing everything the box score doesn’t record.
Luis Scola has always been a tough match for Jeff Green because of his inside-outside ability. No Nenad Krstic tonight (ankle) as Etan Thomas will start in his steed. So that means even more Serge Ibaka and D.J. White, something I’m actually kind of excited about. But that also means OKC is thin in the frontcourt against Hayes, Scola and Carl Landry.
Russell Westbrook went for 33 in the first meeting as he was OKC’s only real offensive threat. Aaron Brooks is quick but much smaller than Russ. Westbrook had his way getting into the lane last time and if he can do that again drawing defenders, the Thunder could have a good night.
Oklahoma City is 1-3 on Sunday night so far this season and this is no easy task. But it could be another good step in the direction of the p-word that we don’t really want to mention at this point.
One thing to consider: No matter what happens tonight, the Thunder is going to be on the plus side of .500 for the month of November. Obviously that’s no excuse to lose, but I don’t think many of us saw that happening considering the grueling schedule to start the season. So truthfully, twas a good November no matter what. Now go make it better.
Tip at 6:00 CST. Go winning streak.
YES! Westbrook with a splendiferous drive. But in the name of all that is holy, can we please stop Landry? I mean after so many tip ins, rebounds, baskets arund the rim you’d think someone on our team would lay him out and make him think twice next time. instead the more he does, the more we are getting scared of him.
@clarkem
Jeff Green doesn’t only rebound poorly, he doesn’t even exploit the advantage he’s supposed to have as a ‘hybrid forward’. He’s shooting 43% from the field which is below average for a starting NBA small forward, much less power forward. So not only are we missing out on the rebounding and interior defense that a traditional power forward would provide, we are not getting the perimeter scoring from out ‘hybrid’. He’s a disadvantage on both sides of the ball relative to other starting power forwards in the NBA. Even his passing, which was supposed to be excellent coming out of the Princeton offense, has not been there.
It’s easy to turn an eye from this stuff because Jeff is a great teammates and is definitely part of a group that is developing good chemistry. But he’s a weak link at a vital position, especially on a team that lacks a dominant center. Russell Westbrook is the other ‘hybrid’ and he’s top ten in assists, is top ten among point guards in scoring, and is top ten among point guard in scoring efficiency. Jeff Green hasn’t been doing anything well relative to his position this season.
COME ON GUYS!!!!! Lets win this effing game. Get some stops and some DEFENSIVE REBOUNDS
Westbrook has played ok tonight but now brooks is taking it to him scoring at will and he is reverting to his typical out of control self like on that last possession when he was trying to wildly charge into brooks and had the ball stripped. If he finishes this game out like he always does, freezing KD out, I am going to lose it
Wow brooks is smoking westbrook
@justin
Haha this has turned into an all out war, when it started with debating that he shouldn’t be getting blasted for poor rebounding this game when the whole team has sucked. It’s safe to say that you and I probably will never agree completely on Green.
F***!!!!!!!! Westbrook, why, WHY???? Just brings the ball up and jacks up a 3 without a single pass
The whole team ended this game very poorly, and barring a major turn around this is a bad loss. I hate to see this for this team who had something great going for them.
Now my kind nature is just hoping tonight and tomorrow doesn’t turn into a blame game.
@The DON is SO hot right now
1. he is shooting well
2. he was open
3. we needed a 3 pointer
i have no problem with him taking that…
Thabo’s jumper makes me cringe
No heart at all by our players, sad
94 shots to 72 for OKC, that’s the difference
@clarkem
Exactly. This isn’t a loss that can be given to just one of our guys. No one rebounded well. No one shot particularly well. When shots don’t fall and the other team both out-rebounds and out-shoots you by over 20, you’re not going to win, no matter who’s on your team.
Ibaka for threeeeeeeee
@grant phillips
1) he is not shooting well from 3….his entire career
2) KD is hot, and he refuses to look for him. KD should be shooting that 3, not Westbrook. There was no need for him to rush that shot
3) wow, ibaka just hit a 3
@clarkem
That is the kind of thing I just laugh about. That would happen on a night like this.
No rebounds no rings is what Pat Riley used to say.
I don’t know what the points in the paint breakdown is, but I guarantee it’s not even remotely in our favor.
The whole team has not sucked. We are shooting 48.9% from the field and have 17 assists to 34 made field goals. The offense has been pretty good aside from some turnovers and questionable late game decision making.
The difference in the game is obviously the rebounding, Houston has attempted 23 more shot attempts than us and there’s little chance you can win a game with that kind of disadvantage. 16 of Houston’s 23 offensive rebounds were taken by their front line. I think it’s clear that the problem this game was the front line’s inability to block out and secure defensive rebounds. They were out of position often, and out hustled often. I’m singling out Jeff Green here because he’s been a problem in this respect since last season, was a problem in this respect last game against Houston, and is supposed to be our power forward of the future. Sure our centers stunk and our starting forwards were tired at the end playing so many minutes. Doesn’t excuse Jeff Green’s deficiencies at the PF position, tho.
Why have these goddammed refs absolutely refused to call fouls against KD? He has been getting hacked all night but they refused to blow the whistle
The thunder needs to bring in a three point shooter along with that center.
Thunder suck…
what a disgraceful effort on the glass by everyone. they should be ashamed of themselves.
@The DON is SO hot right now
Westbrook is shooting 35% from 3
Durant is shooting 25% from 3
Westbrook also had a hot hand… thats why Durant passed to it him when he got the offensive rebound late in the game… quit letting your hate for westbrook affect the way you react to everything… if he hits the 3 then you wanna S his D… if he misses it then you want to kill him… you gotta learn how to control your emotions like you PROMISED a couple games earlier.
they didn’t even have sculo…
I don’t think RW wasn’t bad this game. The offense was decent most of the time, and he’s been shooting the ball pretty well the last few.
er.. don’t think RW was bad
yep, the don is not aroused.
If you are still hot and moist down there, I would see a doctor.
Offensive rebounds killed us, but not hitting the 3 also killed us. It’s hard to win a game at 1-15 on the 3.
fire scott brooks…
They got 2nd,3rd,4th and 5th second chance shots. There was no hustle
on rebounds tonight.
Why would they fire a coach for being over 500.
has a + .500 team ever had a better road than home record?
@Thundercat
it just seemed like the right thing to say at the time.
what a bunch of fair weather forum posters….. This place is as empty as the Ford center was 5 minutes before this game was over.
This team is going to lose 40 games this year, so there will be some clunkers like this along the way.
Being over 500. is still better then under 500.
@Anonymous
@Anonymous
Well I’ve got to post now! I don’t want anyone thinking that’s true about me!
Seriously, there’s not a lot to say that hasn’t been said yet. We didn’t rebound. We were missing two of our main rotation big men, and that hurt us. Uh… I mean, that’s really all there is to it.
i am with Dylan… what people have to realize is that were still extremely young and going to have these games. its a process and the players and the organization realize it. now its time for some of you fans to realize it. take a step back from the ledge people. were gonna be all right.
Leave and never return to this site or as god is my witness i will viciously bite your left ankle while tickling the back of your right knee with an eagle feather
@justin
EVERYONE got killed on the boards tonight; just one of those nights.
You and I’ve argued over Green’s “lack of length” before (he’s got exceptional wingspan but slightly sub-par standing reach, hence our disagreement) but the problem is that you DO excuse almost every other person’s rebounding issues from game to game except Green’s.
I’m not sure if you’ve got an axe to grind with him or not, but honestly, every single game is just getting tiresome to have to read over and over and over again.
I’ve not seen one post from you regarding Krstic’s HORRENDOUS rebounding numbers for a center. Or the fact that his wingspan and standing reach are also sub-par…so what gives?
Side note: The offense was bad the instant the second half started. Stagnant, poor movement, even poorer execution…and I have no idea where Harden and DJ White were when the Thunder so clearly needed buckets.
@J.G.
Everyone else on the Thunder are above average rebounders relative to their starting position aside from Jeff Green and Nenad Krstic. Russell Westbrook and Thabo Sefolosha are above average for PG and SG respectively. Kevin Durant is above average for a starting SF. Nenad Krstic is what he is, I don’t bring up his problem rebounding because he’s not a long term piece and probably doesn’t fit into the equation beyond a bench role after this season.
Jeff Green is repeatedly touted as the starting PF of the future for this team. He’s way below average as a rebounder relative to other starting power forwards. Certainly, the presence of another weak rebounder at the center position exacerbates the problem, and it’s for those reasons I don’t see anyone claiming Nenad Krstic as the center of the future.
If you don’t believe me, check it out yourself. Take a look at TRB% and RB/48 for Westbrook, Sefolosha, Durant, Harden, and Green and compare them with other starters at their respective positions. Compare Jeff Green’s length (8’7″) with other starting power forwards. Compare his offensive efficiency and general productivity with other starting power forwards. He’s below average in all respects. If Jeff Green were an efficient scorer like Andrea Bargnani then perhaps his lack of prototypical defense and rebounding could be excused. But he’s not been efficient offensively. So that’s my problem.
@justin
Fair enough. But here’s the part that bothers me about all of this:
Westbrook is a turnover machine who goes through stretches where he forgets he’s a point guard who is supposed to initiate an offense and get his teammates involved. Thabo is one of the biggest offensive liabilities at shooting guard in the league. Durant is not only a turnover machine, but consistently drives to the basket without any idea about what he’s going to do with the ball if his penetration is stopped. Harden goes through stretches where he simply does not attack or become agressive at all, and thereby disappears from the game.
But because they all rebound above average, all of that is wiped away? But since Jeff Green rebounds below average for his position, we should heap burning coals on him?
Unless you’re just a person obsessed with rebounding, I don’t get it. I really don’t. Especially when you consider this little gem:
Jeff Green was one of only nine NBA players who averaged at least 16 points, six rebounds, two assists and one steal last season.
The others? LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony, Amare Stoudemire, Caron Butler, LaMarcus Aldridge, Gerald Wallace and Carlos Boozer. Five of that group were are All-Stars.
Like I said, I have no problem with you pointing out Green’s deficiencies, but the fact that you completely overlook the other players’ GLARING deficiencies and list only their positives, while absolutely disregarding Green’s positives and focusing almost entirely on his lack of rebounding…it just seems like a step needs to be taken back to get a wider perspective on the matter.
And the funny thing is, I actually agree with you about the rebounding needing to improve. But past that, and I think you just lose track of how valuable a commodity Green really is.
We weren’t posting because we were at the game. I don’t think I like gaining more fans because you gather some dumbasses along the way.
that sounds strangely erotic.
@J.G.
I don’t ‘wipe away’ the problems of our other players, I’m a fairly critical fan, that just happens to be the way I choose to enjoy the NBA.
The difference between Thabo, Westbrook, Durant, and Green is that the first three actually perform well in many phases of the game relative to other starters at their position. Thabo is a fantastic, almost lockdown defender who can take multiple positions. Westbrook, as I stated, is top ten in scoring for PG, top ten in scoring efficiency for PG, top 10 in assists, and has posted many improvements in other areas. Kevin Durant is top five scorer in the league. Jeff Green is supposed to be this hybrid forward who can stretch the defense and use his athleticism to get high percentage shots on offense (against other, presumably slower, power forwards). This isn’t happening, though. Jeff Green is not efficient scoring the ball and doesn’t really do anything well relative to other starters at his position.
What are Jeff Green’s positives? What does he do better than the average NBA starting power forward? Steals, perhaps, barely. He doesn’t shoot better, defend better, rebound better. Maybe shoot the three better? I really don’t know. I don’t dislike the guy, I think he’d be an excellent player if he was playing his correct position. I just don’t see what he’s doing so well that has people singing his praises.
And, Green came up with some big time rebounds during the game today but it just wasn’t bouncing our way most of the time. They were driving to the basket, we would attempt a block, open player would then clean it up. Simple as that and can’t be blamed on Green. But, we can blame Green and the rest of the team for not attacking the rim the 2nd half. We took too many outside shots (they were open, but we just didn’t have the stuff to make them tonight) and didn’t have any bodies down low to get the offensive rebound. We’ll get ‘em next time.
@justin
Er. I think he’s just having a bad start to the season. He had improved very well last and I’m sure will improve by 2nd half so I don’t think we can draw any conclusions yet.
@justin
I’d say the “One of only nine players” statistic is why most people sing his praises.
And if we’re going with “what do they do better than other players at their position with Thabo, Westbrook and Durant, than Thabo’s going to have a LOOOOOONG day at the office since shooting is, you know, the primary role of a shooting guard.
Yes, I love that Thabo rebounds, blocks and can play lock down defense, but I also can’t stand the fact that he becomes almost irrelevant on the other end of the court or when the other team doesn’t really have an elite scorere on their team (GLARING PROBLEM). Westbrook’s turnovers is one of the worst in the league at his position (GLARING PROBLEM). Ditto for Durant (GLARING PROBLEM). Green’s rebounding and offensive efficiency is slightly below average for his position (a problem, but definitely not a glaring issue since he does still rebound close to the average).
That is why everyone is so high on Green: he doesn’t really do anything great BUT he also doesn’t do anything horribly either. He’s as good as some but better than most when it comes to an all-around game at the forward position (either/or). He’s a better three point shooter, a better passer (which is a vastly underrated category), a better stealer, and a MUCH better teammate than a lot of PF’s in the league. Again, it’s the all-around game.
Now if you want to have a discussion on how his post defense needs improvement…well I’m all ears. If you want to discuss him coming off the bench as a sixth man in the future at SF and rotating in for a bit at PF, I’m in.
I blame it on the lame OKC crowd. They need a sound track to cue them on when its important. That is never a good thing. If the Thunder suffer any adversity (ie the 4th quarter) the air gets sucked out of the Ford center.
I will repeat an earlier question b/c I think it is relevant.
Has there ever been a +.500 team with a losing home record?
@Anonymous
Of course there has been. The league’s been around a long time.
And I can only assume that you’re bashing on the OKC crowd because you have some sort of agenda against OKC.
The Ford Center crowd is actually one of the few that DON’T need a soundtrack to cue them for when to cheer (Cleveland, LA, pretty much most teams). If you’d ever been to a game in OKC, you’d know that. It’s just a little hard to get loud and rowdy when your team goes on an awful stretch like the Thunder did today.
You not catch Friday night’s game against the Bucks, did you?