I think Russell did try that. And everyone missed. At some point, don’t you say to yourself, “Gee, KD is 3-21 tonight, I’m 8-12, maybe I should take this shot…”?

Thabo isn’t the only one passing up open looks, James only shoots when he absolutely has to as well. It’s hard to get open looks every possession, and when you pass one up, you might not get another one. I can see where James is coming from, since he’s a rookie and most rookies are hesitant to shoot. But Thabo’s hesitancy is from his lack of confidence in his shot.

I’m sure Russell was even more frustrated than I was when he passed the ball to the open guy and that guy didn’t take the shot, which means I have to work to get the ball back to set something else up.

I just don’t believe that Russell’s approach to the end of the game was the wrong decision. I think it was the only thing that was working, by the only player willing to be aggressive in the situation.

I think the only thing Brooks will see on tape is how Russell was the only aggressive player on his team that night, and the only one making something positive happen.

Jax Raging Bile Duct :9 turnovers is indefensible.
You and I just look at this differently. You want to knock Russell for taking over, I want to applaud him for it. I know you don’t want your point guard scoring as a first option, and I’m on board with that. But outside Jeff Green, there was no one else to depend on. I think it’s just fine to take over, especially when you’re shooting 66%.
You say the shots in his first two games were of high quality, yet he only shot 2-11 against Detroit. And looking at his hot spots, all his shots in all the games were from the same spots on the floor.
It seemed that you think Russell should have done something different in the 4th quarter when the game was on the line. That he should have passed the ball so that KD could miss again, or Krstic could fumble around with it, or Thabo could pass up an open shot to give it right back, as they had done for the previous 3 quarters. Then you said he was in the “I’ll get mine” mode, which implies that he didn’t care about the team. What I’m implying is that he did care, and decided that if anyone was going to do anything positive, it would be him, and he took over. It would be one thing if he was shooting 2-11, but he wasn’t. It would be one thing if he couldn’t beat Blake off the dribble, but he did every time he tried. It would be one thing if anyone else on the floor could hit a shot, but they couldn’t. I saw Russell as being the most efficient scorer on the floor that night, which he was, and doing what he could to keep his team in the game.
Last year’s Russell did the best he knew to do, and scored first. This year’s Russell tried for 3 quarters to get things going for his team and no one showed up. So he took the team on his back and did all he could to keep them in it. Yeah, he had 9 turns, that inexcusable. He also shot 66% while everyone else was taking naps.
It’s just apparent that we look at his motivation differently.

Yes, and by the way, I enjoy inteligent conversation, so this is cool . . .

Anyway, let’s say that Brooks did tell him that. Get yours since no one else is scoring. I don’t know why you would want Westbrook driving into a triple team, or putting up awkward shots. He went 8 for 12, but he had several turnovers in the 4th. Yes, his teammates were missing in the first three quarters, but they were taking GOOD shots. They were open; they just didnt fall. Those people were open, IMO you have to play each possession the same way regardless of what happened on the last possession. For example, I’m the point guard (with RW’s abilities). I drive – Harden’s man leaves him to cut me off. I’m passing to Harden EVERY time. He’s a (circa) 40 percent shooter from three. I will take my chances. I’m not forcing anything. I’m not attempting a shot and then throwing a bad pass at the last minute when I see my shot is about to be blocked. I will run the offense the same way every time. I know that Harden, Green, and Durant are good shooters from behind the line, I will trust them to make it eventually. I discount his 66 percent, because in his situation (triple teamed in the lane) you can either shoot a bad shot or instead throw a bad pass and turn it over. The TO doesnt show up in the FG%, but it’s the same thing; a wasted trip. Even worse, the TO usually leads to a runout and an easy two.

IMO Russ was tired of Blake scoring and talking trash, so he came back with a vengeance. I doubt that Brooks told him to try and take over.

Sorry for the babbling . . .

So not only was it not RW going out to get his, he was directly INSTRUCTED to play that way.

Now I’ll never defend carless turnovers caused by recklessness, but in a game that ugly, it becomes a little more understandable.

You and I just look at this differently. You want to knock Russell for taking over, I want to applaud him for it. I know you don’t want your point guard scoring as a first option, and I’m on board with that. But outside Jeff Green, there was no one else to depend on. I think it’s just fine to take over, especially when you’re shooting 66%.

You say the shots in his first two games were of high quality, yet he only shot 2-11 against Detroit. And looking at his hot spots, all his shots in all the games were from the same spots on the floor.

It seemed that you think Russell should have done something different in the 4th quarter when the game was on the line. That he should have passed the ball so that KD could miss again, or Krstic could fumble around with it, or Thabo could pass up an open shot to give it right back, as they had done for the previous 3 quarters. Then you said he was in the “I’ll get mine” mode, which implies that he didn’t care about the team. What I’m implying is that he did care, and decided that if anyone was going to do anything positive, it would be him, and he took over. It would be one thing if he was shooting 2-11, but he wasn’t. It would be one thing if he couldn’t beat Blake off the dribble, but he did every time he tried. It would be one thing if anyone else on the floor could hit a shot, but they couldn’t. I saw Russell as being the most efficient scorer on the floor that night, which he was, and doing what he could to keep his team in the game.

Last year’s Russell did the best he knew to do, and scored first. This year’s Russell tried for 3 quarters to get things going for his team and no one showed up. So he took the team on his back and did all he could to keep them in it. Yeah, he had 9 turns, that inexcusable. He also shot 66% while everyone else was taking naps.

It’s just apparent that we look at his motivation differently.

COmparing the three games makes no sense. The Blazers are better defensively than those two teams – and his shots in the first two games were of high quality – it’s not about the amount of shots, its the type of shots he was taking. Having nine turnovers in one game is indefensible

Russell was the only player not name Jeff Green that was doing anything positive last night. You can reasonably lay blame on every other player outside those two.

Russell had nine turnovers, and everyone wants to kill him. Kev, you come out and accuse him of trying to get his and ignoring everyone else. Well, he shot 12 shots against the Kings, 11 against the Pistons, and 12 against the Blazers. Seems to me that his mindset didn’t change as much as you would like for us to believe. And he went 8-12, while KD was going 3-18. Maybe what he should have done was forget passing to KD in the first place, and just continue to beat his man off the dribble and get to the rim, something KD should have done himself.

It’s hard to register an assist when the rest of your teammates shoot a combined 16 for 58.