Peace, Love and Thunderstanding: Back Home
Ideally, the Thunder would have been up two games to none while they made their way back home, but obviously that did not happen. Instead, the Lakers won the first two games of the series and most casual observers, and a lot of die hard Oklahoma City fans, have already written this first round off as a learning experience for the young team. I am here to tell you, that is a big mistake.
Most veteran basketball analysts like to say that a playoff series does not truly begin until someone loses on the home floor. That has not happened. So far, the Thunder have lost two games that they were, even if they could not be labeled as playoff virgins, supposed to lose. Let me say that again: They were SUPPOSED to lose those two games.
Anyone who predicted the team would steal one in Los Angeles, was either overly optimistic, or else trying to sell some newspapers by being contrary. The Thunder went into one of the toughest venues in professional basketball to get their first taste of playoff basketball and did so against the team that has most recently lifted the championship trophy. As expected, they showed up looking timid and overwhelmed. They missed shots they normally make, made mental errors, and allowed their emotions to negatively effect their play.
Even so, they barely lost. Laker fans, even though they are, should not be overly confident after the play of their team. The defending champs with the best record in the Western Conference lost three out of the four quarters in game one and barely squeaked by in game two despite the Thunder’s best matchup advantage missing half the game with foul trouble. Now they lose home court for the next two games.
Of course, game three is a MUST WIN for Oklahoma City if they even hope to make a splash and if they pull that off, game four is almost as important. For that to happen, though, the Thunder do not have to play a great deal better. To win they simply need a couple of these things to happen:
DURANT NEEDS TO BE DURANT
K.D. was the team’s leading scorer in both games in Los Angeles, but did anyone watch his performance and think he even played to the level we have become accustomed to over the past couple of months? As much as the Laker Nation wants to believe that their investment in Ron Artest is finally starting to pay off, the truth is more likely that Durant simply wilted a bit under the bright spotlight. Think about it, the media has been incredibly focused on the young superstar, Laker coach Phil Jackson has been playing mind games with him, and no one is harder on Durant than Durant.
Well, he is back home now, has had a chance to breathe, and took the Lakers’ best punch already. If he bounces back and puts together a complete game like he had been doing night in and night out leading up to the playoffs, the Lakers will also have to improve their play.
WESTBROOK NEEDS TO PLAY FORTY MINUTES
In game one, it took Westbrook until late in the third quarter to realize he needs to stop doing everything I have been pleading with him to do since he was drafted by the Thunder. If Westbrook ever needed to take a “me-first” attitude, this is the series. He is the most athletic player on the floor, and he is being guarded by an old man (Derek Fisher) and a slow footed pretty boy (Jordan Farmar). Whenever Russell wants to get to the basket, he can. And if he gets to the basket, he either gets OKC easy points, or else he puts the Laker bigs (the guys that everyone is scared of) in position to get in foul trouble.
It was too late to change the outcome of game one, but in game two Westbrook came out with the confidence that he could take the game over. He basically came out with the same attitude he had in the Rookie-Sophomore game that no one could guard him and he was going to put up forty points. Then, he let that confidence get the best of him and he did that thing where he drops his shoulder to create space. Fisher, the crafty veteran that he is, exaggerated the contact to make it look like Westbrook had shot him with a twelve gague, and the Thunder point guard picked up his second foul. He missed a good chunk of the first half after that and while he was on the bench, OKC went from a two point lead to an eleven point deficit.
MORE SERGE
One player that has not looked even remotely intimidated is Serge Ibaka. Remember, the media has harped on the Lakers’ height advantage and how they are impossible to stop down low. Maybe it is because he isn’t too good with the English, but Serge doesn’t seem to have picked up on the hype. When Ibaka has been in the game, he has been the best low post player on the floor. Seven (SEVEN!) blocks in 28 minutes in game two at the same time that Nick Collison and Nenad Krstic were looking frustrated and lost on the floor.
Monkeying with the starting lineup this late in the season is probably a bad idea, but I would love to see Serge check in early in the first quarter. The Thunder need him to come out and set the tone early, whereas in the first two games, Ibaka has played only three minutes during the first stanza.
JAMES HARDEN NEEDS TO SHOW A PULSE
Harden has done a lot to improve my opinion of him since I campaigned vigorously against him being the #3 overall pick last Summer. His play has made me basically stop pining for Ricky Rubio (who I still believe will be a superstar in the NBA) and even come to some peace that the Thunder won’t even make a play at signing J.J. Redick this Summer (for those who have followed me a while, that’s a huge statement).
These past two games have undone most of that good will.
The rookie has played like a rookie. His first two playoff outings have been very much like his only NCAA tournament experience, meaning he was on the floor but did nothing to make that apparent. In 26 minutes of playing time spread over the two games, the only statistics the shooting guard has to show for the experience are one rebound, one assist, four fouls, and a turnover. He has missed every shot he has taken.
Considering that he averaged almost ten points a game in his rookie campaign, it isn’t too much to expect he will start making a contribution.
JEFF GREEN NEEDS TO SHOW UP
You won’t find a bigger Green supporter than me, but his play in the first two games has been atrocious. He has made only 26% of his shots from the floor. You can’t even elaborate on that number it is so bad.
On the other hand, it wouldn’t take too much for him to improve upon that, and if he improves just a little…or if anyone I have mentioned in these sections improves just a little…the Thunder can easily go back to L.A. tied. And if they go back to L.A. tied, with confidence, this is a series.
You are right. LA only lost 7 times all season at home, the only teams to beat them there were dallas, boston, denver, san antonio, portland, cleveland and houston. Houston is the only nonplayoff team to do it and they were the 9th team in the west and that loss was in November when gasol was out injured. The Dallas loss was gasol less also. The spurs loss was bryant and bynum-less, and the portland game was sans bynum. So really they only lost 3 games at home at full strength.
I think is sefalosha can hit just two threes with no one on him, that will force them to actually guard him and hopefully open up the lane a little bit more.
Our players should play better at home.
green shoots 6% better at home then on the road, 2% better from 3, averages 1 more PPG and 0.5 RPG and 0.4 APG.
Thabo averages 1.3 more ppg at home.
Nenad shoots 6% better and is a 9% improvement on FT
ibaka is 3% better at home.
westbrook is 3% better fg%
Durant is 5% better fg%
Collison is 5% better from the floor
@f5alcon
This either proves that I am insane or was clearly missing something but I was not that impressed with the Lakers so far. Infact if they do go on to make the finals I think they might get swept by Cleveland. and Loose in 5 or 6 or Orlando..
That being said I guess i’m one of the nutty few that things we will win these two home games (chauked up to the thunder not wanting to get swept and the Lakers.. well being the Lakers and going lax in a game.)
I still think we are going to end up stealing one game in LA. (yes i’m might be slightly delusional to you.)
@dork
no i agree the lakers have not looked great, but i think that is because our defense is good, we had 17 blocked shots last game. They are better then they are playing, but i agree the cavs and magic would beat them, really any team in the west could to, this the weakest laker team in the past 3 or 4 years.
I hope we win both games and the next one in LA and close the series out at home next week.
I’m not ready to lay down this series either. B-Ball is all about confidence. If we are not confident enough to believe in our team, then who will be? They need all of our support. And no one believed they could get this far, right? Why stop believing now?
@DizzyDai
hence the shirts saying why not?
If you think Jordan Farmar is a pretty boy, there there might be hope for me yet
*i hate when i double type a word. Royce, I need an edit button!
man these posts are hard to read…
With the #1 pick in the 2010 NFL draft, the St. Louis Rams select… Kobe Bryant. Kobe must leave town immediately to begin training. Go Thunder!
@Anonymous
Kobe isn’t near what he used to be and tbh at least we know how to play them w/Kobe… now if they were to loose say Gasol….
@dork
so you’re telling me you would rather have gasol out of the lineup and Bryant in it? come on now….. that is just a rediculous statement
Tiny Gallon just declared for the draft!! We gotta take him. Whose with me? Anybody?
Actually, this year they are a better team with bryant out than with gasol out, look at the records per games missed. (Not counting the few garbage games kobe sat out. I’m talking when it was still a race.)
@james hardens beard
kobe bryant regular season is not the same as kobe bryant in the playoffs, kobe bryant is one of the top 5 playoff performers ever. 4 rings? Ill take my chances against Pau
As a Laker Fan I must say that I agree with a lot of this in that the Lakers shouldn’t be overly confident and that the Thunder played some good games against them and almost won both games.
However, here’s the rub. I know you guys are all fans, but you guys are getting overly confident too for several reasons:
1) We’ve never had more than 2 guys play well in either game. Fisher/Odom/Artest/Bynum shot below 27% and most of those shots, especially for the perimeter players, were open looks.
2) Ron Artest has not been used offensively and if you know Phil Jackson, that’s on purpose. One of these games he will use Ron to attack KD and pick up some fouls on him because Ron is still a guy who can create his own shot and post up down low.
3) Although Thabo is a great defender, Kobe usually has at least 1 or 2 AMAZING games against great perimeter defenders in a playoff series. Case in point: Kobe played badly in Game one against Houston last season and then LIT UP Battier and Artest for 40 in game 2, and single handedly won game 3 in Houston. The Jazz beat the lakers in game 3 last season and Brewer “shut kobe down”. In game 4 Kobe WENT OFF for 38 AGAINST BREWER in a very efficient game:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aEOzjUr7IM
Kobe hasn’t lit up Thabo yet in the playoffs. He will.
You guys WILL WIN some games, but not more than one i think!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s9wTNfy7zJE
better link to that jazz game
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6yJ5YJbnF4I
Best link…lol sorry
@Vahagn
With what you have said we might be underestimating the lakers. But I know lakers fans are underestimating us. Out of all of our guys only one has been anywhere close to what he is normally like and that is RW. KD has been ice cold (don’t belive me? look at when artest isn’t on him he airballed a wide open 3). If any of our other players play decent… which none of them have we win both games..
@Anonymous
yes I would rather have Gasol out and have Kobe playing. Gasol is what makes this team elite.. It is no longer Kobe. Yes Kobe is still a great finisher but he’s not what he used to be. Gasol on the other hand has been the one doing the majority of the damage….
Plus if Kobe goes out they play better as an actual team… not just the Kobe show… aka lakers are dominant when they are throwing it in the post.. not when Kobe is doing perimerter stuff (for an exteneded period of time)
IMHO not even close to top 5 performers ever in playoffs…
in no order but…
Magic
Jordan
Bird
Shaq
Duncan
He might be top 5 closing minute performers ever but not overall playoff
We have no chance as long as Jeff Green keeps playing like a D-Leaguer on offense.
@justin
speaking of the d league 66ers play vipers in d league finals
He might be top 5 closing minute performers ever but not overall playoff
@dork
I think you’re completely mistaken. Kobe Bryant is a MUCH better playoff performer than Shaq. Not even close. Shaq hasn’t had ONE DOMINANT playoff series since 2004. The year he got traded to Miami it was already D-Wade’s team. Shaq wasn’t the man in the conference finals nor was he the man in the Finals in 2006. And he’s done ABSOLUTELY NOTHING for the last 4 years. Before that he had 2 good seasons in Miami. There’s a reason that Shaq in his prime wasn’t able to win anything until Kobe became a dominant force. shaq had Nick Van Exel, a rookie Kobe, and Eddie Jones and wasn’t able to get past the Conference Finals until Kobe grew into being a dominant player by his 3rd season.
Kobe in fact has been more Dominant than Magic even because Magic played a weak western conference during the 80′s and he played with a stacked team. Kobe-Shaq duo was hardly a stacked team when Derek Fisher or Brian Shaw or Rick Fox are your starters.
Kobe Bryant is one of the best post-season performers in the league, EVER. Also, your argument about Tim Duncan. Kobe is 5-2 against Tim during the playoffs. If you take out 1999 which was a lockout season and in which Kobe was still only 20 Kobe is 5-1 against Tim Duncan in the post-season. People forget that Kobe got to the finals 6 TIMES during the 2000 Decade and of the 4 times he didn’t get to the finals, his team wasn’t good enough to do it 3 of the 4 seasons. They were a scrub team. Whenever Kobe has had a good team around him he’s made it to the finals EVERY SINGLE TIME except for 2003 when Tim Duncan beat the Lakers in the WCF but that was after 3 straight championships and a bunch of fatigue.
There’s no comparison between Tim and Kobe. Maybe as a human being, but not as a basketball player. and Tim Duncan is the greatest PF of all time, but just like there’s no comparison between Malone and Jordan, there’s no comparison between Tim and Kobe. sorry.
I finally give Justin the criticism of Jeff Green he wants, and it’s still not enough for him.
@Dork:
I think you’re completely mistaken. Kobe Bryant is a MUCH better playoff performer than Shaq. Not even close. Shaq hasn’t had ONE DOMINANT playoff series since 2004. The year he got traded to Miami it was already D-Wade’s team. Shaq wasn’t the man in the conference finals nor was he the man in the Finals in 2006. And he’s done ABSOLUTELY NOTHING for the last 4 years. Before that he had 2 good seasons in Miami. There’s a reason that Shaq in his prime wasn’t able to win anything until Kobe became a dominant force. shaq had Nick Van Exel, a rookie Kobe, and Eddie Jones and wasn’t able to get past the Conference Finals until Kobe grew into being a dominant player by his 3rd season.
Kobe in fact has been more Dominant than Magic even because Magic played a weak western conference during the 80′s and he played with a stacked team. Kobe-Shaq duo was hardly a stacked team when Derek Fisher or Brian Shaw or Rick Fox are your starters.
Kobe Bryant is one of the best post-season performers in the league, EVER. Also, your argument about Tim Duncan. Kobe is 5-2 against Tim during the playoffs. If you take out 1999 which was a lockout season and in which Kobe was still only 20 Kobe is 5-1 against Tim Duncan in the post-season. People forget that Kobe got to the finals 6 TIMES during the 2000 Decade and of the 4 times he didn’t get to the finals, his team wasn’t good enough to do it 3 of the 4 seasons. They were a scrub team. Whenever Kobe has had a good team around him he’s made it to the finals EVERY SINGLE TIME except for 2003 when Tim Duncan beat the Lakers in the WCF but that was after 3 straight championships and a bunch of fatigue.
There’s no comparison between Tim and Kobe. Maybe as a human being, but not as a basketball player. and Tim Duncan is the greatest PF of all time, but just like there’s no comparison between Malone and Jordan, there’s no comparison between Tim and Kobe. sorry.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WpArN4LbTI0
That’s a better game when Kobe was 22 than Tim Duncan has EVER HAD in the playoffs, and that’s 2001. He’s had numerous 40 point games, a 50 point game, etc etc.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkvpnmAk2xU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyfR2pDOt3k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mS7cITR_ymc
Those are just some of the AMAZING games Kobe had alongside Shaq against the spurs in the playoffs. Tim Duncan never had a game like that against the Lakers. But You’re not a laker fan so you don’t remember all those!
It is true that “Kobe Bryant is a MUCH better playoff performer than Shaq”, so long as you arbitrarily choose a comparison cut-off date (2004) that eliminates 3 Finals MVPs and all of the years when Shaq was so dominant there was legitimate talk about changing the rules like they did with Wilt to deal with the problem. So yeah, I see your point.
can’t wait for tonight!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Umm.. Shaq was a much better playoff performer than Kobe, are you high? Tim Duncan and Shaq are the best playoff performers since Jordan. Kobe is, at best, a distant third.