Joined: 24 Dec 2007 Posts: 35812 Location: Santa Clarita, CA (Hell) ->>>>>Ithaca, NY -≥≥≥≥≥Berkeley, CA
Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2016 8:07 pm Post subject: How is OKC still so strong even without Durant?
They won 55 games last season and are on pace for that again this season so far, though it's early. How is this? I predicted that they would be a fringe playoff team. _________________ Damian Lillard shatters Dwight Coward's championship dreams:
Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2016 8:37 pm Post subject: Re: How is OKC still so strong even without Durant?
CandyCanes wrote:
They won 55 games last season and are on pace for that again this season so far, though it's early. How is this? I predicted that they would be a fringe playoff team.
Because Russell Westbrook was always the Alpha there.
Durant is a Beta, not that there is anything wrong with that. _________________ Love, Laker Lanny
Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2016 9:48 pm Post subject: Re: How is OKC still so strong even without Durant?
LakerLanny wrote:
CandyCanes wrote:
They won 55 games last season and are on pace for that again this season so far, though it's early. How is this? I predicted that they would be a fringe playoff team.
Because Russell Westbrook was always the Alpha there.
Durant is a Beta, not that there is anything wrong with that.
I don't think that's it. Both Durant and Westbrook are capable of being the alpha.
What's happened is Westbrook is playing great and Oklahoma City has had some breaks to start the season.
The lost to Golden State and Toronto. They squeaked by the Clippers and Portland, and beat a lot of easy teams. Their point differential of 2.4 is pretty weak for a 4-2 team so I wouldn't assume they are set for a 55 win season. One play here and there and they could just as easily be 2-4.
If they are playing at this win pace by midseason, I'll be impressed. After six games, no so much.
Joined: 24 Dec 2007 Posts: 35812 Location: Santa Clarita, CA (Hell) ->>>>>Ithaca, NY -≥≥≥≥≥Berkeley, CA
Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2016 9:59 pm Post subject: Re: How is OKC still so strong even without Durant?
activeverb wrote:
LakerLanny wrote:
CandyCanes wrote:
They won 55 games last season and are on pace for that again this season so far, though it's early. How is this? I predicted that they would be a fringe playoff team.
Because Russell Westbrook was always the Alpha there.
Durant is a Beta, not that there is anything wrong with that.
I don't think that's it. Both Durant and Westbrook are capable of being the alpha.
What's happened is Westbrook is playing great and Oklahoma City has had some breaks to start the season.
The lost to Golden State and Toronto. They squeaked by the Clippers and Portland, and beat a lot of easy teams. Their point differential of 2.4 is pretty weak for a 4-2 team so I wouldn't assume they are set for a 55 win season. One play here and there and they could just as easily be 2-4.
If they are playing at this win pace by midseason, I'll be impressed. After six games, no so much.
Westbrook is averaging 31.1 PPG, 9.5 APG, and 8.3 RPG. Is he better than Durant at this point?
(I think no, because Westbrook's field goal percentage is 41.9% and Durant's is 57.3%.) _________________ Damian Lillard shatters Dwight Coward's championship dreams:
Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2016 10:26 pm Post subject: Re: How is OKC still so strong even without Durant?
CandyCanes wrote:
activeverb wrote:
LakerLanny wrote:
CandyCanes wrote:
They won 55 games last season and are on pace for that again this season so far, though it's early. How is this? I predicted that they would be a fringe playoff team.
Because Russell Westbrook was always the Alpha there.
Durant is a Beta, not that there is anything wrong with that.
I don't think that's it. Both Durant and Westbrook are capable of being the alpha.
What's happened is Westbrook is playing great and Oklahoma City has had some breaks to start the season.
The lost to Golden State and Toronto. They squeaked by the Clippers and Portland, and beat a lot of easy teams. Their point differential of 2.4 is pretty weak for a 4-2 team so I wouldn't assume they are set for a 55 win season. One play here and there and they could just as easily be 2-4.
If they are playing at this win pace by midseason, I'll be impressed. After six games, no so much.
Westbrook is averaging 31.1 PPG, 9.5 APG, and 8.3 RPG. Is he better than Durant at this point?
(I think no, because Westbrook's field goal percentage is 41.9% and Durant's is 57.3%.)
Durant is putting up 28-8-4 on 57/41/85 shooting. I don't buy the notion that Westbrook is outplaying him. They have different roles, and do different things, on different teams.
Posted: Sat Nov 12, 2016 9:19 am Post subject: Re: How is OKC still so strong even without Durant?
CandyCanes wrote:
They won 55 games last season and are on pace for that again this season so far, though it's early. How is this? I predicted that they would be a fringe playoff team.
Schedule and it's early.
And for the next 3 weeks they got an easy schedule so they should be able to stay above water. It's when the schedule evens itself out by giving them harder matchups that i will start to show.
They gave the Clippers fits in the rematch and were leading in much of that game so I don't think their win against the Clippers was a fluke. They were playing really good defense. But maybe they just match up really well against that particular team.
The record is 6-3 and I'm not buying the idea that the schedule is soft. Is there a team that hasn't had a few weaker opponents on the schedule at this point? Playing the Warriors on the second night of a back-to-back, Clippers (twice), and Raptors sounds hard, not easy. They also played the Lakers who are 6-4. The other games are against weak teams. I don't think the schedule is going to get much harder than that.
I still expect them to struggle more though. I think a good season for them is to win around 45-50 games. Maybe 51-53 games if they are really fortunate but I think that's really pushing it.
I thought they actually underachieved by winning only 55 games last season. In the playoffs they look good enough to be a 60+ win team.
Posted: Sun Nov 13, 2016 6:58 am Post subject: Re: How is OKC still so strong even without Durant?
activeverb wrote:
CandyCanes wrote:
activeverb wrote:
LakerLanny wrote:
CandyCanes wrote:
They won 55 games last season and are on pace for that again this season so far, though it's early. How is this? I predicted that they would be a fringe playoff team.
Because Russell Westbrook was always the Alpha there.
Durant is a Beta, not that there is anything wrong with that.
I don't think that's it. Both Durant and Westbrook are capable of being the alpha.
What's happened is Westbrook is playing great and Oklahoma City has had some breaks to start the season.
The lost to Golden State and Toronto. They squeaked by the Clippers and Portland, and beat a lot of easy teams. Their point differential of 2.4 is pretty weak for a 4-2 team so I wouldn't assume they are set for a 55 win season. One play here and there and they could just as easily be 2-4.
If they are playing at this win pace by midseason, I'll be impressed. After six games, no so much.
Westbrook is averaging 31.1 PPG, 9.5 APG, and 8.3 RPG. Is he better than Durant at this point?
(I think no, because Westbrook's field goal percentage is 41.9% and Durant's is 57.3%.)
Durant is putting up 28-8-4 on 57/41/85 shooting. I don't buy the notion that Westbrook is outplaying him. They have different roles, and do different things, on different teams.
Westbrook is the focus of defense tho. Both those numbers are MVP level
they wont be. RW is on fire right now, and towards the end of the year, he'll hit a wall. they'll end up a 4-6 seed and will be bounced in the first round likely. _________________ Dominating every day.
Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2016 8:44 pm Post subject: Re: How is OKC still so strong even without Durant?
governator wrote:
activeverb wrote:
CandyCanes wrote:
activeverb wrote:
LakerLanny wrote:
CandyCanes wrote:
They won 55 games last season and are on pace for that again this season so far, though it's early. How is this? I predicted that they would be a fringe playoff team.
Because Russell Westbrook was always the Alpha there.
Durant is a Beta, not that there is anything wrong with that.
I don't think that's it. Both Durant and Westbrook are capable of being the alpha.
What's happened is Westbrook is playing great and Oklahoma City has had some breaks to start the season.
The lost to Golden State and Toronto. They squeaked by the Clippers and Portland, and beat a lot of easy teams. Their point differential of 2.4 is pretty weak for a 4-2 team so I wouldn't assume they are set for a 55 win season. One play here and there and they could just as easily be 2-4.
If they are playing at this win pace by midseason, I'll be impressed. After six games, no so much.
Westbrook is averaging 31.1 PPG, 9.5 APG, and 8.3 RPG. Is he better than Durant at this point?
(I think no, because Westbrook's field goal percentage is 41.9% and Durant's is 57.3%.)
Durant is putting up 28-8-4 on 57/41/85 shooting. I don't buy the notion that Westbrook is outplaying him. They have different roles, and do different things, on different teams.
Westbrook is the focus of defense tho. Both those numbers are MVP level
Hate the guy's game but what about Harden? 30/13/8 on 48% shooting, 37% from 3.
Joined: 24 Dec 2007 Posts: 35812 Location: Santa Clarita, CA (Hell) ->>>>>Ithaca, NY -≥≥≥≥≥Berkeley, CA
Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2016 10:30 pm Post subject: Re: How is OKC still so strong even without Durant?
jonnybravo wrote:
governator wrote:
activeverb wrote:
CandyCanes wrote:
activeverb wrote:
LakerLanny wrote:
CandyCanes wrote:
They won 55 games last season and are on pace for that again this season so far, though it's early. How is this? I predicted that they would be a fringe playoff team.
Because Russell Westbrook was always the Alpha there.
Durant is a Beta, not that there is anything wrong with that.
I don't think that's it. Both Durant and Westbrook are capable of being the alpha.
What's happened is Westbrook is playing great and Oklahoma City has had some breaks to start the season.
The lost to Golden State and Toronto. They squeaked by the Clippers and Portland, and beat a lot of easy teams. Their point differential of 2.4 is pretty weak for a 4-2 team so I wouldn't assume they are set for a 55 win season. One play here and there and they could just as easily be 2-4.
If they are playing at this win pace by midseason, I'll be impressed. After six games, no so much.
Westbrook is averaging 31.1 PPG, 9.5 APG, and 8.3 RPG. Is he better than Durant at this point?
(I think no, because Westbrook's field goal percentage is 41.9% and Durant's is 57.3%.)
Durant is putting up 28-8-4 on 57/41/85 shooting. I don't buy the notion that Westbrook is outplaying him. They have different roles, and do different things, on different teams.
Westbrook is the focus of defense tho. Both those numbers are MVP level
Hate the guy's game but what about Harden? 30/13/8 on 48% shooting, 37% from 3.
DeRozan is averaging 34 PPG on 53% from the field. _________________ Damian Lillard shatters Dwight Coward's championship dreams:
Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2016 10:43 pm Post subject: Re: How is OKC still so strong even without Durant?
CandyCanes wrote:
jonnybravo wrote:
governator wrote:
activeverb wrote:
CandyCanes wrote:
activeverb wrote:
LakerLanny wrote:
CandyCanes wrote:
They won 55 games last season and are on pace for that again this season so far, though it's early. How is this? I predicted that they would be a fringe playoff team.
Because Russell Westbrook was always the Alpha there.
Durant is a Beta, not that there is anything wrong with that.
I don't think that's it. Both Durant and Westbrook are capable of being the alpha.
What's happened is Westbrook is playing great and Oklahoma City has had some breaks to start the season.
The lost to Golden State and Toronto. They squeaked by the Clippers and Portland, and beat a lot of easy teams. Their point differential of 2.4 is pretty weak for a 4-2 team so I wouldn't assume they are set for a 55 win season. One play here and there and they could just as easily be 2-4.
If they are playing at this win pace by midseason, I'll be impressed. After six games, no so much.
Westbrook is averaging 31.1 PPG, 9.5 APG, and 8.3 RPG. Is he better than Durant at this point?
(I think no, because Westbrook's field goal percentage is 41.9% and Durant's is 57.3%.)
Durant is putting up 28-8-4 on 57/41/85 shooting. I don't buy the notion that Westbrook is outplaying him. They have different roles, and do different things, on different teams.
Westbrook is the focus of defense tho. Both those numbers are MVP level
Hate the guy's game but what about Harden? 30/13/8 on 48% shooting, 37% from 3.
DeRozan is averaging 34 PPG on 53% from the field.
Some monster numbers early on in this season.
Anthony Davis: 31/11/2 50% shooting. He's also doing 2 steals/3 blocks a game. Crazy.
They're going to end up being about a .500 team. No way WB can sustain this play and the rest of his team is sub-par in terms of carrying a squad if he's hurt. _________________ From 2-10 to the Western Conference Finals
They're going to end up being about a .500 team. No way WB can sustain this play and the rest of his team is sub-par in terms of carrying a squad if he's hurt.
Let's see if he can pull a Kobe, getting D-leaguers to the playoff (although WB has legit NBA players in his team)
They're going to end up being about a .500 team. No way WB can sustain this play and the rest of his team is sub-par in terms of carrying a squad if he's hurt.
Let's see if he can pull a Kobe, getting D-leaguers to the playoff (although WB has legit NBA players in his team)
He has a much better team than Kobe did. Possible all-star in Adams, and Dipo/Kanter, etc. It's not a pretty team but it isn't Smush Parker either. _________________ From 2-10 to the Western Conference Finals
Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2016 8:28 am Post subject: Re: How is OKC still so strong even without Durant?
CandyCanes wrote:
jonnybravo wrote:
governator wrote:
activeverb wrote:
CandyCanes wrote:
activeverb wrote:
LakerLanny wrote:
CandyCanes wrote:
They won 55 games last season and are on pace for that again this season so far, though it's early. How is this? I predicted that they would be a fringe playoff team.
Because Russell Westbrook was always the Alpha there.
Durant is a Beta, not that there is anything wrong with that.
I don't think that's it. Both Durant and Westbrook are capable of being the alpha.
What's happened is Westbrook is playing great and Oklahoma City has had some breaks to start the season.
The lost to Golden State and Toronto. They squeaked by the Clippers and Portland, and beat a lot of easy teams. Their point differential of 2.4 is pretty weak for a 4-2 team so I wouldn't assume they are set for a 55 win season. One play here and there and they could just as easily be 2-4.
If they are playing at this win pace by midseason, I'll be impressed. After six games, no so much.
Westbrook is averaging 31.1 PPG, 9.5 APG, and 8.3 RPG. Is he better than Durant at this point?
(I think no, because Westbrook's field goal percentage is 41.9% and Durant's is 57.3%.)
Durant is putting up 28-8-4 on 57/41/85 shooting. I don't buy the notion that Westbrook is outplaying him. They have different roles, and do different things, on different teams.
Westbrook is the focus of defense tho. Both those numbers are MVP level
Hate the guy's game but what about Harden? 30/13/8 on 48% shooting, 37% from 3.
DeRozan is averaging 34 PPG on 53% from the field.
Remember when people didn't want Derozan last year and said his lack of three point shot would hinder him as a scorer?
They're going to end up being about a .500 team. No way WB can sustain this play and the rest of his team is sub-par in terms of carrying a squad if he's hurt.
Fact of the matter is, amazing as it is. Harden is more efficient than Westbrook.
Like I said, all the love for Westbrook was in the pre-season and otherwise throughout the first beatdown he suffered at the hands of Durant which he didn't keep his mouth shut about.
But as the season wanes on and OKC is losing or barely afloat, and Westbrook is putting up 27/8/7 but on 35% shooting with a high turnover rate, the media will start to turn on him and the narrative changes.
Harden doing essentially the same thing on much higher efficiency will now get the credit everyone expected Westbrook to get this year and is in a spot in the MVP race people were SURE Westbrook would be at.
That said, Westbrook is nearly averaging a triple double, which is nothing to sneeze at.
Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2016 9:02 am Post subject: Re: How is OKC still so strong even without Durant?
MJST wrote:
CandyCanes wrote:
jonnybravo wrote:
governator wrote:
activeverb wrote:
CandyCanes wrote:
activeverb wrote:
LakerLanny wrote:
CandyCanes wrote:
They won 55 games last season and are on pace for that again this season so far, though it's early. How is this? I predicted that they would be a fringe playoff team.
Because Russell Westbrook was always the Alpha there.
Durant is a Beta, not that there is anything wrong with that.
I don't think that's it. Both Durant and Westbrook are capable of being the alpha.
What's happened is Westbrook is playing great and Oklahoma City has had some breaks to start the season.
The lost to Golden State and Toronto. They squeaked by the Clippers and Portland, and beat a lot of easy teams. Their point differential of 2.4 is pretty weak for a 4-2 team so I wouldn't assume they are set for a 55 win season. One play here and there and they could just as easily be 2-4.
If they are playing at this win pace by midseason, I'll be impressed. After six games, no so much.
Westbrook is averaging 31.1 PPG, 9.5 APG, and 8.3 RPG. Is he better than Durant at this point?
(I think no, because Westbrook's field goal percentage is 41.9% and Durant's is 57.3%.)
Durant is putting up 28-8-4 on 57/41/85 shooting. I don't buy the notion that Westbrook is outplaying him. They have different roles, and do different things, on different teams.
Westbrook is the focus of defense tho. Both those numbers are MVP level
Hate the guy's game but what about Harden? 30/13/8 on 48% shooting, 37% from 3.
DeRozan is averaging 34 PPG on 53% from the field.
Remember when people didn't want Derozan last year and said his lack of three point shot would hinder him as a scorer?
Yeah....about that...
I feel vindicated. _________________ From 2-10 to the Western Conference Finals
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