Comments on: TNT quoteboard from Thunder-Timberwolves

By: Marv

Marv — Sun, 23 Dec 2012 10:03:33 +0000

The Thunder was killed 4-1 in the finals last year with the Heat because they were slow in covering their respective guards when the Heat moved the ball around to spot the unguarded shooter who made them pay. Don’t see much improvement from their game with Minnesota, were the small willy guard JJ Barea made them pay again, just like when Westbrook did last year with him. Durant also has some guarding duties he often does not follow through and leaves his man. True it is harder to follow a player around to look for his shots, but when you don’t, he’ll make you pay with two or three points.

This time around, the Thunder should be more professional in doing both defensive and offensive chores, if they become lazy, they are going down, same as the last time! BTW, the Wolves big player coach is Jack Sigma, former Sonics center who won a championship with the Sonics! The Thunder does not have a very good big player coach for the reason Brooks has not used them tfor scoring. It is like the Thunder are playing with 31/2 to 4 players each time they play!

By: Jeff

Jeff — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 23:24:25 +0000

Read about the exchange between coach and player which the coach did not back downfrom the player. From the NBA news:

Cousins and Kings coach Keith Smart exchanged words in the locker room during halftime of Sacramento’s 97-85 loss at the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night. Smart benched Cousins for the entire second half and ordered him to remain in the locker room.

Cousins also was suspended one game without pay by the NBA for striking O.J. Mayo in the groin during a loss at Dallas on Dec. 10. Following a loss at San Antonio on Nov. 9, the league suspended Cousins two games without pay for confronting Spurs announcer Sean Elliott in a “hostile manner.”

“We’re trying to set a standard here, and when guys move below that standard, things are going to take place,” Smart said after the game in Los Angeles. “We’ll just move on to the next game and I’ll make some decisions from there.”

Cousins, drafted fifth overall in 2010, took responsibility for the incident after the game. The 22-year-old center is averaging a team-high 16.6 points and 9.5 rebounds to go with 2.1 assists and 1.3 steals per game this season.

“What happens in the locker room stays in the locker room. But I was wrong. I was wrong,” said Cousins, who scored nine points in 20 minutes. “I’m a player that definitely wants to win every night, and I’m an emotional player. That’s never going to change. But I shouldn’t have responded back. Something was said, and I just should have stayed quiet. Is it a humbling thing? Yeah, I will say that. I mean, I messed up and I apologize to my teammates for responding the way I did and I’ll move on from it.”

By: Luke

Luke — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 16:06:34 +0000

If the Thunder losses on Christmas Day, then expect the Heat to have homecourt advantage for the rest of the series. That is very iportant for them, with the home crowd cheeing them on! Can’t for that day to see if the Thunder improved or still the same!
BTW, I agree with Nate 100%!

By: Nate

Nate — Sat, 22 Dec 2012 14:25:28 +0000

OK, the Thunder says it is in the past and let’s get to move on, but is it not th goal of every team to look atte ultimate prize to get home court advantage in the conference finals and if they are lucky to survive, the finals?

Why then don’t everybody remember of last years failed championship contention by Miami and OKC, that home court advantage is crucial for the team Bynow the lost difference of the next team is only one; that are, Miami, Memphis and Clippers, with New York and San Antonio lagging close behind?

The thing to do for the THunder is make it hard for the other teams to be close to them, to avoid of what happen last year!