“While taking nothing for granted, it’s just a matter of time before we take control of the game.”

A coach doesn’t view the late-game play of young reserves as garbage time. A coach wants to see sparkling individual play work together as a team on both ends of the court.

Let me catch you up on some of my past observations.

In last season’s NBA Finals, the Thunder lost to Miami because the Thunder starters never believed they could fully control a Finals game against Miami, never fully control the Heat, even when the Thunder held a 17-point lead in Miami then later lost. In that game the Thunder, including Durant and Westbrook, in their mind couldn’t keep from looking over the shoulder.

Here’s the doubt that can creep in to a talented challenger against a mighty and experienced opponent: “I’m ahead but it’s inevitable that my opponent will rally back, and I’m not sure I can withstand the rally.”

On the other an experienced, imposing opponent’s outlook: “It’s just a matter of time before we take control of the game.”

I play a sport at a high level, and believe me I’ve been on both sides of the inner chatter, on what I’m thinking, either in secure confidence or apprehension, and what my opponent is thinking.

How many teams and players have had this thought pass through their minds? “When Labron James makes up his mind to drive to the basket, there’s nothing that can stop him.”

Nothing turns around instantly. Nothing magical happens in sports where a team or a player suddenly turns on a dime to lasting competent or spectacular play. Improvement takes time. Some players see the light quicker than others.

Take Reggie Jackson. In his second NBA season, he’s worked hard in Thunder practices and accepted to play in games with the development league Tulsa 66er. He’s showed terrific improvement this season. He’s more assured of himself. He’s said he no longer second guesses himself on the court.

But I observed earlier this season that Jackson is a season or two away from fully blossoming to not only a competent back-up, but an imposing and forceful NBA player.

I could go on and on about young talented players who could emerge as sound or maybe spectacular NBA players.

Here’s the tough balancing of an NBA coach: Give young players as much playing time as they can handle, but don’t put them in positions where their confidence takes a whack.

A wise coach makes wise choices to fit each individual player in development.

Sometimes we can’t see the forest for the trees & an outsider’s view looking in helps clarify what we are to close to see….

The Thunder’s doing just fine, this what we the fans got for this season & we should be proud to call this team ours…. Will they win a CHAMPIONSHIP ? YES, I believe they will, I believed that last year as well & also the year before that…. The year we played the Lakers in the 1st round, we should have won & if we would have beaten the eventual World Champs then we could have been a contender, we coulda been special….

All I do is watch & enjoy & have fun all things THUNDER, I never expect then to lose & it bothers me when they do, but I’m OK by the next tipoff…. It’s fun to be a THUNDER fan, enjoy the moment, because one day, one season, we will be an also ran….

Here’s my issue with what he’s doing now:Jeremy Lamb and Perry Jones have really high ceilings.Theyre not getting playing time.Eric Maynor is a very good player coming off an injury,he needs to find his rhythm with his new teammates.Hes not getting playing time.Reggie Jackson is great,but he doesn’t fit with our second team.Its all but obvious.He gets way too much playing time.Russ is a combo guard.KD is a versatile player(3,stretch4,point forward),same with Serge,Nick,PJ3,Eric Maynor etc.Our team is built for versatility and to be able to utilize diverse lineups.Its all but obvious.Yet we use traditional sub tactics.As long as you view one guy specifically as another guys backup,you miss the point.They all could get more minutes based on what the other team has.We have several ball handlers and shooters.Anyone can sub for basically anyone.We aren’t using our potential.

I would have watched an NBA game during the Super Bowl, tuning in to the Super Bowl only during an NBA-game commercial.

A few weeks ago I watched a Thunder game and practically ignored college’s national championship game.

Traber’s NBA knowledge is derived from watching games on television. He rarely attends Thunder games, yet he has access to press credentials to attend Thunder games and can talk to players and coaches after games.

Let’s clarify. If you’re a talk-show host on sports radio, even hosting a weekly sports television program, providing commmentary and interviews, that makes you a member of the sports media. Regardless Traber’s insistence he’s at the least pretending to be a journalist.

Now let’s examine Traber’s knowledge on the NBA, particularly the Thunder. Traber gripes that coach Brook’s substitution patterns are predictable and hardly ever change. Traber hasn’t a clue about what Brooks’s intentions are.

Coach Brooks has been shifting reserve players on the court and adjusting the time they’re on the court. Many times coach Brooks’s substition patterns aren’t meant to fit a role in a single game. Brooks is searching and developing reserves for better play later on and into the playoffs.

How do I know this? Because I’m frequently on courtside at Thunder games and talk to players and coaches after games. No one can gain insight from watching television or conducting a single interview. Without close inspection an interviewer doesn’t know what questions to ask.

So before hopping on the Traber NBA train, you might want to at first consider a second thought.

I think your comment would have been better if talking about Westbrook. As long as KD defers in the first quarter to get everyone else going, I want him to be aggressive. Always looking for his shot. He is playing extremely well, and difficult to ask much more..