Game Thread GAME# 39: THUNDER @ BLAZERS - JANUARY 4, 2019 - FRIDAY, 7:30 PM, ESPN & NBCSNW

He is hamstrung by cap issues he created himself - he doesn't now get to use them as an excuse.

 

They didnt even play in transition late in the 4th the refs just decided to give them some ft’s to make it close.
I guess my point is Ive been saying for months that I want a new coach, but the players had so many oppurtunities to win the game not just making wide open shots, but they didnt take care of the ball, they kept reaching and falling for PG13’s tricks, the players deserve a lot of the “blame” for tonights loss. They made a lot of just super boneheaded mental errors. There were 3-4 times Im not even sure they were all running the same play. Which is on Stotts too but I felt like the players were just as responsible for dumb decisions tonight as the coaches were.

Whats irritating to me about this game is that really a few better coaching moves they probably win, a few better decisions they win, take care of the ball, you win. Hit your open shots, you win. The list goes on and on for me of things that couldve been done better.

The real issue is many of the coaching problems are consistant. We see Stotts make the same errors frequently, most of the time we dont see Dame play that bad, or curry bricking open 3’s.

 

We did feed Nurk in 4th and Adams held his ground. Nurk couldn’t make his move.

 

Yeah i do but you missed it entirely. Point is pretty simple. Every team board with game threads goes through the same things. They have fans that pull for the team. Then they have fans that troll. Then they have fans that complain constantly. The ones that complain usually all want changes. Those changes can be players, coaches, GM, ownership or all of the above. This team is no different. This board is no different.

But bottom line is they are all fans. And in the end they all want the team to win. Winning solves everything.

 

You will get no argument from me on that. But it is still fact. There is very little that can be done at this point.

 

Thats why he saying use the cross screen though. So nurk isnt setting up camp 15-18 feet away and gets the ball lower.

 

We played great in the first half, but free throws (deserved or not) kept OKC in the game.

OKC played great D in the third quarter; forcing turnovers, and scoring on the break, to get them the lead.

We played just as badly in the fourth quarter as we did in the third, but free throws (deserved or not) got us back in the game.

With the game on the line late in the fourth OKC held their nerve, and executed; we didn't. They had the momentum, and confidence; we didn't.

 

I understand what you are saying. Sometimes, it just seems like Olshey is like the guy who murders his parents and then asks the judge for leniency because he is an orphan!

 

Exactly.

 

Maybe you aren't good at explaining your points?

 

The part he isn't addressing is that a cross screen doesn't work when you are playing 4 on 5. Teams don't guard our PF on the arc. If you pull Aminu off the Arc then you also cannot do the cross screen because you will get an illegal D. Teams cruse the lane and the cross screen gets picked off.

Now i could be wrong on this if he has another option i am not thinking of? I would be very willing to listen to an idea on how to do it. One way has been pointed out. Play someone else at PF. That might work?

 

Then have Aminu be the angle passer. They dont sag when he has the ball in his hands.

 

Parking him in the opposite corner would work too. Skip the ball, and have the corss-screener screen Aminus guy so he cant close out. Aminu is pretty efficient from the corner and that's the best Aminu 3 you could ask for.

But Aminus defender isnt a free roamer like you claim.

 

Great but we have all seen Aminu with the ball in his hands. It's a trainwreck.
I even think that is what they have tried and it's failed miserable so many times they are afraid to try it again.
I did see Aminu drive and dish a few times lately and it has worked. But trying him on a cross screen seems like a huge stretch.

 

For HCP's thread review;

 

Also, we can never tell how Aminu's defender would shut down a cross screen because we never even try it.

 

PS: Neither team deserved the amount of free throws they got, when they got them. It was pure game managment by the refs to keep the product entertaining.

 

Totally agree that is his best option to shoot. But they still have the advantage until you get the ball to him. He cannot bring the ball down himself and it gets picked off. These are things Stotts is trying.

 

He can make a simple entry pass though. And if he cant, then the coaching staff is at fault for not teaching him how to. It's not hard.

 

Wait a minute. I'm pretty sure that is who is clogging the lane.