Are Durant and Westbrook the two best players in this series?

[ElNono]

Reading the ESPN 5-on-5 preview of this series (http://espn.go.com/nba/playoffs/2014/story/_/page/5-on-5-140519/nba-playoffs-2014-thunder-spurs-preview), the Thunder blog dude mentions:

Young: Thunder in 6. I'm sticking with my original pick for the series despite Ibaka's injury. The reason is simple: It's always been about Westbrook and Durant. With them, the Thunder still have the two best players in the series. OKC's depth has been damaged and it will have to find a solution to replicate Ibaka's midrange spacing, but Westbrook and Durant can beat the Spurs. They're that good.


True or false?

[cantthinkofanything]

false

Durant
Parker
Leonard
Westbrook
most of the rest of the Spurs
rest of the Thunder
Bonner

[Robz4000]

Obviously Durant is the best player in the series, but you could go either way with Westchimp and Enrique.

[Trainwreck2100]

Depends on how the refs call it

[Mugen]

True. I think Parker's injury is a lingering issue throughout the series.

Fortunately, the Spurs can survive with RW/KD being the two best players in the series. The key is to make sure that Reggie Jackson isn't the 3rd best.

If TP somehow plays like the 2nd best player over Westbrook, than I don't see the Thunder lasting more than 5 games tbh.

[davidbowie]

Yes.

[peacemaker885]

True.

But we are the better team. Spurs win this.

I hope Rick Carlisle gave us enough practice to get over these Thunders.

[FromWayDowntown]

They are undoubtedly the two most explosive players in the series.

They might also be the two most important players in the series. If Westbrook is Good Russell, they are the 2 best players. If Westbrook is Bad Russell, Durant is the best player in the series and Westbrook is the most destructive player in the series.

If they both play well and if Westbrook makes good decisions, they're going to be extremely difficult to beat (that's true anyway, I think).

[Prime Time]

I'll say Parker is better than Westbrook, but the Thunder will have a much easier time guarding TP than the Spurs will with Russell.

[doobs]

Durant is the best, but Kawhi's going to make him work hard on both ends. Westbrook is a great player who is capable of amazing things, but he's also a complete moron who commits costly errors. Overall, Parker is a better player than Westbrook.

It's all about the matchups, as always. With no Ibaka, the Spurs are going to be able to penetrate and feed the post at will. If the threes are falling, OKC has no legit chance unless Adams ends up being the HoFer.

[hater]

Durant
Parker
Westbrook
Kawhi
Ibaka
Duncan
Adams

In that order

everyone else is a scrub for both teams

[hater]

Of course unless OKC faces San Antonio. Then Lamb, Jackson and Fisher instantle become the Harlem Globbetrotters

[will_spurs]

Parker > Westbrook

This being said, Young thinks Ibaka's influence is his "midrange spacing". He doesn't even understand the real importance of Ibaka for OKC, so anything else he says doesn't matter anyway.

[Dex]

Errors
everybody else

Pop unleashes the secret weapon tonight. Errors starts at center and goes for 82, 35, and 15 blocks.

[Chinook]

Durant
Parker
Westbrook
Kawhi
Ibaka
Duncan
Adams

In that order

everyone else is a scrub for both teams

You forgot Green.

[hater]

You forgot Green.

:lmao

no

no I didnt

[poeticism707]

Depends on how the refs call it

This, sadly.

[Prime Time]

Of course unless OKC faces San Antonio. Then Lamb, Jackson and Fisher instantle become the Harlem Globbetrotters
Didn't that scrub Daequan Cook go HAM on the Spurs back in 2012? Shit, I could totally see Lamb going for 8-12 points.

[slick'81]

It's like doc said let westy and Durant get there's those two can't beat you alone but don't let anyone else hurt you

[TE]

Didn't that scrub Daequan Cook go HAM on the Spurs back in 2012? Shit, I could totally see Lamb going for 8-12 points.
He hit a few bullshit corner threes in game 5 irrc. It's that type of fluky shit everybody has to expect when the Spurs play against the Thunder.

[cd98]

Durrant is the best player. Westbrook is the best athlete. But neither one of those things really mean much in this series.

[Brazil]

Westbrook is an athletic freak in his prime, if he is not capable to dominate Parker, serie is over for OKC in 4, 5 if KD has a gigantic game.

Thing is he is very unpredictable he can go off in one particular game and be a total liability on another. you never know with him but his explosiveness especially in transition can kill you in 5 minutes.

All in all atm I say yes Durant and Westbrook are the two best players in this serie.

[Chinook]

:lmao

no

no I didnt

:cry hater pls! :cry

[will_spurs]

Westbrook is an athletic freak in his prime, if he is not capable to dominate Parker, serie is over for OKC in 4, 5 if KD has a gigantic game.

Thing is he is very unpredictable he can go off in one particular game and be a total liability on another. you never know with him but his explosiveness especially in transition can kill you in 5 minutes.

All in all atm I say yes Durant and Westbrook are the two best players in this serie.

I really disagree with you on this. Westbrook is explosive indeed, but that's not enough. He's also very dumb. He benefits immensely from playing alongside Durant. The day when they part ways Westbrook will regress to being a fringe All-Star. He's the Carmelo Anthony of point guards.

[Horry Hipcheck]

Toss up for No. 2 between Westbrick and Parker. RW brings his trademark intensity to every game, especially against the Spurs, and uses his athleticism as a turnover-creating-foul-drawing weapon. However, he's a spotty shooter at best and frequently slams on the brakes of the entire Thunder offense with his hero-mode play. Parker on the other hand does not offer the same strength and athleticism, but is a much more reliable shooter and assist maker. Both are excellent finishers at the rim.

Parker at his best isn't better than RW, but Parker is more consistent.

[Brazil]

I really disagree with you on this. Westbrook is explosive indeed, but that's not enough. He's also very dumb. He benefits immensely from playing alongside Durant. The day when they part ways Westbrook will regress to being a fringe All-Star. He's the Carmelo Anthony of point guards.

Westbrook is a match up nightmare much more than tony, he is a physical SG playing PG... he is drawing a lot of attention away from Durant too, that's a win win situation for them. Yeah he is dumb and I'm a big hater but you cannot deny his impact on the game on both end.

Westbrook would be the same player on every team he would play, OKC is now a two man show offensively. He is not building his success on the fact nobody checks him, he is a central point of attention of the D that tries to prevent him from driving. His transition O is a killer thats why limiting T/Os is gonna be key.

[BatManu20]

If Westbrook plays the way he did against the Clips in game 5, then he's better than Tony. Or if Tony's injury hinders his play in any way then yes. Otherwise, I think Tony is just a slight bit better. But Durant and Westbrook are certainly the most talented.

[Mugen]

:lol People haven't watched a lot of Westbrook these playoffs tbh. Sure the shooting percentages aren't great and he turns it over too much, but he's still a legit force.

Manu wasn't super efficient at times in his prime but you couldn't deny the impact that his desire/motor had in each game.

Westbrook was a MONSTER in that Clippers series tbh

[SupremeGuy]

http://img.spokeo.com/public/900-600/kawhi_leonard_2011_06_25.jpg

[Capster]

Durant and Westbrooke are excellent players without a doubt. However the Spurs are a better team than they were a year ago. Spurs also have a solid bench. Spurs need to stay healthy and it should be a very interesting series. Hope to see the Spurs machine play in top gear!
http://l1.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/.2_nGm5jQF2YdUs0sLGcBA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NTt3PTYzMA--/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/gettyimages.com/san-antonio-spurs-v-atlanta-20130119-183425-739.jpg

[TD 21]

It depends, as this series more than likely will, on Parker's health. When he's at his best, as we saw for arguably the first stretch this season from game 7 through game 3, he's probably more dominant than any player in the league outside of James and Durant.

[chazley]

Westbrook is one of 3 players in NBA history to average 26-8-8 in a single season playoffs. He is better than Parker.

The list for me is:
Durant
Westbrook
Parker
Duncan
Leonard
Ginobili
Splitter

So, the Thunder have the two best players, but we have 5 of the top 7 best players. The Thunder's depth is absolutely horrendous, and they have a bunch of guys you can 'hide' guys on defensively. We are a much better team than them, it will not be an easy series for the Spurs but for a chess-master like Pop, he will exploit this team to death. Should be fun to watch.

Spurs in 6.

[Blake]

True.

But without Ibaka, the next best 6 players are Spurs

[chazley]

True.

But without Ibaka, the next best 6 players are Spurs

Nah I think you can safely rate Reggie Jackson as better than Diaw/Green/Patty

[Aztecfan03]

Nah I think you can safely rate Reggie Jackson as better than Diaw/Green/Patty

Does he play defense? Green and Diaw are good on both ends of the floor.

[razor247]

This is the dumbest question ever. We have three hall of famers. Westbrook jacks up shots and keeps the ball away from the best player on their team. Durant is just a great shooter and that's it. He does not create and is afraid of the paint.
Westbrick just runs at the basket hoping for fouls and isn't playing basketball running head down at the basket, its stupid. The refs should not call fouls on that crap. Without free throws they suck about 10 a game. Durant is a Curry, Ray Allen
great shooter when given space period.

[3 Legged Dog]

True. I think Parker's injury is a lingering issue throughout the series.

Fortunately, the Spurs can survive with RW/KD being the two best players in the series. The key is to make sure that Reggie Jackson isn't the 3rd best. .

well said. Along that line, the Spurs very nearly beat the Heat in a series in which LeTurd and P Wade were the 2 best players in the series.

while KD and RW may very we'll be the 2 best in the series, it would be an epic fail if Reggie Jackson were to out perform Tony, Timmy and Kawhi.

[Obstructed_View]

Somebody from ESPN said that exact same line today. Wonder who did the stealing.

[ElNono]

Somebody from ESPN said that exact same line today. Wonder who did the stealing.

It's actually quoted in the OP...

[jARS mEsH sEt]

Westbrook is the second best 1 on 1 offensive player in this series, yes. You have to take defense into account for best "overall" player, though.

[jARS mEsH sEt]

This is the dumbest question ever. We have three hall of famers. Westbrook jacks up shots and keeps the ball away from the best player on their team. Durant is just a great shooter and that's it. He does not create and is afraid of the paint.
Westbrick just runs at the basket hoping for fouls and isn't playing basketball running head down at the basket, its stupid. The refs should not call fouls on that crap. Without free throws they suck about 10 a game. Durant is a Curry, Ray Allen
great shooter when given space period.

I'm taking notes for future shitposting...

[Obstructed_View]

It's actually quoted in the OP...

Ah, a blog quoting the transcript. I missed that the first time. Sorry. Moving on...:lol

[maverick1948]

Duncan 19 pt in 1 1/2 quarters 13 mins. Durant 13 pt in 13 mins. Green 8, Tony 7 Westbrook 6. WOW looks like the OLD guys are dominating.

[Rummpd]

Durant and whomever the zebras area

[100%duncan]

It's Derek Fisher.

[Knoxxx]

It's Derek Fisher.

Yes that was what I was thinking. Well in the first half it was:

Duncan
Durant
Parker
Leonard
Fisher
Westbrook
Jackson/Splitter/Green