A frustrating thing about Westbrook and the Thunder

[$pursDynasty]

Well there are many, they used to be light years ahead of us athletically in every position. They did and do seem to be able to bully the Spurs physically and dominate us on the boards. The Thunderref thing was bad but isn't as bad now, maybe it was a Durant thing? How every Thunder player seems to think of dominating the Spurs to be some sort of birthright. However the thing that frustrates me the most about the Thunder is that they are a team with flaws that from a distance seem exploitable but for whatever reason when they get matched up with the Spurs they decide to act right. The latest example was last night, if the Spurs would have encountered the scoring 58 points get out of my way Westbrook, I have no doubt they could have prevailed. What they got instead was the feeding his teammates, especially S.Adams early on, thinking man's Russ. Sort of like last year in the playoffs everyone could see what the strategic flaw in how the Thunder were playing basketball but after the initial blowout game 1 against us they played 'smart' and almost made it to the finals. I guess I could take it as a complement that the Spurs 'encourage' the Thunder to do what they should instead of what they want (realizing that is the only way they can win) but I have a sneaking suspicion that they might continue to play smart for a game or two because of the results and good press it generates but they will fall back into their heroballing dumb/selfish ways soon enough.

[Dex]

Nobody outside of Kawhi and Aldridge could hit a damn shot, and then Kawhi got sent to the locker room.

Pop pretty much screwed the pooch when he gave Forbes his first stint, then buried it when he brought him back in the 2nd half. I want to support the kid, but he had no business playing meaningful minutes in this game.

Non-issue.

[dabom]

Forbes is trash. Not even a tenth of what patty brings.

[rjv]

as much as i wanted to root for forbes, there is nothing i see in him. and if he can't at least do what he is supposed to be able to do (hit his shots), he's just wasting a roster spot.

[$pursDynasty]

rjv regretfully I feel the same way. I don't see anything he brings or will bring to the table. No ball handling, invisible on defense and the one thing he is supposed to be able to do, shoot the rock, he hasn't shown me that either. I was hoping he was a young Gary Neal but he isn't even that. I would welcome a Neal type shooter that can shoot the hell out of the ball even if they couldn't do anything else. Forbes hasn't shown me the ability to do anything on the NBA level except eat up minutes but anyone by definition can do that, dare I say it, Bonner brings more to the table.

[UZER]

IMO, Pop has never allowed any of his team's to have "swag" for lack of a better word. Can't be called defending champs because last year was last year, get over yourself or you sit the bench, don't fight because you cost the team points, etc. There's never been an aura the Spurs.

It's one of the reasons nobody has ever feared them, in basketball terms. Respect, yes, but never intimated. That's why scrub teams / players have no problem getting super physical with the spurs because there is no fear of retaliation. If you can't beat them, make it dirty to give yourself a chance.

Can't argue with 5 rings, but can argue they've never gone back to back.

[Horse]

They were chucking away and still get away with murder. As bad as we looked still likely Kawhi stays in he leads another comeback victory.

[Dingle Barry]

I'm still not over the 2012 series when they flipped the switch on us.

[sananspursfan21]

He's not good. He was brought here as a three point shooter and I kept waiting for him to start chucking up threes. He only shot a couple and they weren't even close. Seems like a nice young man. Maybe he's our trash and someone else's treasure.

[Phenomanul]

I'm still not over the 2012 series when they flipped the switch on us.

With some of the most dubious officiating ever to go along with that defeat...

[tenbeersbold]

Lol,y'all don't think there's extra $$$/incentives on the table when OKC plays us!?!
There's a ton of ancient bad blood between Patfo and OKC/Presti.Bennett majority owner of Thunder was forced out of Spurs ownership role by the Holt family

That's some straight JR Ewing grudge type stuff