Ant-agonizing the MVP! | Official Timberwolves (#6) vs. Thunder (#1) West Finals Thread

[Stick Up Kid]

I havent hated a player like SGA since probably Loy Vaught in 1992

 

[Harry B]

All of that is well and good. But you shouldn't be falling over yourself drawing fouls

They got so happy calling fouls in his favor. They had to reverse an obvious challenge when he clearly tripped over his own feet

Like I said those things will happen when you are quick, aggressive and attack. Sometimes you’ll trip on your own, sometimes it’s a hard foul, sometimes it’s a soft foul. But the point is that shyt will happen and the probability for foul will increase.

Imo they should let shyt slide, but then again I don’t like them being lawyer-like with the rules but the rules are the rules

 

[Burned Verses]

Wolves can only beat up on poorly stacked teams led by 30-40 year olds

 

[Loose]

Bills back to hating thunder we made it zombie sonics days

 

[Ohene]

Good point. KD had a elite 2nd option but that was the only advantage roster wise. Depth, 3rd option, coachin, personell, defense, spacin SGA got a way better roster.

And KD was goin up against

Lob City CP3/Blake/DAJ
Duncan/Tony/Manu then + Kawhi Spurs
Grit and Grind Grizz
Dirk/Jet Mavs
Kobe/Pau Lakers
Harden Rockets
Steph/Dray/Klay Warriors

Luka/Kyrie Mavs that they lost and Jokic/Murray Nuggets (wit almost no bench) the only real elite teams SGA played. Zion less Pels, Ja less Grizz and Ant/Randle Wolves ain't it.

Ibaka was a good third option come on now. how is holmgren that much better as a third?

 

[Loose]

Never understood this criticism of getting to the foul line. All the great players live at the line. With the exception of a few players. It's a skill and he creates and seeks out contact. Which is what you're supposed to do. I don't remember all this foul merchant BS back in the day

Players like durant literally lived at the line so much they even changed rules for him. Getting to the line is actually a skil, most players can't sell nor finish thru contact. If hes fouled he should sell it so its not just a tough shot that goes unawarded. Think with shai is hes a tough guard cause

A. Hes strong
B. Has long wing span
C. Has great footwork
D. Has great handles
E. He's shifty and agile

So it's hard to guard him without fouling

 

[Street Knowledge]

Can’t play the sidelines
Can’t operate at the top of the key
Can’t dribble too long

They got it right now

The ball isn’t moving fast enough in my opinion. Same thing happened with Denver

How Thunder's historically great defense could end Western Conference finals before series really even begins

OKC stifled the Wolves in Game 1 on Tuesday night

www.cbssports.com

They are too deep on defense and too versatile.

 

[Primetime]

Ibaka was a good third option come on now. how is holmgren that much better as a third?

Also can't really compare their 3rd option to a modern one. Nor their spacing either. It's about what it was relative to their own era. i.e. the current Thunder have more spacing, but they also have to defend teams that have way more spacing than, say, Zbo, Gasol, and Tony Allen.

Tbh about a number of those early 2010 teams...

Spoiler

• Grit and Grind Grizzlies... worse spacing and less star power than KD's OKC teams
• Lob City, their best scorer a 6'0 pg, their 3rd best player a complete liability on O
• Harden's 2013 Rockets? Come on now
• Dirk and Kobe's teams had aged out by the time KD was 23

KD and Russ's failures after 2012 came down to two things: injuries (each missed a post-season) and choking that 3-1 lead, in which they had an 8 point lead in game 6 (at OKC) thru 3 quarters. You have to win that game. Period.

 

[Torrential]

minnesota looked tough in the 1st half

 

[360Waves]

NBA fandom is hilarious because Jordan was the greatest FT merchant of all time and you can find numerous compilations of this dude getting egregious phantom calls but y’all wanna act like Shai is out here doing some unprecedented shyt. Classic case of cool when they do it but not when I do.

 

[In The Zone '98]

minnesota looked tough in the 1st half

Propped up by made 3s

They gotta get downhill and on the FT line

 

[Wargames]

c

Propped up by made 3s

They gotta get downhill and on the FT line

I didn’t see the game but someone online said Randle was so ball dominant the first half everybody else was cold the second. I wonder was it a situation like the Celtics last series where the interior defense is so tough nobody Drives.

Then the refs started giving Shai the whistle

 

[Weaver31]

Never understood this criticism of getting to the foul line. All the great players live at the line. With the exception of a few players. It's a skill and he creates and seeks out contact. Which is what you're supposed to do. I don't remember all this foul merchant BS back in the day

Brunson live at the foul line too. OKC vs both East teams would be interesting. Also OKC deep like Pacers.

 

[Weaver31]

He's been fukking trash 95% of their playoff run

He was good last year until the Mavs series.

 

[Weaver31]

Honestly, give last year’s OKC team Hartenstein and Caruso, they likely beat Dallas in 6.

Those 2 were missing vet pieces 4 sho...