41 pages in.
Has everybody forgotten these 4 key things:
1. Melo can't come up big in key Playoff games. He's a ballhog who can't kill. His Defense is non-existent. He looks amazing in offseason games with nothing on the line or in the 1 game per season before the All-Star game where he goes off.
But a Playoffs Game 7 needs more than you hogging the ball, ignoring players who are feeling it (he infamously screwed the Knicks by shooting bricks in the 4th quarter when JR and Schumpf were on fire in the 3rd quarter.. they lost that decisive Playoff game).
Short version: nikka can't deliver when it matters. Great offensive player when it doesn't matter.
2. Paul George has a horrendous record in Playoff crunch time.
I read a stat in the last playoffs: Paul George is 0-of-15 when the game is under 30 seconds and the difference in points is less than 3 points. Translation: nikka can sit up there all day talking abou 'I should have taken that shot' but the FACTS are that he really should not take those shots.
Short version: nikka can't deliver when it matters. Great offensive player when it doesn't matter.
3. Westbrook mixes with PG13 and Melo 13 like a t-shirt can mix well with a wall...
This is going to get hella ugly in the Playoffs.
They may light up the Clippers during the regular season, but in the Playoffs when an already badly organized offense is even more out of whack.. this won't work.
4. Donovan runs an offensive that can literally be described as 'Pass to Russ, pray Roberson hits a free throw'. There's no system. Their last games showed some of the ugliest basketball all year. We all love Westbrook's game, but the Thunder has no strategy and they don't have a plan.. also on Defense..
This will get ugly.
There will not be a Thunder Warriors final, and if that miraculous situation happens: sweep time. But it will never get that far.