I like watching them - but I've never been a Clipper fan or anything more than an observer of them. Same concept that I have with Golden State - who has grown up and learned to play some defense which makes them a legit contender in the West.
It's Golden State right now that looks like they are the biggest threat to San Antonio.
I like watching them - but I've never been a Clipper fan or anything more than an observer of them. Same concept that I have with Golden State - who has grown up and learned to play some defense which makes them a legit contender in the West.
It's Golden State right now that looks like they are the biggest threat to San Antonio.
I know you aren't an actual Clippers fan, but you chose them to sweep Golden State last year and beat the Thunder. Then you called them a contender before this season. OKC is making the playoffs. KD and Westbrook are coming back any day, Westbrook maybe as early as Friday.
I like watching them - but I've never been a Clipper fan or anything more than an observer of them. Same concept that I have with Golden State - who has grown up and learned to play some defense which makes them a legit contender in the West.
It's Golden State right now that looks like they are the biggest threat to San Antonio.
I know you aren't an actual Clippers fan, but you chose them to sweep Golden State last year and beat the Thunder. Then you called them a contender before this season. OKC is making the playoffs. KD and Westbrook are coming back any day, Westbrook maybe as early as Friday.
I like watching them - but I've never been a Clipper fan or anything more than an observer of them. Same concept that I have with Golden State - who has grown up and learned to play some defense which makes them a legit contender in the West.
It's Golden State right now that looks like they are the biggest threat to San Antonio.
I know you aren't an actual Clippers fan, but you chose them to sweep Golden State last year and beat the Thunder. Then you called them a contender before this season. OKC is making the playoffs. KD and Westbrook are coming back any day, Westbrook maybe as early as Friday.
The Thunder are fucked. Highly doubtful those two are just going to jump back in at a championship level. Not to mention KD and Westbrook have struggled finding chemistry before when Westbrook goes full ball hog and it costs them. #MyKings look like they have a legitimate chance at ending their playoff drout, the Suns are much better, the Pelicans are much better...not as many gimme games in the West as last year, which says just how strong it really is.
The Thunder are fucked. Highly doubtful those two are just going to jump back in at a championship level. Not to mention KD and Westbrook have struggled finding chemistry before when Westbrook goes full ball hog and it costs them. #MyKings look like they have a legitimate chance at ending their playoff drout, the Suns are much better, the Pelicans are much better...not as many gimme games in the West as last year, which says just how strong it really is.
By struggle you mean win around 60 games every season? The Thunder are young and haven't won a championship, but they have been a top 3-4 team going on 5 years straight.
They have made the conference finals 3 of the past 4 years and Westbrook was out the year they didn't make it. I hate the Thunder, but you guys are talking nonsense.
These are two of the top 5-10 players in the league on a team that has been together for awhile. They are going to be good like they always are.
Agree about the West, but the Kings are not making it. Cousins is a monster though.
I think we've hashed this out before, but if you flipped chris paul and westbrook, both teams would benefit. KD needs to get more shots for that team to get over the hump, but Westbrooks aggressive personality will never allow it. Paul would set KD up beautifully.
Clippers have immense talent, but Griffin is too passive and would benefit from an over the top rim attacker like westbrook.
I agree individually they are top ten players, but KD needs to be 1 and he's not and that's what holds them back.
Back to the point, i just don't think they are going to hop back in the mix after so much time off and dominate a tough conference full of teams in mid-season form. That transition is going to be the difference that prevents them from making it.
I can't wait to re-bump this later in the season. Roaddie you're usually one to have sound logic and not prematurely ejaculate.
They just beat the fucking Knicks. At home. They win this without Westbrook. He did look good though, i'll give you that.
It's just a preview of what is going to happen this season. A fully motivated and pissed off Westbrook and Durant will be the best regular season team in the league. Sound logic would be realizing once 2 of the top 6-8 players in the NBA come back, a team is going to take off. Thinking they will struggle is pressing. They won't and will easily make the playoffs barring a huge injury. The premature ejactulaters are the ones who think the Thunder won't make the playoffs.
To get the 8 seed, they have to beat Phoenix, Sacramento, and New Orleans. I wouldn't be surprised if they passed the Clippers (really overrated) at #7 either.
The point was Westbrook came back with a bang. Durant will be back in a week or two and is already full contact at practice. The opponent didn't really matter. We will see what you say when the Thunder wrap up a playoff spot by mid season. Like I said, the Suns, Kings, and Pelicans. It's not even going to be that tough.
The point was Westbrook came back with a bang. Durant will be back in a week or two and is already full contact at practice. The opponent didn't really matter. We will see what you say when the Thunder wrap up a playoff spot by mid season. Like I said, the Suns, Kings, and Pelicans. It's not even going to be that tough.
This is some of the biggest pressing that I've ever seen on this bored ...
They are 5 games behind a playoff spot right now. Phoenix is in 8th place and on pace for a 48 win season just like they had last year. The Clippers are on pace for 55 wins - so let's just forget about them coming back and getting anything better than 8th at this point barring one of the top 7 teams having a similar injury problem.
IF they make the playoffs they are going to have to play close to .700 ball to get there. It's possible. But the margin for error is basically gone. There's going to be a number of schedule losses that will show up during the year regardless (think 3 in 4, 4 in 6, and 5 in 8 game stretches). That's before getting to having to play games against some of the stronger teams in the league as it is.
Westbrook coming back strong is less of a surprise than what we'll see out of Durant. Westbrook could for the most part remain sharp while he was out. Durant's conditioning, timing, etc. will be far more hit or miss when he comes back.
The point was Westbrook came back with a bang. Durant will be back in a week or two and is already full contact at practice. The opponent didn't really matter. We will see what you say when the Thunder wrap up a playoff spot by mid season. Like I said, the Suns, Kings, and Pelicans. It's not even going to be that tough.
This is some of the biggest pressing that I've ever seen on this bored ...
They are 5 games behind a playoff spot right now. Phoenix is in 8th place and on pace for a 48 win season just like they had last year. The Clippers are on pace for 55 wins - so let's just forget about them coming back and getting anything better than 8th at this point barring one of the top 7 teams having a similar injury problem.
IF they make the playoffs they are going to have to play close to .700 ball to get there. It's possible. But the margin for error is basically gone. There's going to be a number of schedule losses that will show up during the year regardless (think 3 in 4, 4 in 6, and 5 in 8 game stretches). That's before getting to having to play games against some of the stronger teams in the league as it is.
Westbrook coming back strong is less of a surprise than what we'll see out of Durant. Westbrook could for the most part remain sharp while he was out. Durant's conditioning, timing, etc. will be far more hit or miss when he comes back.
12-1 was probably the biggest pressing on the board. on the board. Next 10 games. @NO, @Phil, @Det, Mil, Cle, @Min, Pho, @Sac, @GS, @LAL. The only back to back in the Laker game. They will win at least 7 of those. Why would there be more 3 of 4, 5 of 8 losing streaks? I'm sure those were really common the past few years when they were winning 55-60 games.
Injuries were killing this team early. Reggie Jackson, Lamb, and Morrow all missed the first few games as well and needed a few to get back. Perry Jones and Robertson got injured as well. This is maybe the best team in the league healthy. Durant may not be his typically self, but of course he's going to be good.
I watch an hour or so of NBA every night. The Clippers aren't good. Phoenix sucks and isn't as good as last year. An implosion could happen. The three guards are bickering to management and it's not working out (inside info). If OKC hasn't already gotten the 8 seed by the All Star break, it's happening by March. They will be .500 by early January. The pressing is you thinking it's not going to happen.
I called you on your BS of saying that the Bastard Sonics will have a playoff spot wrapped up by mid-season ... which is in the next 20-25 games. Even if another team implodes, 5 games is a lot to make up in such a short time period. That's extreme pressing ... at least you are now having the sense to back away from your original comment and saying that it will be by March (so you're basically targeting games 70-75).
Not surprised about the inside info ... there was a strange silence around teams going after Bledsoe in the offseason. I've gotten a sense over time that he's a guy that tends to think that he's better than he really is. The Suns have a lot of future assets to their name. It wouldn't shock me if they tried to shake some things up if there is enough internal bickering as Dragic to me is definitely a keeper for them and they made a commitment to IT (who probably is driving a good amount of the conflict in his own right).
You can say what you want about the Clips but they are on pace to win 55 games and won on the road tonight in Houston by 25 points. They may be underachieving a bit (and that's another team where I wouldn't be surprised to see a bit of a shakeup), but barring a major injury to either CP3 or Blake, they aren't going to fall back behind OKC in the standings.
I've said all along that I've thought that the over/under on wins needed to make the playoffs in the West this year will be 50 games. I'm not 100% convinced that OKC will get back to that point given the uphill battle they are facing. It's possible. I'd put the odds at probably in the 60-65% range that they won't get to 50 wins ... although I wouldn't be shocked if they did ... it will be close. Their odds of making the playoffs would be greatly enhanced by having a team fall back to the pack than going on a run to 50+ wins.
I think both Sacramento and New Orleans are a year away, but I also see both of them having .500 caliber seasons with an outside chance of getting up to 45 wins. The part that I think will make it harder on OKC is that there are really only 3 pushovers in the West this year ... which makes the easy wins that much more difficult.
Not changing the story at all. The All Star break is midseason. We can quibble over it all day. Barring another lengthy injury to Westbrook or Durant, the Thunder are making the playoffs. Take all the screen shots you need.
Comments
I like watching them - but I've never been a Clipper fan or anything more than an observer of them. Same concept that I have with Golden State - who has grown up and learned to play some defense which makes them a legit contender in the West.
It's Golden State right now that looks like they are the biggest threat to San Antonio.
http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11934264/kevin-durant-russell-westbrook-return-oklahoma-city-thunder-practice
They have made the conference finals 3 of the past 4 years and Westbrook was out the year they didn't make it. I hate the Thunder, but you guys are talking nonsense.
These are two of the top 5-10 players in the league on a team that has been together for awhile. They are going to be good like they always are.
Agree about the West, but the Kings are not making it. Cousins is a monster though.
Clippers have immense talent, but Griffin is too passive and would benefit from an over the top rim attacker like westbrook.
I agree individually they are top ten players, but KD needs to be 1 and he's not and that's what holds them back.
Back to the point, i just don't think they are going to hop back in the mix after so much time off and dominate a tough conference full of teams in mid-season form. That transition is going to be the difference that prevents them from making it.
They just beat the fucking Knicks. At home. They win this without Westbrook. He did look good though, i'll give you that.
To get the 8 seed, they have to beat Phoenix, Sacramento, and New Orleans. I wouldn't be surprised if they passed the Clippers (really overrated) at #7 either.
@RoadDawg55 is slipping a bit
They are 5 games behind a playoff spot right now. Phoenix is in 8th place and on pace for a 48 win season just like they had last year. The Clippers are on pace for 55 wins - so let's just forget about them coming back and getting anything better than 8th at this point barring one of the top 7 teams having a similar injury problem.
IF they make the playoffs they are going to have to play close to .700 ball to get there. It's possible. But the margin for error is basically gone. There's going to be a number of schedule losses that will show up during the year regardless (think 3 in 4, 4 in 6, and 5 in 8 game stretches). That's before getting to having to play games against some of the stronger teams in the league as it is.
Westbrook coming back strong is less of a surprise than what we'll see out of Durant. Westbrook could for the most part remain sharp while he was out. Durant's conditioning, timing, etc. will be far more hit or miss when he comes back.
Injuries were killing this team early. Reggie Jackson, Lamb, and Morrow all missed the first few games as well and needed a few to get back. Perry Jones and Robertson got injured as well. This is maybe the best team in the league healthy. Durant may not be his typically self, but of course he's going to be good.
I watch an hour or so of NBA every night. The Clippers aren't good. Phoenix sucks and isn't as good as last year. An implosion could happen. The three guards are bickering to management and it's not working out (inside info). If OKC hasn't already gotten the 8 seed by the All Star break, it's happening by March. They will be .500 by early January. The pressing is you thinking it's not going to happen.
I called you on your BS of saying that the Bastard Sonics will have a playoff spot wrapped up by mid-season ... which is in the next 20-25 games. Even if another team implodes, 5 games is a lot to make up in such a short time period. That's extreme pressing ... at least you are now having the sense to back away from your original comment and saying that it will be by March (so you're basically targeting games 70-75).
Not surprised about the inside info ... there was a strange silence around teams going after Bledsoe in the offseason. I've gotten a sense over time that he's a guy that tends to think that he's better than he really is. The Suns have a lot of future assets to their name. It wouldn't shock me if they tried to shake some things up if there is enough internal bickering as Dragic to me is definitely a keeper for them and they made a commitment to IT (who probably is driving a good amount of the conflict in his own right).
You can say what you want about the Clips but they are on pace to win 55 games and won on the road tonight in Houston by 25 points. They may be underachieving a bit (and that's another team where I wouldn't be surprised to see a bit of a shakeup), but barring a major injury to either CP3 or Blake, they aren't going to fall back behind OKC in the standings.
I've said all along that I've thought that the over/under on wins needed to make the playoffs in the West this year will be 50 games. I'm not 100% convinced that OKC will get back to that point given the uphill battle they are facing. It's possible. I'd put the odds at probably in the 60-65% range that they won't get to 50 wins ... although I wouldn't be shocked if they did ... it will be close. Their odds of making the playoffs would be greatly enhanced by having a team fall back to the pack than going on a run to 50+ wins.
I think both Sacramento and New Orleans are a year away, but I also see both of them having .500 caliber seasons with an outside chance of getting up to 45 wins. The part that I think will make it harder on OKC is that there are really only 3 pushovers in the West this year ... which makes the easy wins that much more difficult.