Last night the San Antonio Spurs took down the Oklahoma City Thunder 112-77 to take a 2-0 series lead. We all the Spurs are pretty much a juggernaut on both ends of the floor but this is the Western Conference Finals and they beat their opponent by 35 points. We all understand that the Spurs are good but this has to do more so with the Thunder than ever right now.
Playing in the Western Conference means something, that’s the conference where every match up is going to be a fight to the death. The Thunder came back from being 3-2 to a very tough Memphis Grizzlies team to win the series. That one could of went either way but in the end OKC willed their way to the win (pretty much in game 6). Next the Thunder faced an equally tough Los Angeles Clippers team. Faulty play and controversial calls have to be taken into consideration but in the end the Thunder managed to pull out that victory as well and win the series 4-2.
Serge Ibaka played in both those series and I will admit he plays a big role on the defensive end for the Thunder. The problem with OKC though is something that they dealt with Ibaka on the floor and that’s offense. The MVP Kevin Durant and his partner in crime Russell Westbrook are the only options for the Thunder on offense. When it comes to scoring the ball the Thunder are very predictable because the ball be in either one of the superstars hands. Ibaka was averaging 12 points in the post season but realistically I’m wondering where those points came from because I swear they don’t give him the ball.
At times its hard to blame KD and Russ as a lot of their teammates simply are not threats on the offensive ends. Penetrating the lane and kicking it out to Thabo Sefolosa should damn bear be considered a turnover. Driving in and flipping it in to Kendrick Perkins near the basket is just as bad as he usually is too slow to go up before the defense gets there and won’t convert the garbage bucket. Caron Butler and Derek Fisher are old, straight like that. Reggie Jackson is the only other guy that has the ball in his hands but to be honest he’s really not good enough, yet. Come to think of it Ibaka really is the only one that can finish off a KD or Russ play nowadays.
Defensively the Thunder need to get aggressive and play desperate. Their down 2-0 and it could be 3-0 very soon if they keep giving up points the way they are. On the offensive end this team is a mess right now. KD and Russ can’t carry the team alone, especially against the Spurs. They don’t need a third guy to step up they need the whole team to step up. The Thunder are a title contender but right now don’t look like it. It’s sad to see an injury hurt their chance again but that seems to be the reality of the situation. I think its time this off-season the Thunder retool the players around KD and Russ and get them some reliable help.
Everick Davis Jr.
Was good though, it's me Everick Davis Jr. Born and raised in Portsmouth Virginia, I'm currently a senior at the University of North Carolina Greensboro. I watch every sport (not so much golf) but I am huge on the NBA. My favorite players right now are J.R. Smith, Russell Westbrook & Nick Young. Drinking beer and watching sports is my favorite past time and I do it year round! I used to play basketball on the regular until everyone else kept growing and I still stood at 5'6. So that's when I channeled my efforts into becoming the next Stephen A Smith or anything close to that. I currently write for "The Carolinian" newspaper in Greensboro, NC and intern for http://theurbantwist.com/ Random Fact about me, I love anime, my favorite one is One Piece! Second random fact, I got beatz! check me out http://www.reverbnation.com/ielabs
