2014 NBA Playoffs Thread

[BwareDWare94]

My money's on Westbrook, Thabo, Butler, KD, Perk
 
I'd rather see Westbrook, Reggie, Thabo, KD, Perk, though.

 

[Mexi]

Jones started this year in ibaka's only missed game, but played 15 minutes as opposed to 30 mins for collison

But yeah, no idea who will start
Could be jones, reggie, caron or collison

 

[BwareDWare94]

Yeah, but Scott has wrongly kept Lamb and Jones on the bench all damn playoffs. I don't expect that to change.

 

[jonathanlambert33]

What has Perry Jones done to deserve time in the playoffs?

 

[Mexi]

Its either jones or caron starting imo

Brooks likes to keep reserves in their role
Hes started jones and roberson in the past to keep lamb and collison in their bench roles

 

[bosoxlover12]

It's gonna be PJ3

 

[Mexi]

San antonio is going to destroy the boards

If they just make their 3s it could be a sweep

 

[CameronCrazy06]

What has Perry Jones done to deserve time in the playoffs?

It's not like Scott is going to play him a lot, but I think he starts. Plays 10 or less MPG though

 

[jonathanlambert33]

It's not like Scott is going to play him a lot, but I think he starts. Plays 10 or less MPG though

Oh I agree. I just don't think we should be walking around acting like Jeremy Lamb and Perry Jones have earned or deserve playoff minutes.

 

[elcheato]

The same could be said for Perkins, Fisher & Butler, but here they are, getting playoff minutes.

 

[CameronCrazy06]

Caron Butler has played decently half the time at least

 

[BwareDWare94]

Oh I agree. I just don't think we should be walking around acting like Jeremy Lamb and Perry Jones have earned or deserve playoff minutes.

 
But they have. They were productive bench players in the regular season, better bench players than Fisher and Butler. How exactly do they not deserve to get some playoff minutes?
 
It makes no sense to shorten your rotation unless you've got guys who were just giving breathers, when necessary. If they can play in the regular season, they can play in the post season. 

 

[CameronCrazy06]

Butler is a better option than Lamb

 

[Pugz]

okc sadly wasn't winning a championship anyways.

 

[RipCity32]

H3at.

 

[jonathanlambert33]

But they have. They were productive bench players in the regular season, better bench players than Fisher and Butler. How exactly do they not deserve to get some playoff minutes?
 
It makes no sense to shorten your rotation unless you've got guys who were just giving breathers, when necessary. If they can play in the regular season, they can play in the post season.

I'm really unsure how much truth there is in this post.

For starters, Perry Jones averaged 3.3 points per game coming off the bench. I'm not sure how productive I would call that. He played most of his minutes at the four but he also saw a good amount of minutes at the five in a perimeter oriented lineup. He rebounded at 8.4%, there isn't a word to describe how bad that is for a big. 12% is considered bad for a big, to put that in perspective. Nearly 60% of the lineups the Thunder put Perry Jones into this season came out below the Thunders average rebound rate. Which brings him to another problem?=, who does he guard? Early in the season they tried to hide him on the perimeter against stretch big types, but that did not work well because he dropped the ball continuously by making the wrong defensive play. Helping to far down in the post, overhelping for no reason, missing on rotations, couldn't recover after hedging on pick and rolls. I mean I could keep going as this is just defensively. But this was in the regular season, so it makes sense not to have him play in the playoffs.

In the case of Jeremy Lamb, if you were to argue Scotty Brooks fazed him out to quickly after the arrival of Caron Butler, then you may have something. But what was he really bringing to the Thunder before? You won't isolate either player and you don't want either to run the PnR for you. But if you remember this post from the other day regarding the Rockets (http://www.sportzin.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=87574#entry4946059), I talked about how smart it is to use the post as an avenue to do more than score out of the post. The specific example I brought up was passing out of the post, and how you can use the post to open up shooters, have precise ball movement, and so on. Well if you have a wing player that you can post up, that's an excellent asset. 78 games for Jeremy Lamb, and they've posted him up 3 times. 23 games for Caron Butler and they've posted him up 35 times. Then you have running your wings off screens, which is obviously something you need to be able to do. Lamb shot sub 40% off of screens and turned the ball over on 9% of those possessions. Butler? 57% shooting off screens and not a single turnover while doing so. Then lastly, and probably the most important thing, being able to spot up on the perimeter and knock down the open shots that Durant and Westbrook give you. Jeremy Lamb is a 38% spot up shooter from three, while Caron Butler is shooting 41% in spot up situations. So you're playing in the post, running off screens, and spotting up which in the long run probably means you're giving Durant and Westbrook more chances to lead, which is what happens. Then defensively you aren't losing anything because neither are good defenders.

 

[BwareDWare94]

Butler is a better option than Lamb

 
No he isn't. He's not a consistent shooter anymore, and they need somebody off the bench.

 

[CameronCrazy06]

That's why Caron Butler shot a fairly significant amount better from three this year, right?
 
Butler: 39.4% (44.1% with OKC)
Lamb: 35.6%

 

[Mexi]

https://twitter.com/dimemag/status/467735993915699200

Derrick Rose? Or Rio?

 

[RipCity32]

Rose lol