How do you lose to the Thunder without Durant or Westbrook while you're healthy?

[Rondo9]

A team can't be good defensively in this era without elite big man defense.

Pau Gasol was a decent big, but I certainly wouldn't call him an elite defender. The problem is not that we lack elite interior defense, the problem is that what we have grades out as quite pathetic. Upgrade to average, and we'll look considerably better.

Still, that doesn't change the fact that Bradley is a one-trick pony on defense, and his  trick wasn't all that good to begin with.

I think he meant March Gasol who was defensive player of the year and Bradley is a very good defender, and could be elite with a rim protector behind him.

And I meant the Lakers and their recent run of multiple championships. Although for what it's worth, Tony Allen looked pretty good with the revolving door of mediocre defensive bigs the Celtics had before Garnett.

Lakers also had Bynum and those two were hard to get by due to their size and length. I don't Tony Allen was recognized as an elite defender until his run in Memphis.

[Mr October]

A team can't be good defensively in this era without elite big man defense.

Pau Gasol was a decent big, but I certainly wouldn't call him an elite defender. The problem is not that we lack elite interior defense, the problem is that what we have grades out as quite pathetic. Upgrade to average, and we'll look considerably better.

Still, that doesn't change the fact that Bradley is a one-trick pony on defense, and his  trick wasn't all that good to begin with.

I think he meant March Gasol who was defensive player of the year and Bradley is a very good defender, and could be elite with a rim protector behind him.

And I meant the Lakers and their recent run of multiple championships. Although for what it's worth, Tony Allen looked pretty good with the revolving door of mediocre defensive bigs the Celtics had before Garnett.

Lakers also had Bynum and those two were hard to get by due to their size and length. I don't Tony Allen was regonized as a elite defender until his run in Memphis.

That Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum wall (with Odom subbing in) was extremely long and difficult to deal with. A nice combination that was greater than the individual parts. It's a team game. Special combinations or exceptions can happen.

Anyway the topic shifted off of the main point which is that guards look better defensively when they have elite defensive big men behind them.

Bradley's ball pressure isn't going to be as wonderful when Bass, Sully or Olynyk are patrolling the paint in place of KG.

[kozlodoev]

Bradley's ball pressure isn't going to be as wonderful when Bass, Sully or Olynyk are patrolling the paint in place of KG.

I don't know. Tony Allen looked mighty fine patrolling the perimeter in front of Mark Blount and  Raef LaFrentz.

[pokeKingCurtis]

Sorry to add insult to injury.

But Perry Jones III wasn't playing either.

While I feel we lost this one ourselves, I must say that this OKC is ridiculously deep. Jackson, Ibaka, Morrow and Steven Adams, among others, could possibly make a fringe playoff contender in the East.

I'm under the impression that the problem is that Jeremy Lamb sucks right now, masking OKC's potency. They're surviving a very tough schedule and OKC fans have a lot to be happy about.

And, I'm still feeling good about my Celtics. Sitting at 3-4 after one of the toughest schedules with close losses, and great offensive ratings and other stats to boot, the Celtics are currently well on track to disproving many.