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

[BballTim]

Don't want to repeat it but if you let Rondo dominate the ball he will drag down whole our team
the motion offense just disappear thus the defense effort
at the end you will find Rondo get's tons of trible-doubles and all others is scrubs/role players

Did you watch the game? Just asking.

  I don't think anyone who's been going on about Rondo dominating the ball killing our motion offense watches the game overly closely, or anyone who talks about how much better our ball movement is without him.

[Spilling Green Dye]

This game was very frustrating in so many ways. We should have beaten the Thunder.  As others have highlighted, the Thunder bench played with a lot of energy and made a lot of shots, which was the biggest difference in this game.

The Celtics offense is maddening to watch, and it dawned on my last night that they remind me of a college style offense.  The ball swings around the perimeter constantly with hardly any post up or meaningful penetration, only to conclude with a long three pointer that clangs off the rim.  Without one person who can draw a double team we have no-one open.

I don't quite get all of the recent love for Kelly Olynyk either.  Defensively he is about as bad as any big-man I've ever seen, especially on team defense.  He can't post up effectively on offense, and is rarely fast enough to beat his man off the dribble.  His shooting is good, which would be useful on a team that could consistently draw double teams and get guys open.

I actually like the Rondo & Bradley combo, and am hopeful for Smart.  Sullinger is a decent 8th man on a good team.  I hope we quickly replace everyone else though... they're really bad.  I will say though, Rondo has been playing really good basketball!   

[Celtics4ever]

Joey did have some bad calls. 
 
I thought only Rondo showed up to play and KO.   Sully played well at some points and nice rebounds but his shot selection was terrible and who was he was passing too when the threw it out of bounds 2-3 times.

Their zone killed us and when they went big with Perk and Adams it hurt us.  Collison drove around KO at will.

[gpap]

Yeah, this was a pretty embarrasing loss.

Jackson and Morrow looked like they were possessed by Durant and Westbrook.

One major problem is apparent right now.

We do not have any go to scorers.

Every one of our players is very streaky, offensively.

The really isn't any one guy to place blame on the team. It's just the makeup of the roster.

With the Thunder, even without their top two guys, have players that knock down shots.

Btw, Reggie Jackson is certainly upping his value for next season.

[slamtheking]

Don't want to repeat it but if you let Rondo dominate the ball he will drag down whole our team
the motion offense just disappear thus the defense effort
at the end you will find Rondo get's tons of trible-doubles and all others is scrubs/role players

Did you watch the game? Just asking.

  I don't think anyone who's been going on about Rondo dominating the ball killing our motion offense watches the game overly closely, or anyone who talks about how much better our ball movement is without him.

this.  there's about 5 people that post their constant Rondo bashing and 2 of them posted in this thread.

just to give them the benefit of the doubt to see if their comments had any validity, I've been paying more attention to Rondo's ballhandling/passing to see if he's really stalling the offense and I was just missing/overlooking it.  Watched the games this season and I'm just not seeing it.  Rondo passes to the guys ahead of him on breaks, he swings the ball around the perimeter as part of the offense but more importantly, he's also the only one that drives to the hoop looking to make a play and is by far the best player on the team when it comes to passing to someone open for a good shot--particularly close to the basket.

[zimbo]

Don't want to repeat it but if you let Rondo dominate the ball he will drag down whole our team
the motion offense just disappear thus the defense effort
at the end you will find Rondo get's tons of trible-doubles and all others is scrubs/role players

Did you watch the game? Just asking.

  I don't think anyone who's been going on about Rondo dominating the ball killing our motion offense watches the game overly closely, or anyone who talks about how much better our ball movement is without him.

My thoughts exactly.

[slamtheking]

Yeah, this was a pretty embarrasing loss.

Jackson and Morrow looked like they were possessed by Durant and Westbrook.

One major problem is apparent right now.

We do not have any go to scorers.

Every one of our players is very streaky, offensively.

The really isn't any one guy to place blame on the team. It's just the makeup of the roster.

With the Thunder, even without their top two guys, have players that knock down shots.

Btw, Reggie Jackson is certainly upping his value for next season.

tbh, this was readily apparent before training camp

[pearljammer10]

I only saw the final score, but how does it happen?

Not the first time we've lost to the Thunder without Durant and Westbrook.

And the excessive Rondo bashing is so annoying. If you think Rondo is the problem with this team, and specifically with the lost last night, then it is hard for me to take your assessments on the game of basketball seriously.

[manl_lui]

I only saw the final score, but how does it happen?

Not the first time we've lost to the Thunder without Durant and Westbrook.

And the excessive Rondo bashing is so annoying. If you think Rondo is the problem with this team, and specifically with the lost last night, then it is hard for me to take your assessments on the game of basketball seriously.

THIS^ * 1000. If you watch the game, you know it is NOT Rondo that caused our downfall. And yes we lost to a Durant and Westbrook-less team but give that team some credit [dang] it. Their 2-3 zone disrupted our game and definitely prevented us from driving to the basket. Reggie Jackson was playing out of his mind. Give that team some credit. Ibaka was kind of quiet but other players are solid

[gpap]

Yeah, this was a pretty embarrasing loss.

Jackson and Morrow looked like they were possessed by Durant and Westbrook.

One major problem is apparent right now.

We do not have any go to scorers.

Every one of our players is very streaky, offensively.

The really isn't any one guy to place blame on the team. It's just the makeup of the roster.

With the Thunder, even without their top two guys, have players that knock down shots.

Btw, Reggie Jackson is certainly upping his value for next season.

tbh, this was readily apparent before training camp

I know, but it's still an issue.

A glaring hole in the roster which should've been addressed

[pearljammer10]

Yeah, this was a pretty embarrasing loss.

Jackson and Morrow looked like they were possessed by Durant and Westbrook.

One major problem is apparent right now.

We do not have any go to scorers.

Every one of our players is very streaky, offensively.

The really isn't any one guy to place blame on the team. It's just the makeup of the roster.

With the Thunder, even without their top two guys, have players that knock down shots.

Btw, Reggie Jackson is certainly upping his value for next season.

tbh, this was readily apparent before training camp

I know, but it's still an issue.

A glaring hole in the roster which should've been addressed

Not only is everyone on our team very streaky but it definitely effects the group as a whole. It seems as if one player is on, everyone is on, but as soon as one player starts going streaky, the whole team goes streaky as well. This then ties into the fact that there is no "go to scorer" that can take over and get our momentum back on track.

[gpap]

Yeah, this was a pretty embarrasing loss.

Jackson and Morrow looked like they were possessed by Durant and Westbrook.

One major problem is apparent right now.

We do not have any go to scorers.

Every one of our players is very streaky, offensively.

The really isn't any one guy to place blame on the team. It's just the makeup of the roster.

With the Thunder, even without their top two guys, have players that knock down shots.

Btw, Reggie Jackson is certainly upping his value for next season.

tbh, this was readily apparent before training camp

I know, but it's still an issue.

A glaring hole in the roster which should've been addressed

Not only is everyone on our team very streaky but it definitely effects the group as a whole. It seems as if one player is on, everyone is on, but as soon as one player starts going streaky, the whole team goes streaky as well. This then ties into the fact that there is no "go to scorer" that can take over and get our momentum back on track.

Exactly.

And I think every team needs a knock down shooter on their team, where no matter how stagnant the offense is, that one player can help keep the team in the game. Ray Allen was good at that during the height of the new big 3 era (well, except for the 2010 finals.)

[LooseCannon]

And I think every team needs a knock down shooter on their team, where no matter how stagnant the offense is, that one player can help keep the team in the game. Ray Allen was good at that during the height of the new big 3 era (well, except for the 2010 finals.)

Teams need a guy who you still want taking an open three late in the fourth quarter of a close game when he's been 0-5 or 1-7 so far.

[JBcat]

I didn't every post so forgive me is this has already been said.

A few things.

1) The loss of Thornton and Smart can't be understated in a game like this.  Our bench hardly did anything and that has been a strength for us this year.  The replacements Wallace and Pressey did nothing in this game. 

2) We really weren't prepared for the zone.  I'm sure Stevens will work on it.

3) I'm not worried about Bradley's off night.  Overall this season he has been shooting at a good clip.

4) Sometimes it's just the other team's night.  Jackson has been playing like that all season, and Morrow is capable of going off. 


With all these reasons I just move on, and not too concerned.

[kozlodoev]

OKC have a pretty decent team even without Durant and Westbrook.

Their supporting cast is highly under-rated. Still a top defensive team + rebounding even without those two stars. Reggie Jackson has been great for them.

This.  They're been impressively scrappy and competitive this season.

Regardless, no respectable team has any business losing a game to Anthony Morrow and Reggie Jackson.

Why can't a team lose a game to two rotation guys for a good team?

You can lose a game to two rotation guys when you're too busy making sure Durant and/or Westbrook don't beat you. When you have made those guys look like Durant and Westbrook in their absence ... well, draw your own conclusions. But hey, they "ran some good stuff and made some shots", right?