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

[Waew]

Danny ainge gave Reggie Jackson a draft promise. Thunder snatched him so we ended up with jajuan

[Endless Paradise]

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?

They're both offensive talents, I don't think it's particularly ridiculous that they were able to win a game against a bad Celtics team.

[Donoghus]

Young Celtics team that can be very hit or miss at times.   They developed some bad habits on both ends of the floor, especially in the second half.   Settling for bad shots and poor defensive rotations. 

This is what happens with young teams.  It's a roller coaster.  They're trying to find themselves & there are a ton of growing pains.  The lack of a go-to scorer doesn't help, either.  At times, they're going to be a blast to watch.  Other times, its going to look like they're setting the game of basketball back fifty years. 

[kozlodoev]

They're both offensive talents, I don't think it's particularly ridiculous that they were able to win a game against a bad Celtics team.

They have both averaged 15 pp36 for their careers. That's pretty much letting two Jeff Greens beat you -- make of it what you will.

[D.o.s.]

They're both offensive talents, I don't think it's particularly ridiculous that they were able to win a game against a bad Celtics team.

They have both averaged 15 pp36 for their careers. That's pretty much letting two Jeff Greens beat you -- make of it what you will.

That would mean they have twice the JGQ (Jeff Green Quotient) that we do, though.

[Rondo9]

They're both offensive talents, I don't think it's particularly ridiculous that they were able to win a game against a bad Celtics team.

They have both averaged 15 pp36 for their careers. That's pretty much letting two Jeff Greens beat you -- make of it what you will.

Morrow is a shooter and shooters get hot, and Reggie Jackson is no slouch as well.

[hpantazo]

I thought Bradley was supposed to refocus himself on defense this year. Where is it? His defense hasn't been anywhere near elite for over a year now. How do we get killed by two perimeter players when our 'elite' defender is a perimeter defender?

[Rondo9]

I thought Bradley was supposed to refocus himself on defense this year. Where is it? His defense hasn't been anywhere near elite for over a year now. How do we get killed by two perimeter players when our 'elite' defender is a perimeter defender?

Is it ALL Bradley's fault?

[Endless Paradise]

They're both offensive talents, I don't think it's particularly ridiculous that they were able to win a game against a bad Celtics team.

They have both averaged 15 pp36 for their careers. That's pretty much letting two Jeff Greens beat you -- make of it what you will.

I will - I'll make nothing of it since any role playing scorer can get hot at any given time and beat a team, particularly a bad one.  The Knicks made it fashionable last year; see: FARTDOG.

[kozlodoev]

I thought Bradley was supposed to refocus himself on defense this year. Where is it? His defense hasn't been anywhere near elite for over a year now. How do we get killed by two perimeter players when our 'elite' defender is a perimeter defender?

While I share your observation on Bradley's defense, in this particular case the inability of our bigs to rotate to close off driving lanes didn't do us any favors.

[Mr October]

I thought Bradley was supposed to refocus himself on defense this year. Where is it? His defense hasn't been anywhere near elite for over a year now. How do we get killed by two perimeter players when our 'elite' defender is a perimeter defender?

While I share your observation on Bradley's defense, in this particular case the inability of our bigs to rotate to close off driving lanes didn't do us any favors.

Adding on... In the no hand check era, what defensive guard has had elite success without a defensive big man patroling the paint?

Bradley looked a lot better with KG around. A guy like Bruce Bowen looked fantastic when he played with Tim Duncan. Tony Allen has benefited from KG and Gasol. and so on.

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

When we get that big man, guys like Bradley and Smart are going to be all defense regulars.

[kozlodoev]

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.

[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 Marc 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.

[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.

Yep. Tony Allen never played with Pau.

[kozlodoev]

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.