Official Thread (2016 Western Conf. Finals): Warriors vs. Thunder

[Rip67vdub]

Originally Posted by jrosales

As a Spurs fan, I hope the Thunder stomp a hole in the Warriors

Still salty we broke your home streak perhaps?

[tennelson55]

Originally Posted by carl2001

Why do teams have trouble with this lineup? Not familiar with the specifics of basketball.

That lineup vs Durant, westbrick, waiters, ibaka and kanter wouldn't work well enough IMO.

[JustinVerlander07]

Originally Posted by tennelson55

That lineup vs Durant, westbrick, waiters, ibaka and kanter wouldn't work well enough IMO.

Worked just fine in the regular season.

[blackbears86]

The key in this series is the three point shooting of the dubs. The Spurs did not have a bonafide threat from 3 point land and it killed them in the end against the Thunder. (Green/Kawhi/Parker, etc didn't cut it) Then they got outrebounded by the thunder bigs.


The Warriors will spread things out and try to neutralize the Thunder big men advantage and bomb away from 3 point range.

I just don't see the Thunder winning four games in this series. Even if Westbrook/KD go off.

[carl2001]

Originally Posted by tupark82

Because it is the most versatile lineup ever. Aside from Curry, you have everyone who is about 6'7" (see JustinVerlander's response on who), can pass, defend, rebound, shoot, switch, run the break, you name it. It causes complete chaos on both ends of the floor and there is no team that can replicate/match it because of its personnel.

If you have a big dude, you're in trouble because no big dude is going to keep up with Green at C. Green gets that rebound and he is OUT. Conversely, he will still abuse you if you put some small dude on him. Green can rebound over most centers so imagine putting some guy his size on him. You got a big dude clogging the lane trying to play that defense? Green stretches him out. Same with HB. It makes having big guys running against them useless unless they can absolutely punish Warriors down low, and not too many are capable of that. You adjust or you're screwed. But you adjust and you're still screwed.

If you have a guard who likes to attack, you're in trouble because everyone in the death lineup is versatile, long and exceptional defensively with the will to help while still recovering everywhere. That is why that lineup is a big problem for a guy like Westbrook, who is a big PG but pretty small against just about everyone in death lineup. Even if Curry stays on RW, RW will have to try to go through SC knowing there will be some nasty help behind him. The thing about RW is that he will just go anyway. That's why he shot 34% against them in regular season and they didn't even run the death lineup all that much against OKC.

Again, I don't think Kerr will consistently go to it in WCF unless the Thunder are clearly outplaying the Warriors in some way. He usually likes to finish with that lineup & that's about it. The only time he went all out with it was during the Finals last year. Forced Mozgov out of the game, LeBron shot under 40% and the rest is history.

Thanks. This is a good explaination of the warriors small lineup. I see the main points of this are versatility and draymond green as the anchor at center. Now I realize why the warriors are sometimes outrebounded by other teams. Now if OKC dominates the boards how will this affect the warriors? If OKC play a combination of Kanter and Adams or Ibaka will their size bother the warriors? Also what about the health of draymond green and curry? These 2 are thr most important anchors of the death lineup. If Barnes go off (he has not really been much of a factor lately) the warriors will definitely a better team.

[tupark82]

Originally Posted by carl2001

Thanks. This is a good explaination of the warriors small lineup. I see the main points of this are versatility and draymond green as the anchor at center. Now I realize why the warriors are sometimes outrebounded by other teams. Now if OKC dominates the boards how will this affect the warriors? If OKC play a combination of Kanter and Adams or Ibaka will their size bother the warriors? Also what about the health of draymond green and curry? These 2 are thr most important anchors of the death lineup. If Barnes go off (he has not really been much of a factor lately) the warriors will definitely a better team.

Yes. Without Green anchoring at C, none of this works defensively. They actually do not get outrebounded when it's deathlineup (DL) vs. They have versatile rebounders and again, Green rarely loses the rebounding battle against anyone and everyone attacks the boards all the way down to Curry (this is the 2nd straight year where Curry got a highlight rebound over a towering center - 1 vs Howard last year and 1 vs Plumlee this year). OKC could potentially take control over boards when Warriors play traditional lineups. I don't believe it happens when they're running their DL. Kanter and Adams worked vs Spurs. That's not gonna work against the Warriors in the long run on both ends.

As for health, no one has any control over it so I'd prefer to leave that alone. Any team missing a significant player will lose something, obviously.

[Mongol]

Anyone else remember KD lighting up the Warriors at GS
The night he got injured? I think he had 30 before the half.
This is gonna be awesome.

[hofcollector2]

The first team that finds a way to make curry work all game at defense will be the first team to beat them. The warriors are great at hiding curry within the defense and someone needs to crack that. Hopefully the thunder coaches are smart enough.

[blackbears86]

Originally Posted by hofcollector2

The first team that finds a way to make curry work all game at defense will be the first team to beat them. The warriors are great at hiding curry within the defense and someone needs to crack that. Hopefully the thunder coaches are smart enough.

That's a tall order---no one has done it for the last two years. He is actually a good defender.

[hofcollector2]

Originally Posted by blackbears86

That's a tall order---no one has done it for the last two years. He is actually a good defender.

He's a good team defender, not a good 1 on 1 defender, that's why they hide him within the defense. He doesn't guard Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Damian lillard, ect ec, because he can't and if he did he would not have the energy to shoot like he does. They have a great system to allows curry not to have to guard those guys. There will be a day and time when he will have to and he will be exposed. The whole team is set up well and will be hard to beat until someone gets curry to guard them. Sure he will have the occasional steal but his legs will not be there in the end if the game gets tight. I think this series will be tight in every game.

[trixstar]

Curry in warm ups...5-5 from the logo

https://twitter.com/erikmal/status/7...432320/video/1

[Rmeyers]

OKC wins tonight, and takes the series in 6.

[Hegotgame15]

Why doesn't Westbrook and Durant play pick and roll together a lot more?

They are insanely good when they spread the floor to go at the basket, playing pick and roll with 2 players that can finish is hard to stop!

What am I missing?

[IronMonkey415]

Vicious attack by Bogut.

[bulljh]

Originally Posted by IronMonkey415

Vicious attack by Bogut.

Oh so vicious lol

[tennelson55]

westbrick was in such pain (Boguts supposed flagrant foul) that he was able to stop himself from falling and going face first into the floor... that wasn't a flagrant as bogut is just trying to go for the ball. westbrick sold that better than a curry 3 ball

[bigcwd2000]

It's unbelievable what is called a flagrant foul in the NBA today.

[Vipertron]

Way too many TOs by OKC.

[JMarchand1981]

Okc needs to keep it within striking distance after 42 minutes and then go for gusto.

[bulljh]

Cmon Green, hit you free throws!

[drobfan8]

There is some incredible talent in this series. Wow.

The blocks and plays being made. Awesome

[fullmetal]

Originally Posted by hofcollector2

He's a good team defender, not a good 1 on 1 defender, that's why they hide him within the defense. He doesn't guard Russell Westbrook, Chris Paul, Damian lillard, ect ec, because he can't and if he did he would not have the energy to shoot like he does. They have a great system to allows curry not to have to guard those guys. There will be a day and time when he will have to and he will be exposed. The whole team is set up well and will be hard to beat until someone gets curry to guard them. Sure he will have the occasional steal but his legs will not be there in the end if the game gets tight. I think this series will be tight in every game.

Quality assessment. After reading your post I've been watching Curry exclusively on defense. He simply stands near the sideline. He rarely sticks a hand out as a secondary defender and tries to sneak in for rebounds. He has not been in a ball defense position at all in the first.

[trixstar]

Westbrick showed up

[eastbayak]

klayyyyyyyyyy

[bulljh]

Death line up baby!!!!