Why isn't OKC going small vs the Grizzlies?

[russwest0]

OKC is far more talented than this team yet letting the Grizz dictate everything and play whatever style they want.

Heat fans clown on Spo but he wouldn't do that. OKC would be playing Westbrook/Reggie/PJ3/KD/Ibaka right now and forcing one of Randolph/Gasol to guard KD or sit on the bench.

I don't understand why Perkins is getting 30 minutes of play time. That is a pipe ****ing dream for the Grizzlies as it allows them to play the exact style they are comfortable playing.

Can someone explain this to me?

[JohnFreeman]

Not sure. I would make it small to pull Gasol away from the paint.

[KDthunderup]

You actually think Brooks would put out a lineup which could potentially blow Memphis off the park?

[Angel Face]

Scott Brooks is stubborn. OKC plays well against MEM when they go small. Perkins is getting destroyed by Randolph and Gasol and he is useless most of the game. Brooks should give Reggie Jackson and Steven Adams more playing time and he should let Jeremy Lamb play. That guy played well against Memphis during the regular season and is a reliable shooter.

[russwest0]

I just want an explanation man, I'm losing my damn mind trying to process the logic behind some of these choices. Perkins had the lowest +/- in the game for good reason.

Go small and make the Grizzlies run. Play your game. Randolph is owning Perkins regardless so why sacrifice the offense by not going small? Or better yet why sacrifice the rebounding and help defense by not playing Adams?

It's a double edged sword. Randolph owns Perkins on offense and doesn't even have to expend effort guarding him on defense.

It makes no sense to me. I just want an explanation man.

[Akrazotile]

OKC is far more talented than this team yet letting the Grizz dictate everything and play whatever style they want.

Heat fans clown on Spo but he wouldn't do that. OKC would be playing Westbrook/Reggie/PJ3/KD/Ibaka right now and forcing one of Randolph/Gasol to guard KD or sit on the bench.

I don't understand why Perkins is getting 30 minutes of play time. That is a pipe ****ing dream for the Grizzlies as it allows them to play the exact style they are comfortable playing.

Can someone explain this to me?

Durant would foul out in the first half trying to guard Zbo or Gasol.

[Angel Face]

You should send Scott Brooks a mail and tell him what needs to be done.

[imnew09]

Yea go small and get rape in the paint. :applause:

Memphis have the best front court in the league.

[bukowski81]

Durant would foul out in the first half trying to guard Zbo or Gasol.

While getting all banged up in the process

[russwest0]

Durant would foul out in the first half trying to guard Zbo or Gasol.

Not true, he guarded Gasol in games 3-5 in the playoffs last year, and, despite OKC losing those games Gasol was slowed down a ton compared to when he was going up against Perkins.

Neither Gasol nor ZBo draw many fouls.

And regardless you could put the 6'11 PJ3 on either of them if need be.

Absolutely zero reason to play Perkins 30 minutes a game vs the Grizzlies when you have far more perimeter talent than them and the ability to go small.

[russwest0]

Yea go small and get rape in the paint. :applause:

Memphis have the best front court in the league.

:facepalm You mean like they are right now with Randolph owning Perkins?

[Akrazotile]

Not true, he guarded Gasol in games 3-5 in the playoffs last year, and, despite OKC losing those games Gasol was slowed down a ton compared to when he was going up against Perkins.

Neither Gasol nor ZBo draw many fouls.

And regardless you could put the 6'11 PJ3 on either of them if need be.

Absolutely zero reason to play Perkins 30 minutes a game vs the Grizzlies when you have far more perimeter talent than them and the ability to go small.


I agree theres no reason to play Perkins any minutes except at the end when you need him to bail out a hero brick :lol Im not sure why Collison and Adams arent getting his minutes, Id be leery about playing Durant at the 4 for long stretches but maybe itd be better than Perk.

[J Shuttlesworth]

I'm confused... Perkins held Gasol to 6-15 tonight... and he also sent you guys to overtime. Do you realize how ham Gasol will end up going against a small ball line up?

[KDthunderup]

Yea go small and get rape in the paint. :applause:

Memphis have the best front court in the league.
Or force Randolph to guard KD and force him and Gasol out of the paint? They would get raped.

[KDthunderup]

I'm confused... Perkins held Gasol to 6-15 tonight... and he also sent you guys to overtime. Do you realize how ham Gasol will end up going against a small ball line up?
Have Ibaka play Gasol 1on1 and double team Randolph every time he gets the ball in the post. Done.

Do you realise how much Randolph and Gasol would struggle chasing around quick small players?

[russwest0]

I'm confused... Perkins held Gasol to 6-15 tonight... and he also sent you guys to overtime. Do you realize how ham Gasol will end up going against a small ball line up?

:wtf: Are you just box score scouting? Perkins almost never even guarded Gasol tonight. He almost exclusively guarded Randolph who played a great game.

You don't win playoff games playing players who only contribute on one end of the floor. Playing 30 minutes when guys leave you wide open on defense and don't have to work at all to defend you is stupid as hell. He got that putback score because he was wide open because they weren't guarding him.

[Milbuck]

Jackson-Westbrook-Sefolosha-Durant-Ibaka...how would that lineup do?

[J Shuttlesworth]

Have Ibaka play Gasol 1on1 and double team Randolph every time he gets the ball in the post. Done.

Do you realise how much Randolph and Gasol would struggle chasing around quick small players?
Well if you do that, you'll see more Mike Miller/Courrney Lee jumpers/3s. Still though, I don't think Randolph/Gasol just get shut down by OKC playing small ball. Memphis runs some good ass plays and catch you off guard. You could prevent some Randolph post ups, but they still have Miller/Lee/Conley to kick out too. Not sure if you really want to have OKC starters playing 40+ minutes of small ball fast break game with the whole playoffs ahead of you. I felt like they played Perkins much less in game 1, but that didn't stop Gasol/Randolph from getting looks... they didn't hit them all but they got good looks game 1.

[KDthunderup]

Well if you do that, you'll see more Mike Miller/Courrney Lee jumpers/3s. Still though, I don't think Randolph/Gasol just get shut down by OKC playing small ball. Memphis runs some good ass plays and catch you off guard. You could prevent some Randolph post ups, but they still have Miller/Lee to kick out too. Not sure if you really want to have OKC starters playing 40+ minutes of small ball fast break game with the whole playoffs ahead of you. I felt like they played Perkins much less in game 1, but that didn't stop Gasol/Randolph from getting looks... they didn't hit them all but they got good looks game 1.
I would much rather see a lineup of Conley/Lee/Miller/Allen/Gasol forced out there. That is very guardable one on one and would force the Grizz to play outside more which they suck at.

[navy]

I would much rather see a lineup of Conley/Lee/Miller/Allen/Gasol forced out there. That is very guardable one on one and would force the Grizz to play outside more which they suck at.
The trick is to actually run an offense. KD and Westbrook are just chuckers. The best in the league I might add.

[tpols]

Jackson-Westbrook-Sefolosha-Durant-Ibaka...how would that lineup do?

Memphis would just stick zbo on sefolosha.. not like he does anything but spot up for threes and then go to Zbo/Gasol two man game on the other end where they'd overwhelm.

[russwest0]

Jackson-Westbrook-Sefolosha-Durant-Ibaka...how would that lineup do?

Fisher would be a better choice than Sefolosha because he's a much better 3pt shooter and would make Randolph/Gasol pay more if they even dared to put either of the two on him.

[Milbuck]

Memphis would just stick zbo on sefolosha.. not like he does anything but spot up for threes and then go to Zbo/Gasol two man game on the other end where they'd overwhelm.
Fair point, they'd probably have to go with someone more offensively capable. Lamb I guess, or keep KD at the 3 and put in PJ3 at the 4?

Fisher would be a better choice than Sefolosha because he's a much better 3pt shooter and would make Randolph/Gasol pay more if they even dared to put either of the two on him.
In that case why not Lamb? He's a shooter as well and at least he'd give you more size, length, and athleticism at the 3 than Fisher. I haven't seen him play much lately so I don't know if he's been sucking ass or what's going on. Just a thought.

[dabigbaws]

Fair point, they'd probably have to go with someone more offensively capable. Lamb I guess, or keep KD at the 3 and put in PJ3 at the 4?

In that case why not Lamb? He's a shooter as well and at least he'd give you more size, length, and athleticism at the 3 than Fisher. I haven't seen him play much lately so I don't know if he's been sucking ass or what's going on. Just a thought.

because scott brooks.

[russwest0]

Fair point, they'd probably have to go with someone more offensively capable. Lamb I guess, or keep KD at the 3 and put in PJ3 at the 4?

In that case why not Lamb? He's a shooter as well and at least he'd give you more size, length, and athleticism at the 3 than Fisher. I haven't seen him play much lately so I don't know if he's been sucking ass or what's going on. Just a thought.

I don't know in regards to Lamb. When OKC had everyone healthy and was going to the Reggie/Lamb duo off the bench at the start of the year they went like 21-4.

He went through a slump put Brooks didn't even give him a chance to get out of it.

OKC just needs a new coach bad. No identity. Going traditional style 50% of the time and small ball the other 50% of the time is stupid as hell.

[iznogood]

I thought Perkins did very good guarding Randolph in game 1, haven't seen the game yesterday though. But Randolph is a very good offensive player, capable of scoring against anyone. I think at some point Brooks will have to try something else if they loose another game, but seeing how stagnant OKC's half-court game is, I don't see this too big of a problem for Memphis. Plus they will have problems defending, so there's a question of how much breakaway chances they might get playing small against big lineup.

[andremiller07]

As long as they keep getting away with consistant fouls that never get called when Z-Bo and Gasol go to the rim why would they downside? They are beating them up physically and never getting called for it.

Out of Gasol's 9 misses a good 6-7 were clear fouls, if Z-Bo was as physical on defence against any of the OKC players he would not last 5 mins in that game.

[Demitri98]

First of all, I switch PJ3 out for Thabo. If I'm Memphis and I see that lineup, I put Prince/Miller on KD and stick Randolph on Thabo. Less of an exploit.
Have Thabo guard Conley too.

[Random_Guy]

imho i dont think it would work. Ibaka cant defend zbo from today's game. sure he blocked him a few times but for the whole game he would get tired out and get repeated pummeled. and i assume that ibaka would have to be on gasol. so kd would have to defend zbo, which i think zbo would have a field day with. he would just repeatedly back durant down again and again. and if you go with that lineup, it relies heavily on outside shooting. if there jumper is off its not going to work.

[Bandito]

I'm confused... Perkins held Gasol to 6-15 tonight... and he also sent you guys to overtime. Do you realize how ham Gasol will end up going against a small ball line up?
Perkins is more valuable than this retards think but on offense he is so bad it hurts to watch. He doesn't even do picks well.

[JUDGE WITNESS]

its a 7 game series. if he is a good coach he will make necessary adjustments

[Demitri98]

Scott Brooks has the team to beat these Grizzlies in 5. He needs to make these adjustments or he may be seeing his way out the door if they don't win the chip. There's no reason you can't double down on ZBo in the post when you've got guys like Tony Allen out there who are hardly an offensive threat. FFS, how much of a threat can a 23% 3Pt shooter who bounces the ball off his foot half the time be?