Big Boy Time: #1 seed Thunder vs Lakers Game Thread 4/6

[tpols]

LA is fully healthy but somehow big 10 point under dogs. 1st time really watching the thunder this year.

Let's see what happens.

[Real Men Wear Green]

Lu Dort is a great defender that should be able to guard Doncic without too much help and most of the Thunder players should at worst be respectable in switches. Meanwhile no one in the Lakers can stop SGA, especially if they want to play their big 3 big minutes together. If James is willing to exert himself for a monster performance LA could win but he's been hurt and it's late in the season, he should save what few huge games he has left this year for the playoffs. Thunder should take this one.

[tpols]

Thunder don't look that impressive eye test to me. No difference from last year really. Lakers look more powerful.

[Neal Romer]

Lu Dort is a great defender that should be able to guard Doncic without too much help and most of the Thunder players should at worst be respectable in switches. Meanwhile no one in the Lakers can stop SGA, especially if they want to play their big 3 big minutes together. If James is willing to exert himself for a monster performance LA could win but he's been hurt and it's late in the season, he should save what few huge games he has left this year for the playoffs. Thunder should take this one.


We all get things wrong, but man, youre REALLY good at it. Very impressive.


Cheers mate :cheers:

[tpols]

Lu Dort is a great defender that should be able to guard Doncic without too much help and most of the Thunder players should at worst be respectable in switches. Meanwhile no one in the Lakers can stop SGA, especially if they want to play their big 3 big minutes together. If James is willing to exert himself for a monster performance LA could win but he's been hurt and it's late in the season, he should save what few huge games he has left this year for the playoffs. Thunder should take this one.


OKC has nobody that can assert themselves offensively except SGA. And even he's a little flimsy physically. I'm shocked how little Chet does proactively. He's too skinny to impose himself against the defense.

Meanwhile Lakers have 3 guys that can absolutely ice you in Luka, Reaves and Lebron.

[90sgoat]

Seems like the Doncic haters on the other forum had a bad take as usual.

[warriorfan]

We all get things wrong, but man, youre REALLY good at it. Very impressive.


Cheers mate :cheers:

At least he made a post without referencing jayson tatum.

baby steps.

[90sgoat]

Luka has OKC number.

OKC might dissapoint this year as well.

[90sgoat]

Damn Luka putting on a clinic.

Shai might be the new Booker.

[3ba11]

.

3ba11 Doctrine #1328048498

In a matchup of 2 ball-dominators, the better ball-dominator wins

PRACTICAL EXAMPLE: last year's playoff matchup between Luka & SGA


I'm not high on OKC or the Lakers because history shows that high-scoring ball-dominators like Luka, SGA or Lebron can't win with "normal" rosters of 1 franchise player,... This means that Jaylen Williams or Reaves must show that they're franchise players, which is unlikely.

[Real Men Wear Green]

I never wondered how certain posters would react to a bad prediction but it's not shocking. Good game by Doncic.

[Proctor]

OKC has nobody that can assert themselves offensively except SGA. And even he's a little flimsy physically. I'm shocked how little Chet does proactively. He's too skinny to impose himself against the defense.

Meanwhile Lakers have 3 guys that can absolutely ice you in Luka, Reaves and Lebron.

I agree with your overarching points but settle down. You literally just said this is your first time watching OKC this season so you are drawing each and every one of your conclusions from a dominating blowout.

I'm not some firm believer in OKC either...far from. But SGA is remarkably consistent, Williams is a serious factor, and they have guys like Wiggins who nobody speaks of but is the epitome of an X factor. They have serious depth and their back end of the rotation guys play with supreme confidence so that more than makes up for some things they lack.

As I've said in another thread or two, don't see them beating the Lakers either for what it's worth.

[tpols]

It's not just that Luka pretty much = SGA as a general talent, he now had Lebron and Reaves instead of just Kyrie. And Kyrie was nice but having Lebron and Reaves instead is overkill.

[90sgoat]

Caruso is a big guard but Doncic backs him down easy.

[90sgoat]

Lebron is playing well since his trip to Miami.

[warriorfan]

Caruso is a big guard but Doncic backs him down easy.

No match for Fupa Doncic

[90sgoat]

No match for Fupa Doncic

Slav big boy dominates small american.

[warriorfan]

Slav big boy dominates small american.

Hungry slav plus american fast food

its over once it gets into the post

[3ba11]

I never wondered how certain posters would react to a bad prediction but it's not shocking. Good game by Doncic.


2022:


Luka-ball will be career loser just like Lebron-ball unless he forms super-teams (multiple franchise players) (http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?507460-Luka-ball-will-be-career-loser-just-like-Lebron-ball-unless-he-form-super-teams)

Luka will never win organically (http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?505772-Luka-will-never-win-organically#google_vignette)



History shows that ball-dominators need multiple franchise players on 1 team to win (super-teams)... So SGA and Luka cannot win unless Reaves or Williams play like franchise players (completely dominate)... Regardless, ball-dominators like SGA or Luka never produce great teams (dynasties, aka 3 in 5... or dominant champions, aka dominant title runs of 4 losses or less).

[Neal Romer]

Caruso is a big guard but Doncic backs him down easy.

Yeah the Thunder lack of size on the perimeter hurts them against LAL. Caruso, Dort, JWill, SGA are all strong defenders, but theyre giving up serious inches against Luka, Lebron, Rui, DFS. The Lakers will even have Kleber back as an option by the postseason.

The Thunder need some Al Horfords, Naz Reids etc in the rotation. They still look a little light in the cakes.

[3ba11]

Yeah the Thunder lack of size on the perimeter hurts them against LAL. Caruso, Dort, JWill, SGA are all strong defenders, but theyre giving up serious inches against Luka, Lebron, Rui, DFS. The Lakers will even have Kleber back as an option by the postseason.


It's called a stacked deck, bruh.. wake up

[BarberSchool]

This is the kind of physical play and stingy whistle everyone expects in the playoffs.
Shai been spoiled by the most generous whistle in the league. But he must not be selling enough underwear or merch, maybe the NBA gonna give him his MVP, then rug pull his act?

IDK. Thunder getting got in the playoffs seems inevitable.
Got beat up on the boards too, by a shorter/heavier lakers squad.

[ImKobe]

Caruso is a big guard but Doncic backs him down easy.

He looks really small when Doncic is posting him up lmao. OKC in general is too small for Lebron and Luka which makes it easy for those guys to post up and shoot over them it's easy buckets all game or they force a double and get someone else wide open for a 3. Lakers got an open corner 3 whenever they wanted.

[ArbitraryWater]

OKC gonna have to put their BIG BOY pants on when they meet the KANG and Papa DONCIC.. aint your usual opponent

[Manny98]

Can't think of a tougher conference in NBA history than this years West

All this talk of LeBron having the luxury of playing in the weak east yet he's thriving in the most stacked conference the league has ever seen at the age of 40 :bowdown:

[90sgoat]

He looks really small when Doncic is posting him up lmao. OKC in general is too small for Lebron and Luka which makes it easy for those guys to post up and shoot over them it's easy buckets all game or they force a double and get someone else wide open for a 3. Lakers got an open corner 3 whenever they wanted.

Luka is massive and heavy. Bigger than Lebron now.

[FKAri]

Can't think of a tougher conference in NBA history than this years West

All this talk of LeBron having the luxury of playing in the weak east yet he's thriving in the most stacked conference the league has ever seen at the age of 40 :bowdown:

Started the season with Kareem on his team and now has 2 Larry Birds on his team. How much help does he need holy phuk.