2011 Playoffs second round preview of Thunder vs Grizzlies

The OKC Thunder will face the Memphis Grizzlies in the second round of the 2011 playoffs.

Discuss how these teams match up!

Game 1 - Sun May 1 Memphis at Oklahoma City 1:00PM ABC/R
Game 2 - Tue May 3 Memphis at Oklahoma City 9:30PM TNT
Game 3 - Sat May 7 Oklahoma City at Memphis 5:00PM ESPN
Game 4 - Mon May 9 Oklahoma City at Memphis 9:30PM TNT
Game 5 * Wed May 11 Memphis at Oklahoma City TBD TNT
Game 6 * Fri May 13 Oklahoma City at Memphis TBD ESPN
Game 7 * Sun May 15 Memphis at Oklahoma City TBD TBD

Who do you think has the advantage going into game 1?

They match up nicely against Thunder, Grizzlies in 4.

Who wins in the Grizzlies vs. Thunder series?

I got Thunder in 6.
Kevin Durant is just too good, and the Thunder have depth at every position.
This is the series where the Grizzlies will really miss Gay's scoring, since they will need that extra punch and won't have it.
Grizzlies will be tough in every game, but Thunder in 6.

In my mind Memphis matches up with almost any team very well.

I think their front-court is better than OKC's, and they have two amazing defenders in Tony Allen and Shane Battier. It should be an interesting series.

In the end, I think OKC is just too talented, and will probably take this series in 6 games

I'm dead serious when i say I don't like the OKC chances against the Grizzlies, they matched up badly even before watching the MEM-SAS series.

T. Allen & Battier are going to give Durant a tough time, but I expect Russell Westbrook to have a huge series. Thunder in 5.

no way hawkfan...this is going to 7 games and i think Memphis upset the Thunder.

Thunder in 7. HCA will be huge for OKC. That's a hard place to play.

I can see Memphis taking this, seriously.

MEM in 5-6.

memphis is a very solid team that can give serious trouble to anyone. they just dont have the talent of other teams like lakers or thunder. marc gasol vs pau gasol is a perfect example, marc is a great big man, hard worker and disciplined in every aspect of the game (the dream of any coach really), but pau is more talented.

by the way (OT) its funny how spain has all these short and talented guys in football while their main strength in basketball is precisely the opposite, and with ibaka joining them that will hold true for a few years

Gonna be a tough one, OKC in 7 though. In KD we trust! :bowdown:

Hopefully a long series. Personally I see it going 6-7...

[IMG]http://www.nba.com/media/hoop/TOC-HOOP0304-cover.jpg[/IMG]

The most important match up will be Z-Bo and Ibaka. If Ibaka can handle Randolph and contain him to no big games then the Thunder will have no problem. Also, you have to worry about Durant getting defended by Tony Allen and Shane Battier.

I don't understand how some of you are going to say OKC matches up badly with Memphis. They match up GREAT against Memphis.

[QUOTE=Kiddlovesnets]They match up nicely against Thunder, Grizzlies in 4.[/QUOTE]

LOL. Wow.

Looking back at the games between these two sides this season, Memphis's front court killed ours. Green struggled awfully against Randolph, allowing him to average about 30 points and 15 rebounds, whilst he recorded 0 rebounds in one game where he played 45 minutes. Krstic was his usual soft self getting about 4 rebounds, not playing any D, etc.

I'm confident our new front court can handle Memphis alot better then it did earlier in the season, when we had Green and Krstic.

[QUOTE=KDthunderup]Looking back at the games between these two sides this season, Memphis's front court killed ours. Green struggled awfully against Randolph, allowing him to average about 30 points and 15 rebounds, whilst he recorded 0 rebounds in one game where he played 45 minutes. Krstic was his usual soft self getting about 4 rebounds, not playing any D, etc.

I'm confident our new front court can handle Memphis alot better then it did earlier in the season, when we had Green and Krstic.[/QUOTE]
Dude you cant compare those Soft asses to Ibaka and Perkins! Plus we got Nazr and Collison who are also solid off the bench.

[QUOTE=dunksby]Dude you cant compare those Soft asses to Ibaka and Perkins! Plus we got Nazr and Collison who are also solid off the bench.[/QUOTE]I'm saying that Ibaka and Perkins should be able to handle the Grizzlies front court better then the pathetic attempt that Green and Softic put together when these teams met during the season.

i like the series. young teams with bright futures. both team feeling like theyre playing with house money.

i hope for a 7 game series with lots of OTs. i think Mayo vs Harden will be the key

I can see all the games being close, possibly an OT or two.

Long series, with OKC pulling it out in 7.

This series I believe the Grizzlies will miss Rudy Gay.

Thunder will win. Randolph's great play in the first round will lead to him taking more questionable shots and getting farther away from the solid, team-oriented basketball that's gotten the Grizzlies this far. Perkins will do a better job on Gasol, though Gasol has looked excellent thusfar.

Watching the series the Griz had a big advantage in Gasol's strength under the post, Duncan was getting man handled the whole series. I don't see Gasol doing that to Perkins.

We will see how great Kevin Durant truly is in this series. He is going to have Tony Allen, Sam Young, and Shane Battier barking all over his ass in this series. Grizzlies would be smart to have Tony Allen defend Russell Westbrook and Shane Battier defend Kevin Durant.

This will be a close series.

Bad idea having Tony Allen guarding Durant. Allen is only 6'4 when Durant is 6'11

[QUOTE=KDthunderup]Bad idea having Tony Allen guarding Durant. Allen is only 6'4 when Durant is 6'11[/QUOTE]
And a bad idea having Tony Allen guarding Westbrook too. I think Westbrook would keep Allen in foul trouble. But then again, what other option do they have because Westbrook would own Conley.

Thunder in 6 or 7.

Book it.

[QUOTE=ThaSwagg3r]We will see how great Kevin Durant truly is in this series. He is going to have Tony Allen, Sam Young, and Shane Battier barking all over his ass in this series. Grizzlies would be smart to have Tony Allen defend Russell Westbrook and Shane Battier defend Kevin Durant.

This will be a close series.[/QUOTE]

Allen on Westbrook and Battier on Durant. Oh My God. This Grizzlies team is awesome.

Durant has shat on Battier the past two they matched up

[QUOTE=KDthunderup]Durant has shat on Battier the past two they matched up[/QUOTE]

Yeah I don't know what this nonsense is about Battier and Allen are going to shut down KD.

KD only struggles with physically strong defenders like Artest. Artest had about 20 pounds over Durant, whilst Battier weighs 10 pounds less then Durant.

[QUOTE=OKCThunderUP]Yeah I don't know what this nonsense is about Battier and Allen are going to shut down KD.[/QUOTE]

Who said they were going to shut down Durant?

Thunder in no more than 5

15ppg+ for Harden this series

IBaka is about is about to take a big steaming shit on Z-Bo

[QUOTE=ThaSwagg3r][B]We will see how great Kevin Durant truly is in this series[/B]. He is going to have Tony Allen, Sam Young, and Shane Battier barking all over his ass in this series. Grizzlies would be smart to have Tony Allen defend Russell Westbrook and Shane Battier defend Kevin Durant.

This will be a close series.[/QUOTE]
:facepalm :facepalm :facepalm Everybody was saying the same shit over and over again about how Nuggetz were gonna stop him.

Kevin Durant's career averages against Memphis (13 games):
28PPG 47%FG 7RPG 1.5BPG
Kevin Durant against Memphis this year (4 games):
30.5PPG 47.3% FG 8.3 RPG 1.0 BPG

[QUOTE=dunksby]
Kevin Durant against Memphis this year (4 games):
30.5PPG 47.3% FG 8.3 RPG 1.0 BPG[/QUOTE]

I knew he'd played well against them but DAMN.

[QUOTE=OKCThunderUP]I knew he'd played well against them but DAMN.[/QUOTE]
Clearly Shane Battier, Tony Allen and Sam Young all missed the 4 games against OKC!

[QUOTE=dunksby]Clearly Shane Battier, Tony Allen and Sam Young all missed the 4 games against OKC![/QUOTE]


ummm....Tony Allen played all four games vs Thunder and there a video on YouTube I think it's called Tony Allen vs Kevin Durant and they show how Tony Allen defense frustrated KD.

[QUOTE=anjel02]ummm....Tony Allen played all four games vs Thunder and there a video on YouTube I think it's called Tony Allen vs Kevin Durant and they show how Tony Allen defense frustrated KD.[/QUOTE]

He was being facetious.