ARE YOU TRYING TO TELL ME IT'S MELO'S FAULT. HAVE YOU BEEN WATCHING ALL THE GAMES? RUSSELL WESTBROOK IS FUCKING HORRIFIC NO WAY IN HELL YOU GONNA PIN BLAME ON MELO. HE ADJUSTED HIS GAME STARTED TAKING LESS SHOT, THEY ALL PLAYED TONS OF ISO THE 1ST 10 GAMES BECAUSE THEY WERE ALL NEW. THEY STILL PLAY 2 TO 3 ISO PLAY FOR MELO AND GEORGE HERE THERE BUT MOST THE GAME IS NOT ISO. MELO BARELY TAKE SHOTS ANYMORE COMPARE TO WHEN THEY ALL 1ST STARTED PLAYING TOGETHER. THERE WAS 3 GAMES WHERE HE TOOK LESS THAN 25 SHOTS TOTAL THAT'S IMPRESSIVE FOR CARMELO. YOU WANT BLAME LET'S GO......RUSS IS THE FUCKING PG OF THE TEAM HE TAKES DOZEN OF BAD AND FORCE SHOTS HE MISS MOST OF HIS ATTEMPTS HIS FG% IS HORRIFICALLY BAD HE BALLHOGS WE LOST A GOOD 8 GAMES BECAUSE RUSS CANT STOP SHOOTING SHOTS INSTEAD OF PASSING AND MOVING THE BALL. IF YOU ARE GOIN GOING TO MAKE A VIDEO ATLEAST MAKE IT FAIR NOT BIAS. IF YOU ARE TELLING ME MELO IS THE BLAME AND NOT RUSS THEN YOU ARE CLEARLY ANOTHER BIAS VIEWER. PG IS AT FAULT ALSO SOME GAMES HE HAS MANY TURNOVERS HE FORCES SHOTS MOST GAME HE IS COLD AS ICE, THIS GUY CANT STRING TOGETHER 2 DECENT GAME IF IT KILLS HIM. THEY ALL GOT FLAWS BUT NO WAY ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY MELO IS THE REASON WHEN RUSS TAKE ALMOST 30 SHOTS A GAME AND HIS FG% IS BEYOND HORRIFIC EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. I WATCHED ALL 26 GAMES SO FAR EVERY NOW AND THEN RUSS DO SOME GOOD THINGS ON THE COURT BUT MOST THE TIME HE PLAYS HERO BALL TAKE BAD SHOTS MAKE TERRIBLE DECISIONS BALLHOG FORCE A DOZEN SHOT EVEN THOUGH HE HAS BEEN COLD ALL GAME. I CAN GO ON AND ON AND ON, I WATCH GAMES NOT HIGHLIGHT I TRY TO BE UNBIAS WITH PLAYERS AND TEAMS. RUSS IS THE PROBLEM.... HE COULDN'T DO IT WITH HARDEN IBAKA AND DURANT AND NOW HE HAS 2 MORE NEW PIECES AND HE STILL CANT DO IT. THE WRITING IS ON THE WALL THE ISSUE IS RUSS HE CANT RUN A TEAM AND HE CANT STOP SHOOTING BRICKS AFTER BRICKS AFTER BRICKS
The main problem is Billy Donavon but Westbrook does play a big part too. I’m seeing why KD left and it’s not a coincidence how Kanter, Sabonis and Oladipo are playing much better
Marlon Ndoro Kanters always been ballin, he just has more minutes now. Sabonis was a rookie last year who played well and is obviously going to develop a lot after a year in the NBA. Oladipo should have played better last year but couldn't hit a damn shot, and he looks really good now because he's the team leader
To be fair, the way they played last season worked. I don't think giving more freedom to Kanter and Oladipo would've made the thunder better than the 6th seed they got. They over-achieved in my opinion. Now when you add in 2 all stars, Westbrook should change his style of play.
His defense is also VERY horrible. It's just like Harden's defense where he doesn't even try and just gambles by attempting to poke from behind. Nobody notices this, people still think Russ is a good defender, but he's one of the worst. Russ is also my favorite player lol
Most overrated player in the league, u just realise? That's why they put Harden/Reggie Jackson on the bench, that's why Durant, Oladipo etc was forced to play off the ball more often than not. This guy is the last player u want to play with in the modern NBA.
This is one of your best vid that you have ever done. It’s pulled no punches and display a lot of key things into what is wrong with the Thunder offense. Incredible well put video Coach.
It did display some key things I agree but he always came off VERY BIAS. Like the video was about Melo more than anything. Russ been HORRIFIC all year I saw all 26 games. RUSS is terrible but hey lets blame Melo
PG been SUBPAR as fuck let's not act like PG been balling. Hes been so disappointing these 26 games. He had 4 good game outta 26 WOW some #1 or #2 option he is
They need to bring Melo off the bench. He could run the second string squad. Only problem is his ego, i don't think he would do it. That's why D Wade is a selfless superstar hall of famer and Melo will be remembered as just a scorer
Well that's because Melo is just a scorer and does well when his point guard does well. Paul George is the one who needs to carry the bench instead of playing with russ and relying on jumpers. Look at the Net rtg with Russ, Melo, Roberson and no paul george.... it's the 2nd best!
I’ve been saying for the longest the offensive system is trash. Even when KD was there it was trash. It was just less noticeable because with KD they can still get buckets.
yeah I remember it was still really ugly with KD and I thought it was Brooks and his clogged toilet offense. It's actually just Westbrook and the offensive liabilities they start like Perkins and now Roberson.
I'm actually surprised to hear that Russ doesn't move off the ball that much, I don't watch the Thunder much but he seems like the perfect guy to get involved in cuts and maybe even Pick and Rolls With a guard screen.
I blame current and past okc staff. Even KD when he left to GS, he has said he has become a completely new player, and didnt even know you can play that well team offense
to be honest though nobody knew how to play team offence that well apart from golden state..... so thats a big difference from where he was coming from for sure...
I dont hate KD for leaving OKC, I hate him because he join the Warriors, if you can't beat em join em, Its like Karl Malone joining the Bulls in 97, Iverson joining the Lakers 2002,
People have huge respect for him until he joined the 73-9 Warriors. Now the only fans that like him are GSW fans. He's a top 3 player in the NBA then he joined the Warriors for an easy ring, he doesn't want to compete.
I don't think he would be useful at all. He pretty much can't do anything, he's a liability in the offense. He stagnates the offense because he doesn't move without the ball well, he's slow too so he can't beat guys off the dribble hence he forces tough shots that doesn't hit the rim at times, so to put him to the bench would give him more responsibility being the best player among all the reserves and I don't think he will be able to lead. Their bench would suck even more. The worst idea is to put a stagnant player in a group that can't make their own shots. Reserves rely on ball movement because they don't usually have the skills like starters do. Melo is just a curse in general.
He should've been their 6th man to begin with and had Patterson starting at the 4. That way he wouldn't constantly be a defensive liability and could've focused purely on offense.
This is what people don't seem to understand about super teams. The 2015 Warriors squad wasn't so dominant because they had three all-stars, including an MVP-caliber Curry - they were so dominant because they all meshed together perfectly. Similar case for the playoffs last year - the Warriors weren't so good because of their individual abilities, though obviously that helps a ton. It's the fact that each of them are willing to take backseats, rather than be the most dominant force pushing for the ball at all times. I'm sure Klay, Curry, Durant and even Green could average significantly better stats if they were a lone star getting as many touches as they wanted, but that doesn't translate as well as their current style does. It's the perfect example of Winning vs. Individual success. Looking at their career trajectories, I don't understand how so many people thought this OKC team would be fantastic. They have enough talent to be good, and they *could* be fantastic, but Melo has never shown himself to be a player willing to play in that backseat role or lose his ball-touches, while Russ had similar issues back in Durant's day. I wonder if this team would be doing significantly better had they added only George and giving more minutes to Oladipo, or maybe just adding a couple quality bench pieces instead of Melo.
Ryan Walters draymond green ain’t no all star without curry. Take curry and klay away and he’s the second round player he has always been. Anyone looks like an all star with klay and curry
Ryan Walters This. Most Nba fans don't understand that while talent is so very important, chemistry and teamwork are just as important. It is why Kevin Durant most definitely earned his ring last year, because without his unselfish approach to basketball, the Warriors would not be as successful.
Oscar Cabellero Anyone looks like an all-star with Klay and Curry? I'll admit that Draymond isn't as good as the other three but he's still an all-star. DPOTY in 2017, All-Defense team the past three years, All NBA twice... We don't know how he'd do without them. I'm not a Warriors fan, so don't try and make it into something it isn't. But there's a reason he's rated so highly.
Ryan Walters Oladipo is definitely benefiting from playing without Russ. OKC coaching didn't and hasn't shown the ability to incorporate another player with scoring talent. Maybe that has to do with Russ, but they don't play well as a team. I agree with everything you said though. They overdid it by trading for Melo, too.
I agree, maybe Okc should have traded Kanter , Sabonis and Doug McDermott for PG- 13 and kept oladipo to be the 3rd wing option for a Russ & Paul one-two punch .Which I believe that the Thunder would be far more dominant in that they'd be more understanding of each player's role's as oladipo would have bought into coming off the bench for the team, unlike melo .
It’s no one persons fault. Aside from PG no other player is really fundamentally sound or accustom to running a successful system that works by sharing the ball.
Thats because people forget about coaching and bench, then overvalue starpower and live in a nostalgia about the players best year. Seems like every tv "analyst" still believes Melo is a top player. I wish every organization had a Popovich, Stevens or Kerr to actually coach the team, make the players play defense and adapt their playstyle when needed. Thats the only solution I see to make guys like Melo change and actually achieve something meaningful in their careers.
They should be better than the Spurs and Rockets. The coach isn't doing a good job. He needs to break things down to 12 parts. Let them take it parts by parts until they can complete a full 48minutes game. They do well in the first half but they fall apart in the second half. So they are close to putting together a full game. But their process is extremely slow.
The problem is obviously the coach. If you put there a coach that will take control of the team and not let the players dictate who's gonna have to shot, then they will be successful. They clearly need a coach that can use their players habilities to the maximum. Paul George can handle the ball and can facilitate. Why does Westbrook run all the plays? It's so easy to predict their offense.
Cynkauvan Yau If he wants to be a champion someday he is gonna have to change the way he thinks. I hate KD and what he did but at least he is a champion now.
Erik Lerström A good coach should know how to manage their players. If popovic was the Menphis coach would he be fired too? Would the situation even get to that point? I don't think so.
If pop was the coach of Russ, Pop would have been fired. They would butt head and the GM would choose Russ. The coach cannot do nothing except acknowledging Russ is a great player. If he tried to coach, he is fired.
Its crazy how the media & fans thinks CP3 & James Harden, two incredibly high basketball IQ players who are naturally unselfish and great passers, wouldn't work but Melo & Westbrook would...
Have you SEEN who these guys are? Four ball stoppers (Paul, Harden, Westbrook, and Anthony) who have never led their teams to the Finals. And I don't wanna hear the "assists" argument. Because all of them are high usage, high turnover types. That's not how you win championships.
Mr. Cabuena-- uhh... not sure if you're aware of this, but Harden and Westbrook did go to the Finals. Also, Chris Paul is the opposite of a ballstopper and has an historically low turnover percentage over his career. If anything, the knock on Paul has been that he doesn't look to score enough. Harden has also turned into an elite facilitator, the opposite of a ballstopper.
Westbrook is a problem too. Seems like unless he has a chance to record a stat, he does nothing. Hides in the paint for rebounds and watches on offense until the ball gets back to him. He doesn't move off ball and has a HORRIBLE habit of holding the ball too long or making the pass to the player closet to the basket rather than the player the play was designed for. Several times he'll hit his big man with a hard to catch,unexpected pass that either creates a bad rushed shot or the player originally intended to get the ball winds up missing a better shot opportunity. Westbrook should focus more on moving off ball because he's the most physically imposing PG in the game. Great size and speed yet he mainly stands there or walks around. They gotta fix their offensive schemes and utilize their talent better.
Luke Sirrell there's more opportunitues than Melo. PG is better And getting a stat from Melo? Lmaooo good luck, he homes the ball in iso too much for anyone to get an assist
If Melo was their 3rd and final option everytime, they'd be great. Give it to him when all else fails since he ISOs literally EVERYTIME. Trade Roberson, he's a good defender but you can find a good defender that can at least shoot. Paul George is the #1 option. And maybe a coaching change, their offense looks absolutely atrocious
Roberson is pretty underrated. He is literally their best defender and a good rebounder. He can get into the paint and is quite fast at cutting into the paint. Despite his bad shooting he's a very good player on OKC. OKC will play better when Westbrook finally steps up but that will not happen until Paul George runs his own unit. Melo will always play good when his point guard does well. Melo is a scorer btw.
I called this Russ sagging off shit when he has KD. This was blatant and obvious. That is why I had a HUGE problem with Russ. It is contagious and the team does it aswell. It is poor leadership. KD did it to but hasn't done it in GS. OKC has a leadership and coaching issue. Starts up top and trickles down.
J-Strokes I'm a mad Thunder fan, but i'm objective, and i couldn't agree more with the points you made. But, on the other hand, there is some personnel issue to some extent. I just can't understand why did they keep Roberson on the roster, let alone give him 30 mil. Yeah, the dude has defensive mentality and will, but damn, he couldn't shoot with his life on the line. For me, he doesn't belong in the NBA. Don't get me wrong, there are tone of one-way players in the league, but he is so bad, it's really depressing. He doesn't have any, i repeat, any offensive skill, for a GUARD! He can't handle, to take some pressure of, can't shoot off dribble or catch and shoot, he is a liability on the free throw line which is apsurd, he can't post up, can't hit the mid range jumper, i mean my lord. They need to trade him ASAP. They'll be just fine defensively. Westbrook is LeBron like, he needs shooters, he needs spacing. I think the perfect player for the shooting guard position currently is Danny Green, or a Gary Harris. Btw, it's clear cut now that Donovan isn't the right coach for this team, they need someone who can make Westbrook stay in check, who will put the team above superstars, and i think the perfect man for the job is Mark Jackson. Better get him before Cavs do.
Mr. Iceman to be honest....I thought they should have got KCP to replace Roberson. He literally does everything you need. I was mad they traded Olidipo last year because I KNEW he could ball. That system didn't help him. Now he is on the Pacers and OKC fans are like why he didn't do that there. Its the system and leadership. Adams is a monster in the waiting but they are using him properly. Carmelo should be the closer in close games using ISO. The game should revolve around PG and WB. If they can't get it done Melo takes over. When those 2 go to the bench Melo becomes the primary option. It is simple but for whatever reason OKC isn't getting it. Now it looks like WB is gonna lose both PG and Melo and I doubt he stays unless KD comes back. Which I think he will.
J-Strokes Yeah, you're right on the money. Should've paid Caldwell-Pope like 20 mil. for a year, see how it goes, pay the luxury tax, you simply have to in order to win a championship. Owner is too cheap and he has to live with the fact he killed a dynasty, possibly bigger than the 90's Bulls. For what? 5 million dollars. Yeah. Good job on that. As for Oladipo, i'm sorry, but i don't see it. I watched around 60-70 games last year, he didn't belong on the same floor as Russ. Especially in series against the Rockets, whenever Westbrook collapsed the D, he reluctantly took the shoots WIDE OPEN, and he bricked them. He was that scared. When he got the ball he instantly passed it. Now he is on a team with less talent, of course he is going to score more and have better numbers simply because of more shots. He didn't improve in any category except points, so, he isn't the MIP of the year for me, i'm sorry. The most blame for this record is on 'Melo. I mean, he thinks he's bigger than the team. I would never have that type of a player in my locker room, ever. No matter how good he is. He always laughs it off when being asked about going to the bench. Look at Wade. He alone went to the head coach and demanded to be benched. That's what true superstars do. If it was for the better of my team, heck, i would do anything, if it puts my team in a better spot. He needs to realize that as quick as possible, or this season is done.
Roberson is a miles ahead of KCP defensively lol, OKC need Roberson badly despite of his offensive weaknesses because Westbrook is terrible defensively.
Agree with most of what you said besides "Carmelo should be the closer in close games using ISO." Seriously this isn't 2012. Melo is REALLY bad at iso's now. His legs are gone. Did you not watch the video or read anyone's comment?
Tbh honest as soon as they got Melo I think they killed the team. No offense but Melo never helps teams he is on, he is on of the best players of all time but he ain’t a team player. They should of just kept Oladipo and got Paul George and they would of been fine. They didn’t give Oladipo or Sabonis any time to get their game together so they struggled last year but this year they would of been developed and the thunder would be more deadly. It’s also the coach and players they aren’t trying to fix it. They still do the same basketball every game knowing it’s not working and ends up in losses. Give me your opinions in the comments what else do you think killed this team? :)
Damian Lillard you know that Denver got to the western conference finals vs the eventual winners Lakers in a 7 game series right? Melo was once good... But it was a long long time ago.
Yasir Abdulhakim though he's had games where he's red hot, George has had games where he's shot them out of it. Don't act like he's the innocent one here, it was just a week ago he shot 2/17
Jose Ramirez yh but he's doing things that help the team win, along with Adams and Robertson he's one of better defenders. He also catch and shoots, there's more options with him I think
lol what did he break down? none of this is new. anytime guys get together, the discussion is always whether or not they can share the ball as the old adage has always been "there's only one ball." Guys standing around on the perimeter while the PnR takes place is also nothing new in this pace and space era. and Billy Donovan trying to play to what were the player's strengths in the past was incredibly predictable, hence melo in the mid and high post. The entire problem is Billy Donovan and not clearly laying out who is 1A, 1B, and 1C. The offense absolutely has to run through Russ and PG. Melo has to be the spacer. You cant have melo playing his traditional role with Roberson and Steven Adams on the floor. he literally said nothing new in this video.
He didn't even show that. Westbrook has always played this way off of the ball. he's always been turnover prone. He's always gone for glory instead of making the right basketball play. this "breakdown" doesnt actually go further into any detail of anything that we didnt already know about him. A player's fans are his fans. this video aint gonna stop a guy from having fans.
OfficialSwishaTV 70-80% NBA commentators praise Westbrook and even big part of those NBA "analytics" every time trying to find some excuses for Russ. Coach Nick just showed the reality. Nothing more, nothing less.
sheldon blankenship Whats even funnier is OKC has been wasting millions trying to rebuild their team that fell apart when KD left, when they could've spent less if they just paid Harden what he wanted in 2012, and probably won a Championship by now.
They should have actually stick with Harden and KD. They went all in with Russell which is an astounding athlete but lacks Harden's basketball IQ and KD's efficiency. Russ is also frustrating to play with and coach. KD left realizing he would never win with him. Last year Russ had the excuse he had no help. After this year's failure when Paul George leaves, OKC will face the harsh reality.
The problem is Melo, aka the Terrell Owens of basketball. He's a selfish team destroyer. OKC would be much better if it was just Westbrook and George. People love to blame Westbrook for everything, even though Westbrook proved he could win at a high rate with 1 other star wing player next to him. People want to act like him and Durant never worked, even though they were a perennial 55 win team when healthy, got to the finals, and made the WCF 3 times. And even had the greatest team of all time down 3-1 and would have won that series if Klay Thompson didnt have the greatest 6 minute stretch in playoff history.
Eth D I wouldn't compare him to TO, every team he went to in his prime they always improved. It was his attitude that fucked everything up. Melo it's his play, he just stuck in his ways, get the ball, jab step, make a move for a pull up or post shot
Westbrick can't play off the ball, so its hard to surround him with other stars or put him in a system. Did u even watched the videos? Westbrick is not even a top 5 point guard this season since he do not have a 40+% usage rate to get into his rhythm and pad his stats anymore.
Stop being a Westbrick homer and you would understand there are not just one, but two cancers in OKC. KD and PG are literally the PERFECT FIT for Westbrick because they are so great off-ball, Westbrick has been lucky but too he lost KD and he is gonna lost PG next season because no one likes to play with a ball dominant selfish player that can't play off the ball.
Even LeBron, someone who is accustomed to having the ball in his hands, know how to cut to the basket. Westbrick simply does not care if his teammates struggle because it makes him look better, his dickriders will say "he have no help".
Um no u idiot. Melo doesn't have NEARLY as much touches as PG or RUSS. The problem is Donovan being inadequate as coach, and RUSS playing like an idiot most of the time. The main thing melo needs to do, is look up.
The Thunder organization is so bone headed. All they had to do was to have Westbrook play the 2, Harden play the 1 and pay him. They would still have Durant and some type of success instead of doubling down on stupid with Westbrook because he's this bullshit idea of an alpha dawg. Westbrook couldn't lead water out of a bucket with the directions on the bottom. Sad, sad, sad! Here's your stat stuffing MVP!
You guys remember when everyone was getting excited over “Hoodie Melo” in the offseason just because he was making shots with his “sexy” jumpshot during practice and pickup games?Which is enough for all Melo fanboys. Style over substance. Melo has been the same player since the day he was drafted and only cracked top 10 player in the league once in my book. All these guys watch is highlights and how he scores when he does score but completely ignores the 5 bricks he did before he made that one shot LMAOOO
KD is unanimous lol. Kawhi's scoring is nowhere near KD and Hardens' Defense is nowhere near KD. Paul George is close to KD but Melo is straight garbage now lol
5 keys to fix this team. 1. Melo comes off the bench 2. Pg runs the floor 3. Russ play off the ball more 4. OKC needs a pure shooter 5. Sign Mark Jackson or Fizdale
THANK YOU Coach. I've been saying it all last season. Russell Westbrook is ball-dominant which means he isn't of much use without the ball in his hands. This severely limits him as a player and limits his team's offensive capabilities. All of the all-time greats like Kobe and MJ and Reggie Miller had all very good off-ball games.
i always felt that PG's versatility was undervalued as a player...when people discused top 5 , top 10 players in the league....replace him with kawhi leonard in spurs system and he would provide amost the same things ...a little less impactful o n defense but he is a more talented offensive player.
Steven Adams is their most valuable. 124 Offensive rating and 102 defensive rating. Thats phenomenal. Compared to the "big 3" who on average have a offensive rating of 103 and defensive rating of 102.
Joedagg4 i agree, their best player is PG who is too passive to demand the ball more, but should get the most touches as their most versatile and consistent scorer. But Steven Adams is their most valuable asset due to his importance on defense and his usage in Russ' offensive schemes. He wouldnt get half of his assists or rebounds if it wasnt for Adams setting him up for success. The most undervalued valuable player that lacks recognition
As talented as Westbrook is, what separates him from elite players like Lebron James, Harden, Curry etc is his impatience. Watching Lebron, Harden, or CP3 patiently breaking down defenses with precision while Russ is trying to force the issue is night and day. Carmelo deserves much of the blame because his style of play will continue to hinder any team he is on. Melo seem to be stuck in the style of the early 2000s where offenses revolves around superstar isolations. The major problem is, that won't work against the more potent, efficient offenses of today's game and Melo happens to be a declining 33 yr old with two bad knees. Not only does Melo stagnates the offense, but what kills OKC is his long, contested, mid-range jumpers that opposing teams wanted him to take. With Russ, his impatiences causes him to force the issue far too often. Many fans assume that because he has a high assist average, it means he's unselfish and gets his teammates involved but it is not the case. Getting the whole team involved in the offense means that the ball actually moves around and touches multiple player hands in a possession, which allows players to get into rhythm. Russ may average lots of assists but most often those possession involves only a single pass from Russ.
Frog Squad His personality is not suffocating to the team. He moves the ball more than RW and knows when to attack and when to move the ball. Russ does not. Plus he's a waaaayyyyy better shooter than Russ.
Frog Squad you'll have to do some reading, not sure you will though...good luck with your life. www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/westbru01.html www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/hardeja01.html The effective fg% or efg is the one to pay attention to. It shows how much more efficient harden is, this year and for both careers.
Not hating but I think it's Melo that makes things worse. Individual talent of Melo is great but you need to play for the team to win the chip.. just like DWade does. And I feel bad for Khal Drogo (Adams) that he ends up with this kind of teammates. I dare say that he is a lot better than Kardashian Thompson and Deandre Jordan.
Commandosoap777 I like the thunder though I was a Heat fan (Dwade fan). Cos the 2012 OKC was scary if they stayed together until now. And Steve Adams.. the most underrated big man today. Yes, he's not flashy but what he does is something a pro coach would die to have him.. I myself as a SF/SG would love a teammate like Adams.
What's so great about Melo's individual talent? He's slow, stops ball movement, can't create uncontested shots and bricks a lot of them as a result. Nothing great about Melo right now.
AP AP Even if I tell you.. you will still argue cos you're blinded by hate. So it's pointless.. nonetheless I said what I think and that's about it. If it doesn't go your way then it's not my problem.
this is not the 2000s anymore when iso plays were dominant back then . Nowadays you have to know how to play off the ball. That's why I think KD left OKC since Westbrook didn't know how to play without the ball. And now they add Melo - another ball dominant player. I'm really not surprised they suck so badly. PG definitely coming to Lakers next year
If you watch the games Melo isn't really ball dominant. OKC problem is that they litterally have two playmakers on the court. Paul George needs to run his own unit. Paul has already proven he can lead a team. Melo will always do fine with a good point guard. Infact Melo is their best scorer and clutchest player.
I mean Paul George plays better leading his own unit. There's literally two playmakers on the court so of course Russ would be waiting on what to do by standing there.
when u playing u cant be "waiting what to do by standing there" u need movement for creating space or make the play so ur team can easy to get a bucket .. what russel do just standing there with no meaning at all, he maybe great player but its because he atlethicism what can make him explosive but his basketball iq was so low
Russell Westbrook its always a luxury to have multiple playmakers. Combine that with good off ball movement and you will have a dangerous offense. Look at Golden State. Curry, KD, Draymond, Iggy, Livngston, even David West and Klay have all been play makers. But it is their continuous movement without the ball that makes them so lethal. If you watch Billy Donavan's college team played, they are space and pace. Unfortunately at the NBA level, if your Point Guard / star players dont move, your offense becomes stagnant because the role players will have no choice but to follow.
This Thunder team still needs shooters. But there system kills their role players too. Alex Abrines and Patrick Patterson should b better but maybe the lack of ball movement has killed their 3 pointer. It's much harder for a shooter to shoot without moving or getting into a rhythm.
Melo's problem is that he has the style of play of a #1 option (iso-heavy, offense centered around him, ball-stopping, cater to him, etc) but no longer has the ability to be effective enough as a #1 option. In turn, he isn't meshing well with other stars players, that requires sacrifice and an unselfish style of play. Moving off the ball, setting screens, cutting, etc. Russ has played the same way his entire career without changing and we know why that's detrimental to a team, except between the past 2 seasons he's also evolved into the premier stadpadder. No surprise why he isn't meshing with the other stars. Paul George just can't get in a consistent rhythm and be consistently as effective as he can mostly because of the poor meshing the other 2 are causing. That and it's not clear what any of their role's are, there's no clear alpha and no one is sacrificing yet. A team can't have 3 alphas and expect to mesh well
Well that's because Melo is just a scorer and does well when his point guard does well. Paul George is the one who needs to come off the bench in order for OKC to be successful or else the blame will be on Russ for just ''standing there''. Look at the Net rtg with Russ, Melo, Roberson and no paul george.... it's the 2nd best!
Idk, I feel like George is probably the most efficient scorer out of all of them, he also runs the pick and roll better than Melo and is younger and in his prime. He's also much better defensively than Melo. I'd say Melo would be the one that needs to come off the bench
I'd say Melo is a scorer and will do well with Westbrook and statistically right now he plays well with Westbrook. Paul George just needs his own unit.
Did anybody notice that the top 3 Big 3 net ratings are 1.) Kevin Durant/Draymond Green/Klay Thompson 2.) Steph Curry/Draymond Green/Klay Thompson 3.) Steph Curry/Kevin Durant/Klay Thompson. The Warriors basically could go with either of those lineups and still be the best in the league. Just shows how underrated Klay Thompson is. Oh, and the Thunder are fuking trash.
Brooks showed he can build a nice system in Washington. Donovan did great in Florida. The truth is that you can't coach uncoachable stars in the NBA, you don't have enough power unless you're in a situation like Popovich or Riley, where you run the whole thing and nobody would ever fire you
5:15 That westbrick IQ exhibit A. Who the fuck walks towards halfcourt when the play is no where near over Billy donovan needs to be replaced with someone whos going to call out the bullshit and put him in his place. Pop would be livid.
Yeah I really think college-to-pro coaches can't handle NBA egos and let players do whatever they want, nor do they design NBA level plays. Hoiberg comes to mind big time, the guy is like shadow underneath his players.
Hey Coach Nick, I scrimmage every week. The biggest problem I have is moving without the ball. Could you do a video on how to move without the ball as a guard in scrimmage setting that doesn't have any structured offense?
I'm just going to say this, Russ isn't a good teammate on the floor. He seems more worried about his triple doubles. Melo has a bad habit that maybe won't get resolved. PG just needs to leave lol
Mr Steeze Bro I suggest you take a hard look at how they play. Russ is too in his head with those triple doubles. He doesn't make his teammates better. In time, he may be, but now he needs to learn. Melo and PG out after the season.
Im sick of this notion that Russ "doesn't make his team mates better". Team mates have to make shots when they're open. They don't. Now, I will concede one thing... the play making needs to be distributed between himself and PG. The ball needs to be in Russ' hands less and PG's more. The issue I have with this statement is if guys aren't making open shots, does that mean they aren't making their team mates better? i.e. If James Harden or Steph Curry's team mates were shooting 40 percent from the floor and 33 percent from 3, does that mean they don't make their team mates better even if they're open? Nope. They still gave them open looks and they missed. Its not their fault the other guys missed shots. Triple doubles dont mean as much to him as winning. If you have watched all their games, he aint chasing triple doubles. He wants to win. He has his moments but may I suggest that you push this shitty narrative onto someone else. Regurgitating rubbish you see on ESPN, First Take etc. just shows you can't think for yourselves. If Melo is out after the season, I really couldn't give a damn. Didn't want him in the team in the first place.
If we are going to blame Russ all day long, then so be it. Thats what half of these diseased comments do with no real substance behind them. Do I excuse Russ from the problem? Hell no. He is as much a part of the issue as the other guys are. What I do have a problem with is consistency, rotations and offensive plays. I agree with coach on WB not moving off the ball. This surprises me because in college, that is all he did. I don't understand what he's doing on those plays. Hell, I don't even blame Dre on offense. When he is moving and setting screens, he isn't the liability like coach suggested above. However, if he is on the perimeter, he is a non-factor. Thats a fact. The Thunder however do need to readjust their style of play. They've gone from a pace team to an awkward half-court team with pieces that play at pace and guys like Melo who lumber. Even Steven Adams moves quicker than Melo so to me its a collective problem. With no identity, this team is going to hover around 500 for the entire season.
His basketball IQ is terrible right now because he literally has another playmaker on the court. Paul George needs to lead his own unit. Melo should be their 1st scoring option.
If he had a high basketball IQ he would have worked it out. His basketball IQ has always been bad. He killed Scott Brooks and is going to kill Donovan.
They need to get rid of Donovan, and get a coach that will impose his offensive system on the team. If possible, a system that involves ball movement and early ofense.
I blame the coaching instead. OKC defense isn't bad. It's that they put all of their best players in the starting lineup instead of allowing Paul George to run his own Unit.
Everybody keeps saying Melo is the problem but he's not. He's just being utilized the wrong way. He needs to be used as a rebounder and spot up shooter like Kevin Love. While Westbrook and PG13 play a Lebron and Kyrie role. Iso and drive or kick to Melo and other spot-up shooters.
They would have gotten rid of Russ long ago, or they would have been fired themselves. This is ultimately an OKC management failure, they have had so much talent in the team, they should have won a championship by now.
Jihad Muhammad or can be used as a spot up shooter till Russ leaves the game, defense has been great with him and come playoffs there's no way he'll come off the bench
Derek Irwin Felton's been a great point guard off the bench, plus Westbrook leaves the game with around two mins in the first, is melo gonna sit the first ten minutes?
Jose Ramirez what I mean is that Melo and Wade, Thunder and Cavs aren't the same, and because of that Wade being benched with positive effects on the team, isn't a proper argument for Melo having to be benched to win
This is only the second video from this guy that I've watched, but it's so refreshing to hear from somebody with a high basketball IQ and a great knowledge of the game.
MD Twomp I think that Curry is better than Westbrook in levels that the regular NBA fans don't see, like I think Curry's basketball iq is much higher than Westbrook, I mean he knows tons of different ways to impact the game positively off and on ball, while Westbrook has less options as seen is this video.
Thanks for doing this video Coach. I know I asked about it in a recent vid you did breaking down the OKC vs Spurs game. I'd like your opinion on whether you believe Melo should be coming off the bench. That seems to be the prevailing thought going around right now. Melo obviously is having issues with his game, but I've been saying loudly now that the Thunder's issues don't revolve around Melo alone. It's the offensive system and lack of cohesion when running said system. I'm not sure benching Melo will do any good. He plays with the 2nd unit quite a bit already, and I'm not sure putting Patterson out there in favor of Melo will help. If they had to bench Melo, I'd almost rather they put Grant into the starting line-up for his athleticism and he can provide some explosive plays that generate momentum, and his athleticism helps his defense certainly. If Melo is benched, this would allow him to play his natural position at the small forward, and have Patterson play the 4 along side him. Then the issue becomes who the bench big man is, Dakari Johnson? He's gotten some minutes already this season because Adams was out for a couple games. OKC's depth is less than impressive to say the least. All of that said though, Westbrook's decision making has to improve markedly and he needs to move off the ball a lot more. I don't know why Westbrook isn't cutting more often. Any time he doesn't have the ball he should be making hard aggressive cuts because he's gonna have a speed and athleticism advantage over his match-up 99% of the time. He can catch lobs. He can beat his man with the explosive first step and get to the rim for the finish or the foul, etc. Billy Donovan is also on the hot seat and I've said this before but if the Thunder don't get above 500 by Christmas or shortly thereafter, I think the front office is gonna look to replace him. I see that happening before any potential trades regarding Melo or anyone else.
Too many ball handlers and ball stoppers on one team. This team will only work if Melo is willing to come off the bench. WB and PG work well together, it'll be like WB and KD v2. Melo would be the best sixth men and it's a win win situation. Melo would have the ball in his hands when he's playing and won't clash with WB too much, they just don't play well together
yea i remember how i subtly recognized that anormaly w westbrook bringing up the ball passing and standing around and watching till he gets the ball back, like years ago too like u said coach.......
he's saying that the Melo effect is when the team does worse because Melo has the ball in his hands bc nobody plays as a team w/ Melo. Coach Nick showed the Melo effect here- look @ 2:55 "Melo has become a demoralize"
just a suggestion for the ads, maybe it can be done similar to how nba tv shows scores around the league during a specific game broadcast, running the ads in the space just below the game score so its not as distracting?
ive been here since he had 50k subs. its easier to watch his older content because there are less ads. its not wrong to put ads on a video but its not wrong to suggest better ways of putting ads on a video. brushing it off as saying "he is new here" is just fucking stupid. constructive criticism helps content creators make better content.
I"ve been listening to alot of people try to explain the Thunders problems and you nailed most all aspects of their struggles. As a Thunder fan it actually makes me sad because Westbrook is not going to move off the ball, Roberson is going to continue to play big minutes and be an offensive vacuum and Melo will not come off the bench so I don't see the Thunder figuring this out.
Actually, I think that Paul George would work in a pace and space, up and down offense. I like Westbrook but he's for himself tho and only for others when it's for his stats...it kinda sucks but that is just who he is. Melo just can't accept that he isn't who he once was...he has to accept a new role but he won't. He is still ISO-Melo and that won't change, unfortunately.
Honestly, they just have to re do their entire offensive schemes. You can start pointing fingers at players, yes, but what the heck is their head coach doing?? Allowing all of this to happen and not giving them enough good plays to run
When your best player is a dumbass with otherworldly athleticism -- you have a dumbass with otherworldly athleticism -- which means you will make the 1st round 10 years in a row, and put up a statue for the dumbass with otherworldly athleticism. Pop could not turn OKC around, because Russ does not believe (or see) he is doing anything wrong.
A lot of people say Klay Thompson isn't an elite player because "he can't create his own offense". It's an argument I've heard a lot and even though it is true to some extend I believe that it is an actual ability for a player to be able to play off the ball, without touching it every posession, an ability that Westbrook clearly doesn't have. If you criticize somebody like Thompson for not being overly good with the ball in his hands, you should do so as well if somebody like Russ is not good without it. Especially because the type of player that constantly moves around the court and stays hot shooting only once every 10 possessions is much rarer in the NBA today.
+jaydexe LMAO Russ is an ineffective ball dominant bum regardless of who u put on him, his TS% this season is 50% and he has had horrible games against the Nets.
+jaydexe U r a LeBron fan so of course u preaches on-ball play making dominance over off ball movement which allows other teammates to flourish and enhance spacing (things that don't show up on box scores). Durant outplayed LeBron in the 2017 Finals btw.
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BBALLBREAKDOWN
Make a video about Houston
BBALLBREAKDOWN bballbreakdown I just want to fight you.
ARE YOU TRYING TO TELL ME IT'S MELO'S FAULT. HAVE YOU BEEN WATCHING ALL THE GAMES? RUSSELL WESTBROOK IS FUCKING HORRIFIC NO WAY IN HELL YOU GONNA PIN BLAME ON MELO. HE ADJUSTED HIS GAME STARTED TAKING LESS SHOT, THEY ALL PLAYED TONS OF ISO THE 1ST 10 GAMES BECAUSE THEY WERE ALL NEW. THEY STILL PLAY 2 TO 3 ISO PLAY FOR MELO AND GEORGE HERE THERE BUT MOST THE GAME IS NOT ISO. MELO BARELY TAKE SHOTS ANYMORE COMPARE TO WHEN THEY ALL 1ST STARTED PLAYING TOGETHER. THERE WAS 3 GAMES WHERE HE TOOK LESS THAN 25 SHOTS TOTAL THAT'S IMPRESSIVE FOR CARMELO. YOU WANT BLAME LET'S GO......RUSS IS THE FUCKING PG OF THE TEAM HE TAKES DOZEN OF BAD AND FORCE SHOTS HE MISS MOST OF HIS ATTEMPTS HIS FG% IS HORRIFICALLY BAD HE BALLHOGS WE LOST A GOOD 8 GAMES BECAUSE RUSS CANT STOP SHOOTING SHOTS INSTEAD OF PASSING AND MOVING THE BALL. IF YOU ARE GOIN GOING TO MAKE A VIDEO ATLEAST MAKE IT FAIR NOT BIAS. IF YOU ARE TELLING ME MELO IS THE BLAME AND NOT RUSS THEN YOU ARE CLEARLY ANOTHER BIAS VIEWER. PG IS AT FAULT ALSO SOME GAMES HE HAS MANY TURNOVERS HE FORCES SHOTS MOST GAME HE IS COLD AS ICE, THIS GUY CANT STRING TOGETHER 2 DECENT GAME IF IT KILLS HIM. THEY ALL GOT FLAWS BUT NO WAY ARE YOU TRYING TO SAY MELO IS THE REASON WHEN RUSS TAKE ALMOST 30 SHOTS A GAME AND HIS FG% IS BEYOND HORRIFIC EVERY SINGLE NIGHT. I WATCHED ALL 26 GAMES SO FAR EVERY NOW AND THEN RUSS DO SOME GOOD THINGS ON THE COURT BUT MOST THE TIME HE PLAYS HERO BALL TAKE BAD SHOTS MAKE TERRIBLE DECISIONS BALLHOG FORCE A DOZEN SHOT EVEN THOUGH HE HAS BEEN COLD ALL GAME. I CAN GO ON AND ON AND ON, I WATCH GAMES NOT HIGHLIGHT I TRY TO BE UNBIAS WITH PLAYERS AND TEAMS. RUSS IS THE PROBLEM.... HE COULDN'T DO IT WITH HARDEN IBAKA AND DURANT AND NOW HE HAS 2 MORE NEW PIECES AND HE STILL CANT DO IT. THE WRITING IS ON THE WALL THE ISSUE IS RUSS HE CANT RUN A TEAM AND HE CANT STOP SHOOTING BRICKS AFTER BRICKS AFTER BRICKS
This guy is BIAS he is singling out Melo when PG been subpar as fuck and Russ been HORRIFIC most games.
BBALLBREAKDOWN stfu
For those saying this is a "Westbrook hate video" you clearly didn't watch the video at all
Anybody writing that at this point didn’t even have time to watch the whole video, 🤦♀️
BBALLBREAKDOWN Lol guess that 9 minutes was too long for em 😂
9 minutes worth of actual basketball knowledge is too much for Westbrook dickriders to handle.
if making off ball cuts was a stat Westbrook would be trying to get 10 every game
Heidi hahhah
So true
Westbrick >> Choke Curry but this shit LMFAOOOOOOOOOOOO
David James curry has 2 championships and 2 MVPs what does Westbrick have a stat pad MVP season.
And winning
The main problem is Billy Donavon but Westbrook does play a big part too. I’m seeing why KD left and it’s not a coincidence how Kanter, Sabonis and Oladipo are playing much better
Marlon Ndoro Kanters always been ballin, he just has more minutes now. Sabonis was a rookie last year who played well and is obviously going to develop a lot after a year in the NBA. Oladipo should have played better last year but couldn't hit a damn shot, and he looks really good now because he's the team leader
Sabonis was forced to wait a ball behind three point line. Now he gets to play his game, spending a lot more time around and in the paint.
Onekidney Wonder they played worse because Westbrook and the coaching staff didn't let them play their game.
To be fair, the way they played last season worked. I don't think giving more freedom to Kanter and Oladipo would've made the thunder better than the 6th seed they got. They over-achieved in my opinion. Now when you add in 2 all stars, Westbrook should change his style of play.
Oladipo was forced to just catch Westbrook pass and shoot, no one is gonna flourish in that kind of role.
I didn't even realise that Russ' off ball movement was that bad... Fuck
Yurhomi 24 you just watch highlights?
His defense is also VERY horrible. It's just like Harden's defense where he doesn't even try and just gambles by attempting to poke from behind. Nobody notices this, people still think Russ is a good defender, but he's one of the worst. Russ is also my favorite player lol
Most overrated player in the league, u just realise?
That's why they put Harden/Reggie Jackson on the bench, that's why Durant, Oladipo etc was forced to play off the ball more often than not.
This guy is the last player u want to play with in the modern NBA.
how do you not notice that he's been known for that about 5 years now
we didnt see it last year because he had the ball the entire time... but damn those clips are shaqtin material
This is one of your best vid that you have ever done. It’s pulled no punches and display a lot of key things into what is wrong with the Thunder offense. Incredible well put video Coach.
It did display some key things I agree but he always came off VERY BIAS. Like the video was about Melo more than anything. Russ been HORRIFIC all year I saw all 26 games. RUSS is terrible but hey lets blame Melo
SaturatedSound he did blame Russ too
So basically paul George and Steven Adams only two actually helping okc
Not really, Paul george is inconsistent because he's been reduced into relying on jumpers instead of running his own unit.
its hard to run your own unit when the center piece is all westbrook though
That's correct.
PG is an elite player. Steven Adams is one of the best centers defensively and certainly underused offensively.
PG is playing horrible. this is his lowest shooting % and he takes more FG's than he did with the Pacers.
When PG13 got traded to okc i was like, Poor paul george. When melo got traded to okc i was like, PG should just quit basketball. 😐
HAHAHHAHAHAHA W
so easy to say in hindsight
ahahahhaha nice 1
PG been SUBPAR as fuck let's not act like PG been balling. Hes been so disappointing these 26 games. He had 4 good game outta 26 WOW some #1 or #2 option he is
SaturatedSound read the my comment
They need to bring Melo off the bench. He could run the second string squad. Only problem is his ego, i don't think he would do it. That's why D Wade is a selfless superstar hall of famer and Melo will be remembered as just a scorer
Well that's because Melo is just a scorer and does well when his point guard does well. Paul George is the one who needs to carry the bench instead of playing with russ and relying on jumpers.
Look at the Net rtg with Russ, Melo, Roberson and no paul george.... it's the 2nd best!
@@russellwestbrook8747 ✝️𝑯𝒆𝒚, 𝑰 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒂𝒚 𝑱𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝑱𝒐𝒉𝒏 3:16✝️💞
At the moment, it's clear the Knicks won the Melo trade
Orlando Martin for real. They're not missing much from George with how well oladipo is playing
yup true
@@justinebautista1383 ✝️𝑯𝒆𝒚, 𝑰 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒂𝒚 𝑱𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒔 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒅𝒊𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝑱𝒐𝒉𝒏 3:16✝️💞
Huh
Respect for not making the video 10 minutes long. Shows that this video is filled with information, and not stretched out to get more ad revenue.
Let the dude make his money.
I’ve been saying for the longest the offensive system is trash. Even when KD was there it was trash. It was just less noticeable because with KD they can still get buckets.
yeah I remember it was still really ugly with KD and I thought it was Brooks and his clogged toilet offense. It's actually just Westbrook and the offensive liabilities they start like Perkins and now Roberson.
I'm actually surprised to hear that Russ doesn't move off the ball that much, I don't watch the Thunder much but he seems like the perfect guy to get involved in cuts and maybe even Pick and Rolls With a guard screen.
zXBlackjackXz haha. Ive never seen him set a screen. Screens dont have stats
glov allsilence LOL
I blame current and past okc staff. Even KD when he left to GS, he has said he has become a completely new player, and didnt even know you can play that well team offense
to be honest though nobody knew how to play team offence that well apart from golden state..... so thats a big difference from where he was coming from for sure...
Harden and KD got PTSD from watching this video.
bimmer audi Stfu
eric garcia You. Are. So. Hurt. 😭
Auston Matthews no one is blaming KD for leaving, I'm mad he joined the warriors
I dont hate KD for leaving OKC, I hate him because he join the Warriors, if you can't beat em join em, Its like Karl Malone joining the Bulls in 97, Iverson joining the Lakers 2002,
People have huge respect for him until he joined the 73-9 Warriors. Now the only fans that like him are GSW fans. He's a top 3 player in the NBA then he joined the Warriors for an easy ring, he doesn't want to compete.
In my opinion Anthony should be the 3rd choice in OKC and get benched. He’d be much more useful that way by scoring.
Kristers Manovskis I agree
I don't think he would be useful at all. He pretty much can't do anything, he's a liability in the offense. He stagnates the offense because he doesn't move without the ball well, he's slow too so he can't beat guys off the dribble hence he forces tough shots that doesn't hit the rim at times, so to put him to the bench would give him more responsibility being the best player among all the reserves and I don't think he will be able to lead. Their bench would suck even more. The worst idea is to put a stagnant player in a group that can't make their own shots. Reserves rely on ball movement because they don't usually have the skills like starters do. Melo is just a curse in general.
EXACTLY
He should've been their 6th man to begin with and had Patterson starting at the 4. That way he wouldn't constantly be a defensive liability and could've focused purely on offense.
lloll he still puts up 20 ppg nightly
Russ really just stands around when he doesn't have the ball in his hands. Lmfaoooooooooooo sad
He doesn't give a fuck, nothing will show up on his stats sheet duh.
Kyrie THE LEADER Irving damn you mad he better than Kyrie
That’s what happens when u r told to be the center piece for your team and they teach u stuff with the ball but nothing without the ball
LeBron be like that sometimes too lmao
His lack of off ball movement is why the warriors said that Russ is easy to defend
Halkaniin yea and we see had that went
This is what people don't seem to understand about super teams. The 2015 Warriors squad wasn't so dominant because they had three all-stars, including an MVP-caliber Curry - they were so dominant because they all meshed together perfectly.
Similar case for the playoffs last year - the Warriors weren't so good because of their individual abilities, though obviously that helps a ton. It's the fact that each of them are willing to take backseats, rather than be the most dominant force pushing for the ball at all times. I'm sure Klay, Curry, Durant and even Green could average significantly better stats if they were a lone star getting as many touches as they wanted, but that doesn't translate as well as their current style does. It's the perfect example of Winning vs. Individual success.
Looking at their career trajectories, I don't understand how so many people thought this OKC team would be fantastic. They have enough talent to be good, and they *could* be fantastic, but Melo has never shown himself to be a player willing to play in that backseat role or lose his ball-touches, while Russ had similar issues back in Durant's day. I wonder if this team would be doing significantly better had they added only George and giving more minutes to Oladipo, or maybe just adding a couple quality bench pieces instead of Melo.
Ryan Walters draymond green ain’t no all star without curry. Take curry and klay away and he’s the second round player he has always been. Anyone looks like an all star with klay and curry
Ryan Walters This. Most Nba fans don't understand that while talent is so very important, chemistry and teamwork are just as important. It is why Kevin Durant most definitely earned his ring last year, because without his unselfish approach to basketball, the Warriors would not be as successful.
Oscar Cabellero Anyone looks like an all-star with Klay and Curry? I'll admit that Draymond isn't as good as the other three but he's still an all-star. DPOTY in 2017, All-Defense team the past three years, All NBA twice... We don't know how he'd do without them.
I'm not a Warriors fan, so don't try and make it into something it isn't. But there's a reason he's rated so highly.
Ryan Walters Oladipo is definitely benefiting from playing without Russ. OKC coaching didn't and hasn't shown the ability to incorporate another player with scoring talent. Maybe that has to do with Russ, but they don't play well as a team. I agree with everything you said though. They overdid it by trading for Melo, too.
I agree, maybe Okc should have traded Kanter , Sabonis and Doug McDermott for PG- 13 and kept oladipo to be the 3rd wing option for a Russ & Paul one-two punch .Which I believe that the Thunder would be far more dominant in that they'd be more understanding of each player's role's as oladipo would have bought into coming off the bench for the team, unlike melo .
Thunder are like a decent Rec Ball team, that can never be great because they don't see any reason in utilizing the entire TEAM.
It’s no one persons fault. Aside from PG no other player is really fundamentally sound or accustom to running a successful system that works by sharing the ball.
Adams can play in a system, most of his points are just catches from Westbrook and PG... he doesn't even demand to post ups.
Steven Adams is.
I miss young melo lol. Old melo is hard to watch.
NY101jah 😭😭😭😭😭 100% with u
RUss is hard to watch
only Seat Geek can save them
And people said they would be better than the Spurs and Rockets.
didnt they almost lost to a second string spurs side?
le stabby yep
Cameron Marshall they had the potential to be
Thats because people forget about coaching and bench, then overvalue starpower and live in a nostalgia about the players best year. Seems like every tv "analyst" still believes Melo is a top player.
I wish every organization had a Popovich, Stevens or Kerr to actually coach the team, make the players play defense and adapt their playstyle when needed. Thats the only solution I see to make guys like Melo change and actually achieve something meaningful in their careers.
They should be better than the Spurs and Rockets. The coach isn't doing a good job. He needs to break things down to 12 parts. Let them take it parts by parts until they can complete a full 48minutes game. They do well in the first half but they fall apart in the second half. So they are close to putting together a full game. But their process is extremely slow.
Sam presti swooped in and "stole" melo from houston. Shit we dodged a bullet on that one thus far.
Pheno da guard I think he would have fit in well with Houston given he bought into the system.
I thought that hilarious turnover compilation explained this already 🤔
Yurhomi 24 doesnt matter. Tripol dobol fans wont understand.
+glov allsilence lmao you have to be easy on them they only watched the highlight - not the full game
samuel tambunan haha. They wont notice that adams the only reason theyre winning games.
YDTaeman Cuz they lost
Melos jump shot looks different, compare it now to 2012, in 2012 his shots were quick and had higher lift now his shots look slower with no elevation
Kristaps Porzingod He's losing his athleticism all apart of getting older and injuries
Kristaps Porzingod most likely duh to getting older and not as athletic
It is sad to watch. What is sadder is it seems like everyone in the world but Melo has noticed as Melo plays exactly the same. smh
Because Melo is old and fat. The only dunking he's doing are doughnuts.
AP AP I fucking died 😂😂
The problem is obviously the coach. If you put there a coach that will take control of the team and not let the players dictate who's gonna have to shot, then they will be successful. They clearly need a coach that can use their players habilities to the maximum. Paul George can handle the ball and can facilitate. Why does Westbrook run all the plays? It's so easy to predict their offense.
No coach can control Russ. He has too much power as a player.
Cynkauvan Yau If he wants to be a champion someday he is gonna have to change the way he thinks. I hate KD and what he did but at least he is a champion now.
Erik Lerström A good coach should know how to manage their players. If popovic was the Menphis coach would he be fired too? Would the situation even get to that point? I don't think so.
If pop was the coach of Russ, Pop would have been fired. They would butt head and the GM would choose Russ. The coach cannot do nothing except acknowledging Russ is a great player. If he tried to coach, he is fired.
Cynkauvan Yau I don't think so but that's my opnion.
Melo needs to be regulated to a spot up shooter and let the game come to him. Just like he is on the USA team.
Hes not even a good shooter anymore hes just flat out washed up
kevinn 😂😂😂🤣🤣🤣
@@Kevin-yo7qk this aged poorly huh
@@mojopiggy1724 no
Its crazy how the media & fans thinks CP3 & James Harden, two incredibly high basketball IQ players who are naturally unselfish and great passers, wouldn't work but Melo & Westbrook would...
Royal Ace emotional thinking
Royal Ace I don't remember anyone saying Melo and Westbrook would work as opposed to cp3 and Harden...
Have you SEEN who these guys are? Four ball stoppers (Paul, Harden, Westbrook, and Anthony) who have never led their teams to the Finals. And I don't wanna hear the "assists" argument. Because all of them are high usage, high turnover types. That's not how you win championships.
Mr. Cabuena-- uhh... not sure if you're aware of this, but Harden and Westbrook did go to the Finals. Also, Chris Paul is the opposite of a ballstopper and has an historically low turnover percentage over his career. If anything, the knock on Paul has been that he doesn't look to score enough. Harden has also turned into an elite facilitator, the opposite of a ballstopper.
jthc 77 If you bothered reading, I said LEAD their TEAMS to the Finals. Meaning INDEPENDENT OF ONE ANOTHER.
Westbrook is a problem too. Seems like unless he has a chance to record a stat, he does nothing. Hides in the paint for rebounds and watches on offense until the ball gets back to him. He doesn't move off ball and has a HORRIBLE habit of holding the ball too long or making the pass to the player closet to the basket rather than the player the play was designed for. Several times he'll hit his big man with a hard to catch,unexpected pass that either creates a bad rushed shot or the player originally intended to get the ball winds up missing a better shot opportunity. Westbrook should focus more on moving off ball because he's the most physically imposing PG in the game. Great size and speed yet he mainly stands there or walks around. They gotta fix their offensive schemes and utilize their talent better.
I mean if melo was hitting his shots russ would have a stat to record.
Luke Sirrell there's more opportunitues than Melo. PG is better
And getting a stat from Melo? Lmaooo good luck, he homes the ball in iso too much for anyone to get an assist
If Melo was their 3rd and final option everytime, they'd be great. Give it to him when all else fails since he ISOs literally EVERYTIME. Trade Roberson, he's a good defender but you can find a good defender that can at least shoot. Paul George is the #1 option. And maybe a coaching change, their offense looks absolutely atrocious
Roberson is pretty underrated. He is literally their best defender and a good rebounder. He can get into the paint and is quite fast at cutting into the paint. Despite his bad shooting he's a very good player on OKC.
OKC will play better when Westbrook finally steps up but that will not happen until Paul George runs his own unit. Melo will always play good when his point guard does well. Melo is a scorer btw.
You cannot win with russ, he won't change the way he plays for the team. Ball hog
nur ibrahim PG gonna love that Ball boy
Same can be said about Melo
This really played the Thunder song. You win coach Nick.
donovan needs to go in my opinion. either way they're screwed!
I called this Russ sagging off shit when he has KD. This was blatant and obvious. That is why I had a HUGE problem with Russ. It is contagious and the team does it aswell. It is poor leadership. KD did it to but hasn't done it in GS. OKC has a leadership and coaching issue. Starts up top and trickles down.
J-Strokes I'm a mad Thunder fan, but i'm objective, and i couldn't agree more with the points you made. But, on the other hand, there is some personnel issue to some extent. I just can't understand why did they keep Roberson on the roster, let alone give him 30 mil. Yeah, the dude has defensive mentality and will, but damn, he couldn't shoot with his life on the line. For me, he doesn't belong in the NBA. Don't get me wrong, there are tone of one-way players in the league, but he is so bad, it's really depressing. He doesn't have any, i repeat, any offensive skill, for a GUARD! He can't handle, to take some pressure of, can't shoot off dribble or catch and shoot, he is a liability on the free throw line which is apsurd, he can't post up, can't hit the mid range jumper, i mean my lord. They need to trade him ASAP. They'll be just fine defensively. Westbrook is LeBron like, he needs shooters, he needs spacing. I think the perfect player for the shooting guard position currently is Danny Green, or a Gary Harris. Btw, it's clear cut now that Donovan isn't the right coach for this team, they need someone who can make Westbrook stay in check, who will put the team above superstars, and i think the perfect man for the job is Mark Jackson. Better get him before Cavs do.
Mr. Iceman to be honest....I thought they should have got KCP to replace Roberson. He literally does everything you need. I was mad they traded Olidipo last year because I KNEW he could ball. That system didn't help him. Now he is on the Pacers and OKC fans are like why he didn't do that there. Its the system and leadership. Adams is a monster in the waiting but they are using him properly. Carmelo should be the closer in close games using ISO. The game should revolve around PG and WB. If they can't get it done Melo takes over. When those 2 go to the bench Melo becomes the primary option. It is simple but for whatever reason OKC isn't getting it. Now it looks like WB is gonna lose both PG and Melo and I doubt he stays unless KD comes back. Which I think he will.
J-Strokes Yeah, you're right on the money. Should've paid Caldwell-Pope like 20 mil. for a year, see how it goes, pay the luxury tax, you simply have to in order to win a championship. Owner is too cheap and he has to live with the fact he killed a dynasty, possibly bigger than the 90's Bulls. For what? 5 million dollars. Yeah. Good job on that. As for Oladipo, i'm sorry, but i don't see it. I watched around 60-70 games last year, he didn't belong on the same floor as Russ. Especially in series against the Rockets, whenever Westbrook collapsed the D, he reluctantly took the shoots WIDE OPEN, and he bricked them. He was that scared. When he got the ball he instantly passed it. Now he is on a team with less talent, of course he is going to score more and have better numbers simply because of more shots. He didn't improve in any category except points, so, he isn't the MIP of the year for me, i'm sorry. The most blame for this record is on 'Melo. I mean, he thinks he's bigger than the team. I would never have that type of a player in my locker room, ever. No matter how good he is. He always laughs it off when being asked about going to the bench. Look at Wade. He alone went to the head coach and demanded to be benched. That's what true superstars do. If it was for the better of my team, heck, i would do anything, if it puts my team in a better spot. He needs to realize that as quick as possible, or this season is done.
Roberson is a miles ahead of KCP defensively lol, OKC need Roberson badly despite of his offensive weaknesses because Westbrook is terrible defensively.
Agree with most of what you said besides "Carmelo should be the closer in close games using ISO." Seriously this isn't 2012. Melo is REALLY bad at iso's now. His legs are gone. Did you not watch the video or read anyone's comment?
Tbh honest as soon as they got Melo I think they killed the team. No offense but Melo never helps teams he is on, he is on of the best players of all time but he ain’t a team player. They should of just kept Oladipo and got Paul George and they would of been fine. They didn’t give Oladipo or Sabonis any time to get their game together so they struggled last year but this year they would of been developed and the thunder would be more deadly. It’s also the coach and players they aren’t trying to fix it. They still do the same basketball every game knowing it’s not working and ends up in losses.
Give me your opinions in the comments what else do you think killed this team? :)
Adam O Agreed
Never? What about Denver?
AntMcQueenSince88 I mean that melo doesn’t help teams win championships
Damian Lillard they traded victer for goerge
Damian Lillard you know that Denver got to the western conference finals vs the eventual winners Lakers in a 7 game series right? Melo was once good... But it was a long long time ago.
I wonder if KD went to the Celtics, what would people say about him, facing Bron every year in the ECF
The best explained video. We need to send this to billy
Melo stalls the offense, Russell doesn't move without the ball and Paul George is not impressed
Yasir Abdulhakim though he's had games where he's red hot, George has had games where he's shot them out of it. Don't act like he's the innocent one here, it was just a week ago he shot 2/17
Jose Ramirez yh but he's doing things that help the team win, along with Adams and Robertson he's one of better defenders. He also catch and shoots, there's more options with him I think
+Yasir Abdulhakim pg has shot 2/15 or higher on 3 occasions this year
That was a brilliant breakdown!
Thanks Coach Nick.
lol what did he break down? none of this is new. anytime guys get together, the discussion is always whether or not they can share the ball as the old adage has always been "there's only one ball." Guys standing around on the perimeter while the PnR takes place is also nothing new in this pace and space era. and Billy Donovan trying to play to what were the player's strengths in the past was incredibly predictable, hence melo in the mid and high post. The entire problem is Billy Donovan and not clearly laying out who is 1A, 1B, and 1C. The offense absolutely has to run through Russ and PG. Melo has to be the spacer. You cant have melo playing his traditional role with Roberson and Steven Adams on the floor. he literally said nothing new in this video.
Hes not a coach he doesn't know what he is talking about. Atleast to a certain degree. I sense him being Bias than anything picking on Melo
He showed to some stupid Westbrook fans that their hero is the lowest IQ player who has the MVP.
He didn't even show that. Westbrook has always played this way off of the ball. he's always been turnover prone. He's always gone for glory instead of making the right basketball play. this "breakdown" doesnt actually go further into any detail of anything that we didnt already know about him. A player's fans are his fans. this video aint gonna stop a guy from having fans.
OfficialSwishaTV 70-80% NBA commentators praise Westbrook and even big part of those NBA "analytics" every time trying to find some excuses for Russ. Coach Nick just showed the reality. Nothing more, nothing less.
I find OKC strangely satisfying to watch. Like a greek tragedy or something.
sheldon blankenship Whats even funnier is OKC has been wasting millions trying to rebuild their team that fell apart when KD left, when they could've spent less if they just paid Harden what he wanted in 2012, and probably won a Championship by now.
They should have actually stick with Harden and KD. They went all in with Russell which is an astounding athlete but lacks Harden's basketball IQ and KD's efficiency. Russ is also frustrating to play with and coach.
KD left realizing he would never win with him. Last year Russ had the excuse he had no help. After this year's failure when Paul George leaves, OKC will face the harsh reality.
SK, wait for the final act!
It's kinda sad that OKC is in 7th seed
The problem is Melo, aka the Terrell Owens of basketball. He's a selfish team destroyer. OKC would be much better if it was just Westbrook and George. People love to blame Westbrook for everything, even though Westbrook proved he could win at a high rate with 1 other star wing player next to him. People want to act like him and Durant never worked, even though they were a perennial 55 win team when healthy, got to the finals, and made the WCF 3 times. And even had the greatest team of all time down 3-1 and would have won that series if Klay Thompson didnt have the greatest 6 minute stretch in playoff history.
Eth D I wouldn't compare him to TO, every team he went to in his prime they always improved. It was his attitude that fucked everything up. Melo it's his play, he just stuck in his ways, get the ball, jab step, make a move for a pull up or post shot
Westbrick can't play off the ball, so its hard to surround him with other stars or put him in a system.
Did u even watched the videos?
Westbrick is not even a top 5 point guard this season since he do not have a 40+% usage rate to get into his rhythm and pad his stats anymore.
Stop being a Westbrick homer and you would understand there are not just one, but two cancers in OKC.
KD and PG are literally the PERFECT FIT for Westbrick because they are so great off-ball, Westbrick has been lucky but too he lost KD and he is gonna lost PG next season because no one likes to play with a ball dominant selfish player that can't play off the ball.
Even LeBron, someone who is accustomed to having the ball in his hands, know how to cut to the basket.
Westbrick simply does not care if his teammates struggle because it makes him look better, his dickriders will say "he have no help".
Um no u idiot. Melo doesn't have NEARLY as much touches as PG or RUSS. The problem is Donovan being inadequate as coach, and RUSS playing like an idiot most of the time. The main thing melo needs to do, is look up.
The Thunder organization is so bone headed. All they had to do was to have Westbrook play the 2, Harden play the 1 and pay him. They would still have Durant and some type of success instead of doubling down on stupid with Westbrook because he's this bullshit idea of an alpha dawg. Westbrook couldn't lead water out of a bucket with the directions on the bottom. Sad, sad, sad! Here's your stat stuffing MVP!
you might as well call yourself a fan of westbrook
C. Giddy switch harden and Westbrook
Stfu
C. Giddy Play Westbrook at the 2? What the heck?
after binging on coach nick videos this previous summer, this is literally how i expected them to play
You guys remember when everyone was getting excited over “Hoodie Melo” in the offseason just because he was making shots with his “sexy” jumpshot during practice and pickup games?Which is enough for all Melo fanboys. Style over substance. Melo has been the same player since the day he was drafted and only cracked top 10 player in the league once in my book. All these guys watch is highlights and how he scores when he does score but completely ignores the 5 bricks he did before he made that one shot LMAOOO
Melo lowkey has been the clutchest player on OKC tho
Russell Westbrook clutch is good but Clutch is overrated. You wouldnt need to be clutch if you hit your shots earlier
When Melo was part of the USA team they won a bronze LMAO! Never understood why people thought highly of him to begin with. So overrated!
Konphetty
Correction: 2 times.
He was good in 2008-09 and 2012-13.
tteverywhere 97 soild point.
Killed it, Coach Nick.
Feel the Thunder and the blunder that was the Melo trade
Holy schit good music choice coach!
Yeah it literally went with everything that was going on.
Paul George and Carmelo Anthony dont even equal one KD
they don't even equal one Oladipo
Illwill81 that’s nothing to be ashamed of Kd is a unanimous top 2 player
KD is unanimous lol. Kawhi's scoring is nowhere near KD and Hardens' Defense is nowhere near KD. Paul George is close to KD but Melo is straight garbage now lol
5 keys to fix this team.
1. Melo comes off the bench
2. Pg runs the floor
3. Russ play off the ball more
4. OKC needs a pure shooter
5. Sign Mark Jackson or Fizdale
long makaya bruh neither jackson nor fizdale are good offensive coaches.
Trust me Melo has too much ego to come off the bench. He needs to swallow his pride.
+qjdivina
Well at least Mark Jackson can handle his players in the locker room
THANK YOU Coach. I've been saying it all last season. Russell Westbrook is ball-dominant which means he isn't of much use without the ball in his hands. This severely limits him as a player and limits his team's offensive capabilities. All of the all-time greats like Kobe and MJ and Reggie Miller had all very good off-ball games.
Tim Ko Even Curry’s off ball movement in top notch
Anthony Sims Yes. He's one of the best ever imo, especially for a point guard. I was just naming retired greats
Best player on okc is PG. But don't tell Russ or Melo, they don't like that fact
I feel that way too
thank you
i always felt that PG's versatility was undervalued as a player...when people discused top 5 , top 10 players in the league....replace him with kawhi leonard in spurs system and he would provide amost the same things ...a little less impactful o n defense but he is a more talented offensive player.
Steven Adams is their most valuable. 124 Offensive rating and 102 defensive rating. Thats phenomenal. Compared to the "big 3" who on average have a offensive rating of 103 and defensive rating of 102.
Joedagg4 i agree, their best player is PG who is too passive to demand the ball more, but should get the most touches as their most versatile and consistent scorer. But Steven Adams is their most valuable asset due to his importance on defense and his usage in Russ' offensive schemes. He wouldnt get half of his assists or rebounds if it wasnt for Adams setting him up for success. The most undervalued valuable player that lacks recognition
Westbrook and PG seem to mesh well. Melo needs to come off the bench.
pg13 has had a 2-18fg game with no ft's
thank you coach...I was waiting for this breakdown all season
As talented as Westbrook is, what separates him from elite players like Lebron James, Harden, Curry etc is his impatience. Watching Lebron, Harden, or CP3 patiently breaking down defenses with precision while Russ is trying to force the issue is night and day.
Carmelo deserves much of the blame because his style of play will continue to hinder any team he is on. Melo seem to be stuck in the style of the early 2000s where offenses revolves around superstar isolations. The major problem is, that won't work against the more potent, efficient offenses of today's game and Melo happens to be a declining 33 yr old with two bad knees. Not only does Melo stagnates the offense, but what kills OKC is his long, contested, mid-range jumpers that opposing teams wanted him to take.
With Russ, his impatiences causes him to force the issue far too often. Many fans assume that because he has a high assist average, it means he's unselfish and gets his teammates involved but it is not the case. Getting the whole team involved in the offense means that the ball actually moves around and touches multiple player hands in a possession, which allows players to get into rhythm. Russ may average lots of assists but most often those possession involves only a single pass from Russ.
Royal Ace So. In conclusion. He lacks the IQ to do so. The basketball IQ.
Frog Squad His personality is not suffocating to the team. He moves the ball more than RW and knows when to attack and when to move the ball. Russ does not. Plus he's a waaaayyyyy better shooter than Russ.
Just look at his scoring efficiency vs. Russ. His numbers so far this year are historically great.
Frog Squad you want links huh? Your welcome to go find them yourself. I don't have to prove to you what I already know is true. By now.
Frog Squad you'll have to do some reading, not sure you will though...good luck with your life.
www.basketball-reference.com/players/w/westbru01.html
www.basketball-reference.com/players/h/hardeja01.html
The effective fg% or efg is the one to pay attention to. It shows how much more efficient harden is, this year and for both careers.
Not hating but I think it's Melo that makes things worse. Individual talent of Melo is great but you need to play for the team to win the chip.. just like DWade does.
And I feel bad for Khal Drogo (Adams) that he ends up with this kind of teammates. I dare say that he is a lot better than Kardashian Thompson and Deandre Jordan.
Agreed but im hating. Melo is ass af
Commandosoap777 I like the thunder though I was a Heat fan (Dwade fan). Cos the 2012 OKC was scary if they stayed together until now.
And Steve Adams.. the most underrated big man today. Yes, he's not flashy but what he does is something a pro coach would die to have him.. I myself as a SF/SG would love a teammate like Adams.
Steven Adams is better than Melo today. The big 3 is Adams, Westbrook, George
What's so great about Melo's individual talent? He's slow, stops ball movement, can't create uncontested shots and bricks a lot of them as a result. Nothing great about Melo right now.
AP AP Even if I tell you.. you will still argue cos you're blinded by hate. So it's pointless.. nonetheless I said what I think and that's about it. If it doesn't go your way then it's not my problem.
this is not the 2000s anymore when iso plays were dominant back then . Nowadays you have to know how to play off the ball. That's why I think KD left OKC since Westbrook didn't know how to play without the ball. And now they add Melo - another ball dominant player. I'm really not surprised they suck so badly. PG definitely coming to Lakers next year
If you watch the games Melo isn't really ball dominant. OKC problem is that they litterally have two playmakers on the court. Paul George needs to run his own unit. Paul has already proven he can lead a team.
Melo will always do fine with a good point guard. Infact Melo is their best scorer and clutchest player.
Melo isn't ball dominant... he's got a 25+ usage and less than 9% assist rate. dafuq u saying
PG gonna love our system here in Tinseltown
Yes for all of you people who said melo needed to be free of NY, it's more like NY needed to be free of melo
This is true
Russ has never moved without the ball.
That's cuz he has paul george on the court with him...
Curry has KD and Klay, but he still runs 99 miles w/o ball every possession.
I mean Paul George plays better leading his own unit. There's literally two playmakers on the court so of course Russ would be waiting on what to do by standing there.
when u playing u cant be "waiting what to do by standing there" u need movement for creating space or make the play so ur team can easy to get a bucket .. what russel do just standing there with no meaning at all, he maybe great player but its because he atlethicism what can make him explosive but his basketball iq was so low
Russell Westbrook its always a luxury to have multiple playmakers. Combine that with good off ball movement and you will have a dangerous offense. Look at Golden State. Curry, KD, Draymond, Iggy, Livngston, even David West and Klay have all been play makers. But it is their continuous movement without the ball that makes them so lethal.
If you watch Billy Donavan's college team played, they are space and pace. Unfortunately at the NBA level, if your Point Guard / star players dont move, your offense becomes stagnant because the role players will have no choice but to follow.
OKC problems:
Westbrook:needs to move off ball
Melo: needs to learn how to catch and shoot and playoff ball
PG: needs to be the go to scorer
lets just forget the fact that PG has had some horrific shooting nights...
Abdullahi Ali yes but we wont achieve all of this until donovan gets fired
I think only 1 of 3 are remotely possible. Russ and Melo are two of the most stubborn personalities in the league
This Thunder team still needs shooters. But there system kills their role players too. Alex Abrines and Patrick Patterson should b better but maybe the lack of ball movement has killed their 3 pointer. It's much harder for a shooter to shoot without moving or getting into a rhythm.
I think they need to start fresh by getting a new coach. Their role players aren't that bad but are being wasted.
Melo's problem is that he has the style of play of a #1 option (iso-heavy, offense centered around him, ball-stopping, cater to him, etc) but no longer has the ability to be effective enough as a #1 option. In turn, he isn't meshing well with other stars players, that requires sacrifice and an unselfish style of play. Moving off the ball, setting screens, cutting, etc.
Russ has played the same way his entire career without changing and we know why that's detrimental to a team, except between the past 2 seasons he's also evolved into the premier stadpadder. No surprise why he isn't meshing with the other stars.
Paul George just can't get in a consistent rhythm and be consistently as effective as he can mostly because of the poor meshing the other 2 are causing. That and it's not clear what any of their role's are, there's no clear alpha and no one is sacrificing yet. A team can't have 3 alphas and expect to mesh well
Creative de melo is a ball hog that the main reason ok3 isnt working out
Well that's because Melo is just a scorer and does well when his point guard does well. Paul George is the one who needs to come off the bench in order for OKC to be successful or else the blame will be on Russ for just ''standing there''.
Look at the Net rtg with Russ, Melo, Roberson and no paul george.... it's the 2nd best!
Idk, I feel like George is probably the most efficient scorer out of all of them, he also runs the pick and roll better than Melo and is younger and in his prime. He's also much better defensively than Melo. I'd say Melo would be the one that needs to come off the bench
I'd say Melo is a scorer and will do well with Westbrook and statistically right now he plays well with Westbrook. Paul George just needs his own unit.
Didn't he shoot 5-20 the other day?
Did anybody notice that the top 3 Big 3 net ratings are 1.) Kevin Durant/Draymond Green/Klay Thompson 2.) Steph Curry/Draymond Green/Klay Thompson 3.) Steph Curry/Kevin Durant/Klay Thompson. The Warriors basically could go with either of those lineups and still be the best in the league. Just shows how underrated Klay Thompson is. Oh, and the Thunder are fuking trash.
For the love of God, Klay is not underrated. They talk about this dude Ad nauseam.
Yo ur editing is A+ now ur intro bumps
The way Melo bricks his shots in this video, and the way Westbrook just stands around in the offense are HORRIBLE.
That's just like every OKC game.
Brooks showed he can build a nice system in Washington. Donovan did great in Florida. The truth is that you can't coach uncoachable stars in the NBA, you don't have enough power unless you're in a situation like Popovich or Riley, where you run the whole thing and nobody would ever fire you
SoloPerICommenti fcking EXACTLY. Let me copy bro. Haha
Westbrook subconsciously stat-pads👀
chrisjericho541 you clearly haven’t watched a thunder video
Bro he just wants to win more so he tries everything
th-cam.com/video/N8erK7T_LIQ/w-d-xo.html
5:15 That westbrick IQ exhibit A. Who the fuck walks towards halfcourt when the play is no where near over Billy donovan needs to be replaced with someone whos going to call out the bullshit and put him in his place. Pop would be livid.
Yeah I really think college-to-pro coaches can't handle NBA egos and let players do whatever they want, nor do they design NBA level plays. Hoiberg comes to mind big time, the guy is like shadow underneath his players.
Knicks laughing all the way to the bank. No wonder Phil wanted to trade him for a bag of chips and a soda.
NYers should be praising Phil Jackson for getting rid of Melo and drafting Porzingis. That's worth $12m a year right there.
Hey Coach Nick,
I scrimmage every week. The biggest problem I have is moving without the ball. Could you do a video on how to move without the ball as a guard in scrimmage setting that doesn't have any structured offense?
Oooh. This is a great idea. I’ll see what I can do
Awesome!
I'm just going to say this, Russ isn't a good teammate on the floor. He seems more worried about his triple doubles. Melo has a bad habit that maybe won't get resolved. PG just needs to leave lol
How do you know he's not a good team mate? LOL what is this comment made of?
Because he is a ballstopper... No one wants to play with a fucking Ballstopper
Mr Steeze Bro I suggest you take a hard look at how they play. Russ is too in his head with those triple doubles. He doesn't make his teammates better. In time, he may be, but now he needs to learn. Melo and PG out after the season.
Im sick of this notion that Russ "doesn't make his team mates better". Team mates have to make shots when they're open. They don't. Now, I will concede one thing... the play making needs to be distributed between himself and PG. The ball needs to be in Russ' hands less and PG's more. The issue I have with this statement is if guys aren't making open shots, does that mean they aren't making their team mates better? i.e. If James Harden or Steph Curry's team mates were shooting 40 percent from the floor and 33 percent from 3, does that mean they don't make their team mates better even if they're open? Nope. They still gave them open looks and they missed. Its not their fault the other guys missed shots.
Triple doubles dont mean as much to him as winning. If you have watched all their games, he aint chasing triple doubles. He wants to win. He has his moments but may I suggest that you push this shitty narrative onto someone else. Regurgitating rubbish you see on ESPN, First Take etc. just shows you can't think for yourselves. If Melo is out after the season, I really couldn't give a damn. Didn't want him in the team in the first place.
If we are going to blame Russ all day long, then so be it. Thats what half of these diseased comments do with no real substance behind them. Do I excuse Russ from the problem? Hell no. He is as much a part of the issue as the other guys are. What I do have a problem with is consistency, rotations and offensive plays. I agree with coach on WB not moving off the ball. This surprises me because in college, that is all he did. I don't understand what he's doing on those plays. Hell, I don't even blame Dre on offense. When he is moving and setting screens, he isn't the liability like coach suggested above. However, if he is on the perimeter, he is a non-factor. Thats a fact. The Thunder however do need to readjust their style of play. They've gone from a pace team to an awkward half-court team with pieces that play at pace and guys like Melo who lumber. Even Steven Adams moves quicker than Melo so to me its a collective problem. With no identity, this team is going to hover around 500 for the entire season.
I still can't believe the Seahawks didn't run the ball...
So funny I forgot to laugh
Jacob Ricafrente fuck man I’m not even a Seahawks fan but the stupidity of it still pisses me off to this day lol
Jacob Ricafrente Imaoooo
Josue Olmedo ikr I'm a 9ers fan and still confused to this day
They would of won if they did.
Would you say a coach change could help the Thunder?
Russ is a beast but his Basketball IQ is terrible
StraightUpJumpshot lmao
His basketball IQ is terrible right now because he literally has another playmaker on the court. Paul George needs to lead his own unit. Melo should be their 1st scoring option.
If he had a high basketball IQ he would have worked it out. His basketball IQ has always been bad. He killed Scott Brooks and is going to kill Donovan.
A beast with low IQ is called a dumbass.
Curtis Barlow what!? What are talking about men? That nigga is trippin.
They should have just acquired PG and went from there. Melo was a huge mistake.
J Bains Sad part is He's amazing when he accepts the role of spot up shooter
A point guard can't help OKC if Westbrook refuses to move without the ball.
+Keyser Soze Keep dreaming. Melo is shit period. I'd take a real shooter like Klay Thompson over an Olympic spot up Melo any day.
They need to get rid of Donovan, and get a coach that will impose his offensive system on the team. If possible, a system that involves ball movement and early ofense.
AprilDeath101 at this point probably but they have to move roberson for a 3D wing.
+The Fre$h Prince I agree. They'll probably have to give up some picks to do so too.
AprilDeath101 Yeah hopefully they don't have too much
I mostly blame melo but russ gets some blame too and also that coach
I blame the coaching instead. OKC defense isn't bad. It's that they put all of their best players in the starting lineup instead of allowing Paul George to run his own Unit.
Everybody keeps saying Melo is the problem but he's not. He's just being utilized the wrong way. He needs to be used as a rebounder and spot up shooter like Kevin Love. While Westbrook and PG13 play a Lebron and Kyrie role. Iso and drive or kick to Melo and other spot-up shooters.
Lol imagine if Brad Stevens or Pop was okc’s coach
Stevens and Pop have very coachable players. Westbrook is clearly not
They would have gotten rid of Russ long ago, or they would have been fired themselves. This is ultimately an OKC management failure, they have had so much talent in the team, they should have won a championship by now.
The Cavs were losing when DWade was starting, since he got benched and is running the second unit they are winning games. Melo needs to be benched
Jihad Muhammad or can be used as a spot up shooter till Russ leaves the game, defense has been great with him and come playoffs there's no way he'll come off the bench
Jose Ramirez Wade is better in the 2nd unit, and makes it better because of the lack of a playmaker in that unit originally
Derek Irwin Felton's been a great point guard off the bench, plus Westbrook leaves the game with around two mins in the first, is melo gonna sit the first ten minutes?
Jose Ramirez what I mean is that Melo and Wade, Thunder and Cavs aren't the same, and because of that Wade being benched with positive effects on the team, isn't a proper argument for Melo having to be benched to win
Dwyane Wade is a 3 times champion, a winner and most importantly a team player.
He should never be confused with Russell or Melo.
great analysis you really deserve much more sub
Thanks!!
This is only the second video from this guy that I've watched, but it's so refreshing to hear from somebody with a high basketball IQ and a great knowledge of the game.
Curry is light years ahead of Westbrook. The best off ball player in the league vs the worst.
MD Twomp I think that Curry is better than Westbrook in levels that the regular NBA fans don't see, like I think Curry's basketball iq is much higher than Westbrook, I mean he knows tons of different ways to impact the game positively off and on ball, while Westbrook has less options as seen is this video.
Curry sets up his team. He manage to be MVP back to back and make every team member better on his team. Apart from Anderson Varejao.
Andrew Leigh ya. Hahah
Thanks for doing this video Coach. I know I asked about it in a recent vid you did breaking down the OKC vs Spurs game.
I'd like your opinion on whether you believe Melo should be coming off the bench. That seems to be the prevailing thought going around right now. Melo obviously is having issues with his game, but I've been saying loudly now that the Thunder's issues don't revolve around Melo alone. It's the offensive system and lack of cohesion when running said system.
I'm not sure benching Melo will do any good. He plays with the 2nd unit quite a bit already, and I'm not sure putting Patterson out there in favor of Melo will help. If they had to bench Melo, I'd almost rather they put Grant into the starting line-up for his athleticism and he can provide some explosive plays that generate momentum, and his athleticism helps his defense certainly. If Melo is benched, this would allow him to play his natural position at the small forward, and have Patterson play the 4 along side him. Then the issue becomes who the bench big man is, Dakari Johnson? He's gotten some minutes already this season because Adams was out for a couple games. OKC's depth is less than impressive to say the least.
All of that said though, Westbrook's decision making has to improve markedly and he needs to move off the ball a lot more. I don't know why Westbrook isn't cutting more often. Any time he doesn't have the ball he should be making hard aggressive cuts because he's gonna have a speed and athleticism advantage over his match-up 99% of the time. He can catch lobs. He can beat his man with the explosive first step and get to the rim for the finish or the foul, etc.
Billy Donovan is also on the hot seat and I've said this before but if the Thunder don't get above 500 by Christmas or shortly thereafter, I think the front office is gonna look to replace him. I see that happening before any potential trades regarding Melo or anyone else.
Coach delivers once again!
What a video, coach. The music, the timing, the breakdown it self. Major props. Hope my videos continue evolving into something like this.
Too many ball handlers and ball stoppers on one team. This team will only work if Melo is willing to come off the bench. WB and PG work well together, it'll be like WB and KD v2. Melo would be the best sixth men and it's a win win situation. Melo would have the ball in his hands when he's playing and won't clash with WB too much, they just don't play well together
U want OKC to have the worst bench in the NBA?
Melo need to change his playstyle period.
Melo is terrrriiibbblleeee absolute fucking garbage they need to trade his ass and get young assets who can shoot
No Melo would be great on the bench. OKC doesnt have a go to scorer off the bench, Melo would be that. He's better than Lou Williams,Wade, etc.
OKC already has the worst bench in the league anyways
Melo would sooner quit basketball than be a bench player.
Holy shit the ad placement is amazing
Ha thanks!!
OKC ISOs
😂😂😂😂😂
yea i remember how i subtly recognized that anormaly w westbrook bringing up the ball passing and standing around and watching till he gets the ball back, like years ago too like u said coach.......
You are spot on bro! Respect
It’s the melo effect Phil Jackson talked about .. he hasn’t evolved with the game
Well Phil Jackson isn't in New york right now...
he's saying that the Melo effect is when the team does worse because Melo has the ball in his hands bc nobody plays as a team w/ Melo. Coach Nick showed the Melo effect here- look @ 2:55 "Melo has become a demoralize"
just a suggestion for the ads, maybe it can be done similar to how nba tv shows scores around the league during a specific game broadcast, running the ads in the space just below the game score so its not as distracting?
Marc Vincent it's meant to be distracting.
Joshua Macal i think he is new here lol
ive been here since he had 50k subs. its easier to watch his older content because there are less ads. its not wrong to put ads on a video but its not wrong to suggest better ways of putting ads on a video. brushing it off as saying "he is new here" is just fucking stupid. constructive criticism helps content creators make better content.
I"ve been listening to alot of people try to explain the Thunders problems and you nailed most all aspects of their struggles. As a Thunder fan it actually makes me sad because Westbrook is not going to move off the ball, Roberson is going to continue to play big minutes and be an offensive vacuum and Melo will not come off the bench so I don't see the Thunder figuring this out.
Actually, I think that Paul George would work in a pace and space, up and down offense. I like Westbrook but he's for himself tho and only for others when it's for his stats...it kinda sucks but that is just who he is. Melo just can't accept that he isn't who he once was...he has to accept a new role but he won't. He is still ISO-Melo and that won't change, unfortunately.
PACERS WON THE TRADE
definetly, got a hometown player in Oladipo and modern NBA big who is a skilled passer as well, and gave up an unhappy asset in the process.
Honestly, they just have to re do their entire offensive schemes. You can start pointing fingers at players, yes, but what the heck is their head coach doing?? Allowing all of this to happen and not giving them enough good plays to run
Jack Lynch KD was the first one to call out Donovan , and what happened ? Dude got roasted on Twitter
When your best player is a dumbass with otherworldly athleticism -- you have a dumbass with otherworldly athleticism -- which means you will make the 1st round 10 years in a row, and put up a statue for the dumbass with otherworldly athleticism.
Pop could not turn OKC around, because Russ does not believe (or see) he is doing anything wrong.
Westbrook is Kobe with no Phil Jackson
Westbrook is no where near Kobe.
Alextwopoint0 hell nah
Alextwopoint0 I can see that
A lot of people say Klay Thompson isn't an elite player because "he can't create his own offense". It's an argument I've heard a lot and even though it is true to some extend I believe that it is an actual ability for a player to be able to play off the ball, without touching it every posession, an ability that Westbrook clearly doesn't have. If you criticize somebody like Thompson for not being overly good with the ball in his hands, you should do so as well if somebody like Russ is not good without it. Especially because the type of player that constantly moves around the court and stays hot shooting only once every 10 possessions is much rarer in the NBA today.
I'm not saying Klay > Russ, I just used them two as an example because I think they're very opposed guards.
+jaydexe
LMAO Russ is an ineffective ball dominant bum regardless of who u put on him, his TS% this season is 50% and he has had horrible games against the Nets.
+jaydexe
U r a LeBron fan so of course u preaches on-ball play making dominance over off ball movement which allows other teammates to flourish and enhance spacing (things that don't show up on box scores).
Durant outplayed LeBron in the 2017 Finals btw.
Klay thompson scored 40 points in a damn quarter. He can create his own shot
klay will make players better around him, while Russ will makes himself better and make everyone look like shit.