More like.. Hoooold it right there!
Down 0-2, it should be pretty clear now to DTTF players that they should start picking Thunder players, if they have not yet done so. Even if you are an OKC fan and you feel you have a good chance to win 2 home games, most of the rest of the NBA-dom will not agree with you. The Spurs may even be more likely to steal one game in OKC, and that's not too far to fathom.
Look at it this way.. all of OKC's Big Three got 40+ PRA in Game 2. And still they lost. What more can the three do??? I know! Wish the Spurs have a bad game :) The Spurs have won 20 straight, and they'll eventually have a bad game; but no one is betting they'll bump into it real soon. Out of the 6 to 12 remaining games in the playoffs, how many times do you think the Spurs will stumble and fall? I'll put my chips on 3 games, and that is not even enough to beat them off a series.
Down 0-2, it should be pretty clear now to DTTF players that they should start picking Thunder players, if they have not yet done so. Even if you are an OKC fan and you feel you have a good chance to win 2 home games, most of the rest of the NBA-dom will not agree with you. The Spurs may even be more likely to steal one game in OKC, and that's not too far to fathom.
Look at it this way.. all of OKC's Big Three got 40+ PRA in Game 2. And still they lost. What more can the three do??? I know! Wish the Spurs have a bad game :) The Spurs have won 20 straight, and they'll eventually have a bad game; but no one is betting they'll bump into it real soon. Out of the 6 to 12 remaining games in the playoffs, how many times do you think the Spurs will stumble and fall? I'll put my chips on 3 games, and that is not even enough to beat them off a series.
- Kevin Durant has been the epitome of consistency. Pick him now if you still have not. Do not wait for an elimination game. In 2010 down 0-2, he dropped 52 PRA against the Lakers! Pick. Him. Now.
- James Harden has found his way around the Spurs and exploded for 30 points in Game 2. He will not get you 41 PRA again, but if you don't settle for his next 30 PRA, you will not get that either later.
- Russell Westbrook is trending upwards. He shot 33% in Game 1 and then 41% in Game 2. Don't get me wrong: the Spurs will still clamp on him and get a hand in his face. But if there's a game he has chance to be better, it's at home. The Thunder needs him to stay the course and attack. There is no other acceptable path for him than upward. And he knows it. He gets my pick.
Harden will not repeat its 41 PRA, and neither do Parker with 45 PRA, at leats in this serie; so I'm quite happy having picked him. And now, time for thunder... My picks will be Westbrook-Harden-Ibaka-Durant (in this order) but picking Durant if it's an elimination game, and if OKL are able to win 3 games and put the serie 3-2, Ginobili (or Kawhi) will be the bet...
ReplyDeleteOKCs big 3 netted 42/41/41 PRA. I guess Harden was the best pick out of the trio.
ReplyDeleteWho will be better next game, the first game at home? Will Durant keep being consistent or will Westbrook force it in game 3? My first instinct said "Westbrook will go Kobe on the Spurs" and I will stick to it. Even if that means I have the same pick as Taong again. I will gain on him when I pick Durant in game 4 or 5, hopefully.
Meanwhile, what Celtic to pick in game 2? I will save Pierce and Rondo for home games and Bass for a game 5 and go with KG. Hope he uses Bosh´s absence even more than in game 1.
That's right Alex, I'll be picking Ibaka or a filler by the time you pick Durant. Also, Westbrook cannot allow the Thunder to be down 0-3 coz noone has ever come back from that.
ReplyDeletequark, Durant is 35 and 34 PRA on elimination games when down 3-1 or 3-2. Pick him now -- in 2010 down 0-2 he dropped 52 PRA against the Lakers in Game 3!
picking durant for counter jinx lol
ReplyDeletepicking westbrook for counter counter jinx
ReplyDeleteThe DTTF-gods don´t like me. Allow me to elaborate:
ReplyDeleteAt the beginning of this round (a mere 4 days ago) I had everyone save D-Wade. As I don´t know (yet) for sure who is going to win I don´t start with the biggest stars but with second options.
SAS-OKC game 1: So why not start with a possible 4th or 5th option of the home team. So I pick Boris Diaw of the Spurs who leaves the court in the middle of the third quarter with 16 PRA and doesn´t return. To this day I don´t know why Diaw was not allowed back in the game. Who would have been the best pick outside the stars? Tiago Splitter. No way to get that right. Okay.
MIA-BOS game 1: I have all of the Celtics left and only James and Chalmers of the Heat. So no matter who wins I have to pick me some Celtics. I start with Ray Allen who matches his postseason career low with 4 missed FT, makes only 1 shot in the game and finishes the game with 13 PRA, all of it in the first half. 0 PRA in the third and fourth quarter. Meanwhile, one of the scrubs of the Heat and certainly an option if I stayed the course of picking a not-so-good player of the home team, Shane Battier delivers a double-double.
SAS-OKC game 2: Harden. Good pick with 41 PRA when he was just as good as Durant (41) and Westbrook (42). Surprise of the night: 28 PRA from rookie Kawhi Leonard, another scrub of the hometeam who might have been picked. But I don´t want to complain.
MIA-BOS game 2: I have to pick the remaining big 3 from the Celtics. No way am I going to pick Pierce. So it´s a toss-up between Garnett, consistent as hell, and Rondo, good even on a bad night. I decide to save Rondo for a home game and miss out on his 44-10-8 performance to get a Garnett who delivered a 26. After a string of three 30+ nights and seeing as he was worse only twice in these playoffs, that´s quite the disappointment. If only he had contributed his usual 35 it wouldn´t be quite so bad. But it´s this combination of a bad night by my pick and an explosion by the player I have yet to pick in the game (no way he will top 40 PRA when that finally happens, I remember two years ago when Rondo had a 60 somewhere and I picked him for 18 PRA).
It´s hard to digest that I picked a consistent player and other guys pick, say, Chalmers, and I lose 6 points to those guys. Unbelievable.
Yaarghh! It´s driving me nuts! Arrr!
So, game 3 in Oklahoma I´ll stay the course with Westbrook, game 3 in Boston I have to pick Pierce. Followed by Durant (probably) and Rondo (probably). Losing points all week long. Sigh.
Try reversing the pick order, Alex. Stars to 2ndOptions instead of 2ndOptions first. In theory same result, but as you mentioned in reality, better.
ReplyDeleteI always say when you pick on a team, choose the best option. So, pick Durant and Rondo... unless you want to save them for an especific game...
DeleteBlowout game. Starters sat down early. Bad for DTTF. Thabo was pick of the day.
ReplyDelete