[RickyRubio9Participant]

Vancouver Grizzlies vs. Seattle SuperSonics…

I can’t wait for this matchup! Two very young and athletic teams going head to head in a 7 game series. Both of which come from small markets (Memphis and Oklahoma City). It should be a 6-7 game series (hopefully). Just thinking about the matchups has me anxious to watch!

Kevin Durant is going to have to deal with Shane Battier and Tony Allen out on the perimeter before meeting Marc Gasol in the paint. 
Zach Randolph has to face Serge Ibaka and Kendrick Perkins now instead of Bonner and McDyess. The two stars of their respective teams have some tough defense coming their way. 

I’m hoping for a big series from OJ Mayo, but Thabo is a tough defender and so are OKC’s inside presence. Memphis’s bench has to play better than average if they want to win this series. 
Vasqueze, Arthur, and Young have to continue stepping up. 

Any predictions? Thoughts? Comments on the upcoming series?

Right now, I want to ride on the Grizz bandwagon, but OKC is tough.. 
OKC in 7 games?

[jeff416Participant]

I think OKC will win in 7, but I’m hoping the Grizz will win in 6.

[scliddiardParticipant]

I think Memphis will have a tough time against OKC,  Ibaka will make life tough on Randolph and although Allen & Battier play tough D, Durrant is too tall & long & skilled for them, IMO.  The fact Memphis beat the spurs though , shows that is why they play the games, it will be interesting. My pick, OKC in 5 games.

[TooNice4TVParticipant]

OKC in 6.

Durant has ridiculous length and a great offence against the smaller Battier and Allen. Plus they have the bigs to defend and bang in the paint with Memphis.

OKC is deeper than the grizz too

[apb540Participant]

Great start to the post with Vancouver vs. Seattle.  Had me laughing like hell.  As for the series, I’m agreeing with Toonice4tv’s OKC in 6.  Been supporting KD since 2006 so why stop now. 

[the27guyParticipant]

I’m extremely excited for this series. I think it’s going to be a good one. Call me crazy but I actually think the Thunder would have an easier time with the Spurs than the Grizz.  The battle of the bigs is going to be really fun to watch. Perkins vs Gasol. Ibaka vs Zach…. man this is going to be fun.

[omphalosParticipant]

I was rooting for these two teams to just make the playoffs last season, who’d have thought they’d be playing each other in the second round this year.

Thunder will bring it home in 5 games, OKC matches up very well against the Grizzlies, with a great defensive frontline who are young and athletic enough to bother Z-Bo and Gasol, plus Allen is way undersized to defend Durant, so they’ll struggle to win more than one game in my opinion.

[butidonthavemoney]

I’ll say Thunder in 5, even though I had Spurs in 5 a couple weeks ago. Should be an interesting matchup nonetheless.

[Michael.S.Participant]

This would be so much more interesting if Memphis had Gay. As of now, I don’t see any way that they are beating OKC.

[sheltwon3Participant]

i want to give Memphis their props and go with them but without Gay to neutralize Durant’s points, I have to say OKC but it will be in 7.  Memphis will push them to the brink.  I think Memphis will win all their games at home.

[JoeWolf1]

 I think now that OKC has acquired Perkins and Mohammad for some help down low they are looking pretty good and will take a long series ( my prediction is OKC in 7).  That being said, if they still had Kristic holding down the middle with Ibaka ( who is a very good defender but probably only about 235lbs) Memphis would have killed them down low and taken the series.

KD is gonna have his work cut out for him too, not many teams can throw the caliber of wing defenders in Tony Allen and Shane Battier at a wing scorer like Memphis can.

[FastAndFuriousParticipant]

I got OKC in 5 as well

Memphis will have a hard time getting anything in the paint, with I-block-a and Perkins down there

Durant averaged 31 in 4 games against them in the regualr season, and will step his play up even more

Westbrook is toooo much for conley too handle, erratic at times? yes, but overall conley is no match for Westbrook

Memphis will keep the games close, but I don’t see them winning more than 1 game.

[Jlv2011]

OKC in 5.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

Picking OKC to beat Memphis in five games just shows a few of you didn’t watch the San Antonio series. Memphis just dismantled a great team who’s as well coached as any team in the world. This is going 6 or 7 games.

Memphis is TOUGH and Z-Bo is one of the best power forwards in basketball. He’s playing out of his mind right now and looks damn near undefendable. Gasol/Randolph/Authur > Perkins/Ibaka/Mohammad.

And the way Allen took Manu’s soul like Shang Tsung says he’s arguably the best perimeter defender in basketball. He won’t stop Durant, but the combination of he and Battier will make Durant work for majority of the baskets he gets. Durant is about to face two superstar defenders in the same series… Each of them defending a different way. Hollins has Memphis playing GREAT team defense.

Westbrook has the advantage against Conley, but will his head be in the game, or will he be playing wreckless and having bad shot selection like he did vs the Nuggets?

I like OKC in 6 or 7 games, but I wouldn’t be surprised if Memphis pulled it off. This is going to be a great series… Other than Miami vs Boston, this will be the best series of the second round.

 

[ghrghrParticipant]

 I don’t think Ibaka will be able to stop Randolph. He is just too crafty and will be able to get his shot or be fouled. The same goes for Durant. Even though Allen and Battier are two top defenders KD will still get his 30 ppg, maybe shooting a lower %.

The PG matchup will decide the series. Westbrook has the skill and physical tools to dominate Conley on offense and defense so that Memphis may have to use Allen to guard him sometimes and Conley may not produce much. If Westbrook can score efficiently without turning the ball over OKC will win.

If he plays like he did in some of the games against Denver, taking terrible shots, Memphis has a very good chance of winning the series.

[ghrghrParticipant]

 I don’t think Ibaka will be able to stop Randolph. He is just too crafty and will be able to get his shot or be fouled. The same goes for Durant. Even though Allen and Battier are two top defenders KD will still get his 30 ppg, maybe shooting a lower %.

The PG matchup will decide the series. Westbrook has the skill and physical tools to dominate Conley on offense and defense so that Memphis may have to use Allen to guard him sometimes and Conley may not produce much. If Westbrook can score efficiently without turning the ball over OKC will win.

If he plays like he did in some of the games against Denver, taking terrible shots, Memphis has a very good chance of winning the series.

[omphalosParticipant]

@IndianaBasketball: I watched that series, and the Spurs lost it more than the Grizzlies won it, especially at home. The Grizz won on pluck and toughness, but OKC have those same qualities. I just think that the youth and energy of the Ibaka/Perkins defensive unit will provide too much of an obstacle unless Mayo goes beast mode, and even then, Thabo is ready and waiting. Also, Allen isn’t going to bother Durant, he’s too undersized to really guard his jumper, which is where KD get’s his rhythm, Battier will provide a problem too, but he will prove more decisive than Allen in my opinion. A lot of people said OKC would have a long series with Denver and they didn’t just like I predicted; yes, the Grizzlies did a great job with the Spurs, but they matched up very well and denied San Antonio the 3-ball which had been working so well for them all season. I feel like you’re underrating OKC. But let’s just wait and see, first game is going to be a very high energy affair, can’t wait.

[cward23Participant]

Z-BO gets numbers reguardless, maybe even more so when he plays against athletic big men because they rely on there athletic ability more than foot work

[FastAndFuriousParticipant]

Like I said Westbrook is 2 much for Conley

[omphalosParticipant]

Westbrook looking very trigger happy early…

[cward23Participant]

He should be trigger happy since Conley can’t check him

[omphalosParticipant]

Too many jumpers though, needs to drive at the hole, Durant is playing for the foul, needs to finish stronger because he’s not getting calls.

[Michael.S.Participant]

Westbrook is still a very immature player. Out of control, stupid shot selection, and bad mistakes.

[omphalosParticipant]

What’s up with Durant’s handle this game? He’s bounced it off his foot a couple of times, lost control too… not like him.

[cward23Participant]

WestBrook is 6-9. Can’t say i have much of a problem with his shot selection besides a couple of shots. Westbrook and Rose are still young and learning which is why i say CP3 is the best PG in the NBA (that and the fact that he’s also from Northcarolina

What i say about Z-BO…Someone mention “this isn’t Bonner or Mcdyess” i say it doesn’t matter who it is

[delfamParticipant]

 what a bad call, Conley obviously jumped forward on that jump shot, I don’t think normal people shoot like that, definetly an offensive foul.

[omphalosParticipant]

Yeah awful, awful call to end the half there. Durant did nothing wrong.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

@omphalos

 

You’re underrating this Memphis team, who beat OKC 3-1 in the regular season.

 

Memphis *took* that series from San Antonio. It wasn’t given to them. This young team took it to a veteran ball club who had tons and tons of playoff experience, while being coached by one of the best to ever do it.

 

Like I said earlier… Gasol/Randolph/Authur > Perkins/Ibaka/Mohammad. Randolph is having his way with Perkins. Perkins’ feet are two slow, while Randolph will get Ibaka off of his feet with the pump fake.

This series will go 6 or 7 games.

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

And no, Allen can’t really contest Durant’s jumper, but he’ll chase him threw screens. He’ll pressure the ball and test Durant’s handle. He’s a tougher/more athletic defender than Battier is. Allen is like a dog on a bone.

Both of them defending Durant will make him work for what he gets. I think they can turn Durant into a high volume shooter.

Hollins has his squad playing tough defense. They’re really protecting the paint and then getting out to contest the shooters.

[omphalosParticipant]

You’re right, I am underestimating the Grizzlies, I forgot how much swagger they have right now. However, I think the Thunder, and specifically Westbrook are giving it away with poor decision making. I’d like to see Harden in the starting lineup to give some more oomph, because they aren’t respecting Thabo at all.

 

[cward23Participant]

Poor decision making is caused by the great defense. Great defense causes some players to over think or do things they normally wouldn’t do. pressure bust’s pipes.

Grizz front line is Killing the so called tough OKC front line

Perkins is like Ben Wallace on offense and if he isn’t defending a big power Center he isn’t as effective because his feet are slow and he’s not a shot blocker. Ibaka is good but he’s not really a banger and if his jumper isn’t falling he’s not a big factor on offense. Wouldn’t surprise me at all if the Grizz win this series. Same if OKC wins

[IndianaBasketballParticipant]

Z-Bo is going to give OKC BIG problems.

His feet are too quick for Perkins and he’s not going to fall into the pushing sh*t like Nene did. And he loves it when Ibaka is on him, because all you have to do is show him the ball and he’ll get off of his feet and foul. Then Z-Bo goes to the line where he shoots 82%. He’s too skilled for Ibaka.

Gasol/Z-Bo/Authur > Perkins/Ibaka/Collison/Mohammad.

And RW’s head isn’t in the game. His stat line lies to you… He didn’t play well today.

[cward23Participant]

I don’t like when people say ” he played tough D because he made it hard on a player” I do not agree with that if the player still shoots a good percentage while scoring alot of points. Just because you chase a guy around and make it harder for him to score is not good defense to me if they still get at or above their average while shooting a good percentage.

Scoring 35 while shooting say 55% on a bad defender is the same as scoring that same amount and shooting that same percentage on a defender that made you work hard

[omphalosParticipant]

I actually think Ibaka played him pretty well down the stretch, there were some questionable calls against him when Z-Bo was backing him down. Wouldn’t mind seeing Collison grinding at Randolph a bit more, he was probably the most effective defender against him.

Ibaka and Perkins really need to work on their low-post offensive skills, because neither could really contribute that much. It will cost them the championship this season, but I expect another big year of improvement from Ibaka next year, especially if the lock-out happens and he has that longer off-season to work on his game.

[cward23Participant]

They better worry about their defense down low because Zach and Marc destroyed them

[knicksfan7Participant]

Unfortunately I did not get to watch the game, but from the box and play by play it seems like it was Memphis from start to finish, and OKC just got blown out of the water. The big stat the pops out is the difference in Turnovers Memphis turned to ball over 7 times to OKC’s 18 times. I am wondering was Shane Battier on Durant a lot of the game. I know Durant got his, but no one else seemed to have played well enough to support Durant. Yeah Westbrook had 29 points, but on 9 of 23 shooting as well as 7 turnovers. Also the bench points Memphis won 27-16. Memphis is firing on all cylinders and is showing no signs of true weakness. Also to do this w/o Rudy Gay is a tribute to Lionel Hollins and his staff as well as the players playing. Memphis won another game on the road, as long as they don’t lose at home they will win the series. In the playoffs if you can win all the home games you play and steal one on the road you will always win in a best of 7. Great Teams win on the road, and Memphis has proved that so far. 

[sheltwon3Participant]

I was wrong not to go with my gut in Memphis and they showed me today that they are the better team and may win it all in 6.  I just though OKC would take advantage of Grizz just playing a day ago but they did now.

[cward23Participant]

Its one game though let’s all remember that.. I”m hearing the Grizz are considering looking for trade partners for Gay because of how well they are playing without him(could get a couple of good players and shed salary)

[grizz32Participant]

The better frontcourt wins

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