Impressive

Aloha,

The Bucks game was one of the more impressive wins of the year. 2nd night of a back to back and they got in at 3am. Thank you schedule makers. It was also the 3rd game in 4 nights and the last game of a long road trip. And no Rui or Marcus. No problem. This team just finds ways to win. A few thoughts.

That was by far the best defensive half of the season. Tired legs caught up to them in the 2nd but they had built an a huge lead. But one thing many may have missed. The offense was partly responsible for the defense. Only one live ball turn over and not many missed 3’s. They also took care of the defensive glass. All of that really helped our defense.

We are currently 15th in defensive efficiency. But we are one of the league leaders in turnovers and near the bottom in 3 point percentage, with only Rui shooting it well. If we can begin to cut down on turnovers and shoot the 3 better our defense rating will improve.

All of the metrics say we should not have this record. I don’t pay attention to the metrics because I haven’t seen this team play yet. LeBron has been out all year. Luka, Austin, Marcus and Gabe have all missed games. And we still have won. I’m withholding judgment until I see the whole team play.

Ayton dominated Miles Turner. He was a non factor. And Jackson held his own as well. Bobby Portis was not much of a problem either. Ayton is looking like the guy we hoped for. He is beginning to connect on the lobs. It takes time to build chemistry and it appears it is trending in the right direction.

Austin appears to be getting his mojo back. He wasn’t himself for a couple of games after the groin issue.

Both Luka and Austin finally hit their 3’s. That’s one of the reasons, along with Smarts miserable volume 3 point shooting that we have such a poor percentage. Hopefully they have turned the corner.

Maxie had a very strong game. JJ put the spotlight on his play in the post game. While the focus seems to be on his 3 point shooting, he has always been known as a pretty decent defender. He did about as good a job on Giannis as one can expect. Turned him into a passer a lot.

We caught a glimpse of why the team is excited by Adou. The dude is so athletic. I’m hoping he can earn some PT by the all star break.

There is a lot of chatter about the Lakers looking for trades and I’m sure they will look. But the play in has changed the landscape. While the Lakers are championship or bust, for many teams reaching the playoffs would be a successful season. Teams will be holding on to players and there will be competition for the few that hit the market.

There isn’t a trade or two that can put us on par with the Thunder anyway. I actually think this team can compete for the 2nd seed as is. The metrics will improve once we are whole. And this team plays extremely hard and are very connected. So, get to the playoffs and see what happens. The Thunder would not be the first best team not to reach the finals. Think the 72 win Warriors. Play the games because in the NBA, you never know.