I can't get away from this guy! Now he's upsetting my Spurs and therefore upsetting me. Damnit!!!
that is all.
that is all.
Billy Donovan
- Thread starter alaskanseminole
- Start date
I admit, I had my doubts. They have not played well late in games, and I thought the Spurs might be too organized and composed for OKC. I was rooting hard for OKC last night and thought everything was coming apart late it the game. They have played well to this point, but really not any better than when Brooks was coach, and I have been waiting for Donovan to make his mark. If they could win this series, it would definitely put Billy D's stamp on the NBA. It would probably buy him another year of KD as well.
This series they are playing tougher. The regular season, I thought was a wash. Brooks did get them to the NBA finals. I thought Billy would have them playing better defense, but that didn't really happen in the regular season. I think they could win a title if Westbrook and Durant ever commit themselves to defense. They are both freak athletes and great competitors, but for whatever reason, they get beat on defense too easy. Last night they both made some plays on defense late in the game.
Would be cool to see OKC win because of Donovan obviously and I'm big fans of KD and Westbrook, but they're still probably gonna lose. Their GM has done a shit job surrounding those two with talent. Trading Harden was just dumb and its only gotten worse from their. Their starting SG averaged 7 points per game this season. Adams scores only on hustle plays and Ibaka has had a pretty bad year. KD and Westbrook has to carry their scoring load night after night after night. KD needed 40 just to give them any cushion the other night, that's not sustainable.
I agree the GM has done a pretty bad job with the roster. They gave big money to Ibaka and Enes Kanter. Ibaka looks like more of a role player and Kanter is a good guy off the bench, but definitely not worth the contract they gave him. Adams is legit. I still think with Ibaka, Durant, Westbrook and Roberson on the perimeter and Adams rebounding, they should be a very good defensive team, and they just haven't been. Westbrook should eat guys alive, he's bigger, faster and stronger than just about everyone he covers. Other than game 1, they've played pretty competitive d vs. the Spurs.
Hmmm Donovan just got a big win for OKC on the road against San Antonio. Donovan is 10x's the coach Scott Brooks ever was. Not sure why that was even brought up.
If you want to be honest right now Donovan is actually out-coaching one of the greatest coaches of all time in Popovich
If you want to be honest right now Donovan is actually out-coaching one of the greatest coaches of all time in Popovich
I waited all year for this matchup to see what he could do against pop, he's doing unbelievable. They should have already won the series because they blew game 3 badly. It may still come back to haunt them if they don't close out Game 6. But Billy is on the brink of doing something special in the first year
Scott Brooks beat San Antonio too. I'm not saying Brooks is a better coach than Donovan. Obviously OKC didn't think so either. I expected Donovan to have a big impact, I'm just saying I didn't see too much difference during the regular season.
Donovan has them playing their best ball now, particularly on defense. He put Adams on Aldridge after Aldridge just destroyed Ibaka in the first 2 games, and Adams has had him pretty well under control.
Also, Billy coached a great game, but I think Russell Westbrook had something to do with the win also.
Spoelstra? Or Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Bosh? If you put it that way, Popovic got outdone by spoelstra too. I'm not saying Brooks was a great coach, but he won a bunch of games on the backs of two of the top 5 players in the NBA.
I could win a bunch of games with Westbrook and Durant on my team as well. Of course you have to have good players to be successful.
What Donovan has done in regards to coaching is he has made defensive adjustments that have affected the outcomes of games. Not only that but he has done it with a team that quite frankly doesn't really want to play defense. And not just any adjustments. Highly effective adjustments.
San Antonio finished the regular season with only one home loss. Billy and Thunder have now taken 2 in San Antonio in this series.
Billy definitely has them playing how he wants now. The Spurs are averaging 95 a game in the OKC wins. If OKC can keep scores down, they are going to be a threat to win every game, because late in games they've got Westbrook and Durant.
And OKC is just killing them on the boards. Billy has been playing Kanter and Adams together, and with Westbrook flying around, they grab everything. OKC looked much more athletic. The Spurs looked old late in the fourth. They couldn't come close to containing Westbrook. The guys on the NBA today were saying it will be interesting to see OKC's size and athleticism against Golden State's quickness and shooting. I wouldn't count the Spurs out, yet, but that would be a crazy series.
And OKC is just killing them on the boards. Billy has been playing Kanter and Adams together, and with Westbrook flying around, they grab everything. OKC looked much more athletic. The Spurs looked old late in the fourth. They couldn't come close to containing Westbrook. The guys on the NBA today were saying it will be interesting to see OKC's size and athleticism against Golden State's quickness and shooting. I wouldn't count the Spurs out, yet, but that would be a crazy series.
If Billy makes the Western Conference final in his first year, that would be amazing. If he does the unimaginable and makes the actual Finals, it might actually compel sadgator to watch an NBA game for the like first time since Jordan retired.
if he makes the finals he will win it all in his very first year, the east sucks, as usual.
I wanted to see this all year. The thunder get play like that on defense and from their bench, it could get real man. They are a very good team playing the style we are all accustomed too, they could be a very dangerous team with performances like tonight. They come together the way it happened tonight consistently it's a REAL shot at a championship.
They just put down the crown of the NBA and the best coach and pop put billy up in the only way he can by admitting he was out coached with full class and they did a phenomenal job and were flat out overwhelmed man
they didn't just beat some nobodies basically 4 games straight and make them look lost, it was coaching and Billy is the truth.
they didn't just beat some nobodies basically 4 games straight and make them look lost, it was coaching and Billy is the truth.
Yes. It is crazy that he was our coach. sadgator always thought he should stay in college to attain program "legend" type status; however, if he actually succeeds in the NBA and wins a title, he will achieve a kind of elite status as a coach that will be almost unmatched by anyone.
Because he needed to win 1 more on the road in order to win the series.....what do you mean why was it brought up?
Pretty amazing job by Donovan tonight. Neither Westbrook or Durant had particularly good games. Westbrook was very good in the second but bad in the first and Durant missed like 8 of his last 9 shots. Whatever Billy did defensively, he blew up Golden State's offense. They had the wrong guys taking the wrong shots in the 4th. Down 12 at half, bunch of turnovers and getting out rebounded. Completely different game in the second half.
Pretty sure Larry Brown is the only person to win an NCAA title and NBA title.
Billy could make history again.
Billy could make history again.
The Thunder close this series out and Billy D is going to win a Championship in his very first season while going through all the best teams in the league from the West and a joke soft East team with lebron crying and going 2-7 in the Finals and losing 5 of 7 straight.
