Because OKC had big wins on national TV. They blew out the Warriors twice including once in Oakland. They beat the Rockets twice on ABC(we'll conveniently overlook that we were shorthanded in those losses). They massacred the Cavs in Cleveland. So everyone in the media bought into the hype that their tendency to play up or down to the level of the competition wouldn't be a problem in the postseason since you theoretically only face really good teams. I never bought into that though. All season long, it was clear the Thunder had no bench. Melo was looking washed up. George never seemed comfortable or happy. And the loss of Roberson was a devastating blow. The fact that some in the media thought Corey Brewer could replace him was laughable and showed that they clearly don't know what the hell they're talking about. And that's to say nothing of their first round opponent, the Jazz, who had the 2nd best record behind only the Rockets in the 2nd half of the season.
Brewer did for the Thunder what he did for us. When he first showed up and put on the uniform, he came out playing really well. Then his intense "gotta prove myself" focus wasn't enough and he started being Brewer. We got more of his good side until the wheels came off; we also had Bickerstaff coddling him.
But that was 2015 Brewer. That player is gone. He's been better with the Thunder than he was here in 2016 when he was one of the worst rotation players in the entire league. But only marginally. I cannot believe idiots like Bayless actually though Brewer was gonna be some sort of difference maker in an OKC title run.
So, i'm waiting to hear what the idiots who voted for Westbrook MVP are going to say if/after he gets his ass kicked in the first round while having home court advantage and two all stars playing with him. How about him being outplayed by Rubio? How about him shooting 36% form the field? Yeah, i expect no word, pathetic. I think you can clearly read between the posts that the hate in not 100% directed to Westbrook himself, rather than to the media who decided to screw Harden because of a couple of boosted rebounds, Rockets fans had an objective reason to be pissed last season. There's a reason why the legit analysts voting for the MVP last season voted for Harden or Leonard while the idiots voted for Westbrook.
I don’t like Russ, but I mostly hate how he is glorified by the media and how his style of play and obvious statpadding is often celebrated and rarely criticized...how he can win an MVP over Harden last year is just ridiculous because of that, I root for him and OKC to fail an eagerly await their demise I had no real problem with Russ or OKC before last season, but ever since KD left, the media has been on his nuts
Brewer was playing for a contract when he first came to the Rockets. The wheels came off when they gave him a 3-year contract. He quit trying when the ink was dry. Guess what? He's unrestricted this summer. Same song, 2nd verse.
WB was in the middle of a lot of pushing matches last night and didnt get penalized in any sort of way. It looked like he left the scorers table while waiting to check in during the incident with Gobert. By the rule book that should be a suspension since he walked onto the court and escalated things even though he was not in the game. I highly doubt the NBA suspends him though, even though they should for the integrity of the game and its rules. The precedent was already set with the Spurs/Suns WCF and those stakes were much higher than a first round 4/5 matchup
I don’t hate WB like everyone here. He’s fun to watch. You have to love the energy he brings every night if you’re a basketball fan. When I was coaching I would’ve killed to have players that played with his energy and passion, no matter how bad they were. It’s encouraging to see in a league where some guys just show up for a pay check. I just enjoy the rivalry we’ve built with them and enjoy watching the state of Oklahoma fail. Go Jazz.
I absolutely hate the Jazz, but you gotta love this Mitchell kid. He's my pick for ROY. I hope he leaves when his contract is up.