Lots of talk last night about Scotty Brooks' bold stroke of genius, leaving 4 reserves in the game for the entire 4th quarter. Of course, Durant was out there, any fool would have known enough to play Harden. They play big man by committee, so that wasn't a big deal either. The HUGE issue was Westbrook.

Prediction:

Sure, Brooks won the battle, and everybody applauds his courage, but in my opinion, that move last night will eventually cost him his job. This OKC team is too talented to be micro-managed like that, and Brooks will head the way of 1989 Doug Collins, i.e. won't be around for the ride when these guys start winning BIG.

Disagree completely. We're not talking about him sitting an 8 year vet superstar. This team is so young it needs stuff like that, and this team is so tight knit this will be taken care of in house.

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This team is so young it needs stuff like that

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I agree completely with you. However, there are 82 regular season games to deal with insolence, petulance, and insubordination.

I haven't followed OKC, but it sure looks like Harden needs to be on the floor at the end of games.

Well I've watched pretty much every OKC game this season, and you're right on Harden, but he typically is in late.

Brooks has played Maynor before for bid minutes late, but the media is blowing this up. For someone "pouting" on the bench, Westbrook sure was cheering a lot.

Westbrook needs to learn who he is. Durant is the guy. Westbrook thinks he is the guy.

Wasn't really a gamble. Westbrook didn't stay in his lane and Maynor was playing really well. Killed two birds with one stone.

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Sure, Brooks won the battle, and everybody applauds his courage, but in my opinion, that move last night will eventually cost him his job.

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Huge reach. It wasn't that serious.

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Harden needs to be on the floor at the end of games

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This. The 4th quarter is when you really need defensive stoppers on the floor.

This Westbrook thing is getting blown out of proportion by the media.

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This Westbrook thing is getting blown out of proportion by the media.

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SOP for today's sports media.

if scott brooks loses his job, it's because he's just not that good of a head coach. it won't be because he did what was necessary to win a crucial playoff game.

I think Brooks had every intention of putting the starters back in, but the backups didn't make any mistakes and didn't turn the ball over until there were about 20 seconds left. That was a situation where your backups stay in until Dallas gets it going and they start to get flustered, but neither of those happened until the very end

other coaches should learn from scotty. most would put their 'stars' back in but he left russ out while the backups completely controlled the game and had a ton of momentum. players sometimes need to check their egos and realize that on off nights they need to sit, especially when the backups are playing like all-stars. it's should be about winning, not the individual. of course the media will spin whatever way they want

I think there is a better chance that Westbrook ends up being out as opposed to Scotty Brooks.

"Sports do not build character. They reveal it."
-John Wooden

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I think there is a better chance that Westbrook ends up being out as opposed to Scotty Brooks.

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Yep - just like when Bill Fitch said, "Either Akeem goes or I go." Wait, bad example...

94chem-

Instead of comparing Westbrook to one of the greatest players of all time, I think a better comparison might be him to Marbury. As you may recall, Marbury started his career with Garnett and thought he was the man. Well, it didn't quite work out.

"Sports do not build character. They reveal it."
-John Wooden

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Instead of comparing Westbrook to one of the greatest players of all time, I think a better comparison might be him to Marbury. As you may recall, Marbury started his career with Garnett and thought he was the man. Well, it didn't quite work out.

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where has russ ever said he thought he was the man?

russ' main focus is the same as everyone else's on the team, to win games. he's been playing like this all season and people who have followed the team all season know this. this is how OKC got where they are today. just because the national media is paying attention for the first time doesn't mean russ needs to change his game.

I didn't know how it would happen, but last night was an example of what I meant in the OP. Harden fouled out, and OKC couldn't get any offense going, despite having 2 of the top 15 players in the league on the floor. The chatter will keep going about how Brooks doesn't know how to coach his star talent, and how leaving the reserves in the whole 4th quarter prevented Westbrook from learning how to close a play-off game, Brooks was just lucky, that the starters would've won the game as well, etc. Brooks will go the way that Doug Collins did in 1989. They will bring in the "Zen-Master 2013 Edition" to scoop up a few titles with the talent left behind.

A 30 foot contested jumper in a tie game with 7 seconds remaining? Really?

[This message has been edited by 94chem (edited 5/24/2011 7:58a).]

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I didn't know how it would happen, but last night was an example of what I meant in the OP.

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Actually, last night was not an argument in support of your OP, but an argument against it. You said that Brooks would be undone by his micro-managing, and yet last night, he was too hands off, sticking with a lineup that obviously wasn't working. If Brooks would have shown some ingenuity or guts last night like he did in game 2, this series would likely be tied. Instead, he froze up on the big stage and watched his team choke away a 15 point lead without doing a single thing.

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The chatter will keep going about how Brooks doesn't know how to coach his star talent,

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I think he connects well with his stars, he's just not a good strategist.

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and how leaving the reserves in the whole 4th quarter prevented Westbrook from learning how to close a play-off game,

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Russ has played in plenty of close games in the past 2 years; hell he had a triple-double in game 7 just last series.

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Brooks was just lucky,

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I don't think anyone is arguing this. Going with what working isn't being lucky, it's being smart, especially when it's not the easy thing to do.

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that the starters would've won the game as well, etc.

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I don't think anyone is arguing this either.

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Brooks will go the way that Doug Collins did in 1989.

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At some point in the future, yes Brooks will likely be let go. But it will have absolutely nothing to do with the game 2 win.

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They will bring in the "Zen-Master 2013 Edition" to scoop up a few titles with the talent left behind.

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Adelman, please.