Thunder's real problem? Stephen A. and Max debate what's going on in OKC | First Take | ESPN

First Take's Stephen A. Smith and Max Kellerman debate what's really going on in OKC.
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[@spreadlove7761]

Aaron Gordon dropped 40 on they head bro. SMH

[@icebankmiceelf5120]

A Friendly Hobo melo

[@spreadlove7761]

A Friendly Hobo trueee

[@trvspvrk]

Aaron Gordon is actually good tho

[@leroycox77]

Don’t say that like Gordon ain’t good

[@bleachcool1465]

Sam M Aaron Gordon is decent bro

[@itsyoobiiEman]

they just showed Westbrook on the side looking depressed after that L, lmao nah that Melo effect real

[@jmacHtown56]

Emmanuel James If you spent as much time as you do on KZbin commenting on every video, and applied that to real life. Maybe you'd be able to move out your momma basement and get laid once in a while.

[@kingjosiah855]

jmacHtown56 nigga damn. Just chill. He's wrong, but shit. You made that so personal so fast

[@Commandosoap777]

W

[@bigglizzy1952]

King Josiah its true tho ion think that nigga leave his room

[@brzy1188]

Damn you chasin that boy round every video shit getting real feelins gettin hurt

[@mperkins7]

David Fizdale would be a good fit

[@bigrabii9470]

Michael Perkins for 20 teams. you don't need to say that.

[@kingwani8248]

Michael Perkins smh

[@champagnefroggy3801]

facts he was even bitching around memphis' lord and savior. If hes not the vocal coaching okc needs than idk who is

[@bigglizzy1952]

Not really. cause they have no bench

[@slim8039]

maybe

[@BK-sx5ps]

God I hate to admit it, Melo is the biggest problem. Pg needs wayyyyyyy more touches. Melo needs to adapt a Kevin love esq game.

[@mikej53]

Benjamin Ko he needs to be a catch a shoot 3 ball shooter.. I ducking hate it when melo plays iso.

[@davidjames6036]

lol soft love plays like trash in big games and chokes against larriors superteam in finals everytime tho faxx lmfaoooooooooooo.

[@khurrammawanirkoo3119]

Benjamin Ko No it’s not it’s all Billy Donovan

[@khurrammawanirkoo3119]

Billy Donovan needs to get fired

[@khurrammawanirkoo3119]

I’m a Thunder fan and can’t take it anomie

[@asare240]

I see three things: 1. Coaching 2. Three ball dominant all stars trying to gel 3. No bench. I still think one of the big 3 needs to come off the bench.

[@kingjosiah855]

If they had Pop, Kerr, or D'antoni then they'll be the best team or second best team in the NBA

[@kingjosiah855]

I don't agree with your other statements though

[@vudoodaddie]

1. CancerMelo 2. CancerMelo 3. CancerMelo ...

[@valenciadr5642]

Dude you are so rite

[@valenciadr5642]

Jon Davis there shouldn't have to be a guy....it's a team sport...look at the warriors, everybody has a specific role and plays so unselfish so maybe if a little sharing and sacrifice they would have better games and stop playing hero ball and stat padding

[@javianjohnson8746]

OKC's only goal with this superteam was to beat the Warriors in a game in OKC so KD can feel bad :( Well, now look at them...on a LOSING STREAK. Definitely see why KD had beef with Donovan and the system. Just a bunch of hero-ball isolation that only loses them games. No wonder in KD's last year (and first year for Donovan), they blew 14 fourth quarter leads and lost. The coaches panic, causing the players to go back to playing ball like they're at the park

[@tawseefa1051]

People give Westbrook wayy to much credit. Anyone who watches the actual game and not just the highlights can tell Westbrook cannot defend. His matchups had the highest number of uncontested shots last year bc he just runs back to grab the boards. People only look at the crazy statline, but they fail to realise that russ has poor basketball iq and he is extremely inefficient. High usage rate, turns the ball over, and most importantly he just stays still when he doesn’t have the ball in his hands. He can’t lead a team, just bc he plays hard people think he’s better than cp3, kyrie, steph and harden

[@jakoblozano8031]

Tawseef A least in contested shots... Most in deflection what's the problem ?

[@tawseefa1051]

Jakob Lozano What’s the problem? Seriously? You’re asking what’s the problem with leaving your man open? Smh. And yes he did have the highest deflections but that doesn’t mean you gotta leave you man WIDE OPEN. A player of Westbrook’s talent should be able to do both but he cares way too much about his stats

[@shadow_5519]

Tawseef A uncontested shots has nothing to do with your ability to play onball defense.. which none of those players you mentioned actually can do pretty well.. other than cp3

[@tawseefa1051]

SAM PR3STI I'm not saying russ can't play onball defense, he chooses not to bc he cares about his stats too much. The only game this year where he actually defended well was against gsw. He's probably the 4th best on ball defender among the point guards behind Wall, bev and Cp3. But what makes Wall, cp3 and bev elite defenders is their ability to play good defense consistently and the fact that they play off ball defense just as well. Curry and Kyrie(especially this season) are elite off ball defenders which russ isn't. They switch every possession, they know how to defend the pick and roll and they read passing lanes really well.

[@Stinkmeaner-_-]

Tawseef A. Chill Tf out Russ better then kyrie now you smoking cantaloupe

[@esthervictoreah7380]

let the blame games begin

[@Erick-io5xi]

Vickie Torie it is the coach tho

[@andrewgoering6738]

Vickie Torie THANK YOU!

[@philtastic1]

Carmelo is a disease on every team

[@vudoodaddie]

I totally agree! CancerMelo is the main problem!

[@Commandosoap777]

Huge W

[@kingvazz]

thats just one game what about the other games

[@danielvargas7468]

philtastic1 plz watch the games instead of spreading your stupidity. Its not just melo, this team as a whole needs a shake up. Russell needs to make better decisions instead of chunking up 3s when the game is close and pg justs needs to be more consistent(although really i have no complaints for him). It's going to take team effort to turn this around.

[@BK-sx5ps]

No. 9 do u watch the okc games? The moment Melo gets into his triple threat, nobody moves. They all know Melo ain't kicking it out.

[@bucksgods569]

Bring Melo off the bench Then fire Billy and also trade. Roberson for a two way Sg. It should help

[@trvspvrk]

I like the trade Roberson idea, get dat nigga all the way the fuck outta there

[@likemike2945]

goat 70000 no one wants roberson's weak ass.

[@arealgoodguy]

Since Lil B lifted Durant's curse with him going to the Warriors. Then recently Lil B lifting Harden's curse, the curse has fallen to Westbroook by default.

[@BULLIESBULLY]

A Real Good Guy w

[@oakinw8361]

W

[@FazeParticles]

W

[@BrianCheng24]

The OKC Thunder this season proved how much KD carried this franchise for the past decade. He had to sacrifice a lot playing with Westbrook whose arguably the hardest player to play with in the NBA if you're an all-star. He's one of the least efficient player in the NBA and he's extremely ball dominant. That's a bad recipe if you want good team chemistry.

[@Blasian_guy]

Dude took them to playoffs last year getting a triple double bye bye

[@BrianCheng24]

justin chen and now he got 2 allstars and they have a losing record. Bye bye

[@eepyaj1123]

Swap Harden or CP3 for Westbrook and you will see the big difference. Westbrook getting exposed, OKC fans: Westbrook didn't have help last season but former OKC players balling out this season Kanter, Sabonis and Oladipo. Just accept the facts that Westbrook is not a leader and can't make his teammates better.

[@sadsheep]

Because he was the ONLY option on the team, of course an explosive, athletic pg like westbrook is gonna impact his team's success, that doesn't make him a great team player though. It's just a symptom of the style of game he plays. It's not good enough.

[@comicthecon]

Swap Harden in & I’ll have the biggest choker in nba history, swap in cp3 I’ll never get out the 2nd round LMAO

[@baselinejordan1744]

Kyle Crane W

[@eepyaj1123]

Nelson Mendez the choker who eliminated that stat padding machine. And of course i'll pick the CP3 2nd round exit then the Westbrook 1st round exit

[@theprezidentgaming]

Kyle Crane its just oladipo. Sabonis, Kanter hot garbage

[@janordanu2008]

Glad Carmelo didn't come to Portland

[@mdc1342]

Hahahahaha Russ has his help now and his stans are STILL complaining as if Russ isn’t playing inefficient

[@TheSwagIsBack]

MDC he isn’t like that & Westbrook is still playing good

[@luispadilla6976]

Even tho westbrook has his help now, the team still has to click to win, it's gonna take time

[@childrenofthecorn918]

Luis Padilla time ain't on their side, PG will walk in FA if this continues..they need to figure this out now..

[@foghornfoggyface]

Wtf is a stan

[@fullViewJay]

There are plenty of other stars who haven't had a real coach and are doing fine

[@mixumillianmass6986]

Melo doesn't move the ball, he doesn't play defense, and he disrespects every coach that he's played for in his professional career. He goes to OKC and does the exact same shit. Yea... The coach is the problem... Sure 👌🏼

[@javianjohnson8746]

Melo needs to come off the bench to give the bench a great scoring boost. Y'all wanna win? Need to but ego aside and do what's best for your team

[@shawnnyc100able]

No big 3 has one of their big 3 coming off the bench....They need to trade Roberson for some offensive punch and bring that asset off the bench

[@jayvon221]

Javian Johnson u see wade coming of the bench being great thats what melo should be doing dominating othere teams bench but okc is a selfish and was a fell from the beginning

[@danielvargas7468]

jay pullum i agree, melo off the bench would be deadly.

[@ScaryValentine]

David Fizdale is available

[@flow7791]

I think the team would've been better with Russ and PG with Kanter on the bench than Russ, PG and Melo.

[@Barak144]

Left Right Melo is not the problem Westbrook is not a true PG everybody who left OKC is doing better

[@willsmith3074]

Too early in the season. Sure they have a terrible record, but everyone and their mom on youtube favored GS to defeat OKC by 30, with their LOL's etc...It was complete silence and excuses after that game

[@EkiGames]

true. gsw played like shit

[@jesedelgadillo8290]

Left Right Kanter is a better scorer than Melo honestly. Well more efficient.

[@jamesbohm3690]

"Can't play Kanter". They might be better off in the regular season but once the playoffs hit it's too dangerous to have him out there getting attacked every single possession

[@Tyler-dm2ul]

It's pretty simple, Melo is the problem. He is so used to playing with trash teammates he just runs isos and shoots dumb shots. He don't know how to play team ball

[@stormedcapone]

Arszenal Like Westbrook does?

[@Tyler-dm2ul]

Kaiser You could say so, all three of they're stars are ball dominant...

[@Rolo555]

Carmelo has and always will be a overrated bum. But yet people blamed Phil Jackson for the mess in NY instead of Carmelo!

[@SaturatedSound]

Rolo your clearly not a smart kid

[@sunnyzilla4]

It's Carmelo. Put him on the bench. Knicks got better, OKC got worse faxxxx

[@profitnotpoverty5479]

Rohan Prince yr stupid

[@nitrousking23]

what fact when Melo be leading in rebounds an assist damn near everygame🤔😂dumb azz all them get there points an the bench😂😂😂coach dnt ever call plays he let them do them

[@Ryandupont0896]

2018 thunder might = 2013 lakers unless a major change happens

[@kentecharles1631]

Ryan Dupont true shit that's gotta be the answer

[@JKennyPro]

Ryan Dupont imagine the 2013 Lakers with cp3 which they should've had... what a shame.

[@Ryandupont0896]

JKennyPro I actually think it would’ve been somewhat of the same scenario. Too many alphas to deal with

[@theunknownblack2689]

Ryan Dupont How ? When the lakers starter only played 15 total games during that season.. Nash was 40 years old with bad back and Dwight had back surgery in the off season before he was traded. Melo is only 33 and Paul George is only 27 Not dealing with any major injuries.

[@athenameadors7246]

Same for Cleveland

[@g0rsk13g4n9st4]

Melo's hero balling and one-dimensionality is their problem. But hey, good job diverting blame from yo boii, Stephen A.

[@theirine17]

Exactly!

[@troytweed775]

gorskiegangsta funny how melo doesn’t have the highest usage rate and russ runs the team and they all play hero ball and shit defense but it’s all melo fault

[@JWoogieraps]

You don’t watxh the game , Westbrook hero balls

[@SaturatedSound]

You blame Melo and Not RUSS have you been watching the games. Russ is the one playing HERO ball not Melo not PG RUSS you are clearly a BIAS fan. No way you say all 20 games and then make a statement like this. You need to go find all the previous games and watch them them return and make the exact same statement. Russ is the only always worrying about his triple doubles and playing super hero ball.

[@SaturatedSound]

And I am not speaking about highlights but I am talking the actual games not clips of scored baskets

[@juggernaut34]

Carmelo is the #1 franchise killer of all time...

[@TheSwagIsBack]

Edgar Palacios no

[@kingwani8248]

Edgar Palacios nope

[@kingwani8248]

Edgar Palacios smh

[@juggernaut34]

TheSwagIsBack then who??

[@juggernaut34]

King Wani give me somebody worse,don't just say no,I'll wait...

[@chasonwright3394]

Stephen A. refuses to admit that melo is the problem he is going to go to like 3 other teams and they are going to get worse and he is going to blame the teams he goes to for them getting worse when he gets there.

[@junaldinho100]

The Melo effect is real y’all!!!

[@MrAitraining]

Melo effect is what it does to others. It slows you down, shots get harder for everyone when your are slower. Westbrook shines when the offense is quick and transition points off defense. You lose a lot of that with melo. I'm not surprised at all by westbrook having issues. Knicks are faster and better without melo and OKC is slower. Facts.

[@DaFlash47]

GIVE this team to pop and they'll win 20 straight Pop don't take crap from no one not even His best player which is Kahwi

[@lizziev7372]

Coaching Westbrook seems like hell.

[@iSeekKnowledge1]

How the hell would you know that? He makes bad decision and likes to play hero-ball too much but I would say he has a very high basketball IQ and seems to always follow what the coach says or else they wouldn't play him...

[@iSeekKnowledge1]

Erik Lerström well Russ’s inability to play “smart basketball” got them to a 6th seed last year and now that they have a better bench and two other stars to help Russ out, they’re doing worse than last year and suddenly it’s all because Russ has low basketball IQ? I blame the Coach and Melo.

[@ShutThePuck]

Lol I'm telling you, don't matter who you surround Westbrook with, this nigga will not win! Got carried by KD his whole career, a dude with top 10 all time talent, ran him outta town. Hope you OKC fans enjoyed the greatest Era in Thunder history, it's all downhill now.

[@trvspvrk]

L

[@Deimos_the_Autist]

Puck kd was also a cause to the 3-1 lead loss against the warriors and pussy out to go join em I’ll take Westbrook

[@chickenmanoktae]

Westbrook isn't coachable. You can see his personality in his interviews. Smug, selfish, and with an enormous ego.

[@kingwani8248]

Wrong

[@ShutThePuck]

Ameere Duff He ain't Jordan, Shaq or Kobe. Jordan and Kobe played both sides of the ball at an elite level and were 6'6, more efficient and harder to slow down in the playoff's. Shaq was unstoppable but he couldn't be counted on in clutch situations due to his poor FT shooting. Westbrook is the two things you don't want your PG to be - inefficient and a bad decision maker. He's like a short Lebron with no BBIQ.

[@dabbydabby6484]

OKC=BUST

[@lyvvaaa]

dabby dabby ***OKC

[@rimacidih9350]

dabby dabby melo = garbage

[@TityMuncher713]

Choklahoma

[@nickfriend4633]

The problem with this team is what is always has been: Russell Westbrook. It is iso ball just like it was when Kevin Durant was there which led to him eventually leaving. George and Melo ARE to blame too, but not the most. Talked about this more on my channel today.

[@conveydcuo8815]

Sports with Nick no its billy dude watch the games

[@mikej53]

Carmelo is not the problem, it’s the coach.. imagine if okc had a guy like pop for a coach, shit would be unreal

[@BeefPapa]

Michael Jaber 28 teams would love a Pop on their sideline.

[@TheStatisfiedOne]

Michael Jaber these players cannot function under POP

[@jacobsander436]

Russell would hate to play pops team ball offense no way

[@davidwhite7543]

I don't get why everyone is blaming Melo... Have they actually watched the games

[@noxzorz]

LOOL are you really implying Westbrook and Melo to be a good fit with Pop ?? ur delusional mate wtf, I bet Pop doesn't even want to talk with ballhogs like these guys, u dont know basketball so please dont share your opinion on it THX

[@luisdealba4126]

Paul George would fit nicely with the lakers

[@ranjithkamalakannan6420]

Harden>Russ

[@charms71]

RK 7 no question. I am shocked OKC let him go

[@armandog7565]

RK 7 Harden is better than Russ and can Win games lol

[@ranjithkamalakannan6420]

P. Charmin He wouldn't have been the superstar he is today if he stayed in OKC

[@slim8039]

no doubt

[@comicthecon]

James Harden....get blocked by the oldest player in the league & get blown out in a close out game WITHOUT kawhi where everyone questions where your head was at then hits the strip club after, LMAO just played terribly in the 2012 finals too, got outplayed by Dwight in 2014, broke his own playoff record for turnovers in a closeout game vs the warriors in 2015 scoring 14 points on 2-11 shooting with 13 TURNOVERS too #habitualchokeartist #overrated #leastclutchsuperstarEVER #nottop5

[@erikbringsjord4734]

carmelo is the problem. always has been always will

[@profitnotpoverty5479]

Erik Bringsjord explain

[@MrAitraining]

I will. His slogging/iso style slows it all up and other guys play DOWN to that. Smart Knick fans knew it for yrs. Dumb fans just looked at hi points. Knicks immed better and faster without him, and westbrook is much better without Melo. If your offense is slow, the team has no flow and energy. Shots are harder. His points are not worth what it takes away from the others.

[@TheStatisfiedOne]

Melo's amazing ability to play lazy D and iso ball is the problem. Melo's way of playing fits the late 90's early 2000 era, but not the way the game is played today

[@willsmith3074]

If i recall WB and Durant playing ISO ball went up 3-1 vs a move the ball 73 win team, correct? Even though they lost, they still went up 3-1 playing ISO ball? Did Kyrie and Lebron playing ISO ball defeat that 73 move the ball team for a championship? You know what the funny part is. SA plays "move the ball" just like GS right? How did SA playing "move the ball" do vs GS in the playoffs last season? SA got stomped right? All that sharing the ball wasn't even competitive was it? Wasn't even close right? People who think "move the ball" is the way are ignorant when it comes to basketball.

[@chrisx2k6]

You fucked up when you tried to attribute lazy defense to the 90s. You couldn't be more wrong. Wow.

[@kasimk4]

Wc Man nah cuz they got lucky breaks along the way. Why were the Cavs down 3-1 in the first palace, oh yes cuz everyone was playing, their were no injuries suspensions and ejections until game 5.

[@TheStatisfiedOne]

Wc Man the difference is that KD is a better ISO player then Melo and westbrook is way more all-round

[@Alex-pt9zz]

The coaching and bench are literally trash

[@Ryan-yu5kt]

The bench is OK... The coaching is what makes the bench look even worse.. The nest time OKC plays on national TV, I want you to count how many DIFFERENT plays they run... Its less than 10... All they run is fucking 1/5 Pick and Roles and Isolations

[@usmc29er44]

As a NY Knick fan, I can tell you exactly whats wrong with OKC:)

[@mackwarren228]

Man Russ deserves a ring so bad. His love for the game is unreal

[@rocousins4847]

Mack Warren I think he’s just unnaturally competitive lol, he didn’t even play ball cause he liked it, he played it to go to school for free and ended up going to the nba.

[@Stinkmeaner-_-]

Mack Warren. Not going to get one soo

[@trexxis812]

If he "deserved" a ring he would change his playing style to better fit his team. His love for the game has little to do with it

[@johnmurray1929]

He feels as if he has to do everything for his team to win, he needs a coach like popovich to put him straight and make him play smarter

[@mackwarren228]

Erik Lerström what are you even talking about? Have you ever seen him play?

[@kidkurrupt007]

George Carl and Phil Jackson two respected coaches with resumes that speak for them self had said this exact same thing about Melo and they both took heat for it. Now everyone sees Melo for the overrated player that he is .

[@getpSzych]

Fizdale is now available. OKC take that for data. lols

[@mostmost1]

You waving off subs and not running the plays and you blame the coach? Westbrook is the pg and why does he not get any of the blame?

[@JunixKuizon]

SAS defending his boyfriend melo. 😂

[@George-Cancel]

Okc is freaking good the only problem is lack of playing together .

[@babyzorilla]

Carmelo Anthony is the problem

[@oKiirby]

They put together a 2nd tier version of their first “ super team “ . This squad ain’t nothing like kd , harden , Westbrook and Ibaka .

[@bluewave3417]

In today's NBA teams with ball dominant players will struggle. Sure if you have a once in a generation talent like LeBron it can work. Or if you have a set where role players happily their roles like Houston's than it works. But in most cases its not happening. Westbrook's game is totally dependent on him dominating the ball. Carmelo's game is the same way. George is not as ball dominant, but needs consistent touches. It takes not only a creative coaching scheme to make that work, but also a VERY strong coach. The Thunder are short on both things.

[@Jrockjp]

This is the thing with OKC they always have excuses and what it really comes down to is the fact that Westbrook is the problem. He stat chased all last season and won mvp and then the next year you give him two all stars and yet again they suck maybe even worse. The time for excuses is over and everyone who thought Okc was going to the wcf this year and be the warriors only competition is wrong. It’s Houston vs GSW in the west now.

[@Eiuol81853]

If Westbrook was is the problem, why didn't the others not step up when he was out of the game?

[@willsmith3074]

So just because someone averages a triple double, makes him a stat chaser? You sound like a fat kid who makes excuses on failure to lose weight. If Westbrook was the problem, there is no way in hell they make the playoffs last season in the west, because he's so worried about his stats. Are you one of those people that says "he's a ball hog" dropping 10 assist per game?

[@willsmith3074]

If you don't like Westbrook, then you will have nothing positive to say. It's the same with Lebron, and was with Kobe and Jordan. Losers don't like greatness

[@Jrockjp]

Wc Man lol obviously you don’t know how to argue. Because you have to insult me to try and get your point across. Westbrook isn’t even comparable to lebron, Kobe , or Jordan. He stat chased last season it’s that simple and he was the only one with the ball so obviously he’s going to get his assists up. Can’t get a triple double without them. He led his team to a first round exit and now he has help this season and they are still losing. But just to let you know. This is in my opinion so don’t take it to heart, bud.

[@joshuawilliams3223]

They need to play through westbrook

[@OlumiDay8]

Joshua Williams they did he took the most shots and scored the most

[@Ghostkilla773]

You mean . Like last year

[@MajorLeague2423]

You sir you understand....

[@SaturatedSound]

They do play through westbrook but he doesn't pass he takes 40 shots bad shots Hero ball shots and forces shots and turn over the ball alot. LMFAO funny you say this when that is what they be doing lol

[@KingKosta89]

I say play throug PG

[@matthewburdette248]

I'm glad max started talking about the ISO issue OKC has I have been saying it since they traded for melo

[@williamhardenbergh4218]

whats wrong is westbrook is not a leader hes about stats just look at everyone who has left and done great JAMES HARDEN KD REGGIE JACKSON VICTOR OLADIPO SERGE IBAKA all these players their team has better record then thunder and expect kd they all have better numbers then they ever did with estbrick so alltogether bottom line westbrook not a winner hes about stats thats why no matter who he plays with he will never win championship

[@jixyana2145]

william hardenbergh Serge Ibaka has disappeared. You should put Sabonis

[@MouldySloth]

william hardenbergh You forgot Dion Waiters

[@yowild13]

william hardenbergh you’re stupid most of the players you named left OKC and became “that guy” on the team they got traded to, ofc their stats are gonna be better

[@iamnumber5ps3]

Hahahaha westbrook is not only about stats, are you dumb? If you watch the games, you can see him try to get stats, but that's when their up by 20, if he plays for stats why does he end so many games with like 1 assist or rebound shy of a triple dub? Which he could obviously get if he wanted to. Westbrook mvp

[@mrronolo]

That's not the problem. Westbrook is playing fine and always has. NBA Finals 2012 vs. James and Wade when they're 23, and they held a candle to them. 2014 and 2016 Russ kept them in at multiple points of those series. KD choked away game 6 of the 2016 WCF. Never been a problem with just Russ.

[@gsk7087]

Need to get a coach the players respect

[@lildagga2064]

It’s easy to blame melo which is more than enough valid but they have NO BENCH WHATSOEVER and swap billy D with fizdale or Mark Jackson with a trade for Lou Williams and Wilson Chandler you have a formidable team

[@herbysylvestre6175]

When u trade for PG and Melo, you trade away ur roster my nigga. That’s the economics of the NBA. So crying about their bench makes so sense now. Thats what u sign up for. And if they fire donovan their just gonna promote someone from his staff. U can’t bring in a whole new coach this late into the season bruh. With no training camp or whatever. Their problem is chemistry, changing coaches would make that worse

[@L3GTjonnyboy]

The real problem is you have 3 players who demand the ball on the team.

[@Mrsaylessnotmore]

I would of told Melo to sit his butt down lol

[@damirskalic4452]

KD, Harden, Westbrook, reggie Jackson, ibaka...Damn

[@dredagr848]

Fire Donavon Hire Fizdale

[@mayeezy254]

I’m with Max and will never understand the Harden and Ibaka trades

[@knowledgeispower906]

Of course SAS is going to say it’s the coaching because he’s on the record saying oh OKC is going to challenge Golden State Is it coaching yes that’s part of it What you can’t teach an old dog new tricks They play in the Westbrook system he needs to dominate the ball and those other guys they need the ball as well it’s not gonna work

[@SaturatedSound]

Agree but the coach do suck

[@ciirca97]

I highly believe this poor start would never of happened if Thunder had not acquired Carmelo Anthony. PG and Westbrook without anthony would of been the real deal

[@princemoore81]

Carmelo ball hark every where he go the ball don't move

[@willsmith3074]

So are you going to tell Kobe and Jordan "the ball don't move" with their 11 rings?

[@SaturatedSound]

You clearly don't watch the games

[@OscarBenben]

I think that the main problem is that Russ is a fastbreak point guard while Melo is a placed attack back or front to basket type of player. I think Russell Westbrook need to run with the ball, while Carmelo Anthony is more a static wing one-on-one player and that's why they don't match...

[@lucascoelho912]

Ok i like melo and all but right now it's really looking like he is the problem on every team he goes to

[@javanjones7928]

exactly startin to really see tht

[@SaturatedSound]

Yall wasnt saying that in 2013 when he took NYC to the playoffs and beat BOSTON no one was saying oh Melo the issue people only remember what have you done lately.

[@Logic105]

SaturatedSound many people were already sayin it, on espn, on nyc radio, phil jackson. and they were right.

[@justinmalone3879]

PG just out there saying in his head "just one more year just one more year" lol...he gotta be goin thru it lol

[@nitrousking23]

shit aint melo fault😂😂😂westbrook putting up all them shots now he is getting boards an shit yet its been plenty games ived watch this season P.G an Melo wins the game every game Russ try put up last shit they lose😂an be a wide open teammate thats why Melo an Pg an adams say its Russ team when Russ stop trying to outscore his on teammates they get wins point blank period an hell the coach just let em play😂so he want get cursed out so who Really the problem🤔

[@SaturatedSound]

You said it but everyone is gonna say its Melo's fault its always Melo's fault. I watch all 20 games and its Westbrooks fault

[@MrAitraining]

Melo's style makes OTHERS worse - including Westbrook. Melo makes you ssslllowwerrr and shots get harder. The Melo poison is not found in melo's production. It's found on how his teammates play. Knicks faster and better without him. OKC slower and worse with him. So you do the math on the common denominator there.

[@zathomas1930]

Russell Westbrook's problem goes deeper than last night's loss against the Orlando Magic. I've been watching Oklahoma City for the past 8 years. Their half court offensive issues were a problem when they had KD, Westbrook, Harden and Ibaka together. When you have talent, you can go far solely on developing All-Star/MVP talent. KD was right about Oklahoma City, but he just expressed it in a poor way. Oklahoma City were reaching extreme heights because Durant is unlike anything we've seen before, Westbrook is a freak of nature at the point guard position and their team defense was always tremendous. Did OKC make a mistake by going with Ibaka over Harden? I don't think there's a correct answer to that question. Scott Brooks was never a great coach. Brooks could coach up a defense, but his offensive IQ was never a strong suit. KD, Westbrook were carrying Brooks and that organization since 2010. Kevin Durant was not wrong when talking about the organization; he left for a legit reason. It was either him or Russell Westbrook, which tells the tale about their run. The problem was that it was either KD or Westbrook. There was no strong voice at the Head Coach position to get that young core over the top. There wasn't a strong will coach who could create an offense that could make things a little bit easier for KD and Westbrook. What we're seeing today with Westbrook, George and Melo are some of the same issues. They can win a lot of games if they played off talent, defense and intensity alone, but against an equal Golden State Warriors team in 7 games, it is not going to get the job done. How/when to play certain players, the growth & development of surrounding talent, and a strong Head Coach has always held OKC back. Guys, they can win a ton of games and go far in the playoffs. That has never been the issue; the issue is: how can you get the talent to work correctly to win a championship? KD and Westbrook with Ibaka should have won a title...... They did not because of coaching.

[@danishasolomon6225]

zathomas1930 I completely respect your comment

[@zathomas1930]

"Has the head coaches ever had the mandate to change how they play?" A coach should be able to assess a player's game and know which parts they need to tweak to take them to a higher level. Russell Westbrook is an MVP player with a high motor, but he does need to tweak his game or find that balance between WestBeast and just being a great facilitator. That takes me back to my original point: Head Coach with a voice the star players and the role players can respect and listen to. There was plenty of blame to go around for Kevin Durant & Russell Westbrook but most importantly, in my opinion, to the Head Coach. You can't just hire a new guy on the street (Billy Donovan) or an offensively inept coach (Scott Brooks) when you have MVP caliber players. You need a certain Head coach for that situation to get them to join in with a collective mindset. KD & Westbrook carried those teams for years and they deserve credit AND criticism for it. I think it was an environmental issue with the Thunder thus the current team having some of the same issues they've encountered since 2010................. Russell Westbrook's IQ is fine, I just believe there has to be the right guy above him as a Head Coach to get everything out of him. Harden isn't a "winner"? Yes, that is very simplistic because after all, it is a team basketball game. KD's competitive edge, spirit? He wouldn't have come this far without it LOL. ..................... "If he wasnt getting enough help to run a decent offense by his coach, well thats also a GM issue since the Presti and his staff obviously then have hired two really bad coaches in a row." This is something I can agree on. Shaquille O'Neal was a beast before Phil Jackson got to LA, but his game went to a new planet when Phil Jackson became the Head Coach and had a formula for winning. You just need a certain voice or figure at the Head Coach position to really get the most out of a situation. Scott Brooks took them to the NBA Finals, Billy Donovan was dealt last year's roster and almost an entirely new roster this year, but you need that "someone."

[@zathomas1930]

Blaming Russell Westbrook for everything is lazy by critics, in my opinion. He has already received enough blame over the past 7 years with Kevin Durant for their success and failures. They did a lot as a duo for that organization. Again: I think Billy Donovan and OKC will turn it around because they're too talented and can lock down the majority of NBA teams on their night. I just believe that Scott Brooks and Billy Donovan are placeholder coaches. I don't want Westbrook's best years wasted on bad circumstances.

[@user-sw1fz9vc6r]

Melo overrated

[@Seahawkfan1108]

Max said it best at the end, pieces that don't fit very well. a Superstar Point guard that demands the ball most of the game, a star forward that ball hogs the ball all the time and a 2 way forward that is excellent on both offense n defense. either melo needs to learn how to fucking share the ball with the rest of the team, russ learning to say to himself "this is my fucking team" and stop taking un-needed crucial shots near the end of a close game or PG-13 just saying to himself "fuck you guys, i'll carry the team myself" the thunder need a slap across the face and need to play as a team, not "anyone who gets the rock, shoots it"

[@comicthecon]

For all the harden > Westbrook comments James Harden....get blocked by the oldest player in the league & get blown out in a close out game WITHOUT kawhi where everyone questions where your head was at then hits the strip club after, LMAO just played terribly in the 2012 finals too, got outplayed by Dwight in 2014, broke his own playoff record for turnovers in a closeout game vs the warriors in 2015 scoring 14 points on 2-11 shooting with 13 TURNOVERS too #habitualchokeartist #overrated #leastclutchsuperstarEVER #nottop5

[@yannickkimenyi6807]

Carmelo is the issue. Not the coaching, OKC’s coach is doing a fine job, but you have to realize that Carmelo’s NY antics are following him to OKC. His iso-game slows the offence down & gets nobody involved which makes it harder for them to compete. He needs to transform his game, turn into a stretch 4 that can knockdown 3’s and grab boards.. that’s what they need from him. PG & Brodie have a good chemistry and I feel like Melo fucks it up.. PG needs to be more aggressive and demand the ball, and all 3 need to have better shot selection because they all have HORRIBLE shot selection.. I mean PG isn’t bad but the other 2 are awful! Hopefully OKC gets it together because I really see them as a top 5 seed in the west

[@SaturatedSound]

NOOOO RUSS is the damn issue call it what it is stop being BIAS. I watched all 20 games russ cant score efficiently if his life depends on it. He takes 2 many shots he takes bad shots he takes force s hots he plays Hero ball. I have been watching OKC since the 1st game RUSS is a stat padding ball hog I seen it with my own damn eyes. Dont blame Melo for RUSS short coming don't do that. Melo only has the ball if russ pass it to him and even them he takes shot within the offense he doesn play that hold the ball shit like he did in the early days. Watch the last game Melo didnt take a shot for most the 1st half he just passed the ball. You are being BIAS

[@chtwonine5470]

Stephen A. will defend Carmelo to the death. LOL I'm tired of his biased observations.

[@Broadway1982]

CH twonine so fucking right...

[@joshuapate5490]

"NBA players don't need coaches"... "The Thunder need an assertive voice as a coach".... SAS always calls out Max for going back on his word why does no one do the same

[@ultrainstinctgrey9184]

The problem is they didn't get Olympic melo, they got ISO melo. Bring him off the bench it's obvious

[@taywin9012]

All of the problems with OKC: 1) Cheap owner 2) College level head coach 3) Westbrook can't shoot 4) Live by the three, die by the three 5) Melo playing as a 2 when his job is a 4, forcing Adams to compensate 6) Offense should be run through PG 7) Jerami Grant is the backup center at 6'8" 210 8) Patterson and Abrines for 3 obsolete cuz OKC doesn't move the ball 9) iso iso iso 10) Team should still be in SEATTLE

[@LloydAlmighty]

It’s the coaching, simple.

[@LuckeeManiac]

Nothing better than seeing the Spurs every year at the top...no drama...0 news coverage...no egos...20+ years. Keep covering BBB shoes more than an actual team that deserves actual coverage. The Ball family in the past 15 games has recieved more coverage than Duncan his entire career w/ all his accomplishments. Good job ESPN.

[@majorsclosettv7934]

The thing about these show which I love is that they stay in the moment too much. It’s simple they still have to learn how to play together. The same for lonzo ball. He still have to learn how to play a professional game. He always did what he wanted to do in the other levels and now he’s in the NBA where you cant just do what you want when there is others who is older and also getting paid millions.

[@CharlesCinco5]

Stephen A is still protecting Melo.. this biasedness got to stop

[@ike.o6944]

The problem is Carmelo Anthony! Stephen A Smith doesn’t want to admit it because that’s his boy, but Melo has to adjust to being the “3RD WHEEL ON THIS TEAM”. Melo won’t allow his pride to be the 3rd wheel... Westbrook has to be the focal point and PG-13 has to be the 2nd option! Period. Melo needs to accept it but his ego won’t allow him too

[@iLLmatic240]

And yet your dumb ass has yet to realize OKC gave their whole bench for PG and Melo, now OKC has a bench thats scoring 10PPG and your blaming melo? lmao gtfooo

[@hunyango2k]

Like what i've said before... 3 iso player is definitely a headache for a coach... if they can accept their roles they'll be a formidable contender in the west.

[@benjamingrunert3306]

How the fuck is Westbrook getting or getting close to triple doubles and losing to teams like the mavericks by 20 points? I'm sorry but I feel like this shows that Westbrook still hogs the stats and stat pads like crazy. Give Paul George, aka the most efficient player on the team, the damn ball more.

[@ThePlasticBowl]

Carmelo Anthony is not that dude anymore, period, I don't even know why people say this team has a big 3, its simply not that. Don't get me wrong, Carmelo Anthony is no scrub but he is not that dude.

[@ScottFreebass]

Offense needs way more movement. They need to play like TEAM USA and not ever settle for bad shots. Whoever has the best matchup should get the most shots but Paul George should definitely be the focus. Westbrook needs to figure out how to be more of a pure point guard.

[@tmac29nyc]

Gordon should Sign with The Knicks Next season Zingis,Kanter,Gordon would Be an awesome frontline

[@hotman718]

Remember that game they beat the Warriors. They played so good that game defensively why can't play with that same effort against every other team. It's like 2 different teams. They were fired up and competitive and wanted to win against the Warriors yet it seems when they play against the regular teams they don't care.

[@TheUltimateRage]

All the people hailing the Thunder as the 2nd best team in the west and the best team to challenge the Warriors are being exposed before our eyes. I always rocked with the Rockets and honestly couldn't understand how people could push the Thunder over the Rockets. You got 2 AMAZING players/playmakers in Harden & CP3 whom make their teammates play so much better (Clint Capella is looking like a BEAST this year!), with a great team of shooters and an awesome coach. The Thunder, on the other hand, have 3 great scorers whom have to learn to share the ball and are struggling to do so, they have terrible shooters on their squad, not a good bench, and their coach is struggling to figure out how to effectively maximize their talents so they play together. Unfortunately, his system is insufficient in doing so. At this rate, the Thunder ain't even gonna make the playoffs unless they somehow magically figure it out. I'm tellin' y'all, the ROCKETS are the team to watch out for in the West, NOT the Thunder! #OD9

[@415east]

That's why I been saying you can't just be throwing a bunch of big names on a team and expect it to work. It rarely works

[@rickridenour442]

george karl in denver, mike woodson & d'antoni in NY, and prolly add billy donovan too the Melo hitlist. Sumwher, phil jackson got a big ol smile on his face.

[@parker_aug2]

I remember in the offseason, many YT commenters were already saying the Thunder would be the 2018 Champions, lol.

[@wezob4569]

I HAVE BEEN SAYING THIS THE WHOLE TIME!!!!! AND IM NOT A THUNDER FAN BUT DONAVAN IS INCOMPETENT AT THE NBA LEVEL

[@cudihistory1905]

the main problem is Carmelo. Look when carmelo was playing in New York... Right now him is not the professional that he was in Denver

[@K3nnyMcCormickk]

First time Ive seen SAS talk some sense in a very long time.

[@greekgod4580]

Thank u Stephen A. you are the only one that said that

[@Marlon_J]

What's up with these incomplete clips, ESPN?

[@Marchand848]

Carmelo Anthony's legacy will be as a coach killer.

[@ChrisWolfe31]

Let Melo come off the bench and see what happens for a few games.

[@learningisgrowing]

The real issue is with the players - none of the Big 3 are willing to make the changes they need to be successful. They have the hero ball mentality vs team ball mentality and that's only going to get them so far

[@seal3081]

Goes to show how great players like Vince Carter are. Able to adapt their game as they aged. Melo plans to do no such thing. He even laughed at the thought of that.

[@philipojo332]

agree with stephen a and max. get this coach outta here, we need better management too

[@lefty7887]

pick up Melo if you want some draft picks in the future