The OKC Thunder Need to ‘Charles Oakley’ Kevin Durant
By Eric Snyder
When Eliot Ness needed advice on how to get Al Capone he got his answer from Jim Malone.Malone’s answer was simple, “He pulls a knife; you pull a gun. He sends one of yours to the hospital; you send one of his to the morgue!“ If the OKC Thunder want their revenge on Kevin Durant and the Warriors they must translate that advice into basketball terms.
The sad reality of this Thunder team is that there isn’t a single player physical enough to bail Charles Oakley out of jail. Enes Kanter could have met that requirement but he decided violence against chairs was a more pressing issue.
A Flagrant Answer
No one in their right mind is advocating for actual violence against Kevin Durant on Saturday night. After all, Basketball is still just a game. Yet, inside that game violent things can happen and the extreme violence of basketball’s past needs to stay in the past.
Unfortunately, the pendulum has swung into the opposite extreme and true physicality under the basket is all but none existent in the NBA of today. It is up to Billy Donovan and his team to manufacture a way to punish Golden State every time they cut or drive into the paint.
The sad reality of this Thunder team is that there isn’t a single player physical enough to bail Charles Oakley out of jail. Enes Kanter could have met that requirement but he decided violence against chairs was a more pressing issue.
Related Story: Kanter – Domino Effect of a selfish Act
Russell versus Goliath
Someone on the OKC Thunder bench needs to foul out on Saturday night. His six fouls need to be physical and if one of them is borderline Flagrant; that’s ok too. The normal offense and defense of OKC cannot stop, slow down or compete with that of the Golden State Warriors. So, unless someone gets under the skin of Draymond Green and then puts Durant on his back it won’t matter how much Westbrook scores.
Consequently, the only way to get the attention of a bully is to bloody his nose, stare deep into his eyes and make him afraid to step your way again.
The Thunder have one player who can dominate the game; Golden State has four. Durant’s exit to the Warriors turned Golden State into a bully who won’t leave the rest of the League alone.
Consequently, the only way to get the attention of a bully is to bloody his nose, stare deep into his eyes and make him afraid to step your way again. The Thunder need to hound Kevin Durant every time he enters the lane and remind him of his lifelong fear of dogs.
KD barked up the wrong tree when he disrespected Russell Westbrook and tonight is the night for him to reap that which he has sown.