Game Day (Playoffs Round 1, Game 3): Thunder (2-0) @ Suns (0-2), Sat 4/25/26

[Wally_West]

Don’t understand how Book’s 3pt shot regressed so much. Truly crazy.

I would never call him a pure shooter. Great scorer, yes, but a streaky shooter from deep.

Yeah but he’s not even streaky anymore

[The Bobster]

Oso on Holgrem doesn't work.

Maluach is he only player available today with the size to make him work.

And Oso has five fouls so Ott may have to get creative soon.

[Wally_West]

They got the call but Oso literally lost the ball going up. Perfect example how much of a zero he is on the offensive end.

[Wally_West]

Oso on Holgrem doesn't work.

Maluach is he only player available today with the size to make him work.

And Oso has five fouls so Ott may have to get creative soon.

Hightsmith at center now lmaooo.

[AmareIsGod]

Stupid fucking coach insisting on playing small all the time. Leaving Maluach out. Avoiding Fleming.

[Mori Chu]

I don't really know if it's fair to trash Booker when we are playing against a generationally good opponent. But he is letting me down. He has 11 points and 4 assists and at times you kind of forget he's out there. He doesn't really have the size or strength to power through OKC's defenders, he doesn't have the height or length to shoot over them (and he's gotten blocked and stripped multiple times recently). He isn't a dead-eye shooter to drain 3s on them. He doesn't have the speed to blow by them for layups. He isn't a good enough passer to orchestrate a masterful offense. And he isn't a good enough defender to really slow down any of OKC's guards. I just don't know what he does at an elite level against a top opponent like OKC. I am not a Booker hater but this series just makes me feel like he isn't good enough to be The Guy against a top level opponent in a playoff series.

[Wally_West]

I think the most frustrating thing is the lack of any type of adjustment. We haven’t done one thing differently all series.

[iLLmatic]

I don't really know if it's fair to trash Booker when we are playing against a generationally good opponent. But he is letting me down. He has 11 points and 4 assists and at times you kind of forget he's out there. He doesn't really have the size or strength to power through OKC's defenders, he doesn't have the height or length to shoot over them (and he's gotten blocked and stripped multiple times recently). He isn't a dead-eye shooter to drain 3s on them. He doesn't have the speed to blow by them for layups. He isn't a good enough passer to orchestrate a masterful offense. And he isn't a good enough defender to really slow down any of OKC's guards. I just don't know what he does at an elite level against a top opponent like OKC. I am not a Booker hater but this series just makes me feel like he isn't good enough to be The Guy against a top level opponent in a playoff series.

It’s okay to say Booker ain’t it anymore.

[Mori Chu]

I think the most frustrating thing is the lack of any type of adjustment. We haven’t done one thing differently all series.

Maybe this is the kind of thing a rookie coach can't easily do, adjusting on the fly between games in a playoff series. Ott has done such an admirable job this season, but he seems in over his head in this series.

[specialsauce]

Stupid fucking coach insisting on playing small all the time. Leaving Maluach out. Avoiding Fleming.

BOTT

He needs a software update.

Also Booker with 16 points. Your franchise player. With the season on the line. Prepare yourselves, his contract is about to be Bradley Beal bad if we don't trade him while we still can.

[specialsauce]

I think the most frustrating thing is the lack of any type of adjustment. We haven’t done one thing differently all series.

Maybe this is the kind of thing a rookie coach can't easily do, adjusting on the fly between games in a playoff series. Ott has done such an admirable job this season, but he seems in over his head in this series.

Uhh except he reversed EVERYTHING he did the first half of the year and just reverted to the same bullshit rotation Vogel and Bud employed

[The Bobster]

I don't really know if it's fair to trash Booker when we are playing against a generationally good opponent. But he is letting me down. He has 11 points and 4 assists and at times you kind of forget he's out there. He doesn't really have the size or strength to power through OKC's defenders, he doesn't have the height or length to shoot over them (and he's gotten blocked and stripped multiple times recently). He isn't a dead-eye shooter to drain 3s on them. He doesn't have the speed to blow by them for layups. He isn't a good enough passer to orchestrate a masterful offense. And he isn't a good enough defender to really slow down any of OKC's guards. I just don't know what he does at an elite level against a top opponent like OKC. I am not a Booker hater but this series just makes me feel like he isn't good enough to be The Guy against a top level opponent in a playoff series.

This series is an example of an MVP-caliber player vs. an All-Star caliber player. OKC hasn't given SGA a lot of offensive help, but their defense is something they can always depend on being there almost every game.

[specialsauce]

First half the year Ott would constantly make subs until he found a lineup that would click and go on a run.

He stopped doing that when he became a Bott

[Split T]

Bradley Beal bad is too far..but I am dissapointed…he clearly doesn’t want to be the guy…I like that he’s willing to play within the flow of the offense…but there’s times we need him to step up and he either doesn’t want to or can’t anymore.

[iLLmatic]

Watching the kid from Portland made me realize we need to move on from Booker if we want to win a ring.

[iLLmatic]

Bradley Beal bad is too far..but I am dissapointed…he clearly doesn’t want to be the guy…I like that he’s willing to play within the flow of the offense…but there’s times we need him to step up and he either doesn’t want to or can’t anymore.

He got that Olympic experience and thinks it’s better to be a team player all the time. We need him to be an alpha.

[Mori Chu]

Bradley Beal bad is too far..but I am dissapointed…he clearly doesn’t want to be the guy…I like that he’s willing to play within the flow of the offense…but there’s times we need him to step up and he either doesn’t want to or can’t anymore.

He got that Olympic experience and thinks it’s better to be a team player all the time. We need him to be an alpha.

In retrospect I think Booker should have just absolutely refused to be converted into a "Point Book." He should have insisted on having a real PG play next to him at all times, and he should have stayed more selfish and looked for his own shot more. That might not be what this specific roster needs most, but I think if he stuck to his guns as being a pure SG, we would have built the roster differently around him rather than assuming we could rely on him as a PG/SG combo. The continued attempt to do that has really harmed our roster construction IMO. We should not be acquiring other scoring swingmen/guards like Jalen Green or Brad Beal to pair with Devin Booker.

[The Bobster]

The Suns played about as well as you can expect today - they're just overmatched. They didn't get anything from their bench, but Allen was rusty and O'Neale was the only other to play many minutes.

[Mori Chu]

Oh now they put in Fleming with 1 minute left? Piss off, Ott.

[LazarusLong]

First half the year Ott would constantly make subs until he found a lineup that would click and go on a run.

He stopped doing that when he became a Bott

Amen.