Latest news with #KevinO'ConnorShow
Yahoo
4 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Is the Thunder's defense really elite?
Is the Thunder's defense really elite? | The Kevin O'Connor Show Yahoo Sports senior NBA analyst Kevin O'Connor is joined by 13-year NBA veteran Marcus Morris Sr. to discuss Oklahoma City's defensive effort in the Western Conference Finals against Minnesota and if it was really as dominant as some suggest. Hear the full conversation on 'The Kevin O'Connor Show' and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen. View more Video Transcript Is that because of OKC's defense though? Advertisement OKC's defense looks like an all-time level defense. They befuddled Jokic, they shut down ants. It's definitely was partially due to that, but if you watch the game, OKC only won that game. By 2 points. They uh they had 20 offensive rebounds and Minnesota had 19 turnovers. She almost had a 40 point triple-double. Jay Lee Williams had 30 points. Chad Hongren had 20 something points, Anthony Edward had 16 points, and Julius Render had 2 points, and they only won the game by 2 points. And you know why they won the game by 2 points? It's because Anthony Edwards didn't try to find a rhythm to the second half. Advertisement Do you know how hard that possibly can be when you're the best player and you know down the stretch, we're gonna need you to make shots and make plays and you don't have a rhythm. There's no way. There's no way. So, even when it looks like that game was in control, I'm sitting there watching like, it's gonna come down to the reason why Anthony Edwards didn't have his rhythm in the start of the game and that was the series. If he got going early, they had a better chance. The game they beat by 40 points, he started off the game with 12 points in the first quarter. They beat him by 40. They dismantled them. Advertisement 143. They dismantled them and they scored 260 points in two games. So, is that great defense? Like, is that like the greatest defense, 260 points in two games? Uh, I'm not really sure about that, right? Like, because if I, if I found something in that first game, there's no way that I go away from it in the second game. But OKC did a really good job of making adjustments. They, they start like switching up top and they just was pushing them out and, you know, they did, they did a hell of a job and I don't wanna take away from what I've seen from OKC because they are a really good team and make sure you clip this and, and, and when you put this out, make sure you put this out because a lot of people think I hate OKC. Advertisement I don't. I think. I don't hate them. I just, I feel like you're, you're, you don't respect like, uh, I respect OKC and I respect what they done. What I, what I don't respect is the way the other younger teams approach series with OKC because if you, if I gotta keep talking about this, if you look at how how how Minnesota Timberwolves approached the series with Golden State and the Lakers, the energy was not the same.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Kuminga believes Warriors' mood ‘very high' despite Game 4 loss
Western Conference Finals preview: Oklahoma City Thunder or Minnesota Timberwolves? | The Kevin O'Connor Show Kevin O'Connor is joined by Dane Moore to preview the upcoming Western Conference finals matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder & Minnesota Timberwolves. After beating the Lakers and the Warriors in previous rounds, have the Timberwolves escaped some of their regular season mistakes that landed them the 6-seed as they advance to face a 68-win Thunder team? Kevin follows up the Western Conference predictions with his rankings of which teams have the best chances to win the 2025 NBA Finals. Hear the full conversation on 'The Kevin O'Connor Show' and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen. 3:46 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
How Anthony Edwards can best improve his game
How Anthony Edwards can best improve his game | The Kevin O'Connor Show Yahoo Sports senior NBA analyst Kevin O'Connor is joined by Andrew Sharp to discuss the Timberwolves guard's performance in the Western Conference Finals and what he needs to work on this offseason. Hear the full conversation on 'The Kevin O'Connor Show' and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen. View more Video Transcript With Ant, to me that's like we saw him grow, but I think with him you call him like a a a new age James Harden like style with the shooting during the regular season and all that. Advertisement He also is sometimes with just the way he stands around. That's what would freak me out. Yeah, I mean that, that happened a little bit in last year's Western Conference Finals and it's happened a couple times in the playoffs where I'll be watching the Wolves and I'm like. What is the deal here? Is this like a feel out game? Like, are you gonna start attacking? Because good things happen when Ant forces his way into the lane and forces the defense to collapse. Like the Wolves were getting good offense out of that. And so that's what needs to be a point of. Emphasis going forward. It is actually OK to mix in some pull-up 14 footers here and there because going back to Harden, Harden had those shots completely programmed out of him, and that really hurt him come playoff time. Advertisement And so, and, 23 years old, plenty of time, but that's definitely an area I would look at going forward. This series is over, like Minnesota's not gonna have a 3-1 comeback against OKC and this offseason needs to take two things. Hey, I need to learn to enjoy playmaking. He he needs to get better as a passer. He needs to not get disengaged when he's not scoring. He needs to find satisfaction in passing, but almost more importantly, I think, embrace playing off ball. He doesn't take enough catch and shoot 3s. 105 on dribble jumper threes in game 40 for 1 on a heap. Only one catch and shoot 3 point attempt for a guy who's made 52.9% of his catch and shoot 3s in the playoffs. Advertisement So this guy who is in a The shooter doesn't get enough easy shots off the catch because he's not moving and relocating off ball, he's not getting himself in a position for those shots. And also, it's not just shooting. The last time he scored on a cut to the rim was game 3 against the Warriors. Oh, like, come on, you're, you're an all-world athlete, you can finish lobs, you can, you're so explosive on your first step with with or without the ball in your hands. Cut to the rim, man, like he's too good to, to not be doing that, and I think those are the two things he's really gonna take from this year's playoffs, like last year, he improved as a shooter.
Yahoo
25-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Brandin Podziemski highlights: Watch Warriors guard score 28 points vs. Timberwolves
Western Conference Finals preview: Oklahoma City Thunder or Minnesota Timberwolves? | The Kevin O'Connor Show Kevin O'Connor is joined by Dane Moore to preview the upcoming Western Conference finals matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder & Minnesota Timberwolves. After beating the Lakers and the Warriors in previous rounds, have the Timberwolves escaped some of their regular season mistakes that landed them the 6-seed as they advance to face a 68-win Thunder team? Kevin follows up the Western Conference predictions with his rankings of which teams have the best chances to win the 2025 NBA Finals. Hear the full conversation on 'The Kevin O'Connor Show' and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen. 3:46 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Steph describes ‘sad' feeling watching Warriors' season end from bench
Western Conference Finals preview: Oklahoma City Thunder or Minnesota Timberwolves? | The Kevin O'Connor Show Kevin O'Connor is joined by Dane Moore to preview the upcoming Western Conference finals matchup between the Oklahoma City Thunder & Minnesota Timberwolves. After beating the Lakers and the Warriors in previous rounds, have the Timberwolves escaped some of their regular season mistakes that landed them the 6-seed as they advance to face a 68-win Thunder team? Kevin follows up the Western Conference predictions with his rankings of which teams have the best chances to win the 2025 NBA Finals. Hear the full conversation on 'The Kevin O'Connor Show' and subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube or wherever you listen. 3:46 Now Playing Paused Ad Playing
