Scott Brooks Likes to Text Message
Want to know why Jeff Green recorded a double-double in tonight’s 102-91 loss against the Cavs?
Thunder coach Scott Brooks text messaged him before the game and told him to focus on rebounding. It was that simple.
Brooks regularly uses text messages to encourage his players to do something well in the next game. It worked for Green against the Cavs, as he scored 16 points and pulled down a season-high tying 10 boards.
“That’s just him trying to inspire us to challenge ourselves to do one thing in the next game,” said Green of Brooks’ method. ”He asked me to rebound in this game and that’s one thing I set out to try to get better at.”
Brooks used text messages while he was an assistant under P.J. Carlesimo and has continued the usage as the head man. Green said Brooks’ messages are mostly related to giving 100 percent effort and focusing on only the things players can control.
“They’re just motivational texts to get us inspired to be ready to play the next game,” Green said. “It’s just him trying to get the best out of us.”
A few notes from tonight’s game……
* Brooks was pleased to see Green respond to his text message and focus on rebounding….”The thing I like about Jeff is he understands he needs to rebound better. He wants to rebound, and tonight he had the double-double. Every game he has to rebound, and that’s part of his maturity going into every game, get better, don’t be satisfied with what just took place the last game.”
* Russell Westbrook continues to improve, scoring 24 points with 11 assists and six rebounds in a career-high 40 minutes…..”I believe in Russell Westbrook,” Brooks said. ”He is going to get better every day. And the reason why is he works hard. He doesn’t expect to wake up one day and be a great player in this league. He’s going to work for it.
* Chris Wilcox got the short end of the stick tonight, as the minutes crunch continues to leave at least one of the team’s bigs on the outside looking in. Wilcox played just seven minutes tonight. Joe Smith, who didn’t play two games ago, played 23 minutes.
* Desmond Mason had his worst game of the season, and it’s probably safe to say chasing LeBron James around had a lot to do with it. Mason, inserted as the starter last game, scored just two points on 1-for-5 shooting with three rebounds, three fouls, two assists and two turnovers in 32 minutes.
* The Thunder had no answer for Delonte West and Mo Williams, as they combined to score 38 points on 16 of 26 shooting with eight assists, seven rebounds and five steals. They, more than James and his 31 points, killed the Thunder tonight.
* Kevin Durant is in his best offensive rhythm of the season. He had 26 tonight to give him at least 22 points in each of the last seven games. Durant is now averaging 25.2 points on 46.8 percent shooting in December, showing improved consistency and efficiency.
* Tonight’s game was the latest example of the Thunder’s continued improvement. The last time OKC played this Cavs team it trailed by as many as 42 and lost by 35. Tonight, the Thunder trailed by as many as 18 and lost by 11. Not a bad showing from the worst team in the league against the NBA’s second best.
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