by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni
You’d be salty too if someone dropped 41 seemingly effortless points on you, on national television, in Game 1 of a Playoff series.
Kenyon Martin was just that — mad at the way his team defended (or tried to, anyway) the NBA’s leading scorer during their series-opening loss.
Martin doesn’t like George Karl’s defensive scheme against Kevin Durant, and is pleading for immediate changes. Namely, he’d like to see more double-teams thrown at Durant, forcing his teammates to make shots.
The Denver Post has the quotes:
“When there’s a will there’s a way – you figure it out, there’s no excuse in this league,” said Martin, the power forward who guards Durant from time to time. “Make him (pass it to) some one else. If you have him and Westbrook on the court the same time, make Thabo Sefolosha and Serge Ibaka make plays. Run somebody at these guys. I don’t agree with (one-on-one) – we don’t let Kobe play one-on-one when we play him, no matter where he is on the court, so why would you let Kevin Durant play one-on-one.”
“He shot right over Ray (Felton) like there was nobody guarding him,” Martin elaborated on Monday. “It doesn’t matter who you are, even if you’re the toughest defender in the world, (if you’re 6-1), he’s going to shoot right over him. You got to try something different, run somebody at him. Pick-and-roll? Jump on him. For three games, he’s been having his way with us – and I’m not comfortable with it.”
The Nuggets have done a lot of talking before and during this series with the OKC Thunder, and now it seems that the chirping is being directed internally. That can’t possibly be a good sign.
As for taking the ball out of Kevin Durant’s hands? It’s a suggestion head coach George Karl ought to seriously consider for tomorrow night’s Game 2, though he likely didn’t want to have to read about it in the media from one of his veteran players.
