Valentine’s Day Bolts

Alright, stop right there. Don’t proceed any further unless you’ve already made your significant other some heart shaped pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream. Ok, done? Good, proceed with the Bolts:

• Over at Basketball Prospectus, Kevin Pelton, super stat guru breaks down his award winners at the All Star break:  Rookie of the Year

1. Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City
2. Kevin Love, Minnesota
3. Brook Lopez, New Jersey

The depth of this year’s rookie class makes this a wide-open field, and I realize my order looks entirely different than conventional wisdom, which has Derrick Rose and O.J. Mayo as the favorites. Neither would be a bad pick; I just happen to like these guys (and maybe even Greg Oden) a little better. Nobody has been more efficient while playing a major role for his team than Westbrook, who has been a revelation for the Thunder. Westbrook’s unconventional game makes it easy to pick at his flaws (limited shooting range and questions about his ability to run the point), but he contributes in so many ways that he has still been very valuable. Westbrook is a lot like Rajon Rondo in this regard…….there’s more, including a certain number 35.

• I can’t give this away, but you absolutely HAVE to click here and look at the picture featuring our own Jeff Green. I refuse to comment any further.

• Every week the Draftexpress geniuses get together and tell us where and when the college b-ball games of the week are found. With March Madness just around the corner, these guys make sure you don’t miss a beat. Today, you may have to set your DVR and catch Chase Budinger and Jordan Hill against UCLA’s Darren Collison and Jrue Holiday, tomorrow James Harden’s ASU squad against USC and Demar Derozan … some of these guys could be wearing Thunder blue next year with that stack O’ first rounders Presti has stockpiled.

• Over at Truehoop,  Kevin A. gets a chance to ask some of the players at the All-Star weekend who their nightmare defenders are…..
  Kevin Durant
  Ron Artest.  He’s so strong.  He uses his body well, his hands.  He’s very quick. He uses his feet well.   You have to try to shoot over the top of him.  Make him run around a little bit.  Put him in pick-and-roll situations and stuff like that…

• Hardwood Paroxysm breaks out their “Hustle Junkie” of the week, featuring our very own Mr.Green:
  When Green plays basketball it is a celebration. His gruff, fearless style is not born of the cynicism or spite that seems to inspire other hustle junkies. His intensity is driven by respect and love: To work any less hard would be to not give the game the thanks it deserves. One day this joy may fade. As the grind of each season takes its toll, Green’s exuberance may lose a bit of its luster. But for the time being his unique combination of innocence and ruggedness have helped make him the first ever HustleJunkie Player of the Week.

  Jeff Green: In the spirit of Kermit Washington, we salute you.

• The Oklahoman has a few tidbits for you about last night’s boogie fest and the guy holding the trophy at the end of the game: they are here, here, and here.