Brian Phillips of Grantland: “And no, not every young team finds it. But as a Thunder fan, I’m trying to stay cool and look at April as a step back that was necessary to take a big step forward down the road. The first round of the playoffs is going to be fascinating, especially if OKC winds up playing the Mavs, a crumbling post-LWT champion that could force the Thunder to grow up or die trying. Anything could happen over the next few weeks. The Thunder could crash out of the playoffs in the first round,9 win the title,10 or crash out of the playoffs in the first round and then win the title next year. And that, ultimately, is part of what’s so fun about following them. It sucks to be reminded that feeling not-good is a part of sports, but with a team as electric and likable as the Thunder, it’s worth it for the possibility of feeling just extremely not-not-good a little later.”
Sam Amick of SI with an outstanding feature on KD: “I don’t know why [I didn't care]. With basketball, and everything that surrounds basketball, I was working so hard and I wasn’t seeing any results, so I was like, ‘Man, I can’t keep working this hard if nothing is going to happen,’ so I was like, ‘Forget it.’ … I was going to quit, and be a so-called street guy. I would go to practice, but I would slack off. I would take plays off. I would just be there just to be there. I was happy I was just on varsity. I didn’t want any more from myself.” Once again, however, his mother did. “She could see it in my eyes and she pulled me to the side one day, and she slapped it out of me,” he said. “She talked to me, gave me some good words and kind of revved me up a little bit, so ever since then I’ve been on the same path.”
Playoff shirt. They’re very limited so hustle.
Shoals for GQ: “The Thunder, meanwhile, ended up with the second-best record in the league. Kevin Durant has improved on all fronts, Russell Westbrook makes a little more sense and in general, James Harden is alive, and OKC seems less like a bunch of individuals and more like a team with a plan for success. Couple that with the awesome talent level of Durant and Westbrook and you have a team that’s ideally positioned to chew through a disorganized Mavs team. Still, Dirk Nowtizki is a gamer, and if there’s a veteran team that could surprise with an eleventh-hour reboot, it’s Dallas. That’s not to say they will beat OKC, but stranger things have happened than this turning into a series. Like the Mavericks getting past the Thunder last spring.”
Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas with some early thoughts: “No matter how you slice it, the Thunder’s athleticism is superior to that of the Mavs’ at just about every position. Turn the ball over and watch OKC run down the floor for slam dunks. Don’t box out and watch the Thunder score second-chance points. Don’t rotate quickly and help on defense and watch the Thunder go to the free throw line — only the Nuggets averaged more per game. Dallas will bank on its experience and savvy to win out over athleticism, particularly in crunch time.”
Jason Kidd on the series: “Now the dress rehearsal is over and now this is for us to protect our crown, what we did last year, see if we can get another one,” Kidd said. “They’re a talented team. They’re young, they’re exciting, they can get out and run. We have (to be strong) on the defensive end because they can the score the ball. We’ve got our hands full.”
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