Wednesday Bolts – 11.21.12

ROYCE COMES HOME TODAY!

Kevin Martin is super efficient: ”He doesn’t have to create his own offense as often this season. Martin is playing off the ball more this season alongside Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, as compared to last season when he had the ball in his hands more often. His usage percentage -– an estimate of the percentage of team plays used by a player while he’s on the floor — is 22.3, his lowest since 2005-06, his sophomore campaign with the Sacramento Kings. Martin is second in the NBA this season in catch-and-shoot points (behind O.J. Mayo). He’s shooting 52.1 percent on catch-and-shoot jumpers and has a 75 effective field-goal percentage on those shots. Now that he isn’t the focal point of his team’s offense, Martin is able to let his offense come to him. As a result, his shooting numbers have blossomed in Oklahoma City.”

Here’s an easier way to watch the new BIG commercial featuring Russell Westbrook: I’m still trying to figure out a way to teach my students this.

Go inside KD’s backpack: “Now thanks to Nike Basketball’s “Inside Access” series, which will provide an inside look at Nike Basketball through the lens of design innovation, with new features on the first and third Tuesdays of each month throughout the basketball season, here’s an answer to everyone’s favorite question: what exactly does KD carry in that thing? “Since I was seven years old, I’ve always been attached to my backpack,” Durant tells Nike Basketball. “It represents the hard work I learned from my family, and it will always remind me of my journey to get to where I am.” 

Kevin Durant reacts to the 138 point performance:  ”Jack Taylor you deserve a shot of Jack Daniels after that performance lol…wow”

Zach Randolph gives his side of the story: “Randolph told his side of the story in an interview on ESPN radio in Memphis on Tuesday. Here is a brief excerpt: Q: What happened in the back that the NBA is fining you for, because nobody knows the story? A: “I mean, it really wasn’t, I just, they said because I went through the double doors. I guess I went on their side. So I don’t know.” Q: And then in the back, did you try to go in their locker room?”

The Clippers are good, y’all: “(The) Clippers are playing probably the best basketball in the league right now,” said Thunder coach Scott Brooks. Last year’s struggles against L.A. aren’t forgotten. The Thunder went 1-3 against the Clippers, losing by an average margin of 9.7 points. That point differential included road losses by 12 and 15 points, respectively. And the Clippers are even better this year. L.A.’s core now has a year of experience to draw from, along with a bolstered bench that includes the addition of Jamal Crawford, Lamar Odom, Matt Barnes, Ryan Hollins and a healthy Eric Bledsoe.”

Top 10 NBA point guards: “The point guard position in the NBA has recently seen an unparalleled influx of elite talent. Whereas even in the late ’90s there were just a few top flight guys, ala Gary Payton, Jason Kidd and John Stockton, there is now an abundance of very young, very talented lead guards. And with the start of a new season comes a debate about which of this year’s lead guards will be the game’s best. See below for the top 10 point guards in the NBA.”