Friday Bolts – 3.16.12
Berry Tramel: “The addition of Jackson gives the Spurs a thorn in the flesh of Kevin Durant, should OKC and San Antonio engage in a playoff series. Jackson is a productive scorer (16.1 points a game, over 12 NBA seasons); not a good shooter (41.6 percent, career). But the Spurs didn’t get Jackson for offense. They got him for defense. The Spurs had no matchup for Durant. Now they do.”
George Karl on KD: “I don’t see a weakness in him,” said Nuggets coach George Karl. “What athleticism and skill doesn’t he have? He can dribble, pass, shoot, dunk, run the court. And he’s becoming a better defensive player. If I had to list the top two players in basketball, I’dsay him and LeBron James.”
James Harden with Snoop Dog? James Harden with Snoop Dog. So. Much. Swag.
Former Thunderer Desmond Mason is now on Twitter.
Benjamin Hochman of the Denver Post: “The villain actually isn’t very vilified or villainous at all; he’s, like, likable. But, dang it, Kevin Durant is still the Nuggets’ villain, right? How can he not be? He tried to ruin Christmas 2010, when he scored 44 points against the Nuggets in a win at Oklahoma City. He ousted the Nuggets from the playoffs last year, scoring 41 in Game 1 and 41 in the decisive Game 5. And he buried Denver last month with a career-high 51 points. But he’s not nasty about it. He doesn’t do pistol hand gestures like his teammate, Russell Westbrook. He beats you with a golfer’s etiquette. But he beats you like Tiger in his prime.”
Who’s better: Thunder or Spurs?
John Rohde: “Speaking of Westbrook, he is starting to suffer the consequences for constantly whining for a foul and flashing his six-shooters when making 3-pointers. Denver fans started booing Westbrook the first time he touched the ball. Those boos quickly turned to groans as Westbrook buried his first three jump shots, but he made just 4 of his final 14 attempts to finish 7 for 17. With 7½ minutes left in the game, Westbrook was booed loudly when he did a double-clutch reverse dunk well after a whistle had stopped play. One section in the stands started chanting “over-rated,” which quickly fizzled out. Fans even booed when Westbrook was shaken up after being fouled with 2:41 remaining. With 2:25 left in the contest, Westbrook had a breakaway, but laid in the ball and placed it on the floor, drawing more boos.”
Denver Stiffs: “Ty Lawson was timid against the Thunder and was often looking to dish the ball and only took it to the rack a few times. He finished the night just 9 points and 5 assists, but had 8 rebounds. OKC, particularly Russell Westbrook, do a great job of keeping Lawson at bay. If Ty does get past Westbrook, he does look unsure of himself when Serge Ibaka is patrolling the paint … the things a shot blocker can do.”
