Friday Bolts – 4.5.13
David Thorpe of ESPN Insider: “However, right now Thunder coaches and management are more focused on the postseason. The Thunder staff deserves credit for playing Fisher, despite the struggles and animosity. A healthy, sharp and confident Fisher could play a role in postseason success. Veteran guards are always a plus in the playoffs, even if they just act as insurance. Of course, that would not be an option if Fisher were sitting; he has to be allowed to play his way into playoff readiness, even if that process looks as ugly as it does now.”
Jason Gallagher of Ballerball on meeting KD: “And that was it. Keep in mind, I just had an easier conversation with Kevin Durant than I have ever had with some of my own family members. It did not feel like he was a world-wide mega star. For that minute or so, he was just a really cool guy. I don’t know Kevin Durant and I’m not claiming to. But he shattered my expectations with the level of respect he was willing to show me, even for that short time. He had no reason to turn and chat with me. There were no cameras, or media, or fans around to document this interaction. His image would not been shattered if he had just ignored me. He stuck around though, to talk to some guy who had nothing to offer. I may not be a Thunder fan, but like I said before, I’m a fan of decent people and for that reason, I’ll always be a fan of Kevin Durant.”
Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com on OKC in a series against the Spurs: “But holy revisionist history do we need a refresher here. After the Thunder dropped the first two games in San Antonio, it was Thabo Sefolosha, not Harden, who scored 19 points in Game 3 to warrant the classic “Specialosha” headline from The Oklahoman the next day. In Game 4, Harden put up just 11 points on 31 percent shooting as Kevin Durant scored 18 of his 36 points in the final seven minutes of OKC’s six-point win. Even in Harden’s memorable Game 5, he was OKC’s third-leading scorer. In Game 6, Harden scored 16 points, less than half of Durant’s 34. Sure, Harden was critical to the Thunder’s unexpected turnaround against the Spurs, but it seems that we’ve tried to rationalize how bad he was in the Finals against the Heat by exaggerating how good he was against the Spurs.”
Darnell Mayberry: “Welcome to the Thunder, Derek Fisher. Or should I say welcome back. Fisher was fantastic tonight. He made six of eight shots, five of seven from downtown. He finished with 17 points in 15 minutes off the bench. I wanted to jokingly say to Scott Brooks after the game that Fish’s “intangibles” look a lot better when he’s making shots. It figures Fish would erupt against the Spurs, one of his oldest rivals and a team he’s helped leave heartbroken so many times in the past. You just know all of San Antonio was screaming at the TV as each of his shots dropped.”
For CBSSports.com, how the Thunder didn’t make a statement, but sent a reminder.
Berry Tramel: “The game was not yet a minute old, and Westbrook had staked his claim. This Thunder-Spurs showdown was going to be his game. That usually means a Thunder victory, and so it did Thursday night, a 100-88 verdict that gives OKC control of its own destiny. Win out, and the Thunder is the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. Against a hobbled Parker, Westbrook was superb: 27 points, seven rebounds, seven assists, three steals. In the West finals last year, the series turned when Scotty Brooks moved Thabo over to guard Parker. No such switch was needed Thursday night.”
Ben Golliver of SI.com: “Snap take: the Thunder should be able to manage a 5-2 finish, at worst, with a 7-0 sweep existing as a real possibility. The Spurs’ worst-case scenario, should they have access to a healthy Parker, would seem to be 4-2. However, NBA.com reported Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said post-game he is “very concerned” about Parker’s shin, which wasn’t a previously diagnosed problem area. The combination of this loss to the Thunder and the uncertainty around Parker could very well turn Thursday night into a tipping point in the Spurs’ chase for the No. 1 seed. If Parker is in any real discomfort, it’s worth giving him the kid gloves treatment and settling for the No. 2 seed, as the advantages involved in finishing first aren’t huge.”
Can’t get over that KD calls Russ “Sasha Fierce.”
ESPN Stats and Info: “Kevin Durant scored 15 points coming off a screen or using a pick-and-roll. All six of his assists came on passes directly off such plays, including four leading to corner threes. Overall, 26 of Durant’s 44 touches (59.1 percent) in half-court sets came using a screen.”
KD says Melo can have the scoring title.
Brett Pollakoff of PBT: “San Antonio can beat the Thunder, but only if they’re at or near full strength. They’ll need every bit of what a healthy Parker and Tim Duncan can give them in the postseason, and they’ll need to get at least a serviceable version of Ginobili back for the later rounds of the playoffs in order to have a fighting chance. The Thunder might have been good enough to come out of the West even if all of their opponents along the way were at 100 percent from a health standpoint. With the Spurs struggling through injury, as well as the recent troubles in Denver, Oklahoma City may end up getting a return trip to the Finals by default instead.”
Tom Ziller of SB Nation on MVP: “Durant, meanwhile, is going to win his fourth consecutive scoring title. He’s 24 years old and a more efficient scorer than even LeBron. To me, he’s the only guy who can break LeBron’s MVP streak (soon to be two and counting). Like LeBron, Durant plays for a spectacular team and has had some jawdropping nights. But also like LeBron, he’s totally consistent. Durant’s worst night is still pretty good. That’s the mark of a truly valuable player. Inefficient high scorers (Russell Westbrook, for example) can lose you a game when they are off. Being so efficient makes those nights really rare, and means the worst that can happen is just a low volume of scoring here or there. Durant also has the best assist rate of his career, has maintained solid rebounding and is locked in on defense (though without the impact on that end of a LeBron). Were it not for LeBron, we’d be talking about Durant as an MVP lock. Alas …”
Forbes on most overpaid players: “Except, Anthony isn’t Durant. Despite making about $2.7 million more this season, he isn’t even close. Durant gets his points taking four fewer shots per game than Anthony does (18 vs. 22). He shoots 50.5% from the floor to Anthony’s 44%. Durant averages 4.4 assists per game compared to Anthony’s 2.6, and 7.9 rebounds to Anthony’s 6.4. As the new breed of statistical analysts like to point out, a primary scorer using extra shots to get his points means fewer shots for others (and hence fewer chances for additional points for the team). Assists lead directly to points, and every rebound gives your team a possession, which means a chance to score. Durant, in short, is an efficient player whose numbers translate into wins for his club. The same is true for LeBron James, Chris Paul and Tim Duncan. But not for Carmelo Anthony. And that’s why, at a 2012-13 salary of $19.4 million, Anthony tops our list as the NBA’s most overpaid player.”
