Friday Bolts – 7.31.15
Chris Forsberg of ESPN Boston on Perry Jones: “It’s a combination of size and athleticism that intrigued Boston about the 23-year-old forward, enough so that the team was willing to acquire his guaranteed deal from the Oklahoma City Thunder and bring him to training camp despite now carrying 17 guaranteed contracts — two more than the regular-season limit. Jones faces a climb to make Boston’s roster. Despite flashes of potential, he’s had a rather unremarkable three-year NBA career while averaging 3.4 points and 1.8 rebounds over 11.7 minutes per game. Injuries and a lack of opportunity have contributed to appearing in only 143 games and playing only an average of 558 minutes per season.”
Kevin Pelton of ESPN Insider projecting Cam Payne’s rookie year: “We didn’t get a chance to see Payne this summer because of a fractured finger he suffered on his non-shooting hand during pre-draft workouts. The injury shouldn’t hold Payne back much, but with Russell Westbrook and D.J. Augustin ahead of him on the depth chart, he’s unlikely to see regular minutes as a rookie.”
If you’ve somehow missed it, Josh Huestis signed.
Jerry Colangelo on KD backing out of USA Basketball last summer: “Kevin Durant, a little bit of a different story. I think he was affected some by Paul George’s injury. I also think a lot of things were going on with Kevin Durant with his career and his contract. Things were changing. He wasn’t the same Kevin Durant who was wide-eyed and bushy-tailed when he first stepped on to the court for USA Basketball. He had a lot going on in his life. So when he said he was going to pull out, I wasn’t surprised. I could kind of see it coming. I didn’t see the same vigor. He was always so active and positive. He had a different look to him.”
Looks like no Hall of Famer Nancy Lieberman on Thunder games this season as she’s joining the Kings’ coaching staff.
Darnell Mayberry: “For Huestis, the deal allowed him to be selected higher than he was projected to be taken and secure a long-term commitment from a franchise. For the Thunder, it was a deal that saved a roster spot and nearly $1 million in payroll last season but also afforded the franchise an opportunity to have Huestis’ rights and develop him for five years as opposed to the standard four.”
Sean Highkin of PBT: “Huestis likely won’t play much — he plays the same position as Kevin Durant, who is expected to be healthy. But the Thunder took an unorthodox approach with drafting him in the first round and then sending him down to the D-League. If they’re happy with his development and decide the experiment was a success, it could be the first in a trend.”
