Monday Bolts – 1.18.16
Anthony Slater: “The concern, though, is that Waiters’ faucet will turn off just as quick as it turned
back on. He’s had great stretches before, only to follow them up with a batch of rough showings. But the first step to correcting a problem is admission. Waiters identified and at least temporarily nixed the constant fadeaway on his wide-open jumper. Maybe with it, his roller-coaster performances will level out, too.”
Berry Tramel: “A young Westbrook was a young Wade. The in-his-prime Westbrook is something really not ever seen in the NBA. What will an old Westbrook look like, when he runs and jumps and sprints like a mere mortal? If it’s anything like an old Dwyane Wade, Westbrook will be just fine.”
My ESPN.com story from last night.
Durant yesterday to the media: “I actually do love you guys.”
Kevin Draper of Deadspin on KD: “This particular beef, however, is so dumb. Durant doesn’t look strong or independent for it, he looks petty and clueless in reacting so vehemently to a perfectly fair observation, and for conflating one guy’s comments with “the media.” But Durant doesn’t have to engage with any of this, he can just read the headline and chalk it up to “the media” once again unfairly taking him down.”
Durant and Westbrook have both been named 2016 Olympic finalists.
J.A. Adande: “The NBA must stay diverse at all levels in order to maintain its appeal and continue to attract the broadest array of innovators to make the sport even better. We’re at the hard part now, where those who have given are asked to give even more. The difficulty increases when it’s no longer a matter of merely sharing space, and it’s a matter of sharing resources and control.”
Marc Stein has OKC fourth in power rankings: “Who else wishes Kevin Durant didn’t walk back his anti-media rant from Friday night? Who else enjoys it when KD finds his inner Russ Westbrook to double the Thunder’s angry quotient? The answer, of course, is that no one outside of state limits wants to see those two anywhere near each other; OKC is up to 27-8 with Durant in uniform and outscoring opponents by 10.6 PPG in those games.”
