Monday Bolts – 5.11.15
Berry Tramel: “That’s a little of the silver lining. No playoffs relieves some financial strain on fans. Some people don’t have to worry about it, but lots of Thunder fans make financial sacrifices to get tickets. They wouldn’t have wished for this dismal season, but since it’s happened, it gives them a chance to let the bank book balance a bit. Still, it’s only a lining. Everyone would prefer that the Thunder was dueling some heavyweight in the Western Conference semifinals and wondering if this could be the year an NBA parade comes to Bricktown. Everyone would prefer if the Thunder still was a nice diversion from the tornadoes and the floods and the wind.”
Barbara Barker of Newsday on Donovan: “Yet it will take more than drive and desire to succeed in the NBA, a place where many talented college coaches have failed to make a lasting impact in the past. Among the college coaches who did not successfully make the jump are Mike Dunlap, Reggie Theus, Mike Montgomery, Lon Kruger, Leonard Hamilton, Tim Floyd and John Calipari. Pitino also never enjoyed the same success as coach of the Knicks and Celtics that he has had in the college ranks.”
I quite enjoyed this Reddit post.
Josh Huestis in a Q&A with his hometown paper: “This will be a big offseason for me. We haven’t had the chance yet to sit down and discuss it with them. It will come down to the commitments I make and what the team decides. I can’t make any guesses on that yet … I’m willing to do whatever it is they believe will be best for me. There are a lot of paths to take to the NBA. If that was fine I’d be OK with it as long as I knew it would make me a better player.”
Not surprising, but Scott Brooks is a top candidate for the Magic.
Congrats to Kevin Durant who sold a condo in Miami for $3.15 million.
Darnell Mayberry on the draft: “I’m pretty close to going all in on Devin Booker, the sensational shooter from Kentucky. He was overshadowed on a loaded Wildcats team but still found a way to stand out. That’s exactly what he would eventually have to do in OKC. Fit in, but stand out. He strikes me as more of a solid future player than a star, and I’m really not sure about his ability on the defensive end. But OKC has its stars and its lockdown perimeter defender. And since the Thunder is loaded at pretty much every other position, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to get some insurance at shooting guard, especially with Dion Waiters heading into the last year of his deal.”
