Monday Bolts – 5.14.12
Chris Palmer of ESPN.com on the Lakers defending Westbrook: “If Westbrook torches Sessions and Blake, the blame cannot lie solely on their shoulders. One individual defender — no matter how tenacious — just can’t handle the speed of today’s elite guards. The Lakers must employ a total team approach and throw as many long-armed defenders at Westbrook as possible. No less than their survival in these playoffs depends on it.”
David Stern: “I think it’s time to look at (flopping) in a more serious way,” Stern said, “because it’s only designed to fool the referee. It’s not a legitimate play in my judgment. I recognize if there’s contact (you) move a little bit, but some of this is acting. We should give out Oscars rather than MVP trophies.”
Brian Kamnetzky of ESPN LA: “What to do with Westbrook? In two of the three games, the Lakers managed to put a lid on OKC’s All-Star PG, but overall the matchup isn’t a good one. Judging by regular-season returns, the best defender the Lakers can stick on him is Bryant. No question, Kobe is still capable of cranking things up on that side of the floor, but asking him to do for a series what he did against Westbrook in the third regular-season meeting is, to put it mildly, suboptimal. There are also potential matchup problems with Harden, depending on what lineups Brooks deploys. If he leaves Durant on the floor with Westbrook, Harden and Fisher, who takes KD? Who checks Harden? Who plays Westbrook? The Lakers could find themselves in a few uncomfortable spots, without natural solutions.”
John Rohde thinks Thunder fans should give Metta World Peace the silent treatment: “Why give the World Wide Leader Of NBA Suspensions the satisfaction? Become proud passivists. Again, this request will never happen. It’s a pipe dream, but worthy of consideration. If OKC fans want to be viewed as different, why behave precisely like every other fan base would? Be different. Don’t boo. Remain silent when Mega Cheap Shot is introduced. Heck, turn your back on the guy. Literally show him the back side of the complimentary T-shirt you’ll be wearing. Take the road never traveled. If you truly want OKC to get noticed on national television, give the nation crickets.”
Matt Moore for PBT on World Peace dissing Harden: “I get the whole “not being friendly with the enemy” thing. It’s a little absurd considering how chummy these guys were during the lockout and how they could wind up playing on the same team at any moment, but sure. But why insult him? And it is an insult, just an incredibly stupid one. MWP came off the bench in 19 of his 64 games this season. So why throw the jab? Is he not going to fist-bump Manu Ginobili. You can say it’s just a benign comment about how players fist-bump on the floor before the game, but it doesn’t come off that way, does it? This series is going to be full of love and warmth, I can tell.”
David Thorpe of ESPN.com has KD fourth in his postseason MVP: “Like Parker, Durant was the guy to carry his team to a pivotal road win in Game 3. It might have been the easiest 31 points of his career, as Dallas lost Durant (11-for-15 on the night) numerous times, whether it was in man or zone defenses or in transition. But he still had to convert a few difficult shots that Shawn Marion defended well. The Mavericks were awful on defense for much of the game but still held the rest of the Thunder to 25-for-70 shooting from the field and just six made free throws; Durant made five. Absent his clutch play, that series could easily still be going.”
Darnell Mayberry: “Back in 2010, the champs worked over Durant so good he didn’t know what hit him. The answer, of course, was Ron Artest. The player now known as Metta World Peace did a number on Durant, introducing the budding star to playoff basketball with his patented brand of physicality that left Durant and the Thunder on the wrong end of a six-game series. Looking back, that encounter was just what Durant needed. It helped Durant, taught him. It showed Durant, for the first time, what words like tough, discouraging and frustrating really meant on a basketball court.”
Mike Bresnahan of the L.A. Times on matchups: “Russell Westbrook is a better, faster version of Ty Lawson. Thabo Sefolosha is a decent defender but can’t score. Kobe Bryant keeps turning back the clock, averaging 29.1 points in the first round. Ramon Sessions survived his first career playoff series but needs a bigger impact than his Game 7 line (four points, two assists, 19 minutes). EDGE: Lakers”
Justin Kubatko for the NY Times: “While Ibaka is not an offensive force, he is effective on that end of the floor. Ibaka shot .535 from the field, led the team with an average of 2.9 offensive rebounds per game, and finished fourth on the team in scoring with an average of 9.1 points per game. As expected, Harden and Ibaka played key roles in Oklahoma City’s dismantling of Dallas. And even though Harden and Ibaka have yet to earn the accolades of their All-Star teammates, the Thunder will not win an N.B.A. title without further contributions from the two of them.”
