Monday Bolts – 6.27.11
Kevin Durant is ESPN.com’s No. 1 fantasy player for 2011-12 but two Thunderers are moving up too: “Every year, we see a few players make great strides in the playoffs and ride that confidence into a breakout in the following season. This year it was Harden, who posted averages of 13.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.4 3-pointers in 17 postseason games. More importantly, the Thunder were at their best when Harden was on the court as the third scoring option behind Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. His playoff numbers were no fluke. In fact, Harden posted 15.8 points with 1.7 3-pointers and 1.2 steals in 28 games after the All-Star break last season. Look for a bump in minutes in 2011-12, and do not be surprised if Harden is one of the season’s biggest breakouts.”
Wesley Morris for Grantland didn’t know he was talking about Serge Ibaka when he called him the best dressed at the draft: “Still, with all due respect to Walker, he came in a somewhat distant second. When Stern announced that the Congolese Bismack Biyombo would be going to Sacramento, a dapper gentleman stood up to hug him. This someone wore a perfectly tailored salmon-colored suit and an open shirt, and, if memory serves, nothing in the jacket pocket. Either way, it was million-dollar perfection. I don’t know who this man is or he even if plays basketball, but if the scouts have any sense they’ll track him down and make him an offer.”
Thunder fan Chris Bils isn’t apologizing for being a bandwagoner: “If being a fan of the Oklahoma City Thunder makes be a bandwagon fan, so be it. It’s better than being a fan of a team that went 19-63 last year and just wasted the fourth pick of the draft on Tristan Thompson (sorry Cleveland). I have found that being a bandwagon fan in the NBA is the way to go. I am a bigger fan of the NBA in general since becoming a Thunder fan and I followed this year’s playoffs closer than I ever have before. The NBA might be more interesting than ever, and that has a lot to do with it, but it’s a hell of a lot more fun when you root for a team that has the potential to win it all.”
Is Chumlee from Pawn Stars a Thunder fan? (Maybe NSFW-ish)
Chad Ford’s top 100 prospects for 2012.
Darnell Mayberry on Reggie Jackson: “For four days, most of us have been blinded by what position Jackson plays. It’s time for us to clean up that clouded judgment. It’s time we realize, once and for all, that clearly defined, traditional positions are largely meaningless, especially on a team as versatile as the Thunder. Reggie Jackson is a fit, and it’s perhaps taken most of us too long to see how.”
This graphic recapping the season from Hoopism is awesome.
Michael Dugat of Fox Sports Southwest on OKC’s pick: “Barring something unforeseen, such as an injury or trade, this likely isn’t a move to bear much weight in the direct future. Rather, it adds the asset of another talented player who should be allowed to grow into a role. His skills whisper the possibility of playing from both guard positions, and Jackson offers a small hint of insurance should Westbrook or Maynor not be retained (both have only the 2011-12 season guaranteed on their current contracts, though OKC does have a team option for the following season with Maynor). Of course, particularly with Westbrook, this is an insurance you’d have to prefer is never called upon.”
Sam Amick of SI.com grades OKC’s draft: “GM Sam Presti does as good a job as anyone of thinking two steps ahead, and that’s what we saw with the Thunder’s first-round pick. With a big payday around the bend for Russell Westbrook, it’s looking likely that incumbent backup point guard Eric Maynor will be tough to hold onto once his rookie-scale contract expires in 2013. Enter BC’s Jackson (No. 24), who was intriguing enough that Miami was trying hard to land him to compete with Mario Chalmers. Rival teams thought the Thunder had issued a promise to Jackson, and it appears they may have been right.”
