Monday Bolts – 8.10.15
Bradford Doolittle of ESPN Insider has OKC third in the West: “The Thunder have built a nice collection of role players to support their high-power Big 3, and no team features a one-two punch like Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. However, the metrics of many of those supporting players don’t shine. Oklahoma City needs heightened efficiency from the likes of Steven Adams, Dion Waiters and Kyle Singler. If healthy, Oklahoma City has the star power to win it all. It’ll be up to the non-stars to make it happen.”
Kevin Pelton of ESPN Insider puts OKC in Tier 2 of the West: “After injuries spoiled the Thunder’s 2014-15 campaign, they should be back near the top of the Western Conference this season. The question is whether Oklahoma City’s supporting cast is strong enough to support a healthy group of stars. The Thunder are short on two-way role players, with newcomers Enes Kanter and Dion Waiters failing to qualify because of their shortcomings in defense and efficient scoring, respectively.”
From Darnell Mayberry: “But before discussing Donovan, Van Gundy made it a point to vouch for the job Scott Brooks did in OKC. ‘I really think he did an awesome, incredible job,’ Van Gundy said of Brooks. To be clear, Van Gundy also endorsed Donovan getting the job. He just doesn’t think Brooks should have lost it. ‘I think it was a great hire,’ Van Gundy said of Donovan’s appointment. ‘I just can’t say enough great things about Scott. I thought with his body of work, I was shocked that he wasn’t given a contract extension. To me, Scott Brooks is the type of personality; he and Billy have very, very similar personal qualities and personal character. Scott to me is a great competitor, he’s really smart and he’s great with people. And I thought this year was his finest hour as a coach.'”
Bryan Gibberman for Crossover Chronicles with trade ideas for… Kevin Durant: “This one is the most fascinating one to me. Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News has talked a decent amount about how the Warriors could potentially chase Durant when he becomes an unrestricted free agent… so why not do it a little earlier?!?!? A deal like this is best case scenario for the Thunder — a core of Westbrook, Thompson, Barnes and Ibaka is damn good. If they get growth and improvement out of their other bigs they might be able to turn into a borderline contender. Are the Warriors willing to break up a championship team to get Durant? I’d think so because he’d probably re-sign there, and having him plus Steph Curry is absolutely devastating.”
Boy, True Detective was terrible this season, wasn’t it?
Mayberry on Billy Donovan’s playing days: “In Providence’s third and final meeting with St. John’s, the hometown school that never recruited him, Billy the Kid lit up Madison Square Garden for a then-Big East Tournament record 34 points. He scored 26 in the second half. The Friars won by 29, sweeping the season series with St. John’s. Only eight players in Big East Tournament history have scored more points in a single game than Donovan did that night.”
