Monday Bolts – 8.29.16
Billy Donovan on KD’s meeting: “I thought the meeting that we had went very well. I think we
talked about basketball. We talked about our team. We talked about direction, talked about obviously his leadership, his role – all those kind of things. And I think, leaving the meeting, it was very, very, I thought, positive. I thought it was very, very clear. I think there was direction on both sides.”
Kobe on KD’s decision: “Nah, as a competitor, I would have thought less about myself if I had looked at that move and said, ‘That’s unfair.’ “If you’re a real competitor, you look at that and say, ‘OK lace ’em up. Let’s go. I don’t care how many players you have over there, we’re still gonna take you down.’”
Matt Moore of CBSSports.com on Russ’s new ad: “But some of this is just our projection on Westbrook. We are anticipating, and in large part hoping, that Westbrook will carry animosity for Durant’s decision. The most likely scenario is that Westbrook is in large part ambivalent. Durant is gone, so he will do more. It is a personal matter that Durant A) left him, B) left him for Golden State, and C) did not even call him on the way out. But Westbrook has never given the impression that he is driven by revenge, like Michael Jordan or Kobe Bryant were. He’s vindictive in his play (like his battles with the Denver mascot) but has never been the kind of obsessive competitor to obsess over slights.”
Erik Horne: “Donovan’s thought is an offseason of planning will look a lot different than having to make up on-the-fly for the injuries that plagued the Thunder in 2014-15. While Ibaka and Durant are huge losses – a combined 33.3 percent of the offense from a season ago – their offseason exits give the Thunder more time to formulate a gameplan around Westbrook and his ability to create for the players around him.”
Ben Golliver of SI.com gives OKC an F+ for its offseason: “There’s no question that Presti deserves real credit for both the Ibaka trade and the Westbrook deal, but focusing on those salvage efforts distracts from just how damaging Durant’s decision will be to the organization’s long-term outlook. Sure, Presti chipped in nicely from the sand with the Westbrook deal, but that only happened after he put his ball in the water hazard three times in a row. Oklahoma City will move on from its rough summer with a motivated Westbrook and a focused Presti. Durant’s departure tested both of them, but neither broke. That’s a promising sign during an otherwise disheartening time.”
