Monday Bolts – 8.3.15
Bobby Marks for HoopsHype on non-guaranteed players: “Ask any front office executive what is the worst part of their job and the majority will tell you it’s cutting a player during training camp. There is nothing worse than releasing a player from a job they love. In my 20 years with the New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets, I was the unfortunate participant in many of those roster cuts. Releasing Williams in 2006 is the one that still haunts me to this day. Williams had worked vigorously to get back on the basketball court, but his injuries wouldn’t allow him to get back to a high level. After Williams was released, I knew that his professional basketball career was over.”
Jake Whitacre of Bullets Forever getting deep into a Durant tweet: “Kevin Durant could be talking about the effects that roaming have on the battery life on a cell phone. As a loyal Sprint man, Kevin Durant is surely aware that cell phone reception is far better in the Washington D.C. area than the Oklahoma City area. He’d probably only need one battery emoji if he joined the Wizards.”
Kickball with LeBron, KD and Drake.
Semaj Christon has signed with Vuelle Pesaro of the Italian League.
Anthony Slater on Billy Donovan: “Billy Donovan made a career out of willing himself to success. Too small and athletically limited to compete against premiere athletes? He molded himself into a player and led Providence to an unlikely Final Four run. Florida is a second-tier hoops program at a football school? He quickly turned them into a national powerhouse. Too inexperienced to coach in the NBA? Sam Presti just handed him the keys to the most important season in the Thunder’s brief franchise history. But before there was Billy Donovan the iconic coach or Billy The Kid bombing 3s at Providence College there was Billy the kid, a Long Island youth addicted to basketball.”
Deep thoughts with Serge Ibaka.
Bit of housekeeping: Josh Huestis signed the full 120 percent rookie scale, so he’ll be making around $1.1 million this season. Which in actuality, is $2.75 million because the Thunder are in the third tier of the lux tax.
