Daily Thunder.com

Chris Palmer of ESPN.com on who runs the floor best: “Westbrook is a one-man fastbreak, often zigzagging in traffic with the ball as fast as most players can move in a straight line without it. His athleticism is such that he can turn nearly every defensive rebound, steal and even made basket into a fastbreak opportunity. Because the he advances the ball so quickly, the defense is rarely in a position to slow him down. Few guards can control a game’s tempo by pushing and finishing so frequently the way Westbrook does. But maybe his most effective weapon is stopping at the foul line and rising up for a picture-perfect pull-up. Since the defense has to protect the rim, he can release the shot nearly uncontested every time. With better shot selection he could top this list. How to stop him: Frustrate him into forcing the action. Making him use his athleticism against him by trying to create transition opportunities where there are none has been effective in getting him to commit offensive fouls. He believes so thoroughly in his athleticism that he rarely gives it up on the break.”

For some reason, Skip Bayless summarized his hot sports take about Russell Westbrook in a column:
“Durant? He WANTS “Russ” to be Kobe Westbrook. Durant has developed a LeBron Complex, sounding like he wants to BE his best buddy LeBron as well as beat him. Durant now seems obsessed with doing all the little things — the all-around things — while leaving the big things (shot attempts) mostly to Westbrook. Advantage, “point guard.” Still, I believe I hit a nerve in Durant last year, one that stays raw. I believe that deep down, Durant knows I’m right: Westbrook ultimately will prove to be more burden than benefit. I found it interesting — maybe even telling — that after Durant criticized me last year, his mother readily agreed to join us on a show we did in Oklahoma City before Game 2 of the Finals. On air, she thanked me for always supporting her son. Mother knew best?” Keep Reading…

Steve Marsh of GQ on the NBA’s style wars: “Consider the OKC Thunder. When they’re in uniform, Westbrook and his All-NBA teammate, forward Kevin Durant, are the league’s youngest, most exciting Batman-and-Robin act; in street clothes—the term feels nearly archaic—they are two opposite fronts in the NBA’s escalating style wars. If Westbrook is the NBA’s Kate Moss, then Durant is trying to become its Kate Middleton—aristocratic and punctilious. Whereas Westbrook invites regular hazing from Charles Barkley and three-quarters of Twitter for dressing like a badass Ziggy Stardust in glammy Neil Barrett silver-leather shirts and Givenchy hoodies, Durant keeps it on the Take Ivy tip, seldom venturing far from the prepped-up hipster look favored around the league of late, pairing his Air Jordans or AF1s with various combos of custom-tailored cardigan, collared shirt, and corduroys. He’s running for president, not leading an insurgency.”

Berry Tramel on Derek Fisher: “Against the Wizards, Fisher made some solid plays. A couple of steals, an assist, a rebound. What appeared to be solid defense. And though we joke about the intangibles, truth is, Fisher does bring them. Experience. Calmness. Readiness. A locker room presence. Heck, for all I know, Fisher serves as some kind of dorm monitor for the still-young Thunder. Maybe everyone shapes up with Fisher and his five NBA championship rings around. I don’t have a problem with Fisher playing, so long as his minutes don’t get too high. Brooks played Fisher 20.4 minutes a game last season, then upped that to 22.3 in the playoffs, same as Thabo Sefolosha. Which is just nuts.” Keep Reading…

Henry Abbott of TrueHoop looking ahead to playoff matchups: “This stat geek’s delight and James Harden reunion tour could be a wake-up call to the Thunder. The Rockets won’t roll over for anyone. By the time the Thunder move on, they’ll be battle-tested. The rest-sensitive Spurs aren’t that far ahead in the standings, however, and are unlikely to go all out every game down the stretch, however. Catching them would mean homecourt advantage in a likely Western Conference Finals matchup, which has some real value.”

Darnell Mayberry on Wall vs. Westbrook: “The matchup will pit two of the most electrifying point guards in the game against each other but, for Westbrook, it will simply be another opportunity to string together more success over other elite players at his position. Since the start of the 2010-11 season, the year Westbrook became an All-Star, Westbrook is 18-18 in head-to-head matchups against Chris Paul, Derrick Rose, Tony Parker, Rajon Rondo, Deron Williams, Kyrie Irving and Wall. He has a losing record against only Parker (2-6) and Irving (1-2). With the exception of a few occasions, Westbrook and his marquee matchup generally have canceled each other out. That wasn’t the case throughout much of Westbrook’s first three seasons, when his supercharged emotions either got the best of him or spurred him to a victory in the showdown.” Keep Reading…