Daily Thunder.com

J.A. Adande of ESPN.com on the NBA’s best closer: “Whoa, don’t be so quick to bail out on Durant. I saw firsthand the way he finished off the Lakers in Games 2 and 4 of the conference semifinals last year. Before that he beat Dallas with a jumper that won their first playoff game and sent the Thunder on their way to a sweep. Durant has the range to force defenders to guard him out to 28 feet, and he’s constantly getting better at going past them with the dribble. The problem was, as you mentioned, Durant’s inability to command the ball in fourth quarters against the Heat. LeBron, CP3 and Irving have an advantage in that they almost always start the offense with the ball late in games. Durant has to get it from Westbrook. Westbrook is more deferential in crunch time than people give him credit for; in Game 4 against the Lakers, for example, he had a 37-point game going and still let Durant take the wheel down the stretch. But there’s always the possibility Westbrook might decide it’s his moment to shine.”

Berry Tramel: “I guess everyone remembers that Fisher wasn’t the Thunder’s backup point guard in the 2012 postseason. James Harden was. When Russell Westbrook took a rest, Fisher slid over and played shooting guard, while Harden initiated the offense. If the Thunder believes Reggie Jackson isn’t ready for the playoffs, then Fisher has to be the backup point guard. I think Jackson is the better option, but either way, there’s no Harden this time. So unless Westbrook plays 48 minutes a game, someone must initiate the offense.” Keep Reading…

Jeff Caplan of NBA.com writes the Mavs aren’t pumped about Derek Fisher’s return: “Owner Mark Cuban did not reply to multiple emails on Monday, but one league source said the best way to describe the mood of the Dallas front office is “agitated.” The source said that Fisher and his representatives never contacted the Mavs during his decision-making process to discuss a possible return to Dallas, the team that, in good faith, initially signed him. The source said that Fisher’s departure before Christmas seemed to come out of the blue. Of course, in 2007 when Fisher played for the Utah Jazz, he did have a family emergency in the playoffs. His 11-month-old daughter suffered from cancer in her left eye and required surgery in New York. After the playoffs — where Fisher had an iconic moment in the West semifinals — Fisher asked the Jazz to release him from his contract so he could concentrate on finding the best care for his daughter. After saying, “life for me outweighs the game of basketball,” Fisher would soon sign a three-year deal to return to the Lakers.”

Darnell Mayberry on why OKC brought back Fisher: “Insurance: The No. 1 reason this deal went down. OKC shipped reserve point guard Eric Maynor to Portland at the trade deadline last Thursday and was left with only Russell Westbrook and Reggie Jackson at the point guard spot. Teams generally like to have three point guards for emergency purposes. For a team that expects to make another deep playoff run, entering the postseason with only two lead guards would have been risky. Fisher also brings stability to the position in the event that Jackson, still in just his second season, struggles under the playoff spotlight.” Keep Reading…

Darnell Mayberry: “I couldn’t understand why the Thunder didn’t push the pace in the early stages. After nearly every stop early on, the Thunder walked the ball up the court only to find itself in a much more difficult halfcourt situation. The Bulls are a great defensive team, and part of that is their ability to get back in transition. But the Thunder, it seems, wasn’t even trying to push the tempo.”

Berry Tramel on KD: “Let’s not pretend Durant is in some kind of slump. Not since December has he gone back-to-back games shooting under 50 percent, and even then his percentages were in the mid-40s. But last Wednesday in Houston, when Durant made just four of 13 shots, he still produced just the second triple-double of his career, with 12 rebounds and 11 assists. Similar game Sunday night, and Durant might very well have tripled-doubled again, had the Bulls been courteous enough to make this a ballgame and require Durant to play the fourth quarter.” Keep Reading…