Daily Thunder.com

Zach Lowe of SI.com: “And Eric Maynor is back! Remember Maynor, the guy who in 2011 looked like one of the league’s best backup point guards and replaced a benched Russell Westbrook in Oklahoma City’s only Western Conference Finals win? Replace Derek Fisher/Daequan Cook/Thabo Sefolosha with Maynor as the fourth guard/wing in the Thunder’s small lineups, and they should become even more dangerous. Almost any player, big or small, can guard the Cook/Sefolosha/Fisher types — classic “hiders,” all. But Maynor is a good long-range shooter and an accomplished off-the-bounce guy, and that presents problems for any second big man trying to stay on the floor against these guys. A head-to-head against Miami raises the question of whether Durant is ready to guard LeBron for extended stretches. If he’s not, Brooks may be forced to slot Sefolosha in for one of his better offensive options.”

Kevin Kuzminski of News9.com on Harden: “Harden is a great basketball player, but he isn’t a superstar, and doesn’t deserve to get paid like one. The NBA has lost control of its salary cap situation. Without boring you to death, I’ll just say that unless the league changes its salary cap structure, players like Eric Gordon, Roy Hibbert and Brook Lopez will continue to receive “max” contracts just like real superstars, and ruin the market value for every other team in the league. Superstars have the capability to lead a franchise to an NBA title as the No. 1 option. The Thunder has that guy in Kevin Durant. James Harden shouldn’t get paid what Kevin Durant gets paid for the same reason Chris Bosh shouldn’t get paid what LeBron does: He isn’t as good. But the fact is, Bosh does get paid what LeBron does, and while it led the Heat to a championship, it also led them into the financial red. If that’s okay with Heat owner Micky Arison, great, but don’t blame Clay Bennett if he’s not okay with a similar situation in OKC.” Keep Reading…

Kevin Arnovitz of TrueHoop on Russell Westbrook and Jordan Brand: “Over the past quarter century (gulp), the Jordan Brand launched a business that would become an economic tentpole for sports. The brand has plenty of competition and no shoe can lend legitimacy to a professional player simply by signing them, but being a starter on Team Jordan, so to speak, is a nice, sexy résumé item for a budding superstar, given the legacy of the brand and its namesake, That’s one reason Russell Westbrook’s jumping to the Jordan Brand was deemed a big deal — for both star and brand.”

Spencer Lund of Dime: “Westbrook is no Jordan. That much is clear even if you discount everything but the first four years of MJ’s career, before a time when MJ was winning titles and became a worldwide name that still is deified today. MJ shot more efficiently and was a better defender through those early years than Westbrook’s been with OKC. But Westbrook’s bull-headed approach, his competitiveness and startling athleticism off the dribble drive, all mimic the young Jordan that hadn’t yet figured it out either. As Russell Westbrook enters his fifth season on a team that’s favored to come out of the Western Conference, he faces many of the same questions Jordan faced: Can he share the ball? Will he forfeit some offense for the betterment of the team? Like his new label-mate, the only thing Westbrook can do is go out and prove them all wrong. There are few players that better personify the Jordan Brand’s ethos.” Keep Reading…

Forbes on Russell Westbrook joining Jordan Brand: “Adding Westbrook to the Jordan Brand line is a smart move for both the player and the brand. Although there are more than a dozen basketball player endorsers, Westbrook joins Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony as the top NBA endorsers of Jordan Brand. As if joining the ranks of Paul and Anthony aren’t enough, Westbrook can be rest assured that whatever Jordan Brand merchandise he’s repping will be very well marketed. Paul’s elaborate “Frozen in Time” stunt showed last week is proof enough.”

Sean Deveney of Sporting News says Westbrook is like Tiny Archibald: “Like Archibald, Westbrook is not much of a perimeter shooter, though he has been making progress in that area. And also like Archibald, Westbrook’s style has made him something of a lightning rod around the league—he is an aggressive scorer, and even if his shots are not falling, he will continue to shoot.” Keep Reading…

Bill Simmons of Grantland says the Thunder should pay James Harden now: “Is there some wealthy maniac out there who would pay 30 percent over that Forbes sticker price without blinking? The short answer: YES! That’s why the NBA owners were so disingenuous during the lockout — they were crying poverty, and meanwhile, they had a waiting list for new owners! And we fell for it! Never again. That’s why I think Oklahoma City’s owners are full of an entire sewage system of shit. Let’s just say it wouldn’t be the first time. So don’t settle for less than what you’re worth, James Harden. They’re playing possum. They will cave. You will get paid. Let the dynastendery begin.”

Jonathan Feigan of the Houston Chronicle: “Even with Westbrook dominating the first quarter and Durant taking over in the second, the Rockets’ starters played the Thunder evenly while running few plays, but running the floor well. Kevin Martin played only in the first quarter, making 3 of 4 shots for his 11 points. The starters overall made 16 of 31 shots. At halftime, when Westbrook and Durant were done for the night, it was a one-point game.” Keep Reading…