Thursday Bolts – 11.19.15
Ben Golliver of SI.com: “What’s crazy about this list is that Singler isn’t a defensive-minded center like Asik and Withey and he isn’t an unproven youngster like Vaughn (a shoot-first rookie) and Bennett (a bust). This is a guy who was named Most Outstanding Player for guiding Duke to the 2010 NCAA title and who pulled in a five-year, $25 million contract last July. Five years! And it seemed like a defensible move at the time. Singler is simply in an early-season funk so funky that it rivals the Grizzlies’ “Memphis Sounds” throwback jerseys. He’s averaging 2.6 points per game on 22.2% shooting, he’s committed 10 turnovers in addition to his zero assists, and he’s the only minutes-qualified player with a negative Player Efficiency Rating. If you had to boil down his season to a single play, this would definitely be it.”
Sam Amick of USA Today: “As Morey made clear, Bickerstaff will have a legitimate chance to make his mark here. But if the losing continues, Morey’s history of being aggressive is almost certain to continue and it remains possible that the Rockets could make another change. To that end, one interesting name is Scott Brooks. The former Oklahoma City Thunder coach not only has a positive history with Harden, but a storied history with the Rockets from his playing days (he was the backup point guard on their 1994 championship team). But according to a person with knowledge of Brooks’ situation, it’s more likely that he will wait until the summer to see what’s next on the job front. The person spoke to USA TODAY Sports on the condition of anonymity because of the private nature of Brooks’ situation.”
Kirk Goldsberry of 538 on Chris Paul: “Paul is arguably the best midrange shooter on the planet right now. And, yes, that planet also includes Nowitzki and Curry. And while that may seem like hyperbole, the numbers back up the idea that nobody can blend volume and efficiency in the midrange as well as Paul can, especially when you consider that most of his attempts in that area are those unassisted, higher-level-of-difficulty shots.”
Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com on the changing tide of coaches: “And these days, it’s harder to relate to a millennial basketball player if you snip at the idea of Snapchat and tweak over the advent of Twitter. Hence, why Fred Hoiberg, Billy Donovan and Brad Stevens have been called up from the collegiate campuses where technology is not only ubiquitous but championed.”
Coach Thorpe with some great Thunder thoughts. Says this:”If Sam Presti had kept Harden in Oklahoma City, Durant might already be somewhere else.”
From USA Today: “While players tried to keep details of the meeting private, two themes emerged, three people told USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the situation. Harden’s play and aloofness have frustrated teammates, and McHale took the brunt of the blame for the team’s play. Practices were not resulting in improved play in games.”
Anthony Slater: “This version of the Pelicans is much like last year’s early-season version of the depleted Thunder. Coach Alvin Gentry’s roster is decimated with a variety of ailments. Eight guys missed Wednesday’s game. Ish Smith, he of 2014 OKC lore, was the starting point guard. Off the bench, roster cast-offs Jimmer Fredette and Toney Douglas got minutes. So this was teed up for a much-needed Thunder win. Which OKC got, breaking a two-game losing streak and improving to 7-5 on the season. But much like the Thunder’s last win, a sleepwalk over the 0-13 Sixers five days earlier, Wednesday’s performance wasn’t an extremely inspiring one.”
Jenni Carlson: “On Thursday night, the Thunder superstar will be inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame. Not the state’s sports hall of fame. The state’s hall of fame. Being in the hall of fame is the highest honor an Oklahoman can receive. Some might wonder why Durant has been granted the commendation. Sure, he was the 2014 NBA’s Most Valuable Player. Of course, he is one of the best basketball players on the planet. But he’s only been in Oklahoma a little over seven years. And with his free agency pending next summer, isn’t there a chance this is just a ploy to try and keep KD in Thunder blue? That’s possible. But here’s something that’s sure — there is no one who has done more to raise our state’s profile than Durant.”
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