Thursday Bolts – 2.17.11
I’m en route to Los Angeles for All-Star Weekend today, so I’ll be out of pocket for a good portion of the day.
Sekou Smith of NBA.com says everyone will be talking KD in LA: “Kevin Durant was supposed to be a contender for the MVP award this season and was universally hailed as the player most ready to take that next step and join the league’s über elite as one of the global faces of the NBA game. Then the season started and it seemed like Durant wasn’t even generating the biggest headlines on his own team (fellow All-Star Russell Westbrook). But this Hollywood backdrop is the perfect setting for Durant to remind us all that he’s still the same guy that dominated the landscape in August. A 40-point outburst and MVP trophy Sunday ought to do the trick.”
David Thorpe on Serge Ibaka and James Harden: “If you want to see how a player can impact a team without putting up double-doubles or huge scoring numbers, study Ibaka. Everyone sees what he does on defense (he leads all rookies and sophs in blocks), but the Thunder are also a much better offensive team when he’s on the floor. He finishes over 70 percent of his shots in the paint and makes 45 percent of his pick-and-pops. In short, he’s the third-best player on one of the top 10 teams in the NBA.”
Harden: “Consistent, poised, smart and focused. Those qualities are what made Harden the No. 3 pick in the 2009 draft and he’s using them to help the Thunder win a lot of games. He still has to improve as a finisher inside 10 feet and could use his athletic ability more, but his feel and talent make him an excellent complement to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. If he ever took over the starting 2-guard spot in OKC, it might help him raise his game to another level, which I believe exists.”
Has KD already won the scoring title?
SI.com’s power rankings: “The Thunder have a unique style. They get to the free-throw line a ton and shoot a very high percentage there. They yield points in the paint in large bunches and rank 17th in defensive efficiency. They are among the bottom four in assists, primarily because their top two scorers, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, are so good at creating their own shot and/or drawing the foul. They can play odd games, like the one Sunday in Golden State, where they were minus-18 in offensive rebounds and minus-14 in rebounds overall, minus-16 on points in the paint and minus-12 in turnovers, yet were within one point with three minutes to play and lost by only six. The Thunder had a chance to win because they were plus-17 in made free throws and shot 52 percent from the field. Is this weird concoction a winning formula for the playoffs? Right now, the Thunder would have home-court advantage in the first round as they find out.”
Standup comedian Bill Burr went to the Thunder-Heat game and has some pretty hilarious observations about OKC and the team. He curses a whole lot, so be warned. (He talks Thunder at the 15-minute mark and 29-minute mark of the Jan. 31 podcast.)
No rest for Westbrook and Durant, writes John Rohde: “Ask Durant and Westbrook if they would prefer to rest rather than partake in All-Star Weekend and they’ll look at you sideways. “You kiddin’?” said Westbrook, flashing a smile and shaking his head. Durant and Westbrook have felt fatigue at times this season, understandable given their recent schedules. Neither missed a start last season and Westbrook hasn’t missed a game since cracking the starting lineup exactly 200 games ago.”
