Thursday Bolts – 5.30.13
Berry Tramel on Reggie Jackson: “I expect Jackson to become the Thunder sixth man as well as the backup point guard. I think Jackson will play quite a bit with Westbrook, as well as running the offense the 12 minutes or so a game Westbrook sits. He can’t shoot like James Harden or Kevin Martin, but Jackson can penetrate and get to the rim.”
Sunny Saini of ESPN Stats and Info asks if Tony Parker’s the best point guard in the NBA: “In the Western Conference Finals, Parker drove to the basket 61 times in the half court and created 76 points for the Spurs. Parker had 17 assists when driving to the basket, and his teammates were 17-31 (54.8 percent) on those plays, including 9-16 (56.3 percent) on 3-point field goals. The Spurs outscore their opponents by 10.7 points per 100 possessions when Parker is on the court but that drops to 2.2 points per 100 possessions when he’s off. That difference of 8.5 points per 100 possessions was more than Paul, Curry, Kyrie Irving, Rajon Rondo, Russell Westbrook and Deron Williams this season.”
Chris Mannix of SI.com’s second mock: “The Thunder need muscle up front, either to replace Kendrick Perkins, an amnesty candidate, or to complement him. Dieng, 23, has a defensive reputation (he was the Big East Defensive Player of the Year last season after swatting 2.5 shots and pulling down 9.4 rebounds per game) but his offensive game is better than most think. Dieng is a strong passer with a decent mid-range jump shot. Scouts also say he is one of the best screen men in the draft, a skill that will be valuable in Oklahoma City.”
Shame on me for not linking this earlier, but here’s Kelly Dwyer of BDL’s eulogy on OKC’s season: “It’s possible to conclude that Scott Brooks might be wasting the prime years of Nick Collison’s career. The Thunder reserve is far more capable defensively and offensively than Perkins, a player that missed nearly three-quarters of his shots in the playoffs while still seeming out of place any time an opponent decided to initiate a screen and roll. Brooks often seems to making decisions based on reputation, which at times may be far removed from reality, and that could harm the team’s chances moving forward as Presti adds cheaper, older talent to round out his rotation. This is still a championship core, taken down far too early because of Westbrook’s injury. And even the scorched earth policy – waving goodbye to Martin, cutting Perkins – could see the retention of that core should Jeremy Lamb build on what was a frustrating rookie year and Collison keep up his wily ways. What’s scariest for the rest of the league is the internal development: Durant, Westbrook and Ibaka are still growing, learning, and improving.”
Rudy Gobert’s scouting report video.
John Rohde grading Russell Westbrook’s season: “A player slapped with 15 technical fouls this season warrants an F. What saves Westbrook is his ability to excel after the technical. He has improved immensely in channeling that anger into better play on the court. Average an F with an A and you get a C.”
Fran Fraschilla in a 5-on-5 on what player is the biggest project: “Steven Adams. While Adams wowed some people at the recent NBA combine with his athleticism, his overall game is going to be a work in progress for a while. His inexperience and lack of feel for the game will take a while for him to overcome, but athletic 7-foot players don’t fall out of trees. With proper development, he could end up being a space-eater and rim protector like the San Antonio Spurs’ Tiago Splitter.”
Chad Ford of ESPN Insider: “Despite their need at point guard, sources say the Magic aren’t sold on Trey Burke as the second-best player in the draft. While they certainly haven’t ruled out Burke with the No. 2 pick, Orlando is also eyeing Indiana’s Victor Oladipo and Kansas’ Ben McLemore. However, Oladipo and McLemore play the same position as Arron Afflalo, the Magic’s leading scorer last season. What gives? Sources say the Magic have a lot of interest in Clippers point guard Eric Bledsoe and would be willing to trade Afflalo for Bledsoe and Caron Butler’s expiring contract. Would the Clippers bite? Afflalo would give them an established veteran and a big upgrade at shooting guard to pair in the backcourt with Chris Paul.”
Marc Stein of ESPN.com: “The Celts are obligated to explore every trade option they can with Pierce between now and the draft. But then they should pick up his 2013-14 option and let him play out the final year of his contract like the living Celtics legend he is. It’s a very tradeable contract if it turns out that a deal materializes that makes sense for both parties between July 1 and late February. So picking up the option is the only option. The notion of waiving Pierce by June 30 for some short-term payroll relief is preposterous given what he has achieved as a Celtic. He’s still too much of an asset at age 35 to just cast adrift anyway.”
