Tuesday Bolts – 1.15.14
Kirk Goldsberry of Grantland with a must-read piece on Serge Ibaka: “When most NBA fans think of Serge Ibaka, they think about a freakishly athletic shot-blocking defender. That description might be accurate, but it is also incomplete. He’s also one of the league’s most quickly improving players, incorrectly typecast and largely misunderstood. Ibaka has led the league in blocked shots each of the last two seasons, but only the biggest nerds are also aware of the following: During the 2012-13 season, 59 NBA players attempted at least 300 midrange shots. None made a higher percentage than Serge Ibaka.”
Anthony Slater on Steven Adams: “Vince Carter is a 6-foot-6, 220-pounder known for his athleticism. And when he wants to deliver a vicious elbow, like the one he planted on the side of Steven Adams’ face back in November, you know it’s coming with some force. Didn’t seem like the Thunder rookie even felt it. Larry Sanders is a 6-foot-11, 235-pounder with a publicized mean streak. He made headlines after a Milwaukee bar fight earlier this season and again this past Saturday, when he connected with a pair of forearm shivers to Adams’ head, leading to an ejection. Didn’t seem like the Thunder rookie even noticed. How could that be? “Have you seen my sister?” Adams said, when asked about his ability to take a beating. “Look her up, bro.”
Marc Stein has OKC sixth: “Kevin Durant’s numbers in these past nine games since Russell Westbrook’s latest knee surgery are only getting more insane: 34.2 PPG, 8.6 RPG and 5.4 APG. But the Thunder are a mortal 5-4 in that stretch and certainly don’t want to keep asking KD to do that much night after night. Do they?”
John Schuhmann has OKC fifth: “Two road losses (a bad defensive game in Utah and an anemic offensive night in Denver) dropped the Thunder out of first place. And after visiting the improved Grizzlies on Tuesday, they play four of their next five games against fellow West playoff teams. Kevin Durant has averaged 34.2 points in the nine games since Russell Westbrook’s surgery, though his 3-point shooting has suffered.”
Sam Presti was on the Sports Animal yesterday.
Tom Haberstroh of ESPN Insider: “Both he and Kevin Durant have played several games without their co-pilots this season, but James’ shot attempts haven’t sky-rocketed like Durant’s have. “I do get jealous, I’m not gonna lie,” James said. “I get jealous sometimes when I look over at KD and he’s like 16-for-32 and then 14-for-34. … Man.” But that might require a different approach. “First of all, you have to have an unbelievable mindset to get up 30 shots,” James said. “I always think about it, though. If I get up high-20s, 30 shots a game, what could I do today, with the way I’m playing?”
KD is leading USA Today’s MVP race.
Berry Tramel: “Russell Westbrook won’t play Tuesday night in Memphis, and Kevin Durant might not. But that’s only justice. Marc Gasol and Tony Allen won’t play for the Grizzlies. Sure, Durant and Westbrook are perennial all-stars and more exalted players than Gasol and Allen. But in some ways, Memphis playing without the duo of Gasol and Allen is like the Thunder playing without Westbrook and Durant. The Thunder success is built on athletic ability and skill. Westbrook and Durant are wondrous players with the ball, with few peers. Westbrook is an athletic freak; bigger and quicker than an NFL cornerback. Durant is a natural freak; he’s like a superhero, Spiderman or somebody, at 6-foot-10 with ball skills and an eye for the game of a primo player a foot shorter.”
