Tuesday Bolts – 12.23.14
Dan Feldman of PBT on Westbrook: “That’s why I believe Westbrook takes too much unfair criticism for his style – in this case, quite literally. Contrary to Tramel’s count, Westbrook passed with 4:35 left. (Westbrook also had a turnover with 3:01 left classified as a bad pass, but he really just got his pocket picked.) That said, if my best defense for Westbrook is that he threw a single pass in the final 4:58, that says something. The discussion about his willingness to pass might be uncomfortable, and it’s human nature for him to get defensive. It is unfair that critics pile on when the team loses, even if his style also leads to wins. But the Thunder would be better off if Westbrook – and Brooks – make adjustments. Westbrook cutting down on his 3s is a good start. Losing his periodic tunnel vision for his own shot would be another good step. A more-competent offense around him would make both easier.”
Berry Tramel: “The maddening thing about Westbrook is, he’s a wonderful playmaker at times. Westbrook had five assists in the first quarter alone, But he loses his mind at times, and the Thunder is powerless to stop him. Timeouts won’t do it. Talking won’t do it. I called him a werewolf in my column, and that’s about right. You just have to let the moon pass. Westbrook is 26 years old. This is his seventh NBA season. This is who he is. A wonderful player. Among the NBA’s best. But occasionally he lapses into madness, and nobody with the possible exception of Kevin Durant can stop it.”
John Schuhmann of NBA.com has OKC 14th: “Kevin Durant got hurt again, Russell Westbrook shot like Kobe, and the Thunder’s run to the top eight in the West was halted by losses to the Warriors and Pelicans. The bigger issue has actually been on defense, where they’ve allowed 109 points per 100 possessions in their last three games after allowing just 94 during their seven-game winning streak.”
Jenni Carlson on Serge Ibaka: “Ibaka, who is making $12.3 million this season, is one of the best players on this team. His value goes beyond how many points he posts. But why shouldn’t he be able to regularly score 15 or 18 points, especially when Durant isn’t in the lineup? I’ll say it again — Serge Ibaka’s struggles are not the only issue that the Thunder has. He is a spectacular talent. He is one of the best power forwards in the NBA. He just needs to play like it.”
KD is set to be a gametime tonight.
Zach Lowe of Grantland has OKC as the West’s best team: “This is a bet on the power of both star players and incremental improvements. Adams can’t shoot, but he’s leagues better than Kendrick Perkins at scoring off cuts, snagging putbacks, hitting the occasional post-up bucket, and generally doing NBA athlete–level things. Morrow and Jackson can handle minutes at the 2 should Roberson’s shooting prove fatal, and at least one of the up-and-down Roberson/Perry Jones III/Jeremy Lamb trio figures to be ready to contribute at some point in the playoffs. Brooks also showed a slightly quicker trigger tweaking the rotation during last season’s playoffs. It was still more Civil War soldier than John Woo action hero, but at least the trigger existed. Trust me: No one wants to see these guys in the first round, or any round after that. Everyone in the West is terrified of them.”
Darnell Mayberry on Andre Roberson: “Roberson has received unwavering and unprecedented support from the Thunder. Team officials have spent the past 17 months selling Roberson’s strengths and pushing his positives more than they have for any player in the past. If he tipped a loose ball to a teammate and it led to two points, they’d be sure to point out Roberson was the reason the scoreboard moved. If he crashed into the paint and secured an offensive rebound, or dove onto the floor to salvage a possession, the same staffers would shoot off a quick text to emphasize Roberson’s energy and hustle.”
