Tuesday Bolts 12.8.15
Mika Honkasalo of HoopsHype: “The answer here probably is that Durant and Westbrook
generally help their teammates get better looks and make the game easier for them on offense, but the Thunder can do more to make them even more effective. Just running high pick-and-rolls with the star duo is deadly, and because defenders are scared to death to leave Durant on the perimeter, Westbrook gets open driving lanes where teammates can find openings either at the three-point line and at the baseline for dump-off passes.”
Marc Stein has the Thunder fifth: “Russell Westbrook keeps messing around and getting triple-doubles, while Kevin Durant delivers increasingly frequent reminders of his return to peak form. The Thunder, though, can’t escape the fact that their fourth-quarter execution has frankly been as spotty as ever and, worse, doesn’t seem to be getting any better.”
Russell Westbrook bought a house in Los Angeles.
Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com on starting a franchise with Steph Curry: “He’s Tecmo Bowl Bo Jackson. Two months ago, I was convinced Davis would be the no-brainer answer to this question. But between his constant injuries and Curry’s utter destruction of the league, I’m siding with the 27-year-old who’s currently topping the all-time PER record by 3.4 points (35.2 vs. Wilt’s 31.8). And the best part? Steph’s skill set ages like Greek marble.”
This post on Reddit on Kyle Singler is glorious: “Shooting splits of 23.5/20/50. Those numbers don’t even add up to 100. I know that’s completely arbitrary and has no meaning, but still.”
Cameron Payne had his jersey retired at his high school in Memphis last night and the whole Thunder team showed up to support him.
John Schuhmann of NBA.com has OKC sixth: “The Thunder had late-game defensive issues in Atlanta on Monday, but the stagnant offense late in Thursday’s loss in Miami felt a lot more familiar. Their offense has scored less than a point per possession in three straight games, with turnovers and 3-point shooting being the biggest problems, but Kevin Durant hit two big shots against the Kings on Sunday and they don’t face another top-10 defense until Christmas.”
