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Tuesday Bolts – 5.25.10

Tuesday Bolts – 5.25.10

Jeff Green is done with Twitter for a while. I’d put up his tweet saying so, but it appears he already cancelled his account.

This is a major, major bummer: “The Thunder is losing its best role player. Brick Man is leaving town. In an NBA arena that’s become known for its dressed-up, amped-up super fans, none is more well-known than Brick Man. His giant brick head and his front-row seat make him one of the most visible fans at the Ford Center. Derrick Seys is the man behind the persona, and when he’s not playing the role of Brick Man, he’s working as an aeronautical engineer. He recently accepted a new job, and his family will be moving from Oklahoma to Illinois later this summer. “We got traded,” Seys deadpanned.” OKC will have to try and fine a replacement via free agency, but the market just doesn’t look that strong. Somebody within the organization will likely have to step up.

NBA.com compiled a bunch of mock drafts for a consensus. However, it’s just the lotto teams. And wouldn’t you know it, Oklahoma City’s not one of them. How about that?

Berry Tramel on Scott Brooks: “Believe it or not, 13 NBA teams have made coaching changes since the Thunder elevated Brooks to the job in November 2008. Welcome to the volatile world of NBA coaching. And of the 16 who have been on the job longer than Brooks, six have only 13 games on him. The Thunder was 13 games into the 2008-09 when P.J. Carlesimo was fired and Brooks was elevated; Dallas’ Rick Carlisle, Phoenix’s Alvin Gentry, the Knickerbockers’ Mike D’Antoni, Milwaukee’s Scott Skiles, Miami’s Erik Spoelstra and Charlotte’s Larry Brown each just completed their second full season on the job.”

Kevin Durant is on the cover of a popular French basketball magazine this month. How do I know this? Because I was quoted in it a time or two.

There’s a new Thunder podcast. Listen to it. If you want.

We could be looking at Amare Stoudemire’s home finale in Phoenix tonight. One source says he’s not coming back: “I don’t think it’s going to happen,” a source close to Stoudemire told ESPN. “Amare feels like the organization disrespected him. Amare loves his teammates and has really enjoyed playing for the team these last few months, but he’s reluctant to commit to Phoenix long-term.” Chris Bosh said no to OKC. Amare might be the next best thing. Should the Thunder make a run at him? Go.

Some combine notes from Chad Ford: “Whiteside is the draft’s biggest “high risk/high reward” player. He had a terrific freshman season, recording an amazing three triple-doubles for Marshall. His measurements were off the charts in Chicago — a whopping 7-7 wingspan and a 9-5 standing reach. When the athletic combine numbers are released later this week, I expect him to be one of the top players there, too. He’s been compared to everyone from Marcus Camby to Tyrus Thomas. Teams are looking at him as high as No. 6 but many teams believe he could drop into the mid-to-late first round depending on workouts and interviews.”

Tulsa standout Jerome Jordan is catching some attention: “Soon, the people of Jamaica can be proud of another native son who just so happens to be a stellar athlete—Tulsa seven-footer Jerome Jordan. He’d be only the fifth Jamaican-born player in NBA history, and his talent as a low-post scorer and shot-blocker is likely to get him selected in the second round of next month’s draft—something he’s been anticipating for quite a while now.”