Tuesday Bolts – 7.28.15

Perry Jones: “That’s frustrating for anybody, especially having those good games and I was feeling good about myself and confident and then things change,” Jones said. “I had my injury and everything came back, things went back to the way they were. It was frustrating, but it has taught me a lot and it’s taught me I can play in this league.”

John Schuhmann of NBA.com has OKC ranked sixth: “The Thunder ranked in the top 10 in defensive efficiency three straight years and through the All-Star break last season. Then injuries and Enes Kanter brought them down. Kevin Durant’s health is the key to everything, and the offense will be potent health-permitting, but they just gave $70 million to a guy who they can’t play when they need stops.”

A compilation of first tweets by players.

Zach Lowe of Grantland on the Hornets: “If Batum explodes in Charlotte and decides to stay, the Hornets may end up executing the same plan on a one-year delay: keep the guy brought in from another team, hit some midround draft picks, nab sub-star free agents, and work smart trades like the deals that turned Matt Barnes into Jeremy Lamb. If you’re going to build from the middle without a homegrown star, the only way up is to pile together little hits — especially since Charlotte can’t compete with Philly, Boston, or even Phoenix in putting together trade offers for disgruntled stars. Hell, even a team that nails every step of a clearly delineated plan from a pure value perspective, like the current Celtics, can get stuck in the middle just as long as a team with a murkier blueprint.”

Kevin Pelton gives OKC a B for its offseason.

Serge Ibaka with Bill Clinton.

Chris Manning of Hardwood Paroxysm: “Unless you’re on the floor during the game, you aren’t getting live reps. It’s harder to live without those reps when you’re in your mid thirties like Miller. Looking back, he was destined to fail when he started against the Bulls. Last season as a whole did nothing to suggest that Miller will be a useful player at the beginning of this season. As he pursues a new deal, he’ll be 35 and will turn 36 in the middle of next season. Whatever team signs him will be taking some kind of risk, as they’d be rolling some dice not loaded in their favor in banking on Miller being a part of their rotation. Wherever he goes, Miller is going to be pushing back against the inevitable.”