Wednesday Bolts – 10.16.13
Darnell Mayberry: “Jeremy Lamb wasn’t the culprit tonight. He took j
ust one 3. But he did miss it. He appeared to be much more selective with his shots but denied it after the game. His lone 3-point try didn’t come until late in his 20 minutes of action. “I just took what the defense gave me, tried to get in the lane a little bit,” Lamb said. “Get to my floater. Try to get to the rim. When the 3 presented itself I shot it. So I wasn’t shying away from the 3 or nothing like that. I was just taking what the defense gave me.” The worst thing Lamb can do at this point, in my humble opinion, is start hesitating, second-guessing and overthinking. Keep letting it fly, I say. Don’t take a bunch of bad shots. But don’t pass up open looks either. If he gets to that point he might as well not be on the court. He’s got to remember he’s out there for a reason.”
Andrew Gilman of Fox Sports Southwest: “So, yes, coach Scott Brooks is – he has to be, right? – using the preseason desperately trying to figure out who will play, what rotations and lineups to use and who will be the No. 2 to Durant. And Durant does have help. Serge Ibaka and Reggie Jackson are good complements, but this preseason hasn’t been the best for uncovering any truths about Jeremy Lamb or Steven Adams. Not yet, anyway. But you have to wonder if the dialogue behind closed doors is about how much the Thunder will let Durant loose. Play him 45-plus minutes and hope for the best until Westbrook returns, or limit his legs in case Westbrook doesn’t come back as soon as projected? We’ve seen Durant do it before and we saw it again Tuesday. And not to take too much from a preseason game, but once again Durant didn’t have much consistent help. Durant made four-of-eight 3-pointers. The rest of the team went one-of-nine.”
Joe Kaiser of ESPN Insider on Jeremy Lamb: “Preseason. Small sample size. Yes, we know — there are plenty of reasons not to be overly concerned about Jeremy Lamb’s frigid shooting thus far in exhibition play. But considering how important Lamb’s role as a perimeter threat is to Oklahoma City this season, this is definitely something that needs to turn around once the season starts. Whether that happens or not is a big question, and the answer to it could determine how much of a true title contender the Thunder are this season. That’s how important Lamb is on a roster that no longer can depend on efficient veteran Kevin Martin to bury the 3-ball.”
New KD peanut butter and jelly colorways.
Matt Moore of CBSSports.com on KD being a playmaker: “Despite a noteable increase in Russell Westbrook’s assist numbers, the Thunder had the third lowest percentage of field goals made that were assisted at 56.1 percent. To put that in perspective, the Bobcats’ rate was at 56.2, and the Hawks lead the league at nearly 10 percentage points better. What does this mean? The Thunder were the league’s most efficient offense last year in points per possession, but one of the worst in creating points via assist. Since their system last year was so good, should they mess with it? Or is it a case of “It’s not broke, don’t fix it?” More passing means a higher turnover rate.”
Jeff Caplan of NBA.com previewing the Thunder: “With or without Russell Westbrook for the first four to six weeks of the regular season, it’s the last six weeks of the postseason that will ultimately define this season’s Oklahoma City Thunder. That’s where this franchise sits six seasons after bottoming out in Seattle and packing up. The expectation for the All-NBA tandem of Kevin Durant and Westbrook, regardless of circumstance, is championship or bust. Skepticism already abounds outside of OKC about whether the dynamic duo has a supporting cast capable of returning the Thunder to The Finals. Fondly remembered third wheel James Harden has his own championship aspirations in Houston, and last season’s Harden replacement, Kevin Martin, is now in Minnesota. Young (and mostly unproven) in-house talent will be counted upon to get the job done.”
