Wednesday Bolts – 10.2.13
Noam Schiller of Hardwood Paroxysm on Westbrook: “That idea is, of course, unattainable – basketball careers, much like most other things, do not reach perfection because the odds are too high against it. But something about Westbrook as the unassailable, impenetrable beast made it feel possible. A power forward’s soul is misplaced at birth in a point guard’s body, spoiling him with an inability to get hurt, dooming him to a life of striving for unattainable perfection – it’s an almost mythological concept. Westbrook is strong enough and 2013 sports medicine is good enough for him to return to his Westbrookian ways – any Penny Hardaway comparisons are eerie and premature. But beyond missing out on 4 to 6 weeks of enjoyable highlights, a delayed start to the season takes away from that mythology. And while we know mythology isn’t real – even before Westbrook went out the first time – we don’t like being reminded of it.”
Berry Tramel: “Remember when the Thunder lived in Wonderland? Every player healthy. Every opponent aging. Every ping-pong ball bouncing the Thunder’s way. Home on the Range. The skies were not cloudy all day. But now the Spurs have supplanted the Thunder as Western Conference champs. The Grizzlies have supplanted the Thunder as ESPN the Magazine’s No. 1 sports franchise. The Thunder whiffed on impactful free agents. And now the Unbreakable Russell Westbrook is broken. Again. Long gone is the Thunder’s years-long streak of ice cream castles in the air and feather canyons everywhere. About 28 NBA teams have a message for Oklahoma City: welcome to reality.”
Dan Devine of BDL: “The point is, they’re going to need a lot. That’s what happens when you lose a player like Russell Westbrook — arguably one of the 10 best in the entire world, the engine that makes the Thunder offense hum and a hard-nosed, tough-minded leader that you want on your side heading into battle with the likes of the Spurs, Grizzlies, Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers. Twenty early-season games without him won’t sink the Thunder’s chances of outshining the West’s top tier come April and May, especially with Oklahoma City’s season-opening slate looking fairly friendly aside from meetings with the Clips, San Antonio, the Golden State Warriors and a couple of potential playoff teams out east. But if the Thunder are slow in finding their footing without Westbrook, they could find themselves behind the eight-ball when it comes to seeding, and that sure won’t help. Throughout the Thunder’s rise from up-and-comers to conference elite, we often remarked upon the good fortune that Presti’s team has had in terms of collective health and continuity. Now, unfortunately for Thunder fans, they’re finding out how the other half lives, and it’s kind of a bummer.”
Ben Golliver of SI.com: “Again, things could be better and they could be worse. Filling in the double gap — no Westbrook and Martin — is a tall order and will almost certainly produce a substantial slide in the offensive efficiency charts early in the season. But that slide starts from a rank as the NBA’s second-best offense — a unit that blew out teams left and right and posted a plus-9.2 point differential last season — and not from shaky ground. Durant will need to increase his volume (perhaps at the expense of his otherworldly efficiency) and Serge Ibaka, whose offensive game expanded last season, will see another step up in responsibility. Jackson will need to hold down every minute he can reasonably handle, and possibly more. Meanwhile, Jeremy Lamb, he of the 147 career minutes played, is no longer merely a candidate, he’s officially the sixth man. That’s a designation by default as the rest of Oklahoma City’s available reserves — guard Derek Fisher and big men Nick Collison and Hasheem Thabeet – aren’t equipped for such a task. Lamb’s youth and inexperience will likely lead coach Scott Brooks to ride Sefolosha, the known quantity, like never before.”
Zach Harper of CBSSports.com on Serge Ibaka, who checks in at No. 41 in the Elite 100: “Too much of the conversation surrounding Ibaka ends up being whether or not he’s an elite defender. He will bite on pump fakes often, but he’s still often in help position, deterring offensive players from bringing it to the rim. The next step in his game isn’t necessary at the offensive end, as much as we need to see him become a really good rebounder.”
Down To Dunk season preview podcast, featuring some really good writers, and me.
Kelly Dwyer of BDL on Jay Z, sports agent: “The man who was sitting courtside in East Rutherford, watching a lottery team a few years ago … that man wasn’t going to be able to represent Kevin Durant’s upcoming maximum NBA contracts, and endless loop of endorsement opportunities. Jay-Z didn’t scam the Nets, but he sure did well in getting the best he could out of their brief partnership. That is going to carry over into his time as a sports agent. I’m sure the shrewdness (and cynicism, and quick-thinking and fear of a deal gone terribly wrong) developed during his time in the drug hustle will help, but this is someone who has shown formidable chops on the right side of the law. Though some of the more cutthroat sports agents out there will tell you that an appreciation for both sides of that world goes a long way. We’ll see. In the meantime, future NBA agents? Keep your nose clean, and don’t try this at home.”
A game-by-game look at OKC without Westbrook.
Gregg Doyel of CBSSports.com doesn’t like successful surgeries: “In the big picture this is a small thing, and I know it. Instead of being ready for the first game, as everyone assumed after his first “successful” surgery, Westbrook will miss the first 4-6 weeks of the regular season. That’s about 14-20 games. Those games could cost the Thunder home-court advantage at some point in the playoffs, which would sort of be a big deal, but again, big picture, Westbrook needing a second surgery isn’t enormous. It’s not an outrage. I’m not offended by his medical status. But I am offended by the arrogance. For years I’ve read these press releases from teams hailing that a surgery was “successful” in the hours after it was performed, as if anyone — even the surgeon who performed it — knows that. If by “successful” the surgeon means he or she didn’t drop a scalpel into the wound, fine. If by “successful” the surgeon means the procedure was performed on the correct appendage, terrific.”
