Wednesday Bolts – 6.23.10
Some have asked about a DT draft party. And instead of setting one up independent of the “official” one, I figured it would just be good to have everyone in one place. So if you’d like to party draft style with other Thunder fans, go to Toby Keith’s in Bricktown at 6 PM. We may have some kind of area for DT readers and a potential giveaway. More on that soonish.
KD fully expects to sign an extension with OKC in July: “I’m expecting to get something done,” Durant told The Oklahoman when asked about his expectations for his first contact negotiation, which can begin in earnest at midnight Eastern on July 1. “Hopefully I’ll have a deal done and something set.”
If you haven’t read Henry Abbott’s feature on William Wesley, do it now: “At the core of Wesley’s power is the reality that elite professional athletes trust him. Most of them will say nothing on the record about him at all, out of respect for his desire to be behind-the-scenes, but those who do speak will, in my experience, generally say something along the lines of what Jerryd Bayless told me the day before he was drafted: “Wes has been a mentor to me. Helped me out. I have asked him questions about on the court stuff. Whatever I need. He has helped me. Never anything negative. I’ll always respect and love him for that.”
The top 40 free agents, according to Chris Mannix: “20. J.J. Redick: “Redick is fresh off the most productive season of his four-year career, having firmly established himself in Orlando’s rotation. As Vince Carter and Matt Barnes struggled during the postseason, Redick was frequently on the floor for the Magic in the fourth quarter. Redick could be in line for a deal that starts at more than his qualifying offer.”
More on KD being a cover boy from Dime: “At an exclusive launch party last night in NYC, they announced that Kevin Durant will be the cover athlete for NBA Elite 11. And KD, in his humble way, couldn’t have been more psyched. “I’ve always been a fan of EA Sports,” says Durant, who’s only he third player in EA Sports history to be featured both on the pack of an NCAA and an NBA licensed product. “This has been an exciting year for me and the team, and capping it off with being on the cover of NBA Elite 11 is cool.”
Do you like reading? If you’re here, I assume you do. DT friend J.G. is also an author and has completed his first work of fiction, entitled The Gift of the Greenstone. He posted the prologue on his website. Do us all a favor and check it out.
Chad Ford’s newest mock: “The Thunder will have a tough call to make here between Alabi, Daniel Orton and Kevin Seraphin. The Thunder have been high on Orton all year, but a so-so workout in OKC, along with concerns about his knees, have given them and everyone else in the league pause. The Thunder, meanwhile, have been high on Alabi for a while. He may seem like a bit of a reach to some, but he appears to be one of the hotter names in the draft at the moment. The Raptors, Celtics, Spurs, Thunder, Heat and Blazers are all showing interest. Those are all teams with historically good draft track records, so watch carefully. Alabi measured as one of the tallest and longest players in the draft, and he showed a nice skill game and a terrific motor in the drills. Some scouts are comparing him to Dikembe Mutombo. I don’t think Alabi has the same sort of rebounding and shot-blocking ability, but he does have a similar demeanor and presence on the court.”
MLive has OKC drafting Kevin Seraphin at 21: “Seraphin plays a lot like Serge Ibaka, so why wouldn’t the team who selected Ibaka be interested? The Thunder need more size and Seraphin, though a project, could provide it.”
Lang Whitaker interviewed KD: “We might, but during the Playoffs it was on steroids. In both arenas, in ours and in the Lakers, the crowds were great. And playing in L.A., you see all those celebrities all around the court. And in Oklahoma City, to see how dedicated and energetic our fans were, it was…it was… WAS IT LIKE COLLEGE A LITTLE BIT? It was better than college. They were up all game, they were there two hours before the game. It was like the Superbowl.”
SLAM named KD the NBA’s top player under 25: “Durantula earned the highly coveted top spot on this list, but his selection was definitely not a no-brainer. There are two elite players under the age of 25: Dwight Howard and Kevin Durant. Howard is the best low-post defender and rebounder in the League, but Kevin Durant is a much more complete player. He’s starting to rebound and defend very well. Oh and one other thing…KD led the League in scoring this season.”
Pardon me for a second… U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
