Wednesday Bolts – 6.26.13
Andrew Unterberger of TBJ on the biggest losers of the playoffs: “Watching the Spurs-Heat Finals, with two master tacticians in Popovich and Spoelstra making adjustments on the fly in every single game, changing up rotations based on who was and wasn’t getting it done, making tweaks to offensive sets and defensive strategies to maximize advantages and minimize damages, I kept thinking back to Scott Brooks, with his unimaginative play-calling and rotation stubbornness through OKC’s first two rounds, and how badly he would have been over-matched in that Finals series. The Westbrook injury means Brooks will mostly get a pass for the team’s premature second round exit, but this is a problem that goes back far further than these playoffs, and one it’s hard to imagine OKC’s super-smart front office will let linger for too many additional postseason disappointments.”
Brett Polakoff of PBT on the rumored Perk deal: “The contract of Perkins is the bigger issue here, even beyond trading one high pick for two lower ones. He’s on the books for over $8 million next season and $9 million the year after, and for teams in the rebuilding stages of NBA life, it wouldn’t make any sense at all to take on a player with Perkins’ limited skill set at that price.”
Chad Ford’s latest mock has OKC taking Steven Adams still: “Adams has also sat at this spot since the NBA Draft Combine. The Thunder are another team that are notoriously tight lipped, but what little information I can get have Adams, Karasev and Olynyk on their board here. Adams has the most upside so he’s at 12, though I wouldn’t be shocked if either Karasev or Olynyk went here.”
KD hooped at Barry Farms last night.
Doug Gottlieb of CBS Sports says Cody Zeller is undervalued: “It is comical that so many pundits and fans crush Cody Zeller. Zeller is a legitimate 7-foot center who improved steadily in his two years at Indiana. He averaged 17 points a game playing out of position as a center when his natural position is power forward. Zeller needs to extend his range to 20 feet like his brother Tyler did during his time at UNC. People so easily forget that if Tyler is a model for Cody, we can expect Cody — who is a better post scorer than Tyler at this stage — to flourish as a rim-running active 4/5 who should be a valuable rotation player and will develop into a starter in two years. Cody has good feet, excellent hands and though he is not dominant at any one part of his game, his lack of scoring ego should help him fit in to a team immediately. In other words his supposed lack of dominance is actually a strength — he doesn’t need to be a go-to guy in the NBA. Zeller should average between 8-14 points his entire career, has zero issues off the floor and guys like to play with him.”
A breakdown of everyone’s cap and luxury tax situation.
Brett Koremenos of Grantland on good fits: “It should be noted that this pairing wouldn’t only be beneficial for Olynyk. Ibaka’s production on the defensive glass leaves a lot to be desired, so the fact that Olynyk posted solid college rebounding numbers (which typically translate well to the NBA) suggests he’ll keep the Thunder competitive in that area when the two share the floor. Matched with an ideal defensive partner, Olynyk would be given the opportunity to unleash his unique skill set on the other end of the floor for a Thunder team that badly needs it. Olynyk can fill the roles of a high-post passer, low-post scorer — against the right matchup — and even a stretch big who helps create bigger driving gaps for Oklahoma City’s two superstars, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. All three skills (particularly the passing) could take the Thunder offense to an even more devastatingly effective level.”
Zach Harper of CBSSports.com on Adams: “He’s a project but it could be worth it defensively: His potential on defense is pretty inspiring though and is enough of a reason to want to take him in the lottery and not worry about getting much out of him right away. He’s this new brand of mobile big man that is built to slide his feet on the perimeter and block shots from the weak side. He’ll have to learn that same work ethic down low when it’s just him and a center, but for the most part he’s built to defend today’s NBA.”
J. Tinsley of The Sports Fan Journal on KD: “Prior to Game 5, the labels were beginning to surface. Durant and the Thunder “choked” away Game 4. Durant ‘folded’ under the pressure going for zero fourth-quarter points in Game 4. Questions of Durant’s true ability as a #1 guy were beginning to surface. Where some found enjoyment (i.e., ‘trolling’) seeing Durant struggle to keep his team’s head above water in a battle we all knew the outcome for following Game 2, a weird felling of déjà vu resurfaced. It’s the exact connotation that followed LeBron for the first decade of his career. The same cloud of doubt that trailed Kobe to an extent before winning titles in 2009 and 2010 as the Lakers’ ‘alpha dog.’ And believe it or not, the same uphill battle plagued the widely accepted GOAT to the point Michael Jordan once admitted to Pat Riley ending his career without a title was something he was willing to come to grips with. Consider it basketball’s version of ‘paying dues’ or ‘Russian roulette.'”
Berry Tramel has a trade idea: “I have no idea if Boston would bite. I assume the Thunder would take on KG’s $12 million salary for 2014-15, which would give OKC four salaries at $12 million or higher, but I don’t know for sure. Maybe Boston could find something better, although in the new financial order, lots of teams are going to hang onto chips that can provide you young talent. Maybe Boston would rather have DeAndre Jordan straight up – a rumored trade with the Clippers – although that doesn’t exactly further the Celtic rebuilding job. But Garnett for Perk and Friends and valuable chips makes sense on a lot of fronts.”
