Wednesday Bolts – 7.24.13
Anthony Slater weighed the pros and cons of Mike Miller signing with the Grizzlies or Thunder: “Better shot at a title. At full-strength, in NBA circles, the Thunder still have to be considered a bigger threat than Memphis in the Western Conference. Barring injury, both seem like essential locks to make the playoffs. But OKC, with Westbrook, Durant and a top-5 NBA defense (statistically), are obvious title threats, while the Grizzlies, going through a coaching change and fighting obvious offensive issues, would have a tougher time staking that claim. Miller would be successful in either place, but you know the veteran, having tasted the NBA Finals in three straight seasons, doesn’t just want to win, he wants to win big. And OKC seems like the more likely place for him to find himself on the sport’s biggest stage for a fourth straight year.”
Mike Prada of SB Nation ranked all 60 rookies from Summer League: “Steven Adams: Looked incredibly raw at times, but flashed enough mobility to show that there’s clearly some potential here. In other words: he backed up every pre-draft scouting report.”
Darnell Mayberry on five ways Miller would help OKC: “Without Miller, the Thunder’s second unit would be relying heavily on Jackson and Jeremy Lamb. While Jackson proved in the playoffs that he’s ready for more responsibility, Lamb remains an unproven commodity. If he’s ready, great. If he’s not, Lamb could take a backseat for another season and Miller could fill the role of spot-up shooter. The postseason is really when Lamb’s preparedness will be put to the test. If he’s not quite ready for the moment, Miller’s proven track record of playoff success would be a terrific fallback plan.”
Ryan Gomes says he worked out for the Thunder recently.
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com says flopping could be headed to arbitration: “If ongoing dialogue between the league and the union results in a compromise on the flopping penalties, an arbitration case would be averted. The NBA announced the new policy imposing warnings and fines on players found guilty of flopping — feigning or exaggerating contact to trick the officials into calling fouls — in October 2012. At the time, then-executive director Billy Hunter announced his intention to file an unfair labor practices charge with the NLRB on the union’s behalf. Hunter argued that neither the NBA nor commissioner David Stern had the authority to unilaterally impose a disciplinary policy without the consent of the players’ union.”
Lots of people asking about Gary Neal: OKC would love to have him should Miller not work out, except Neal is looking at a much, much bigger deal. So I would pretty much rule that out.
