Wednesday Bolts – 8.19.15
David Aldridge of NBA.com: “Durant and Westbrook can score on anyone, but they need more consistent help from their teammates to make things a little tougher on opposing defenses. To that end, the Thunder maxed out Kanter, a low-post beast who has to do much more defensively to warrant OKC’s investment in him. The Thunder’s hope is that Serge Ibaka recovers from injuries and returns to his shot-blocking, active defensive ways to supplement (cover up?) Kanter’s D. But OKC’s only task for the next 12 months is to make Durant as happy as possible. Nothing else matters. His relationship with Donovan will be among the most analyzed in modern times.”
From AL.com, trying to figure out how much Alabama is still paying Anthony Grant: “Without new employment offsetting his payments, monthly checks from Alabama would total $83,333.333. Grant’s new salary with the Thunder can’t be easily figured without knowing other sources of income that would offset the UA payments. If the difference was $16,666 a month, it would make the annual salary in Oklahoma City in the $800,000 range― the very high end of NBA assistant paychecks.”
Rookie survey: Cam Payne was picked fifth in “best playmaker.” And Kevin Durant was picked No. 1 as the rookie’s favorite player in the league.
Al Horford doesn’t want to talk about his contract.
Bradford Doolittle of ESPN Insider: “The Thunder are tied with Chicago for the highest rate of returning minutes in the league. That means their projected distribution of minutes is overwhelmingly comprised of players from last year’s roster. It doesn’t account for the monumental effects of Kevin Durant’s return. Oklahoma City won 119 games in the two seasons before last, so the summer forecast’s 55 wins actually feels a little light, although that’s likely due to lingering concern over just how healthy Durant will be. That’s a legitimate worry, but a numbers-based forecast that assumes good health predicts the Thunder will have the league’s top offense. If Durant is himself — only a little surlier because of his lost season and a little more motivated by his impending free agency — this could be the best Thunder team yet.”
ESPN Forecast for the West, if you missed it.
Anthony Slater with things to know about the preseason schedule: “Karl-Anthony Towns, the league’s No. 1 overall pick this past June, gets his first taste of NBA action against a stout Thunder frontline. But that’s not the only top pick the Wolves feature. Minnesota also has Anthony Bennett and Andrew Wiggins, the 2013 and 2014 No. 1 overall picks. With Wiggins, Towns, second-year pogo stick Zach LaVine and Ricky Rubio, the Wolves have compiled some intriguing young talent. OKC gets an early look at their potentially frisky division foe.”
