Friday Bolts – 1.2.15

Israel Gutierrez of ESPN.com says the Thunder will make the biggest 2015 leap: “Certainly the Spurs have room for growth, but their MVP, Tony Parker, can’t shake this hamstring issue and won’t be back for a while, it appears. OKC has its top duo together again, and it’s time to shoot up the standings. Is there anything more entertaining than watching Russell Westbrook aim for an MVP trophy? Not in my book.”

Anthony Slater: “With Russell Westbrook gone for the entire second half, Reggie Jackson was once again thrust into a primary role. It’s one he’s gotten used to sporadically over the past two seasons, typically performing well. But on Wednesday night, he struggled. Jackson went 4-of-18 from the field and 0-of-8 from three, including some errant shots late, missing all five of his shots in the fourth quarter and overtime. But more than those shooting woes, Brooks seemed more concerned about his defense. Jackson was beat continuously to the rim by Eric Bledsoe down the stretch, leading to a batch of points that kept the Suns in it.”

Five Thunder resolutions for the new year.

Darnell Mayberry on Westbrook against elite point guards: “Despite how great Westbrook has been against the league’s best point guards, critics could point to the Thunder’s 2-4 record in his matchups with Lillard, Irving, Curry, Parker and Rondo. Of course, the counterargument is Kevin Durant was in the lineup for only 11/2 of those six contests. But Westbrook’s body of work against the league’s best point guards speaks for itself. What it says is he’ll likely be at the top of his game when Wall and the Wizards take the floor Friday night.”

ESPN.com’s New Years Resolutions are fun.

All-Star voting returns, with Durant not gaining any ground.

Phil Taylor of SI.com on the Cavs’ mess: “That’s the sort of statement that makes this situation feel different from the Kobe/Shaq feud that still resulted in three championships, or whatever early friction there may have been when James was in Miami. This is the best player in the sport, with 12 years in the league, a high basketball IQ and NBA experience that his coach does not have. You wonder if Blatt, who was hired before the Cavs knew that James was coming back, can ever gain enough credibility with his superstar to make the relationship work. During the Harbaugh intrigue with the 49ers, he said he “serves at the pleasure of the owner.” In Cleveland, it’s fair to say that Blatt serves at the pleasure of James. Can the new coach survive this?”

I did a podcast talking about writer-y things, if you’re interested in that sort of stuff.