Friday Bolts – 1.22.10
All-Star starters were announced yesterday and either James Harden was confused or let the cat of the bag early: “happy my bro @kevindurant35 makin the all-star game..well deserved!!!”
Maybe he saw this article from NBA.com that says who SHOULD be going to Dallas: “Can’t hold age and the Thunder’s record against Durant anymore. KD has come of age, leading a college-like collection into playoff contention one season after winning just 23 games. Durant is putting on a clinic every time his suits up in Thunder blue, yellow, orange and red. He’s scored at least 30 in 13 of the last 16 games, and gone double-double in three of the last four. He’s not just a future All-Star. Think MVP.”
I really agree with Matt Moore of HP here: “Green has No-Stats All-Star potential. He makes a ton of hustle plays, battles for loose balls, runs off three point shooters, and isn’t so desperate to prove himself offensively that he’ll take every shot. There are giant, glaring holes in his game (rebounding, reliable offensive moves), but they’re not things which can’t be solved. And in the meantime, Green’s evolution has not only been as important to the Thunder’s winning percentage, it’s correlated with Durant’s leap. It’s a dynamic duo, and OKC would do well to let the caped crusaders battle together.”
In an ESPN SportsNation poll, Kevin Durant is the third leading vote getter for the West in the All-Star game.
Ian Thompson of SI hands out mid-season awards and KD gets MIP: “Durant’s scoring is up, he’s finding his way to the free-throw line more often, and midway through his third season he has emerged as a legit star as well as the go-to leader of a team positioned to make a run for the playoffs at least one year ahead of schedule.”
SI also names the best storylines thus far, and OKC and Memphis are two of them: “The Thunder and the Grizzlies won 23 and 24 games, respectively, last season, but this season they’ve both emerged as legitimate playoff contenders. For OKC, Kevin Durant has blossomed into a star who not only scores a lot of points but also makes a difference on the defensive end.”
Mid-season grades for each team: “The Thunder join the Grizzlies as the season’s resounding success stories so far. And because they are winning with defense (fourth in efficiency, second in opposing field-goal percentage), are even younger than Memphis and possess a superstar blossoming before our eyes, their prospects for future postseason success are much rosier. As a frequent critic of Kevin Durant before this season, I’m happy to concede that his stunning improvement on defense makes him a legit top-five MVP candidate.”
Clay Bennett settled with a group of Sonics’ fans for $1.6 million yesterday.
Rob Mahoney pointing out some serious karma: “Mo Williams tweet from twelve days ago: ‘Colt is officially soft. He has a strain shoulder and missed the biggest game of his career.’ Oh, and breaking news! Mo Williams will miss one month with a shoulder sprain.”
NBA experts don’t see the Thunder making the playoffs.
Russell Westbrook is five in this list of best young point guards: “Russell Westbrook has been extremely impressive since Christmas. He has drastically cut down on turnovers and is looking for his teammates more than ever. His defensive game is the most improved out of everything involving his game because of his increased focus and has quit playing lazy when his man doesn’t have the ball. Once Westbrook has consistently forces less turnovers, conversation about him being an elite point guard will increase as much as his game will.”