Friday Bolts – 10.10.14

Jeff Caplan of NBA.com on Reggie Jackson: “A more accurate comparison is Eric Bledsoe, the 18th pick in 2010 (actually drafted by the Thunder and traded to the Clippers) who spent three seasons backing up CP3. He got his break last season after being traded to Phoenix. He played great in a two point-guard backcourt with Goran Dragic and the Suns made fast strides. Although Bledsoe missed half the season with a knee injury, he cashed in as a restricted free agent with the Suns — albeit rather contentiously — on a five-year, $70 million contract. Jackson won’t get that chance to start, but what he has that Bledsoe did not is the opportunity to win a championship. If he does that, or even gets close, while being perceived as a selfless, super sixth man, all of Jackson’s boyhood dreams will be in front of him starting next summer. Just not likely with the Oklahoma City Thunder.”

Dan Devine of BDL on Mitch McGary: “If McGary misses the full six weeks laid out by the Thunder, that’d peg his return date at Nov. 23, keeping the 21st pick in the 2014 draft out of Oklahoma City’s first 14 games and putting him behind the 8-ball as he makes the adjustment to full-tilt regular-season action. Not an ideal start, to be sure, but still plenty of time to get up to speed and into Brooks’ rotation in time to give the Thunder a more versatile frontcourt come what’s likely to be another brutal trip through the Western Conference playoffs.”

Mitch McGary shows us his walking boot and has a little message.

Darnell Mayberry evaluating Anthony Morrow’s performance from the preseason opener: “He was whistled for three fouls in the first 69 seconds of the second period, which only adds concern about his ability to not be a defensive liability. Offensively, Morrow got into trouble whenever he tried to put the ball on the floor and drive to the basket. It usually resulted in him dribbling back out or passing out once he met the defense. But he generated a 4-point play in this fashion after his probing forced Timofey Mozgov into a cross-match. Morrow retreated to the 3-point line and buried the bomb right over the top of Mozgov while he was being fouled.”

NumberFire says Serge Ibaka is set to be a fantasy monster: “If anyone laughs at you for grabbing Ibaka in the first round after all seven of the elite guys I mentioned earlier are off the board, ignore them. There’s nothing wrong with locking up blocks early with a guy that won’t kill you anywhere else and focusing on the other categories later while others are reaching for blocks. People are typically scared to take non-superstars early in fantasy drafts, especially ones that are third bananas on their own NBA team. It’s why people have shied away from Chris Bosh for years, why Kyrie Irving is bound do drop this season, and why people have a hard time picking Ibaka in the first round when Durant and Russell Westbrook are right there alongside him. But this is fantasy basketball, not real life. Here, Serge Ibaka is a superstar. Draft him like one with confidence.”