Friday Bolts – 10.23.15
Tim Bontemps of the NY Post: “The two moves made this clear: To impress Durant, Presti had to
make the Thunder better in the short term and spend into the tax to prove they’re willing to do what it takes to win in the long term, as well.That was also the backdrop for Presti’s decision to fire Scott Brooks this summer after Brooks did one of his best coaching jobs in seven years with the team — leading the Thunder to 45 wins and nearly grabbing the eighth seed in the West despite significant injury absences for Durant, Westbrook and Ibaka. It comes with risk, given the relationships Brooks had built with the team’s stars and his track record of winning games.”
Kevin Pelton of ESPN Insider: “As with the rest of the West’s top teams, there’s heavy uncertainty about how far the Thunder will advance in the postseason. The difference is how much Oklahoma City has riding on this season with Durant heading into free agency. This time a year from now, the Thunder might finally have translated potential into a championship — but a darker timeline ends with Durant elsewhere.”
Russell Westbrook says he doesn’t know who Lil B is.
Nate Duncan for SI.com on teams with 2016 free agency plans: “Last alphabetically but not (they hope) in Kevin Durant’s heart, the Wizards’ chances to convince him to defect seem pretty daunting. Not only do they need to look as if they could win a championship in the very near future, but they need to make their odds look better than Durant’s current employer in Oklahoma City. With Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka, and a ton of depth already in place for the Thunder, that will be a tall order.”
Kevin Durant is the sixth richest athlete in the world.
Scott Rafferty of Sporting News: “While Westbrook has the ability to make difficult shots, he doesn’t do the Thunder any favors by pulling up for a contested midrange early in the shot clock without rebounders in position. Dissolving it isn’t an option, either, seeing as only two players manufactured more of their points in transition — his versatility allows him to pick and choose his spots and forcing the issue can be dangerous. However, with Westbrook scoring at a subpar rate of 1.09 points per possession, attacking opponents on quick post-ups instead of pulling-up would add an interesting wrinkle to his game.”
Is Westbrook lying about not shaving? An investigation.