Friday Bolts – 10.3.14
Darnell Mayberry: “The Thunder has a host of players who offer a different skill set. Following the departure of Sefolosha, the Thunder could start Jeremy Lamb, Andre Roberson or Anthony Morrow at shooting guard. Lamb is a good outside shooter who offers ample athleticism, a bit of playmaking and solid finishing ability in transition. Roberson is a lanky young player who can defend on the perimeter and rebound at an elite level. Morrow is a dead-eye 3-point shooter. At center, the Thunder could stick with incumbent starter Perkins, a savvy veteran and elite low-post defender with championship experience, or move to Steven Adams, the second-year lottery pick who offers more athleticism and offensive ability.”
Berry Tramel wonders if KD wants to mimic Jeter’s legacy: “Of course, a major difference is that Durant is our first Jeter. The Yankees have had perhaps a dozen. In fact, with Jeter’s retirement, the Yanks no longer will have a player wearing a single-digit jersey. Numbers 1-9 have been retired. I don’t know how watching Jeter this last week will affect Durant. A thousand things will go through his mind these next two years. But in the same way that Durant had to be intrigued by an up-close-and-personal view of the Spurs’ homesteading trio win yet another NBA title last spring, so must the honor that flowed for the class, character and consistency of Jeter. And Durant knows that much of that esteem came from Jeter never switching out the pinstripes.”
KD confirms he can’t palm a ball: “No, I can’t. I can’t. It’s nothing I can control. You know? I don’t know what else to say … To be honest, I don’t know why this is a story. But, yeah, I can’t palm a ball.”
Nike is putting out a PG County colorway.
Anthony Slater on Nick Collison: “Last season, Steven Adams and Perry Jones combined to average more than 27 minutes per game. This year, that young duo will be pushing for more. And they’ll be joined by Mitch McGary, the Thunder’s promising rookie who was labeled by some as an eventual Nick Collison replacement. If Adams and Jones get a minutes bump – or if McGary forces his way into the rotation – others will get a dip. Kendrick Perkins is an obvious candidate. But so is Collison. The beloved veteran has declined a bit athletically. And he’s coming off a knee scope. So less playing time isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Keep the veteran fresh and he’s typically there when you need him, like last year in Game 6 against the Clippers, when Ibaka went out with a calf injury and Collison played well throughout the final 17 minutes of a closeout road game.”
