Friday Bolts – 10.5.12
Darnell Mayberry: “Westbrook, a sneaker free agent, said that he’s not with Nike or adidas. He was wearing Jordan’s today, a different pair than the Thunder colorway Jordan’s he wore to media day Monday. Westbrook could be just testing out the J’s, or it could be a tell-all sign of where he’s headed. After all, Dwyane Wade did recently confirm that he’s leaving the Jordan Brand. Westbrook said he expects to have a new shoe deal done before the start of the regular season.”
Former Thunder scout and current Blazers assistant David Vanterpool to Blazersedge: “Russell is fiery because of his competitive spirit on the court. He’s a great guy. They’re both great, great people. Damian has a warm personality and so does Russell, especially when he’s comfortable around people that he knows. For Damian to look up to Russell means a lot, simply because Russell had to come from a situation where in college he didn’t always start at point guard, he wasn’t really recruited out of high school, he wasn’t predicted to play point guard in the NBA at all.”KD’s getting bigger and stronger. Also known as, “aging.”
Berry Tramel doesn’t like the new flopping rules: “It wasn’t going to work. Fines are not an impediment. Suspensions are the only way to go. First offense, warning. Second offense, sit out a game. Third offense, sit out three games. Hitting players in the pocket book doesn’t work. And it’s not even going to pass muster, anyway. The NBA players association has said it will file suit, saying the league does not have the power to levy such fines without labor negotiations. It’s a great get-out-of-jail free card for the NBA. Scrap the new penalties. Apologize to the union. Go straight to the suspensions. Hit the floppers where it hurts. And that’s not the wallet.”
KD will be at Penn Square Mall tonight.
Cool shirt, KD (via TrueHoop).
J.A. Adande of ESPN.com says prepare for the end: “Oklahoma City simply doesn’t have the revenue streams to handle the luxury tax as easily as the Lakers or Knicks. The irony could be that the harsher tax undoes the greatest success story of the small-market teams the system was supposedly designed to protect. If they don’t trade Harden they could use the amnesty provision on the two years and $17.5 million that remain on Kendrick Perkins’ contract after this season. One way or another, the makeup of this team is going to change. Change is the only constant in the NBA. (Can you believe only three members of the 2010 championship team remain on the Lakers?) So enjoy this version of one of the league’s most likable teams. It might be the last time you see it in this form.”
More Adande: “I think the Oklahoma City Thunder will win the Western Conference, taking advantage of the acclimation period for the Lakers. But that’s predicated on Oklahoma City avoiding the Los Angeles Clippers in the playoffs. The Clippers went 3-1 against the Thunder last season, including a pair of home-and-home victories within a five-day span in April. They were successful in part because Chris Paul won the point guard battle. While Paul and Russell Westbrook both scored about 20 points per game, Paul more than doubled up Westbrook in the assists category, with 9.5 per game. The Clippers also had three fewer turnovers per game than the Thunder.”
