Friday Bolts – 12.5.14

Erin Rynning of ESPN Insider on OKC being a good value bet: “If healthy, the Thunder have roughly a 95-99 percent chance of making the playoffs, and I would be shocked if they didn’t make the postseason. There’s a good chance they can win their next six games and get right back into the hunt. Overall, I have the Thunder going 47-17 the rest of the way for a record of 52-30. The San Antonio Spurs, Golden State Warriors and Thunder are the three best teams in the West, although from their play in the early going the Dallas Mavericks are right there as well.”

Anthony Slater on OKC’s bench: “Jackson is a legit Sixth Man candidate. Anthony Morrow can detonate for 25-plus on any given night. Perry Jones, who is set to return from injury on Friday, is 6-foot-11 with guard-like skills. That’s three potent bench scorers who have all already scored at least 28 points in a game this season. Then you have the enigmatic Jeremy Lamb – who might provide the bench barometer on most nights. The streaky third-year guard has been great the past three games – 15-of-20 shooting, 49 points in 61 minutes – and, as no coincidence, so has OKC’s bench.”

Hollinger playoff odds don’t look good for OKC. A note on those: That’s taking into account how the team has played, meaning previous stats, to simulate the rest of the season.

Terrence Knighton is friends with KD apparently: “We instantly clicked, and for me, I’m not used to just clicking with someone that easily,” Durant shared with The Denver Post. “So I could tell hew was a special person. Everything he’s doing right now, he deserves it, so I’m happy for him.”

Mitch McGary was sent down to the Blue again yesterday.

Matt Moore of CBSSports.com grading OKC’s first quarter: “Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are back earlier than many expected/feared, but the Thunder still can’t afford to take too long getting their act together. We learned that Reggie Jackson can put up big numbers as a No. 1 option, and we learned that Serge Ibaka can’t create offense for himself (though it’s great that the 3-pointer has become such a big part of his game). What we’re about to find out is whether or not the adversity made Oklahoma City stronger collectively.”

Tom Ziller of SB Nation with a salient point: “The Sixers are basically sitting out the season, waiting for the NBA Draft. Mudiay is likely to sit out the season, waiting for the NBA Draft. This is all so absurd.”