Friday Bolts – 2.17.12
LeBron says this is a point guard league now: “This is transforming into a point guard league,” he said. “It’s not there yet. You still have D-Wade, Kobe, Kevin Durant, all these great wing guys. But it’s a point-guard league. When you look at Russell Westbrook, you look at the MVP from last year, Derrick Rose, you look at Chris Paul, John Wall, Kyrie Irving, Steve Nash still, Tony Parker’s playing at a high level. If you just look at it, if you have a really, really good point guard you got a chance to win. And it’s almost like having a really good quarterback in the NFL. If you go a really good quarterback in the NFL, you got a really good chance to win. So it’s good that this league has great point guards.”
The Hoop Doctors on who should take the last shot for OKC: “Fans and analysts alike moan and groan when Westbrook opts to take a final shot over Durant, but does he really have a choice? Durant, even in low pressure situations, is hounded on the offensive end. Heading into the final seconds, his open looks only become fewer and far between. And that’s why Westbrook must take the final shot. It’s not because he is more talented and it’s not because he is more clutch of a player. It’s because he will have a better look, nearly every time.”
Scott Brooks has heard Charles Barkley’s criticism.
Interview with Nick Collison from Edelman Digital and he talks about that radio rant from a few years ago: “That was a ridiculous situation that was taken the wrong way out of context, but it’s just another reminder that you have to look at anything you’re going to put out there in terms of how people will perceive it and make sure you’re prepared to deal with any sort of backlash. It showed me you have to look at everything from every angle and how people could possibly take something you say and then decide if you still want to put it out there or not. It also showed the impact social media has on the news cycle, as multiple stories were generated off those simple harmless tweets. First the story in the paper, then the radio show, then the blogs written about the radio show. It’s totally changed the media industry, and it’s made the world a lot smaller place.”
Scott Brooks was on the Scott Van Pelt show yesterday.
Kevin Pelton for TrueHoop on Seattle getting close to a new arena: “The greatest myth of the Sonics’ move to Oklahoma City was that it had anything to do with fan support in the Emerald City. The widespread success of the documentary Sonicsgate: Requiem for a Team has helped correct that mistaken assumption. If there was any lingering question about what the Sonics meant to Seattle, it should be erased by the continued passion of fans nearly four years since the last NBA game at KeyArena.”
Steve Aschburner of NBA.com on the success of this season: “Saving Christmas made saving All-Star Weekend possible, another important consideration. And for as long as this lockout ran, the “jerk” quotient never seemed to get as high, at least in terms of public perceptions. Despite media of all forms available to cover it 24/7, things never quite degenerated into the rancor or tin-ear quotes from players and owners that permeated the 1998-99 shutdown. So now, even if there are grumbles about the quality of play, a flurry of injuries and a rush of games, the bottom line hasn’t suffered. In some case — thanks, Linsanity — it has prospered.”