Friday Bolts – 4.16.16
Anthony Slater on the Stache Brothers: “At 22, Adams has already been labeled a franchise
cornerstone by general manager Sam Presti. But Presti is paying Kanter, Adams’ backup, $14 million more this season. Adams is up for a contract extension this summer. But production often dictates value in the NBA and Kanter’s presence directly cuts into Adams’ numbers. In professional sports – where money and fame and playing time are craved but not passed out equally – a relationship like theirs isn’t supposed to work. But with these two, it so easily does. Why? Take a lesson from the mustache origin story, which is just a peek into their budding, genuine friendship. Right away, the outgoing Adams embraced the mustache like he embraced Kanter’s arrival, without worry. And because of it, the tentative Kanter learned to accept Adams then the mustache then the diminished role.”
Matt Moore of CBSSports.com on dangerous teams: “Their defense has been at times a lot like ice cream rolling down a steep hill in the middle of July, and their late-game offense still struggles despite their coaching change. They’ve blown more fourth-quarter leads than any other team. Best-case scenario: They catch the Spurs with their athleticism, avenging 2014, and then sneak up on the Warriors after a series of “good losses” in the regular season. Kevin Durant re-establishes himself as the dominant scorer in the NBA and re-signs with OKC after they defeat Cleveland for Oklahoma’s first pro title. Worst-case scenario: The Spurs stomp a mudhole in their porous defense and Kevin Durant decides if you can’t beat ’em, join the Warriors.”
I wrote a thing about Kevin Durant putting his foot behind him and having a great season.
Steven Adams getting mustache endorsement deals.
Erik Horne: “When asked about the Thunder’s offense making a jump in efficiency under new head coach Billy Donovan, Durant again deflected any potential blame away from Brooks, who was fired in April 2015. The Thunder finished this regular season with an offensive rating of 113.1. The Thunder’s highest offensive rating under Brooks was 112.4 in 2012-13, according to basketball-reference.com.”
Your tax dollars pay the Thunder’s salaries?
Tom Ziller of SB Nation: “Here’s the other first-round series with a massive coaching experience gap. Except Billy Donovan has tons of head coaching experience, unlike Ty Lue, and of course has coached in high-pressure situations. He’s been here. So while I preach the gospel of Rick Carlisle as fluently as anyone, I don’t think Donovan is so green than the Mavericks’ sideline advantage is so great that it can bridge the talent gap, which is massive.”