Friday Bolts – 4.20.12
David Stein of ESPN Dallas looking at Mav playoff opponents: “The Mavs are 1-3 against the Thunder and the ugly fact that the youthful Thunder found ways to pull games out late is concerning considering the Mavs prided themselves on such heroics during their championship run, and especially so against OKC in the West Finals. Kevin Durant stole the first meeting with a 3-point buzzer-beater at OKC in third game of the season. The Mavs looked great in one of their best all-around wins of the season, 100-87, soon after in the second game at home. The Thunder returned to Dallas a month later and returned the favor. But the Mavs were severely shorthanded without Jason Kidd, Brendan Haywood and Lamar Odom. Durant and Russell Westbrook struggled in the season finale, but the Thunder defense shut down the Mavs in the final minutes to win at OKC.”
Adam Figman of SLAM on KD: “There were growing pains, too, unlike any the Thunder had fought through in the past. As Westbrook’s talent evolved, so did his desire to take over big games, and the result was some minor friction between the two co-stars during a few crucial moments in the Memphis series. Westbrook was benched shortly thereafter as a likely consequence, and then everyone in the Thunder locker room moved right along. No big deal. But perhaps because this OKC team offers little in the way of off-the-court narrative—“We just want to play” was a bit of a media day theme this year, but also a straight-up fact—the national media latched on to the Durant-Westbrook power struggle as one that could lead to the downfall of the current roster.”
Watch all 40 of Harden’s points against Phoenix.
Derek Fisher issued a memo saying he wouldn’t resign.
Rob Mahoney of Bleacher Report on Westbrook: “But part of the reason why Westbrook is such an intriguing player is that he can’t merely be turned off; his success stems from his aggressive style, and to ask him to dial back his assertiveness sacrifices his usual success for the sake of a rough patch. He has less effective stretches, and there’s really no way to circumvent them. Westbrook’s game will come around, but in the meantime, he needs to have a pulse on his own game—no star can be efficient all the time, but is it too much to demand that such a wonderfully defiant player settle in with self-awareness?”
I wrote a feature on James Harden in the new SLAM Magazine.
Steve Aschburner of NBA.com on second bananas: “Westbrook and Kevin Durant are not exactly Mr. Inside and Mr. Outside for the Thunder. More like Mr. End-to-End and Mr. Everywhere. But they provide the same sort of “Oh no, where’s it coming from next!” headaches for OKC foes. They became the only teammates in NBA history to each score 40 points in the same game on two separate occasions in the same season (vs. Denver in February, vs. Minnesota in March). Westbrook might exhibit a little more sibling rivalry than Pippen did toward Jordan — a little — but the biggest snag to Westbrook’s case as NBA 2MVP is the likelihood that, if he were to wind up playing elsewhere, Harden has the skills package and demeanor to bump from the league’s Sixth Man to the Thunder’s second man.”
The Thunder as the Rolling Stones.
John Rohde: “With the playoffs commencing Saturday, April 28, OKC is about to find out where it truly rates. A 66-game season shortened by a 149-day lockout has been more challenging than many players probably envisioned. Perkins’ primary task all season has been to make sure his teammates don’t get bored with the process. No matter how dull or redundant, Perkins has stressed the importance of trying to improve a little more each day and to not drift off course.”
