Friday Bolts – 5.22.15

Jason Gallagher of Grantland on why Russ is still winning: “The realest talk: The postseason hasn’t been the same without the Brodie. It feels like the lack of life-threatening dunks followed by screams that petrify the soul is hurting the league, and I expect the competition committee to address how they plan to respond this summer. ICYMI: Priority list goes … 3. End divisions 2. Fix Hack-a-Shaq 1. Institute a rule mandating that Russell Westbrook plays in every postseason.”

Darnell Mayberry on Dion Waiters: “An argument can be made that Waiters would be better served simply taking a 3-pointer, which obviously has the potential for awarding an additional point for moving just a few feet back, or getting to the basket, where he can take a higher percentage shot, get fouled and go to the free throw line or kick out to an open man spotting up on the perimeter. But Waiters believes the step-back is a crucial counter for any suspecting defender who might be playing the drive, the kick or the 3-pointer.”

Westbrook made All-NBA second team. Which is pretty dumb.

John Wall was left off the All-NBA teams altogether.

Berry Tramel on Waiters: “Which doesn’t mean he will be efficient enough. Waiters was not terribly efficient for OKC last season. True shooting percentage is a measurement that takes into account foul shots as well as extra credit for 3-pointers. Waiters’ true shooting percentage went from .492 as a rookie to .508 in 2013-14. But last season, that fell to .468 with the Cavaliers, then .455 with the Thunder. Much of that was Waiters’ TWO-point shooting percentage with OKC; .419. Not good. Not good at all. But that can improve not necessarily by getting better, but by making better decisions. Perhaps Billy Donovan can affect change.”

Has Lil B cursed James Harden?!!?!

J.A. Adande of ESPN.com on the rise of smallball: “This is probably the only time in NBA history where a team could have legitimate championship aspirations while playing such small lineups. Kerr acknowledges they couldn’t do this in the 1990s, when Hakeem Olajuwon, Patrick Ewing and Shaquille O’Neal roamed the NBA landscape. And this doesn’t look to be the long-term trend.”

Best backcourts in the modern NBA.

Kevin Pelton of ESPN Insider on Devin Booker by the numbers: “Of the three NCAA sharpshooters in this year’s draft, Booker is likely to go first but ranks third even adjusting for his draft status. In part, Booker doesn’t project quite as well as a shooter based on my model because his shooting numbers at Kentucky (41 percent from 3, 83 percent from the line) were very good but not great. More problematic, though, are Booker’s defensive stats. He had just two blocks all season, and his steal rate (1.3 percent) was extremely poor for a college guard. Booker was also a non-factor on the defensive glass. Even if Booker develops into an elite shooter, his defensive limitations could force him into a reserve role like Anthony Morrow.”

(More on this later: I like Booker and a lot, but the Thunder don’t need another Jeremy Lamb.)

NBA execs make picks for the Thunder, going with Devin Booker, Jerian Grant and Justin Anderson.