Friday Bolts – 6.24.11

Sam Presti on Eric Maynor: “We anticipate having him with us for a very long time … We love Eric Maynor. He’s a big part of our team. Probably a bigger part of our team than people realize.”

Chad Ford’s thoughts on OKC taking Jackson: “Jackson hasn’t worked out for one team. Didn’t do physicals. No interviews or psych tests. And he still goes No. 24. The Heat are bummed. They shut him down to keep him out of the first round, but it didn’t work. It’s a great pick for the Thunder. He’s long and athletic, and he can shoot the basketball. A very underrated player. Does this mean Eric Maynor is on his way out?”

Dave Del Grande for CBSSports.com gives OKC a C: “A depth-challenged team using a first-round pick on a position where it actually has a decent backup makes no sense … unless the rumors of Eric Maynor being on the trade black are true. But is his value high enough to bring back a player who could help a title hopeful? Probably not.”

Berry Tramel: “Does drafting Jackson mean Presti thinks he’s got another diamond from the coal patch? Some of the descriptions of Jackson sound a little Westbrookish. Long arms, athletic. Maybe Presti thinks he’s found a defensive stopper, though he thought that when he drafted Westbrook and instead stumbled upon an all-star point guard. Who knows? Including Presti. The truth about this draft is that, at least in Thunderville, no one was too excited to start with, so no one should be too disappointed with Jackson.”

The Thunder actually did work out Reggie Jackson… secretly. Are you surprised?

Some have said Jackson is like Westbrook. This crazy dunk from him agrees.

Reggie Jackson: “Well obviously I’m ecstatic, I’ve been drafted in the first round by a great organization and I feel truly blessed,” Jackson said. “I’m pretty excited about going to a team that can win a championship for many years.

Nick Collison: “Also. Steve novak named his son Mack Novak. is there a better name than that? Sounds like a crimefighter and steve is actually a mackdaddy.”

Great breakdown of Jackson from NBA Playbook.

Grantland’s Carles on Reggie’s name: “If you share the same name as a famous person (and are not related to them by blood), are you naturally driven to excel in the same field, or are you driven to “make a name for yourself” in a new field? Can there ever be another President Barack Obama? Another great hockey coach named Gordon Bombay? Another tween horror novelist named R.L. Stine? Another NBA legend named Isiah Thomas?”

Chad Ford gives OKC a B+: “I’m not sure how Reggie Jackson fits in with Russell Westbrook and Eric Maynor on hand already, but he’s a talent. Jackson’s agents tried to hide him from every team in the first round so he could get to Miami, but the Thunder swallowed hard and took him anyway. This was a case of a team taking a prospect it believed was the best player available, and it could pay off down the road for Oklahoma City.”

Ben Golliver of CBSSports.com gives OKC a B: “Jackson is a good value pick. The knock will be that he didn’t fill a need for the Thunder … but look at their roster. Who are you going to take minutes away from to give to a rookie? No one. So this pick didn’t matter and they still got value from it.”