Monday Bolts – 11.26.12
From Elias: “Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook both had 30+ Pts Saturday night. That’s the 20th time they’ve both had 30 or more points in the same game. That’s only second to Shaq and Kobe in the last 20 years.”
Darnell Mayberry on backup point guard: “Maynor’s lack of explosiveness also seems to be hurting him more than ever. At both ends. Although he never was a player who relied on athleticism, Maynor has been unable to turn it on when needed. It was most evident at New Orleans, when Maynor couldn’t beat 6-foot-10 Hornets forward Ryan Anderson off the dribble. Perhaps that scene explains why Maynor is settling more for long range attempts, launching 1.7 3-pointers per game, rather than knifing into the painted area looking to create like only he can. The season is still young, and the steady hand might soon return. There have been flashes of the old Maynor, after all. They’ve just been far too infrequent to not wonder whether a change should be in the works.”
Talking rebuilding with Hornets 24/7.
Marc Stein of ESPN.com: “For all of the questions raised about the lack of punch in the Thunder’s starting lineup beyond Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, two scorers out of five might be enough in this case. Through 12 games, Oklahoma City has outscored its opponents by a league-leading 55 points in the first quarter this season.”
Perk evaluating the Thunder: “On a scale of one to ten, I’d say we’re about an eight,” Perkins said of this year’s Thunder. “We have a lot of new guys and a lot of young guys so we’re just trying to build our chemistry one game at a time. The thing is we lost a lot of veteran guys. We have a lot of talented guys, but they’re not as experienced. We just have to make sure we follow the process and keep getting better.”
Sekou Smith of NBA.com: “Bluster or not, Perkins does have championship experience that cannot be ignored. His time in Boston provided him with insight into the inner workings of a Celtics championship team in 2008 that only a dozen or so active players around the league can match. So he might know a thing or two about a team’s championship mettle when he sees it. If he says Kevin Martin is more than up to the task of replacing what Harden gave the Thunder in production and intangibles, then maybe we ought to listen.”
NBA.com power rankings have OKC fourth: “The Thunder got their first signature win on Wednesday and shot 6-for-7 from 3-point range in their two overtimes last week, but their defensive regression has continued. After holding their first eight opponents to just 94.7 points per 100 possessions, they’ve allowed their last six opponents to score 109.1. Their defensive ranking has dropped from third to 15th in that time.”