Monday Bolts – 11.9.15

An NBA scout to USA Today

: “To me, the only difference is the play-calling. I’ll say this, there’s a lot
more pick and rolls with Donovan, but it’s slowly gravitating toward the same stuff that it was. Isolation basketball, guys not passing to the open guy because they’ve got to get their shots, i.e. Russell and Kevin. They’re playing heavy minutes, and they’re getting pretty much all of the touches – which, they should get most of the touches. But still, if you’re going to be what you say you’re going to be as far as moving the ball around more and having a more open offense and less isolation, then you’ve got to show it. (They’re) not there yet, and that’s why everybody’s seeing these flaws now. They lost three games in a row because they played these teams that play defense.”

Sam Amick of USA Today: “In the seven years that Durant has been the epicenter of all things Thunder in Oklahoma City, the evolution of his brand — while in a small market, no less — has been a sight to behold. He has signed Nike deals worth hundreds of millions of dollars, made millions cry with his MVP speech in May of 2014 and become one of the game’s most relatable and popular talents. But by all accounts, the core of this superstar — a 27-year-old who quietly announced his decision to resign in Oklahoma City via Twitter nearly five years ago while LeBron James’ Decision was stealing the spotlight — remains. Going global, in other words, doesn’t mean that the humility for which he has been known is gone. All of which, he admits, makes this free agency process somewhat uncomfortable.”

My thing on last night for ESPN.com.

Michael Lee of Yahoo Sports: “Durant can’t allow himself to worry about a decision in July when so much is at stake in the interim. He remains in pursuit of his first ring – a quest that has been derailed by injuries in each season since reaching the NBA Finals for the only time in 2012. And after three procedures to repair a Jones fracture in his right foot limited him to 27 games last season, Durant has more pressing, immediate priorities.”

Berry Tramel: “Early losing streaks happen. In this part of the season, the WAY the Thunder plays is far important than the result. For example, the Thunder’s worst game of the year by far was at Orlando. A total lack of defense. Just ridiculous. Yet OKC won, it was dramatic (two overtimes), it was historic (Durant and Westbrook explosions) and it was a W. So everyone was happy.”

Erik Horne on why KD’s shoes keep falling off: “The KD8 has required some adjustment by Durant, but more so because of what’s going into it rather than its materials. When it comes to the shoes slipping off his feet, however, Durant may just need to use double knots in order to keep NBA fans’ hearts in their chests.”

Anthony Slater: “Small sample sizes skew all kinds of numbers across the league early in the season. But it’s still a nice peak into what’s working. The Westbrook, Waiters, Durant, Ibaka and Kanter five-man grouping has played 21 minutes together. It has outscored opponents 69-42 in that time. The offensive rating: a monstrous 158.3. The defensive rating: a respectable 104.5. The net rating: a dominant 53.8. Moving forward, we may see it more.”