Monday Bolts – 12.2.13

Darnell Mayberry: “When Perk returned to the game, he played great defense on Pekovic. He bodied him up and, unlike Adams, was able to prevent him from bulldozing his way to the rim. Most every look Pekovic had against Perk late in the second quarter and into the second half was difficult. It was one of Perk’s best performances this season.”

Anthony Slater on the other Ibaka in Oklahoma: “He’s tall, strong and fluid for his size. He’s from the Congo, once lived in Spain, currently plays basketball in Oklahoma and has the last name Ibaka. Sound familiar? Well, he’s probably not. Meet Igor Ibaka, the 6-foot-8 power forward currently starring at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M in Miami. Around these parts, his brother Serge is a headliner, averaging 15 points and 10 rebounds for the Thunder. But in the northeast sector of the state, Igor, also averaging nearly a double-double, has begun to carve out a basketball name for himself.”

KD interviewed by Craig Groechel of Life Church.

Basketball player Coleman Collins on the n-word: “That’s the best way to describe how I feel. I’d prefer to be called something else. Call me by name. I try to express this quietly. I’m not interested in shaming anyone, so if I don’t have the opportunity to say something privately, I won’t say anything at all. I think it can be addressed only on an individual level. Personally, I make an effort not to use it, but I reject the notion that it makes me a better person. It’s what works for me. I would prefer not to be called that by anyone, but I understand why certain black people do it. Everyone’s experience is different. I grew up fairly privileged, in a family in which I never heard the word uttered. I can’t be certain that they never said it privately, but my parents made an effort to set the example for me that it wasn’t appropriate. I knew without asking or ever broaching the subject. My mother would even balk at a description of another person as “dark-skinned” or “light-skinned.” She’d ask, “Isn’t there a better way you can describe that person?” I was never truly in the habit of saying “nigga,” it was just something I did as a teenager because that’s what other kids did. This made it easy for me to give it up. I can’t judge other people who have a stronger attachment to it.”

Perceptions are beginning to turn with the Harden trade.

Berry Tramel: “Reggie Jackson admits he had his hopes up. Let himself believe he could step into the James Harden/Kevin Martin role. Become a Thunder sixth man extraordinaire. Then Sam Presti and Scotty Brooks and everyone else started talking about how the Thunder rotation didn’t have to be the same. The Boomers didn’t have to have an instant-offense guy off the bench. Maybe it’s time to reassess. Jackson is producing like he most definitely could handle such a role.”

There’s a Iman Shumpert-to-OKC trade thing going around right now. People, use your brains a little when it comes to this stuff. It’s not even a rumor; it’s just speculation. There’s no reporting there saying the teams have talked or are interested. So please, stop sending me tweets about this.