Monday Bolts – 1.26.09

More from the Ric Bucher interview: “I really like the job [Scott Brooks has] done. Obviously, I don’t cover the team on a daily basis. So the ins and outs of how he handles guys, his communication with the front office and how he handles the media and the public, I don’t have a feel for all of that. But I’m always kind of looking for who are the assistant coaches that I think could be head coach material. And I’ve long felt that Scotty was one of those guys.”

Shoals wants to hate the Thunder, but he just can’t: “I know that as a resident of Seattle, I should hate this team. Then again, I refuse to hate David Stern, who is far more to blame than, say, Kevin Durant. But along with Denver, LeBron with a healthy team, and presumably now Golden State, they’re one of the only squads I can now reliably count on to be entertaining. Yes, Durant’s maturation, Westbrook’s crash-and-burn progress, and Jeff Green Jeff Green-ing his way to Jeff Green-ness are all rad. However, it’s the packaging, the location, and the irrepressible obscurity around them that makes them so compelling. This is an NBA team that, for all intents and purposes, might as well not exist. They play in a city that matters only to the people who live there. Their uniforms are unrelentingly generic, like the plain white can, black type BEER they sell some places. The name of the team seems like a placeholder, unless you bother to acquaint yourself with life in Oklahoma. I kind of admire Clay Bennett for crafting such an utterly blank brand, so strong is his faith in OKC’s appetite for NBA ball, plain and simple.”

Marc Stein has Kevin Durant just missing the cut for the All-Star game: But the wide gap between the top nine teams and the bottom six makes our team-success mandate more relevant when selecting the West’s reserves, which is why we couldn’t quite squeeze Jefferson in here. Injuries did increase Big Al’s chances, but Parker and Anthony are the choices in spite of the time they’ve missed, just ahead of Utah’s Deron Williams, Dallas’ Jason Terry and New Orleans’ David West … as well as unexpected late-arriving contenders like Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant and Utah’s Paul Millsap.”

Ten prospects who can really lift their draft status over the next three months: “Harden doesn’t jump out as an elite prospect when you first see him. A little undersized at the 2, he’s not a particularly explosive or quick athlete. And there’s nothing flashy about his game. However, he has a certain old-school swagger about him that has many NBA executives calling him the second-best prospect in the draft. Harden is a big-time scorer with NBA strength and a terrific basketball IQ, and has been super-productive as both a freshman and a sophomore. While he doesn’t appear to have the upside of many of the younger athletes on the list, right now he looks like a lock for a top-five pick in the draft.”

The West is shaping into three tiers: “The first tier is the Lakers.The third tier is for dreamers and lottery teams: the Timberwolves (bucking for promotion after strong play lately), Warriors, Grizzlies, Clippers, Kings, and Thunder.And the second tier is where all the action is. Because the first half of this season has taught us that there are really nine good Western teams.”

Draft day do-over: “3. Minnesota – Instead of the ill-fated Mayo for Kevin Love swap, they probably end up with Russell Westbrook.

– Westbrook’s off the board so they nab Eric Gordon.”

The Should Be All-Star Starters: “The stats, when you even things out per-minute, slightly favor Durant. And when you factor in the knowledge that Durant plays five more minutes a game, thus contributing at that level for longer than Anthony (just put that month off for Carmelo aside, even), Durant should get the nod. I shouldn’t have to explain this too much. Durant, averaging 24 and 6, is the guy. Somehow, even after all the hype that preceded his rookie year, he’s become underrated. Per-minute, the points are the same, Melo out-boards and out-assists him, Durant out-shoots Anthony from every spot, and turns the ball over less. Durant has played more (sustaining that production for longer) minutes. He does more with his time on the court, and for longer stretches than Anthony, who got off to a pretty slow start. Bottom line: Durant has played slightly better, and for longer. This guy is the best small forward in the West.”

Durant’s All-Star chances: “Ultimately, Durant’s fate rests in the hands of Western Conference coaches like Gregg Popovich, Byron Scott, Jerry Sloan, George Karl, Don Nelson, Rick Adelman, Kevin McHale and their peers. Since Durant is being mentioned as a future member of Team USA in international competition, Durant will be an All-Star. It’s just a question of whether he makes it this season.”

The Lost Ogle’s newest “Peace, Love and Thunderstanding“: “That’s how many minutes Kevin Durant averaged over the past four games–Out of 48 possible.  If it had not been for the blowout against Utah, in which Durant was pulled late, it would have been even higher.Obviously, this team need KD out on the floor to have any hope of winning, but I have to question why he’s playing so many minutes.  The wins are nice, but wouldn’t it be better not to run down the team’s star player?  Thinking long term, this season is basically a write-off, so I would suggest getting Durant some more rest and reduce the likelihood of him getting injured.”