Monday Bolts – 6.25.12
Andy Kamenetzky of ESPN LA on OKC’s future: “Time will tell whether Harden puts his money where his mouth is, how Ibaka feels about his situation, and whether those two taking below market value leaves Clay Bennett enough financial wiggle room. But I imagine Lakers fans, Heat fans and anybody rooting for anybody other than OKC would have preferred Harden to say something along the lines of, “Yeah, I like Oklahoma City, but I can always visit. And I love KD and Russ like brothers, but that’s why God invented unlimited text and calling plans, plus Skype. Pay me,” then drop the mic and exit stage left in a huff.”
Berry Tramel: “Dynasty is a fun concept, to think that Oklahoma City could rule basketball the way Boston or Los Angeles or Chicago have over the last 50 years. But before the Thunder can win a series of titles, it has to win one. And as we saw last week, that will be hard enough.”
Chris Bernucca of Sheridan Hoops on Scott Brooks: “Although Brooks doesn’t have a contract for next season, he was Coach of the Year in 2010, reached the conference finals in 2011 and played for the title in 2012. The belief here is that ultimately he will be re-signed, although the length of his new deal may be an issue. It should be noted that in the last 10 years, Byron Scott didn’t get a contract extension after consecutive Finals trips and Mike Brown was fired after consecutive 60-win seasons. There also have been whispers about the idea of bringing in a bigger name – perhaps even as big as Phil Jackson – to get the Thunder over the top. One thing is certain, however. Brooks didn’t exactly strengthen his negotiating position over the last two weeks.”
Darnell Mayberry on Tibor Pleiss: “One one hand, that’s a positive for the Thunder from the standpoint that he has a chance to be a more polished player whenever he does come across the water. But it also could be a drawback because continued improvement by Pleiss will only drive up his price. Remember, he was a second-round pick, which doesn’t subject him to the first-round rookie scale. Even if the Thunder can get him over without difficulty down the road (think Ricky Rubio), there’s the possibility that OKC might not be able to afford his price tag (think Tiago Splitter). Stay tuned.”
Kurt Helin of PBT on the coaching rumors: “The Thunder players believe in Brooks. The Thunder players play hard for him every game. And while he seemed unsure of how to counter the Heat with lineup adjustments in the finals, in the round before he made the adjustments that beat Gregg Popovich. Again, this is not the time to make the change. Brooks and the Thunder will get a deal done. He will be back next year. Everything else you hear is negotiations.”
Perk on his groin injury: “My groin hasn’t bothered me since about the Lakers series,” Perkins said. “It’s gotten a whole lot better. It’s probably been about a month and a half now. It feels a whole lot better. It won’t affect me (this summer) at all.”
Bill Simmons on OKC’s heartbreak: “Brooks pulled Harden a few seconds later. He wandered over to the corner to stand with Westbrook, with Durant eventually joining them. They stood there with their arms wrapped around each other, watching their season tick away, soaking in every image for those days in July and August when you’re tired of shooting jumpers in an empty gym and need a trigger to keep pushing yourself. It was my favorite moment of the series. Down the line on the other bench, LeBron was hugging teammates and smiling broadly for the first time since … god, when was the last time we even saw LeBron smile? The final buzzer sounded, confetti started falling, and Durant and LeBron quickly found each other for a prolonged hug. You have to believe the rest of the decade is headed that way: summer workout buddies, Olympic teammates, natural rivals. They will see each other again.”
Zach Lowe of SI.com: “The Heat exposed just how much growth is needed on defense. The Thunder ranked a solid 10th in points allowed per possession, but they were inconsistent against teams that moved the ball well and weren’t overwhelmed by Oklahoma City’s athleticism. Sefolosha is the closest thing the team has to a wing stopper, but he was too small to deal with James. Sefolosha also hurt the Thunder’s offense — opponents simply don’t guard him. Westbrook’s jumpy aggression is great for ball denial and contesting shots, but it leaves him vulnerable to back-cuts as he closes out. Harden has similar off-ball issues. Ibaka, for all of his brilliance as a shot-blocker, has miles to go before he reaches the same level against pick-and-rolls and in complex rotations.”
