Monday Bolts – 6.3.13
Doug Gottlieb of CBSSports.com says buyer beware on Shabazz Muhammad:
“What you’re left with is a great competitor who likes to win and has always been able to score, but who is also a rare combination of being smaller, older, less skilled, less trustworthy and a worse teammate than we were ever led to believe. I know a team will select Muhammad and I hope he buys in and “gets it” sooner rather than later. But I do not see him becoming the player he needs to become to be effective, and rewiring a guy’s game and expectations when they have been surrounded by sycophants for the last three years (at least) is difficult. Most teams do not, and should not want to go through the effort of working through those growing pains, and neither would I. I would pass.”
Neil Paine of ESPN Insider has KD ranked fourth in his top conference finals performers: “We’re just two conference finals berths into Durant’s career, and the numbers he’s produced have been staggering. Despite losing to the Mavericks in 2011, Durant averaged 28 points and 9.4 rebounds per game, a prelude to the show he would put on a season later. Last season, as the Thunder stormed back to win four straight against the Spurs, Durant averaged 29.5 points per game on a 66.2 true shooting percentage and had 7.5 rebounds per contest.”
Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com says OKC has the best outlook over the next three seasons: “They nudge out Miami, only because their core is locked up long term. The Thunder posted one of the best point differentials in NBA history during the regular season, and the playoff landscape might look a lot different had Russell Westbrook not gone down with his knee injury. They’re not flawless, but it’s hard to see them falling off.”
KD on Grant Hill: “Man I thought Grant Hill could play another 10 years! Such a great competitor and player! Good luck in the future! #halloffame”
Mo Cheeks is getting a third interview with the Pistons.
Berry Tramel on Nick Collison: “It’s possible that Collison’s game has slipped, but it’s still solid. I mean, the guy will be 33 on opening day 2013. He might need to limit his minutes during the regular season. That’s not what anyone wants to hear in this age of send-Perkins-to-Siberia, and even though the Thunder could play small, that doesn’t really help limit Kevin Durant’s minutes, which needs to happen, too. So I don’t know.”
Netw3rk for Grantland writing an excellent piece on flopping: “The current system of fines certainly isn’t up to the task of slowing the flop, and in my opinion, that’s by design. It’s a simple cost-benefit analysis. If a player thinks drawing a flop foul on an opposing player can win his team the title, or even a playoff game, what is the dollar amount the league would need to hang over the player’s head to make him not do it? I don’t know the answer to that, but I’m guessing it’s not $5,000 (LeBron makes $17.5 million this year). Or even $30,000 (for the fourth offense). Just a theory, but I think David Stern, et al., understand flopping is an expression of competitiveness, and simply want to create the appearance that they are doing something about it rather than actually doing something about it. If they really wanted to stamp out the flop, sanctions would start with suspensions. But when you’re a multi-billion-dollar business that sells its players doing the spectacular on the court, the last thing you want to do is take them off of it.”
A response by that bro in last week’s Side Part.
John Rohde on why Derek Fisher could return: “After 17 seasons in the NBA, Fisher is not ready to be put out to pasture just yet. He still has something to offer on the court. Fisher certainly proved this during his two partial seasons with the Thunder. If Fisher, an unrestricted free agent, is willing to play for minimum wage next season, perhaps general manager Sam Presti might re-sign him a third time. Some OKC fans might freak out if that happens, but no one inside the Thunder locker room would have any complaints, particularly coach Scott Brooks.”
Darnell Mayberry on if he will: “This one could go either way. The Thunder needs a third point guard next year, and historically has preferred veterans at that spot, but likely will want to keep all options open. So who knows? I’ll say not at all. Reggie Jackson is getting better every day. And for all we know the Thunder could stumble into a promising point guard prospect like Michael Carter-Williams or Dennis Schroeder in the draft. With its young stars aging into savvy veterans, and taking on more and more responsibility on the court and in the locker room, the Thunder might no longer feel it needs a veteran third point guard. But this team loves it some Derek Fisher. So I wouldn’t rule anything out.”
