Monday Bolts – 9.16.13
J.A. Adande of ESPN.com: “The problem for Durant is that the Thunder have moved backward. I still remember Durant, Westbrook and James Harden standing by the side of the court, taking in the waning moments of the Heat’s championship-clinching victory in Game 5 of the 2012 Finals. Little did we know that the trio would never play together in Oklahoma City uniforms again. Now OKC doesn’t even have Kevin Martin, and Westbrook is coming off a new injury that cut his (and the Thunder’s) 2012 playoffs short. The good news for Durant, who turns 25 at the end of the month, is that there’s a good chance he’ll still be in his 20s when LeBron’s reign comes to an end. But will he be the one to capitalize? The Clippers, Warriors and Rockets all got better this summer. The Spurs refuse to go away. I hope Durant’s best chance at a championship isn’t already in the past, when the Thunder led 1-0 in the Finals. At the very least there’s a little more urgency for Durant. Certainly more than there is for LeBron.”
Doc Rivers regrets the Celtics trading Perk: “The one thing we did by losing Perk was we removed Kevin [Garnett]’s protector. I didn’t think it was a coincidence that, after Perk left, that Kevin got into all those little flicks with the other teams. Perk deflected all that.”
Kelly Dwyer of Ball Don’t Lie on it: “Still, if Ainge anticipated Perkins’ downfall, it was the right move. Thunder GM Sam Presti, in a misstep, almost immediately handed Kendrick a four-year, $36 million contract, thinking he’d locked in his starting center on an eventual champion. After two straight embarrassing playoff performances for Perkins, though, Presti’s refusal to waive Perkins using the amnesty clause (saving money that could have helped the team retain James Harden or Kevin Martin, with a lightened luxury tax bill) has been rightfully called into question.”
Russell Westbrook got a new puppy, and it’s apparently a direwolf. It’s name is Sasha, which also happens to be KD’s nickname for Russ.
Kevin Durant smoked some hookah and Darnell Mayberry wrote about it: “Durant, who will turn 25 at the end of this month, is slowly opening up and revealing more about himself as he ages. He’s still relatively private, and his growing international brand and the earning power that comes with that certainly makes it difficult for Durant to be too transparent. But these are the little things that help us get to know the players we watch, root for and, in some cases, admire. And little by little, Durant is helping us do that, revealing himself to us off the court as he continues to do the same on it.”
A friend of mine upon reading that: “Yeah, Durant unknowingly having a blurry picture of him taken with a long lens by a creepo is totally him opening up and showing his personality.”
KD served as an honorary captain Saturday for Texas.
Darnell Mayberry with training camp questions: “Contrary to popular belief, coach Scott Brooks and his staff showed signs of growth last season, shoring up situational game aspects such as the team’s sideline out of bounds plays, late game play-calling and execution. They did it while also turning the Thunder into a top five defensive team. But a rigid rotation last year again raised questions, and the continued absence of an offensive system really hurt when Westbrook went down in the playoffs. Those are two obvious areas that, perhaps as much or more than anything else, can help push the Thunder over the top if solved.”
