Thursday Bolts – 1.28.16

Anthony Slater: “OKC certainly faced a batch of adversity. Steven Adams missed two games. Andre

Roberson missed two-and-a-half, with more to come. That’s the interior defensive anchor and the perimeter bulldog, gone for important stretches. But even with the shuffling pieces, the opposing numbers were staggering. The Nets entered with the league’s third-worst offense. They scored 116 points. The Knicks entered with the league’s 14th-worst offense. They scored 122 points. The Timberwolves entered with the league’s seventh-worst offense. They scored 123 points.”

Matt Bonesteel of the Washington Post: “Still, the Knicks could be players should Durant choose to leave Oklahoma City (and there’s speculation out there, from Isola included, that he could sign a two-year deal with the Thunder with an opt-out clause after one season, just like LeBron James did with the Cavaliers). For one, Durant thinks highly of New York Coach Derek Fisher, his former Thunder teammate.”

Russ is 49th all-time NBA rank.

David Thorpe of ESPN.com on Westbrook being a top 50 player: “He’s fine right there, because he still has a lot of years left. Perhaps he will get a title or two, perhaps not, but what he is doing on a nightly basis will get him into the top 30 or so regardless. Westbrook is the most athletic point guard ever, taking into account his size and physicality. When combined with an incredibly hot motor that never cools, you have a player we just can’t put a ceiling on.”

The Lost Ogle rehashing the Harden stuff: “Maybe Mark Cuban was right? The 2014-2015 season goes down as the worst injury woes a team has faced since the 1976 merger, gifting the Thunder a lottery pick that becomes #14 overall Cameron Payne, who shows us his promise to play a sixth-man role. If there are any betters reading this, you can put your money on Presti sitting in his office right now, eating Taco Bell breakfast and listening to this tribute song for Payne. Get out your lighters.”

Windhorst on if LeBron is a coach killer.

Mitch Lawrence for Sporting News: “But there are major questions about Thunder’s chemistry, Durant’s impending free agency and the supporting cast after Serge Ibaka. Then there’s a critical area where the Warriors and Spurs have it all over Durant and Westbrook. The last two NBA champs actually know what it’s like to hold the Larry O’Brien Trophy, meaning they’ve figured out how to win in June and can summon those lessons when times get tough in the playoffs. Talented as they are, the Thunder’s superstars are still trying to figure it out, and so is Donovan, who won back-to-back titles at Florida, but is in his first NBA rodeo.”

Frank Isola of the NY Daily News: “So much about Durant’s future, just like the future of most A-list free agents, depends on how their season ends. If OKC reaches the Western Conference Finals, it may convince Durant that the Thunder is on the cusp of a title. This is a very tight-knit group. When UCLA held a “Russell Westbrook Night” a few weeks ago, all of his current teammates and coaches attended the game. When rookie Cameron Payne had his number retired at his Memphis High School, Durant, Westbrook and rest of the Thunder attended the ceremony. But team bonding in January won’t mean much if the Thunder suffers a first-round knockout. Then all bets or off. The Heat, Knicks, Lakers and even the Warriors — yes, Golden State — could all be in play.”