Thursday Bolts – 10.20.16

Kevin Durant in a Rolling Stone piece: “It felt like that whole thing was set up for me to leave,” he

says, “especially after they blew a lead in the finals, because I damn sure wasn’t going there if they’d won. But after Game Seven, I called up my agent and said, ‘Damn, dude, Golden State – what if?'”

Lee Jenkins of SI.com on Russ: “Westbrook and Durant were not best buds, but they were peerless partners, a souped-up Stockton and Malone, transporting a mini market to the big time. Westbrook’s closest friends are actually former high school teammates, long-standing wing men like Donnell Beverly and Demetrius (Juice) Deason, who flank him in summer pickup games and play dominoes with him on the Fourth. “He didn’t talk much about what happened,” says Beverly. Westbrook didn’t disparage Durant. He didn’t judge him. All he did was take a picture. When Kendrick Perkins played center for the Thunder, he called teammates “cupcake” if he thought they were acting a little soft. Westbrook and Durant adopted the term in jest. Westbrook posted a bittersweet pic on Instagram: three plates of cupcakes topped by red and blue stars and sprinkles.”

The Warriors clearly don’t like Kevin Durant.

Ananth Pandian of CBSSports.com on OKC’s deadliest lineup: “Any lineup with Westbrook in it is dangerous, but deploying him with Oladipo, a shooter in Abrines and the Stache Bros., should be trouble for opponents. On offense, Westbrook and Oladipo can play off screens set by Kanter or Adams. Kanter provides a low-post presence while Abrines is a 3-point threat. Defensively this unit is solid, too, with Adams and Oladipo.”

The internet roasts Durant for his cover photo.

Steven Adams in all his glory.

Steven Adams got an A+ for his preseason: “A Thunder preseason MVP if there was one. Bounced back from ankle sprain with two standout games, particularly on offense. Defense was shredded with him sidelined. Looks as comfortable passing as shooting.”