Thursday Bolts – 12.3.15
: “Russell Westbrook openly despises the media because he thinks answering dumb questions is a waste of his time (it is) and that his play on the court should speak for itself (it does). Russell Westbrook looks for his shot as a point guard, no matter who says he shouldn’t. Russell Westbrook desn’t defer to Kevin Durant, even if every talking head says he should. Russell Westbrook plays through a visible DENT in his FACE like it’s nothing. Russell Westbrook – every night – wears outfits as ridiculous as the most absurd thing Kobe ever put on. He simply doesn’t care what anyone thinks. All he wants to be is an awesome basketball player. We only have about four months left of Kobe Bryant, but we hopefully have another six to 10 years of Westbrook. Cherish it. Cherish him. Or don’t. He doesn’t really care what you do either way.”
Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com on Kobe’s night in DC: “What has become clear is this is going to be one long, surreal final tour for Bryant. The NBA has never seen anything like it. Beloved future Hall of Famers have had swan songs, but not with the play of the team becoming a sideshow and Bryant’s often horrific play being totally diluted as fans clamor to capture every available second and make it part of their social media profile.”
Berry Tramel: “Of the 12 Thunder lineups that have played at least 15 minutes, only one has been small-ball: Durant, Ibaka, Morrow, Waiters and Westbrook. They’ve played 20 minutes together and have a robust +29 in point differential. That small-ball lineup has been OKC’s most effective of the season, with a +69.6 per 48 minutes. Now, remember, 20 minutes isn’t enough to gauge lineups. You need to get into the 100s to really know how consistently effective a lineup will be. But still, that’s encouraging.”
Anthony Slater: “With Kevin Durant on the court this season, the Thunder is giving up 98.2 points per 100 possessions. With Durant off the court, the Thunder is giving up 102.5 points per 100 possessions. That jump from top-10 level to bottom-10 level defense is not a coincidence. Durant isn’t an All-NBA first teamer defensively, but he’s long, disruptive and solid. And he’s imperative for the small-ball lineup because, as he says, “I can guard every position.” Here’s an example from the other night. Durant had four blocks against the Hawks. Two of them came on back-to-back fourth quarter possessions — the first on an isolation post move by Al Horford, the second on a drive by Dennis Schroder. Within a minute of each other, he took on a center and a point guard in one-on-one situations, needed no help and blocked both shots. That’s some versatility.”
Rudy Gobert out indefinitely with a knee injury.
Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com: “The other, the Players’ Tribune, was started by Derek Jeter for athletes to self-publish essays and stories about themselves onto a website. Jeter’s partners include Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant. There are others, and between them they’ve raised $18 million. Boiling it down: some of the most popular, recognizable, influential athletes in the world are raising a boat-load of cash so they can speak directly to their audience without a middle man or middle woman. Who’s the middle man? You’re looking at him.”