Thursday Bolts – 2.10.11
Chad Ford of ESPN.com in a chat yesterday on Jeff Green’s trade value: “He’s got a lot of value. A number of teams are interested. The Thunder are going to need a big man though … that’s what they’re hunting for. There aren’t a lot of them available right now.”
John Hollinger with one of the smartest things written about the Thunder this year: “Thus, the Thunder remain a work in progress. But if we look at their timeline rather than ours, they’re still on schedule. Oklahoma City still has a ton of cap space to take into a new collective bargaining agreement. It still has more good young players than any team in the league, including two rising superstars in Durant and Westbrook, and is in as strong a position as anyone to make a blockbuster trade should the need arise. In the big picture, perhaps it says all you need to know that we’re all disappointed because the Thunder are “only” on course for 52 wins. They are still firmly on the track they established when Durant arrived four years ago. We’re the ones who went off the rails.”
A couple TrueHoop bloggers got together to talk about the best point guards in the West. Naturally, I took Russell Westbrook.
A big hearty welcome to Hoopdata who joins the TrueHoop Network.
Speaking of, Hoopdata had a nice piece on Russell Westbrook: “Looking beyond scoring to the rest of his game, Westbrook is dishing out 8.6 assists per game, 8th best in the NBA, and his Turnover Rate (turnovers per possession used) of 15.58 is below the league average of 16.03 and has declined steadily each of his three seasons in the league. Westbrook’s 8.4 Rebound Rate is also best among every point guard in the league, partly by design in the Thunder’s system, but no doubt due to Westbrook’s rangy athletic abilities and excellent pursuit skills as well.”
Zach Lowe of SI with an interesting point about OKC’s crunchtime against Memphis: “One other detail from that game: The Thunder played the entire stretch run with Durant as the nominal shooting guard in a big lineup. That’s both a sign that coach Scott Brooks wasn’t so worried about defending the Allen/Sam Young wing combination and perhaps a sign that the team’s confidence in James Harden still comes and goes.”
Sebastian Pruiti breaks down that “misdirection” play OKC loves to run with Russell Westbrook.
NBA.com debates who is less likely to win a title this year, Dallas or OKC: “For all of the youth and excitement that continues to buzz around the Thunder, their defense has taken a step back this season and they still turn into a team of jump-shooters down the stretch. The next step comes when they learn to get Kevin Durant the ball in scoring position near the basket late in games.”
Steve Aschburner of NBA.com on some of his favorite things about the NBA: “John Wall or Russell Westbrook with the ball: And a stopwatch, please, to figure out which one is faster. Kevin Durant with a hot hand: A clinic in butter, on satin sheets, ablaze. The fans in Oklahoma City standing till the Thunder score: So what if it’s rah-rah? It beats the jaded and the late-arrivers down low in other arenas’ bowls.”