Thursday Bolts – 3.17.16
Chris Mannix of The Vertical: “The fight for Durant doesn’t formally begin until July, but
make no mistake: Teams are already gearing up. The coming spike in the salary cap has created a landscape for which nobody prepared. Golden State is considered a realistic option, San Antonio is lurking in the weeds, and it’s widely believed Boston will make its way onto Durant’s radar in the coming months. Indeed, a Bachelor-like courtship is set to commence. Yet it’s fair to wonder: Of all the options Durant will have in July, are any better than the one he has now?”
Anthony Slater: “Two games is too little of an NBA sample size to proclaim a turnaround. But the recent signs couldn’t be more positive for the previously slumping Thunder. In blowouts of the playoff-bound Blazers and Celtics, both Durant and Westbrook got their work done early, watched the bench keep things stabilized and got a relaxing and extended fourth quarter rest with the win in hand.”
Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com: “Forgive Celtics fans for fawning over a superstar talent. If Russell Westbrook were hitting the free-agent market this summer, they would probably have chanted his name too, given his wrecking-ball ways at times during Wednesday’s game (24 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals in just 26 minutes). But since Durant will be the biggest fish in the free-agent pond after the season, Celtics fans were simply doing their part to help convince him to at least listen to Boston’s sales pitch.”
My ESPN.com story from last night.
Anthony Slater on KD’s charity work: “Since his late teens, as Durant has grown, so has his adopted city. And his arrival is a major part of that. Durant’s national appeal has popularized the Oklahoma City brand across the globe, in the form of jerseys, apparel, highlights and commercials. And it’s attracted fans and media to a place they would’ve never visited.”
Albert Burneko of Deadspin: “Hot sports-media beefing action today, as ESPN used the occasion of tonight’s game between the Thunder and the hosting Boston Celtics to note, on SportsCenter and in an article by Chris Forsberg, that the Boston Celtics probably would like to have 27-year-old four-time scoring champ, five-time All-NBA first-teamer, and future Hall-of-Famer Kevin Durant on their team—but failed to credit The Ringer’s Bill Simmons for previously having also noted that the Celtics might like that, thus trespassing upon his proprietary ownership of the thought that a team with lots of money to spend might decide to pursue one of the best basketball players in the world.”
From Elias: “Kevin Durant registered 28 points, seven rebounds and nine assists and teammate Russell Westbrook chipped in with 24 points, five rebounds and five assists in Oklahoma City’s win over the Celtics in Boston on Wednesday night. That marked the 21st time that Durant and Westbrook each recorded at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists in the same game this season. That’s the most such games in a single season by a pair of teammates in NBA history, breaking the previous mark of 20 by Chicago’s Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen in 1991-92.”
