Thursday Bolts – 3.31.16

Andrew Sharp of SI.com on KD conspiracies: “There have been so many smart people

who’ve mentioned the one-year OKC deal as though it’s a foregone conclusion. They don’t just predict that outcome, but they imply that anyone paying close attention to the numbers would see it’s clearly the best option. Is it, really? Compare the salaries of Durant signing a four-year deal somewhere else vs. a one-year deal in Oklahoma City and a five-year deal in Oklahoma City, and sure, you can make it look like this is something like a $75 million decision. But this assumes Durant would sign a four-year deal with a new team. It’s probably more likely that he’ll sign a one-year deal wherever he goes, giving him another crack at a deal once he becomes a 10-year player who can sign for 35% of the cap. Even then, he may go one-year again so that he can secure early Bird Rights from his new team before signing long-term. If he does that—and the new CBA remains favorable to superstars—the difference between OKC’s salary and that of a new team would likely be mitigated over time.”

Erik Horne on KD’s playmaking: “Durant’s assist ratio, or assists per 100 of his own possessions, is 16.4 this season, higher than his 2013-14 MVP season (16.1). That season, Durant played nearly three more minutes per game. He also missed only one game and played with Westbrook in just 45. Even with Westbrook averaging a career-best in assists per game, Durant’s doing more to set up teammates with less time on the court. It’s been happening all season.”

Kevin Durant took his turn at burning Reggie Jackson.

Dan Devine of BDL: “Hard to argue with that. Jackson’s now the unquestioned starting point guard in Detroit, with an $80 million contract, star-level scoring and playmaking numbers, and all the touches he can handle. He’s got the full confidence and backing of head coach and team president Stan Van Gundy — even if it doesn’t always look that way — and a chance to lead a team of his own into the postseason for the first time in his career. No wonder he’s dancing.”

Michael Pina of Fox Sports on OKC as a terrifying three-seed: “This year’s team is the culmination of all the on-court misfortune to befall the organization since it moved to Oklahoma. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are two of the five best basketball players in the galaxy. Typically, that more than meets the requirement to run the table and win it all. The NBA is forever driven by superstar talent, and the Thunder have plenty. But, just its luck, instead of stomping through the regular season as a deserved favorite, historical campaigns by the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs have rendered OKC an underdog. It’s unthinkable and true.”