Thursday Bolts – 4.7.16

Perk got to talking a little yesterday: “As a friend, I try not to talk to him too much about free

agency. I always try to just want to talk to him about things outside of basketball. We talk about personal life and stuff like that. And I know he’s getting this question every day on the hour and stuff like that, so I try not to bother him. But he did shoot some teams out there that he made me sign a confidentiality form that I couldn’t tell nobody. He’s got a few teams that he will be looking at.”

Darnell Mayberry: “With the Thunder widely considered a second tier team behind Golden State and San Antonio in the Western Conference, and OKC being a distant fourth among favorites to win this year’s championship, the idea of Durant’s future plans being tied to the Thunder’s postseason performance is an interesting one, if not a potentially frightening one if you’re a Thunder fan. Durant has never said what exactly he might be seeking when he is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. But he has repeatedly said that he loves playing in Oklahoma City. At this year’s All-Star Weekend in Toronto, Durant offered a general idea of what is important to him in an organization.”

The Hinkie letter if you haven’t seen it.

Anthony Slater: “In Detroit last week, with Durant sitting, Huestis hit an open 3, had a dunk and made a nice block on a Kentavious Caldwell-Pope drive. On Wednesday night, Huestis hit two fourth quarter 3s, shooting the Thunder back in the game. In his 42 career minutes, Huestis has made all four of his 3s. Down the stretch, though, he had a silly turnover, throwing the ball away after his sixth rebound. But he recovered. After the giveaway, Huestis rose up and emphatically blocked Mo Harkless’ dunk attempt. It drew a lively thumbs-down celebration from Ibaka, Durant and Westbrook from the sideline.”

Russ told Monty McCutchen he’s only got one daddy.

Berry Tramel: “We know the Thunder well. The Thunder’s season-long missteps — defensive inefficiency, turnover problems — isn’t commanded by the Warriors and the Spurs. That’s the Thunder’s own doing. I assume much the same is true of the Clippers, Grizzlies, Mavs and Rockets. Is it possible their weakened state has lifted Golden State and San Antonio to better records? If so, what does that mean for the playoffs? It’s actually good news for a team like the Thunder, which has a capable team but is chasing two teams making history. If that history-making is the least bit artificial, then the Thunder’s chances for an upset go up. It’s a chicken/egg argument. Is the West’s sleepy state caused by the greatness of the two top teams, or was the greatest of the two top teams caused by the sleepy state of the West?”