Thursday Bolts – 5.27.10
AIR CONGO is officially available online now. Hurry up, or I’m going to buy every single one of them, make a fake Ebay account and jack prices on them.
A draft profile of Tulsa guard Ben Uzoh on Knicks.com. And who are they using as an example for Uzoh? Well have a read: “Two years ago, an unpolished yet ultra-athletic young guard named Russell Westbrook skyrocketed up the draft charts as scouts fell in the love with his raw talent and potential. While he may not go as high as fourth overall like Westbrook did, Ben Uzoh is beginning to show the same flashes that wowed NBA minds two years ago.” I love that OKC’s players are now some of the go-to comparisons for people.
Scott Brooks will serve as the keynote at the annual Iba Awards. He joins a pretty prestigious list: “Brooks will join a distinguished list of Iba Awards speakers. Past speakers are Mike Krzyzewski, Lou Holtz, Dick Vitale, Tommy Lasorda, Bill Bradley, Tom Osborne, Paul Tagliabue, Rick Reilly, Tubby Smith, Roy Williams, Tim Brando, Steve Rushin, Archie Manning, J.C. Watts, Bill Self and Jeff Capel.”
Probably the most expensive Kevin Durant card on the market. At least you’ve got to think so. (h/t Johnny)
Another take on Scott Brooks: “Since the late 1980s there has been a trend in the NBA that Coach of the Year winners don’t have much time left with their teams. A bad season, health reasons, tension with players or management – something happens and the coach is gone. And this trend has only gotten worse. Coaches use to have a few years before they resigned or were fired. Now they’re fired the next season. Soon teams will not be able to even wait a year before firing the coaches. In fact not only will Scott Brooks be fired, but he’ll probably lose his job before the 2010-2011 season even begins.” I think before next season is a bit premature, no?
What the Thunder’s draft hat will look like. Obviously the question is, who will be wearing one?
Chad Ford’s 3.0 mock has OKC taking Craig Brackins at 26: “Brackins would be a good pick for the Thunder. He’s a high-character guy who can score inside and outside and will play hard. Right now, Nenad Krstic is the only guy who can really get it done in the post. Brackins could be a nice long-term fit.”
Dime had a Q&A with supertrainer Joe Abunassar: “I think we get our share of athletic players each year, but you are right that this year’s group is above average. It depends, but guys like Bradley, Robinson, Craig Brackins and James Anderson are studs, and it has been a treat to train those guys. When you get guys who are already such good athletes, it is always a great experience.”
