Tuesday Bolts – 1.13.14
Berry Tramel: “So when the playoffs arrive in 2015, they are likely to include upstart franchises with great presents but dubious recent pasts, with homecourt advantage over teams that have had struggling seasons for one reason or another, but have a great playoff pedigree. And playoff pedigree is more important in basketball than any other sport. I don’t know why that is. But is it is. If the Thunder can make the playoffs, they won’t have the stately Spurs or the battle-tested Clippers awaiting them in the first round. They will face a racehorse team, full of vigor and optimism, but one that is unproven in the playoffs.”
Jon Hamm for NewsOK.com on other Western moves: “The Clippers are also trying to shift parts around. They are operating under a hard salary cap of $80.8 million until June 30. After pawning little-used guard Jared Cunningham on the 76ers, the Clippers are nearly $1.7 million under the hard cap. The Clippers acquired Doc Rivers’ son, Austin, as part of the Jeff Green deal. That could free up the Clippers to deal guard Jamal Crawford for a defensive-minded wing player. Portland is another team to watch in the coming weeks. The Blazers are 28-8 and in second place in the West, but their bench is flaky. They are lean on salary commitments past this season and loaded with expiring contracts and first round picks to offer for upgrades. A reserve wing and big could make them quite formidable, if they can upgrade at those positions.”
Marc Stein has OKC 13th: “The Thunder need to go 32-13 from here if you believe it’ll take 50 wins to snag the No. 8 seed in this ridiculous West. I personally think it’ll take closer to 45, but OKC is still trying to process its first back-to-back L’s by 20-plus points (roadies in Golden State and Sacramento) since November 2008.”
Hollinger rankings have OKC 14th.
John Schuhmann of NBA.com has OKC 13th: “When you lead the league in usage rate and don’t shoot well, your team’s offense is going to suffer. Russell Westbrook has been in a slump and the Thunder have scored less than 90 points per 100 possessions in their last three games. Westbrook did shoot better on Friday and OKC escaped with a win against Utah, but catching Phoenix remains a challenge.”
James Herbert of CBSSports.com on Reggie Jackson: “Jackson’s in a tough spot. He’s a prideful guy who believes he’s a starting-caliber point guard. Thunder head coach Scott Brooks refuses to put him next to Russell Westbrook in the starting five. Sometimes, he looks like a potential star. Other times, he takes difficult shots and makes frustrating mistakes. He’s in a great situation in that he’s won a lot of games and played with superstars, but individually he might look significantly better in a different system. He and Oklahoma City couldn’t agree on a contract extension before the start of the season, and it’s unclear if the two sides will be able to get on the same page in the summer. The chatter will continue, and it’ll only be louder now because of Waiters’ presence. Jackson can’t do much about it.”
