Tuesday Bolts – 11.29.11

Henry Abbott of TrueHoop on the players’ paycheck situation: “Players will be reporting to work on December 9 instead of October 3. That’s almost ten weeks late. Five paychecks, or so, if you’re paid every two weeks. Out of an eight-month season, that hurts. If you or I missed five straight paychecks, we’d take our paycheck amount, multiply by five, and just deduct that from our annual income. There are so many ways, however, that you and I are not NBA players. Players may have missed roughly a quarter of this season’s paydays, but they won’t lose anything like a quarter of their NBA income. That’s because no matter how many weeks they’re on the job, this season they’ll get their promised 50-percent-or-so of the league’s basketball-related income.”

Chris Mannix of SI: “The Thunder understand that Russell Westbrook is probably a max or close to max contract guy and, I’m told, won’t hesitate to give him one.”

Russell Westbrook dunking in a suit in GQ. He also said this: “Sometimes I don’t think dunk. It happens so quickly, I don’t know what’s happened.”

Kevin Durant is on the cover of this month’s Eastbay.

TBJ has Russell Westbrook’s reaction to the lockout: “Reporter: Russell, are you excited that the players and owners were able to come to a deal in time to save the season? Russell Westbrook: Definitely, definitely. Reporter: Are you looking forward to playing again? RW: Definitely, definitely. Reporter: Do you think the fast-paced, shortened season will be beneficial for a young team like the Thunder? RW: Definitely, definitely.” If you weren’t aware, Westbrook says, “Definitely, definitely” a lot. Example.

Essential reading: Larry Coon’s CBA breakdown.

The Thunder are 5-1 odds of winning the title.

As Jeff Caplan of ESPN Dallas notes, OKC and Dallas will likely meet in the preseason: “The expectation is that teams will play two preseason games against one nearby opponent, one at home and one away. With the proximity of San Antonio and Houston, it would seem the Spurs and Rockets will hook up, which would then make perfect sense for the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder — separated by a three-hour stretch of I-35 — to become preseason partners.”

If you want to play fantasy basketball, here are your details: ESPN Private League: Daily Thunder, Password is “KD35.” Just 12 teams, so hustle.