Tuesday Bolts – 3.3.15
arnell Mayberry on Enes Kanter: “A staggering 21 of Kanter’s 30 made field goals with the Thunder have come from less than five feet, proving he’s providing the low-post scoring that was promised. He’s converted nearly 62 percent of his attempts from that distance and complemented that proficiency with a soft touch from 15 to 19 feet, where he’s made a highly respectable six out of 10 shots.”
Kevin Ding of Bleacher Report on Durant and Westbrook: “If Ibaka didn’t tear his calf muscle before facing the eventual champion Spurs in the six-game Western Conference Finals, it’s fair to wonder whether we’d ever forget how tearfully impassioned Durant was in that speech when thanking Westbrook. If Ibaka was healthy, we might now view this Durant-Westbrook partnership in a whole new light. Here’s the truth, though: Even without a ring on it, it’s a remarkable team they’ve made together.”
Interesting interview with Michele Roberts.
Scott Brooks was named Western Conference Coach of the Month.
James Herbert of CBSSports.com on Westbrook: “1) Holy macaroni, that’s a lot of Westbrook. And it’s working — the more he does for the Thunder, the better, as Haberstroh explains in the piece. This is particularly true while Kevin Durant is sidelined. Nobody can stop Westbrook, and — contrary to the narrative — he’s making his teammates better, elevating lineups that lack creators and shooters. 2) Let’s give Scott Brooks a tiny bit of credit for once. It’s totally fair to criticize his lack of creativity offensively, but the give-it-to-Westbrook-and-let-him-kill-everybody strategy is pretty effective.”
Tom Ziller of SB Nation on draft reform: “This is where the NBA can step in. And when I say “the NBA” in this instance, I mean the players and the franchisees. Would it kill the players and teams to each concede a half-percent of league income in order to build a true minor league? The league’s 0.5 percent of basketball-related income would subsidize team operations and ensure that there were 30 functioning D-League teams, each assigned to an NBA club. The players’ 0.5 percent would allow the next generation of NBA role players to stay in the United States and play basketball, helping to keep the sport professional in more areas of the country. The D-League can’t pay a minimum salary of $75,000 to $100,000 per season on its own. But the NBA and its players’ union can provide an ongoing subsidy to make the D-League a true minor league for the benefit of all parties.”
Neil Paine of 538 with power rankings: “The Oklahoma City Thunder climbed more in the rankings from last week than any other team, leaping from No. 13 to No. 6. The biggest reason? The expectation that Kevin Durant will return in some capacity this week, even if in reduced minutes, was worth 1.7 points per 100 possessions to OKC’s overall rating. The ripple effects of Durant’s return extend beyond his own increased minutes. Our playing-time projections also see Dion Waiters (whose extremely negative RPM falls below the replacement level) getting fewer minutes on the wing — a boon of 0.8 points/100 to the Thunder’s rating. More minutes may also go to plus-minus darling Andre Roberson,1 and fewer minutes will go to guard D.J. Augustin, an additional 0.6 point boost for OKC’s rating. The mix of very good and very poor players on the Thunder roster makes the team a great case study in how much effect playing-time reshuffling can have on a team’s overall talent rating.”
