Tuesday Bolts – 9.29.15

Berry Tramel

: “Monday was a little strange. First time since the inaugural Thunder Media Day, back in 2008 at the Skirvin Hotel, that Scotty Brooks wasn’t first up on the podium. The roster underwent annual changes, but year after year, you had Foreman Scotty with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, Serge Ibaka and Collison. Those player staples remain. But a new coach, with seven players who weren’t here this time last year, gives this Thunder season a different feel. That’s why Donovan spent a chunk of his summer travelling the country, connecting with his charges individually. This isn’t the NFL. This is the NBA. As much as players have to get acclimated to a new coach, a new coach has to get acclimated to new players. Particularly the superstars. The Durant/Donovan relationship will be of paramount importance to the Thunder’s future, with Durant’s looming free agency next summer.”

Marc Stein’s first batch of power rankings: “There’s no getting around it: Kevin Durant’s uncertain future and the buzz it’ll generate figure to smother Billy Donovan’s debut season in the pros. Yet you can also rest assured OKC, if it relocates health to go with newfound depth, is going to make that No. 5-in-the-West peg from #ESPNForecast look foolish.”

KD is very ready for the season.

Hey, here’s the latest episode of Mr. Presti’s Neighborhood podcast, where they let some idiot on to talk to them.

Erik Horne: “When Durant left the interview room, he went through a circuit of photo and interview stations with that same support group. He multi-tasked between borrowing a photographer’s camera to snap pictures of teammates, and posing for selfies with Enes Kanter pulling him into the frame. But he also didn’t hesitate to turn on his big-brother voice when teammates were cutting up during one portion of the photographs. When he was handed a suggestion for a pose during a couple of photos, Durant wasn’t afraid to offer his own suggestions.”

Anthony Slater: “Then, of course, there’s the KD 2016 free agency situation hanging over this team like a storm cloud. The long-term view is murky. But it’s created a sense of desperation, a win now or risk never getting a better chance approach. The summer was long. Nearly two months longer than expected. Nick Collison called it a bummer. But he also called the team refreshed. It provided extra time for reflection and recovery.”

Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer:  “Was Jeremy Lamb a guy who never really got his chance in Oklahoma City? Or a guy who never did much to make the Thunder’s coaches play him? Probably some of both. It’s certainly true that being drafted (12th overall in 2012) onto a talent-rich team with championship aspirations was a mixed blessing. Lamb got to learn from some of the best, most driven competitors in the NBA. But he also got somewhat lost in Oklahoma City’s roster his first three NBA seasons.”

Jason Rubin of NumberFire:  “After what could be his last season with the Thunder, Durant will be one of the most coveted free agents in recent history, but the fact of the matter is that we do not know what Kevin Durant is capable of until the season starts. When he steps on to an NBA court for this first time this upcoming season, Durant must not merely approach his 2013-14 MVP numbers. Rather, he must eclipse them. Those may be lofty expectations, but that is the bar that has been set by the NBA’s elite — and by Durant himself.”

Clips Nation on the Thunder: “Oklahoma City will be judged by their playoff success, and it certainly won’t be easy sledding in the West. Their star players are good enough to compete with any team in the league, but the main concern is how reliable the supporting cast can be in the postseason. If the depth pans out, this could be a sixty-plus win team once again. In a worst-case scenario, they’d still certainly be better than the Clippers’ bench last year, but that’s not a high bar to clear.”