Tuesday Bolts – 9.30.14
Kevin Durant on NBA race relations in a Q&A: “I don’t want to offend anybody at all, but as a GM you know what type of people you want. You know some guys may come from different backgrounds, and they might handle situations differently, but that’s not because of the color of their skin at all. Maybe it’s just because of how they were brought up. I think that’s maybe what might go into some of these things that GMs are thinking when they’re bringing in their teams, because culture is big. Core values are big. I don’t think that’s a conversation you should have about the color of a guy’s skin. I think it’s more getting to know the person no matter what. That’s what some of these GMs may want, is ‘How does this guy handle losing 10 in a row and not playing well?’ He may handle it differently than some guy who was brought up differently, you know what I’m saying? And that’s not a race thing at all. That’s an experience thing and a situation thing.”
Rodger Sherman of SB Nation investigates whether or not KD can palm a ball: “But those aren’t the balls used in NBA games. It’s completely plausible that the person doing a photoshoot of a high school-aged Durant gave him a pair of smaller balls so he could take a cool-looking picture. If Durant were coming into the league now, we’d be able to simply look at his draft combine measurements, but they weren’t measuring hands back in 2007, so we don’t have official stats on that. We do have his shoe size — 16! — and, uh, people do think feet and hand sizes are linked.”
Anthony Slater on Reggie Jackson: “In Oklahoma City, he’ll get a chance to compete against Paul, Irving and all others. He ultimately may even get to do it as a starter. Thunder coach Scott Brooks didn’t rule him out as a potential Thabo Sefolosha replacement at the shooting guard spot. But Jackson’s stated desires seem to go beyond a simple spot in the starting lineup. The legends he mentions and the current peers he compares himself to are all feature guys – superstars who take a majority of the shots and capture almost all the spotlight. In Thunderland, that’s a job already occupied by two.”
Berry Tramel on starting center: “If Perkins plays like he did as a Celtic, there’s no question. He’s the starter. But time marches on. It’s marching straight toward Steve Adams and away from Kendrick Perkins.”
David Aldridge of NBA.com: “But how much is continuity worth for an organization that has to manage Durant’s and Westbrook’s deals, as well as the $48 million deal for Ibaka, while putting capable role players around them? The Thunder have planned to go into the luxury tax in the next few years after resisting as long as it could. But with other young players like guards Jeremy Lamb and Andre Roberson, center Steven Adams and rookie Mitch McGary all on their rookie deals for at least a couple more years, OKC has a little bit of maneuverability.”
Dan Feldman of PBT on Scott Brooks’ claim: “This is not Brooks being asked a question then sticking with his guy. The statement was unprompted. This is a motivational technique. Who knows what Brooks actually believes? Heck, he might not even know what he thinks. Coaches don’t necessarily spend a lot of time ranking players by position. But Brooks has no incentive to give an accurate assessment of Westbrook and other point guards. Brooks has incentive to bring out the best in Westbrook. How does praising Westbrook accomplish that? Westbrook is already – perhaps too – confident in his own abilities. Maybe it’s as simple as Brooks building trust with Westbrook. Or maybe Brooks is banking on public disagreement to his comment.”
Jeff Caplan of NBA.com: “Westbrook also pulled out of Team USA to properly rest a right knee that had been operated on three times in the span of eight months and sidelined him for half of last season. Both players had as restful a summer as they’ve had in years. Ibaka is back at full strength from the calf injury that forced him out of the first two games of the West finals against the Spurs. There is a lot of optimism entering camp that OKC is equipped to get back to the NBA Finals.”
