Wednesday Bolts – 1.12.11
Rohan Cruyff looks at the clutchness of players: “It’s interesting that Russell Westbrook shows up on the scorer list and not the creator one. His assist numbers drop drastically in clutch situations, but he’s been remarkably efficient at scoring the ball. In fact, he ranks a step above his heralded teammate, Kevin Durant. Derrick Rose also appears on this list, but his inefficiency relative to the league’s elite scorers begins to emerge a little more.”
Figuring out the Western All-Star point guards after Chris Paul: “All three of them stack up pretty evenly, so it’s difficult to make a choice. Parker has rejuvenated himself and sparked the Spurs to the league’s best record. Russell Westbrook kept his team flying high even after Kevin Durant’s slow start this year. And Deron Williams is just playing MVP ball and keeping his Jazz in contention. For my money’s worth, Westbrook is probably the most deserving player, but I’d be surprised if Williams doesn’t get the spot, if only because he’s been left out of the game for so many years. (Thunder fans, don’t worry. Westbrook will have his turn.)”
ESPN.com fantasy person says buy low on Westbrook: “My man-crush on Westbrook is well-documented, so I’m not going to drone on in detail about why I love his fantasy game. Besides, after the monster numbers he put up during the first two months of the season, it’s pretty obvious why he can be a prolific fantasy option. But, alas, it’s a long NBA campaign and almost all young players have a statistical swoon at some point. Westy is no exception. His production in the past few weeks has been subpar for his breakout season. He’s posted double-digit dimes only twice since Dec.12; luckily, one of those was his latest game. Mostly, though, we’re feeling the decline in his field goal percentage, which he’d boosted to around 44 percent during the first couple of months. In four January games, he’s shooting 38 percent and bottomed out with an eight-point (3-11 FG), two-dime, six-turnover performance on New Year’s Day. He’s far too good to let this statistical dip last for long. This may be your only chance to land his massive potential at a reasonable price.”
Fox Sports Southwest: “So far, neither KD nor his young, talented mates have wilted under any added pressure. In fact, this year’s Thunder is several games ahead in the win column compared to where they were at this point one year ago. But he definitely realizes his team can no longer fly under the NBA radar like they did for much of last season.”
Howard Beck of the NYT with some smart words about the Melo trade.
Power rankings from SI.com: “You pick your poison when Kevin Durant has the ball, but opponents are increasingly, and wisely, deterring penetration and letting him shoot from the perimeter. According to Hoopdata, Durant is shooting a significantly better percentage on shots at the rim this year but is getting fewer chances, indicating a preponderance of transition layups rather than dribble-drives in the half-court. Meanwhile, he’s shooting more often and at a much lower percentage from three-point territory. He also has slightly fewer free throws per game and much fewer offensive rebounds, both signs of less time in the paint. Add in his less tenacious defense — unlike last season, the Thunder don’t play better D when he is on the court — and you see why the preseason MVP talk has cooled.”
CBS Sports power rankings: “Buyout buyers or sellers? Sellers. A candidate to go: Mo Peterson. There are some who still believe he has something to offer. Clearly, the Thunder aren’t among them.”
ESPN Awards Watch still has Russ in the running for MVP: “Kevin Durant has the gaudier stats, but Westbrook, who posted a triple-double five games ago against the Hawks, has been consistently good all season.”
