Wednesday Bolts – 1.7.15
Zach Lowe of Grantland: “In that context, I’d bet on Waiters — especially since he’s on an affordable contract through next season, unlike Jackson. But let’s go easy suggesting Waiters can play the Harden role. Harden was, like, good at basketball on a regular basis coming off the bench for OKC. Great, even. Waiters has no track record of doing that over any prolonged stretch. In an ideal world, Waiters would provide just enough defense and shooting to be a poor man’s amalgam of Morrow and Roberson. But it’d be shocking if Waiters developed enough on defense to fulfill that ideal.”
Darnell Mayberry: “There are, of course, a few red flags, riddles that need to be answered before declaring Waiters an ideal fit. In many ways Waiters is redundant on the Thunder’s roster. Jackson brings what Waiters does best and Jackson does it better. Waiters also is a ball-dominant, shot-happy player who thrives on breaking down his man and getting to the basket or pulling up for jump shots. In other words, he’s an isolation-based player joining a team that for six-plus seasons has strived to restrain its reliance on isolations.”
How the Thunder turned patient planning into a talented player without giving up anything.
Rob Mahoney of SI.com: “He could be integrated slowly if the team sees fit, which might make sense given there’s no obvious opening for minutes. It also would allow Oklahoma City to establish that Waiters won’t play much unless he plays by their rules. That isn’t as oppressive as it might sound. The Thunder offense, after all, is predicated on the idea of operational freedom. Westbrook and Jackson have room to operate and attack in ways that other guards don’t, provided that they play hard and commit to team principles. Waiters could find the same. Attempting to mold Waiters into something he’s not (an idea Cleveland toyed with in making him more of a spot-up type) mutes what he does best. He needs room to operate and the opportunity to make mistakes. He also needs guidance, and Brooks has proven effective in steering guards of just this type.”
On Reggie Jackson, money and numbers.
Anthony Slater: “Waiters has gone through both on and off court issues over his first three seasons in Cleveland. On it, he’s been a high-volume shooter, an occasionally unwilling passer and a lackluster defender, drawing steady local and national criticism. Off of it, he reportedly battled with Kyrie Irving over shot selection and team control – with rumors flying last year that the two got into a physical altercation – and has been highly vocal about his desire to start. Much like Reggie Jackson, though, that’s unlikely to happen in OKC. But the Thunder is confident – or at least hopeful – Waiters will come in with a refreshed mindset and a change of scenery will reinvigorate his career. And that’s why publicly, when given the floor, Kevin Durant and others went to bat for Waiters when first asked about the move. They know the issues he’s had. And they believe acceptance will help solve some of them.”
NBA.com ranked Russell Westbrook No. 2 in point guards: “So who’s Batman, and who’s Robin on OKC? Westbrook doesn’t technically qualify among NBA stats leaders due to the games he missed earlier this season, but his totals in 21 appearances almost seem superhuman. 27 points, seven assists and six rebounds per night? That’s all in just 31 minutes per game. The Thunder looked lost without Westbrook and Kevin Durant, but with Durant gone and Westbrook playing, Oklahoma City still looked like a playoff team. If healthy for the rest of the season, Russ could easily land in the MVP discussion.”
