Wednesday Bolts – 11.16.16
Erik Horne: “Four losses in a row doesn’t happen very often for the Thunder. In those four
losses, the Thunder has been in the metaphorical “dog box” early. It won’t get easier Wednesday against James Harden, arguably the league’s best player in this very early season. The Thunder has proven it’s up to the challenge of defending big-time scorers, but for how long? Last week, Andre Roberson had Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan in his defensive doghouse until picking up two fouls in the first quarter. It allowed DeRozan, the NBA’s leading scorer, to get hot for 11 points in the first en route to a 37-point game.”
Seth Rosenthal of SB Nation: “That is, more often than not, what this comes down to. Fans speculate, then that speculation gets laundered several times over, swaddled in search-engine-optimized keywords, and boom, you’re atop the Google search. If you’re lucky, a desperate or unscrupulous mainstream outlet will cite your disingenuously magnified fan fiction and send extra links your way on top of the Google traffic. Eventually the rumor takes on a life of its own, large and multiple enough that no one cares where it came from anymore. So what does this mean for you, NBA fan on the web? Well, first of all, don’t stop speculating. It really is fun, and it’s fun to read when other people do it, too. That said, I’d advise taking a moment to distinguish between imagining and reporting, and to follow rumors back to their original source. If a rumor sounds too rich to be true, it probably is. If you’ve never heard of that original source — even if the name sounds official! — give it a double check.”
Harden has been better than Westbrook so far this season.
Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com: “Harden and Westbrook have another thing in common — their displeasure with Durant. Westbrook is upset at the star forward for leaving without giving him a final chance to talk. Harden is irked Durant didn’t even give the Rockets a free-agent visit this summer; the organization was planning on such a meeting. So now without Howard and Durant, the Rockets and Thunder rely on these talented guards to carry their teams.”
Harden on how OKC’s different: “It’s Russ. It’s Russ and it’s a one man show.”
Brett Dawson: “There was a show on Tuesday, cameras clicking around Westbrook, his wife Nina and his brother Ray as they dished out dinner to some of the kids from the club and their families. But Westbrook has made a point to make appearances in quieter times, too, Sutter said — as quiet, at least, as a visit can be from an NBA star.”
Marc Stein of ESPN.com: “At least three NBA teams have stopped staying at Donald Trump-branded hotels this season in part to avoid any implied association with the new president-elect, according to league sources. Sources told ESPN.com that the Milwaukee Bucks, Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks have moved away from Trump hotels in New York City and Chicago, which bear Donald Trump’s name through a licensing agreement.”
