Wednesday Bolts – 11.5.14
Ben Golliver of SI.com on The Offseason: “Shortly after he completes the brief call with Krzyzewski, Durant finds himself seated in the back of a vehicle next to Kleiman, who offers a high-five and encouragement. “You made the right decision for yourself,” the agent says enthusiastically. “You probably feel like you have a big ass weight off your back.” It’s not yet clear whether Durant will find himself making a similar, regretful call to Thunder owner Clay Bennett or GM Sam Presti come 2016, but “The Offseason” delivers a forceful message: Kleiman and company will be there to keep Durant’s focus on the future, rather than Oklahoma City’s broken hearts, if it comes to that. Roc Nation is ready to spin.”
David Aldridge of NBA.com: “The San Antonio Spurs have set the standard when it comes to player development. OKC, though, exhibits the best practices of the defending champions, with Presti having cut his professional eyeteeth in San Antonio. Just as the Spurs continually add players to their rotation that come in and contribute, the Thunder expect their young players to take advantage of the opportunity they now have, and be better players when Durant and Westbrook return.”
Zach Lowe of Grantland: “Maybe Adams can develop a back-to-the-basket game. Ibaka is experimenting with 3-pointers outside the corners, and with more dribble drives. Jones’s emergence will open up more small-ball lineups when Durant returns. The Thunder’s defense is toying with a zone, and it’s still finding the right balance between aggressive help and a chaotic five-man convergence on the paint that leaves too many players open. This is a time for relearning the basics and discovering new stuff. This can still be the Thunder’s year if they get healthy in time. All the tools are here, and the returns from the Harden trade might finally pay dividends. The odds are just a little longer, the stakes are enormous, and the clock is ticking.”
Scott Brooks had some interesting comments pregame last night.
Berry Tramel on Reggie Jackson: “I like Jackson personally. He comes across as one of the more humane guys on the roster. The Thunder decision-makers profess to love him. Sam Presti has made few bones about the Thunder’s desire to re-sign Jackson, even in restricted free agency. But Jackson keeps coming across as a me-first guy. A player who seems to have his sights set on the NBA All-Star Game, not the NBA Finals. A player who asks what a team can do for him, not what he can do for his team. That’s not good when he’s a sixth man playing in the shadow of Kevin Durant and Westbrook. But when Jackson doesn’t even embrace the role of leading the squad in their stead? That’s a serious problem.”
Anthony Slater: “Through five games, Serge Ibaka’s amped-up 3-point shooting has become a huge talking point. And it’s warranted. With three more made 3s on Tuesday, Ibaka has already hit 10 this season. It’s November 4th. Last season, it took him until January 14th to nail that mark. But just because there’s been more emphasis on the outside shot doesn’t mean Ibaka has abandoned ole reliable — that deadly mid-range jumper of his. On Tuesday night — during a productive 25-point, 11-rebound double-double — Ibaka put on a spectacular shooting display. He went 11-of-14 overall, 3-of-6 from three and a PERFECT 6-of-6 on mid-range jumpers. This season, he’s now 19-of-26 on jumpers between 10 feet and the 3-point line. That’s an unbelievable 73 percent. Already one of the best shooting bigs in the game, Ibaka has come back improved this season. It should make a lethal pick-and-pop combo unfair when Durant and Westbrook return.”
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com: “It isn’t just scoring that’s missing, of course — it’s leadership, length, defense and versatility, all the things that had the Thunder poised to do battle with the Spurs, Clippers and the rest of the West’s elite. But after an offseason spent scheming to be a more potent offensive team, Brooks had to scrap all that and come up with new ways just to survive. There are new sets run specifically to put Jones in a position to take advantage of mismatches. Defensively, some zone has been mixed in with man to help manage foul trouble and fatigue.”
