Wednesday Bolts – 2.17.16

Ken Berger of CBSSports.com: “The Thunder were focused on Rondo and Stanford center Brook

Lopez, who went 10th to the Nets. They took Westbrook fourth, pairing him with Durant to form a dynamic duo that eventually would advance to three out of four Western Conference Finals and an NBA Finals, while winning more games in a five-year span than every team in the NBA other than the Spurs. Now, here was Westbrook on Sunday night, smiling and raising his second straight All-Star MVP trophy overhead on the floor of the Air Canada Centre — with several of his high-flying dunks and emphatic 3-pointers coming on assists from Durant.”

Mikhail Prokhorov on what he’s learned: “Getting everyone pulling in the same direction, working toward a single goal is not easy. I’ve seen over these years that personalities can strongly affect results. There can be differences of vision and opinion, and everyone should be heard, but, once we have a strategy, we all need to work together to fulfill it and put our individual issues behind us. It also means we need to have the courage to say, “We’ll not go for that player because, as much as he’s talented, he doesn’t fit into the culture we are building.” It takes guts to say “no” as much as it does to say “yes.”

Berry Tramel: “All of which brings us to the current edition of the Thunder and its quite-impressive point differential of 8.6. The Thunder is averaging 110.2 points per 100 possessions (1.102 points per possession) and has averaged allowing 101.6 points per 100 possessions (1.016 points per possession). That’s a difference of 8.6 points per 100 possessions. That is outstanding. Not necessarily historic, but outstanding. In the last 10 years, only 10 teams have a better point differential than the Thunder’s current 8.6. The seven on the all-time list, plus the 2009-10 Magic (9.3), the 2011-12 Bulls (9.2) and the 2007-08 Pistons (8.7).”

So you don’t have to Google it today: Trade Machine.

Kevin Lynch of the SF Gate: “The Thunder has a forceful scoring threat at guard in Russell Westbrook, and we he gobbles up too much of the offense, the Thunder sputter. So why should we expect pairing Durant with Curry would be seamless? Additionally, even though Durant says and does the right things, the Thunder have underachieved with him. Remember, OKC once had a big three of Durant, Westbrook and James Hardin, although Harden wasn’t as good as he is now. Nevertheless, Durant plays a one-on-one type of game. Will that fit in with what the Warriors do?”

Erik Horne: “Keeping an expiring deal as opposed to taking on three- or four-year deals also gives the Thunder more financial flexibility headed into 2017. The impending free agency of Westbrook, Serge Ibaka and Steve Adams, along with the possibility of Durant going back into free agency at the conclusion of a 1-year deal, will call for the Thunder to have as much money to offer as possible in 2017-18. Even if they’re not on the Thunder by then, the contracts of an Augustin, Novak or Waiters may have more value today to OKC than the other 29 NBA teams.”