Wednesday Bolts – 3.2.16
Berry Tramel: “In 2008, Phoenix won 55 games but lost to San Antonio in the first round.
And the band was breaking up. In 2009, Phoenix went 46-36 and missed the playoffs. Stoudemire started having injury problems. Grant Hill and Shaquille O’Neal were brought in, both old relics. Diaw and Bell were traded away. Nash grew old. Stoudemire demanded a trade. That collection of young gazelles was gone. Phoenix was great for awhile, but it didn’t last, and now the Suns are mired in mediocrity. So much so that the owner writes a letter to fans, telling them to hang in there. Enjoy the Thunder ride while it’s moving. It won’t last forever.”
Sam Amick of USA Today on the Clippers: “Maybe the Clippers’ infamous #family tweet (which was later deleted) wasn’t just a messy public relations move after all. And say what you will about the hashtag heard ‘round the basketball world, that Feb. 18 message from the team’s official account that featured a picture of Griffin and Matias Testi low-fiving on the team’s bench, but the players themselves say it’s the familial approach that helped with the healing process. Conflict is an inevitability in all circles, let alone in the macho realm of male professional sports. But Griffin’s fit of rage was different because it came against one of their own, a young man in Matias Testi who is as much a member of this Clippers club as Griffin himself. Yet from coach Doc Rivers on down, they say the matter that could have done so much more damage is truly in the past.”
DeMarcus Cousins on Steven Adams: “You could say I know what to expect, especially from him.”
Zach Lowe of ESPN.com with a great nugget: “I love when forgotten contract bonuses suddenly take on an outsized impact. One of the best current examples: Jeff Green snags an extra $250,000 if his team wins at least 54 games. The Grizz weren’t going to sniff that number, but Green’s new team in the Clippers is on pace for exactly 54 wins — and already stands far above the tax line. Having Green’s bonus kick in would cost the Clips an extra $625,000 on top of Green’s check, and the damage gets worse if L.A. ratchets up to 56 wins ($450,000 bonus) or even 58 ($700,000). Owner Steve Ballmer probably doesn’t even know these bonuses exist, but they’re still funny.”
Anthony Slater: “And Payne also seems a victim of team-wide defensive struggles. At this point of their careers, Foye is a more knowledgeable, sturdier defender. The coaching staff has been searching for any kind of defensive upgrade. Enter: Foye for Payne. It’s a swap that may temporarily stitch together some short-term improvement, but could also stunt important long-term growth. Foye is a two-month rental on the back-side of his career. Payne is one of the Thunder’s future building blocks, a 21-year-old skilled lottery pick on a team without its first-round selection two out of the next three drafts.”
It’s not working out that well with Fred Hoiberg in Chicago.
I love the unrelenting optimism of KD2DC.
Chris Broussard of ESPN.com has KD third in player power rankings: “Somehow people are sleeping on one of the greatest, most unstoppable scorers in NBA history. People are calling him “Robin” or No. 2 to his running mate (see No. 4), not recognizing that he’s still the top dog in OKC. He’s once again shooting better than 50 percent and grabbing a career-high 8.1 boards, numbers that should wake up the doubters.”