Wednesday Bolts – 4.1.15
Eric Freeman of BDL: “The point here is not that Kevin Durant is hiding his true emotions under a veil of positivity, but that any one statement in a free-agent process must be taken in the context of all the others. As we learned with LeBron James last year (and then in 2010 before that), a free agent’s mind can change quickly and ultimately depend on factors that are not even well publicized until after he makes his decision. It’s fair to pay attention to everything Durant says — he’s a very important player heading into a virtually unprecedented situation — but it’s wrong to jump to conclusions. Nothing will be settled until KD signs his next contract.”
Andrew Gilman of Fox Sports Southwest on Westbrook an MVP: “The Thunder haven’t just lost Durant for the regular season, they’re down their best defensive player, too in Serge Ibaka. The Thunder also traded away sixth man Reggie Jackson and no one on the roster has played every game this season. That’s injuries to Nick Collison and Anthony Morrow. Injuries to Mitch McGary as well as new additions Enes Kanter and even Steve Novak. Nothing has been constant for the Thunder except for Westbrook. A lost season, by all accounts, is having the reigning MVP play just 27 games in a season where the Thunder should have been competing for the top seed in the West. A lost season is struggling for eighth when this team should have been talking title. But this season has not been lost because Westbrook has saved it. You’ve seen it. It’s not like you can look away.”
Jason Concepcion of Grantland on Enes Kanter: “As an aficionado of the NBA, I’m a fan of rivalries. And you can’t be a fan of rivalries without being a fan of all things beef — the delicious animosity that nurtures sports conflict. What’s notable about Kanter going off on his old team, city, and state is how rare this kind of thing is. Players move around all the time, often in unhappy circumstances, but they seldom set fire to the bridges they’ve just crossed. And there’s a simple reason for that: Players, as employees, do not own the bridges. That power imbalance results in a situation in which we (fairly) criticize players for not being magnanimous in moving on, while not even blinking when owners and management make similarly sniping comments.”
I wrote a long-ish thing about Russell Westbrook, the most interesting man in the NBA.
Tom Haberstroh of ESPN Insider on Big O versus Russ: “He wasn’t alone. Bill Russell averaged 45.2 minutes. Elgin Baylor averaged 44.4 minutes. Essentially one player on every team averaged over 40 minutes per game. And Robertson? He averaged 44.3 minutes. When framing Robertson’s numbers, that’s an important disinction as well. Westbrook this season has somehow packed in 28-9-7 in just 34 minutes per game. Now let’s see what happens to Westbrook’s numbers when we adjust for not just Robertson’s pace, but his minutes, too. Westbrook’s era-adjusted statline (warning: this might be NSFW): Try 46.9 points, 14.6 assists and 12.2 rebounds. That’s not a typo. Statistically, he’d approach 50-15-12 if we adjust for the pace and playing time.”
Kevin Durant posted a picture with a strong message.
Zach Lowe of Grantland scaring people: “Something will pop on the superstar trade market. It always does. The Thunder stand as a potential wild card over the next two years, though there is no indication at this point — repeat, no indication! — that they’d think about trading Russell Westbrook or Kevin Durant. But recent history suggests some superstar we’re not even thinking about today will become available for some unexpected reason. When that happens, Boston will be in position to strike. But it could take years.”
Kevin Durant will coach the Thunder against the Kings on April 10.
Anthony Slater on the importance of tonight’s game: “The Warriors locked up the West’s top seed last week. They are currently 10 games up on the closest competitor. But five teams remain in play for the second seed. Entering play on Tuesday, the Grizzlies held a half-game lead for that spot. But some inconsistent play (9-8 in March) has made them vulnerable. The Rockets are a half-game back. The Blazers, Clippers and Spurs are all within two games in the loss column. It’s a logjam that could conceivably spit out any of the five come mid-April. But that group all has one thing in common – they present a more appealing matchup for the Thunder than Golden State. So even if the team isn’t looking ahead, the goal is clear.”
