Wednesday Bolts – 5.6.15
Berry Tramel: “Learning more and more about Donovan the last week, the flip really is the only alarm that’s sounding on his resume’. How could someone obviously so sharp be so flimsy with such a major decision? I mean, I understand buyer’s remorse. I understand pangs of doubt over something new. But you’ve got to deal with those before making the jump, don’t you? Turns out not necessarily. We now understand Donovan’s ties to Gainesville, Fla., go much deeper than just basketball, the way the Gator community has lamented his departure this time, which seems to have nothing do with hoops. But even moreso, I’m hard-pressed to pop Donovan over his 2007 U-turn considering it’s the same path taken by two of my all-time favorite people in sport.”
Presti on keeping Kanter and Kyle Singler: “Both players stand to be restricted free agents in their early-to-mid 20’s, and this, in combination with the pending TV money hitting the system in the future made it possible for us to pursue both aggressively in trade while still maintaining confidence that we could continue to build a team around our core in the coming years. Enes is someone we are committed to seeing in a Thunder uniform moving forward. With regards to Singler, finding a player in free agency that can shoot close to 40% from the three point line over the course of a season, embrace various roles, and stand as one of your more fundamental players at 6-9 is unlikely when over the cap and tax. Therefore, we are hopeful we will be able to keep working with him in the future.”
Also, Presti said Westbrook will represent the Thunder at the draft lottery.
Andrew Gilman of Fox Sports Southwest: “Westbrook, himself. And to Westbrook, he probably will take the fact that he was fourth, without a lone first-place vote, like a punch to the kidney. We can only hope. Angry Westbrook is the best kind of Westbrook, and coming up on a season which likely is the most-important, most-dynamic and carries more unknown than any other season in the franchise’s short history, a Westbrook with a grudge is the best thing the Thunder could hope for. Now, Westbrook isn’t the only one who has something to prove heading into October. So many within the organization, starting with general manager Sam Presti, have more pressure on them than at any other time since coming to Oklahoma City, but unlike Presti or Kevin Durant or any other Thunder player or person associated with the club, no one imagines a chip on the shoulder more than Westbrook.”
Here is Russell Westbrook dancing at a Chris Brown concert.
How other teams campaigned for their MVP candidates.
P.J. Carlesimo in ESPN Insider on Billy Donovan: “They’ll welcome him with open arms for all of the reasons you just said. This is a tremendously successful guy and a great person. It wouldn’t surprise me if he recruited Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook along the way in college. There’s a familiarity. He has a credibility that is extremely high, and the further we’ve gotten into it, that “college vs. pro coach” thing isn’t really there. I used to say “Jack Ramsay is a college guy. Chuck Daly is a college guy. Gregg Popovich is a college guy.” So don’t give me that now. Is there a learning curve? Sure there is. But it’s not going to take him long to understand everything. This isn’t brain surgery. It’s basketball.”
