Wednesday Bolts – 6.19.13
Chad Ford’s newest mock: “The Thunder are in win-now mode, but it’s unlikely whomever they draft here will be of much help next season. They have swung and missed a few times with big guys in the draft (Cole Aldrich and Byron Mullens) but could do it again for Adams. While he’s miles away from contributing offensively, defensively he already has the body and instincts to be a good rebounder and shot-blocker. With time, much more might come. Russia’s Sergey Karasev also is a strong possibility here.”
Matt Moore of CBSSports.com on last night’s incredible game: “You almost want to not write a word on it. It’s tempting to just let Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals exist in the ether, as a pantheon game for whatever any of us want. LeBron James’ career in a microcosm. The Spurs’ finally running out of bullets in their seemingly ever-loaded weapon. The heroic intensity of competition. The drama of sport, where triumph and tragedy meets luck and mental focus. But you have to try and capture these moments, to put them in context from a different lens than the human eye or the camera. You watched Game 6. You saw what you wanted: the rollercoaster of LeBron James’ life and career, the sad struggle of two legends in Manu Ginobili and Dwyane Wade in a mistake-laden game, the reason Miami signed Ray Allen, the reason the Spurs have moved away from Manu Ginobili, the best of Tim Duncan, the sad truth of Tim Duncan. But more than anything, you saw a great game.”
Trey Burke: “Derrick Rose,” he said, referring to the lengthy 6-foot-3, 190-pound Chicago Bulls star. “That’s so big of a challenge, even him coming off of injury. Watching him from school, from Memphis to the NBA … I think that’s a great challenge for me. “When I do play against a guy like Derrick Rose, I’m not going to back down. I’m going to give him everything I have. … Russell Westbrook (6-foot-3), the bigger guards that are explosive (the guards) people say I can’t play against.”
Perk was trying to sell his bulldog last night.
There’s a report that says Ben McLemore is slipping because he’s out of shape in workouts.
Darnell Mayberry on Jamal Franklin: “Jamaal Franklin isn’t great at anything on a basketball court. But he’s really good at a lot of things. The question is how much better could the San Diego State shooting guard become at just one or two of those things? That might be what the Thunder is asking as it evaluates Franklin as a potential selection in the upcoming NBA Draft. In the meantime, there’s something that might separate Franklin from much of the pack. It’s a trait that could get him on the floor while his game catches up. It’s his competitiveness.”
Brett Koremenos of Grantland on Victor Oladipo: “His offensive game is what really gives him a chance to be special. A relentless attacking player in the open floor, Oladipo’s strength and athleticism should allow him to thrive in an up-tempo system as a finisher on the break. But even in the half court, the Indiana guard shows promise attacking out of pick-and-rolls — especially in the middle of the floor where he can attack downhill like Houston’s James Harden. With some work on his mechanics, there’s a great chance Oladipo ends up a reliable shooter both off the bounce and spotting up on the perimeter. With great defensive potential and multiple ways to score in the half court, Oladipo is equipped with all the tools needed to be an elite, two-way force.”