Wednesday Bolts: 6.7.17

The Columbus Dispatch on why Ohio State should go all-in on hiring Billy Donovan: “Prying Donovan from the NBA would be costly. He signed a five-year, $30 million contract with Oklahoma City in 2015. Could Ohio State afford to pay its basketball coach $6 million a season? Of course. The university pays its football coach that much. Would the Buckeyes shell out that much, when Matta only made about $3.5 million? That depends on how seriously the school wants the basketball program to regain the form and status it enjoyed during the bulk of Matta’s 13-season tenure.”

Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders has OKC taking OSU’s Jawun Evans at 21 in the NBA Draft: Taking Evans at 21 may be a bit of a stretch, but he’s the best point guard available in Kyler’s scenario. Many mocks still have the Thunder looking elsewhere, but it’s an interesting idea for a team in need of a reliable backup PG. (Draft Express Profile)

CBS Sports has OKC taking Duke’s Luke Kennard in their latest mock: “Oklahoma City shot a league-low 32.7 percent from 3-point range this season, which is obviously something Kennard could help improve. The 6-6 guard was among college basketball’s biggest breakout stars this season while averaging 19.5 points and shooting 43.8 percent from 3-point range for Duke. Russell Westbrook’s ability to draw defenders would lead to open looks for Kennard. And the numbers suggest open looks for Kennard tend to lead to easy points.”

Bleacher Report on why OKC won’t re-sign Andre Roberson: “Roberson’s jumper is broken, but there are some peaks to his canyons, and few wings have the physical faculties to match up with point guards. Rebuilding units can cough up deals worth $16, $18 or even $20 million per year with a straight face. Brooklyn, Philadelphia and Phoenix all have the cash and loose timelines to bankroll that gamble. Boston can even get involved if it’s worried about Avery Bradley grabbing more money when he reaches free agency in 2018.”

Enes Kanter discusses his father with Outside The Lines:

Howard Beck on the Superteam Era being here to stay: “Indeed, it’s become routine to see the NBA’s greatest players actively pursue the chance to join other stars, form superteams and chase championships—all without concern for the dumpster fire raging in their Twitter mentions. Though Durant says he did not consider James’ precedent, he readily admits, “He paved the way.” This is the new normal, for better or worse.”

Shea Serrano on LeBron remaining King, win or lose: “So pick your side. It can’t be both things at the same time. It has to be one or the other. You’re either grading on a weighted scale or a binary scale, both of which end up as a net zero for LeBron. Win or lose, he’s in the exact same spot in the conversation. Because LeBron James is the most important person in the Finals. And nothing about these Finals matters to the way we understand him.”

Rob Mahoney on the brilliance of Ron Adams: “Investing in others and what they’re capable of is what drives Adams. And there’s a kind of full circle appeal this season in particular. Adams was an assistant in Oklahoma City during Kevin Durant’s early years in the league. When Durant was introduced for the first time as a Warrior last summer, he was asked about reuniting with Adams after all these years. Without missing a beat, Durant said: “Ron Adams is the only reason why I came. Simple as that.”

Hunter Sharf of Forbes on why the Warriors succeed by avoiding one-and-done players: “While the Warriors are undoubtedly talented, perhaps the answer to their success goes much further back and is rooted in the draft strategy used to construct this Golden State team. When looking at the Warriors core players – Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green – it is unlikely a coincidence that the three players Golden State drafted (everyone but Durant, who signed with the team as a free agent in the 2016 offseason) all spent significant time in college.”

Game 3 of the NBA Finals is tonight. Cleveland intends to change….nothing: “LeBron James isn’t changing his game, Tyronn Lue isn’t changing his lineup. The Cavaliers aren’t slowing down. Defiant — and some might argue delusional — in the face of a 2-0 deficit to the postseason-perfect Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals, the defending champions are sticking with their plan.”