Wednesday Bolts – 6.9.10

Fran Blinebury of NBA.com lists his top 25 free agents: “10. David Lee: Lee tried to cash in for a big payday last summer, but a tumbling economy and the fact that the Knicks held a right of first refusal forced him to sign a one-year deal to become an unrestricted free agent this time around. Unless they can do some creative accounting gymnastics, the Knicks will have to let Lee go if they succeed in their bid to sign two big name free agents. A 20-11 big man with high energy, there are places — Oklahoma City, Houston — where he would be a welcome addition to the lineup.”

The Thunder’s broadcast team was nominated for two regional Emmy Awards. From the release: “The team’s Dec. 22, 2009 game broadcast of the Thunder vs. Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center in LA, received a nomination for best live coverage for sports/event. The game was broadcast live on FOX Sports Oklahoma, reaching over 1.7 million households throughout Oklahoma, Kansas and Missouri. The team’s weekly magazine television show “Air Thunder,” presented by INTEGRIS Health, was nominated for best sports program series.”

This guy, Ian Karmel, won some Portland Amateur Comedy Contest. In his video he plays… someone. I found it pretty amusing. Just watch:

Dime has an All-Los Angeles team and Russell Westbrook is the starting point guard.

Just another story as to how the Thunder have helped downtown: “Plus, the Oklahoma City Thunder have also had a tremendous impact on downtown hotels thanks to the high number of out-of-town fans that stay overnight for games and the visiting players, coaches and media that typically stay at least one night in the city.”

The deadCENTER film festival that will be in OKC looks pretty neat. Spike Jonze will be there. Spike!

Darnell Mayberry with some thoughts from Game 3: “Let me just throw this out there so Thunder fans can perhaps get a clearer understanding of what you all are witnessing right here in Oklahoma City. Kevin Durant, by all accounts, had more than his share of struggles against Ron Artest and the Lakers in the first round. But chew on this. In his first three games in the Finals against Artest and the Lakers, 2008 Finals MVP Paul Pierce is now averaging 16.3 points on 36.1 percent shooting along with five rebounds and 3.3 assists. Durant, 11 years younger than Pierce and a first-timer in the postseason, averaged 28.3 points on 36.4 percent shooting with 11 rebounds and 2.3 assists through the Thunder’s first three games against L.A. Anyone who still thinks Durant isn’t clutch or shouldn’t be OKC’s go-to guy or feels KD simply never can be the man should sit and allow those numbers to stew. The guy is special, and soon enough he’ll figure out how to rise to the occasion on the grandest stage.”

I think Howard Beck summed up last night’s events better than anyone: “This just in: Strasburg struck out Ray Allen.”