Monday Bolts – 6.1.15
Dan Le Batard of the Miami Herald: “The Heat seems to want Wade to opt into his contract for next season at $16 million, then become a free agent and leave their and his future blank-check open. This will give the Heat the flexibility it craves to make a run at a player like Kevin Durant. Pipe dream? Maybe. But that’s what Wade himself once told the Heat about his great friend LeBron James being in Miami. Miami wants to have the flexibility that gets Riley in a room with Durant.”
Dan Feldman of PBT on Cameron Payne: “Payne is a 6-foot-2 point guard from Murray State. He blends scoring and passing skills well, but he’s not a big threat to score in the paint through shots at the rim or free throws. Payne is built to run point in a pick-and-roll league, especially if his 3-point shot continues to develop. He should get drafted in the middle of the first round.”
Darnell Mayberry: “It’s natural to wonder how much longer the Thunder can wait before the best assistants get gobbled up. Several names have been reported as preferred Thunder candidates, prominent former head coaches such as Mike Brown and Mo Cheeks. Brian Keefe and Nate Tibbetts, two current assistants with Thunder ties, have been mentioned as possibilities as well. But the name that makes sense in many ways is Monty Williams, the recently-fired Pelicans coach who also is believed to be on the Thunder’s short list. Williams has the credentials that could be the exact stuff many say Donovan needs by his side in a lead assistant. Williams played in the NBA for nine seasons, his last coming during the 2002-03 season with Philadelphia. Though far from a star, Williams’ playing career gives him cachet and credibility with players that other coaches without his resume might not have. With his experience, he could better relate to the players.”
Some airport workers in New York stole some KDs.
Thabo Sefolosha in a Q&A with Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com: “I totally understand. I think it’s a fair question to ask, ‘Why were you out at 4 in the morning?’ I think I’m not a criminal for it. I’ve always been a professional guy when it comes to basketball, and I put it first. Of course, it’s my priority. So even when I do go out, I always think about the repercussions of anything I do could have on my teammates, on the team and on the NBA as a whole because we’re looked at as NBA players. What one does often reflects on the others. So I try to conduct myself in a professional way. But at the same time I don’t think it’s a crime to be out, you know, even at 4 in the morning. It’s something I can say I was OK doing due to the circumstances.”
Berry Tramel on rookie coaches in the Finals: “And now it’s guaranteed that for the 10th time in the last 60 years, an NBA championship will be won by a coach in his first year with the team. That sounds good in ThunderLand, which is hoping Donovan was the missing ingredient to the Kevin Durant/Russell Westbrook stew that seems good enough to win a blue ribbon. Is the Thunder poised to put Donovan in the club? Heck, is Golden State or Cleveland poised to do the same for Kerr or Blatt? What do new coaches need to win immediately? Let’s check. An already-great team helps. That’s what K.C. Jones found with the 1983-84 Celtics, and Pat Riley with the 1981-82 Lakers, and Bill Russell as player-coach with the 1967-68 Celtics. All but the Sharman Lakers had won titles with their cores, and that Laker team had come close multiple times.”
