Thursday Bolts – 6.16.16

Anthony Slater on Cam Payne: “Donovan went back to Foye over Payne late in Game 4

against San Antonio and the veteran delivered some steady minutes. So Payne served the rest of the playoffs as a delighted spectator, dancing on the sidelines while soaking up the experience. Things could’ve gone better for Payne in Year 1. But they could’ve gone a lot worse. The 21-year-old flashed some on-court promise, meshed well within the locker room, especially with Russell Westbrook, and had a backstage pass to a place, deep into the postseason, most rookies don’t get.”

Erik Horne: “Wearing a Thunder blue Steven Adams jersey, Graham Hoete crouched down with a can of spray paint in each hand. He handed one to a 7-year-old Piedmont boy and his 5-year-old brother, then posed in front of his masterpiece. As the sun bore down on hundreds of Thunder fans on Sheridan Avenue, Hoete granted their every photo request. Smiles. Thumbs up. Serious faces with sunglasses. Arms crossed. You couldn’t tell the New Zealander was running on about six hours of sleep in three days. A small sacrifice for such a large endeavor. The 37-year-old Kiwi invited Oklahomans to The Paramount in downtown Oklahoma City to see his finished work — a massive spray-painted mural of Adams that’ll loom over the Film Row district for years to come.”

Guess who Brandon Ingram models his game after.

Fred Katz of the Norman Transcript: “OKC paid the tax this past season. But if it retained its elemental pieces, it would go over the tax line again next year. And, of course, in 2017-18. That’s three years. And it would lead to a tax bill that could rival Mark Zuckerberg’s. So, do the Thunder let someone or multiple ones walk this and/or next summer? Do they deal off at least one of their rotation guys before it’s too late? Or are we about to see a change in organizational philosophy? Those are the only options. Don’t be surprised when one of them materializes.”

Kevin Pelton of ESPN Insider on if the Finals end tonight: “I think the line favoring Cleveland is an overreaction to what happened in Game 5, when the line overvalued the Warriors without Draymond Green. I’d make Golden State a slight favorite under the assumption that Bogut’s injury will mean heavy minutes for the Death Lineup, which has been generally good for the Warriors in this series.”

Jesse Washington of The Undefeated on top trash talkers: “Jordan is The Greatest, but Kevin Garnett is The Illest. He (allegedly) talked about Tim Duncan’s dead moms. He (supposedly) told New York Knicks’ Carmelo Anthony that his wife, LaLa, tasted like Honey Nut Cheerios. What’s undeniable is that an aged, broken-down KG talked garbage (hell nah, “trash-a– n—–”) while sitting behind the bench in street clothes. That’s true dedication to the craft of trash.”