Thursday Bolts – 6.4.15

Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel: “First, one of Durant’s associates in South Florida has been telling me for months that if Durant leaves the Thunder it would be to return home to Washington. Your secondary point might be more valid, about a player wanting out of the Western Conference grinder. Look, if Anthony Davis continues to rise with the Pelicans, and if the Suns and Jazz maximize their lottery picks, the West only will get tougher. I’m not much of a handicapper, but American Pharaoh already is two-thirds of the way there. I don’t think Pat Riley’s master plan is anywhere as close to the finish line. There simply are waaaay too many variables over the next 13 months.”

Billy Donovan in Tom Haberstroh’s piece on Rick Pitino revolutionizing 3-pointers: “I think he actually told us to shoot 35 a game. That was totally against conventional wisdom. Coaches were really opposed to the rule and opposed to adjusting their offense to the 3-point line. You had guys who were coaching 25 and 30 years who were used to a certain way, and they had to reevaluate things philosophically.”

Kendrick Perkins to NewsOK: “Plenty of teams called, Perkins said. But a pairing with the Cavaliers fit perfectly. The team needed an enforcer. LeBron wanted an on-court bodyguard. Perkins was in search of another ring. A deal was struck. A few months later, the plan has materialized. Perkins is in the Bay Area this week, preparing for his fourth NBA Finals appearance. His 16 career Finals starts are 16 more than everyone on the Warriors roster combined. And since his arrival, Perk’s teammates have continually praised that experience and resulting knowledge.”

Here’s why Monty Williams makes a lot of sense with the Thunder.

Marc Stein of ESPN.com: “New Magic coach Scott Skiles announced earlier this week that Borrego can stay in Orlando if he chooses as an assistant on Skiles’ staff. But one source said Wednesday that the young coach, who rose to prominence after his time in the San Antonio Spurs organization under the tutelage of Gregg Popovich, also has drawn interest from the New Orleans Pelicans to join the staff of incoming coach Alvin Gentry.”

Stuff to know about the Finals.

Ken Berger of CBSSports.com: “On the heels of a six-game, nine-day road trip, players were reporting that they were starting to feel worn down. Golden State’s director of athletic performance, Keke Lyles, has players fill out a questionnaire every morning to measure soreness, fatigue, sleep quality and other factors that are so important to recovery and injury prevention. In addition to the red flags on the players’ questionnaires, the data Lyles had been collecting all season – using the NBA’s SportVu cameras in games and wearable technology from Catapult Sports in practice – confirmed his fears.”