Tuesday Bolts – 10.14.14
Bethlehem Shoals for GQ doing what he does best, writing about Russ: “That’s why, without Durant, the Thunder might be even more fascinating to watch on a night-by-night basis. The team is often accused of having no real structure, of relying almost exclusively on Durant’s steady output and Westbrook’s streakier outbursts. Remove KD from the equation and you’re left with either a squad forced into a more balanced attack—something Westbrook certainly has the skill set to facilitate—and a Russ-dominated dystopia, which is what everyone is secretly rooting for. Watching Westbrook go off is a ride unlike anything in sports. Plenty of athletes can take over their sport, but few can swallow it up and spit it out like Westbrook. He doesn’t so much dominate as blot out everything in the world that’s not Russell Westbrook. He’s all you see and all you want to see. The surge of emotion that comes with Westbrook at his best is enough to power a small nation-state. It’s somewhere between falling in love and dying, if you only fell in love once and died at least once a day.”
Jeff Caplan of NBA.com: “Mavs fans remember up-and-coming guard Rodrigue Beaubois, who fractured the same bone while working out with the French national team several summers ago. Beaubois underwent surgery and was on the comeback trail, but he re-fractured the bone during a workout as his return date neared and missed another significant chunk of time. ‘He was one of the few percentages that did not heal fully and re-broke,’ Souryal said. The fact that basketball players are constantly running and jumping, the factors that likely led to Durant’s injury in the first place, means there is always a risk of re-injury. However, most athletes returning from the fracture, Souryal said, do not experience a setback.”
Rob Mahoney of SI.com: “Losing either Durant or Westbrook, then, leaves OKC at a disadvantage. The offense that Scott Brooks employs is bland in its designs, given a jolt by how difficult it is to defend either star. Things really crackle whenever Durant and Westbrook work in tandem. Every pick-and-roll between them all but forces a defensive breakdown, given that opponents have to make instant reads and responses to a spatial puzzle involving two of the best offensive players in the league. That avenue is obviously off the table now that Durant is sidelined. Similarly, all of those plays in which Durant bailed out a stagnant set or distracted opposing defenders to allow a Westbrook score could go a different way. Everything is complicated by the absence of a player this integral, even more so than was the case in Westbrook’s injury-spurred absence.”
Russell Westbrook, here’s a meme.
The fantasy fallout of KD’s injury.
Zach Lowe of Grantland: “Here’s a stat that has gotten a bit less play in the mania over the Westbrook takeover: Westbrook logged a hefty 280 minutes without Durant in the 2012-13 season, and the Thunder were monstrously good in those minutes. They destroyed the league on both ends of the floor, outscoring opponents by nearly 9.5 points per 100 possessions — a margin that would rank first or second overall in most seasons. Most of those lineups featured Westbrook, Kevin Martin, Thabo Sefolosha, and two big men. That is the template to which Brooks can look now, and those numbers, even in that small 280-minute sample, are encouraging. Brooks could start Jackson as a sort of co–point guard for Westbrook, who is big enough to defend most shooting guards. The Thunder could slot a defensive-minded player, either Roberson or Jones, into Durant’s small forward spot alongside the Jackson-Westbrook duo.”
Lil’ B is gloating about Durant’s injury. Lil’ B is a real douche.
Matt Moore of CBSSports.com: “One thing that should be noted in any discussion of increased scoring for Westbrook. For as much as Westbrook is criticized for his tunnel vision in attacking instead of getting the ball to Durant in key situations, he never plays as if this is a conscious decision either way. His game brings more of a sense of single-minded competitive focus than individual consideration of his shot attempts. He plays instinctively. It is that separates him from J.R. Smith. Also, Westbrook is much better.”
Andrew Gilman of Fox Sports: “A lot of that will rest with Westbrook, who said his role with the team hasn’t changed and won’t change, but Westbrook is wrong about that. He’s Matt Saracen, QB 1, taking over after the team’s star goes down with an injury. Westbrook’s role is new, a leader for the first time and Brooks has to manage and massage that, too. Staying together like Westbrook said will only happen if Westbrook makes it so. As for Ibaka: Since James Harden has left, the Thunder have been desperate to find a No. 3, consistent, offensive performer. Ibaka has to be that person now. No choice. And Lamb? His easy going manner, a walk, don’t run kind of personality is quirky and fun, but is it the kind of personality suitable for a player who will undoubtedly get thrown into the rotation? Same goes for Perry Jones, a starter for six games a season ago, Jones seems a natural fit to replace Durant.”
