Tuesday Bolts – 2.23.16
Zach Lowe of ESPN.com on KD to the Warriors: “If he cares most about winning, Golden State is
probably the only place that inches him closer to a title than sticking with the Thunder — as long as Westbrook, a free agent in 2017, sticks around, too. The same old-school purists who mocked James for joining a super-team probably want Durant to stay true to what he has built in Oklahoma City, and seize the throne from Golden State. Whatever. The man can do what he wants, and only a few people on the planet know what that is today — if Durant even knows himself.”
Anthony Davis in an essay: “That’s why I was blessed, really blessed, to have Monty Williams as my coach. The type of person he is, he cared about me and every member of our team more as human beings than as basketball players. And Ingrid was the same way. They opened their hearts to me. They really became like another set of parents. Anything I needed, if I needed to talk, whatever, they were there. I can’t tell you what that meant to me.”
Anthony Slater looks at the Cavs game: “Remember the double-digit loss in Brooklyn when the struggling Nets put up 116 points? That was probably the Thunder’s worst performance to date. Or the 123 the Timberwolves threw up three days later on 55 percent shooting? OKC won. But that was probably the poorest defensive effort. Sunday, though? That 23-point Cavaliers demolishing? Forget the other 15 Thunder losses this season. That felt the most alarming. Thunder players, specifically Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, have maintained that an on/off defensive switch is there. Maybe they’d play lax against the Timberwolves or Suns in January, during the season’s doldrums. But when the competition cranked up and the stakes intensified, it went, they’d be ready. The All-Star break is over. The stretch run is here. LeBron James was in town on Sunday. An ABC audience was watching. And the Thunder laid an egg.”
Durant will hold an OKC fundraiser.
Kyrie Irving was sick on Sunday because he let the bed bugs bite.
Rob Mahoney of SI.com on Serge Ibaka: “Even more important than Ibaka’s gradual climb up the blocked shot leaderboard was his growing understanding of when to stay down. A rim protector trades on intimidation. To leave his feet, then, is to sacrifice a critical advantage. A defender this nimble can do so much more than swat away shot attempts if he keeps his wits about him. Ibaka has learned over time how to be influential over the course of a defensive possession without ever committing to a jump—even when flying around the court as a part of Oklahoma City’s frenetic defense under Brooks. Billy Donovan has dialed back the style of the Thunder’s coverage this season, playing to both the demands of the modern NBA and the growing discretion of his rim protector.”
A KD8 colorway was scrapped because it was too religious? Or just not ever intended for retail?
David Thorpe of ESPN.com in a 5-on-5 on which team faces the most risk: “It would be easy to discuss the Kings here, but I’m looking to OKC. The Thunder made a coaching change and added Enes Kanter, and by anyone’s measure they are playing very well. But keeping this core together seems to rest so much on the very small chance they have of winning the West. It’s hard to imagine Durant leaving the West champs. Otherwise, however, the Thunder are stuck on just one win in the NBA Finals (Game 1 vs. Miami, four years ago). And his departure could be what leads a larger exodus down the road a year or two.”
