Tuesday Bolts – 6.16.15
Tom Haberstroh of ESPN.com with a fascinating piece: “The star of the Finals so far is the player charged with guarding James: the Warriors’ Andre Iguodala. At a time of year when almost every player appears to be conserving energy, Iggy races the floor with abandon, relishing physical confrontations, like the chance to elevate and hammer-dunk over someone on the fast break. He’s also a player steeped in sports science, who has banned screens from his bedroom and wears a sleep monitor that feeds data to a laptop. His coach, Steve Kerr, deliberately benched Iguodala for games at a time during the season specifically so he’d have fresh legs at the end of the season. Part of the reason Kerr brought him off the bench was because the schedule demanded it.”
Darnell Mayberry on Myles Turner: “He needs to get stronger to hold his spot better in the paint. He must improve his lateral quickness and awareness so that he won’t be a liability when defending the pick and roll. And he’s got to develop a better post game, including his passing from the low block, to truly take advantage of his size and length. But with his worker’s mentality and business-like demeanor, Turner might have the makeup to tap into his potential and transform into a terrific big man.”
KD is motivated for next season.
Phillip Rossman-Reich of Hardwood Paroxysm on Billy Donovan and Westbrook: “As exciting as it was to watch, no one is going to want that kind of play full time. Not even Donovan. It’s a dangerously large load for Westbrook to shoulder and, while the efficiency was passable in their time of need, rebalancing their offense between Westbrook and Durant should pay bigger dividends. Donovan’s main focus will be in getting a commitment to defense again and using that to create offense. If he gets that commitment it will be easier to give Westbrook the latitude to play the way he did, reincorporating Durant this time. Donovan is smart and has a wealth of experience trying to integrate this style of play from a point guard. The difference now is how much more he has to work with, all the pieces the Thunder already have. It is an embarrassment of riches to have Westbrook, Durant and Ibaka. Donovan chose his war chest, and he chose wisely.”
D.C. sports fans are getting a taste of their own medicine.
Jay Bilas on Kelly Oubre: “Size, superior length and athleticism at the wing. Can be an excellent and versatile defender. Athletic and quick, can get to the rim off the dribble. Lefty with a good midrange shot, but inconsistent shooting the ball. Improved toughness and defense throughout the season. Showed a willingness to do the hard things, and do them well.”
Loved this about Nick U’Ren, the assistant that came up with the Warriors’ lineup change.
Chad Ford: “Sources say the Knicks are entertaining trading down in the draft if Towns, Okafor and Russell are all taken in the top three picks. It sounds as if they remain on the fence about both Emmanuel Mudiay and Porzingis. That’s why they’ve been looking at players such as Cameron Payne and Frank Kaminsky in recent workouts. If the Knicks can get a valuable veteran and still land somewhere in the back end of the lottery, it might make more sense for them than taking a player they aren’t sold on at No. 4. We know several teams, including the Nuggets and Pacers, are trying to move up in the draft.”
