Wednesday Bolts – 10.19.11

Good news: Sunday’s charity game will be televised in Oklahoma on the Cox channel (channel 3 and 703 HD).

The league and players met for 16 hours yesterday but didn’t reach an agreement. They will, however, resume negotiations at 9 a.m. (CT). The talks went until 1:30 a.m., but after they wrapped, the federal mediator had apparently requested neither side address the media. So we don’t really know much of anything. But you’ve got to feel like if they went at it for 16 hours and then set up to resume shortly after, there’s got to be something worth talking about. At least I hope.

The City of Memphis is considering a suit against the NBA: “The City Council has approved a resolution sponsored by chairman Myron Lowery asking the council’s attorney to “explore all options” – including a lawsuit – to recover revenue that may be lost due to an NBA lockout. “Everything is on the table to recover the funds, if any are lost,” said Lowery. A yearlong NBA lockout could send the fund used to pay off FedExForum bonds into the red by 2022, forcing the city and county to make up the difference. The shortfall could reach $10.6 million by 2029, or about $600,000 annually for each government.” If you recall, I wondered about the exact same thing a few weeks ago for Oklahoma City.

Miles Rawles with be the game’s MC too.

Of note: Clay Bennett was part of the group representing the owners yesterday and will likely join again today.

Shoals for Bleacher Report: “There’s no reason that competition and entertainment have to be mutually exclusive. In the NBA, they’re often inseparable. Kevin Durant is the perfect example of this, sometimes to such an extent that he seems to have it both ways. Durant is praised for his Kobe-like intensity, and as a competitor, he’s hard to match. However, KD also just loves the game, as his summer tour demonstrated. His summer tour was about honing his craft, but also putting on a show, getting out there and reminding fans what he was all about. Dominant, but sly; bad-assed, but fully aware of what it means to be a performer, not just a producer.”

Buy some Barry Farms swag and know that the proceeds go to a great cause.

The NBA Rank fact sheet is kind of fascinating.

Watch former Thunder great Nenad Krstic dance awkwardly in Russia.

I say “we” and don’t take any shame in it. As an invested fan, you take ownership over your team. The whole idea is to feel a connection. Ask anyone involved in the organization and they’ll tell you they want fans thinking “we”. So get over it, Chris Jones.

Scott Leedy for HP on KD: “His biggest issues remain his lack of strength and inability to get free from physical ball denials. Late in games, Durant gets pushed so far away from the basket that he puts himself and his team at a huge disadvantage. (Seriously, go watch tape of Carmelo establishing position, then watch video of Durant and tell me that off ball positioning isn’t absolutely vital to late game success). Many of Westbrook’s “forced” shots and bad decisions came because the Thunder would run a set for Durant, only to have him catch the ball 30+ feet away, take a couple aimless dribbles, and hurriedly force it back to Westbrook, leaving Westbrook to take a bad shot and the brunt of the blame.”