Wednesday Bolts – 3.14.12
Berry Tramel on last night’s game: “Just when you think Westbrook is the complete package, just when you think Westbrook is a superstar not just in body but in mind, just when you think the Thunder is blossoming into a mature NBA contender, Westbrook decides to play Macho Man in the final minute of a tight game. What was he thinking? Who knows? Westbrook refused to answer when asked about the technical, standing there with a wry smile and a stone face. That’s the kind of stoicism the Thunder needed in the last minute. In the locker room after a loss to a team missing its starting backcourt of Kyle Lowry and Kevin Martin, some accountability would have been in order. Apparently, that, too, will have to wait.”
Bradford Doolittle for ESPN.com on an OKC Dwight Howard deal: “It’s unclear how serious these rumors really were, but the proposal was said to be a non-starter from Oklahoma City’s perspective. We include it here to give a different spin to a Magic proposal, one where they land a pair of ascending talents with plenty of present value who are also still working off their rookie contracts. Any deal between these clubs would have to include plenty of filler to make the salaries work, but it still would yield a bit of cap space for the Magic next season. You’re reading this right: the proposed trade would add value to the Magic even while dealing Howard. Clearly, this is the type of deal Orlando should be shopping for. It’s also easy to understand why Oklahoma City shied away from it.”
Amin Vafa for Hardwood Paroxysm on the so-called OKC Model: “So when we say “The OKC Model,” we have to be careful to define what we’re talking about. Are we talking about a GM that was able to flip veteran assets for picks and luck into some great spots in the lottery, but also had a good head on his shoulders to complete a roster? Or a core of young players that is being confined by the new CBA? Or maybe an owner that flushed assets to run out of town? Can any of these really be isolated from the others?”
From Elias: “The Rockets won in Oklahoma City on Tuesday after trailing by 11 points with 2:21 left in the fourth quarter. Houston is the first team to win on the road after trailing by 11 or more points with fewer than three minutes to play since 2000, when Phoenix had a win like that in Denver.”
How the Thunder blew that lead.
Darnell Mayberry: “Some things are just a given in a Thunder game. Like Westbrook not getting back on D. If he misses a shot, falls to the floor or thinks he got fouled on a play, Westbrook is guaranteed to gripe to the officials and lollygag back down on D. He did it late in the first quarter after a missed 15-footer in which he thought he got fouled. And as he pleaded his case, the Rockets were off and running, playing 5-on-4. Courtney Lee ultimately got a corner 3 in transition.”
Houston Chronicle: “If the Rockets land help for the stretch run or predominantly move players who are out of the rotation, they could emerge from the week feeling much better and more confident than they had when they began the week with the loss in Cleveland and the news about Lowry’s condition. Unless the trade deadline brings a move toward rebuilding, the win in Oklahoma City, if backed up with a win against the Bobcats, the Rockets could have a running start heading into the stretch run.”
Couple videos from fan appreciate: Perk talking about Cole Aldrich and Scott Brooks calling out Perk for being a point guard.
Something to make you feel better about last night’s loss: New Nick Collison blog: “I get really into the nickname game and do my best to come up with names for everyone. Some guys already have nicknames they bring with them, earned years earlier in high school or college. Some get a new nickname when they join a team. Some names stick, some don’t. Nearly every guy on our team has some sort of nickname. Some are recognized by everyone. Some are names I’ve attempted to coin but, for whatever reason, never got any traction. For instance, I tried to get people to call Serge Ibaka “Chewy,” as in “Chewbacca” from Star Wars. That would be an incredible nickname for a basketball player. Can you imagine if a player named after Chewbacca could imitate his scream after a blocked shot or a dunk? Or what if that sound were played over the PA system each time? For whatever reason, it didn’t really stick, and people mostly just call him Serge. Lame, right?”
Berry Tramel on backup point guards: “But the tribulations and trials of a rookie point guard are not the biggest Thunder concern. I worry about Westbrook’s minutes. Westbrook averages 35.3 minutes a game; that’s 0.6 minutes more than last season. But it’s not just his minutes; it’s the way he spends those minutes. The guy plays fanatically. Question his decision-making if you must – and Westbrook’s technical foul with 48 seconds left, in a three-point game, was inexcusable — but don’t question his zeal. The guy plays with absolute competitiveness, which feeds his incredible endurance. But can Westbrook keep this up, not just through this condensed season, but what figures to be a long playoff run? Can he keep it up without going bonkers, which he did Tuesday night?”
