Free Darko with more on Durant: “Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: there’s a modesty and restraint to Durant that sets him apart from other superstars. Yet there’s simply no way to look on Durant mid-game and not see something vicious, even tormented, in his eyes. Sometimes, Tim Duncan gets riled in the playoffs; otherwise, he glides along the pathways to victory with a detachment often mistaken for disinterest. That in no way describes what it’s like to watch Kevin Durant play. He possesses all the swagger of his peers, it’s just been sublimated, or shoved deep down inside so it’s even more combustible. Durant isn’t a throwback to some genteel sporting past. But, it should be noted, that past never really existed the way people want it to today.”
Jack McCallum of SI with a pretty outstanding column on Team USA: “There is much roster confusion, too. All over Turkey I’ve been asked, “Where is Kobe Bryant?” for it is Black Mamba’s likeness that is plastered on the billboards advertising the tournament. In the window of the Nike store on Istiklal, one of Istanbul’s main commercial thoroughfares, are displayed two U.S. jerseys: Bryant’s No. 10 and LeBron James’ No. 6. An English-language newspaper in Istanbul did accurately point to the real U.S. star with a Monday headline that read “Durant and Friends Lead U.S. Into Angola Test,” but ran a photo of Chauncey Billups instead of Durant.” Read more…
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Andrew Sharp of SB Nation with a counterpoint to Tommy Craggs: “Durant has shown no signs of wanting to be the biggest celebrity on the planet. He’s fiercely competitive on the court, and deferential among the media. He stayed in Oklahoma City; LeBron left Cleveland. You can debate the merits of hating LeBron James, but it’s hard to quarrel with someone that loves Kevin Durant because he’s not LeBron James. They seem like two very different humans. At least for now. Maybe, as KD’s profile blooms, the added spotlight will reveal shades of his character that none of us had ever imagined. For now, though, Kevin Durant seems to love basketball more than he loves attention, and that’s pretty great.”
Mike Prada of SBN had this to say about it: “Craggs’ point isn’t that we have Durant judged all wrong; it’s that we can’t really judge Durant well in the first place. Loose comparisons to other stars of his era are faulty, because, as Craggs notes, LeBron was once judged positively because he wasn’t Kobe Bryant, and Bryant was judged positively because he wasn’t Allen Iverson. When we write and think about athletes, we have to ask ourselves whether we’re judging them positively on their own merits or on the way they compare to others. If it’s the latter, we have to think about just how accurate we are with these character judgments. It’s too bad that Durant has to be the example used when bringing this subject up, but that shouldn’t stop us from thinking about it.” Read more…
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Did you know: 27 days until Thunder Media Day. It’s going to be here sooner than you think.
Jason Kersey of NewsOK is thinking political about today’s game against Iran: “I’m fully aware that many people watch sports to get away from things like Iran’s nuclear program. But sometimes sports can add intrigue to the big political issues of the day. The Miracle on Ice, anyone? So, apologies all around if you couldn’t care less about the political implications of a United States vs. Iran basketball game. I, on the other hand, find it captivating.” Read more…
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Jenni Carlson writing on KD’s rising profile: “Playing in the world championships is only broadening Durant’s popularity. It is growing his brand. It is widening his stardom. That, Thunder fans, is great news for Oklahoma City. Small-market teams like the Thunder face many challenges, but one of the biggest is being able to keep superstars. They want to be paid big bucks, they want to win championships and they want to be able to become megastars, and sometimes, a small-market club can’t provide all of that.”
Skeets and Melas are finally back to talk some Turkey. And as you would expect, there’s a solid amount of ooh-ing and ahh-ing at Kevin Durant. Read more…
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We all might think basketball is really important, but take a step back if you can and have a look at this. One Thunder fan is riding 140 miles via bicycle from Tulsa to OKC to raise money for multiple sclerosis. Anything donated goes 100 percent to MS research and on top of that, American Airlines has agreed to match any contributions. Joseph said he plans on wearing a KD jersey or maybe even a DT-Shirt with something clever printed on it. So if you’ve got ideas, share away. Or if you’ve got the ability, maybe drop a dollar or two Joseph’s way as well.
I already linked it with my international basketball thing Friday, but Rob Mahoney of Hardwood Paroxysm wrote a darn near poetic piece on the Thunder: “Of course, Durant is but one reason why the Thunder have captivated NBA audiences. They’re young and new, and like it or not, hip. They’re athletic and dynamic, from Russell Westbrook’s jams to Serge Ibaka’s swats. Their success is somehow bizarre, improbable, and yet all part of the plan. They’re 50-win underdogs, tightly knit with an old-school, one-goal fabric, but envisioned with modern basketball sensibilities. There is, really and truly, nothing quite like the Thunder.” Read more…
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D-League Digest is grading teams’ usage of the D-League and OKC gets a B+: “The Thunder is that intriguing new kid in class that all the girls are talking about. Good-looking, fun, smart and lovable (unless you talk to ex-girlfriend and scorned lover, Seattle). But back on point, the D-League aspect of the Thunder definitely falls under the smart category. With 11 combined assignments and call-ups over the past two seasons, it’s clear that this is a team determined to utilizing the D-League to develop its young talent. They’ve built a team that’s set to contend in the West with a young and improving nucleus, and they’re supplementing that core with pieces that they’re molding and fine-tuning in the D-League. Using the D-League is not a perfect science, but that doesn’t stop the Thunder from experimenting.”
ESPN asked its panel of 93 who the player of the decade would be. LeBron finished first, but KD wasn’t far behind: “Chris Sheridan: He can shoot and score as well as anyone in the league, he’s only 21, his height (don’t believe that listing of 6-foot-9 — it’s more like 6-11½) makes him a particularly tough player to defend, and his ego is not out of control. He’ll probably win the scoring title six to eight times if he stays healthy, and he sounds as though he wants to spend his entire career in Oklahoma City, a small market where he’s comfortable and happy. In many ways, he is the anti-LeBron.” Read more…
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Rob Mahoney for PBT defining some roles for Team USA: “Russell Westbrook: While Derrick Rose’s athleticism is appropriately designated as “pure” or simply “impressive,” Russell Westbrook’s athletic abilities are better termed as “unbridled.” There is some discipline in Westbrook’s game, but he’s at his most effective in bursts of unthinkable speed and power. Simply put, Westbrook has no delusions of being a finesse guard. He just wants to sprint up the court, jump a pass in transit, and throw it down over anyone that tries to stand in his way. Team USA can use that. Westbrook is a bit of a wild card; he’s capable of playing both on and off the ball, scoring and distributing (and rebounding — Westbrook is a remarkably good positional rebounder), creating turnovers or gambling too much. He’ll have a rough game now and again, but Westbrook is a necessary do-it-all element on this squad, even if his position is probably redundant.”
Kevin Durant on Ricky Rubio: “He’s an amazing defender, that’s one thing that stood out to me is how well he pressured the ball and disrupted our offense,” said Kevin Durant, who blocked Rubio’s final shot in an 86-85 USA win. “He’s flashy, he’s crafty as well and the passes he did…were kind of amazing.” Read more…
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Kelly Dwyer continues on ranking the league’s top 30 power forwards and Jeff Green comes in 25th: “I just don’t understand what I’m missing with Green. He’s a below-average shooter from long range who shoots too much, he’s not a great interior finisher. He’s a poor rebounder, a good defender at either forward slot to the naked eye (if not to the stat ledger), and at 24 he’s not some prospect worth taking your time on. He just appears to be a below-average forward to me. Why he’s being counted on as the third tier in Oklahoma City, or a potential member of Team USA, I just don’t get.”
And KD was second in small forwards: “I got a bit of stick for ranking Durant ahead of Carmelo last year, but the kid came through as expected, and it doesn’t look nearly as off this time around. Over 30 points a game on nearly 48 percent shooting for Durant last season, at age 21. Ridiculous. He averaged 7.6 rebounds, 2.4 combined steals and blocks and 2.8 assists. He got to the line a league-leading 10.2 times per contest, something that is absolutely killer for teams that struggle to score. Putting teams in the penalty, allowing someone like Nick Collison to earn a cheap two points for getting hacked on a tip-in attempt is huge. And that’s all on Durant. And he doesn’t turn 22 until five weeks from now.” Read more…
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Scott Brooks likes Gordon Hayward’s game: “One morning last month at the Orlando Summer League, Oklahoma City Thunder coach Scott Brooks was leaning against a wall chatting while keeping an eye on the Jazz team running up and down the floor in a game. “Can that kid fit into the NBA?” Brooks said, repeating the question. “What does he do? He shoots. What does Jerry Sloan’s offense get you all of the time? Open shots. He’ll be fine. Look at what he’s done just to get here.”
Pete Thamel of the NYT says Russell Westbrook made his case over the weekend to make Team USA: “The final cut will be a fascinating conundrum for the United States. If they keep Westbrook, the burly forward Kevin Love would be a likely candidate. The problem is that the Americans are already thin in the post and sending Love home would be inviting a pounding against teams like Brazil, Spain and Argentina.” Read more…
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I recapped Team USA’s friendly versus Spain yesterday. I’m pretty certain Russell Westbrook is making this roster, mainly because of the way Coach K used him yesterday.
John Canzano of Oregon Live still thinks Oden was the right pick over Durant: “I still believe he was the right pick. Not that he’s better than Kevin Durant, but the Blazers needed a generational center and thought they had one in Oden. Durant has been outstanding. But given what they knew at the time, I can’t blame them for picking the big guy, and I still think he has a chance to make Portland look smart.” Read more…
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Nenad Krstic was held overnight by police: “Prosecutor Costas Simitzoglou released Krstic pending an investigation into the brawl. Investigators from Greece’s sports violence squad will examine video footage of the game and take statements from witnesses before deciding whether to bring charges.”
Another thing: Chris Sheridan says Team USA coaches showed the fight to players and used it as a teaching moment. I wonder what KD and Russ were thinking as they watched it. Read more…
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Denver Stiffs breaks down NBA Jam rosters: “Durant and Westbrook have some high expectations this season and they should pay close attention to what happened in Portland. Injuries helped derail the Blazers and I hope that doesn’t happen for Oklahoma City, but this Thunder team is started to get a little overrated and it’s not even September. Green is part of those trios that take a team from a good one to a great one, but along the way sometimes three is a crowd and the spotlight starts to fade. Have we seen the best of Green or can he bounce back and keep up his game with his famous teammates?”
NBA Playbook looks at what makes a good rebounding point guard. Read more…
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Did you know the NBA schedule maker is only one person? Kevin Arnovitz of TrueHoop talked to him: “This year, for instance, we had an outer limit of 23 back-to-backs and four “four out of fives.” At some points during the process, there were teams with more than that. You look at those things and you correct them before the schedule is final. “Oh, this team has 25 back-to-backs? We can’t go with this. We have to find a way to get them down.”
Kelly Dwyer of Ball Don’t Lie ranks the top 30 point guards and Russell Westbrook is No. 7: “I hesitated putting him this high for a good reason – Russell is still figuring this game out, and he shot the Thunder out of some games last season. But his defense keeps him in the mix, consistently. Westbrook can defend and contribute in other areas (rebounding, even screen setting) that a litany of other point man just cannot. 16 points, eight assists, and five rebounds last season, and the guy doesn’t even turn 22 until mid-November.” Read more…
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The Northwest could belong to OKC. As I’m sure you’ve heard, Carmelo Anthony plans on leave Denver.
Nathan Begley of Portland Roundball Society with a smart look at Russell Westbrook’s jumpshooting: “Actually one does not need to “look beyond” statistics to check Mayberry’s claim that Russell Westbrook is an improved mid-range jump shooter. They just need to select the right statistic. For instance, HoopData has Westbrook’s FG% and eFG% by shot location and more specifically, NBA Hot Spots will tell you that there was only one spot on the floor where Russell Westbrook shot even a remotely acceptable percentage from midrange and that poor spot is drowned by Westbrook’s attempts from elsewhere. Russell Westbrook has not become a “much better” shooter in the midrange and even the one spot Westbrook hit a good percentage from was on a paltry 84 attempts. Now, I’m no Westbrook hater—he is a good passer and an exceptional rebounder for his position. Westbrook brings a ton of athleticism and physical tools to the table, however, what he does not bring, is a decent midrange jumpshot.” Now I think it was pretty clear that in the last month or two, Westbrook hit that midrange jumper with a lot more consistency. But is he a better shooter overall? I think that’s yet to be determined. Read more…
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I’m sure you already saw it, but a panel of 93 ESPN voters say KD will win the MVP: “KD’s 2009-10 numbers (30.1 points, 7.6 rebounds and a 26.23 Player Efficiency Rating while playing all 82 games) were good enough for him to pick up 609 points in last season’s voting, in which he finished second to LeBron (and just ahead of Kobe Bryant). But with Oklahoma City predicted to finish second in the West, almost half of our crew of 93 believes it’s the young gun’s award to lose, especially with James taking his talents to South Beach, where he’ll share the ball and spotlight with Wade and Bosh.”
Ziller on Team USA’s current situation: “Some have criticized Coach K for cutting Green and McGee instead of one of the team’s five point guards. The McGee cut, in particular, means that Odom will be playing plenty of center, as will Kevin Love potentially. Krzyzewski had mentioned Durant there. Competitively, it’s a dice roll. But stylistically? It’s brilliant! If Scott Brooks had announced to the world his OKC team had so much depth at guard and so little depth in the frontcourt he was starting Durant at center, the coach would win a Nobel.” Read more…
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