Friday Bolts – 10.7.16
Zach Lowe of ESPN.com ranks OKC eighth in League Pass watchability: “They should be higher,
and they have only themselves to blame. Their court is boring, their uniforms are ugly, and their blah logo looks like it belongs on a Doritos bag. Their announcers puff their chests with an insular “Thunder-against-the-world” attitude, which is too bad, because they are pretty damned good when they just talk straight hoops. Otherwise, give me all of this: the Russell Westbrook Show, the Stache Brothers, Steven Adams accidentally angering bystanders, Kyle Singler’s hair, Mitch McGary’s over-enthusiastic running (unless and until the Thunder cut him), Andre Roberson’s 3-point prayers, and so much more. Hopefully, Westbrook is getting all the Rondo-level overpassing out of his system in preseason, so that he can inflict holy hell on the league when the games start to count.”
Joe Kaiser of ESPN.com on why Russ is the top fantasy pick: “Can Westbrook average a triple-double this year? It’s incredibly unlikely, but he’s a real contender to match some of Johnson’s epic assist and rebounding rates from the Showtime Lakers while also scoring at an Iversonian clip. Already fourth on the Player Rater last season with Durant siphoning a demanding share of touches and shots, Westbrook should top the board this season while contending for career highs across the board. You want cost certainty with the top pick. You want an elite ceiling and a bankable high floor. Westbrook is the player who offers these coveted elements in one historically entertaining package.”
Russ on fashion: “It’s important while you’re playing, I think, to be able to use the basketball platform to expand and do different things. That’s very important. So fashion gives me those opportunities. And True Religion gave me the opportunity to do that. It was a good process to be able to sit down and create different pieces and decide how I want them to look, different materials, length.”
Spencer Lund of Uproxx: “Russ is the closest approximation I can think of to describe the early incarnation of MJ. Westbrook’s efforts attacking the rim call to mind fire and brimstone, while MJ was ethereal like the air, but they’re both aesthetically pleasing to those basketball minds who don’t harrumph at the notion of individual brilliance. Except, because that playing style falls outside the pale, some analysts are left hurriedly spouting off usage rates, points per possession and turnover percentage to show how Russell isn’t nearly as effective in this form. They seem to think he’d be better if he’d just dial down the dangerous dives to the rim and didn’t try to wreck so much individual damage. To offer a shorter version, it’s asking him to pass the ball more; to be less Russ. To Russ I say, f*ck that noise.”
An orthopedic surgeon on Cameron Payne: “Obviously, you don’t have to undergo surgery again. When you go in surgically, you’re re-disturbing everything. With regards to healing time, whether you have a screw or not, fractures require 6-8 weeks to heal. That’s just normal anatomy. If you have surgery, you’re essentially restarting the clock in regard to healing. If the screw looks stable, non-operative is definitely a reasonable option.”
Carter Rodriguez of HP: “Sorry, this feels mean and it defeats the point of having a snappy nickname that rolls off the tongue. But man, this whole unit is just going to be a horrifying cycle of perpetually driving-and-kicking to a non-shooter who will have to pump fake, drive and kick to a different non-shooter who will have to pump fake, drive and kick and this joke has probably run its course, let’s move on.”
Brett Dawson: “For the second straight game the Thunder got big moments in key minutes from Alex Abrines. With 2:15 to play, he grabbed an offensive rebound and drew a foul on a putback, converting a three-point play to tie the game at 86-86. He secured two defensive rebounds in the final 1:12 as the Thunder held off FC Barcelona. In two games, Abrines averaged nine points and two rebounds and made 4 of 5 3-pointers. It’s worth noting, though, that he spent the past four seasons playing professionally in Barcelona. He was in comfortable settings this week playing against familiar faces. Abrines’ real tests begin Tuesday when the Thunder face the Mavericks in Dallas.”
