Monday Bolts – 4.18.16

Anthony Slater: “In September of 1988, the Grateful Dead performed what would become a

legendary concert at Madison Square Garden. Before it, Carlisle called up Donovan and asked if he wanted to go. Donovan had a childhood friend who was a Grateful Dead superfan, so he brought him along. The two met up with Carlisle right outside the Garden. “OK, how much do I owe for the tickets?” Donovan asked him. They didn’t have any, Carlisle said. “I’m like…uh…OK,” Donovan said. “Well, how are we getting in?”

Berry Tramel: “Enes Kanter is a nice guy. Low-key. Pleasant. Courteous. He is quick with a smile and slow to raise his voice. Kanter has invited Oklahoma sportswriters to sample Turkish food with him. When Donald Trump suggested deporting all Muslims, Kanter’s response was not anger or defiance. He was sad. Even used the word. “It’s just sad,” he said with a shrug. In a bygone era, Kanter would be known as a gentleman. Dare we say it? Enes Kanter has a sweet spirit. All of which will be startling news to the Dallas Mavericks. Best as the Mavs know, Enes is a Menace. He plays hard-hat basketball in the paint. When a shot goes up, an NBA game turns into a street fight, as far as Kanter is concerned.”

ESPN Forecast has Russ fourth in MVP.

Wes Matthews: “Last time we got our ass kicked was in Sacramento, and we came out blazing [after that]. That’s the mentality we have to have. Lose by 100, lose by one, it goes down in the books as one loss. We’ve just got to do us better. It’s not like we have to make any crazy corrections or anything like that. We just have to do us better.”

A mini-documentary on Serge Ibaka.

Serge Ibaka didn’t get any votes for DPOY. Neither did Kyle Singler.

Rob Mahoney of SI.com: “Barea’s current circumstances have unfortunately corroborated that premise. Everything that Barea offers as a player stems from that one skill. When he wasn’t physically able to utilize it against the Thunder in Game 1, the short-handed Maverick offense stalled accordingly. Bigger, more significant deficits separate Oklahoma City from Dallas in this series—the presence of two superstars, in particular. Losing a full-speed Barea, however, shorts the Mavs of even their capacity to rally.”

Lang Whitaker with Dion Waiters: “So I’ve tried to make different adjustments now, as far as like, working on being able to catch and shoot. I’m at like 40-percent now on catch-and-shoot situations, so that’s great. I was a guy who had to take you off the dribble. Now that I’m here, I don’t always have to do any of those things because I’ve got two top-five players in the League in Russ and Kev. I know I can score the ball, but now I want to show other people that I can defend, that I can get to the lane and make plays for myself and others. And one thing about here? You’ve gotta understand, some games you might have a big night, some games you might have 10 points. But what did you do to impact the game? I’m learning that. I’m only 24 years old. Just by me being here for a year and a half, I’ve gotten so much better as a player, as far as developing a consistent routine, I feel like my body is good, just working and continuing to work on an everyday basis. So it’s been a great ride for me so far, man. I’m enjoying every moment, and it’s about being patient, being patient. I know my time is going to come, I’ve just got to continue to work hard and be a part of a winning team and enjoy it. You can’t substitute anything for winning. I was losing my first three years. Just to win 50 games alone is great.”