Monday Bolts – 8.19.13
Anthony Slater on KD’s high school trainer: “These days, Stein is nationally renowned for his work in youth basketball. He’s an assistant coach at DeMatha High School in the Washington, D.C., area. He has a large Twitter backing (more than 46,000 followers) to whom he delivers inspirational quotes regularly. And he travels the country during the offseason, sharing his methods and unique drills with coaches and players, including a three-hour session at Del City High School on Saturday. But back then, he was a relative unknown with a rigorous workout plan that was unappealing to most teenagers. That didn’t include the 16-year-old Durant.”
Charley Rosen wrote a column for HoopsHype that basically announced that he is old: “To truly judge the effectiveness of any given player, disregard the numbers and disregard the ball. Instead watch what he does when he doesn’t have possession or isn’t even in the neighborhood of the ball. Does he set weakside picks? Make cuts that open up space for a teammate? Make the pass that leads to an assist pass? Box out? Make appropriate defensive rotations? Get back on defense? And so on. After all, in no circumstances can numbers ever measure the human spirit.”
Darnell Mayberry: “The Thunder has improved its winning percentage in five consecutive seasons despite sticking with its core and resisting the urge to chase prized free agents. Following the loss of James Harden before last season, the Thunder still improved both offensively and defensively. The Thunder has done it by trusting its system and its people. By stepping to the plate seeking singles every time rather than home runs every so often. The result has been a history of success and a team filled with hard workers that have a proven track record of steady improvement. Nothing’s changed in Oklahoma City. And that’s not nearly as bad as the offseason narrative will lead you to believe.”
There’s a downtown outdoor basketball league going in OKC now.
