Thursday Bolts – 12.29.16

Kevin Pelton of ESPN Insider on the best player of 2016: “With games left to play Thursday

and on New Year’s Eve, Westbrook already has an unthinkable 30 triple-doubles in 2016. Following Durant’s departure, Westbrook has taken on an historic load, finishing a record 42.4 percent of Oklahoma City’s play with a shot, trip to the free throw line or a turnover. He has yet to show any fatigue and will almost certainly take a triple-double average into 2017 — deeper in the season than anyone has averaged a triple-double since Oscar Robertson more than five decades ago.”

Brett Dawson: “Cameron Payne won’t make a homecoming comeback. But the Thunder guard is inching ever closer to his season debut. Payne, who fractured the fifth metatarsal in his right foot in the preseason is out for Thursday’s game in his Memphis hometown against the Grizzlies, Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. ESPN reported two weeks ago that Payne was progressing toward a return for the Memphis game. But he participated in full-contact three-on-three at the end of Wednesday’s practice, as did guard Victor Oladipo, who’s missed the past eight games with a sprained right wrist.”

SB Nation power rankings have OKC 11th.

Matt Moore of CBSSports.com: “A [four]-game winning streak including a quality win vs. the Celtics and the Thunder are now top-15 in offense and defense. More importantly, they’ve stopped playing down to bad teams with double-digit wins vs. inferior teams. The Thunder are getting their head screwed on more and more as the year goes on.”

Boy, George Karl really needs to shut up.

Erik Horne was at the Blue game last night: But as the Blue scrambled to stop the clock, Reno had its pass deflected underneath its own basket and Hamilton had a steal. He quickly flipped up a layup which dropped and the rest of the Blue took off bounding down the court at the buzzer. Huestis had 11 points in the third quarter including three 3-pointers to help the Blue overcome a 53-42 halftime deficit. Former University of Oklahoma guard Isaiah Cousins, a Sacramento Kings second-round pick in 2016, had a career-high 30 points for Reno. As well as Hamilton and the Blue closed, he knows they have to play better. The Blue rallied from a 20-2 deficit to start the game.”