Tuesday Bolts – 10.18.16

John Rohde of Bleacher Report: “Durant is too media savvy to not know these responses are

pouring salt into a gaping wound in a state that somehow respected his privacy while simultaneously embracing him. He played for a franchise that did nothing but support him for nine seasons and still wishes him well both publicly and privately.He also played for a franchise that’s gone to great lengths to build a sustainable winner. Somehow, despite losing a top-three player, OKC is still considered a playoff contender. OKC won’t threaten last season’s 55-win total, but a seventh playoff appearance in the last eight years remains a reasonable expectation if key players are able to remain healthy.”

Small transaction yesterday: The Thunder waived Alex Caruso and signed Reggie Williams. Both are very likely to be in the D-League this season.

Kevin Durant is paying attention. He changed the way he answered a question about the Warriors.

James Herbert of CBSSports.com on OKC’s ceiling: “Westbrook wins MVP, Oladipo and Adams earn All-Star consideration, Enes Kanter improves defensively, Kyle Singler and Andre Roberson shoot consistently well and Domantas Sabonis and Cameron Payne prove to be the steals of the past two drafts. The Thunder exceed expectations, fighting for home-court advantage in the West despite Durant’s defection. This makes them an attractive destination for Blake Griffin next summer.”

Congrats to Anthony Morrow and family on their additions.

J.A. Adande of ESPN.com on the Blazers: “It is, especially if the Trail Blazers wind up away from the Golden State Warriors’ side of the Western Conference playoff bracket. The Oklahoma City Thunder are weakened from the loss of Kevin Durant. The Clippers have yet to prove that they can get past the second round. The San Antonio Spurs are, if not necessarily worse, different without Tim Duncan. Besides, there haven’t been many points in time over the past 20 years when the Trail Blazers could say they’ve won as many playoff series as the Spurs over the past two seasons.”

Erik Horne: “Adams saw his first action Sunday since the Thunder’s preseason opener on Oct. 3 against Real Madrid. He sprained his right ankle in the second quarter of that game and hadn’t played in three previous games since. On Sunday, Adams logged 23 minutes, finishing with 20 points and 11 rebounds. He made 8 of 15 shots and all four of his free-throw attempts. Though Adams attacked the rim, he wasn’t limited to dunks. He showed a hook shot and a short floater.”