Wednesday Bolts – 1.14.15
Anthony Slater on Ish Smith: “Listed at an extremely generous 6-foot in the media guide, Ish’s most distinguishable basketball quality is his breakneck speed. “The fastest player in the NBA from end-to-end,” Kevin Durant once called him – a bold statement the Thunder superstar “no doubt” stood by last week. But Smith’s skill set goes far beyond being a human blur, now, apparently, including a sudden vertical leap that showed up after that injury his junior year. Two weeks ago, it was on full display. During the fourth quarter of a big Thunder win over the Suns, Ish capped an individual 8-0 run with a stunning fastbreak dunk, rising up for a slam that nearly incited a riot of joy on the Thunder bench.”
Andrew Gilman of Fox Sports Southwest: “The Thunder were already saturated at the shooting guard position. Now things are getting congested. Brooks and the Thunder have something more to worry about than Waiters and the oh-so-crowded guard spot. Because of the addition of Waiters and the feeling Reggie Jackson could be on his way out, Brooks has to make sure every player on the team knows exactly what role he’s in. No one is suggesting it’s easy, but it’s mandatory. Now, more than ever, with the Thunder scuffling to get into the playoff chase, Brooks has to manage personalities, manage minutes and make sure everyone is as content as possible. That starts with being honest about everyone’s situation.”
I wrote about the uncomfortable Reggie Jackson situation.
Kevin Pelton of ESPN Insider on the Spurs: “Unless Leonard’s rehab takes an unexpected turn for the worse, fears the Spurs could miss the playoffs are overstated. As is, San Antonio has been better over the course of the season than challengers such as the Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Pelicans. At the same time, this year’s Spurs have yet to prove they can perform at the same level as last year’s team. Until or unless that happens, San Antonio can’t be considered a favorite in the loaded Western Conference.”
KD had some thoughts about Twitter.
Darnell Mayberry on possible moves he’d like to see: “I don’t know what the real story is on the conversations the Thunder and Nets reportedly had. But if there is a way the Thunder can get Brook Lopez from Brooklyn sign me up. Lopez’s injury history concerns me. But if all the Thunder has to relinquish is Jackson, Perkins and possibly Jeremy Lamb then the Thunder has to do it. Lopez is an All-Star caliber center who would provide this team with highly coveted low post scoring. He has his flaws, rebounding perhaps chief among them after injuries. But he would be a great fit with the Thunder on the offensive end.”
