Wednesday Bolts – 7.17.13
Joe Kaiser of ESPN.com on Mike Miller: “The question, then, is where the 3-point shooter will end up next season. For a veteran in his final years of his NBA career, and one coming off back-to-back championships like Miller, one has to believe he’ll only be interested in landing on a true contender. If that proves to be true, it reduces his list of suitors significantly. Teams that fit that description like Brooklyn, Chicago, Memphis, Oklahoma City, San Antonio and the Los Angeles Clippers could show interest in signing Miller to a short contract worth the veteran’s minimum, even if it means making a move or two to accommodate the roster move.”
Berry Tramel: “The Thunder has made some stiff decisions concerning the luxury tax. Trading James Harden. Not re-signing Kevin Martin. Going with young players who have yet to prove themselves. But the Thunder can take some solace in that the luxury tax figures to make every franchise give pause, with the likely exception of the Nets and Knickerbockers. Even the Lakers are sweating the luxury tax. And most certainly the Miami Heat is.”
Top 10 moments of the NBA season per TBJ.
Joe Freeman of the Oregonian says Joel Freeland wants to be like Nick: “Blazers coach Terry Stotts and general manager Neil Olshey, who spotted a lot of similarities between Freeland and Collison, planted the seeds for the transformation last season. Stotts became all-too familiar with Collison’s understated yet impactful game when he coached for the Dallas Mavericks. The Thunder and Mavericks have had some memorable and heated matchups in recent seasons, including in the 2011 Western Conference Finals, and Stotts grew to appreciate the little things Collison did to affect the outcome of a game: set screens, play solid help defense, rebound, draw fouls and communicate on the floor. Collison wasn’t a headline-grabber, but he was a solid player. And a winner. And although most people outside Seattle and Oklahoma City haven’t necessarily noticed, he’s also had a long NBA career that will enter its 10th season in 2013-14.“They were talking about Nick Collison a lot, comparing me to him and stuff,” Freeland said of Stotts and Olshey. “It was: Nick Collison, Nick Collison, Nick Collison.”
Kevin Pelton of ESPN.com on how to watch Summer League: “For rookies who were drafted some three weeks ago, summer league represents their first taste of the pro game. I’m mostly looking to see how what they did in college translates against bigger, quicker, more-experienced opponents. That can take a couple of games. Cody Zeller, the No. 4 overall pick by the Charlotte Bobcats, was a non-factor in his debut before putting together back-to-back strong outings. Summer league offers these newcomers an indication of what they must work on to succeed as pros. For example, C.J. McCollum of the Portland Trail Blazers has been effective as a scorer so far in Las Vegas — no surprise there. But he’s had more trouble creating shots for teammates, and struggled when the Phoenix Suns put a bigger defender on him and blitzed the pick-and-roll. McCollum is gaining needed experience in such situations, which he didn’t face as a primary ball handler at Lehigh.”