Wednesday Bolts – 7.2.14
Anthony Slater on Pau Gasol: “So for a franchise that needs guard help and has long preached internal growth, it seems a lot more likely the Thunder stick to minor backcourt deals rather than splurging most of its available money on frontcourt help. But the appeal of Gasol, if he’s willing to take less money, could prove intriguing enough to sway the Thunder a bit from its typical path. He has a more proven post game than anyone that’s ever played in Oklahoma City and a unique ability to pass from the center spot which could help solve some of the offensive stagnation.”
Andrew Han for TrueHoop on the Clippers: “They couldn’t control Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and the Thunder in crucial moments of back-to-back games. They couldn’t control whatever questionable officiating colored their playoff run. They certainly can’t control the erratic actions of a seemingly anosognosic owner. The Clippers lacked agency in so many areas, but one they’re able to take possession of is the on-court shortcomings. How do they address those personnel failings though? What is the offseason edict for Los Angeles Clippers basketball?”
KD dominated some guy on Twitter.
Amin Elhassan of ESPN Insider on Marcin Gortat’s huge deal: “However, the main distinction between the two players is age: Pekovic was 27 when he inked his deal, while Gortat is 30. For a player so reliant on quickness and speed, you have to wonder whether this contract will be a worthwhile investment in years 3-5, especially if he was signed to a standard, escalating contract that would call for Gortat to be paid approximately $13.6 million in the final year of his deal. With no other team capable of offering a fifth year (or indeed, even offering a deal approaching that average annual value), it seems like the Wizards did a poor job of using the leverage they held to make the last year a team option, partially guaranteed or even wholly unguaranteed.”
KD did a Twitter Q&A where he admitted he cries a lot.
Steve Ilardi on the Heat and LeBron: “Such a hypothetical Heat roster suffers from one key limitation: It’s not built to last. Bosh is past his peak, and Wade is already in steep decline — and yet those players would be locked into long-term deals with Miami in this scenario (in exchange for accepting less money up front). Simply put: While such a rebuilt Heat team could probably contend for a title next season, its window would close rapidly. And weighed down with albatross long-term contracts for Wade and Bosh, Miami would have limited ability to upgrade moving forward unless the salary cap rises dramatically. The upshot is this: LeBron has a better option to win multiple rings in the years ahead: Form a new Big Three in L.A.”
