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Serge Ibaka: “Best OKC player of all time: Shai or Kevin Durant?” Chet Holmgren: “I’d say probably Shai.” Serge Ibaka: “Shai or Russell Westbrook?” Chet Holmgren: “Uh, Shai.”
Joey Linn: It’s disappointing to see the way some people are talking about Bones Hyland. He’s a very confident player, and probably could have handled a couple situations in his career differently, but he’s also misunderstood. I covered him for two seasons in LA, and he’s one of the hardest working players I’ve seen up-close. Also just a really kind person. Despite being out of the Clippers rotation, he was regularly the last player still working out after practice. Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook were some of the vets who loved Bones and spoke highly of him. Seeing some really misinformed character attacks on a guy who’s generally well-liked around the NBA.
Vinny Benedetto: With that last defensive rebound, Nikola Jokic has tied Russell Westbrook for the most career triple-doubles when the regular season and playoffs are combined. Both have 221.
Maxime Raynaud: We were super lucky. And on top of that, when they are players of that quality, I really feel like Russ initiated my career. He lit the flame a little bit. He started feeding me the ball. He explained to me, “Listen, for now, these really have to be your spots. Find yourself here,” and so on. And that helped me so much. It helped me so much. It made me enjoy it, too. As a kid, you watch Russ with Team USA, you watch him with OKC, you watch DeMar when he was in Toronto, and now you are playing with them. It is crazy.
Can we ask a similar question about DeRozan? Obviously, they have not had the same career, but he is still one of the best players of all time, without any doubt. They do not have the same personality at all. Maxime Raynaud: Yeah, they really have nothing to do with each other. And the funny thing is, they are best friends. Interviewer: They are very close. Maxime Raynaud: I think they come from around the same district, or something like that. But DeMar is the opposite. He is not going to say a word. With him, it is all through actions. And it was funny because in preseason, during the first three or four preseason games, I had not understood that for veterans, it was just a way to run a little, get back in shape, and warm up. I think he had taken, really, maybe six or seven shots over four games. I was like, “Okay, year 17, he is a little tired,” and all that. Then the next day — or two days later — we played our first game of the season, and I think he finished with 28 or 30, something like that. I turned to Zach and said, “Wait, he is actually hot, then.”
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NBA Stat: Most 3-game spans averaging 25/8/8 after turning 30: 𝟱𝟮 — 𝗟𝗲𝗕𝗿𝗼𝗻 𝗝𝗮𝗺𝗲𝘀 4 — Larry Bird, Magic Johnson 2 — Nikola Jokic, Steve Nash 1 — Russell Westbrook, Michael Jordan, John Havlicek, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain, Dolph Schayes #NBA
Crazy Stats: Last night, Stephon Castle scored 33 points, and Dylan Harper came off the bench to add 27. Castle and Harper became the youngest duo in @NBA history to each score 25+ points in a postseason game. The only other duo aged 21 or younger to each score 25+ points in a playoff game are Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook, who accomplished the feat in Game 3 of their 2010 first-round series against the Lakers.
NBA History: Jayson Tatum & Jaylen Brown record their 50th playoff game both scoring 20+ PTS, becoming the 8th duo to reach the mark. They join Larry Bird & Kevin McHale as the only Celtics duos to do so. The other duos: 74 - Jerry West & Elgin Baylor; 68 - Scottie Pippen & Michael Jordan; 67 - Shaquille O'Neal & Kobe Bryant; 58 - Kevin McHale & Larry Bird; 56 - Russell Westbrook & Kevin Durant; 53 - Klay Thompson & Stephen Curry; 50 - Tony Parker & Tim Duncan.
Reality, though, proved to be more difficult. He’d landed on a Wizards team with playoff expectations. That meant a short leash. (It also meant adjusting to life alongside Russell Westbrook, a star known for demanding a lot from his rookies even when away from the court. “At, like, 10 p.m. before we'd go on a road trip, he'd text me a list of snacks he wanted, but they were crazy snacks that were impossible to find,” Avdija said with a laugh. “Like, Wavy Lay's barbecue chips. No places carry Wavy, they just have flat ones.”) Avdija’s confidence waned. The looseness with which he had played in Israel — and the aggression which had allowed him to thrive — had disappeared.
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Russell Westbrook said the other day that he enjoyed his time here in Sacramento, and he said he’d welcome being back. So I guess, first of all, is he welcome back? And what were your impressions of him as a leader on this team?” Scott Perry “Russell’s always welcome with me. I loved working with Russell Westbrook this year. He was phenomenal. I can’t say enough. Obviously, I talked about Doug’s leadership and his ability to help the young people, but a lot of that development doesn’t happen without guys like Russell, Deebo, and Doug McDermott. All of these veteran guys poured into our young people, and Russ was at the head of the class for that. He’s extremely competitive. I wish I had an opportunity to work with Russell earlier in my career as well, because I really like what he stands for. Again, we will keep the lines of communication open, and we will see what happens and what’s available to us this offseason.”
For DeRozan, the priority remains simple even as he enters the final year of his three-year, $73 million deal. “Most important part is still being able to play basketball,” he said. “To play the game that you love.” He also praised the chance to share the floor with Russell Westbrook, calling him “basically family.” DeRozan said, “It’s amazing to be able to sit next to somebody where you know exactly where he come from and to see how much we accomplish.”
Around the league, Tyronn Lue is widely regarded as one of the NBA’s top coaches, as cited in the league’s annual general manager survey. His players buy in quickly. They arrive enthusiastic, energized to play for one of the league’s most respected coaches. They talk about his feel for the game, his ability to connect and why they trust him. But that same identity has produced a reoccurring pattern: At point guard in particular, those relationships have rarely lasted. In recent years, a steady stream of veteran guards have passed through the LA Clippers, drawn by Lue’s leadership and the promise of playing in his system. The list is long: Rajon Rondo, Eric Bledsoe, John Wall, Russell Westbrook, Ben Simmons. Each player has different résumés and expectations — and, in most cases, similar endings: quiet departures with little sense of closure.
