NBA
NBA AM: How Big Is Kevin Durant’s Injury?
November Matters:ย With the news yesterday that Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant may miss up to eight weeks after a Jones fracture (a small crack at the base of the small toe) surfaced in his right foot, the question becomes does this really matter in the grand scheme of things for the Thunder?
The answer is a resounding yes.
Last season in the Western Conference the difference between first place and home court throughout the playoffs was just three games. The Spurs ended the 2013-14 season with 62 wins versus the Thunderโs 59 wins. The season before the gap between first was just two games in the West with the Thunder notching 60 wins compared to San Antonioโs 58 wins.
So how does Durant missing most of November impact the Thunder?
November has become incredibly important to the overall standings, mainly because the teams that get out to a fast start in November tend to get out front and stay there for the balance of the season.
Last season the Indiana Pacers notched a 15-1 November, which got them a two game cushion on second place Miami, who ended the season two games behind the Pacers in the east, despite an epic collapse by the Pacers after the All-Star break.
The Spurs notched a 14-3 November last season, giving them a three game cushion on second place Oklahoma City, who notched a 11-3 start, those three games ended up deciding the West.
Itโs easy to say the first month of the season does not matter, however historically the difference between first place and home court throughout and fifth place and starting the postseason on the road is usually a small number of games, so literally every game matters in the race for first place.
The Thunder arenโt going to fall out of contention because of Durantโs injury, but much like Memphis proved last year, missing your very best player for 10-20 games does put a team in the hole and the West is not a good place to start in the hole.
Fortunately for the Thunder they do have some depth that they can lean on. As they say โinjury creates opportunityโ and for guys like Jeremy Lamb, Perry Jones and Reggie Jackson theyโll need to find another gear while the leagueโs MVP rehabs his injury.
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A Calmer Kobe?:ย You wonโt have to go very far to find a negative comment about Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, especially from former teammates. To say Bryant is driven is an understatement. To say he is demanding of himself and his teammates is even more so. There are few players in the NBA that are as driven as Bryant, so when his new Laker teammates talk of a calmer, cooler, more nurturing Bryant, it seems a little out of place given his 19 season history in the NBA.
โMy style is a little different with his group. Itโs a little more nurturing,โ Bryant said to Arash Markazi of ESPN.com. โTheyโre so much younger, so itโs a little different. The important thing with this group is learning how to think the game all the way through, which is different than on teams that we have had in the past. We had a lot of veteran guys who had been around. So my teaching style is different.โ
Teaching style?
Bryantโs career is littered with confrontation and demands of his teammates, so to hear him label his approach as a teaching style is a little amusing, but the truth of the matter is most of the players that have played with and been on the receiving end of Bryantโs process find themselves as better players in the long run.
New Lakers head coach Byron Scott was something of a mentor in Bryantโs rookie season, so watching him lead is things coming full circle.
โHeโs been a mentor,โ Scott said. โHeโs been a little bit of an assistant coach. I think heโs getting soft in his old age. But seriously, heโs been really good with all the guys, to be honest with you. Heโs done a heck of a job of taking guys to the side and teaching them little things about the NBA. Heโs done the same thing at practice. Heโs been an extension of [the coaching staff].
โItโs fun watching it, because he takes it very seriously. When he pulls guys aside, heโs really trying to show them the little things about being successful in this league. [Kobe and I] had a talk one day with Julius [Randle] and told him if he had anywhere near the work ethic of Kobe, heโll be an All-Star, and if he doesnโt, heโll just be a good basketball player in the NBA.โ
While Bryantโs approach may have changed a little, it hasnโt stopped teammates from seeking him out and trying to absorb the knowledge that Bryant has, and how it can help them improve.
Laker guard Jeremy Lin has played with some of the league brightest stars, but sees the knowledge he can glean from Bryant as invaluable.
โHe’s pushing me and he’s demanding a lot from me. Heโs definitely taken on a mentorship role for me on the court,โ Lin said. โThat’s something that I don’t think I’ve had in my previous four years in the league. It’s just nice to have somebody who is pushing me and helping me and teaching me the tricks. It’s also nice when he’s one of the best to ever do it.”
Having Bryant’s wisdom in his ear every day has helped Lin understand the game in ways, he hadnโt considered in his previous stops.
โHeโs a little later in his career,โ Lin said. โWhen I was with Melo, he was younger, and the same with James and Dwight. With Kobe, heโs been around and he understands. Heโs done it. He has a great attention to detail and he cares about the little things. The stuff that he talks to me about, I didnโt ever think about.
โHeโs challenging me to expand even my perspective. Thatโs really important and something I love doing. Itโs a blessing heโs here in the same locker room.โ
Donโt mistake kindness for weakness. Bryant understands that for him to have success this season heโs going to need his young guys to get up to speed quickly and heโs taking an active role in that department.
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