Thunder loud links: The Scott Brooks aftermath

Here is your round up of the many writers' impressions of the Thunder's firing of Scott Brooks and what it means going forward.

We start with Kevin Ollie, who was the hot pick 12 hours ago, but has apparently withdrawn his name from consideration. It can be risky to throw your hat in on a college coach.

Kevin Ollie has reportedly pulled his name out of consideration for the Thunder coaching job: http://t.co/xywUZYMGri pic.twitter.com/NOHSrbXxKt

— SB Nation CBB (@SBNationCBB) April 23, 2015

Reading between the lines, is it possible that the Thunder stayed with Brooks as long as they did because they were trying to land Ollie for over a year?

If Ollie is off the table, do signs truly point to Billy Donovan?

Change is sometimes necessary for the sake of progress. It was a risky play for Presti to make the decision without consulting his cornerstone players, but publicly, Kevin Durant respects the decision.

You've read WTLC's list of potential coaches. What does the Oklahoman think?

Thunder blog Thunderous intentions recognizes the extreme measure OKC has taken; could their path be revealed through the draft?

The Oklahoman believes that Brooks' tenure was a positive one. The next guy, according to Bleacher Report, needs to be "edgier" and "meaner." But, CBS Sports asks, will that actually help the Thunder keep their prize in Kevin Durant?

In other news, we had quite a 1st round battle last night between the Spurs and Clippers where Tim Duncan continued to disprove the theory that he's not an alien, while Kawhi Leonard was doing a pretty good MJ impersonation:

while Chris Paul responded unexpectedly expectedly.

Food for thought - if Russell Westbrook did what CP3 did at the end of that game, it would be plastered on the front page of ESPN and go through the talking head circuit for 48 hours straight, wouldn't it?

Speaking of Kawhi, he was named Defensive Player of the Year, and deservedly so. Stealing passes, stealing hearts. Except for Doc Rivers, of course. I fully expect Doc to preach a lengthy sermon before Game 3.

In case you missed it, Hawks coach Mike Budenholzer won coach of the year, beating out rookie Steve Kerr. Coach Bud was told about his award in the most gentlemanly and affectionate way possible. Kerr deserved recognition, but what Budenholzer has done in Atlanta is nothing short of amazing.

On the more depressing side of things, the Phoenix Suns' Morris twins were charged with assault, as was WNBA player Brittney Griner.

Finally, here is your Scott Brooks moment of zen, with a guest appearance by the departed Kendrick Perkins.