Thursday 7 February 2013

The 10-man rotation, starring Blake Griffin giving Chandler Parsons a low-five (VIDEO)

A look around the league and the Web that covers it. It's also important to note that the rotation order and starting nods aren't always listed in order of importance. That's for you, dear reader, to figure out.

C: Chandler Parsons' Twitter. Yup.

PF: TrueHoop. Beckley Mason breaks down the Memphis Grizzlies' offensive spacing problem that's made them easier to defend and significantly less effective in the recent past. SPOILER ALERT: It has nothing to do with Rudy Gay.

SF: The Classical. You're almost definitely not going to find a more serious, nuanced evaluation of the rap career of Milwaukee Bucks reserve swingman Marquis Daniels than Kevin Koczwara offers here: "If Q6’s music is not exactly original, it’s worth noting that being original isn’t the point: the idea for Daniels is to sound more or less like those peers, and get in where he fits in within the genre’s guidelines."

SG: Minneapolis Star-Tribune. After undergoing a second surgery on his broken right hand and spending several weeks away from the Minnesota Timberwolves, star power forward Kevin Love says he hopes to be back on the court with the team come mid-March. That's got to seem like forever for a MASH unit of a Wolves team that's 2-8 in its last 10 games and sitting in the basement of the Northwest Division, but at least it's something, right?

PG: Brew Hoop. So after his recent agent switch, Milwaukee Bucks point guard Brandon Jennings — he of the career 39.5 percent shooting mark — (reportedly) wants a max contract, huh? Well, OK, then.

6th: Sports on Earth. Shaun Powell talks with Grizzlies lockdown specialist Tony Allen about the too-often-anonymous art of NBA defense, and how he got to be one of its finest practitioners: "I couldn't make a guy look silly on the court. I was just making sure I wouldn't be embarrassed by those type of players and pretty soon I just evolved into this."

7th: Negative Dunkalectics. As Lionel Hollins continues to rail against the Memphis front office and the analytics-driven moves that have given him a roster he apparently no longer loves, Sean Buchanan considers the "con" at the heart of an increasing number of front offices' decision-making — convincing "many, many intelligent people that financial value actually matters much in something where it’s less than primary: watchable competition."

8th: Hickory High. Yes, the Golden State Warriors have gotten spanked in their last two outings. But they're still quite good, and getting long-injured center Andrew Bogut back into the mix should help them, especially on the defensive end. But don't discount the Aussie's impact in the Dubs' half-court offensive sets, either. Dan Lewis breaks down how Bogut helps create space and scoring chances.

9th: Grantland. My dude Kirk Goldsberry busts out the spatial analytics heat maps to show us how, at age 24, Kevin Durant's not only already one of the best offensive players of all time — but that he's actually still improving. Frightening, exhilarating stuff.

10th: ESPN Boston. You've already ready Jackie MacMullan's sitdown with Kobe Bryant ahead of tonight's Lakers/Celtics game, but read it again, because it's fun.

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