Wednesday 26 June 2013

The 10-man rotation, starring Nerlens Noel keeping his flat-top game tight (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: NBA. You might get to choose which suit he wears to the 2013 NBA Draft on Thursday, sports fans, but you've got no say in how Nerlens Noel handles his hairstyle. That decision's locked in. Also: "It has a certain aerodynamic to it."

PF: Heat Index. In his season-ending press conference, Miami Heat team president Pat Riley told reporters he plans to try to lock down a three-peat next year despite the heavy luxury-tax implications of keeping together a championship roster that's already on the books for more than $88 million (including cap holds) next year: "'Unless I get a mandate about [the amnesty provision], we haven't talked about it,' Riley said about [Mike] Miller. 'We really haven't talked about doing that. We just want to keep this team together.'"

SF: Grantland. Brett Koremenos highlights a handful of so-called "3-and-D" prospects — wing players capable of defending small forwards and shooting guards while also helping space the floor on offense by knocking down 3-point shots — that NBA teams could pick up in Thursday's draft (or even thereafter).

SG: Just Casey. Portland Trail Blazers blogger Casey Holdahl brings us Syracuse point guard Michael Carter-Williams' thoughts on the possibility of being drafted by the Blazers: "If I get chosen by them, it's not something I can do, it's not a particular place where I choose to go, but I'd go there and make the best of it and then see what happens when my time comes." OK!

PG: The Basketball Jones, twice. Andrew Unterberger revisits a pretty amazing postseason to pick out the 25 biggest winners and losers of the 2013 NBA Playoffs.

6th: The Shadow League. I didn't want to write about Jason Reid's Washington Post column on John Wall's tattoos/decision-making because I didn't really want to help drive traffic toward something that seemed very intentionally click-baiting, troll-y and wrongheaded, but I don't mind suggesting you check out Bomani Jones' follow-up consideration/riff, because this one's thought out and balanced.

7th: Inside the Warriors. Fresh off a strong season off the bench for Mark Jackson's postseason-darling Golden State Warriors, reserve forward Carl Landry has elected not to exercise the player option on the two-year contract he signed last summer, making him an unrestricted free agent. Whether the 29-year-old bruiser returns to the Bay likely depends on whether another team makes him a significantly more lucrative offer than the $4 million he was slated to make had he opted in.

8th: Inside the Hall. Hoosier hoops maven/ex-ShareBro Ryan Corazza on what, besides athleticism and defensive acumen, has made Victor Oladipo one of the draft season's hottest names: "Kid has charm and a dying thirst to get better every damn day. He means business; he does not mess around."

9th: Sports Illustrated. Luke Winn looks at arguably the best shooter in college basketball last year — Belmont's Ian Clark — and wonders whether his deadeye accuracy off the bounce and in catch-and-shoot situations could find him an NBA home even if his name's not called in the second round on Thursday.

10th: Brew Hoop. Former Miami Hurricanes point guard/forever son of Barry Larkin Shane Larkin has been linked to the Milwaukee Bucks in the middle of the first round of a number of mock drafts, prompting a pair of Bucks bloggers to bat his NBA prospects back and forth a bit.

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