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: The Sherman Report. Doris Burke, whose duties on ESPN/ABC coverage include sideline reporting, talks about what those funny few seconds feel like when you're on the other side of the microphone: "I try very hard not to take his reactions personally. I’ll be honest with you. It is not easy."
PF: The Oregonian. I really, really enjoyed this piece by Steve Duin on covering Dr. Jack Ramsay, missing the pinnacle of something and picking it up on the downslope, asking the wrong questions and recognizing what you've got when it's, if not gone, then going.
SF: The Basketball Jones, twice. Skeets, Tas, Trey, J.D., Matt and Leigh are about to hit their 1,000th episode, which is remarkable/amazing/thrilling/pride-engendering/a million other things. It's also an occasion for celebration by both fans and friends of the world's greatest basketball podcast ... which, awesomely enough, includes some of Turner Broadcasting's favorite NBA faces. (And, while we're not in the videos, us here at BDL, all of whom love TBJ and its creators very, very much.)
SG: Half Court Press and The Classical. A pair of good reads on the grace of the just-retired Grant Hill, both in the fluid brilliance of his early years and the willingness to accept and adapt in his later years.
PG: Grantland. There are counter-arguments, rule-proving exceptions and caveats to be considered, of course, but Jared Dubin's post arguing against NBA teams hiring "retread" head coaches offers some food for thought and, if nothing else, some support for the idea that giving first-timers a shot might not be as scary an idea as some establishment-friendly types would think.
6th: Queen City Hoops. A guide to prospective offseason upgrades for new boss Steve Clifford's awful Charlotte Bobcats, kicked off with this wonderfully self-deprecating entry point into attempted optimism: "The nice part about following a team that’s terrible is that there are plenty of avenues for improvement."
7th: Fang's Bites. Monday's Game 7 was the most matched NBA game in the history of TNT. It's like we've been saying this whole time — America loves the Indiana Pacers.
8th: Roundball Mining Company. I love Kenneth Faried. You love Kenneth Faried. We all love Kenneth Faried. But should the Denver Nuggets be giving us less Kenneth Faried in order to ensure that we get more Kenneth Faried when we're given Kenneth Faried? Matt Cianfrone makes an interesting case for curbing the Manimal's minutes, and perhaps even moving him to the bench. In conclusion: Kenneth Faried.
9th: Sactown Royalty. Now that the Sacramento Kings have new owners and a new head coach, Greg Wissinger thinks it's time for a new beginning for the team's most important player: "The days of DeMarcus the malcontent must end."
10th: Forbes. Fourteen years after he finished a brief stint with the Sacramento Kings, Jerome James has received a $400,000 income tax bill from the state of California because he didn't officially change his residence to Washington state upon setting up shop with the Seattle SuperSonics. Jerome James is the cautionary tale who keeps on cautioning.
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