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: DailyMotion user Nicolas Seignez, via r/NBA. This clip was posted four years ago and is I-don't-know-how-old, so forgive me for pulling out my late pass, but the combination of a barely pubescent Evan Fournier, a comparatively svelte Boris Diaw pulling out East Bay Funk Dunks and off-the-backboard self-alley-oops, and a little brother (I presume) who just yells at the camera makes this well worth 70 or so seconds of your time, even if you don't speak/understand French (or perhaps especially if you don't).
PF: SB Nation and BBall Breakdown. Mike Prada and Coach Nick revisit the New York Knicks' 125-120 Sunday road win over the Oklahoma City Thunder, with Prada taking a closer look at how the Knicks' offense has regained its early-season space-the-floor/pick-your-poison form during New York's 12-game winning streak, and the coach honing in on how spotty OKC defense (namely in handling pick-and-rolls and on help-side rotations against the Knicks' ball movement) helped New York get so many open looks.
SF: Grantland. A smart column from Zach Lowe, featuring plenty of input from coaches, executives and players, on how the rise in recent years of "pack-the-paint" defensive strategies that aim to cut off penetration has led to the development of more space-and-misdirection-oriented offensive attacks like those now en vogue in Miami, San Antonio and New York.
SG: SNY.tv. Hey, Deron Williams, what do you think about struggling teammate Gerald Wallace flat-saying that he has lost all confidence in his shot and thinks everyone associated with the Brooklyn Nets has, too? “He needs to stop talking about it." OK, cool.
PG: National Post. A really good look by Eric Koreen at one of the more underappreciated players in the league, Toronto Raptors big man Amir Johnson, who has gone from cautionary prep-to-pro tale and afterthought to legitimate difference-maker on the floor for Dwane Casey's club.
6th: Los Angeles Times. It makes total sense, given how one-step-forward/two-steps-back their season has been, but it still seems kind of crazy that the Los Angeles Lakers haven't won both ends of a back-to-back yet this season. With L.A. entering a Tuesday-Wednesday double-dip against the New Orleans Hornets and Portland Trail Blazers a half-game back of the Utah Jazz, as Mike Bresnahan writes, there'd be no time like the present to change that.
7th: The Oklahoman. Darnell Mayberry takes a closer look at Thunder sophomore Reggie Jackson, who looked great against the Knicks on Sunday, has been turning heads in limited minutes as Oklahoma City's backup point guard and could press coach Scott Brooks to give him a bigger role come the playoffs. (And yet, we see Derek Fisher down the bench, and we don't hold our breath.)
8th: Hardwood Paroxysm. DeMarcus Cousins-as-human-resources-manager fan-fiction? And it's not even my birthday, Alex Wong. You shouldn't have.
9th: The Basketball Jones. If Matt Bonner is going to become a big-time shot-blocker — which, apparently, he is — then the San Antonio Spurs sharpshooter's going to need to come up with something cool to say when he blocks shots. Trey Kerby offers his assistance in this time of need, and he asks for yours, as well. Do your part, Internet.
10th: The Times of India. An interesting read about NBA Commissioner David Stern's trip to Mumbai, his prediction that there will be an Indian player in the NBA within five years, the presence of Indian-born American businessman Vivek Ranadivé in the potential ownership group aiming to keep the Sacramento Kings in California's capital and the enticing prospect of the NBA tapping a massive new global market.
Got a link or tip for Ball Don't Lie? Give me a shout at devine (at) yahoo-inc.com, or follow me on Twitter.
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