The 10-man rotation, starring the case *for* Kobe Bryant (or, at least, that it’s not all his fault)
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: Silver Screen and Roll. After reading Henry Abbott’s ESPN the Magazine piece arguing that Kobe Bryant is the reason for the Los Angeles Lakers’ downfall, Drew Garrison presents the counterargument, suggesting that the reasons for the franchise’s precipitous recent decline are numerous, varied and not all contained within the Mamba’s jaw-jut. A worthwhile hearing for the defense.
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PF: SLAM. Ryan Jones on why LeBron James is the NBA’s best player, why (ownership of the Podoloff aside) there’s no real debate on the matter, and how the shifting of James’ circumstances as he rejoins a significantly more loaded Cleveland Cavaliers could wind up changing that soon enough.
SF: Sports on Earth. Howard Megdal on how — all the internecine drama, back-room dealings and franchise-jumping aside — we’ve still got quite a bit to learn about exactly what kind of NBA head coach Jason Kidd’s going to be.
SG: ChicagoNow. Yes, Derrick Rose looked great on Monday, but the Chicago Bulls’ loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers showed a few persistent and perhaps worrisome questions for Tom Thibodeau’s club, according to Doug Thonus.
PG: National Post. Eric Koreen floats an idea that Our Fearless Leader has championed in the past: shorten the preseason and make the regular season longer, not in games played, but in dates covered.
6th: A Wolf Among Wolves. William Bohl sees the Minnesota Timberwolves running more sets for midrange jumpers under once-and-future head coach Flip Saunders, and he wonders whether that approach will prove beneficial for a young Wolves roster without very many knockdown shooters. (Kelly’s not real bullish on it, for what it’s worth.)
7th: Raptors Republic. Smart stuff from Blake Murphy on the interesting dilemma facing the Toronto Raptors and surprise 2014 first-round draft pick Bruno Caboclo — how does a team setting its sights on the conference finals find the floor time to develop an incredibly raw player when it doesn’t have its own exclusive D-League affiliate?
8th: Detroit Bad Boys. Considering what a more efficient Josh Smith might look like, what Stan Van Gundy’s done this preseason to try to conjure such a performance, and whether it’s more likely that Smith turns in that brand of play for the Detroit Pistons or gets moved before the February trade deadline.
9th: Posting and Toasting. Derek Fisher says Amar’e Stoudemire — he of the wine baths of indeterminate medical benefit — isn’t operating under any sort of minute or playing-time restrictions, and the former All-Star big man says he’s feeling great. What does this mean for STAT’s role on the New York Knicks this year?
10th: Los Angeles Times. Chris Douglas-Roberts is wearing short shorts — or, at least, the shortest shorts he was able to get from the Los Angeles Clippers — in hopes that they “will give him the freedom to be an elite perimeter defender.”
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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
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