The 10-man rotation, starring how the Warriors built their brilliant defense
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: ESPN.com and ESPN Insider ($). A tremendous in-depth read from Ethan Sherwood Strauss on how the Golden State Warriors went from perennial defensive laughingstock to the league’s stingiest club, a journey that has spanned several years and no fewer than 11 discrete steps … which dovetails nicely with Tom Haberstroh’s look at how the Warriors have been able to produce a No. 1 defense while also playing at the league’s fastest pace, which no team in the modern NBA has ever done.
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PF: Salt City Hoops. Dan Clayton with a good look at how a strong late-January stretch by Enes Kanter has introduced even more doubt as to whether the Utah Jazz should view him as part of their future or prepare to let him walk in restricted free agency this summer.
SF: Hardwood Paroxysm. Ian Levy offers a reason to watch every single player in the NBA. An impressive commitment to finding something to believe in, no matter which game’s on.
SG: SB Nation. Mike Prada’s second annual Film Room All-Stars celebrates 13 players who might not get the same sort of pub as their glossier teammates and adversaries, but contribute pivotal play for their clubs on a night-in, night-out basis. A fun read chock full of praise for the guys who do the little things that aren’t really so little.
PG: VICE Sports. Andrew Crawford on how Michael Beasley has found comfort and success in the Chinese Basketball Association, his chances of becoming “Marbury 2.0,” and the surprising set of circumstances that has made his transition possible: “For a fairly conservative sports culture, China has been exceptionally welcoming to a certain kind of oddball.”
6th: Wall Street Journal. A fun excerpt from Reggie Love’s forthcoming book about how basketball changed his relationship with President Barack Obama, and how the Commander in Chief wound up coaching fourth-grade girls’ basketball.
7th: The Triangle. Zach Lowe on why we shouldn’t sleep on the Los Angeles Clippers as a Western Conference contender.
8th: Memphis Commercial Appeal ($). Really enjoyed this Geoff Calkins column on the Memphis Grizzlies’ remarkable season, “an adventure wrapped in a magic-carpet ride inside a victory,” and the beauty of “following a team that is worthy of your emotional investment.”
9th: Eye on Basketball. Matt Moore with a good read on the “train wreck” in Denver, where Brian Shaw isn’t sure if his players are even trying to win: “There are no sides to take in Denver, there are just failed expectations, a lost season, and a locker room that seems like a miserable place to be at this point.”
10th: The Triangle. Jason Concepcion comes in praise of hero ball, efficiency be damned: “If I have to choose between a one-man show or the safest way to win, give me the show.”
More NBA coverage:
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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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