The 10-man rotation, starring Derrick Rose and what we’re all missing again
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: GQ. Bethlehem Shoals on Derrick Rose, gone down again: “He leaves a void where a superstar used to be. We may not quite recall what we’re missing, but we feel the empty space.”
PF: In Street Clothes. The invaluable Jeff Stotts details the specifics of medial meniscus tears, runs down the likely recovery paths he might face and clarifies what makes the former MVP’s ailment different from some other NBA players who have also suffered meniscus injuries: “It seems Rose is an unprecedented territory and only he is capable of writing the ending.”
SF: Pattern of Basketball. Jonathan Tjarks offers the flip side of the “why wouldn’t Kevin Durant want to come home to play for the Washington Wizards?” question: Given the state of the Wiz franchise and the shape of the East to come, are we even sure that John Wall and Bradley Beal will want to stay?
SG: Grantland. Kirk Goldsberry and company are using SportVU player-tracking data to try to come up with better means of evaluating and measuring individual player defense, long one of the least-understood elements of NBA basketball.
PG: BrewHoop and Bucksketball. Corey Gloor on how the Milwaukee Bucks’ decision to pull the trigger on a three-team trade-deadline deal that shipped out top scorer Brandon Knight created the chance for Khris Middleton to step into a starring role, and Jeremy Schmidt on how Middleton’s play in that primary spot will dictate just how rich he’ll become in free agency this summer.
6th: The Starters. Speaking of that three-teamer, here’s my old boss Trey Kerby on why it really wasn’t that big a deal for the Philadelphia 76ers to trade reigning Rookie of the Year Michael Carter-Williams to the Bucks in exchange for the protected 2015 first-round draft pick that the Los Angeles Lakers owed the Phoenix Suns, which may well wind up being the most valuable asset to change hands at the deadline.
7th: Basketball Insiders. And speaking of the Bucks’ end of that three-teamer, here’s Nate Duncan on why Milwaukee’s decision to move on from Brandon Knight, while a gamble, was a sound one for John Hammond, Jason Kidd and company to take.
8th: The Classical. I enjoyed Jesse Farrar’s piece on how the trade deadline showed that expiring contracts aren’t as valuable as they used to be, which included this fine analogy: “Imagine a world in which your grocery budget tripled and you could return anything you didn’t like as long as there was some left in the box—would you even bother with coupons anymore?”
9th: Matt Steinmetz. Ten simple steps for beating the Golden State Warriors that are, when it comes right down to it, not really all that simple to implement, as evidenced by the fact that only 10 teams have notched wins over the Dubs this season.
10th: Triangle Offense. Phil Jackson’s initial “experiment” with the triangle offense in New York might not be working out quite so well, but that’s just because he doesn’t have Russ Bengtson’s ideal 2015 triangle starting five. (Speaking on behalf of all Knicks fans: We would like to have that five very much, thanks.)
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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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