The 10-man rotation, starring how it all fell apart for the Raptors
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: Raptors Republic. Blake Murphy grits his teeth and dives into the tape to revisit the seven-minute, 38-second stretch of Tuesday’s Game 2 that might have effectively ended the Toronto Raptors’ season: “I strongly recommend you close the browser now. What follows is depressing.” (A possible, albeit thin, silver lining/cause for optimism for Raptors fans, from Eric Koreen of the National Post: “The Raptors have not lost in Washington since March 31, 2013. They have gone 3-0 since then, winning at the Verizon Centre twice last year and once this season. That is something, right?”)
PF: Palm Beach Post. Jason Lieser caps a season full of interesting interactions with Miami Heat big man Chris Andersen with one last bizarre encounter, making it crystal clear that “The Birdman” has no interest in unburdening his mind and soul with the help of a professional.
SF: Sporting News. Adi Joseph on the Charlotte Hornets’ Lance Stephenson problem, and how Steve Clifford and company can solve it without jettisoning their prize free-agent pickup after arguably the worst shooting season in NBA history.
SG: The Triangle. Zach Lowe’s not quite ready to come off his Spurs-in-seven prediction, but with a variety of other factors looming come the end of this season, whether it ends at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers or not, he suggests we “give these guys some extra attention over the next few weeks,” just in case this is the end of the line.
PG: ESPN.com, Bay Area News Group, The Hook. Ethan Sherwood Strauss on Draymond Green’s superior defensive work against Anthony Davis to help the Golden State Warriors hold on and win Game 2, Marcus Thompson III on Green penchant for giving the Dubs whatever they need whenever they need it most, and Tom Ziller on why Green’s performance through the series’ first two games lays bare for all to see why he’s deserving of a maximum contract in restricted free agency this summer.
6th: NetsDaily. Now that the Brooklyn Nets have made the stunning announcement that floor-spacing forward Mirza Teletovic is probable for Game 2 against the Atlanta Hawks, less than three months after being ruled out for the season with blood clots in his lungs, Daniel LoGuidice considers how the sharpshooting big man could factor into head coach Lionel Hollins’ plans.
7th: Brooklyn’s Finest. Paul Mitchell looks at how the Hawks shut down Brook Lopez by short-circuiting the Nets’ high screen-and-roll game, and how Hollins might look to get the 7-footer going come Wednesday.
8th: The New York Times. Scott Cacciola profiles the Memphis Grizzlies’ “Bongo Lady,” an air-drumming enthusiast who is Tony Allen’s “home girl” and the mother of a delightfully mortified teenager.
9th: The Oregonian. John Canzano takes a walk down Beale Street with Zach Randolph, who is a very, very different man now than the one he covered during his time with the Portland Trail Blazers.
10th: SB Nation. Paul Flannery talks with the Houston Rockets’ reserves — the ones Mark Cuban sloughed off before the playoffs, who helped James Harden carry the load in Game 1 and set Dwight Howard up to put away the Dallas Mavericks in Game 2 — about how they fit into a team where just about everybody else is the third banana.
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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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