The 10-man rotation, starring the reasons why Hack-a-Whoever should go away
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: The Hook. Tom Ziller hears your arguments for why the NBA shouldn’t do anything to get rid of the practice of intentional fouling/Hack-a-Whoever, and he’s got rebuttals for each and every one of them: “As far as fascinating tactical wars go, I much prefer actual basketball.”
PF: Bullets Forever. Jake Whitacre breaks down one of the most important elements of the Washington Wizards’ postseason success: Otto Porter’s development, not only as a long-armed and quick-footed defensive stopper and helpful rebounder, but also as a supplementary offensive piece capable of attacking mismatches and keeping the ball moving.
SF: Wall Street Journal and The Brooklyn Game. Alex Raskin and Devin Kharpertian consider two possibilities that the Brooklyn Nets might consider as they try to climb out of their self-created crater this summer: trading away Joe Johnson and using the “stretch provision” in the collective bargaining agreement to say goodbye to Deron Williams.
SG: ESPN.com. Ramona Shelburne goes deep on the complexities of the Chicago Bulls under Tom Thibodeau.
PG: The Triangle. Kirk Goldsberry on how DeAndre Jordan’s evolution into the best rebounder in basketball has improved the Los Angeles Clippers on both ends of the floor, and how it bolsters a résumé that very well could earn him a maximum contract in free agency this summer.
6th: The National Post. Eric Koreen on the NBA’s complicity in the Isiah Thomas/James Dolan/New York Liberty debacle.
7th: 8 Points, 9 Seconds and The Triangle. Jared Wade and Shea Serrano celebrate the 20th anniversary of this thing that I hate so, so much.
8th: Valley of the Suns. An interesting look at how the set-to-explode salary cap could wind up slowing, or perhaps even scuttling, the Phoenix Suns’ multi-year rebuild, already in progress (and perhaps stalled out).
9th: Hardwood Paroxysm. William Bohl looks at Paul Pierce’s success as a small-ball stretch four in the postseason for the Wizards and sees it as a model for several other aging small forwards whose talents might play up a spot as they get older.
10th: Wall Street Journal. Chris Herring tries to figure out why more and more NBA teams seem to be firing successful head coaches these days.
– – – – – – –
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!
Stay connected with Ball Don’t Lie on Twitter @YahooBDL, “Like” BDL on Facebook and follow BDL’s Tumblr for year-round NBA talk, jokes and more.
