The 10-man rotation, starring the 3-point shot’s rise from ancillary to essential
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. An expansive look from Tom Haberstroh at how the 3-pointer went from novelty to necessity, with voices on both sides of the “is this good for the game?” debate heard.
PF: The Cauldron. Eddy Rivera casts Warriors vs. Cavs as a matchup between two squads that have taken “3-and-D” from an individual player type to a team-wide approach, a template set by Stan Van Gundy’s Orlando Magic.
SF: For the Win. Chris Korman with a great, gripping read looking back at the assassination of Steve Kerr’s father and how it shaped the life of the Warriors’ head coach.
SG: NBA.com. Scott Howard-Cooper talks about David Lee — the Warriors’ highest-paid player, a starter last season, an All-Star two seasons ago, and now a spectator — about what it’s like to finally be so close to the title and yet so far away from it.
PG: Bleacher Report. Matthew Dellavedova describes how his sudden rise to fame — or infamy, depending on which team you root for — in this postseason has changed his life. Or, really, how it hasn’t.
6th: Deadspin. Albert Burneko on J.R. Smith, who “can make the NBA Finals weird and surprising and fun,” in large part because “he can be the third-best player on both teams, at the same time.”
PG: Deadspin and SB Nation. After reading “Not a Game,” Kent Babb’s new biography of Allen Iverson, Drew Magary and Elena Bergeron wrestle with the way Iverson’s actions, during and especially after his playing career, have made him a frustrating and difficult subject to accept or excuse, and why many of us are still trying anyway.
8th: Vox. People continue to research whether the “hot hand” is real, and the latest round of findings — taken from the Three-Point Contest, rather than live game play, for what it’s worth — seems to indicate that there might be a bit more of a likelihood that making a few shots in a row does make you more likely to hit your next one. Or not. I don’t really know, but people sure seem to like trying to prove or disprove this!
9th: San Jose Mercury-News. Mark Conley chats with Mary Babers-Green, the now-famous mother of Draymond Green, and Shirley Barnes, mom of Harrison Barnes, about their sons’ paths to the NBA Finals.
10th: The Daily Intelligencer. In celebration of this, the Age of Riley, Jessica Roy introduces us to the NBA Babies All-Star Team. Please feel free to submit your snubs and flubs.
– – – – – – –
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.
