The 10-man rotation, starring why the NBA’s anti-gun PSA matters
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: Salon. Nathaniel Friedman on the NBA’s partnership with Everytown for Gun Safety, kicked off by the public service announcement featuring Stephen Curry, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony that aired on Christmas Day: “If the NBA can continue to empower players to speak out while advancing its own institutional stance on issues, we’ll have a league that, while no less structurally just, has at least altered the dynamic between the league, its athletes and society at large.”
PF: ESPN.com. Kevin Arnovitz’s post-Christmas Day meditation on LeBron James’ transition into the NBA’s elder statesmen is worth reading if you missed it, and worth re-reading if you didn’t.
SF: Raptors Republic. Blake Murphy would really, really like it if Dwane Casey would stop running out all-bench units, since they don’t seem to, y’know, help the Toronto Raptors win.
SF: ESPN.com. Zach Lowe on the chaotic state of the Phoenix Suns, trying to figure out how much of this is the natural outgrowth of trying to serve multiple masters at once, and how much of it has to do with specific failures by specific people in specific situations.
PG: Corpus Christi Caller. Mark Travis on the San Antonio Spurs, tiki-taka and how the ever-increasing integration of international players, styles and now even coaches into the NBA has helped make the domestic game that much more beautiful.
6th: The Sporting News. Scott Rafferty looks at how Kawhi Leonard has become one of the league’s best, and most well-rounded, offensive players, too.
7th: VICE Sports. Robert O’Connell on Shaun Livingston, the Golden State Warriors’ most valuable fill-in: “He once seemed like someone who could change the game, but Livingston has found work as a player who simply, humbly completes it.”
8th: Sports Illustrated. Jake Fischer on Zach Randolph’s commitment to giving back to the people of Memphis: “He goes into some of the neediest, least served neighborhoods in Memphis and he’ll know people by name. Kids, adults, everyone. The thing about Zach is he has these real relationships with people in the very communities that he’s investing in.”
9th: Cowbell Kingdom. The Utah Jazz are playing without three major rotation pieces. The Suns are imploding. Neither the Denver Nuggets nor Portland Trail Blazers inspire much confidence that they’re going to stick around for the long haul. The stage seems set for the Sacramento Kings to finally nudge their way back into the conversation for the eighth seed … but can they get out of their own way long enough to take advantage of everyone else’s misery?
10th: Silver Screen and Roll. “For just a little bit of playing time donated, you could help the Lakers’ young duo [of D’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle] get the crucial minutes they need to develop. Please, donate today.”
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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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