At this point, the series against the Mavericks is already starting to fade (but not yet! We still have a few more post-series reviews in store), so now all we have to chew on is Kendrick Perkins' health and whether we'd rather face the Nuggets or Lakers. So we wait.
Player Rankings | Daily Thunder
That's a pretty solid top 3 there.
Harden and the Manipulation of the Slightest Window | Bleacher Report
Mahoney offers up his praise to the man that just eviscerated his Mavericks' season. One thing worth adding to his great piece is that Harden is a master in economy of motion. Unlike Durant or Westbrook, he doesn't play the game on the balls of his feet, bouncing left and right waiting for his defender to lose their defensive position. Instead, he forces the defense to make a choice. And as soon as the defense has made its choice, Harden engages with his counter-move, and really, there are only 3 of them. He steps back for the 3-pointer, he drives left to the lane, or he feeds his pick and roll man. However, this simplicity in choice works because he has already forced his defender to commit to one of them, leaving him with his other two options. Simple.
Could Perkins Be Out 10-14 Days? | NewsOK
I'm not a huge fan of this piece because of its level of conjecture versus actual facts, especially since Mayberry apparently has not actually gotten anything substantive out of the Thunder's staff. The headline too reminds me of this post.
Metta World Peace on Conan | Bleacher Report
The more time passes between the Metta World Peace elbow to James Harden's head, the less sympathetic I become toward him, especially when he chooses to personally profit off of the incident by going on a late night talk show. At best, he's willfully ignorant, and at worst, he's straight-up lying when he talks about how he didn't know what happened to Harden in the immediate aftermath.
Harden as compared to Kobe Bryant...wow, it will be quite something if/when the Lakers suit up against OKC in a week.
Mavs Had No Answer for Harden | National Post
One of the reasons why the Mavericks had no answer for Harden is because they had to give extra thoughtful answers to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Harden's 4th quarter was transcendent, but it is important to remember that he was able to deliver in part because of the way the overall team is constructed.
The Case for the 20 Year Old Age Limit | Grantland
Steve Kerr, former player, GM, and current TV analyst, walks us through his reasoning on why an age limit in the NBA makes sense. As is the norm for Kerr, he comes across here as thoughtful, passionate, and legitimately with the game's best interests at heart.
Westbrook Is Not a Fan of Your Question | Sports Grid
One of the great things about a player's personal growth is when he realizes that press conferences don't have to be a dull affair. Stan Van Gundy could have lied, but he didn't, and gave us one of the most clarifying moments of the inner-workings of the Magic organization possible. Likewise, here Russell Westbrook is asked an inappropriate question about James Harden's contract. He swats it away like a chase-down block.
Lamar Odom Misses Out on Playoff Check | Ball Don't Lie
Lamar Odom's season is well documented, and apparently he will not receive a playoff share bonus as a result. It begs the question of whether Odom would have made a difference in the Mavs' series.
Whistling His Own Tune | NY Times
Joey Crawford once tossed Tim Duncan out of a game. Here in first person account is his story.
We Talkin' 'Bout Practice | Deadspin
10 years ago, Allen Iverson gave the definitive press conference of all time. I daresay no player before or since has ever allowed a window into his soul in a presser like Iverson did on that day.
Cuban: It was the CBA's Fault | Ball Don't Lie
Well yeah, and the fact that Cuban let Tyson Chandler walk and thought Lamar Odom was a viable replacement.
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