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• Trailer for a very cool-looking documentary on New York City pick-up basketball. Kenny Anderson, Fly Williams, God Shammgod, Homicide, Kenny Smith, Smush Parker, Headache, Julius Erving, Pee Wee Kirkland and others. What you might already be thinking.
• A very rough scene, including multiple shootings, in Oklahoma City after the Thunder win. Royce Young of Daily Thunder: "There were an estimated 10,000 people outside the arena Monday watching the game in Thunder Alley. It’s a question now as to if Thunder Alley will continue after this incident."
• John Hollinger (Insider) on JaVale McGee: "Turns out he's not just a punch line. McGee showed more development in two months in Denver than he had in four years in Washington, particularly on the offensive end where he showed some refinement with a sweeping hook shot. McGee still takes ridiculous chances on blocking shots he has no hope of reaching and leaves his feet constantly on the defensive end. On the other hand, he went for 21-14 against an elite frontcourt to key a close playoff road win, rejected a phenomenal 22 shots in 181 minutes, and had three 14-rebound efforts in seven games. In other words, while he's still something of a project, he's a productive project. Which makes him one of the league's most interesting names in restricted free agency. We know he's an athletic freak who probably has the highest leaping reach in basketball, so if he can just get halfway decent on the mental aspects he'll be a star. That tantalizing possibility, as the first round made clear, may cost Denver a lot more now that he's shown signs of possibly achieving it."
• Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register on the Lakers' season: "All the meanings could be seen in the final game: The Lakers were too slow, failed to defend consistently, had virtually no bench help, didn't get a team game from Bryant, couldn't depend fully on Bynum and had to accept excuses afterward from Gasol about what a tough year it was. 'He always wants me to be aggressive,' Gasol said of Bryant, 'but it's been tough for me. I've been in a facilitating role most of the year, pretty much the third option most of the year.' Then one of the last things Gasol said for the season was simply this: 'A lot going on this year.' Yes, more than enough to keep the Lakers from making that leap they've made look so seamless before ... from talented players to championship team. 'We just weren't doing it together,' Bynum said."
• This is turning into another one of those years ... if the NBA is rigged to favor big markets, they are terrible at rigging things. Out: New York, both Los Angeles teams, Chicago. In: Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Indianapolis, Boston (bear with me), Philadelphia (likely not for long) and Miami.
• Jazz GM Kevin O'Connor on KFAN, when asked about the "one and done" rule that allows players to join the NBA after one year of college or equivalent: "My wife writes the checks. And she would not like to write a check if I told you what I thought about the whole thing. Because the NBA would calling up ... and saying to send a check."
• Idea from a Blazer fan's active imagination. How about hiring both Van Gundys in Portland, to take over jobs as coach and GM as they see fit? Would eliminate trust issues, dramatically improve the defense and create one hell of a sitcom.
• The owner of the Warriors and mayor of San Francisco making very strong comments, loaded with certainty, about the Warriors moving to San Francisco.
• Kevin Garnett has some thoughts about Philadelphia fans.
• Heat superstars wonder aloud what Danny Granger is up to with his tough talk, which is probably a decent sign Granger's tactics have been effective.
• Is Shaquille O'Neal in position to make fun of Metta World Peace for having too many names?
• Time lapse video of Staples Center's busy weekend, with a thumpin' rock beat.
• Kevin McHale gets a C+ for his coaching.
• Holy Italian league playoff buzzer beaters.
• A while ago, I got very excited about Ian Levy's pretty charts showing team's offensive plays and how often they use them. Now he has them for all 30 teams. There is a lot to glean from them. But also ... the lines of the charts, like clouds in the sky, luck into recognizable shapes at times. Can't help but notice that the chart of the Lakers' offense looks like a dead bird. The Heat's looks like a little singing cartoon dude. The Thunder's is a fighter jet. The Hawks (work with me on this) resembles the head of a Great Dane.
• Russell Westbrook had four turnovers in the whole series.

• When your PER is higher than your age, you're Kyrie Irving. Or a short list of other players. Also, free agency has been the bane of Cleveland fans. But now that the Cavaliers have Kyrie Irving, the kind of player anyone would want to play with, free agency could become their friend, writes David Thorpe.
• The Pacers have not gone small much, and don't like to go small. So if the Heat go small ... what happens?
• Timothy Varner on 48 Minutes of Hell: "Chris Paul and Tony Parker finished third and fifth in MVP voting. They share a position. One could make an argument that they were the league’s best two point guards this season. Coming into this series, it will be fun to speculate whether Parker or Paul will win 'the matchup'. ... The problem, of course, is that matchup doesn’t exist -- at least not in the hero ball sense. Paul vs. Parker is not a Hollywood boxing bout. It isn’t even a true blue Castillo-Corrales slug fest. It’s a paper tiger. Within their program, the Spurs prefer to feature wings who can defend multiple positions. Bruce Bowen is the historic standard, but the Spurs regularly use Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, Manu Ginobili, and Stephen Jackson to defend multiple positions. Ginobili might be deployed against 1s, 2s, and 3s; Jackson against 2s, 3s, and 4s. And so on. This doesn’t make the Spurs entirely unique, but it does point to one of the more intriguing matchups of the series: Danny Green vs. Chris Paul."
• Something is up with the Lakers' pick-and-roll defense. Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register: "In their previous road game, the Lakers played pick-and-roll coverage incorrectly 92 percent of the time, according to [Coach Mike] Brown's own analysis of the Game 6 loss in Denver. It is hardly shocking that they were shredded by a far more talented, more focused Thunder attack."
• Paul Shirley came across a YouTube video of a big college dunk from his Iowa State days. He writes about it for ChicagoSide: "In this particular play, my college teammate, Jamaal Tinsley, made into fools several members of the University of Colorado backcourt before throwing the ball to me for a one-handed dunk that might even be called ferocious, if you need an adjective. Tinsley’s ball-handling tricks served as the final sentence in a masterful short story; my dunk was the exclamation point. The crowd released its tension in an avalanche of happy noise. For me, it was an incomparable rush; better than the most intense sexual encounter I’ve ever had. (Which might be an indictment of my sex life, but probably isn’t -- sorry, no hyperlinks here.) Even as I watched the video more than a decade later, I felt something similar to sexual release: a chill down my spine, sagging shoulders, relaxation in my lower back. I’ve never done cocaine. But that feeling -- the sense that I had just brought about a palpable crescendo of enthusiasm in 14,000 people, most of whom were paying rapt attention to my every movement -- is exactly what I imagine cocaine would be like: intense, immediate, and incredibly pleasurable. And just as dangerous -- because that feeling was one of the reasons I played basketball."
• A long-simmering debate among athletes: What matters more, the number of miles (or in basketball, minutes played) or age? The New York Times digs into the issue by looking into running research and finds ... science doesn't have a clear answer yet.
• Beware the columnist who has been watching lots of "Law & Order" re-runs.
• College hoops statistics suggest that you can't do much to make your opponents miss 3s. The winning strategy appears to be, especially if you're the favorites, to expend your energy trying to limit the number of attempts.
• Blake Griffin says he is not concerned about being labeled a flopper.
• Losing playoff games by big margins does not bode well for the Lakers.
• Zach Lowe of SI.com: "I am astonished on a daily basis by how many fans, both in Boston and elsewhere, think the Celtics are a good offensive team, and are thus surprised they have struggled to score against the Hawks and the Sixers. The misunderstanding seems to come from the fact that a) Boston has very famous players on its team; and b) the Celtics rank fifth overall in field-goal percentage and eighth in three-point percentage. So let me put this as clearly as I can: The Celtics are a bad offensive team. They were so-so last season and in 2009-10, and have been in continuing decline on offense for three seasons now. It’s wonderful that they shoot with great accuracy, especially from three-point range, but accurate shooting does not alone make a team good at scoring points. Field-goal percentage is no way to judge offense. It does not account for how many shots a team generates, how often it gets to the foul line and what sorts of shots it attempts. And in news that broke three years ago, this is where Boston fails."
• Now online in its entirety, for free: The documentary Small Market, Big Heart, made on a shoestring with the goal of humanizing the plight of Kings fans, who have long done a hell of a job supporting the often-miserable Kings.
• I think this is humor from Kobe Bryant. Or maybe not. (Via Slam.)
• Will James Jones make it back into the Heat rotation as a zone buster?
• Goran Dragic is a sexy free agent name. For perspective, his stats are very similar to Jarrett Jack's.

• A few thoughts about the future of televised basketball. High quality cameras are getting tiny, and people are already wearing them while playing hoops. Wouldn't mind seeing the Kevin Durant-view of some of the playoffs' best plays. Also ... I'm willing to bet there will be cameras on remote control helicopters in NBA arenas before too long. They already fly blimps around in arenas, and they already fly little helicopters with cameras over and around snowboarders and the like. This will happen.
• Boris Diaw will once again start, in the playoffs, for one of the best teams in the game. About six weeks ago that same Diaw was let go by the Bobcats, the worst team in the history of the game. Either the Spurs are doomed, or somewhere in there is a lesson about the value of corporate culture.
• Rob Mahoney, on The Two Man Game, with props for Shawn Marion. "Marion has led the Mavericks in rebounding in both games thus far, scored 32 total points on just 23 shots, and also happens to be providing a master class on how to defend Kevin Durant."
• John Hollinger's not a doctor, but he has some smart thoughts about Ray Allen's health (Insider): "Allen is listed as day-to-day, but those bone spurs aren't going to magically go away until he gets surgery to remove them. I'm not a doctor, but I don't know what's going to change by Friday or Sunday or next week, or next month, to make his condition any different. I suspect there's a decent chance he's already played his last game this year."
• On HoopSpeak, Brett Koremenos accuses the Nuggets of stage fright in Game 1: "Kenneth Faried and JaVale McGee are experiencing the NBA’s second season for the first time while Danilo Gallinari and Corey Brewer are only on their second go-rounds. Even Ty Lawson and Arron Afflalo, while not new to the atmosphere, are experiencing it in new and bigger roles." The Nuggets can score in the paint. Also, a memo to Ty Lawson from Roundball Mining Company's Kalen: "The minute Lawson resigns as an active threat, the Lakers have won."
• The Celtics are in a pickle. On the road, missing Rajon Rondo and Ray Allen, after having been outrebounded and outplayed. There seems to be something keeping Kevin Garnett from playing anything like his best. Is this the end of an era we're sniffing? At CelticsHub, they certainly aren't sounding the alarm yet. They're still upbeat, talking about how Paul Pierce will get to the line more without Rondo. That means something.
• David West shall lead them. What a great signing that has been for Indiana.
• If Amare Stoudemire left the arena wearing a sling ... is it really a cut we're worried about? And, it wasn't that long ago Stoudemire was joking on Twitter about punching stuff.
• Chandler Parsons. Not sure what he's doing exactly. But he's doing it hard.
• LeBron's teeth know the score.
• Some very colorful new-breed boxscores show James Harden, Serge Ibaka, Tim Duncan, Reggie Evans and Nick Young have all been even more spectacular than you thought. Also, with Caron Butler injured, Young will need to keep it up.
• Are people still saying Rajon Rondo did nothing but trip? Show them this.
• Where's this HoopIdea thing headed? Hopefully not here.
• Suns fans, how optimistic are you this offseason will restore the glory, or anything like it?
• European buzzer beaters.
• A legal mind weighs in on those Jordan Hill charges.
• Some players are looking younger and fitter, now that the playoffs are here.

• Linda Robertson of The Miami Herald: Miami Heat coach and healer Erik Spoelstra has his players on a late-season “maintenance” program. Chicago Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau has also been giving his guys nights off and treating the battered Derrick Rose with caution. But the R&R approach didn’t relegate Thursday’s game to a place holder on the brutally compressed schedule. When the Heat and Bulls meet, there’s always something at stake. The No. 1 seed in the East is still up for grabs. And the Heat’s ability to win at home and even the season series against Chicago at 2-2 certainly counted on the mind games scorecard. Meaningless? It didn’t look that way when James Jones was whistled for a flagrant foul on Joakim Noah, then ejected. Nor when Dwyane Wade was called for a flagrant flooring of Rip Hamilton and the two continued to jaw and shove throughout the game. Nor when LeBron James delivered a hard shoulder screen that decked John Lucas III, prompting players from both teams to assume the usual combative positions for a midcourt brawl. No fight, but the bad blood got boiling. Hard knocks and hard feelings added to the history of this rivalry, which is projected to continue in what would be the dream Eastern Conference title matchup in June.
• K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune: Derrick Rose sat for the 26th time Thursday night. The London Olympics begin in 98 days. If Rose, as expected, makes the U.S. team, might his myriad injuries give him pause? "I really haven't thought about it," Rose said. "But I've said before if I get the opportunity to play in those, it would be a great opportunity. I would have to make the smart decision. But I don't think it would change my mind because if I'm able to play through the playoffs, I should be able to play in the Olympics. "You also have to remember I probably wouldn't play that many minutes because of the great team we would have. Representing your country is a huge honor." The Bulls have no say in whether players play for their national teams. As the face of the host country's team, Luol Deng is preparing to play for Britain with a torn ligament in his left wrist. Joakim Noah will play for France.
• Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel: Dwight Howard is expected to undergo back surgery Friday morning in Los Angeles to repair a herniated disk that will effectively end his season and essentially end any remote chance the Magic may have had of winning a championship. But you know what? This is so much better than the alternative; than the reports and rumors that began to catch fire and circulate throughout the sports world on Wednesday night and all day Thursday. It all started on an Orlando TV station and spread into a full-fledged Skip Bayless ESPN debate on Thursday afternoon: Was Dwight Howard quitting on his team? That was essentially the report aired on WKMG Channel 6 when sports director David "Ping" Pingalore — quoting anonymous sources — reported that Howard called Rich DeVos Friday night and told the 86-year-old Magic owner that he will no longer play for head coach Stan Van Gundy. The report intimated that Howard, in protest of Van Gundy, would miss the playoffs even if he is healthy enough to play. In essence, Channel 6 was saying Dwight may have had a sore back, but he was more sore about his coach. No Magic fan wanted to believe it, but in this dysfunctional Dwightmare of a season anything seemed possible. Even the unthinkable: That Dwight Howard, the captain of the Magic, would turn his back — herniated disk and all — on his teammates and fans. Thank God, it turned out to be untrue. Then again, this is journalism in the Internet age. ... In the end, though, this surgery might be the best thing that ever happened to Dwight. Now he can properly rehab his back. But, mostly, he has a chance to rehab his image.
• Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic: "What a game," Suns coach Alvin Gentry said. "I just thought we just kept hanging in and hanging in and found a way to pull it out at the end. ... It was a gut-check game and we did everything we could to just hang in there and find a way to pull it out." The Suns (33-30) moved back into an eighth-place tie with the Utah Jazz for the final playoff spot with three games left for each team to play. Houston fell a game back of both with its sixth consecutive loss, putting the Suns in a situation to clinch a playoff spot if they can win at home Saturday against Denver and at Utah on Tuesday. If Utah wins its final three games at home against Orlando, Phoenix and Portland, it would make the playoffs. A playoff bid is going to require playoff intensity, and the Suns captured that in the third quarter with their venom aimed at Clippers forward Blake Griffin. It started with Jared Dudley getting tangled with him on a foul and not backing down in the aftermath. In the fourth quarter, Griffin was going for a breakaway "SportsCenter"-bound dunk when Suns center Robin Lopez ran him down and braced his left hand on Griffin's back and swiped across his head and throat with his right arm. Lopez was ejected for a Flagrant Foul2 on the play with 6:14 to go, but Clippers guard Mo Williams also received a technical foul for running up on Lopez.
• Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times: The Clippers entered Thursday night's game against the Phoenix Suns with a five-game winning streak and having won 13 of 15 games, but when names have been mentioned for NBA coach-of-the-year candidates, Coach Vinny Del Negro's name is never among them. Del Negro was asked about his thoughts on that, on whether he even weighs something like that. He downplayed it, agreeing that San Antonio's Gregg Popovich, Boston's Doc Rivers, Indiana's Frank Vogel and Chicago's Tom Thibodeau should be the leading candidates. "Those guys deserve all that," Del Negro said. The media agreed with Del Negro, but his team has been playing really good basketball as of late.
• Mike Wells of The Indianapolis Star: The Indiana Pacers began the season simply wanting to move up a spot or two in the Eastern Conference standings after getting a brief taste of the playoffs last season. They've accomplished that and much more. The latest turn in the Pacers' best season in eight years happened Thursday when they secured home court in the first round of the NBA playoffs by beating the Milwaukee Bucks 118-109 in a testy game at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. "It's tremendous the step that we've taken in one season," Pacers forward Danny Granger said. "How we've had a complete turnaround. Now we're one of the best teams in the NBA. It's really fun to win like this." The Pacers (41-22) will finish as the third or fifth seed. They would host Games 1 and 2 as the fifth seed because they'll finish with a better record than Boston, which is currently the fourth seed. The playoffs open the weekend of April 28.
• Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel: Everything started spinning out of control in the fourth quarter Thursday night at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Milwaukee Bucks forward Larry Sanders picked up two technical fouls in a 20-second span, fouled out and was ejected, nearly setting off a melee between the Bucks and Indiana Pacers. And the Pacers continued to send Bucks guard Mike Dunleavy Jr., a former Indiana player, crashing to the floor with hard fouls. This time it was Leandro Barbosa picking up a flagrant-1 foul for hitting Dunleavy on a Bucks fast break. In the midst of all the chaos, the Pacers prevailed, 118-109, to win their seventh straight game and nearly end to the Bucks' playoff hopes. Milwaukee (29-33) lost for the fifth time in its last six games to fall three games behind eighth-place Philadelphia (32-30) with four games to play in the chase for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot. The 76ers' magic number to clinch a berth dropped to two - any combination of Bucks losses and 76ers victories totaling two will eliminate Milwaukee. "We're on the outside looking in," Dunleavy said. "We've got to do something extraordinary right now."
• John Reid of The Times-Picayune: With an expiring contract and no guarantee from the Hornets on a possible extension, forward Carl Landry may have played his final home game Thursday night at the New Orleans Arena. With two picks already assured to be among the top 14 in June’s NBA draft, it’s not certain what direction the Hornets may go with their rebuilding plans now that Tom Benson owns the franchise. But Coach Monty Williams indicated Thursday night that changes are likely ahead for their roster. “It could be some surprises, and I’ll just leave it at that,’’ Williams said. “We’ve been evaluating older guys, even when they’re not on the floor.’’ Like Landry, shooting guard Marco Belinelli’s current deal expires after this season. Center Chris Kaman, who was acquired in the December trade that sent Chris Paul going to the Clippers, is in the final year of his contract. Although the Hornets listened to trade offers for Kaman before the February trade deadline, Hornets General Manager Dell Demps didn’t trade him. Now Kaman will become an unrestricted free agent. ... Landry said he would like to return to the Hornets, but said he didn’t know if they will pursue re-signing him. “You just never know,’’ said Landry, who scored 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds against the Rockets. “You hear one thing one day, and something (else) the next. You’ve just got to play every game like it’s your last. That’s all you can do, especially in a contract situation like myself. You can’t worry about if you are going to be here tomorrow.’’
• Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle Just as their season spiraled down the drain from the heights of a four-game road trip sweep to a late-season fold, the Rockets went from a 13-point lead to a 105-99 overtime loss to the New Orleans Hornets on Thursday, filling the night with missed free throws, a bungled offense and a broken defense. The loss sent the losing streak to a season-long six games and all but ended the hopes for a return to the playoffs, the goal Kevin McHale had declared as a plan on the day he was introduced as Rockets coach. “It snowballed,” Rockets forward Luis Scola said. “With every game we lost, the ball was bigger and the rim was smaller. Tonight, we missed shots we never miss. I don’t find a valid excuse, and also I don’t have valid answers.” The Rockets knew only that with their season on the line, they shrunk. The latest loss did not eliminate them mathematically. It did capture where their season went so wrong so quickly.
• Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press: The biggest smile in the Timberwolves' locker room Thursday night, April 19, belonged to Wayne Ellington. It took Ellington nearly three full seasons to experience the joy of winning an NBA game in April. Even more satisfying for Ellington was that the Wolves' 91-80 victory over Detroit at The Palace reminded him of a special flashback. "The last time I won a game in April was in 2009, when I won a national championship in Detroit with North Carolina," Ellington said after the Wolves snapped an 11-game losing streak and won their first game in April since a 105-97 victory at Golden State on April 8, 2009. "Unbelievable." The Wolves (26-38) had lost 27 consecutive games in April, a statistic that was picking up steam around the league and giving the Wolves more unflattering publicity.
• Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press: Pistons coach Lawrence Frank gets downright indignant when anyone mentions "tanking" about his team that's destined for a third straight season without a playoff appearance. But after a 91-80 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, who had lost 11 straight entering Thursday night, fans might be thinking, "Yeah, right." But the schedule might have had something to do with this one since the Pistons were playing their third game in three nights and sixth game in eight nights while the Timberwolves were off Wednesday night. Will Bynum, who tried to lead a comeback by scoring 17 points in the fourth quarter, confirmed that the team was tired, but added: "We ain't had no legs all season. You can't complain about that now."

• Geoff Calkins of The Commercial-Appeal: The Memphis Grizzlies clinched a second-straight trip to the playoffs Wednesday night by defeating the New Orleans Hornets, 103-91. And if it wasn’t exactly a surprising development for Rudy Gay and company, it was satisfying, just the same. “No question,” said Gay. “This is why you play. We know where we’re going to be in two weeks. We don’t take that for granted at all.” Gay, of course, would be the last person to take it for granted. He missed last year’s playoff run after shoulder surgery. While Z-Bo and the Grizzlies upset the San Antonio Spurs in the playoffs, Gay tried his best to pretend he was thrilled. Inside, he was aching. Of course he was. “I might as well have bought a ticket last year,” he said. “That’s the honest truth.” So this time around, he’s become the ticket. NBA Playoffs, admit one.
• Ethan J. Skolnick of the Palm Beach Post: LeBron James heard the chants Monday in Newark. Now, yes, he would like the award. James told reporters this morning that it would be meaningful to be named the NBA’s MVP for the third time. This, after all, seemed like more of a long shot when he teamed up with Dwyane Wade. But this season, James leads the Heat in every meaningful category, while guarding five positions. I have a vote. And, unlike last year, he will get my first place slot. Kevin Durant will be second on my ballot. I’m still sorting out the rest of the top 5 from a flawed list of options — though Chris Paul, Kevin Love, Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Tony Parker, Rajon Rondo, Josh Smith and Russell Westbrook will figure in there somewhere, depending in part on how the seedings play out. Dwight Howard will not be on my ballot, and neither will any Bull, Knick or Pacer.
• Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe: In addition to being nearly traded, Ray Allen was relegated to the bench by the emergence of Avery Bradley, a move that has made the Celtics more athletic and more effective defensively. Bradley’s offensive development has been one of the more surprising storylines of the NBA season. It appears that Allen would appreciate better communication from team management. Yahoo! Sports reported that Rivers called Allen just hours before the March 15 trade deadline and informed him of the trade to Memphis and then called back 20 minutes later to tell him the deal had been foiled. ... It seems while the Celtics have undergone a resurgence - primarily because trades for Allen and Pierce never materialized - there has been a breakdown in communication and perhaps regard between management and those veteran players. The wedge may be too late to close. Allen wants to finish this season with a championship, but the likelihood of his return next season has diminished. Perhaps those are the prickly issues that arise when eras conclude, but this one should have been massaged and managed better to make the road to the next Celtics’ phase smoother.
• Neil Hayes of the Chicago Sun-Times: Point guard Derrick Rose can’t explain why he has suffered so many injuries, but he said Wednesday that sitting out the last four regular-season games to ensure he’s healthy when the playoffs begin is not an option he’s considering. “I want to play as soon as possible,” Rose said. “I just want to get out there, man. I miss the game.” Rose missed his 25th game with his fifth different injury when he was ruled out against the Charlotte Bobcats at Time Warner Cable Arena. Forward Luol Deng also missed his second consecutive game with sore ribs. They suffered their injuries in the game Sunday against the Detroit Pistons, and the status for both Thursday against the Miami Heat will be game-time decisions.
• Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel: Dwight Howard did not join the Orlando Magic on their road trip for Wednesday night's game against the Boston Celtics, but Magic General Manager Otis Smith said Howard isn't sitting idle. Howard, who has a herniated disk in his lower back, is doing rehabilitation work at Jewett Orthopaedic Clinic's location at RDV Sportsplex. ... Howard's camp is adamant that the All-NBA center wants to return for the postseason. He will be re-evaluated on or around the end of the regular season. Depending how he responds to treatment, he could play in the playoffs. Meanwhile, injured small forward Hedo Turkoglu, is about ready to resume conditioning work, Smith said. Turkoglu fractured his cheekbone April 5 and underwent surgery April 7.
• Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman: Before we get James Harden’s career-high 40 points, to me there was an even bigger event during Wednesday night’s game. With 2:13 left and the final score already posted at 109-97 because neither team would score again, Thunder starting point guard Russell Westbrook threw a lazy in-bound pass to Harden that was nearly intercepted. An infuriated Scott Brooks immediately motioned Derek Fisher off the bench to replace Westbrook, who did not make eye contact with Brooks as he walked back to the bench. Brooks was sending a message to Westbrook. Whether Westbrook actually received that message is debatable since he didn’t seem to care in the least – which is precisely the entire point of the sequence. A big (+1) to Brooks. ... As for Harden’s performance: If you’re going to go off for a career night, no better place to do it than your hometown or where you played collegiately. The former ArizonaStatestandout had the crowd “oohing” and “ahhing” all night.
• Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic: The Suns fell back out of the playoff picture, dropping to ninth place in the Western Conference with a 109-97 loss to Oklahoma City at US Airways Center. The loss allowed Utah to move into eighth place, a half-game ahead of Phoenix and Houston, and the Thunder completed a three-game season sweep of the Suns (32-30). The Suns can move back into an eighth-place tie with Utah if they win at home against the Clippers tonight, when Grant Hill is expected to return after missing two games because of a sore right knee. With a week remaining in the season, Houston also could be in that tie with a win tonight at New Orleans, but the Suns hold the tiebreaker in either a two-way or three-way tie. Get through to the playoffs, and the Suns could wind up facing Oklahoma City (45-17), which is a half-game behind West leader San Antonio. "We've just got to go for broke now," Suns point guard Steve Nash said.
• Al Iannazzone of Newsday: Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler are looking forward to Amar'e Stoudemire's return. "Amar'e is an incredible player, and he's been looking great," Chandler said. "It's just a matter of him getting his timing back. But we obviously know we're a way better team with him than without him." Stoudemire remains on schedule to play Friday night in Cleveland. He went through a pregame workout Wednesday night and if there are no issues with his back, he will start against the Cavaliers. ... Anthony has flourished being the Knicks' main scoring threat the 13 games Stoudemire has missed with a bulging disc in his back. There will be an adjustment for everyone involved, but Anthony believes it's been blown out proportion. "I don't think there's anything about a transition or adjustment or anything like that," he said. "I'm pretty sure he'll fit right in. Our biggest thing and his biggest thing is to get him healthy. We're going to need him down the stretch, especially going into the playoffs."
• Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times: It looks as if Kobe Bryant will return Friday in San Antonio. Will it be enough to keep the Lakers ahead of the Clippers for third place in the Western Conference? The Lakers (40-23) are half a game ahead of the unyielding Clippers, who won for the 13th time in 15 games by beating Denver on Wednesday, 104-98. The Clippers have won five consecutive games but finish with three of their last four on the road: at Phoenix, home against New Orleans, at New York and at Atlanta. The Lakers, after visiting San Antonio, play host to Oklahoma City and finish at Sacramento. The Lakers own the tiebreaker against the Clippers (39-23) after winning two of their three regular-season meetings. Beyond whatever local bragging rights (albeit brief) accompany the team that finishes higher in the standings, the Lakers and Clippers want to finish third to avoid a first-round series against a young, well-rounded Memphis team.
• Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News: Before Wednesday’s game against the Kings at Power Balance Pavilion, Popovich reflected on the time he’s spent with Parker, as what he calls the point guard’s best NBA season hits the home stretch. Parker is averaging 18.6 points and a career-best 7.7 assists. Beyond the numbers, Parker — who turns 30 next month — has blossomed into the type of floor general modeling the Spurs’ first championship-winning point guard, Avery Johnson. “I’ll call something, and he’ll call it off if he sees something different,” Popovich said. “I’ll let him go with it. He’s earned that.” Parker’s command of the Spurs, keeping them in front of the Western Conference in a season in which Manu Ginobili has missed 30 games and Tim Duncan is flirting with a career low in minutes, has elevated the Frenchman to at least the outskirts of the league MVP discussion. “It was something we talked about, and we wanted and we gave him as a challenge,” Popovich said. “He fulfilled the challenge and the expectations. This has been his best year.”
• Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post: Of course. Kenyon Martin, he of the snarling, chip-on-his-shoulder defense, was the guy who changed the game. In an air-tight final minute Wednesday night at the Pepsi Center, with playoff positions hanging in the balance, Martin made a tough tip-in and then blocked a shot for the Clippers, who escaped Denver with a 104-98 win over the Nuggets that was closer than the score suggests. The former Denver power forward, who wasn't offered a contract extension and ultimately signed with the Clippers, tipped in a missed jumper with 27.1 seconds left, giving L.A. a 98-96 lead. Then, on the other end, he swatted Ty Lawson's layup into the hands of a Clippers teammate with 19.9 seconds left. Everybody made their free throws and the Clips ped out of town with a W in their luggage. "It's about winning basketball. Never quit playing no matter what the situation is," Martin said. "And that was my only rebound tonight, so it was perfect timing."
• Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News: The Mavericks have learned some hard lessons through the years, none better than the plain fact that to achieve greatness, you've got to have drive. It took awhile to put it on display, but they finally found it in every sense of the word Wednesday night against the Houston Rockets. Vince Carter, Jason Terry and even Dirk Nowitzki used an assortment of spins and drives to the basket to snap the Mavericks out of a somewhat sluggish first three quarters. The result was a remarkable fourth quarter in which Nowitzki had 21 of his 35 points, and the Mavericks put themselves on the lip of the playoff cup with a 117-110 victory over the Rockets at American Airlines Center.
• Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle: For the Rockets, the path to the playoffs is clear. Clarity does come when you have your longest losing streak of the season down the stretch to fall from sixth to 10th. “It’s tough now,” Chandler Parsons said. “We basically have to win out. We do have to win out.” Unless they somehow go from a five-game losing streak to a four-game winning streak, they will have turned into the Boston Red Sox without the fried chicken and beer. If they do somehow pull off such a spectacular turnaround, they still might not get in. It is, however, easier to see them getting the help they need than the four wins. With the Suns and Jazz holding the tie-breakers against the Rockets, the Rockets’ only way in to the playoffs is to get past both in the standings. The Rockets have to win in New Orleans tonight, take care of the freefalling Warriors and somehow win in Miami, where the Heat have the league’s best home record and the Rockets will be playing their sixth game in eight days.
• Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times: There could be more than an NBA Eastern Conference playoff spot on the line for the Milwaukee Bucks in their remaining five regular-season games. There could also be John Hammond’s and Scott Skiles’ jobs. Hammond, the Bucks general manager, and Skiles, their head coach, are nearing the completion of their fourth year with the organization. If the Bucks fail to advance to the playoffs, it would mark the third time in four seasons under their regime that they missed out on postseason play. What’s more, there aren’t any concrete indicators pointing toward a more promising future. In fact, since their blockbuster trade last month that sent Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson to Golden State for Monta Ellis, Ekpe Udoh and Kwame Brown, the Bucks have posted an anemic 1-7 record against teams with a winning record. Of course, that will be easily forgotten if the Bucks reach the playoffs, which has always been Kohl’s primary goal for his GMs and head coaches. By making the playoffs, Kohl would also save himself an exorbitant amount of money. Skiles and Hammond each have one more season left on their contracts: Skiles for around $5 million and Hammond for around $2 million. At the same time, nobody should be startled if Kohl swallows one or even both of those contracts.
• Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: No letdown, only a smackdown. The Hawks erased any concern they would fall to an inferior opponent minutes into a 116-84 utter dismantling of the Pistons at Philips Arena on Wednesday night. They set season-highs for points in a quarter (39) and points in a half (72) in building an early lead the Pistons had no hope of overcoming. Consider: The Hawks led 39-20 after the first quarter as nine different players scored. They led 72-42 at the half as all 12 available players entered the scoring column. The .622 shooting percentage was the best of the first half all season. The Hawks led by as many as 37 points in the second quarter. The lead eventually reached 41 in the fourth quarter. oe Johnson logged the most first-half minutes of any starter with just 12. Many starters jumped to their feet and waved towels as the reserves continued to pour it on. The Pistons made only 15 of 44 shots (.341) in the first half. The Pistons ended the first half with 42 points, a total the Hawks had reached with 11:28 remaining in the second quarter. The Philips Arena crowd even attempted the wave in the third quarter.
• Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune: The Jazz destroyed the Portland Trail Blazers 112-91 during a Northwest Division matchup Wednesday at the Rose Garden. Utah (33-30) will make the playoffs if it wins its final three games. All are at home, where the Jazz are 22-8 this season. Two are against teams — Portland, Orlando — missing big-name All-Stars. And a contest against Phoenix next Thursday is shaping up as the make-or-break matchup for the Jazz’s season. Minutes after downing the Blazers (28-35), Utah’s locker room was as proud and strong as it’s been all year. Al Jefferson sang. Paul Millsap laughed and teased. Gordon Hayward smiled and slapped a low-five. All the while, Harris quietly but confidently talked about his game. He discussed his mid-career resurgence. The improved 3-point shot he worked on throughout the lockout. A team that’s believed in itself since December, weathered injuries and losing streaks, and emerged to finally be within sight of the postseason.
• Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News: Any coach in any sport at any level must possess a large amount of patience if he is going to be successful. Doug Collins must have a reserve tank of it. How else could he still have his sanity after getting practically no production from starting shooting guard Jodie Meeks the past couple of weeks? But Collins keeps putting Meeks out there, night after night, with the hope that the streakiness that makes up the Kentucky product’s shooting will take a major turn upward. ... Streaky shooters will be just that and sometimes hit the type of droughts Meeks is stuck in. But it is worse than that. Meeks, who started the first 38 games of the season and 46 overall, looks unsure of himself on his jump shots, even airballing an important wide-open trey against the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday. Meeks has maintained the same attitude this season, claiming that he never loses confidence in his shooting and that if he goes through streaks like this, he truly feels his next shot will go in. With the Sixers in a somewhat free fall and struggling to maintain the final NBA playoff spot, the team can ill afford for Meeks not to perform.

• If the MVP debate is about individual production, the conversation is already over. That's PER, which has various relevant shortcomings: It doesn't really account for wins or defense. If it's LeBron James vs. Kevin Durant, though, James wins the defensive battle, and wins will be equal or close.
• The CEO of the Sixers is asking people on Twitter to tell him which players to keep, and which ones to trade. Point that is far too wide-ranging for bullets: No business would do that for a key executive, right? Indeed, I doubt it would be seen as acceptable for the Sixers to welcome public negative feedback of the general manager, coach or, indeed CEO. So, what makes it OK to talk that way about players? (By the way, this is right out of the Drew Carey playbook.)
• Steve Nash says he has earned the right to really dig into free agency. He made positive noises about the coach, fans and his teammates in Phoenix. (Missing from that list, possibly innocently: Front office.) But he also left the door wide open to leaving, talking about titles and the like. I'm sure everybody who was so bitter at LeBron James' decision to leave in the name of winning will react identically should Nash leave.
• Rockets are scrapping like crazy to squeak into the playoffs, and because of the the way the draft works, their most ardent fans can't even decide if they want the team to make the cut. This is messed up.
• The NBA is getting pretty serious about having logos on jerseys. There have been mock-ups of uniforms presented to owners. There is a national deal for the D-League in this year's playoffs. There is also acceptance that a lot of fans will think it's insane. What I'd say is that fans of sports that already have this seem far less bothered by it. Might be one of those things, like say, rain, that is worse in concept than in reality. For the record, to me it's just a question of price. If they can raise crazy money, by all means.
• Russell Westbrook was shooting really well this season, but recently he is back to his old percentages. Which is the real Westbrook? Super dramatic end to this bullet: A title could hang in the balance.
• Derrick Rose, who hurt his ankle against the Pistons, tells the Sun-Times he is trying not to think about injuries: "If you put things into the universe they come true. I'm just trying to stay focused, stay happy, stay positive, keeping my spirits up. Hopefully, I'll be healthy in the playoffs."
• Interesting times for those intent on bringing a team back to Seattle.
• Talk of Larry Brown coaching at SMU, where I know for a fact they have nice practice courts. Pretty sure I left my wireless card there during the NBA Finals in June. in fact. Larry, if you see it, would be great to have it back.
• Honestly, this is a delightful sports moment. Jordan Hill, on the Lakers bench, can't contain himself from clapping for Tony Parker's deadly crossover, against his own team. The best part is after a few claps he quickly realizes what happened, and tucked his hands away, all innocent. Somebody somewhere will get all bent out of shape about this, talking about And-One culture, team identity and the importance of winning. I hear all that. But if you don't appreciate a nice move, what's the point of watching hoops?
• A fine line between global domination and world peace.
• Mavericks offense is "in shambles."
• On Twitter I asked people for their thoughts about the news that a lot of athletes smoke marijuana. Check responses to @TrueHoop when you read this. By my count it's about 30 people saying, in various ways, that they don't care at all. Don't think there's one sincere response from anybody upset.
• Which West teams are most scared of other West teams? Grizzlies are scary, especially to Spurs, I'd think. Who wants the Lakers? Nobody ... Lakers would have a lot at stake, reputation-wise, if they faced the Clippers. I'm thinking the Nuggets could be very tough, too.
• Just in time for the playoffs: The Clippers can play defense.
• Wow. Kevin Love doing some crazy workout stuff.

HoopIdea wants to #StopTheFlop. To spotlight the biggest fakers, we present Flop of the Night. You can help us separate the pretenders from the defenders -- details below:

Corey Brewer has apparently been training with the Cobra Kai. Midway through the fourth quarter of the Nuggets' crucial game against the Houston Rockets, the lanky wing found himself open for a big 3-pointer. That's when Brewer decided that instead of his usual shooting motion, he needed to "SWEEP THE LEG!"

Luckily, this is the NBA, not a junior karate competition, so no one was hurt, or even endangered. But check the video evidence: As Rockets guard Goran Dragic sails past him, Brewer awkwardly extends his right leg and draws three free throws.

Here's how (I imagine) the conversation between Nuggets Coach George Karl and Corey Brewer went before the game.

Karl: Corey, I want you to score when you shoot from 3.

Brewer: But Coach, I can make a 3-pointer...

Karl: I don't want you to make the shot, I want you to score!

Brewer: But I'll be a flopper!

Karl: I said ... score. Sweep the leg.

---

When you see an egregious flop that deserves proper recognition, send us a link to the video so we can consider it for Flop of the Night. Here's how to make your submission:

• Alert HoopIdea to super flops with the Twitter hashtag #FlopOfTheNight (follow us on Twitter here).
• Use the #FlopOfTheNight hashtag in Daily Dime Live.
• E-mail us at hoopidea@gmail.com

Basketball geekery has delved into crunch time in various ways.

• First there was individual field goal percentage. That's where we learned that the players we thought owned crunch time (for instance Kobe Bryant and Chauncey Billups) actually miss a lot.
• A year ago, we added something new, looking at team offenses. That's a more important measure, assuming you value wins more than highlights. Who cares who gets the bucket, so long as they're on your team? That's where we learned that most teams were about the same, with some exceptions, including Chris Paul's Hornets, which were amazing.

But all that is only part of the picture. Because as much as we love clutch buckets, clutch wins also have a ton to do with defense. If you're going to point to any team as elite in the clutch, that must be included, and now it is.

As John Hollinger has explained, a lot of what teams do in crunch time is likely random. Looking at tiny parts of games creates some wacky results without a lot of predictive value ... anyone who says they know a team will do well in crunch time is likely fibbing. All teams do both well and poorly at different times. But defense may be a bit of an exception. Teams do seem to play defense with a certain consistency late in games.

Using NBA.com data from the last five years (current as of today), from games within five points in the final five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime, Trevor Ebaugh of ESPN Stats & Info. dug in and created this pretty Tableau table:



Some of what we noticed:

• The Cavaliers of LeBron James and Mike Brown were unreal in crunch time, leading the league by a hefty margin for three straight years, with the best performances of any teams in the record. It's easy to see that LeBron James matters here -- once he left for Miami the Cavaliers’ plus/minus plummeted. The Cavs averaged plus-113 with James during those three seasons, and plus one in the two seasons since. Meanwhile, before James, the Heat weren't good in crunch time, but have since become very solid.
• Mike Brown emerges as an interesting character in crunch time. With James in Cleveland three straight years, and now in Los Angeles after a year off, his teams led the league by this metric every year he has coached in the last half-decade. In this period, neither team has been as good with other coaches, either.
• The Lakers have by far the best crunch time plus/minus this season (plus-79, the Pacers are second at plus-65). Pau Gasol (plus-78) has been their biggest individual star, followed closely by Andrew Bynum (plus-74). Kobe Bryant ranks third at plus-58. The Lakers achieved this number with the NBA's second-best clutch offense (behind the Magic) and the eighth-best defense.
• Three teams have shone for five straight years: The Lakers, Celtics and Magic. The Nuggets are flirting with joining that club, too.
• Superstars matter. Or, at least some do. LeBron James, Derrick Rose, Dirk Nowitzki, Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul almost always end the season positive in this regard -- the only exceptions are Paul and Nowitzki this year, which could still change. Other big names, like Kevin Durant, Tim Duncan, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade have had more mixed results.
• Good teams in general do well in crunch time. The top six teams in crunch time plus/minus this season have already locked up playoff spots, for instance (Lakers, Pacers, Hawks, Magic, Spurs and Bulls). But it's hardly a perfect correlation. In fact, surely a lot of what we're seeing in this chart appears to be simple randomness. The Pacers, terrible for a long time, are suddenly leaders. The Kings are excellent crunch time defenders this season. The Hawks are a solid team that is way better than solid late in games. And plenty of good teams -- the Sixers, the Knicks -- are pretty bad with the game on the line.
• Over the past half-decade, just two teams, the Knicks and Timberwolves, haven't had a single season in positive territory.
• The top ten late-game offensive teams this season are the Magic, Lakers, Grizzlies, Bulls, Hawks, Pacers, Rockets, Thunder, Spurs and Knicks.
• The Pacers are by far this season's best defensive team late in close games. They are followed by the Hawks, Kings (!), Spurs, Heat, Magic, Bulls, Lakers, Thunder and Clippers.
• The Dallas Mavericks have been very good for the last five years, but also have had the biggest drop-off in crunch time performance, from a league-leading plus-117 last season to an anemic minus-16 this season.
• The Hawks have been good in crunch time for four straight years.
• The Spurs and Thunder have been up and down.
• The Houston Rockets (plus-31) and Memphis Grizzlies (plus-28) are the best crunch time teams this season that have yet to lock up a playoff spot. The Los Angeles Clippers (minus-9) are the only playoff team with a negative clutch plus/minus.

Mostly, this feels like it's the tip of the iceberg. There's a lot more to learn about all this, and one of the big questions on the horizon is something Bill James has wrestled with in baseball for quite some time: Is there such a thing as clutch time performers? Are there really players or teams who do better with the game on the line?

That's still not something we know. What we do know is that a lot of what we thought we knew was wrong.

• Andre C. Fernandez of The Miami Herald: LeBron James gave the Heat a performance to remember. And then paused to give a 7-year-old boy a gift he won’t soon forget. James walked off the court Monday night at the Prudential Center shoeless moments after scoring the Heat’s final 17 points in a 101-98 comeback win against the host Nets. He then took off his shoes, autographed them and handed them Daniel Julez Smith, the nephew of singer Beyoncé Knowles, who sat courtside with husband/rapper/Nets minority owner Jay-Z at the game. “Am I going to miss those shoes?” James said. “No, I got another pair. We came too far to take the foot off the gas. I looked at the scoreboard and didn’t know what I was doing individually. I knew I was making some plays though. I didn’t know I scored 17 straight.” The celebrity duo witnessed James’ fourth-quarter effort that salvaged an otherwise sloppy effort by the Heat, which won the second of back-to-back games. The victory in the Heat’s final game in New Jersey against the Nets, who will move to Brooklyn next season, was Miami’s third in a row.
• Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel: Fittingly, this is the only way such a strange, surreal and bittersweet ride could end. The Magic must tell Dwight Howard not to play for them anymore this season…after days, weeks and months of begging him to do just the opposite. Crazy, isn't it? The Magic spent desperate hours realizing they might have to accommodate Howard's trade demand, then weathered an embarrassing public battle between their superstar and coach. Now they must go out of their way to protect him. There's nothing more critical now than protecting their top asset, not only for themselves, but for other suitors. Time to shut Dwight down for the season. Hopefully, the Magic and Howard already have decided on this game plan. They just haven't announced it. His health outweighs any puncher's chance the Magic have in the playoffs, especially now with injuries to Hedo Turkoglu and Big Baby Davis.
• Bob Cooney of Philadelphia Daily News: With 7 minutes, 28 seconds left in the third quarter, Orlando Magic guard Jameer Nelson casually drove the lane and lofted a nifty lob pass to center Daniel Orton, who deposited an easy layup with nary a 76ers defender in sight. After the ball went through the basket, coach Doug Collins looked at assistant head coach Michael Curry and asked, "What do we do, coach?" It was that perplexing of a night. Before the game, the Sixers coach talked of his team's need to negate the three-point shooting of the Magic, particularly Ryan Anderson. He even thrust Thaddeus Young into the starting lineup to be quicker against an Orlando team that was missing star Dwight Howard (back injury) and his backup, Glen "Big Baby" Davis (right knee sprain). Collins spoke of not allowing the Magic to control the backboards and making sure that on pick-and-rolls the shooter always be covered. He said all the right things before the game, but somewhere between his mouth and the basketball court, all seemed lost after the first quarter, and the severely shorthanded Magic laid a 113-100 loss Monday night on the Sixers, who dropped into a tie with the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference. Both teams own 31-29 records, with the Knicks officially in seventh place, holding the tiebreak advantage, as they won two of three from the Sixers this season.
• Tim Griffin of the San Antonio Express-News: It’s hard to believe that Gregg Popovich could have planned a better start for his team’s opening game of a punishing road back-to-back-to-back than how it started Monday night in Golden State. The Spurs jumped out early and were able to cruise to a 120-99 victory over the injury-riddled Warriors. And it the process, San Antonio’s “Big Three” of Manu Ginobili, Tony Parker and Tim Duncan were able to get plenty of rest that should refresh them for the rest of the road trip as no Spurs starter played more than 19 minutes against the Warriors. Duncan, Ginobili and Parker combined to log 40:25 in playing time in Monday’s game. All of the trips are relatively short — they don’t leave the state of California — and they will catch the Lakers without Kobe Bryant and a young Sacramento team that had lost seven straight games and 12 of their last 14 before beating Portland Sunday night. “Pop made the call and it was the right call,” Duncan said about his extended rest Monday night. “Obviously we have three (games) in three days. We want to keep our energy up as much as possible and hopefully be able to play in every one of these games.”
• Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times: The Clippers clinched a playoff spot, doing so even before they tipped off Monday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Staples Center. For the first time in six years, the Clippers reached the postseason thanks to the Houston Rockets' loss to the Denver Nuggets earlier in the evening. Still, the fact the Clippers defeated the Thunder, 92-77, in a playoff-intensity contest — and particularly the way they did it — was significant to both teams. The Clippers have won four straight games — two of them against the Thunder, the Western Conference co-leader, in less than a week's time. The Clippers beat the Thunder by two points last Wednesday in Oklahoma City. Monday's victory clinched their season series against the Thunder, 3-1. ... "This game, a lot of it's about confidence," Clippers Coach Vinny Del Negro said after his team won for the 12th time in 14 games. "When you beat good teams, it just builds your confidence. But I think our team has a lot of confidence right now."
• John Rohde of The Oklahoman: Two-time NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant said he will not sacrifice team play for a chance at a three-peat. “I've noticed playing in this league for five years that if you force anything, that's when bad results come,” the Thunder All-Star forward said before Monday night's game against the Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center. “I never want to force nothing.” Durant entered Monday's game with a 27.8-point scoring average, trailing Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (28.1). Miami forward LeBron James was a distant third (26.9). Bryant has missed the last five games with a shin injury and possibly might sit out the remainder of the regular season. If Bryant does not play again, Durant would have to score 184 in the final six games of the season, an average of 30.7 points per game, to pass Bryant (28.075 to 28.071) for a third straight scoring crown.
• K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune: Maybe Tom Thibodeau should start addressing reporters for his pregame remarks in a white lab coat, perhaps even don a stethoscope as he runs down the latest injury woes. Then, on nights like Monday, he can switch to maybe a cardigan sweater next to a comfortable couch, all the better to offer therapy for what ails the Bulls. Their stunning collapse in an 87-84 loss to the Wizards, who are just 7-24 on the road, dropped their lead over the Heat for the No. 1 seed in the East to 21/2 games. That it happened without the injured Luol Deng and Derrick Rose mattered little to Thibodeau. "We have more than enough to win with," Thibodeau said. "We didn't do our job. I didn't do my job. It starts with me. I have to have them ready." Rose sat for the 24th time, with, astoundingly, his fifth different injury, a sore right foot that developed overnight Sunday after he sank the 3-pointer to force overtime and played 41 minutes to beat the Pistons.
• Mike Wells of The Indianapolis Star: Nineteen minutes. That’s how long Darren Collison’s return to the lineup lasted. Collison is being shutdown for the time being because of problems with his groin, which caused him to miss the four games prior to Monday. It was obvious seconds after he checked into the game that Collison wasn’t comfortable on the court. “He doesn’t have his explosiveness,” Frank Vogel said. “He felt like it was pulling on him the whole night. He didn’t have the explosiveness to go by big guys in the pick-and-roll game. We’re going to give it a few more days to see if we can get him 100 percent.” The Pacers have five games remaining before the playoffs start the weekend of April 28. Vogel will have to decide if he wants to go back to Collison or stick with George Hill once Collison returns to the lineup.
• Michael Cunningham of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: The Hawks are in the playoffs for the fifth consecutive season. If my blog people don’t do anything else, I hope you at least pause for a moment to enjoy this fact and think back to when it was not a given. Also remember how you felt when you heard Al Horford was out and the long series of injuries that followed. The Hawks put away Toronto once their help defense got in sync, they turned turnovers into scores or free throws and attacked the basket when all those Js they made early stopped falling. “I’m glad we were able to turn right back around and play this team where we could go ahead and get that sour taste out of our mouth,” Joe Johnson said. “We understand we are a better team that what we showed last night.” Not to burst that bubble, but add one more ailment to the mix: Zaza Pachulia’s foot injury is worse than initially thought and could keep him out at least for the balance of the regular season.
• Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post: The Nuggets' postgame locker room Monday night was a lounge. Players sat back in folding chairs and chilled out, satisfied after a job well done. There were jokes and stories told and general laughter from all corners. The postgame meal was fish, chicken and vegetables, hearty food after a hearty win for a team that, despite its inconsistencies, is now figuring out ways to come out on top. Moments earlier, those players had just put the finishing touches on a 105-102 win over the Houston Rockets at the Toyota Center. By many accounts from those in the Denver organization, it was the biggest road win of the season. By everyone's account, the magnitude of this win was easy to measure: H-U-G-E. "It was huge," Arron Afflalo said. "Play a team back-to-back, to get their best shot on their home court — Houston's a good team with some fiery players. It was an overall good game and I'm happy we're now able to have a two-game lead on them." And that was the point.
• Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post: George Karl's coaching career has had its twists and turns, its ups and downs. But for 20 years and running now, he hasn't had a losing season. When the Nuggets (34-27) defeated the Rockets 105-102 on Monday night, it ensured Karl his 20th consecutive winning season as a head coach. "It's a blessing," Karl said. "It's a gift of fortunately having good players and coaches and good people and fortunately some luck along the way." Karl, whose team is in the midst of a battle for a Western Conference playoff berth, has more important things to think about. "That's so minimal right now. Know what I mean?" he said of his long run of winning seasons.
• Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle: If the Rockets’ playoff hopes took a knockout punch on Monday – and as they fell out of the top eight a week after they had moved into a solid sixth it looks that way – it would be easy to point at the latest defeat of the losing streak. If the Rockets are lottery-bound again, it is not because of Monday’s loss. The Rockets now have the toughest road to the postseason of the teams in the fight for the final playoff spots. The Suns own the tie-breaker, at least at the moment, giving them eighth place with the Rockets ninth. The Rockets head to a road back-to-back in Dallas and New Orleans and still have to go to Miami where they will be playing their sixth game in eight days. The Suns barely have to pack a suitcase again this regular season. Utah, which faces the Suns in Salt Lake City April 24, is a half-game behind the Rockets and holds the tie-breaker. ... Their problem was that in the previous three games, the Rockets did not give themselves that chance. They might not have realized it at the time, but their playoff hopes were on the line then, too. They fell behind Utah by 18, Phoenix by 16 and the Nuggets by 23. They rallied in the first two of those games, but they did not lose those games when the comebacks fell short. They lost because they put themselves in position to need those comebacks. That was clear then, but even clearer on Monday when the Rockets played with the desperation lacking last week.
• Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune: Al Jefferson spent his entire career working toward this. A night when no one could question his effort or intensity. A game when every one of his points and rebounds meant something. A relentless fight where Jefferson was the biggest, baddest player on the court. And then some. Big Al punched out the Dallas Mavericks on Monday, scoring a team-high 28 points and tying a career high with 26 rebounds, all while lifting Utah (32-30) to a thrilling 123-121 triple overtime victory at EnergySolutions Arena before a crowd of 19,363. The 545th game of Jefferson’s eight-year NBA career was his best. He topped it off by playing a game-high 54 minutes and 4 seconds — one of four Jazz players to eclipse the 52-minute mark. After the battle, Jefferson said he could’ve fought for 10 more minutes. Yes, he was tired. Yes, he’d left it all on the hardwood — his voice was hoarse, his body was covered in sweat and he was slumped down in a chair inside Utah’s exhausted locker room. But while Jefferson’s phone was drowning in messages and teammate DeMarre Carroll was swarmed by cameras and recorders, Utah’s starting center was calm and cool.
• Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News: Delonte West drew a large crowd of reporters after Monday's 123-121 loss to Utah for giving Jazz guard Gordon Hayward an index finger to the ear. He called it a wet Willie, but it would be more accurate to call it a West Willie. With 3:40 left in the first half, West and Hayward got tangled up on the Jazz's offensive end. West gave Hayward a forearm push and then, after a foul was called, West strolled over to Hayward in nonchalant fashion and poked his index finger into Hayward's right ear and gave him a push. Guys get ear-holed in football all the time. But in basketball, it's a little rare. West got a technical foul and may hear from the NBA office in the next day or two for his actions. He also got booed relentlessly by the crowd after the incident "I was giving him a wet Willie, that's all,'' West said.
• Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic: The offensive evolution of Shannon Brown this season does not get enough attention. Early in the season, Brown often would pass up an early good shot and wind up with a worse one. And that was the extent of his passing. Saturday's loss marked the first time in 12 games that Brown didn't score in double figures. He has been a better shooter, a better decision-maker, the lone isolation scorer besides Michael Redd and has mimicked Grant Hill's runouts and Jason Richardson's alley-oops. Brown said he was inspired by the All-Star Game and has been a different player since it.

NBA teams have been tanking for decades to improve their draft position (and for other reasons), and NBA insiders have talked about tanking for decades -- in fact, over the years the NBA itself has recognized the potential for tanking and dealt with it in various ways, including altering the draft system multiple times to try to prevent it. Meanwhile, as the discourse about tanking has gone public, there have been thousands of articles written about the problem, including by such writers as Sam Smith and Bill Simmons.

HoopIdea has carried forward this discussion as part of our effort to improve the game. As we said on Day 1 of HoopIdea: Basketball is the best game ever. Now let’s make it better.

To make the game the best it can be, we want to make sure that when fans show up or watch on TV, both teams are always trying to win. And the NBA does, too. As Joel Litvin, the NBA’s president for basketball operations, told Howard Beck of The New York Times in 2008: “If we ever found a team was intentionally losing games, we would take the strongest possible action in response.”

Given that, it’s worth noting that tanking has been confessed to dozens of times off the record and a surprising number of times on the record:

2006-07 Boston Celtics
In 2007, with Greg Oden and Kevin Durant as the big lottery prizes, several teams were openly questioned about apparent tanking, including the Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks and Memphis Grizzlies, the three teams that ended up with the best chance of drafting Oden or Durant.

In one notorious game late in the season, the Celtics, playing at home, led the woeful Bobcats 69-51 late in the third quarter -- and managed to lose the game by eight points, enhancing their draft positioning. Of course, Celtics coach Doc Rivers denied tanking charges. As Steve Bulpett reported in the Boston Herald: “Rivers insisted there was nothing sinister about leaving Paul Pierce (game-high 23 points) on the bench for the fourth quarter and letting the quintet of Sebastian Telfair, Ryan Gomes, Gerald Green, Allan Ray and Leon Powe stay on the parquet as the lead -- still at 10 with nine minutes left in the game -- disappeared.”

In the final week of the season, the Celtics and Bucks, both maneuvering for the best possible draft position, played each other and gave DNPs to high scorers Paul Pierce, Al Jefferson, Wally Szczerbiak, Michael Redd and Mo Williams.

After the game, the Associated Press reported:

Ryan Gomes had 13 through three quarters, but watched from the bench in the fourth as Boston clinched the worst record in the Eastern Conference and second worst in the league.

"I probably (would have played), but since we were in the hunt for a high draft pick, of course things are different," Gomes said. "I understand that. Hopefully things get better. Now that we clinched at least having the second-most balls in the lottery, the last three games we'll see what happens. We'll see if we can go out and finish some games."

2002-03 Cleveland Cavaliers
Did the 2002-03 Cavs tank to get LeBron James?

At the time, many assumed they did. John Lucas, who coached the team from 2001 to 2003, admitted somewhat bitterly that he went along with the apparent conspiracy: "They trade all our guys away and we go real young, and the goal was to get LeBron and also to sell the team," Lucas told AOL FanHouse in 2010. "You can't fault the Cavaliers for wanting to get LeBron. It was hard to get free agents to come there."

Lucas pointed out that before the 2002-03 season, Cavs management traded their three leading scorers and received almost nothing of value in return. Of course, Gordon Gund, the Cavs’ owner at the time, denied Lucas’ claims that the Cavs were tanking to get LeBron, the local hero.

Ricky Davis was one of the beneficiaries of the Cavs’ questionable moves -- in 2002-03, after several key teammates had been traded away, he led Cleveland by far in minutes, field goal attempts, scoring, assists and steals.

Yet he, too, told AOL Fanhouse that the Cavs were losing on purpose: "It was tough on [Lucas]. They were forcing him to lose and I know it's nothing he wanted to do. It's just the position he was forced in. But it's tough. ... It worked, whatever they did [to get James] so it's hard to knock them. They got what they wanted. But it was hard on Luke."

2005-06 Phoenix Suns
In 2006, the Phoenix Suns gave the Los Angeles Lakers an easy win late in the regular season to try to assure a matchup with the Lakers in the postseason, according to Jack McCallum in “Seven Seconds or Less.” McCallum was a Sports Illustrated writer who spent the 2005-06 season as an unofficial “assistant coach” for the Suns, and he provided this insight on how the coaching staff manipulated the standings:

The Suns believe that the Lakers' transition defense is close to nonexistent and will provide an open highway for the Nash-led fast break, so this was the matchup they wanted. [Suns coach Mike] D'Antoni couldn't precisely orchestrate it -- not in an eighty-two-game season -- but the coach had benched [Steve] Nash and Raja Bell for that late-season game, all but assuring a Laker win that would help them beat out the Sacramento Kings, who were in eighth place.

The Suns' scheme almost backfired, as the Lakers took a 3-1 lead in the series and nearly closed Phoenix out before the Suns famously rallied to take three straight and advance.

2005-06 Minnesota Timberwolves
The most spectacular tank job in recent memory occurred on April 19, 2006, in a Minnesota-Memphis game that is still a common punch line around the league.

Earlier that month, Chicago Tribune NBA writer Sam Smith had called out the Timberwolves and the league:

The NBA should take a look at this one in the interest of the game's integrity and paying customers. Minnesota needs to have one of the top 10 poorest records to keep its draft pick. Otherwise, it goes to the Clippers from the Sam Cassell-Marko Jaric deal.

In a 103-95 loss to the Jazz at home on Friday, [Kevin] Garnett sat out the fourth quarter after making all of his third-quarter shots. Garnett had 13 rebounds through three quarters, and Minnesota was outrebounded 18-6 in the fourth.

It's reminiscent of the game-throwing days before the draft lottery was started.

In the final game of the season, the Wolves sat Garnett and Ricky Davis, and then turned the game against Memphis into a joke by inserting Mark Madsen and letting him fire away. In six seasons, Madsen had made only one 3-pointer in nine attempts. But in that game he tossed up seven 3-pointers and missed them all -- they were his only 3-point attempts of the season. The Wolves lost the game in double overtime (Madsen started the second overtime with three 3-point bricks in less than a minute) and secured the draft pick.

After the game, Wolves coach Dwane Casey didn’t deny that the team was less than serious about winning the game: "The guys were having fun with it. For what we've been through this season, I thought the guys deserved it. I hope what we did didn't make a mockery of the game."

Was it a victimless crime? By securing a top-10 draft position, the Timberwolves prevented the Clippers from receiving the draft pick that became 2007 Rookie of the Year Brandon Roy (a future three-time All-Star whom the Wolves traded to Portland on draft night). And the Memphis win put the unfortunate Grizzlies (who also might have been motivated to lose the game) into a more difficult playoff bracket -- the Grizzlies started the postseason on the road and were swept by Dallas in the first round rather than having home-court advantage over a struggling Denver Nuggets team (which lost its first-round series to the Clippers).

On the flip side, the draft pick that did not go to the Clippers in 2006 eventually became the pick that allowed L.A. to acquire Chris Paul from New Orleans in 2011 -- and the Timberwolves will not get to use their own lottery pick this season, in part because of that infamous night in 2006.

1996-97 Boston Celtics
One of the most notorious years for tanking was 1997. It’s widely believed that the San Antonio Spurs tanked the season by holding out David Robinson longer than necessary to secure a higher draft pick, which became the most coveted player available, Tim Duncan. In fact, to many, this is one of the most incredibly successful tank jobs in NBA history, in part because the Spurs were already a very good team, and they have won four titles and counting with Duncan leading the way. But to our knowledge, no one involved has admitted that the Spurs were tanking.

The same year, though, the Boston Celtics did indeed tank, according to longtime Celtic M.L. Carr, who coached the team from 1995 to 1997. In 1996-97, the Celtics fell from 33 wins the previous season to 15 wins.

According to Mark Cofman of the Boston Herald, in 2001:

Carr suggested his last season as Celtics coach in 1996-97, during which the team suffered through a franchise-worst 15-67 record, was a tank job designed to deliver the incoming coach (Rick Pitino) with strong draft position. "That was part of the orchestration," said Carr, an obvious indictment of the entire organization and its part in encouraging a losing season in an attempt to get the first overall pick (Tim Duncan). As it turned out, the Celtics lost out on Duncan and settled for the third and sixth overall picks.

Pitino’s tenure as Boston coach would be a great disappointment, and he often lamented that he had taken the job with the expectation that the Celtics would get Duncan.

1983-84 Houston Rockets
Why do we have a draft lottery? Because of what happened in 1984.

In his book “Tip-Off,” a thorough account of the pivotal 1984 NBA draft, Filip Bondy dedicates a chapter to tanking entitled “Embracing Defeat.”

The ’84 draft included Hakeem Olajuwon, Sam Bowie, Michael Jordan, Sam Perkins and Charles Barkley. Bondy recounts some of the odd behavior of the Houston Rockets, who appeared to be maneuvering for the right to draft Olajuwon, a star at the University of Houston, with Jordan as a nice Plan B. (The right to make the first choice in the draft was decided by coin flip.)

As the Rockets nosedived, everyone noticed.

"Weird things were happening. A lot of funny stuff going on, leaving a dark mark on the integrity of the game," said Pat Williams, then the general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers.

According to Dr. Jack Ramsay, then coach of the Portland Trail Blazers, "There was a lot of reason for concern, for suspicion."

As reported by Bondy, it was Frank Layden, the former Utah Jazz coach, who spilled the beans on the Rocket science: "They were losing on purpose. That was told to me by one of their executives, that it was a business decision. And that’s why we went to the lottery system. It’s still going on a little bit today, anyway."

Bondy writes: "The NBA’s image suffered a severe blow that spring from all the suspicious losing. … The league was so concerned about the perceived chicanery that its board of governors instituted a lottery system weeks after the 1984 draft to assure such nonsense would never happen again."

Then again: As we’ve seen above, the lottery does not assure that tanking ended in 1984. Not even close.

Furthermore, these are hardly the only cases in recent NBA history, and HoopIdea will continue to bring tanking to light.

• Harvery Araton of The New York Times: “Doing it by yourself is for when you’re young, when you’re 22, 23,” Wade said after the Heat absorbed 39 points by Carmelo Anthony through three and a half quarters before limiting him to an after-the-fact 3-point shot down the stretch of a 93-85 Miami victory. “That’s for then. When you get older, you appreciate it more when you got other guys that can get the job done and you don’t have to have the ball 90 percent of the time.” Since Anthony has been in the N.B.A. for eight years, same as Wade and James, shouldn’t he feel the same way? Not that Anthony has formally made a request to dominate the ball; he just generally seems most motivated and productive when the Knicks’ offense is flowing like a river through his marvelously gifted hands. And lately, while Anthony has been on a scoring binge that has bordered on unstoppable, the popular narrative around the Knicks has been that this would be the most prudent approach for the playoffs, with a returning Amar’e Stoudemire best-suited for minutes off the bench. In effect, so Stoudemire wouldn’t get in Anthony’s way. And so he could enjoy a few minutes at a time of relative freedom to shoot as much as he wishes without Anthony on the floor or Tyson Chandler cluttering up the paint. It all sounded nice except that pro basketball at the highest playoff levels is about the alignment of stars — or co-stars — and trying to attain that enlightened state of championship co-existence.
• Ethan J. Skolnick of the Palm Beach Post: Erik Spoelstra is tired of talking about his player rotation, and wary of revealing too much of the plan to upcoming opponents. "Some of that is pretty obvious, the direction that we're going," the Heat coach said. "It's self-explanatory." Yet some of his players have privately expressed as much confusion as many fans, unclear about their roles going forward. What's been clear from the last two games of significance, at Chicago and at New York, is that one of Spoelstra's primary objectives is to get to the so-called "Big 5" lineup that was dominant in the 2011 Eastern Conference finals but had been used in only two games until this past week. To that end, Udonis Haslem started again Sunday, though he played only 17 minutes, and this time, it wasn't because he was vomiting before the game, as he was Thursday in Chicago. The first substitution again was Mike Miller for Mario Chalmers, allowing Haslem and Miller to play with Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James. That lasted three minutes, as did a stint for the "Big 5" in the second quarter. They played together for one minute in the third quarter, and Miller didn't get off the bench in the fourth. ... Spoelstra said he would continuing "tightening up" his rotation over the next two weeks, though little figures to look normal Monday or Wednesday. Expect Miami to rest players against lesser opponents New Jersey and Toronto.
• Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram: They are accustomed to winning on the road almost as consistently as they win at home. But not this year. For just the fourth time in Mark Cuban's 12 full seasons of ownership, the Dallas Mavericks will finish this season with a losing record on the road. Sunday's 112-108 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Lakers gives the Mavs just a 13-17 record on the road with only three road games remaining. Because the Mavs (34-27) will be starting this year's playoffs on the road, it would seem they'd be concerned about their inability to grab more than their share of victories away from home. "Not at all," guard Jason Terry said. "The regular season is going to have no meaning on what the playoffs will mean. Obviously you can blame it on the schedule. Every team has gone through it, but it's not as what it would be in a regular season." The Mavs play their 31st road game at 8 tonight at Energy Solutions Arena in Salt Lake City against a Utah Jazz squad scrapping for its playoff lives. Dallas' final two road games are Saturday in Chicago and April 26 in Atlanta.
• Kevin Ding of The Orange County Register: Metta World Peace, as he still does often, felt so fired up after playing an entire game that he went for a post-game workout in the weight room Sunday. After he was done, he sat down and talked about how much better he feels physically after being limited last season and overweight early this season. “I’m not even 100 percent,” World Peace said, “and I feel very dominant right now.” World Peace said he is trying to stay within the team concept despite how much he feels he can do offensively besides his usual defense. He said he feels capable and can “take over the game if I have to.” World Peace had 18 points on 7-of-20 shooting Sunday in the victory over Dallas, his biggest shot coming from the right elbow after a Lakers timeout for a 110-106 Lakers lead with 1:04 left in overtime. ... World Peace missed all five 3-point shots Sunday, but he has scored 23, 19, 8, 26, 14 and 18 points in recent games — the last five with Bryant sitting out.
• Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle: The Rockets were feeling no pressure when they came home from their four-game sweep of the road trip. They were on a roll and feeling great. Then they had their worst shooting game of the season, making 35.6 percent of their shots against the Jazz. They have not been much better since, with the problem bleeding into their defense. Instead of defending with greater determination and discipline, they have indulged in moments of frustration. The Nuggets punished them for it. That three-game shooting slump and the way it has diminished their play overall has dropped the Rockets to a shaky eighth in the West and elevated tonight’s rematch with the Nuggets to a virtual must-win. Yet, when I asked Luis Scola about whether the pressure was taking a toll, he offered a pretty good glimpse into the sort of message I would imagine has made its way around the room. Scola usually has a pretty good feel for the way the Rockets are thinking. He also has become increasingly willing and effective at speaking up. Basically, he said the Rockets have to persevere, but with a confidence that they can.
• Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post: The future can't wait for the Nuggets. It is time for coach George Karl to realize: Wherever this young NBA team is going, Ty Lawson, Danilo Gallinari and Kenneth Faried will lead the way. Let the young guns play, Coach. Lawson, Gallinari and Faried can't learn how to be stars on the bench. Win or lose for the remainder of the season, the primary goal for Denver should be the development of its Big Three. The isn't the time for the Nuggets to win a championship. Now is the time to get Lawson, Gallinari and Faried at least 30 minutes of playing time every night. ... In one important aspect, NBA coaches are no different than paying customers. When the pressure of the playoffs approaches, the man drawing X's and O's during timeouts feels the same strain of an elevated heart rate that fans do. So can't blame Karl for leaning on Nuggets veterans such as Andre Miller and Al Harrington when the going gets tough. But that's the temptation Karl must resist. Even if it costs Denver a victory, the experience given Lawson, Gallinari and Faried now will pay dividends down the road.
• Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel: On Friday, Dwight Howard traveled to the Los Angeles area with Magic physical therapist Ed Manalo to seek a second opinion from spine surgeon Robert Watkins. On Friday night, team officials announced that Howard has a herniated disk in his lower back. On Sunday, Otis Smith refuted speculation that the Magic medical staff misdiagnosed Howard's injury. “The diagnosis really didn't change from one location to the other,” Smith said. “It's the same diagnosis we had and the same prognosis we had. They probably were a little bit more conservative than we would have been, but that's normal. We were on the same rest and rehab [regimen] that he got over there. So, he's going to rest and rehab for the next 10 days and see how we go from there.”
• Tom Reed of The Plain Dealer: Moondog showed he’s hockey tough by not missing a game. The Cavaliers showed their smarts by continuing to remain vague on the returns of Irving (sprained shoulder) and Varejao (fractured wrist). Ten days ago, I wanted them both to come back and play with Tristan Thompson to see how those three worked together. A dozen or so games could have supplied a decent sample size and given management a preview look as to what to expect. Could Thompson and Varejao produce enough offense in the same front court? How much of an adjustment would it be for Irving to have his power forward playing near the basket instead of on the perimeter where Antawn Jamison often lurks? Coach Byron Scott admitted he, too, was intrigued. Now, what’s the point? Irving is going to practice Tuesday morning with the potential of returning as early as Wednesday, Scott said. But the coach also left open the possibility that neither Irving nor Varejao would play again this season. They shouldn't. I’ll go a step further. The Cavs should ask Varejao to think long and hard about representing Brazil this summer in the Olympics. I’m a huge fan of watching the world’s best pros compete in Olympic basketball and hockey, but Varejao has twice been injured playing for Brazil, most recently in 2010. He also has missed substantial parts of the past two seasons with the Cavaliers.
• Michael Cunningham of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: The Hawks were in such a slumber they had just four players on the floor as play began at one point. It's no wonder officials didn't initially notice the missing player. The Hawks barely made an impression while losing 102-86 to Toronto Sunday at Philips Arena. Atlanta could have clinched a berth in the Eastern Conference playoffs with a victory. Instead the Hawks were dominated by the Raptors (22-39), who long ago were eliminated from the postseason. “I think some of us was ready, and some of us wasn't,” Hawks guard Joe Johnson said. “It just kind of gave a bad effect on the whole team. But give Toronto credit. They were better than us tonight. If we come out and start like that tomorrow, they'll be better than us [again].” The Hawks play at Toronto Monday, and no longer does that game look like a walkover for Atlanta.
• Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe: Ryan Hollins was acquired by the Celtics to provide depth in the frontcourt, but his impact has been minimal so far. He had fallen out of Rivers’s rotation until Sunday, when he was the primary backup to Stiemsma. Hollins scored 2 points and had four rebounds in a season-high 20 minutes, but his reputation has followed him to Boston. Hollins has a habit for picking up offensive fouls on illegal screens or with reckless play under the basket. In 3 minutes, 31 seconds Saturday against the Nets, he picked up four fouls and had three turnovers. In 11 games with the Celtics, Hollins has 24 combined turnovers and fouls and 25 points. “He plays hard, he just does things that get him in trouble,’’ Rivers said. “The extra stuff with the picks and stuff like that. He has a chance. He’s a big body. He’s very active; having an active big is great because half the bigs are not active. So he has that in him. We just have to figure out him still. And he needs gym time, and unfortunately he doesn’t have that. But I think he’s a guy you invest time into because he has a chance to be a good player in our league.’’
• Ronald Tillery of The Commercial-Appeal: Forget the number of times the Grizzlies lost the basketball. Too many to count. Or so it seemed. Forget the amount of defensive lapses. That's what the New Orleans Hornets kept track of as they routinely pick-and-rolled the Griz into surrendering the paint. Just put the Grizzlies' 88-75 loss Sunday night to the Hornets out of your mind. Griz guard Tony Allen even flung the box score into a bucket of ice at his feet afterwards in the visitor's locker room in New Orleans Arena. It was a cold night, indeed. But the Grizzlies' ended up with a bigger concern than their 21 turnovers and 35-percent shooting in a bad loss to the lowly Hornets. Center Marc Gasol suffered what is believed to be a hyperextended left knee midway through the fourth quarter. The 7-footer was examined by the Hornets' team physician and then went for an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) to determine the extent of his injury. ... The Grizzlies were already scheduled to remain in New Orleans Sunday night and fly to Minneapolis this morning. So Gasol's status will be known long before Memphis plays on the road Tuesday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
• John Reid of The Times-Picayune: The Hornets announced Sunday night that NBA Commissioner David Stern will formally introduce new owner Tom Benson this afternoon in a news conference at the New Orleans Arena. Gov. Bobby Jindal and New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu are scheduled to attend. Benson purchased the Hornets for $338 million on Friday, assuring the franchise’s long-term future in New Orleans. Benson attended the Hornets’ game on Sunday night against the Memphis Grizzlies at the Arena with his wife, Gayle. As he walked to his courtside seat, Benson heard cheers. He received a standing ovation when he was introduced between the first and second quarters. Benson, who wasn’t made available for comment, appeared engaged throughout the game.
• Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times: It’s never a good thing when there are more ice bags on the floor than sweaty jerseys and unrolled tape, especially with the postseason in sight. But this is the reality of Bulls basketball these days, and forward Luol Deng seems to be the latest poster child. Deng has been fighting through a torn ligament in his left wrist for most of the year, and the injury seems to be winning. Deng played nearly 45 minutes in the Bulls’ overtime win against the Detroit Pistons on Sunday but was 1-for-8 from the field, scoring two points. Coach Tom Thibodeau was asked if he’s concerned about resting Deng or at least keeping an eye on his minutes down the stretch. ‘‘If you studied his total minutes, you would see that he’s had plenty of rest this year,’’ Thibodeau said. ‘‘If you compared his total minutes for the season, don’t forget he’s missed nine games already, so he’s not a guy that’s piled up a ton of minutes.’’ But he admitted the Bulls’ minutes — and Deng’s injury — are something that has to be watched.
• Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News: Reigning MVP Derrick Rose uncharacteristically got involved in trash talk after blood streamed down his face, courtesy of a flagrant foul that was mild compared to some we've seen in this storied rivalry. Later, Pistons guard Rodney Stuckey caught an inadvertent elbow to the chops that left him on the Palace floor. Tempers flared, harsh words were exchanged and afterward, Rose believed he was the target of some dirty play after his team escaped from Motown with a 100-94 overtime win. It wasn't dirty; It was beautiful. For the first time this season, the Pistons playing the Bulls wasn't about Richard Hamilton playing his former mates; the game was the main attraction. We're a long way from Rick Mahorn shedding Bulls coach Doug Collins aside like a rag doll after a hard foul on Michael Jordan in 1988, the true genesis of this 20-plus year rivalry, but the seeds are usually planted well before teams begin vying against one another for a title. How glorious would it be to see intensity like this over seven games in May?
• Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee: The Maloofs, the city, the NBA, the Kings … The drama … Sunday afternoon at Arco Arena – um, Power Balance Pavilion – was eerily reminiscent of the days when the Kings were good and the Maloofs were flush. The announced crowd of 16,012 directed its venom at the Portland Trail Blazers, for the most part internalizing or ignoring the ongoing spat about the downtown arena proposal that collapsed late last week. These Kings are like catnip. That's why the NBA is so protective of this market. Give Sacramento fans even a whiff of a potentially appealing and marginally successful product, and they will surprise you. Scratch that. They will amaze you. ... The Kings' co-owners arrived about 30 minutes before tipoff and walked through one of the main doors instead of making their usual entry at the security gate. They didn't sit courtside but remained in their suite and were visible throughout – pacing, cheering, speaking animatedly on their cellphones. And the crowd reaction? Now that was interesting. Benevolent? Detached? Understanding? Tolerant? Controlled fury? The local shrinks must be having a blast with this. Excluding a few shouts to "sell the team," there were few outward displays of displeasure directed at the brothers.

---

Goran Dragic | Courtney Lee | Chandler Parsons | Luis Scola | Samuel Dalembert
Minutes Played: 157
Offensive Rating: 112.6 points per 100 possessions
Defensive Rating: 96.4 points per 100 possessions

How it works offensively
Very well, thank you.

The biggest challenge is finding court time together now that Kyle Lowry has returned to action after suffering a bacterial infection. Now that Lowry is back, this unit hasn't seen any time together over the past couple of games, even though it's largely responsible for Houston's success during Lowry's prolonged absence.

It's important to offer a disclaimer on Lowry. He's a unique talent at the point, an incredibly efficient fireplug who has led the Rockets in adjusted plus-minus over the past two seasons. His presence at the top of the floor has often saved the Rockets' defense from calamity, and the success of any lineup sans Lowry should in no way be regarded as a denigration of his skills.

Goran Dragic is a different sort, a whirling dervish of a point guard whose hunger to pressure the defense is perfectly suited to the Rockets' offensive imperatives.

Dragic is always on the attack, and most of the action in the half court plays off his dribble penetration. Here's where Dragic is so dangerous: Trap him and he's likely to create a 4-on-3 game. And once he gets free off the dribble, he'll instantly identify where the help is coming from. Houston invites or, at the very least, tempts the defenses with high screens from Dalembert. This drags Dalembert's defender up top, usually in the right slot. If, rather than blitzing, teams feel compelled to fight over these screens, Dragic's quickness can leave defenders trailing him, biting his ankles as he zips through the lane.

Once Dragic finds daylight, teams often help off Dalembert, but if that big defender steps up, Dragic will guide Dalembert to the rim with a bounce pass for the easy flush. If the defense leaves Chandler Parsons open, he will lift to a spot on the perimeter, where Dragic will find him with a kickout for an open shot. Parsons isn't a knockdown shooter, at least not yet, but give him a wide open look from beyond the arc, and the Rockets can live with that.

In addition, much of the secondary action off Dragic's initial attack is designed to get Luis Scola open along the baseline for a midrange jumper, often via a two-man game with Courtney Lee, an underrated shooter and creator who doesn't make a lot of mistakes and can do a little bit of everything. Scola will also see his fair share of entry passes off the mid-post right from the outset.

Don't you dare help off Scola along the baseline! Dragic will find him, even in traffic. Much of the offense is focused on setting Scola up just off the right block and putting the defense in a position where it has to make an impossible choice. Dragic will drive right, forcing Scola's man to slide over to collapse on a driving Dragic. When that happens, Scola is left open for an uncontested baseline jumper on the right side, a shot Scola has nearly perfected.

And that's the thing about playing with a speed demon who has a tight handle. You can be an obscure second-rounder, or unathletic, or a not terribly skilled center. In many ways, Scola is the closest thing this lineup has to a complete player. As long as you can read the action and move to a spot on the floor where you know you can do some damage, the offense will profit, because Dragic will make the defense pay.

How it works defensively
Comme ci, comme ça.

Houston runs more of an ad-hoc defense than a systematic one, and for the personnel in this unit, that's not a terrible thing. Coverages on pick-and-rolls, whether they occur up top, at an angle or on the side, tend to be situational. This unit will gamble as a group (e.g., aggressively double bigs from the top side). They trap most side pick-and-rolls, knowing they can entrust Dalembert to provide a strong last line of resistance at the rim if the defenders get split.

Dragic isn't big, but he seems to take high picks personally and will try to fight mightily over every last one. This is a good thing, because Scola needs time to get back into a play, and can afford to wait around all night for his guard to bust through a screen. This defensive unit isn't always ferocious at the point of attack on high ball-screens, but the three guys behind the action know where to be when action is initiated. Each is smart and aware. The wings know when to collapse and when to protect the perimeter and let Dalembert do his thing. As a side note, did you know Dalembert occasionally likes to eat goat before a game when he needs a little boost? Says it gives him strength.

Even though this quintet doesn't have any overwhelming strengths as a unit (aside from Dalembert's shot-blocking), it performs almost every defensive task as a marginally above-average level relative to the rest of the league. They protect the glass and avoid fouling. Opponents shoot well, but not exceptionally. Most shots are contested because the rotations are prompt and this group makes a point to chase shooters off the arc.

Parsons has a lot of versatility as an isolation defender, and any 6-foot-9 forward who can match up against perimeter scorers comes in extremely handy. He uses his lateral movements to wall off the paint against even the most lethal wings in the league, and concerns himself with guarding the space in front of his man as he does bodying up. His height affords him the luxury of rarely falling for a ball fake and, off the ball, he'll lock onto his assignment. The Rockets will often cross-match Parsons and Lee, if the opponent's 2-guard is the most dynamic threat on the floor. This will occasionally leave Lee vulnerable to bigger guys who are hungry to post him up.

In many respects, the defense operates under the same general premise of the offense. Apart from Dalembert, everyone knows his role, which isn't all that explicit. That role is simply to not make mistakes and to be mindful of where the defense might be exposed. If you can't address it one-on-one, make sure you know where Dalembert is stationed.

It doesn't matter if it bends, just so long as it doesn't break.

• Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times: This was the game Lakers fans had been awaiting, hoping their team could turn into something special. Shrug off a season of only mildly inspirational play. Win a big road game. Have someone grab 30 rebounds. Thirty rebounds? Sure. Andrew Bynum became the first Laker to do it in 34 years, pushing and shoving the San Antonio Spurs out of the way as the Lakers stunned them without Kobe Bryant, 98-84, Wednesday at AT&T Center. "They beat us to death," was how Spurs Coach Gregg Popovich described it, and you could suddenly sense the rest of the Western Conference slowly turning toward the Lakers. In a little more than two hours, big-picture expectations of the Lakers rose meteorically. They led by 26 against a team that was drafting comfortably off Oklahoma City a game out of first in the West. It made no sense. Bryant skipped a third consecutive game because of a sore left shin and the Spurs allegedly were rested after sitting Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili in their previous game.
• Tim Griffin of the San Antonio Express-News: The Spurs have been receiving a lot of favorable national buzz since the trade deadline after adding Stephen Jackson, Boris Diaw and Patty Mills to their rotation. The extra players are nice, but they haven’t made the Spurs any better equipped to face the Los Angeles Lakers’ height that has always been their biggest advantage against them. The Lakers took full advantage of their size in a resounding 98-84 victory over the Spurs Wednesday night. With Kobe Bryant out of the lineup, the Lakers were forced to work inside-out with Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum as their offensive focal points. In a weird way, it might have made them even better equipped to attack the Spurs than if Bryant was in the lineup. The Lakers outrebounded them, 60-33. Bynum grabbed a career-best 30 caroms as it seemed like no Spur was able to contest him inside.
• Al Iannazzone of Newsday: If they play their final eight games with the determination and focus they showed down the stretch of their 111-107 victory over the Bucks at the Bradley Center, the Knicks will be in the postseason for the second season in a row. The Knicks had some big efforts and made some humongous plays with the game on the line, erasing an eight-point fourth-quarter deficit and outscoring Milwaukee 25-13 over the final 8:36. The result was the Knicks (30-28) opened up a two-game lead on Milwaukee for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East. They're just one-game behind seventh-place Philadelphia. The win also tied the season series with the Bucks at 2. Conference record is the next tiebreaker, and the Knicks have a 11/2-game lead on Milwaukee in that race. "This probably was the biggest win we had thus far this season," Carmelo Anthony. "Just from how important it was, the way we won, gutted it out, the way we responded, the way we buckled down on the defensive end and won this game."
• Michael Hunt of the Journal Sentinel: Amid the buzz that was good to hear on a Wednesday night, the Bucks were in the game to end all games - at least for the last playoff spot in the East, at least for this week - for a good reason. They have a roster suited for no better than eighth place. They played like it from the start against the shorthanded New York Knicks, who were tougher and eminently willing to take part in the layup line the Bucks provided. Allow the opposition to make 14 of their first 16 shots, miss nine free throws - didn't the Bucks used to be No. 1 in the league from the line? - and fail to make plays at the end, and a 111-107 loss gives you pretty much what you deserve, playoff-wise. Let's face it. The trade for Monta Ellis, who was a daring scorer against the Knicks with 35 points, wasn't meant to make the Bucks seriously competitive this season. It was made to hold their place until they can finally get control of their payroll and maybe find the right pieces to get them out of this NBA no-man's land.
• Amalie Benjamin of The Boston Globe: Pietrus sustained the frightening injury in a game in Philadelphia against the 76ers. He was taken from the court on a stretcher, and it was uncertain when he would be able to contribute to the Celtics again. But on Wednesday, he was cleared to play, and he entered the game with 3:22 to go in the first quarter, earning a standing ovation from the Garden crowd. He got another round of applause went he left midway through the second quarter after scoring 3 points and grabbing one rebound. And while coach Doc Rivers had estimated that Pietrus would play between 5-10 minutes, Pietrus played 29 minutes, scoring 8 points and grabbing 6 rebounds in the Celtics’ 88-86 overtime win. President of basketball operations Danny Ainge had called Rivers Wednesday and said that Pietrus had tired after two minutes in a workout the day before, so Rivers hadn’t expected much. And yet Pietrus didn’t give his coach reason to take him out. ... Pietrus said after the game that he felt “great,’’ and that he knew the team needed him to bring energy on the second night of a back-to-back in two different cities.
• Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: The Hawks (34-24) had a three-game win streak snapped. They are now tied with the Magic, Friday’s opponent in Orlando, for fifth in the Eastern Conference. Both teams are 1 1/2 games behind the Pacers, who defeated the Cavaliers on Wednesday. It was the Hawks' fourth loss in the past 12 games. The Celtics have clinched the season series with their second win. The third and final game is April 20 at Philips Arena. The Hawks have eight games remaining in the regular season, including six at home. Five are against teams currently at or above the .500 mark, including the rematch with the Celtics. The Celtics (34-24), who won their fourth straight, hold the fourth spot in the conference with their Atlantic Division lead. Wednesday's victory was their ninth win in the past 11 games and improved their record to 19-7 since the All-Star break. They are also 12-1 against the Southeast Division this season. Hawks coach Larry Drew didn’t want to put added significance on the game.
• Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman: The Clippers are so lucky to have Chris Paul. The guy is just a winner. He’s fearless, he’s clutch, he’s calm under pressure and he’s virtually unstoppable. Take his game-winning layup, for example. The Thunder defended it fairly well from the start, sending its two best defenders, Thabo Sefolosha and Kendrick Perkins at him at the top of the key to trap an upcoming ball screen. Paul wisely and coolly audibled out of the 1-4 ball screen with Blake Griffin and into a 1-5 ball screen with Kenyon Martin. The goal was to try to make Perk retreat and get a more favorable matchup with Serge Ibaka on the perimeter. But the Thunder didn’t bite. Perk stayed and, unfazed, Paul adjusted. Paul simply called his own number and jetted to the basket for the biggest bucket of the night. He orchestrated it all from the start and made it look simple from the start.
• Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times: The media had formed a semi-circle around an exhausted-looking Chris Paul sitting inside the Clippers' locker room, the group waiting for the All-Star guard to explain how he was able to be the ultimate closer again. Paul, with a towel wrapped around his waist, looked up at the gathering and uttered, "Whew! I'm tired." He had just scored nine of the last 11 Clippers points, 31 all total, having carried his team to a 100-98 victory over the host Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. ... And after all he had done, the Clippers didn't escape until Kevin Durant (22 points) missed a potential game-winning three-pointer and after Blake Griffin (16 points, 12 rebounds, seven assists) tipped the rebound away as time expired. "This was a big game for us, especially after losing in Memphis the way we did," Paul said. "It's one of those games you just can't lose." Because the Clippers bounced back after losing in Memphis on Monday night, they maintained a half a game lead over the Grizzlies for the fourth seeding in the Western Conference.
• Ronald Tillery of The Commercial-Appeal: Questions continue to fly about Randolph’s role coming off the bench, and how long the Grizzlies’ big man will accept it. Hollins praised Randolph’s production and improved conditioning. Randolph looks stronger and more active with every passing day. He was difficult for the Suns to handle in the post, especially down the stretch when the Griz went with a steady diet of Randolph on offense. Hollins said he spoke with Randolph about why playing off the bench helps balance this roster. Hollins likes Randolph paired with O.J. Mayo and Gilbert Arenas for offensive potency and an inside-out presence off the bench. “It’s all about winning,” Randolph said. “As long as we’re winning, that’s all that matters.”
• Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News: At the beginning of this season, the 76ers got into a nice pattern of beating bad teams, who oftentimes were left shorthanded because of an injury or two. So good were the times then that fans spoke of the Sixers winning a playoff series, of what team might be a better matchup in the second round, of how close they could hang to the upper-echelon clubs of the Eastern Conference. Then came the valley. The Sixers went on to lose 18 of their next 27 and talk turned to a coach who was losing his players, of voices getting tuned out, of rifts among teammates. As has been said so many times, somewhere in between lies this season's Sixers. Obviously, getting closer to resembling the club in the first couple of months of the season is the goal. Slowly, and - maybe - surely, they are getting there. A lineup shuffle has seemed to breathe much-needed life into the Sixers and Wednesday it resulted in their second straight win, this time by 93-75 over the Toronto Raptors in Air Canada Centre.
• Mike Wells of The Indianapolis Star: I heard from a number of people Wednesday about the story that appeared in the paper about the Coach of the Year. Barring a sudden change over the next two weeks, I’ll end up voting for Chicago’s Tom Thibodeau if I get to vote again this season. This is no knock on Frank Vogel. Vogel has done a hell of a job this season. The Pacers are on the verge of hosting a playoff series for the first time since the 2003-04 season. But ... Thibodeau has led the Bulls to the best record this season despite being without Derrick Rose, last season’s MVP, for 22 games this season. The Bulls aren’t a team loaded with talented outside of Rose. They’ve had a great season because of Thibodeau’s coaching. Vogel even acknowledged that he’d vote for Thibodeau, too.
• Mark Kiszla of The Denver Post: The Nuggets want us to believe chasing an NBA playoff spot is a gallant quest for a holy grail, requiring some kind of miracle. "I don't think we're underachieving," Denver coach George Karl said. "I think we're overachieving." Here's a different take: If the Nuggets don't finish among the top six teams in the Western Conference, making the playoffs is fool's errand. If Denver can't finish with at least a No. 6 seed, the team would be better off with a spot in the NBA lottery and a shot at adding young talent such as Duke's Austin Rivers or Connecticut's Jeremy Lamb in the draft. What good would another year of one-and-done in the playoffs do for the Nuggets? Denver has no shot against Oklahoma City or San Antonio, all but locks to be the top two seeds in the West. You know it. I know it. If we know it, how could a basketball man as savvy as Nuggets general manager Masai Ujiri not realize the harsh reality of the situation? Let's be blunt. Denver is not playoff-worthy.
• Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle: The Rockets demonstrated that the Toyota Center rims can take a beating, but their worst shooting night of the season might not even come up when they see the next-day video. The shots were good. They missed. (And missed. And missed.) It happens, and there probably was some understandable fatigue mixed in. The Rockets knew where they went wrong during Wednesday night’s 103-91 loss to the Utah Jazz, and it was not about their 35.6 percent shooting or the 16 3-pointers they missed in 20 attempts. The Jazz were playing for their playoff lives. They were determined and desperate. The Rockets recognized it, having played the same way in Chicago and Los Angeles last week. When the Rockets got home — happy with their four-game sweep of the road trip and climb to sixth in the West — they did not match Utah’s desire until it was too late. ... It was not simply about effort, though the Rockets gave up 11 fast-break points in the first quarter.
• Brian T. Smith of The Salt Lake Tribune: Who needs a roster filled with 15 healthy players? Who needs a big-name, flashy All-Star to finish off crucial games? Who needs experienced, proven veterans to carry them into the playoffs? Not the Jazz. Not when second-year small forward Gordon Hayward is playing out of his mind. Throwing down his best overall performance as a professional and pouring in the most meaningful statistics of his young career, the 22-year-old rising star was often untouchable Wednesday at Toyota Center. G-Man finished with a season- and game-high 29 points on 9-of-14 shooting, drilling four of five 3-pointers, hitting all seven of his free throws and adding in six assists and two steals. ... Phoenix’s loss to Memphis was music to the team’s ears. The Jazz walked off the hardwood ninth in the West, 1.5 games behind Denver, Houston and Dallas, who are tied for sixth. Utah gained a potential playoff tiebreaker against the Rockets by winning the season series, the Jazz started a pivotal three-game road trip the right way and Utah captured back-to-back victories for the first time since March 22-23.
• Ray Nimmo of The Virginian-Pilot: Introduced last and to the biggest cheer of all the players, Norfolk State’s Kyle O’Quinn put on a show in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament opener Wednesday. O’Quinn tallied 18 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks and two assists for Portsmouth Sports Club in an 88-76 win over Norfolk Sports Club at Churchland High. “I felt good out there,” said O’Quinn, who helped Norfolk State upset second-seeded Missouri in the second round of the NCAA tournament. “We knew we wanted to win, so we all buckled down and did what we had to do.”

Memphis Grizzlies consultant and BasketballValue.com founder Aaron Barzilai got to talking about HoopIdea and tanking with his friend Mike Martin. As a management consultant, Mike designs incentive compensation plans for sales teams in pharmaceutical, high-tech, insurance and the like. As he explains, a lot of what works in rewarding sales teams could work in handing out draft picks:

Like NBA teams and markets, few sales forces have the same profile. Some may have a lot of customers while others have a few, and some may require a lot of travel while others have very little. As a result, there is variation in the opportunity each sales rep has -- not every territory is created equal. Similarly, not every NBA team should be expected to win 50 games at the start of the season. In addition, most reps or teams have a pretty good sense of how they will end up before the season even started.

We use those expectations to set individual goals, and judge their individual performances accordingly.

Once a goal is set, the reps are paid based on what percentage of the goal they achieve. This is known as Attainment or Attainment Score. By paying on Attainment Score, a rep needs to be selling for the whole year to meet their annual goal. If they want to have the biggest paycheck (or a team wants the top draft pick), they have to exceed expectations.

Would NBA owners go for it? It's essentially the same approach the owners applied to revenue sharing this offseason. Why not also apply it to the draft?


How Goals Would Work

There are a variety of techniques used to set goals, accounting for a complicated range of factors. The league could invite a committee of John Hollinger, Kevin Pelton, Dean Oliver and other analytical experts to set the goals using their models. Another approach would be to "crowd source" the goals. The goals could be developed by surveying the teams (presumably the GMs), but there is another set of widely available crowd sourced goals for each team before the season begins: Vegas over/unders.

While not perfect, they do in theory take into account all the available information on each team just before the season starts. For this article, we’ve used the pre-season over-unders from SportsMemo. As an example, Miami was predicted to win 50.5 games. The latest Hollinger prediction has Miami winning 48. 48 divided by 50.5 = an Attainment Score of 95 percent. Currently, the Heat are on pace to perform slightly below expectations, which would put them a bit later in the draft, but not as late as, say, the Mavericks, who are on pace to finish with about ten fewer wins than projected by betting lines.

No more tanking

Sacramento, Toronto and Charlotte were all predicted to be pretty bad. The over/under for all three teams was predicted to be 15.5 wins each. However, as you'll see in the table below, Toronto and Sacramento are predicted to win 23 and 22 per John Hollinger’s predictions. They have significantly exceeded expectations and would be rewarded for that with the first and second picks in the draft.

Charlotte, on the other hand, actually leads the league in underperforming expectations. With only nine wins predicted, Charlotte’s on pace to attain just 58 percent of their goal, last in the NBA.

If we want to reward teams for exceeding expectations instead of poor performance, shouldn’t Sacramento and Toronto have the opportunity to draft ahead of Charlotte? At the same time, rewarding teams this way would make it in the interest of Charlotte, Sacramento, Toronto, and every team to win every game. In the case of Charlotte, the good news is that they would still have a little time to turn things around -- every win would equate to 6.5 percent improvement in the score that would determine their pick. They don't need to be world beaters, they just need to exceed modest expectations.


An escape from the treadmill of mediocrity

Neither Utah nor Indiana is expected to contend for the championship, but both are firmly in the playoff hunt. Shouldn’t they be rewarded? Under the current system, they are stuck in a sort of “No Man’s Land” where they are not quite bad enough to make the lottery and draft a true impact player, but never really mentioned as a true contender.

In this plan, things would be different. Both teams are exceeding expectations nicely, and thus would move up in the draft. Utah would move up from the 12th pick to the third pick. Indiana would move up from 26th to 11th.

Top teams still have a chance to replenish

San Antonio and Chicago are playing great basketball this year, above and beyond high expectations. As a result, both teams would draft in the top 15. An interesting wrinkle is that even once their playoff seed is locked in with only a handful of games remaining, they would still have an incentive to win every game as it will affect their draft positioning. This approach would increase the meaning of the regular season and could affect the calculation of when to rest star players.

In conclusion

A goal-setting approach is not perfect, and there still is much that would need to be refined before such a system would be implemented. If there is concern that the high goals alone do not limit how high good teams can pick, there are wrinkles that could be added. Two examples: this system could be applied not to all 30 teams, but just teams missing the playoffs. It could also be used as a weight to influence traditional draft order, instead of a replacement.

However, changing the incentives does seem like it would reward the behaviors that HoopIdea wants to encourage. While it might make it harder for poor teams to "Sell Hope," there’s still opportunity for bad teams to significantly outperform expectations. Bad teams could still build momentum from season to season, and even within losing seasons.