- Caron Butler has been chewing straws for ages. And it's suddenly a problem for the League only after he was traded to the Mavericks?
- Ricky Rubio on video, doing what the stats say he does: making amazing passes that lead to easy buckets, playing good D, missing layups and winning.
- The best of comments on Daily Dime Live so far this season. Well worth a read.
- Knick tickets said to be selling at a record pace. Players Association, take note. This kind of detail could be handy in upcoming collective bargaining agreement negotiations.
- Marc Stein is classy in crediting a blog -- Ridiculous Upside -- with breaking the news that Hasheem Thabeet will be the highest ever draft pick to play in the D-League.
- Nate Robinson wants you to drive carefully.
- Wayne Winston's numbers suggest that, despite that block of Kevin Durant, Manu Ginobili has been playing shoddy defense this season.
- The Pistons somehow shoot long 2-point jumpers better than shots at the rim.
- Part of the reason the Mavericks got Brendan Haywood was to help them beat the ultra-long Lakers, and he did just that. And a look at how Laker plays succeed and fail.
- Hawks blogger on word that Zydrunas Ilgauskas might sign in Atlanta: No thanks. (John Hollinger, in a chat, on where Ilgauskas may end up: "Possible destinations include Cleveland, Cleveland, Cleveland, Cleveland, and Cleveland.")
- Varun Soni, dean of religious life at the University of Southern California, writing for Huffington Post: "For me, being a Los Angeles Clippers fan for over twenty years has taught me firsthand about the spiritual dimensions of faith and suffering, and has helped me better understand my own Hindu tradition. According to the Bhagavad Gita, a pan-Hindu theological text, we should act righteously in each moment and relinquish attachment to future rewards. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna counsels Arjuna on the battlefield and instructs him to act in the present moment without being attached to the fruits of his labor. In this context, Hinduism shares an Indian philosophical worldview with Buddhism that focuses on the process as opposed to the goal, the present as opposed to the past, and the journey as opposed to the destination. The Clippers have long been derided as the paradigmatic bottom-feeding NBA team. Indeed, in a famous cover story, Sports Illustrated called them the worst franchise in sports history. But their perennially disappointing seasons are a powerful lesson in Hindu philosophy ..."
- Brad Miller says he can keep playing even without athleticism. DeMar DeRozan demonstrates a flaw in that plan.
- C.J. Miles with an impassioned apology to fans for his recent bad play.
- Oh you most die-hard of Kobe Bryant fans, who prowl the internet so eagerly, please do the TrueHoop Network a favor and give Knickerblogger a ton of traffic today. Mike Kurylo writes, for instance: "Kobe has been following the tradition of allowing the opponent to stay close in games, only to make a shot in the final seconds to secure the victory. Instead James is attempting to win by scoring in the first 47.5 minutes of the game. The difference can be viewed by using the advanced stat called “points per game.” LeBron James leads the league with 29.8, while Kobe is a comfortable fourth with 27.9. James’ early game strategy shows up in even more obscure stats like rebounds per game (7.1 to 5.4), assist per game (8.5 to 4.6), blocked shots (1.0 to 0.3), and FG% (50.2 to 46.3)."
- Jared Wade of 8 points 9 seconds: "I wouldn’t go so far as to say I have total confidence in Larry Bird’s ability to turn this thing around, but I certainly don’t think he should be fired before given a legitimate opportunity to succeed. Regardless of how the team is doing right now, and regardless of what errors in judgment may have been made, the owners can’t tell a guy 'we’re with you on a three-year turnaround plan' and then go and fire the guy 18 months later."
- A former staffer to George W. Bush wants Oregonians to see Blazer games on the televisions in their living rooms. For many, a cable company squabble has left them Blazerless.
- The Pistons' Arnie Kander, who is widely revered as something between a shaman and a trainer, has banned a certain model of shoe from the Pistons' locker room, in the name of keeping ankles unsprained.
- Of the many Kings' lineups so far this season, which have had the best results? An analysis reveals it's too bad they traded Sergio Rodriguez.
- The Nets' chief executive Brett Yormark, relentlessly sunny, admits he can't wait to have a fresh start next season.
Henry Abbott | email
TrueHoop, NBA- Senior writer for ESPN.com
- Founder of TrueHoop blog and network
- Began writing about NBA for magazines in 1999
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