ESPN NBA

Posted by Kevin Arnovitz

• If you know of a good joint for hummus and falafel in the (916), forward the Yelp review to Kings rookie Omri Casspi, who's destined to run up a huge bill with DHL next season if he can't feed his fix.
• Speaking of imports and exports, could Nate Robinson really fetch $10 million from Olympiakos?
• Tom Ziller has posted an enthralling examination of how long it takes teams with fewer than 20 wins to work their way to .500.
  
• Sam Cassell, now an assistant with the Wizards, is a beaut, isn't he? In an interview with David Brody, Cassell insists that he could beat Jonny Flynn in one-on-one ... if he were still 22. 
• The Magic have been anything but complacent this offseason. Kevin Pelton breaks down their talented, but crowded, frontcourt.
  
• Bethlehem Shoals of Free Darko wonders if Allen Iverson's persona is truly authentic: "This may sound pedestrian, or simplistic, but at what point did we decide that Iverson (or Tupac) wasn't, to some degree, faking it, putting it on, selling us a bill of goods based around a very deliberate refusal to play by the rules?"
  
• How is the economic downturn affecting athlete endorsements? Darren Rovell speaks with an industry insider who says that, more and more, sponsors are orchestrating one-off deals with athletes rather than the big up-front contracts that have traditionally been most common.
  
• Dwight Jaynes broaches the touchy subject of Jerryd Bayless. If Bayless isn't a point guard, but too small to play the two ... then what are his future prospects in the league?
  
• Dan Feldman of Piston Powered points out that "The Pistons haven't had a single unmovable contract under Joe Dumars."  That is until Ben Gordon.
  
• Rob Mahoney touches on an issue that was a topic of conversation in Las Vegas, namely that NBA teams are spending money this offseason, even if the 10-figure annual salaries are a thing of the past.