ESPN NBA

Posted by Kevin Arnovitz

• What's the secret to the Spurs' success -- apart from good lottery fortune? Timothy Varner of 48 Minutes of Hell says it's the appreciation of human limitations.  
• With Linas Kleiza headed over to Greece, Jeremy Wagner of Roundball Mining Company nominates Wally Szczerbiak and Steve Novak as logical successors at the limited-but-proficient-long-range-threat position for the Nuggets.
• Heat stalwart Udonis Haslem is at peace as he enters the final year of his contract with Miami.
  
• Royce Young of Daily Thunder is one demanding blogger. In addition to wanting Kevin Durant to aid and abet a child in peril, Royce would like to see the Thunder mascot get a haircut, Byron Mullens revert to B.J., the team in black kicks for the entire season, and Desmond Mason patrolling the sideline as an assistant.
• Chris Bosh: Not exactly a force on the block. A recurring theme in conversations at Summer League about the state of the NBA game was the unwillingness of big men -- even elite big men -- to develop their post games. Execs didn't lament this as a byproduct of superstar entitlement or laziness, but rather a cyclical phenomenon in the evolution of the game.
• O.J. Mayo is once again in the market for a kitchen cabinet of advisors.
  
• Kurt Helin of Forum Blue & Gold, for one, is happy for Kurt Rambis. He points out that the line of succession in Los Angeles was far too murky for a quality coaching talent like Rambis to clockwatch: "Rambis could not sit around waiting for Jackson to retire and hoping that Buss decides to go with him instead of another big name from the outside. We may have thought Rambis the logical successor, but could he really bank on that?"
• Is Nick Anderson and his career PER of 15.8 worthy of having his No. 25 jersey hanging from the O-rena rafters? 
• The Hedo Turkoglu backlash continues, with Magic GM Otis Smith allegedly fanning the flames. 
• A data-driven look at why the Sacramento Kings will be better next season.
  
• A bunch of familiar names are bringing their A Games in the Eurobasket qualifying tourney.
  
• The world's first Twitter Opera [Hat tip: Cowen]
• Provided the alleged victim is telling the truth and not an extortionist, you don't want to stand between Zach Randolph and his pizza.