ESPN NBA

Posted by Kevin Arnovitz

• Charlie Bell: Master Apprentice.
  
• Eric Snow, Kirk Hinrich, and Tim Duncan are some of the names on Kelly Dwyer's list of the top 10 defenders of the decade. Dwyer on Duncan: "He covered huge bits of floor while his guards recovered after the "screen" part of the screen-and-roll, blocked shots on the ball (he's been especially adept at giving a small guard a small step to drive with his strong hand, then recovering quickly enough to swat the shot with his left hand), and secured rebound after rebound. And he never fouled. Never sent teams to the line for cheap points. That's so huge."
• To follow up on the earlier MSG/Pennsylvania Station post, here's a July 2007 column from George Vecsey of the New York Times mourning the loss of Pennsylvania Station. Vecsey is no fan of the current Garden and he expresses skepticism that the Dolan regime will ever right the architectural wrongs of the area. There is a strong push for a new station, and New York politicians have been clamoring to secure some stimulus money to help finance a project.
  
• 10 smart questions for the Wizards from Sujoy Paul of Truth About It. We can say this about Washington: There isn't a team out there headed into the season with a more interesting set of variables in the equation.
  
• Speaking of the Wizards, Mike Prada of Bullets Forever does a nice job examining the evolution of Flip Saunders. Prada credits Marc Spears for compelling him to take a closer look.  
• And while we're at it, Dave Berri asks if the Wizards are one of the league's 10 best teams. 
• From Tim Povtak at Fanhouse, Courtney Lee continues to work through the grief cycle: Lee: "I just hope they'll be happy for me when I grow into the player that they wish they had. I'd like them to one day say 'I wish we would have kept him.'"
• Philadunkia would rather not see Willie Green assume the 2-guard spot for the Sixers, and culls the annals of Sixer history to find more suitable alternatives. 
• The Answer presents a host of questions for the Grizzlies. Chip Crain of 3 Shades of Blue tackles them in depth.
  
• A good collaborative effort over at Peachtree Hoops by the bloggers who know Jamal Crawford the best. Crawford is an inscrutable talent, and the committee does its best to quantify his contributions on the court. 
• Bethlehem Shoals of FreeDarko has been taking in some WNBA games this summer. He's high on Lindsay Whalen, and believes a little more edginess in the women's game could enhance its appeal.