Werbung

The 10-man rotation, starring the importance of having fun

Kevin Durant, then of the Thunder, smiles next to Warriors head coach Steve Kerr during the first half of a March 3, 2016 game. (AP/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
Kevin Durant, then of the Thunder, smiles next to Warriors head coach Steve Kerr during the first half of a March 3, 2016 game. (AP/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

A look around the league and the Web that covers it. It’s also important to note that the rotation order and starting nods aren’t always listed in order of importance. That’s for you, dear reader, to figure out.

C: CBSSports.com. Jonah Keri talks with Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, Chicago Cubs manager Joe Maddon and Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll about why they’ve made fun such central parts of their leadership philosophies, and how driving their players to enjoy themselves has helped create some of the most successful teams in their respective sports.

PF: The Washington Post. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and a prominent cultural critic, offers his view on the ongoing controversy surrounding San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s decision to sit during the national anthem as a protest against oppression of black people and other people of color, and — as with jus tabout everything Kareem writes — it’s thoughtful and worth a read.

SF: Complex. Russ Bengtson with a history lesson on the sneakers that the NBA banned Michael Jordan from wearing back in 1984 … which, commercial messaging to the contrary, weren’t the Air Jordan 1s.

SG: The Undefeated. Marc Spears talks to former NBA forward Tyrus Thomas about the terrible flooding in Baton Rouge, La., and what he perceives to be a relative lack of national attention on the plight of those affected: “Ain’t nobody talking about it. You got 110,000 people homeless, but ain’t nobody talking about it because it ain’t no god damn controversy.”

PG: SB Nation. Ricky O’Donnell on how Jabari Parker’s working to become the kind of role model that his violence-wracked hometown of Chicago needs.

6th: Posting and Toasting. While the New York Knicks worked to upgrade their starting five this offseason through the additions of Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah and Courtney Lee, new coach Jeff Hornacek doesn’t seem to have a whole lot of proven commodities on a bench that will feature four rookies … and maybe, argues Joe Flynn through rose-colored glasses, that’s the point.

7th: The Sporting News. Good stuff from Scott Rafferty on how Kevin Durant and Draymond Green should fit together on the offensive end of the court for the revamped Warriors this season.

8th: Eye on Basketball. Zach Harper takes a look at how well or poorly each NBA team fared at protecting the rim last season, and whether or not they project to do a better job in the upcoming campaign.

9th: OZY. Matthew Foley’s immodest proposal: the NBA should have a penalty box where players who commit “any intentional foul meant to delay the game or kill the opposing team’s momentum” will get parked “for 30 seconds.” You like the idea of power plays on the hardwood?

10th: ESPN.com. On the off chance that you missed Zach Lowe’s mid-Olympics deep dive on Manu Ginobili, Argentina’s Golden Generation, the way Manu helped infuse the San Antonio Spurs with his national team’s culture, and why the left-handed wizard matters so much in the history of the game, do yourself a favor and rectify that.

More basketball coverage from Yahoo Sports:

– – – – – – –

Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!

Stay connected with Ball Don’t Lie on Twitter @YahooBDL, “Like” BDL on Facebook and follow BDL’s Tumblr for year-round NBA talk, jokes and more.