The first bathroom reader of the new year. Hopefully it’s not your first bowel movement of the new year. You should see a doctor if that’s the case.
A Group Of Bros Infiltrated The Knicks Locker Room, Asked Gregg Popovich About J.R. Smith, And Got Kicked Out After Snapping A Picture Of Half-Naked Carmelo
Issac Rauch
Deadspin
Picture this: you and some buddies get some court side tickets to an NBA game against the San Antonio Spurs. It’s a snoozer, so you get a little drunk while your team murders the Spurs. When the game’s over — your team won, by the way — you decide to try your luck, and drunkenly get into the locker rooms. To your surprise, you get into the locker room area fairly unmolested, and find yourself amongst the players and coaches, all in various states of undress and distress. What’s more, no one knows you’re not a part of the media. You’re full of liquid courage, and boom! there’s Greg Popovich in front of you, in all of his post-loss grouchy glory . What do you ask? Read Mr. Rauch’s account to find out.
- JG
Andre Drummond is On the March
Beckley Mason
Hoopspeak
If I had to compare Andre Drummond to any one player, it would be Russell Westbrook. Wait, what? No, they aren’t that similar of players (though they’re both hyper athletic), but they both serve as the ground on which competing ideologies stand. As Beckley Mason articulates, in a lot of ways, Andre Drummond is already almost as good of a player as Tyson Chandler, albeit in many fewer minutes per night. So why doesn’t he get more minutes per night? Pistons coach Lawrence Frank, and Beckley Mason, subscribe to the “bring young, raw big men along slowly” school of thought. I, on the other hand, feel that if he is this good in 19.5 minutes a night, why not see what he can do in 25 minutes a night?
- KD
Don’t Panic at the Cable Box: On Frustration with the Bobcats Rebuilding Process
Ben Swanson
Rufus on Fire
I know very few Bobcats fans, but those that I do represent a very smart, informed crowd. They’ve seen many different looks and eras of basketball in their fair city, and have seen both success and failure over the last few decades. But the last two seasons have undoubtedly been tough, rebuilding from a high risk-low reward Larry Brown & Michael Jordan-orchestrated playoff run that destroyed the team’s salary cap and burgeoning winning defensive culture. In the malaise that comes with multiple losing streaks in the high teens and low twenties, it can be easy to question the plan. But Ben Swanson of Rufus on Fire implores Bobcats fans — a classy, informed bunch — to be patient, and hold the course. Swanson does a good job finding real positives in the superficial mess that is the Bobcats, such as the hiring of Rich Cho, the smart drafting of Kemba Walker and MKG, and the organization’s seeming new policy of not taking on veteran contracts that carry mixed short-term rewards but high long-term risks. It’s a smart analysis. One hopes the Bobs can make do on their rebuilding plan, because it seems like they have fantastic fans.
- JG
Profile Paroxysm: The Knicks Bench
Jared Dubin
Hardwood Paroxysm
When did Hardwood Paroxysm get a media pass? Was it recently? Anyways, good thing, because there are some entertaining interviews coming out everyday now on HP. In this profile, we learn a bit more about the vaunted Knicks bench. Last week I wrote a little bit about Chris Copeland, the 27 year old sparkplug who filled in for Melo (at least in the scoring column) while their star player nursed an ankle injury. The guy has played in the D-League, Europe and Asia, and turned down guaranteed money in Europe to play for the Knicks summer league team. He calls Marcus Camby, Kurt Thomas and Rasheed Wallace “The Three Wise Men”. I like this guy more and more.
- JG
Should the $83 Million Nets Roster Be Entrusted to PJ Carlisemo?
Tom Ziller
SB Nation
The last time P.J. Carlesimo was relevant was when Latrell Sprewell’s hands were around his neck. Besides a lonely stint leading the “About to Leave for Oklahoma City” Seattle Supersonics, P.J. has spent the last 15 years bouncing around assistant gigs before emerging as the Nets coach. As more and more signs point to Carlesimo sticking around in the job for awhile, Tom Ziller looks at both him and the Nets and finds them to be a surprisingly good fit. For all Deron Williams’ complaints about the offense, its actually been okay. Like the struggling Lakers, the problem has been on defense, where Carlesimo has proven himself to be pretty adept. None of this changes the fact that Carlesimo is an absolute hardass and his star Deron Williams seems to want to be coddled, but at least he’s not Mike D’Antoni.
- KD