A focus on David Lee this week, for whom the struggle is real.
The Trouble with David Lee
Ethan Sherwood-Strauss
TrueHoop
We begin the bathroom reader with a look at David Lee, who can do no right with Warriors fans these days. Ever since the Warriors upended the Nuggets in last year’s playoffs with the team’s sole All-Star (and 3rd team All-NBA member) Lee injured, fans have openly wondered whether the team would be better off trading Lee and moving forward in a different direction. However, as Ethan Sherwood-Strauss argues in this piece for TrueHoop, there are a number of problematic factors that will prevent this from happening anytime soon. Sherwood-Strauss provides a full but concise narrative of the rise and fall of David Lee; from the maiden voyage signing for the team’s new owner, to a victim of circumstance and injury as his counterpart Stephen Curry captured the hearts and attention of a national audience in his absence. Sherwood-Strauss accesses both members of the “traditional” media (in this case, Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News) to the internet based media (Rasheed Malek of Warriorsworld and Andy Liu of Golden State of Mind) to provide tangible examples of scene-shifting souring on Lee, and provides some interesting hypotheses into where this might go. Sherwood-Strauss is correct: with each game, the disappointment of a 13-11 start turns to blame, and that blame is almost exclusively focused on Lee. We’ll see what happens tonight against the upstart Suns.
The Struggles of David Lee (Part I & II)
Sam Esfandiari
Lets Go Warriors
Whereas Ethan Sherwood-Strauss looked at what is happening off-the court — that is, among the media and fans — in relation to David Lee’s recent downward trend, Sam Esfandiari looks at what is happening on-the-court for the struggling foward in this piece for Lets Go Warriors. Unfortunately for Lee (but fortunately for us), the maligned power forward’s problems cannot be condensed into a single part. Part one of the feature focuses on his actual struggles, while part two postulates how to “fix it.” According to Esfandiari’s analysis, things really aren’t pretty for Lee right now, at least in comparison to his All-Star/NBA season last year. Jackson’s decision to play Lee at the end of halves is starting to cost the team. He consistently is getting out-rebounded and out-muscled in the post (a result of weight-loss?) and is not playing well next to Andrew Bogut in the post. His idea for fixing it suits me: have Lee run more with the second unit, and perhaps help struggling bench big man Marreese Speights (who will be playing a lot with Jermaine O’Neal sidelined for the long-term) find his game through increased production. I really liked both these pieces, chiefly because of Esfandiari’s use of stats and shot charts. He uses numbers as a way to instruct — not lecture and prove “correctness” — and writes cleanly and succinctly. Both parts are worth the read, and Esfandiari is a name to keep an eye on.
Lost Soul
Chris Ballard
SI.com
There are many reasons to read every single word of this excellent long-form about Bison Dele, aka Brian Williams, the former NBA center who disappeared from a yacht in 2002, with four others, while living in Tahiti after walking away from the last 5 years (and $36 million) of his contract with the Detroit Pistons in 2000, and whose body (along with the body of his girlfriend, and the captain of the yacht) has never been found. The first, of course, is the story itself; written beautifully by Chris Ballard. We are taken on a bittersweet life journey for a man (and a woman, his girlfriend whom we learn much about) who died too soon; who was far more interested in the world around him than his circumstantial career as a professional basketball player. The story itself is both joyful and somber; delving deep into the minds of multiple humans, and the ways we manage feelings of greed, love and jealousy. But the piece itself is worth reading, as it presents an image of the future of online long-form. Borrowing design elements from the New York Times and Rolling Stone, Sports Illustrated throws its hat into the ring with interactive graphics and rising-and-fading images that fully immerse the reader, and create a new way to process the author’s brilliant words. Take 45 minutes of your day and read Chris Ballard’s work. This is the story of the year.
Nutrition in the NBA
Ken Berger
CBSSports.com
I’ve long been interested in what players eat, and Ken Berger has finally come to my rescue. This multi-part series touches on all sorts of subjects, from diets, to trainers, to the personal temptation to cheat on healthy living with late night snacking a bags of fun-sized candy. Perhaps the most interesting part of the series is where he tells his own story; the transition from a vaguely unhealthy, largely inactive guy to a Paleo-diet Crossfit guy. Throughout it all, there’s a singular focus on how players use what they eat to their benefit, and think about what they eat in order to minimize detriments. I read every part, and now feel inspired to eat better and work out more (which I have been for the past few months). But hey, Ken: if you’re reading this, can you tell the crazy Crossfit girl on my Facebook mini-feed to chill out a little bit? I’m happy she’s in shape, but I don’t need to see her burst weight-lifting callouses all over my computer. I’d appreciate it a lot, if you get a chance. Thanks.
Boris Diaw is the Coolest Crazy Thing to Happen to the Spurs in Ages
Alex Dewey
Pounding the Rock
There was once a time I used to clown on Boris Diaw in the sophomoric ways most of us used to; before he became a do-it-all positional revolutionary for the Spurs. Most of that clowning focused on Boris’ obvious shortcoming: he had gained some weight since entering the league. I’m happy Alex Dewey exists (though I ceased to focus on this aspect of Diaw’s career some time ago), because as he correctly points out in this piece for SBNation’s Pounding the Rock, it is this weight gain that has made him one of the most useful utility players in the league, as well as one of the most enjoyable to watch. Dewey focuses on Diaw’s passing abilities, which have manifested themselves in brilliant ways, all over the court. After spending some time with NBA.com’s new video box scores, he concludes that Diaw possesses a passing ability that is not shared by 99% of his peers. “The arms and legs of NBA athletes — the lengthiest in the world, and ever-capable of explosive fast-twitch movements — should rightfully end Boris’ possession,” writes Dewey, before concluding that “it ends in success, inexplicably often.” The eye test seems to confirm these conclusions. I enjoyed Mr. Dewey’s effort here, especially it’s surprise, vaguely punt-ish conclusion. Well worth the read.