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: Sports Illustrated, BBallBreakdown and Grantland. Rob Mahoney on the gamble that the Oklahoma City Thunder are taking; Seth Partnow on addition by subtraction, addition by addition and the potential for more in Cleveland; and Zach Lowe on how Monday's three-way dance could wind up being the rare win-win-win deal.
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PF: GQ. Bethlehem Shoals on J.R. Smith, the now-former face of the New York Knicks franchise, heading into what is for him something like the great unknown — a situation in which he'll be held accountable. (Over at Posting and Toasting, Seth Rosenthal bids farewell to the J.R. era as only he can. Also, a ruthless self-plug for the time I wrote about J.R. playing basketball with the Power Rangers.)
SF: Memphis Commercial Appeal ($). Chris Herrington's always wonderful Pick-and-Pop column focuses on the Memphis Grizzlies' life without injured big man Zach Randolph, which is a life that everyone who loves the grit-and-grind beasts of the Western wild would prefer end as soon as humanly possible, thanks.
SG: The Triangle. Lowe on the Toronto Raptors' chances of topping the Eastern Conference come playoff time, and the defensive failings that have made their candidacy look shakier of late.
PG: Canis Hoopus. In which it is argued that several other kinds of plays are at least as highlight-reel-worthy as slam dunks, with a host of supporting video documentation of said other cool play types.
6th: SB Nation. Paul Flannery on Rajon Rondo's exit from and return to Boston, a city he perhaps could have owned, had he ever deigned to take ownership.
7th: Grantland. Jonathan Abrams goes long on Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, two children of pros who have scrapped their way to recognition as the best backcourt in the NBA, and whose pure shooting (and advancing all-around games) have helped make the Golden State Warriors one of this season's top title contenders.
8th: ESPN.com. And yet, despite his team continuing to boast the NBA's best record, Golden State coach Steve Kerr seems awfully concerned with his Warriors nipping some bad habits in the bud before the postseason comes, according to Ethan Sherwood Strauss.
9th: Hardwood Paroxysm. With questions about the AAU system, European development and American players' skill-sets once again earning headlines, Robby Kalland proposes the development of a league-wide NBA Youth Academy, which seems both entirely too sweeping and complicated to actually happen but also might just be crazy enough to work.
10th: Nylon Calclulus. Ian Levy takes a look under the hood of the Detroit Pistons' five-game winning streak, and finds a pair of explanations for the uptick in form that probably don't have anything to do with jettisoning Josh Smith.
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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.
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