Here is our regular look around the NBA — links to stories worth reading and notes to check out (stuff that did not get its own post here at PBT) — done in bullet point form. Because bloggers love bullet points like your grandma loves QVC...
• If you don’t have a tween daughter, you probably don’t know much about Disney Channel’s “Jessie.” I could try to fill you in, but really you don’t want me to, all you need to know is that Chris Bosh will be the guest star on the episode that airs Friday night (8:30 ET). The episode revolves around Bosh playing against one of the character’s teams (sure, that seems fair) and losing the lucky socks he has not washed since 10th grade. Once washed, Bosh isn’t sure he can dunk ever again. Actually, my guess is rebound but whatever, this is television.
• The Kings Tomas Robinson was in an auto accident and damaged his Porsche Monday night after the Kings win at home. Fortunately he was not injured.
• Pau Gasol has been ruled out of Tuesday’s Lakers game due to the concussion he suffered.
• Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins criticizes modern basketball analytics — the “moneyball” numbers — in a radio interview. Does he know who just bought the team? A numbers guy, who went and hired among others John Hollinger to beef up the analytics the team uses. Not smart.
• By the way, I understand the “analytics can’t tell you everything” argument about basketball. Thing is, if you talk to Daryl Morey or John Hollinger or the rest of the elite numbers guys, they watch more basketball than you or I, have a sharp eye, understand what numbers can and can’t do for them. Why do you think Morey has been going hard after superstar players the last couple years? Het gets you need those to win no matter who your coach is or what analytics you use.
• Milwaukee’s Brandon Jennings and Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant were your players of the week for last week. Jennings averaged 24.5 points and 6.5 assists per game for the week. Durant scored better than 25 points in each of the Thunder’s four games last week.
• Look for Danny Granger to be back in late January or early February.
• Great story at Grantland about how the careers of Jerry Stackhouse and Rasheed Wallace have intertwined and brought them both to New York this year.
• A Dirk Nowitizki Q&A where he says he is not leaving Dallas. As if we expected otherwise.
• The Nets new “borough” jerseys are not the best of the Nets new gear. (In general Nets apparel is reportedly selling very, very well by the way.)
• Andray Blatche talks a little about the investigation of a sexual assault that allegedly occurred in his room in Philadelphia (he did not perpetrate the crime but the level of his involvement is not known, the investigation is ongoing).
• Magic Johnson and Isiah Thomas have worked out their beef and are friends again. I knew you’d be happy for them.
• Former Raptors coach Kevin O’Neill has been fired as the coach at USC.
• Finally, some Nets players learn some Russian: