Advertisement

The 10-man rotation, starring Rondo, Carlisle and scenes from failed marriages

The 10-man rotation, starring Rondo, Carlisle and scenes from failed marriages

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: ESPNDallas. Tim MacMahon offers a great look at the similarities and differences between Rick Carlisle's relationships with Jason Kidd and Rajon Rondo, how the former flourished and how the latter fell apart.

PF: RealGM. Jonathan Tjarks looks at the Rondo affair as another in a perhaps troublingly long line of bad-news breakups for the Mavericks: "The problem for Dallas is they are becoming like the husband with four ex-wives — who is the common denominator in all these failed relationships?"

SF: The Triangle, Sports Illustrated and ESPN.com. Zach Lowe, Rob Mahoney and Royce Young on Sam Presti's decision to fire Scott Brooks, and the massive gamble inherent in making this change at this point for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

SG: ESPN.com. A cool look from Kevin Arnovitz at how the Memphis Grizzlies added a new play to their offensive playbook, from the very first inkling of the idea through its in-game execution.

PG: Waiting for Next Year. Kirk Lammers takes a closer look at how the Boston Celtics double-teamed LeBron James to try to throw him off his rhythm in Game 2, a strategy that worked quite a bit but ultimately wasn't enough to keep the Cavs from taking a 2-0 lead.

6th: CelticsHub. Jordan Greer looks at the doubling from the other side of the fence, seeing it as a work-in-progress piece of a broader gambit — playing small-ball lineups aimed at clearing out the middle of the floor and creating transition points — that he thinks Boston ought to try in Game 3.

7th: Sporting News. A fun read from Jimmy Spencer on the on- and off-court relationship between Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson: "They make each other better, which is probably why there's no sibling rivalry."

8th: Talking Points. Tim Kawakami on how the Warriors' beyond-successful transition from Mark Jackson to Steve Kerr has really been about Stephen Curry's transition from young player finding himself into confident veteran capable of speaking with his own voice.

9th: SB Nation. Mike Prada does a whale of a job breaking down what exactly makes Mike Conley such a perfect point guard for the Memphis Grizzlies, and how it all works.

10th: Houston Press. Sean Pendergast turns in a wonderful oral history of the 1994-95 Houston Rockets' remarkable run to a second straight title, which includes, among other things, a five-word quote from Mario Elie about Charles Barkley that I don't think I'm ever going to forget.

- - - - - - -

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.