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The 10-man rotation, starring the Hawks, the Cavs, systems and stars

The 10-man rotation, starring the Hawks, the Cavs, systems and stars

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: ESPN.com. Kevin Arnovitz on the state of the Atlanta Hawks' system-over-superstars experiment in the moments after having the best season in franchise history ended by the biggest superstar there is.

PF: SB Nation and Bleacher Report. For more smart meditations on the "stars vs. structures" debate, we turn to Paul Flannery, Tom Ziller and Howard Beck.

SF: The Triangle. A good read from Zach Lowe on how switch-heavy defenses have led to something of a resurgence in the value of post-up play as a vehicle for creating double teams and open passes, and the possibility of passing out of the post becoming the next coveted skill-set among NBA roster-builders.

SG: Sports Illustrated. Stanley Kay on the relationship between NBA players — like Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Derrick Rose, the Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers, among others — and the "new civil rights movement" of social-media-fueled protests of injustice.

PG: The Morning TIp. In a similar vein, David Aldridge reports on the disconnect between the Cavaliers' tremendous run and the tenor over the weekend in Cleveland, where protestors took to the streets to decry the acquittal of patrolman Michael Brelo in the 2012 shooting deaths of Timothy Russell and Malissa Williams. One protestor Aldridge spoke with laid things out with a bracing line: "Maybe people would start caring about black lives if they realized their entire basketball team might be murdered."

6th: ESPN Chicago. Nick Friedell runs down how the relationship between Tom Thibodeau and the Chicago Bulls' Gar Forman and John Paxson-led front office deteriorated to the point that many expect the two sides to part ways this summer.

7th: Memphis Commercial Appeal. Chris Herrington offers a tremendous breakdown of the summertime questions facing the Memphis Grizzlies after another successful season that wasn't quite as successful as Grindhouse denizens might have hoped.

8th: Brew Hoop. The Milwaukee Bucks had a surprisingly sensational season, but their offense continued to seem stuck in the mud. Should Jason Kidd's club be shooting more 3-pointers? Eric Nehm investigates.

9th: Knickerblogger. On "the Checketts Doctrine" that has dictated the New York Knicks' decision-making over the past couple of decades, and the chances that Phil Jackson actually meaningfully reverses course this summer.

10th: InPredictable. Mike Beuoy sifts through SportVU data on free-throw shooting in search of a model for analyzing the arc of players' shots, with some really interesting results. One fun line: " To paraphrase Tolstoy, good free throw shooters all look alike, but crappy free throw shooters are all crappy in their own way."

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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!

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