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The 10-man rotation, starring the Oklahoma City Thunder's fight for survival
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. The great Rob Mahoney looks at the schedule and tries to get a handle on the terrifying new world in which the Oklahoma City Thunder woke up Friday: "Beginning today, the Thunder's priority is survival […] a mound of early losses could conceivably push OKC out of a competitive playoff race altogether."
PF: GQ. If The Russell Westbrook Era indeed lasted only one game, at least we learned something from it, writes Bethlehem Shoals: "After opening night, it became apparent that Westbrook isn't out of control — he's gambling. […] Westbrook played the way he has because he could, not because he couldn't help himself."
SF: ESPN Insider ($). Just how bad could things get in Oklahoma City while both Westbrook and Kevin Durant are out? Kevin Pelton's numbers are grim: "[…] my SCHOENE projection system forecasts an Oklahoma City lineup with neither Durant nor Westbrook to rate 29th in the NBA offensively, ahead of only the Philadelphia 76ers."
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SG: Bleacher Report. Howard Beck on why the Chicago Bulls should thank their lucky stars that Carmelo Anthony chose to stay in New York.
PG: BloombergView. Kavitha A. Davidson offers some additional context on this week's Financial Times report that Steve Ballmer could recoup as much as $1 billion of the $2 billion he spent on the Los Angeles Clippers via tax deductions: "[…] rather than serving as an example of how the U.S. government singles out sports for special subsidies, the goodwill treatment described by FT simply demonstrates a benefit enjoyed by most corporations." (Perspectives on that "enjoyment" in general, of course, may vary.)
6th: The Triangle. Jason "netw3rk" Concepcion on NBA signature moves, which features this enjoyable line about James Harden's knack for drawing fouls on drives through the middle: "It’s like a tax shelter in the Cayman Islands; it’s legal, it’s effective, and it’s, essentially, money."
7th: National Post. Eric Koreen on how Amir Johnson has become "the heart and soul" of the Toronto Raptors, a perfect leader and standard-bearer for a team that, as I wrote this summer, has doubled down on the value of continuity, cohesion and chemistry.
8th: Vantage Sports. A stats-and-eyes argument that Dwight Howard's not as good an interior and pick-and-roll defender as his reputation suggests.
9th: ESPN.com and Pattern of Basketball. Ethan Sherwood Strauss makes the case for the Golden State Warriors winning the 2014-15 NBA championship (offense! defense! depth! improved rotations!). Jonathan Tjarks offers the dissenting opinion (David Lee!).
10th: SB Nation. Mike Prada breaks down Chris Bosh's sensational opener against the Washington Wizards, which showcased his full offensive arsenal and how Erik Spoelstra intends to deploy it now that Bosh is the Miami Heat's No. 1 option.
More NBA coverage:
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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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