Links of the Day (November 1, 2010)

• I was at Staples Center for this. Actually, that was just one of three highlight-reel dunks by the Clippers against the Spurs; two by Eric Gordon and one by Blake Griffin. Speaking of Griffin, he really has to be seen in person to be fully appreciated. I've never seen a man of his size seemingly hang in the air the way he does. Aside from that, he showed great balance and footwork. I'd like to see the Clips allow him to face the basket a little more, especially against a team like San Antonio, who really doesn't have anyone to cover him.
• I -- along with the rest of the world -- also got to see the long-awaited NBA debut of Spurs rookie Tiago Splitter. He was significantly less unimpressive. I wasn't as concerned with how he played during the game as I was with what I saw in warmups. His shooting stroke is hideous; it comes with a hitch at the top, and from section 109, Row 14, seat 1, at least, it looked like he shot the ball out of his palm. I got to Staples about an hour early and Splitter was doing drills with an assistant coach; he probably made no more than one-fourth of the shots he put up from 12-15 feet, with little or no defense. It's been so long since Splitter first came on NBA radars that I don't remember what kind of player he's supposed to be, but to the extent that his value is tied to his shooting ability, he's going to be a big disappointment.
• Some informal point - counterpoint from Bill Simmons and Tom Ziller on the Miami Heat that gives you a pretty good idea of the two writers' philosophies when it comes to basketball.
• This post talks about Indiana center Roy Hibbert's improved passing ability. It is my hope that Detroit coach John Kuester is paying attention to what's going on in Indy and eventually starts using rookie Greg Monroe -- like Hibbert, a Georgetown product -- in a similar way.
• Boston has the most athletic point guard in the league, and it's not Rajon Rondo.
• Rondo was actually sixth on that list, but he's first on another: Eastern Conference Player of the Week.
• The NBA D-League Draft was Monday, and the Maine Red Claws -- the D-League affiliate the Celtics share with the Charlotte Bobcats -- had the third overall pick. D-League teams aren't affiliated with NBA teams the same way minor league baseball teams are affiliated with major league clubs. Rather, NBA franchises can assign any of their eligible players under contract to the D-League. All other players are free game to be signed by any NBA club, though teams have the option to have their last three pre-season cuts allocated to their D-League affiliate in order to better keep tabs on them (you'll recall that this is why the Celtics signed Tiny Gallon right before training camp ended).
• Looking over the results, we see that the Red Claws drafted Magnum Rolle with the third pick. Rolle was picked in the second round of the 2010 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers, showed well in the Orlando Summer League, but didn't make the final roster. Looking at the rest of the team's selections, it's going to be interesting to see how guys like Avery Bradley and Semih Erden and Luke Harangody -- guys with guaranteed contracts but who will spend time in the D-League this year are going to get shots. Tajuan Porter and Armon Bassett are bona fide chuckers. And no, Lawrence Westbrook is not related to Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook (but is cousins with the NFL's Brian and Byron Westbrook).
• A couple days ago, I wrote a bit about the University of Vermont's Marqus Blakely narrowly missing out on becoming the school's first NBA player. He was taken twelfth overall by the Bakersfield Jam. Bakersfield is coached by Will Voigt, a native Vermonter and, as it happens, a family friend.
• Finally, what the hell is Antonio Daniels doing in the D-League draft? The 12-year veteran was taken near the bottom of the second round by the Texas Legends. Daniels was out of the league last year after being bought out by the Timberwolves, but he's not that far removed from a season in which he started 63 games for the Wizards. He was never more than an NBA role player, but isn't that Europe is for?

Links of the Day (October 25, 2010)

• This is really pretty nasty, but it's also something of a good sign for Celtics fans: Pierce wasn't at full strength last year, which leads me to a point I wanted to make before the season started. There are a lot of "predictions" posts from experts and bloggers this time of year, and while the Celtics are getting plenty of respect in terms of the postseason, a lot of people seem to think that last year's sleepwalk through the regular season is the aging Celtics' new strategy. I disagree, and not only because Doc has come out and said as much. Maybe it's just the optimism inherent in any preseason, but the team just seems to have an attitude similar to the 2007-08 squad, which came out with guns blazing and never really let up. They have a deeper chance, healthier starters (except for Perk), and no Rasheed Wallace. I really believe they could challenge for the top record in the East.
• Yesterday, I linked to a breakdown of the flex offense. Here's one of the triangle.
• I grew up in the state of Vermont, and the university thereof hasn't produced many NBA products. Er, any NBA products. Taylor Coppenrath got a cursory look after UVM shocked Syracuse in the first round of the 2005 tournament, and Kevin Roberson went to training camp in 1992 with the Charlotte Hornets. (I don't care what this article says, by the way; Roberson was the best Catamount ever.) Anyway, I mention all this because Marqus Blakely just missed becoming the first player in school history to make an NBA roster. Blakely's a terrific athlete, who, at 6-5, played power forward in college. Obviously, his future in the NBA, if he has one, is on the wing. I'm keeping an eye on him; hopefully some NBA team is, too.