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.
• The 10 best/worst suits of Craig Sager. Glad somebody finally put this together.
• What is the life of a professional dunker like? (No, not Blake Griffin, come on now.)
• Chase Budinger is back doing light workouts with the Timberwolves following knee surgery. That’s a very good sign.
• Jermaine O’Neal is going to be out for a while in Golden State with sprained knee and a strained groin, and he’s a versatile player that will be hard for the Warriors to replace in the rotation. At one point some people in their front office considered asking Brian Scalabrine if he wanted to make a comeback.
• You keep hearing about “small sample size theater” and to be careful with stats this time of year (with good reason). But what stats tend to hold up from now through larger sample sizes? Which ones should you pay attention to?
• Apparently the final holdovers in Boston have now figured out that Jeff Green, for all his skills, is not now nor never was going to be an alpha dog scorer. OKC fans could have told you that a few years and a big contract ago.
• In the wake of Matt Barnes using the “N word” in a tweet, Charles Barkley talked about using the word and backed Barnes.
• Fun interview with Hall of Famer Gary Payton.
• Jrue Holiday liked seeing his old Sixers teammates this weekend, but he’s quite happy where he is now.
• Dwyane Wade has launched a tie collection. I will let the people who wear ties or have fashion sense comment on this, I’ll go stand quietly in the corner.
• Several NBA teams have made donations to Typhoon relief efforts in the Philippines. The Pacers Foundation donated $50,000 to the United Nations World Food Programme to help bring in food to those desperately in need. The Lakers made a donation to the Red Cross to help the victims as well.
• Finally, well done by Cavs sideline reporter Allie Clifton — she got hit in the head with the ball and doesn’t even flinch.
