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.
• Dwight Howard and James Dolan — congratulations! You made GQ’s list of least influential people in sports. Apparently the people at GQ have never heard Dolan’s band play.
• Which NBA teams have the most shout-outs in rap songs? You should be able to guess that.
• If you want to hear Kevin Durant’s new hip-hop track, follow the link.
• This is a really fantastic bit of writing by Jessica Camerato of CSNNE.com, detailing the Celtics Avery Bradley and what he has had to do to recover from shoulder surgery.
• If you read one thing today, Zach Lowe’s look around the NBA at Grantland should be it.
• Jrue Holiday thinks he deserves All-Star consideration. Holiday is having a fantastic season, the best of his career. But voters (and the coaches picking the reserves) chose not by position but rather two guards, which means he is in a conference with where he has to get picked in front of guards like Deron Williams, Rajon Rondo, Dwyane Wade, Joe Johnson, Kyrie Irving (Derrick Rose happens to be out) it just seems unlikely.
• Stephen Curry talks about he changed his game since Monta Ellis was traded.
• In case you missed it, Marco Belinelli got a DNP-Coach’s Decision Monday. He is pretty much out of the Bulls rotation.
• Ricky Rubio is in a new “backyard wrestler” ad for Foot Locker.
• Lamar Odom is averaging 1.4 points per game on 21.4 percent shooting with a PER of 2.7. Yikes. Now Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro said Lamar Odom knows he needs to play better and he is working to keep Odom “engaged.” Not good, Clippers fans. Not good at all.
• Better news Clippers fans — here is a Q&A with Chauncey Billups.
• Here’s the video of the elbow Matt Barnes threw that got him ejected.
• Want to spend a day with Phil Jackson? TMZ camera crews following you around are not included, but you can ask him to tell you the real story about Jerry Kraus or Jim Buss. Just make a $10 donation through the Web site Omaze.com to the American Indian College Fund and you are entered in the raffle. The winner will receive airfare and accommodation for 2 to Los Angeles in addition to their day with Jackson. Sorry, also Jeannie not part of the package.
