First up, Amir Johnson apologists will appreciate my timeline of Flip's contradictions and double talk at Free Darko. Those on the other side of the fence may say I'm beating a dead horse. To those I say ... okay, you're probably right. But do me a favor and still check it out.
- Michael Curry on pairing Rasheed Wallace and Amir Johnson:
"They’ve done a really good job. Amir brings all the athletic ability and youth to the floor. He’s not a very vocal guy, so when you put him out there with Rasheed, Rasheed helps him in a lot of areas and he doesn’t make nearly as many mistakes. I think they complement each other very well. Sheed can’t move like he once could, but he can direct Amir to do a lot of the dirty work for him."
- I find the "Brandon Jennings in Europe" story incredibly interesting -- I won't be surprised at all if he ends up being the pioneer that turns the NCAA on its head. If you're not yet up to speed, this New York Times article is a nice primer. Also, highlights from his first scrimmage in Italy.
- If you haven't read every post of Henry Abbott's "Train Like a Pro" series, bookmark this page and make your way through it.
- Michael Curry's inspiration? Doug Collins. Here's to hoping that doesn't mean he has a two-and-a-half year shelf life before the players tune him out.
- Antonio McDyess is open for anything.
- The Amir Johnson and Rodney Stuckey mix tape.
- Highlights from Joe Dumars' speech at the U-M Business School.
- With his third WNBA title in the bag, Bill Laimbeer ponders his future as coach of the Shock:
There is some uncertainty about Laimbeer, who has built this dynasty since taking over the team in the middle of the 2002 season. He isn't signed for next year and admitted after Game 3 that he'll walk away from the job at some point, saying that assistants Cheryl Reeve and Rick Mahorn are ready for head-coaching positions.
However, Laimbeer said he still loves what he does and it'd be a surprise if he decided to call it quits this offseason.
"I want to go to Florida and launch a boat," Laimbeer said, referring to his offseason residence. "And I'm going to go up and get in the woods and sit in tree stand and look for deer and think about a lot of stuff and what I want to do."