Fuck Yea[h] NBA

Some quick links before I actually start working. 

• J.A. Adande on why Russell Westbrook won’t work in OKC (uh, yeah, he wrote this before that Dallas game). Also, Adande on the disconnected New York Knicks who lost again last night to the Lakers. I’ll have more on the Knicks once I finish up paid-for work. [ESPN]
• This isn’t that surprising, but Kevin Durant is one of the best buzzer-beating finishers in the NBA according to ESPN stats and info. [True Hoop]
• Kevin Arnovitz on the Dwyane Wade game winner and why people are freaking out and saying he traveled. He goes into the specifics of the NBA’s current definition of the traveling rule: “A player who comes to a stop on step one when both feet are on the floor or touch the floor simultaneously may pivot using either foot as his pivot. If he jumps with both feet he must release the ball before either foot touches the floor.” [True Hoop]
• Howard Beck on Ron Artest’s new name and the new outlook on life. There have been roughly 938,456 articles about the new Ron Artest since the Malice in the Palace, but Beck’s rendition is worth it. [New York Times]
• Tom Ziller, who churns out copy faster than I do, on the most obvious conclusion we can draw from the first few days of NBA action. LeBron James and Kevin Durant are the toast of the NBA this season. Uh, thanks. [SB Nation]
• About those Knicks, Amar’e Stoudemire sprained his ankle. Did you hear that collective screech? Yeah, that’s all the Knicks fans (including myself). Again, I’ll have more to say on the Knicks 1-2 start later today. [ESPN New York]
• Fran Blinebury on Gregg Popovich’s recent decision to sit his own big three (Duncan, Parker and Ginolbli) when they were down big to Houston. It’s an abbreviated season with a ton of games in very few nights, so resting an older team when they’re getting blown out is smart. [NBA.com Hangtime Blog]

Michael Jordan art curtesy of Charis Tsevis via Hooped Up Online