The Starting 5: A look at some of the best hoops content from around the Internet
1. When Stephen Curry Was Canadian: Warriors’ MVP Dominated Toronto’s 8th-Grade Scene – Alex Wong, The Sporting News
Between Riley quoting Big Sean during the playoffs and Steph’s Burger King ad with his father Dell, it’s well established that the Curry children are a goddamn delight. So when an article comes along with extensive quotes about tween Steph running amok in Canada’s grade 7 and 8 leagues, you pay attention. The Toronto Star started telling the story a year ago, but Wong’s interviews with opposing coaches and players add vivid color to the proceedings. Especially entertaining are all the quotes from those who followed Steph’s career after he left Toronto, eagerly anticipating the days when they’d see their former teammate or adversary playing professionally…In Europe.
2. Rookies Deconstructed: Frank Kaminsky – Ian Levy, Vice Sports
It’s been hard to get a clear read on Frank Kaminsky, as opinions on him have between promising prospect to embarrassing lottery pick and back since he declared for the draft. Fortunately for those still trying to figure out the Hornet’s big man, the newest entry in Levy’s excellent series focuses on what makes Kaminsky work. As always, the historical context manages to provide insight without being limiting, giving the reader a sense of how Frank the Tank is succeeding now and what path his development may take. Levy also avoids one of the most persistent and obnoxious clichés that characterizes this sort of comparison piece; by including Sam Perkins’s set shot and sleepy style in his observations of Kaminsky, Levy recognizes that it is, in fact, possible to compare players of different races. It’s an embarrassingly rare accomplishment.
3. Guatemalan Athletes Are Dribbling, and Not Only With Their Feet – Billy Witz, The New York Times
The NBA’s global growth is an undercurrent of every season, breaking the surface only for preseason games, skewed All-Star voting and the occasional rumor of overseas expansion. But although the concept of globalization remains at the back of everyone’s mind, very little focus is put on what happens to the game as it spreads around the world. Witz spent some time in one of basketball’s many enclaves and came back with the story of a unique hoops culture that in many ways predates the game of basketball itself. Guatemala is in the midst of a Mayan renaissance, and basketball’s similarities to the Mayan sport el juego de pelota appeals to those interested in the culture’s legacy. It’s a fascinating peek into a totally different basketball world, one that feels utterly familiar and completely distinct at the same time.
4. Bucks Need To Choose Between Wins, Development – Brett Koremenos, Real GM
The Bucks were supposed to be so much fun this season. Instead, they’ve taken the Hornets’ customary place towards the bottom of the conference, thanks to significant regression on defense and very little progress elsewhere. Koremenos’s diagnosis is a lack of vision; he sees a team split between their desire to win now and build for the future that is having very little success at either. Hopefully, Milwaukee will be able to figure out a plan that gets them back on track, either this season or the next. Otherwise, well…three years ago the Suns were a young, developing team that came out of nowhere to chase a playoff spot in the West, and decided to shift their focus towards instant success. Look how well that’s turned out.
5. Why The Magic Shouldn’t Deal Victor Oladipo For Jeff Teague At The NBA Trade Deadline – Cory Hutson, Orlando Pinstriped Post
Hutson has done an admirable job with this piece, creating a surprisingly compelling read out of a trade that seems, on paper, to be as inoffensively terrible as Macklemore. Basic understanding of the CBA alone makes it clear that the Magic shouldn’t trade Victor Oladipo for Jeff Teague. Oladipo is a promising young player who will be a restricted free agent in a couple years; Teague is a more developed guard on a great contract, but he’s also four years older and approaching unrestricted free agency. In the NBA, it is rarely a good idea to give up a promising young player you control for an older one you do not. Hutson adds dimension, however, by looking at the overall roster context and some advanced stats to determine how much Teague would really improve the team right now, let alone what he could cost them in the future.
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