A look around the league and the Web that covers it. It's also important to note that the rotation order and starting nods aren't always listed in order of importance. That's for you, dear reader, to figure out. C : SB Nation and Sactown Royalty . Tom Ziller dons two different hats — one belonging to a sharply analytical league-wide chronicler who gets why things happen in the NBA in a way few others do, and one belonging to a die-hard fan, team blogger and civic booster who simply refuses to concede the fate of the Sacramento Kings — and we get two fantastic pieces of writing out of it. Throughout a wrenching, ridiculous, years-long farce perpetrated by the Maloof family to the detriment of the entire city of Sacramento, Ziller has been responsive, responsible and insanely good in his writing about the difficult matter of a fan base trying desperately to hold onto its team, and to hold onto hope. We're lucky to have him telling this story. I just wish it didn't so often seem like such a frequently depressing story to tell. (Which is why it's worth reading that second link again, and again, and again.) PF : Hardwood Paroxysm . As someone who watches, reads about and presumably enjoys the NBA, chances are you're aware that New York Knicks power forward Amar'e Stoudemire doesn't exactly have the most sterling defensive reputation. But do you know why he;s a bad defender? Dylan Murphy rewound the tape on Stoudemire's performance in Monday's loss to the Boston Celtics to point out, using helpful still images and video clips, exactly what he does wrong on defense. In short: Most things. SF : Brew Hoop . We know that Larry Sanders — excuse me: LARRY SANDERS! — has taken a great leap forward as both a shotblocker and an individual defender for the Milwaukee Bucks, but he's also shown softer hands, improved finishing ability and a dedication to attacking the rim in the pick-and-roll this season. So why has the Bucks' offense been significantly better when he's not on the floor? Dan Sinclair takes a closer look at Sanders' on-court/off-court splits in search of some truth for his lyin' eyes.
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