We've got a ton of links today, ranging from people playing basketball to men in suits trying to figure out ways to have the people who are supposed to play basketball actually play basketball. Make the jump for everything while enjoying this highlight video of John Wall and Kevin Durant in the Goodman vs. Drew rematch last night. The Drew League won, but Wall was the star with 55 (!) points.
- That video is from here, by the way. [SB Nation]
- Full report from the game. [ESPN LA]
- Clipper Blog on Wall: There was something Derrick Rose-esque about his performance (expect more efficient, of course). The way he glided in air, absorbing the contact from anyone from Javale McGee to Matt Barnes, and finishing with acrobatic lay-ups and dunks (including a jaw-dropping 360 spin into a lay-up). Whenever he wanted to, which was quite often, he’d blow by Brandon Jennings or Marcus Banks, finding his way to the rim with ease. Even though defenses will adjust accordingly throughout the season, Wall’s combination of length, speed, quickness and athleticism is matched by a select few. In my opinion, he’s the game’s most athletically-gifted point guard (yes, more so than Rose or Russell Westbrook). [Clipper Blog]
- Brian Kamenetzky on Wall: Watching John Wall in a game like this is essentially a science experiment. How much damage can one guy with that much quickness and speed do if the efforts to stop him are, at best, cursory? Wall doesn’t just have a fifth or sixth gear but pulls a Spinal Tap and goes to 11. Even on a floor full of NBA talent -- in some cases very high-level NBA talent -- the gap between Wall’s speed and everyone else’s is clear. The acceleration is absurd. [ESPN LA]
- This is a couple days old, but a nice, passionate defense of summer basketball games. [Hardwood Paroxysm]
- More video from the game. [I Am A GM/Ballislife]
- Nick Young and JaVale McGee were much less passionate about the Basketball-Related Income split than some of their peers. [Kevin Arnovitz]
- Speaking of the lockout ...
- The two sides met yesterday and are meeting again at 2 p.m. today to save the season.
- Apparently, they didn't discuss the BRI split issue yesterday. [Woj/Marc Spears]
- Instead, they talked about stuff like the salary cap and luxury tax. [Berger]
- See reason and end this damn thing. [Ziller]
- Really good stuff here on the financial implications for both sides on not starting the season on time. [Tim Donahue | Larry Coon]
- Derek Fisher and Chris Paul are telling players to tweet "Let Us Play" all throughout the day. I'm not sure how many people they'll really reach, but a social media push is a social media push. [SI]
- Kevin Seraphin has already made someone bleed in France. [Truth About It]
- Yi Jianlian is going back to China, where he'll get an NBA out even though he's an NBA free agent. [Michael Lee]
- The Truth About It gang discusses Wall's ESPN ranking (No. 40 overall) and more Wall stuff. [TAI]