Today's links and other interesting reads.
- Stan Van Gundy and John Calipari himself reject the idea that Kentucky could beat the Wizards. I don't even know how this actually became a thing. [SB Nation D.C.]
- This is my favorite response to the Kentucky vs. Wizards saga. [Deadspin]
- In case you want serious, academic discussion of this issue, Kevin Pelton crunches the numbers and finds that Kentucky might win one or two games in a given NBA season. [Basketball Prospectus]
- Ethan Sherwood Strauss remains the lone holdout in the Kentucky vs. NBA team debate. [HoopSpeak]. UPDATE: He clarifies his position.
- Nene and Trevor Booker are both uncertain for tonight's game against Indiana. [Wizards Insider]
- Speaking of the Pacers, they're struggling to find an identity in the later stages of the season. [Eight Points, Nine Seconds]
- Here are articles from the Washington Post and Washington Examiner on the Wizards' improved defense since the Nene-JaVale McGee deal. The advanced stats generally back up the basic ones. With the exception of the loss to the Hawks at home (110.5), the Wizards' defensive efficiency in Nene's four games has been below 95 every time.
- Then again, if Nene is still hurting, it wouldn't be the worst thing in the world to shut him down until he's totally healthy. [CSN Washington]
- Sarah Schorno talks to Andray Blatche's mother about her son's struggles. She confirms that Blatche fares best with positive reinforcement, which helps explain why Flip Saunders was so reluctant to publicly criticize him. [DC Sports Bog]
- Chris Mannix had a short blurb in Sports Illustrated about John Wall and the Wizards' struggles. You can view my response here, or just scroll down.
- The numbers show that Booker very much resembles Miami's Udonis Haslem at a similar age. I really like that comparison, assuming Booker can improve his jump shot. [Wiz of Awes]
- Many NBA players worry first about their family members or other things when they are traded. Nick Young worried about his swag. Miss you, Nick. [TBJ, noticing from this excellent Grantland article]
- Chris Singleton wants to buy a lot of Mega Millions tickets. Probably not the smartest call in the world. [DC Sports Bog]
- Interesting read on the Harrison Barnes "brand" issue. [Classical]
- JaVale McGee had this awesome dunk on Jose Calderon last night. Unfortunately, his Nuggets lost in Toronto. [SB Nation Denver]
- Meanwhile, Young is struggling to find his way with the Clippers. [ESPN Los Angeles]
- He also took this shot last night. New team, same Nick.
- Cartier Martin discusses the horrible food he had to eat in China, and much more. [Wizards Insider]
- He's also, percentage-wise, the Wizards' best three-point shooter. [Truth About It]
- These hats are awful. [DC Sports Bog]