The Outside World is a weekly recap of the best basketball writing and analysis the internet has to offer.
– There was a nauseating surplus of coverage of LeBron’s return to Cleveland last Thursday. Two things that didn’t make me nauseous: A video of a Cavs assistant telling LeBron off and a collection of the best tweets from during the game.
– There are several strong candidates for the NBA’s Most Improved Player. Noam Schiller goes with overkill and breaks down 19 different options.
– For fans of the Clippers, Wizards and Timberwolves, perhaps it’s time to start perusing the prospect profiles at Draftexpress.
– Hoopism has an excellent visualization of the NBA’s best helpers and who they are helping most often.
– FreeDarko has their own unique take on NBA Power Rankings.
– A rarely discussed component of statistics is the bias of people who actually keep score and assign credit for the different stats. There have been rumors of homerism affecting player’s tallies of everything from assists to rebounds. With that in mind, The Point Forward takes a look at Dwyane Wade’s 14 rebound from the other night.
– December 8th began as a night like any other. But by the end of the evening the NBA would have a slew of fantastic finishes, including two buzzer beaters. Check out this highlight mashup of the madness.
– Has fouling out gone out of style? Or are coaches protecting their players more?
You can also find Ian at Hickory-High.com and Indycornrows.com
SI had a couple of interesting pieces about Hibbert and Yao. Talking about Yao’s celebrity status around the world. We take it for granted that a player’s perception in the US is consistent overseas. Not the case with Yao.
Thea article about Hibbert was fascinating in how it broke down the difference between the expectations of a center in college as opposed to the NBA. College centers want to catch with their back to the defense whereas NBA centers attempt to turn the hips and catch the ball with one hand and face the defender. Hibbert is making the transition.
Kevin Love with more than 15 boards per game? He had 21 vs. OKC. Too bad he can’t defend.
I wish I could high five Mo Williams.
Bieber > LeBron. Nice sign. GAME OVER. hahahaha
I was highly critical of Dirk not accepting a second-man role with another team and deciding to leave his loyalties with Cuban and Dallas. Dallas looks awesome right now and Dirk is shooting 55% and upholding his avg at 24 ppg. I still say the Hornets getting rid of Tyson Chandler forever doomed the success of Chris Paul in New Orleans. Now he’s in Dallas just owning the paint. I thought ESPN did that +/- stat? Can’t find it and would love to know what Chandler’s is with Dallas.