I'm not usually a link dump kind of blogger, but there have been a handful of longer pieces in the papers lately, and I thought I'd give everyone a chance to catch up on them if they missed them the first time.
Elliot Teaford's article about Brand, and the fatigue question is perhaps the most interesting. I've said it before, that if his shooting percentage is up, it's hard to say he's backslid offensively. He added the mid-range game last season, this is still the second best scoring season of his career, and easily the best shooting percentage of his career. So it's a little silly to talk about a drop off. Nonetheless, there are things that concern me: his assists should be up, if he's seeing more double teams. And most importantly, as opponents go to the double team late in games, he tends to disappear. His scoring tends to come in the first quarter, but games are won in the fourth.
Elliot Teaford on Brand and the fatigue question, Jan 31
Joe Stevens on whether or not the Clippers are 'back', Jan 31
Jason Reid on the ongoing struggles of Kaman and Livingston, Jan. 30