Tonight's NBA schedule features six games, with Clippers/Mavericks and Grizzlies/Thunder matchups topping the bill. But most basketball fans will be watching Kansas and Kentucky battle for the NCAA National Championship in New Orleans. With three likely top-five draft picks in Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, and Thomas Robinson, the game should provide a good preview of next year's rookie class, in addition to being entertaining in its own right.
As we gear up for the title game, here are a few links from around the NBA:
- Tim MacMahon of ESPNDallas.com thinks Jason Terry should stop talking about his impending free agency, for Terry's own sake as much as the Mavericks'.
- In the aftermath of the trade deadline, the Wizards didn't receive rave reviews for their acquisition of Nene, but there's a definitively a more positive vibe around the club lately, writes Stephen Brotherson of HoopsWorld.
- The Cavaliers are making excellent use of the NBA's D-League, writes Bob Finnan of the News-Herald, noting that six current Cavs have played in the D-League.
- ESPN.com's John Hollinger (Insider link) looks ahead to this summer's free agent class, trying to predict which players could end up being undervalued like Brandan Wright was this year.
- The Jazz could be sending or receiving draft picks depending on how the standings end up. Kurt Kragthorpe of the Salt Lake Tribune outlines the potential playoff and draft scenarios for Utah.