Acquired Tastes: Inside Stuff?

Henry Abbott over at True Hoop has come up with an amazing blog project that features previews for the upcoming season written by the best NBA bloggers. For those basketball aficionados who haven't stumbled across True Hoop, either due to a lack of familiarity with the Net, or sheer laziness (traits which used to apply to me prior to my renewed productivity on the Web, courtesy of my ubercool MacBook), it's one of the best written NBA blogs on the planet. Check it out by clicking on the link above, then hie over to the previews by going here. In the meantime, here's a preview of what awaits...in the preview:

"I can hear your groan, team president Steve Patterson. But Zach Randolph! you say. Yes, he has top-shelf post-scoring ability, a nose for the ball, and a mean ol’ work ethic. But I can’t tell if he’s a follower or an anti-leader off the court, ball movement goes to Zach’s house to die, and it’s debatable if anyone is truly top-shelf after microfracture surgery."

"Joe Dumars: collector of mediocre former head coaches

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After the offseason departure of assistant coach Sidney Lowe (himself a former head coach) to North Carolina State, Joe Dumars stated that the spot should be filled by someone who commands immediate respect from the players — not someone who would be learning on the job. Enter former head coaches Terry Porter and Dave Cowens.

If Ben Wallace’s tantrums last season proved anything, it is that a veteran team like the Pistons needs someone deserving of respect to get guys to buy into a system. Otherwise, minor problems with strong-willed players could become major. Porter and Cowens bring instantly respectable pedigrees and hopefully will not hesitate to get on guys if the effort is lacking. "

In related news, Charley Rosen and Bill Simmons have been producing some good stuff of late. Simmons trotted out another mailbag, while Rosen seems to be warming up to another year of curmudgeonly hoops analysis by making pointed (and largely insightful) comments on Jerry Colangelo, Shaquille O'Neal, the current NBA coaching lineup, and NBA franchises on the verge of either breaking through, or breaking down.

Photo Credits:

Picture of Bill Simmons courtesy of Charlie Powell in Slate.