Bawful After Dark: April 8, 2010

Is Posey a zombie trying to poke Captain Jack's brain out for a nice snack?
(Via Basketbawful reader StottsEra)
Good news/bad news time. The good news? The '92 Dream Team is being inducted into the Hall of Fame! The bad news? That means Christian Laettner is going to be forever enshrined in the Hall of Fame as a member of that team.

Christian. Laettner.

Sonofabitch.

This is a sad day for basketball. (And for anyone else who was a University of Kentucky fan back in March of 1992, join with me in saying "Fuck Christian Laettner!" Ah, that feels better)

In other news, Basketbawful reader Joseph Radzevick was kind enough to apparently read my mind. I had planned on writing today about the Pacers, but last night he submitted something in the same vein of what I had planned to do, except he actually bothered to do research so he definately one-upped me. Here's what he had to say:

Hopefully the good citizens of Indiana were too swept up in Butler fever to notice the Pacers trying to play their way out of a Top 10 draft pick. Check out this list of the records of the lottery teams over their last ten games and notice the staggering difference between Indiana and the other dregs of the league.

Team ... W L
Chicago: 6-4
Detroit: 2-8
Golden State: 5-5
Houston: 4-6
Indiana: 8-2
LA Clippers: 2-8
Memphis: 3-7
Minnesota: 1-9
New Jersey: 4-6
New Orleans: 2-8
New York: 4-6
Philadelphia: 2-8
Sacramento: 1-9
Washington: 3-7

The only teams with .500 or better records in their last ten are Chicago (playing for the last playoff spot, a.k.a. the right to get swept by Cleveland in Round 1), Golden State (playing to get Don Nelson the all-time wins record so he will go back to Maui and leave them the hell alone), and Indiana (playing for...what exactly?). Meanwhile the rest of the list features a host of 2-8 and even 1-9 teams that will beat the Pacers to the bottom.

In theory, I guess we should commend the Pacers for playing out every game and maintaining their competitive integrity. Of course we all know that in theory, communism works. In theory.

Excellent point. There's something to be said for morale and trying to end the season on a good note. However, there's also something to be said for landing Evan Turner, John Wall, DeMarcus Cousins, or somebody like that in the draft lottery. Which is going to do more for the long-term future of the team: some garbage victories, or a blue chip player? (Well, any legitimately good player is going to bolt for a better team and market as soon as they can get the hell out of Indiana, so that may invalidate my point...)

Worst of the Night in Pictures:

CAPTION THIS!
What the hell is going on with Jamal Crawford?


Houston's "Dress like an Empty Seat" promotion was obviously successful

"Man, my shirt stinks as bad as our game!"

Why are you trying so damn hard, Troy Murphy? Do you not like draft picks?

Ladies and gentlemen, this is the winningest coach in the NBA. I feel as if we have failed as a society.
Nationally Televised Games:
Crabs at Bulls: The Bulls really need to win this game to help their chances of losing to the Crabs in the first round of the playoffs.

Lakers at Nuggets: Andrew Bynum is still out and the Lakers still don't give a shit. Meanwhile, the Nuggets are on the second night of a back to back and Carmelo may have slightly scrambled his brains last night. Does all of this just cancel out and we have a good, close game?

All The Other Games:
Clippers at Kings: If this game had somehow ended up on national television tonight instead of the Lakers' game, DirecTV, DISH, Comcast, etc. customer service phones would be ringing off the hook with demands from angry customers to take TNT off their channel lineup. This is going to be ugly, folks. Ugly.