SH Blog: Kobe’s Clutch Triple-Double; Manu Could Miss Start Of Playoffs; Crittenton Charged With Murder

• Once upon a time the NBA had no age restrictions on players entering the draft. Since 2004 and the “one-and-done” rule, players have had to be at least 19 years old and one year removed from high school before entering the NBA. 10 years since LeBron James came straight from high school, SheridanHoops’ Adam Zagoria imagines what the NBA draft would be like without the “one-and-done” rule: “While this year’s NBA Draft is considered to be “historically weak” by various NBA executives, the 2014 draft is projected to be especially strong because it will likely feature current high school seniors Andrew Wiggins, Julius Randle, Andrew and Aaron Harrison, Jabari Parker and Aaron Gordon. But what if those players were all allowed to come out this year, the way King James did? How would the 2013 NBA Draft lottery look if all those players could jump directly from the preps to the pros? Various NBA executives agree that the 2014 class is so loaded, several could make an immediate impact, with the 6-foot-8 Wiggins at the top of the list.”

• Greg Willard, a veteran NBA referee died Monday after a year long battle with pancreatic cancer at the age of 54. Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today has more: “Considered one of the top NBA referees the past several seasons, Willard officiated more than 1,500 NBA regular-season and playoff games during his 24 seasons in the NBA. He earned respect from coaches and players, including Miami Heat forward LeBron James, for his ability and fairness.”

 

• Former NBA player, Javaris Crittenton, was indicted Tuesday on murder charges and gang activity. Crittenton and his cousin, Douglas Gamble, were charged with the murder of an Atlanta woman and the attempted murder of another man. More from the Huffington Post: “Julian Jones – a mother of two – was shot and killed in southwest Atlanta while walking with a group of people in August 2011. Authorities say that incident and a second shooting were gang-related. Officials say the shootings may have been retaliation after Crittenton was the victim of a robbery in which $50,000 worth of jewelry was stolen. Crittenton, a former Georgia Tech guard, was drafted by the Lakers in 2007 and has also played for the Washington Wizards and Memphis Grizzlies. He was suspended for 38 games during the 2009-10 season for pulling a gun in the Wizards’ locker room.”

• At the beginning of the NBA season, the San Antonio Spurs were famously fined by the NBA for sitting four players for a nationally televised game on TNT against the Miami Heat. When the two teams met Sunday night in San Antonio (on NBATV), the Heat decided to sit LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Mario Chalmers. Why didn’t they get fined: “In a statement addressing the Spurs’ fine in November, Stern said the Spurs violated league policy “against resting players in manner contrary to the best interests of the NBA. … The team also did this without informing the Heat, the media, or the league office in a timely way. Under these circumstances, I have concluded that the Spurs did a disservice to the league and our fans.”

• Often forgot about around the NBA, Oklahoma City center Hasheem Thabeet — a former top-5 NBA draft pick — has been on quite the journey. But what we learned on Tuesday is that Thabeet has also been on quite the journey off the court. Read more in this excellent piece by Steve Mcpherson of the New York Times: “At the mention of the story, the Oklahoma City Thunder center’s eyes lit up in the visitors’ locker room after a 101-93 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night. “Ah,” he said appreciatively in a low voice that was surprising in its softness. “I.S.T.—that’s where I work when I go back in the summer.”
• More from Mcpherson: “In the offseason, Thabeet returns to his native Tanzania to work with schools like I.S.T. and others. “I do basketball clinics for little kids, help with building libraries and stuff. Mostly I try to go into schools and talk. Every time I go back, I travel through the country and talk to the kids.”

 

 

Ben Baroff is a basketball journalist who blogs for SheridanHoops.com. Follow him on Twitter here.