NBA coaches need to be in charge, they need to have the final say on matters, and they need to have the backing of the front office. Of course, that’s not always the way it is and, for the most part, NBA teams wind up getting run by their players, writes Doug Smith of the Toronto Star. Smith would be very impressed with a General Manager who would call in a star player and tell him to shape up or ship out, but that rarely happens. Here’s more from around the Association..
- The Kings worked out free agent forward Mickael Pietrus this week in Sacramento, league sources tell Shams Charania of RealGM (via Twitter).
- Word of Jordan Crawford‘s deal in China just leaked out today, but the guard tells his followers on Twitter that the deal was actually agreed upon a month ago.
- Being a rookie in the NBA can be hard on most players who have to adjust to the talent level the league offers as well as the grueling schedule. Scott Howard-Cooper of NBA.com takes a look at some second-year players who could be facing career-defining seasons.
Eddie Scarito contributed to this post.