Bethlehem Shoals Presents Quality Minutes: 9/2/2011

At Quality Minutes, Shoals presents some of his favorite links of the week, on B/R and elsewhere.

TrueHoop: Javaris Crittenton's tweets. Kyle Weidle does some first-rate digital investigative digging to get at the question that's been nagging at a lot of folks: What exactly happened to Javaris Crittenton? How did a nice kid like that end up a murder suspect running from the law?

B/R: Michael Jordan: Why His Rings Count More Than Kareem's, Kobe's or Russell's. Featured columnist Kelly Scaletta digs deep into the numbers to make a well-considered case for all-around Jordan supremacy. Jordan was worth the most when it mattered against the stiffest competition. What do you think?

The Painted Area: Ongoing EuroBasket analysis. EuroBasket won't make many of us forget about the lockout, and international players are no longer the next big thing. But when it comes to tracking future NBA pros or seeing how today's imports are faring in the tournament, Jay Aych is the only source you need.

B/R: Philadelphia 76ers: Elton Brand, Lou Williams and Their Bold Leadership Moves. The Sixers are one of those teams, brimming with talent and persons of interest, occasionally reeling off winning strips. What do they really need to do to turn that into something coherent? Featured columnist Lake Cruise investigates.

Hardwood Paroxysm: The Lost Season: Richard Dumas, 92-93. In 1992, the NBA has supposedly passed its age of drugs and ruin, and Jordan had the sport riding high like never before. Danny Chau writes eloquently about Dumas, the Phoenix Suns star who brought back the past while nearly changing the course of the future.

B/R: 10 Most Underrated Scorers in NBA History. Speaking of the past, a little education never hurt anyone—nor did the chance to peer at some prime throwback unis. Featured columnist Adam Fromal takes us through the names, numbers and styles that may have fallen through the cracks, including all those '80s dudes whose names start with "A."

B/R: Dwyane Wade Talks About Toughest Defensive Matchups. The Miami Heat were, above all else, a defensive team this year. Just like the 2008 Celtics, but with more dunks and no ring. Kelly Scaletta catches up with Wade, now an authority on defense, to find out who gives him the most trouble.

SBNation: Top 99 NBA Players of 2015. Part informed speculation, part whimsy, this list—only barely under way—should be one of the most entertaining things on the web all summer. I already have major beef with where Tom Ziller, Mike Prada and Andrew Sharp have stuck Quincy Miller. Then again, I also have no idea if 2015 is near or far, which is part of the genius here.