Every once in a while, I link to a few articles from other writers around the internet. You know, I throw some dimes.

1. Paul Pierce’s high school jersey will be retired. Congrats, Truth. I was actually watching Pierce lose to Vince Carter in the 1995 McDonald’s dunk contest. Coincidentally, that contest was also the last time Vince will ever beat Truth in anything meaningful.
2. Paul Flannery discusses Rondo leaving/getting cut from Team USA. Bill Simmons opines, “The single smartest thing Coach K did: dumping Rajon Rondo before the tournament started. This team could only succeed because of the “young/energetic/undersized athletes rallying around Durant and having good chemistry” dynamic and it wouldn’t have worked with Rose and Rondo (natural rivals) competing for minutes. Rondo was expendable for two reasons: can’t shoot from outside (neither can Rose), can’t shoot free throws (Rose can). And you didn’t need both. The good news: Every Rose/Rondo game is going to be A-W-E-S-O-M-E this season.”
3. For what it’s worth, Bill Simmons’ father likes Semih Erden. It’s probably worth nothing.
4. Brandon Jennings believes the Bucks will win the Central Division. After getting home from Turkey, I’m sure Derrick Rose will have a nice chuckle at that.
5. Why Team USA, despite winning gold, really was the “B team.” I agree with everything written about Team USA here.
6. Breaking news: People hate Lebron James. Almost as much as they hate Kobe.

Got a tip? An article you think should be included? Send an email to jayking@celticstown.com or hit me up on Twitter @CelticsTown.

"Coach, that's Derrick Rose right there! Take me out of the game! NOW!!"

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel’s Charles F. Gardner writes that Rajon Rondo withdrew from Team USA because he was afraid of Derrick Rose’s strong play. Reporters these days. They’re SO smart.

And even though this group has been dubbed a ‘B’ team, it still may have enough talent to give the U.S. its first world championship since 1994. Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant has emerged as the leader of a young U.S. team, and Chicago Bulls star Derrick Rose has seized the starting point guard role and given indications he could be a huge factor for the team during the 2012 London Olympics. In fact, Rose’s strong play led Boston guard Rajon Rondo to make a last-minute withdrawal from the squad before the final cut was made earlier this week.”

Ah, why didn’t I think of this?!?!? Rondo was clearly afraid of Rose. And why wouldn’t he be??? Rondo has been having nightmares about Rose ever since the 2009 playoffs. Rose dominated Rondo so badly that series that Rondo only averaged 19.4 points, 11.6 assists and 9.3 rebounds: not even a triple double! And when Rondo had his one bad game during the Team USA tryout period, against Lithuania, Rose was busy destroying every Lithuanian in his path. Rose looked like the best point guard in the world that day, setting the world on fire with 2 points and 3 assists! I’m surprised they didn’t name a wing in the Hall of Fame after him because of that masterpiece.

Look, I may have thrown out a couple theories about why Rondo is no longer with Team USA but I don’t actually know the reason. However, I CAN tell you this much: It’s not that he was worried about Derrick Rose’s strong play. I doubt if Rajon Rondo is afraid of a single thing this world has to offer.

For what it’s worth, here are my rankings (in descending order) of the Team USA players I’d most want on my team if I were an NBA GM. This list includes the withdrawn Rajon Rondo and is based on how these players perform in the NBA, rather than how their games translate to international basketball.
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When the excitement wore off from Team USA’s  thrilling 86-85 win against Spain , one question needed to be answered: why didn’t Rajon Rondo play? Both coach Mike Krzyzewski and team director Jerry Colangelo spoke on the subject, but no clear answer emerged from the discussions. Derrick Rose even suggested that Rondo was suffering from a sinus infection, but Colangelo refuted Rose’s claim.

Coack K, about Rondo and Granger not playing: (USABasketball.com)

Those are two veterans and young guys haven’t had a chance to start or whatever, so before we select our 12 we needed to give everyone a look.

We were trying to learn about our younger players so we started a different lineup.  Before we talk about the outside, Lamar Odom should be our starting center. He’s finally into shape I think to play at this level. Curry has been out so we wanted to give him a chance and we already know what Rondo and Granger can do.

It speaks volumes about this team’s youth that Coach K considers Rondo a “veteran”, but his explanation lacks validity. Neither Rondo nor Granger have competed in adult international competition before. If Coack K wanted to sit veterans to give the younger players a chance to prove themselves, why did both Chauncey Billups and Lamar Odom– the only two players with experience playing for Team USA– start?  Though Coach K said Rondo sat just to give the younger players a chance to show their skills, Colangelo gave a slightly different explanation. (ESPN.com)

“Coach told the team this morning that he was going to try some other players, change the lineup,” Colangelo told ESPN.com. “We’ve been off to some bad starts in our three games, and so he went with a different lineup, and he said some guys might not play today. And that’s how it played out. I don’t think anything is significant. I don’t know what we’ll do in the game against Greece, but we’re still trying to determine who we are and how we’re going to play, so that was just for today, what he chose to do.”

So Coach K said it was just to give other players a look, while Colangelo claimed it had to do with the bad starts Team USA has gotten off to. Hmm.

Ultimately, I’m not too concerned for Rondo’s future on Team USA. Coach K loves Rondo and Rondo’s game. He has openly praised Rondo on several occasions.  Rondo is still going to make the team, and he’s still going to play a significant role. Coach K probably sat Rondo for both the reasons he suggested, and the reasons Colangelo gave. Coach K not only wanted to see the younger players against good competition, he also wanted to send a message to Rondo and Granger that they need to play better, or there spots in the rotation will not be secure.

It’ll be interesting to see whether Rondo plays against Greece on Wednesday in the last exhibition game before the World Championships in Turkey, and how he responds to the benching. Rondo has played unspectacular basketball so far for Team USA and he’ll need to improve if he plans on holding onto that starting spot. Derrick Rose has played VERY well and is poised to usurp Rondo’s role as the starting point guard.

In case the picture didn’t clue you in, Skittles gave Derrick Rose his own Skittles machine. (CNBC)

Chicago Bulls guard Derrick Rose is known to eat a lot of candy. So when the folks at Wrigley found out that he likes to down their Skittles brand, they decided to do something a little special for the hometown boy.

Earlier this month, they brought a custom, tricked-out Skittles vending machine to his house and promised to keep it stocked with Skittles for at least three years.

Rose gets the machine and the Skittles for free; the Skittles brand has a chance of getting more love from Rose; and the Bulls, I guess, hope Rose’s sugar highs peak at the right time.

The folks at Wrigley would only confirm the following facts: The picture is real. The machine holds every variety of Skittles. And it even tempts him, in his own voice, whenever he walks by the machine.

Can’t I get one too? I love Skittles, and you know what? Unlike Rose, I’d actually do something for Skittles if they got me a candy machine with free candy, at least as long as the machine didn’t tempt me in my own voice whenever I walked by it. That might get annoying. But seriously, Skittles, hook ME up with a candy machine and free candy for three years and I’ll start the Skittles Player of the Week as soon as the season starts. You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours. And the funny thing about my back is, it loves Skittles.

Rajon Rondo had a photo shoot for NBA 2k11 with Derrick Rose and David Lee. For some of the shoot, he wore one of the greatest t-shirts of all time.

I don’t care that NBA 2k11 made Rajon Rondo wear this shirt during his photo shoot. I don’t care that it wasn’t his own idea. I don’t even care that the scrawny white dude standing in front of Rondo is wearing an ear piece like he’s the Secret Service or something. Because this shirt is undeniably awesome, and on one of the cockiest mo-fo’s most confident point guards to walk the earth the shirt looked like a perfect fit.

(More pictures from the shoot here)