Links: PG Battle Heating Up, Casey Jacobsen on Defense

Who wants Kyle Lowry to start? Show of hands? Yes, there are quite a few of you out there. Well, you'll all be happy to know that there are others who think like you do (even if I'm not one of them). Wendell Maxey has a new column up on Hoopsworld.com titled "Is Lowry Ready to Start in Memphis?" He mostly focuses on Lowry's road back from his season-ending wrist injury last year, but does touch on the 3 PG rotation that Iavaroni has used in road games this year.

It will be interesting to see how long Marc Iavaroni continues to shuffle between a three point guard rotation, a dilemma he hasn't had to endure before. But one thing is for sure this year in Memphis: Kyle Lowry is making a case to become a starter.

Casey Jacobsen says that Defense Wins Games (and Championships) in his latest blog. I know that some of you might think that this basketball lesson is coming from an unlikely source, but Casey has a great understanding of the game's basic principles.

Offense shouldn’t be any team’s top priority. It is important, of course, but offense must be secondary in our minds when we step on the basketball court every night. Traditionally in basketball, offense is inconsistent. Sometimes the ball goes in, and sometimes it doesn’t…even if you work very hard developing offensive skills. Defense, however, should be consistent.

That's not a notion that is popular among many fans who want to see scoring and lots of it, but it is one of the universal truths that cannot be ignored. Why do you think San Antonio is always a title contender and Phoenix continually falls short of the ultimate prize (as Dallas and Sacramento did before them)? Defense, defense, defense.