Five Out Offense: Shawn and Lil' Shawn

1. BABY MATRIX, YOU GUYS!: Shawn Marion took a really cute photo of him and his son. The Matrix had his first born during the first round of the playoffs and he's given us occasional glimpses into his life via Instagram. You all may or may not know about Marion's obsession with socks, which he's apparently teaching his little one early on. This one just got me in the right spot. With so much negative news about Sterling and racism, something happy is a welcome relief.

2. ADRIAN GRIFFIN: COACH?: Former Maverick Adrian Griffin is set to interview for the Cleveland Cavaliers head coaching position. We're going to keep seeing his name mentioned and eventually, someone's going to take a shot on Griffin. I'd like to see the Cavs do something bold, because the various retreads they've mentioned (Vinny Del Negro!) should make everyone uneasy. The NBA is maddening sometimes, because it seems as if teams never learn from any mistakes, ever.

3. WIZARDS SEEM SET: In news surprising no one, the Wizards hope to bring everyone back next year. This includes free agents Marcin Gortat and Trevor Ariza, who are probably on the list of free agents the Mavericks might consider. The Wizards have already committed to bringing coach Randy Wittman back for three more years, which is understandable. Their real problem is that GM Ernie Grunfeld is staying and he's.... well he's not good at his job. Between Gortat and Ariza, I assume most fans would like Dallas to give the Polish Hammer a shot. I'd like to see it just so he and Dirk could hang out. It seems increasingly likely that both of these player options won't be on the table for long.

4. MORE CUBAN: Mark Cuban talked to Inside the NBA about his interview on racism, Donald Sterling, and more. Charles Barkley and the crew have a real conversation afterwards about stereotyping, prejudice, and more. I would have led with this, but frankly I'm tired of talking about it. There's a whole segment of society that exists to demand "honest conversations" about topics, then shriek at anyone who attempts any form of honesty. Cuban was clumsy in what he said originally, but his point remains salient. He's provoked a real discussion that has reminded me about the important distinctions between racism, race and prejudice. Of course, just because Cuban said something worth discussing doesn't mean people won't continue to take him out of context. MSNBC's Melissa Harris Perry finishes implying Cuban is super racist with a breathtaking statement at the 45 second mark of this video. There are always going to be people who look for the worst in others.

5. 30 FOR 30 REMAINS GREAT: Reminder that you should really watch the 30 for 30 short "Posterized." This has been shared in this space before but I wanted to remind everyone to watch it. The video was an open tab on my computer for a week before I got around to it and I walked away from it with a different view of Shawn Bradley. I like him, which is not something I could say of Shawn Bradley the basketball player.

Author's note: It's been mentioned to me on twitter that a hand-waving at any negative criticism of Cuban and his comments isn't helpful either. That's true and it wasn't my intent. If anything, I get exceptionally unhappy when people lob the term racist around casually, because it's a claim that's nearly indefensible if you are the person being called as such. Melissa Harris Perry implies that all of the owners, including Cuban, all view themselves as slave owners ("Let's review the whole story: Wealthy owners? Check. Profits made from the sale of black bodies? Check. Racial angst? Check."). I simply see nothing to be gained from hyperbolic shrieking from any side of an argument.