I don’t mind the talk of play-in tourneys, rumblings about how teams are dogging it as the season nears its final month. It’s understandable and it’s nothing to ignore.

But this should be a very important time of year for teams on the outside of the playoff bracket. The teams that lose focus with just 15 or 20 games left and breeze through the season’s final weeks are digging themselves a deeper hole than they’d likely anticipated, because they’re sustaining bad habits that don’t tend to go away with a summer off.

I’m looking at the Kings right now, and I’m liking what I’m seeing. The very talented Zach Harper of Cowbell Kingdom put a post together Friday morning detailing just how the Kings have improved of late, on the defensive end especially, and it’s worth a good read. And the Kings? They’re worth paying attention to.

Because a hot end to the season carries over. All sorts of playoff participant surprises, from the 2001 Dallas Mavericks to the 2005 Chicago Bulls to the 2007 Golden State Warriors got in a little late-season work the year before that led to them making the playoffs the following season. In the case of the Warriors and Bulls, this work didn’t exactly translate to wins (and the Warriors weren’t even playing under the same coach the season before) but a precedent was set. The thirst for winning and playing a competitive style of basketball was established.

Which is why the Kings, who came out of nowhere a few weeks ago to start talking up defense like it was some heretofore unknown concept suddenly worth obsessing over, like finding out how much you like smoked almonds ("I can’t stop eating the things!"). And it was about damn time.

According to Zach, the Kings were stuck at 27th in defensive efficiency 57 games into the season, but over the last eight games the Kings have been rather average defensively. Don’t slough that off. Average defense with a team featuring a host of youngsters on top of not-quite-there-defensively vets like Beno Udrih(notes) and Spencer Hawes(notes) is a bit of an accomplishment, and with practice and sustained effort, there’s no reason why the Kings can’t keep this up.

Because offensively, though the team is far from the most efficient outfit out there (20th, right now), the Kings should come around. The talent is there, and it’s just a matter of refining things and getting past stagnant seasons from Hawes and Jason Thompson(notes). And getting to that offseason, one that will see the Kings nearly $20 million under the cap (not accounting for cap holds). Hemorrhaging money, the squad might not use all that space, but help is clearly on the way on that end.

Which is why you have to end strong. Have to. The attitude has to be in place, that idea that everyone is held accountable has to sustain, and the Sacramento coaching staff has to make its mark right now. Because while the Kings have some $25 million in expiring contracts on the roster, those deals are owned by guys who aren’t in the rotation, save for the mercurial Sean May(notes).

This is to say, everyone’s coming back. Better get ‘em working for you now.

I can’t stress the importance of this final month enough. And wins (Sacramento is 4-4 over the last eight games since the defensive uptick) don’t really matter. It’s the way you play. I know that’s a cliché, but seeing a squad working in a different (better) way is startling to those who have been watching all these games since October. And you better believe these things carry over. Especially for a team that will be returning just about everyone.

I like Paul Westphal. He’s not a ranter or a raver, but he knows the game and can coach. His issue has always been toughness and how to instill it in his players. And Zach Harper credits what clearly has been the difference for the Kings over the last eight games.

Bump a chest, instill some defensive principles. Sounds about right to me.

But keep it up. And see how it carries over to a season, 2010-11, that will count.

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Think of all the machinations that are necessary to become the general manager of an NBA team. You have to have basketball knowledge, usually. Or maybe you’re best bros with the owner and they put you in charge. Sometimes, all you have to do is win the MVP of the 1990 NBA Finals.

But no matter what your path to NBA GM-hood is, it will never be quite as amazing as the path that Neil Olshey took to become the new GM of the Clippers.

Olshey recalled riding the New York subway with Jerry Orbach after a show taping and his words of career advice when Olshey was on his way to his night job at a local bar.

"Jerry Orbach, God rest his soul, was the one who convinced me, ‘Look, the payoff [here] isn’t big enough. You need to go to L.A., where you can hit a home run,’ " Olshey said.

A former actor, turned coach, agent and scout, then named front office executive. Typical basketball stuff.

And while I really like this story, I can’t help but thinking the spin-offs are going to be better. Maybe Ice-T convinces one of his buddies to play jazz in Memphis, then they end up running the Grizzlies. Or Jeff Goldblum might have a friend move to San Francisco to be a television reporter, but then that friend ends up playing for the Warriors.

(h/t ProBasketballTalk)

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JaVale McGee(notes) had eight dunks against the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday night. That is a lot of dunks! In fact, it’s the most this season in a game, tying Dwight Howard’s(notes) performance from earlier this year.

If you’d like, you can watch all eight of McGee’s dunks and marvel at the boom-ness. It’s pretty fun, if you like dunks. And who doesn’t like dunks?

Eight is a lot for a game, no duh. But it’s also more than a lot of players have this entire season. According to CBS’s Dunk-O-Meter, here’s a sampling of some notable dudes with less than eight dunks this entire season.

Juwan Howard(notes) (7)
Baron Davis(notes) (6)
Travis Outlaw(notes) (6)
Rashard Lewis(notes) (5)
Brad Miller(notes) (5 - shockingly high)
Rudy Fernandez(notes) (4)
Nick Young(notes) (4)
Nate Robinson(notes) (3 - shockingly low)
Mike Miller(notes) (2)
Zach Randolph(notes) (2)
Earl Boykins(notes) (0)

Not bad, JaVale McGee. You’ve somehow bested a three time dunk contest champion, a guy who was in the dunk contest, and a guy who can do a behind-the-back 360. And Brad Miller and Juwan Howard.

You, sir, deserve the cover of Men’s Health.

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What are you planning, Rudy Fernandez(notes)? With your fluffy hair, devious grin, and clasped hands, you must be up to something. Whatever it is, I want in. Best explanation of Rudy’s diabolical plan wins the Animaniacs. Good luck, mwahahahaha.

Previously, Tyreke fever!

Winner, rccostner: "Vitiligo is a problem in the Evans family."

Runner-up, Phil: "If you look closely at the top right hand corner you can see that since moving to the Score.com Tas Melas has really let himself go."

Second runner-up, gaborik10m: "Tyreke: So hot right now. Tyreke."

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Changing numbers is the new big thing in the NBA, especially if you choose to wear 6. Gilbert Arenas(notes) is the latest to file a petition to switch numbers, and he’ll be joining LeBron James(notes) in his tribute to Eddie Jones(notes).

While LeBron is just going to need a new logo, Gilbert is going to need a whole new identity. Ever since the Wizznuttz dubbed him "Agent Zero," that’s been his moniker. But if he’s not wearing the number, he can’t have the nickname.

Naturally, I figure we can lend him a hand. We know Arenas loves his nicknames, so these have to be good.

Here’s some suggestions to start.

• "Six Shooter" - Nevermind.

• "Gilbo" - If Arenas were more obsessed with winning a ring this would make more sense.

• "Seis" - "Six" in Spanish, which is a reference to Gilbert’s Cuban roots. 

• "Bonesaw" - This is just a good nickname for anyone.

• "Hibachi" - It just seems natural that Gilbert’s catchphrase could morph in to a nickname.

• "Tigerbelly" - Well, he does have a tiger on his belly.

This is a lot harder than you’d think. But speaking of what you think, let us know in the comments. Surely you can do better than I did.

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