Tuesday Bullets

"The Dark Knight," how the Warriors improve, and don't, when Durant sits

• ESPN’s Baxter Holmes on the state of the Lakers is a must-read for all kinds of reasons. While it includes far weightier issues, here’s one that stands out: Lakers executive Rob Pelinka once stood next to Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson and said Kobe Bryant saw “The Dark Knight” and then wanted to talk to actor Heath Ledger about how he “locks in for a role.” Pelinka says Kobe and Ledger then had dinner, and Kobe “used some of that in his game against the Knicks.” It’s on video. But, as Holmes writes: “‘The Dark Knight’ was released in July 2008, six months after Ledger died. A source with direct knowledge said no such arrangement was made and no dinner ever took place.”

• Of course, Laker salvation hinges on attracting free agents and I don’t pretend to know how they all feel about Pelinka. But I do know that Kevin Durant was repped by Rob Pelinka for a time, and then fired him.

• Kevin Pelton goes deep into the Warriors with and without Durant and it’s not what you think at all. The numbers sa…