NBA.com: Podcast with newly acquired Houston Rocket Ron Artest
J.E. Skeets of Ball Don’t Lie: Breaks down the comments that didn’t make the cut in BDL’s USA-Greece live blog
Mike Baldwin of The Oklahoman: “Half of the lower level seats in the 19,275-seat Ford Center will cost $50 or less. Three-quarters of upper level tickets (5,000 seats) will cost $20 or less. The NBA mandates that all teams offer at least 500 tickets for $10. Oklahoma City will offer nearly seven times that many with 3,400 upper level $10 tickets. Despite thousands of reasonably priced seats, Oklahoma City’s average ticket price ($47.51) is close to last year’s league average ($48.83) that was compiled by Team Marketing Report. Premier seats in the lower bowl nearly doubled in price compared to season tickets two years ago when the New Orleans Hornets played most of their home games in the Ford Center following Hurricane Katrina.”
Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune: “For the first time since the New Orleans Hornets moved to New Orleans in 2002, the team has sold more than 10,000 season tickets and is close to selling out the entire lower-bowl area of the New Orleans Arena. As the team prepares to launch its partial-season-ticket plans next week, the Hornets have exceeded the 10,000 benchmark used league-wide as a measuring stick for success. “There are a lot of significant things happening, ” Hornets President Hugh Weber said Thursday. “We’re within 100 tickets (of a lower-bowl sellout), and we’ve always said that’s a significant objective. “And the other very significant goal which is unprecedented for us in this market is surpassing 10,000 season tickets. Very few teams in the NBA accomplish that, and even the large markets have a difficult time doing it. So we’re very proud that in this market, we’ve been able to do what markets five or six or seven times this size have been unable to do.”"
Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune: “Everyone in Utah know about Williams and Boozer, who despite what fans in Cleveland believe, is a thoughtful person who knows how to deal with the media and who possesses a team-first attitude born from playing for Krzyzewski at Duke and Jerry Sloan with the Jazz. Beyond the two Jazz players, I can tell you this about Paul, Redd and Bosh: I have never interviewed any NBA players who are more low-key, respectful and professional. If you asked me to produce a top-10 list of players who exemplify what every NBA team wants from its young cornerstone-type stars, Paul, Redd and Bosh would be among the first I’d nominate. The bottom line: Barring injury or foul trouble, I don’t expect Boozer’s playing time will increase much as the Olympics proceed.”
Doug Smith of The Toronto Star: “He has seen the Great Wall and been impressed by its scope and its history; he has met swimmers and track stars and shared stories with the other great athletes at the Olympics. He’s learned a thing or two about himself and basketball, too. “That I can play defence,” he said after the United States trounced Greece 92-69 last night. “I know I’m digging a hole for myself with the Raptors and everything because the expectations are going to be there. “I can play defence and I can play a different role. I think that’s hard for guys to accept sometimes, but I just want to win.”"
David King of The San Antonio Express-News: “Victories over Iran on Saturday and Russia on Monday would allow Argentina to avoid both the United States and defending world champion Spain in the first game of the knockout round, which will match the top team from one group with the fourth-place team from the other, and the second-place team with the third-place from the opposite group. “We’ve gotten ourselves up off the floor (from an opening loss to Lithuania) and we’re on our way,” Ginobili said. And while defense was given the credit, Argentina’s offense also did its part, led by 18 points from forward Andres Nocioni, 15 from Carlos Delfino and 14 from Ginobili. Argentina shot 52 percent from the field, including 9 of 22 3-pointers.”
Kevin Pelton of Basketball Prospectus: “The numbers are staggering. The U.S. allowed 136.2 points per 100 possessions in the 2006 loss to Greece. In this matchup, that was shaved down by a half a point per possession, with Greece averaging 86.7 points per 100 possessions. It all started with the defense on the pick-and-roll, which Greece famously ran 42 times in the 2006 victory. Because of that, I started charting how the USA defended pick-and-rolls early in the game, ultimately stopping midway through the fourth quarter when the game was well in hand. Overall, I counted 23 pick-and-rolls in that span that led directly to offensive action. On those 23 opportunities, Greece scored four times for a total of nine points, or 39.1 points per 100 possessions. I don’t know if it’s possible to put into context how good that is, because it is unthinkable for a team so talented to struggle so much in a key area of the game.”
John Hollinger of The New York Sun: “Spain can hang with the U.S. at point guard and center, but where the U.S. has a huge advantage is at the two forward spots. Spain’s Alex Mumbru, Felipe Reyes, and Carlos Jimenez will be overmatched in both size and speed against James, Wade, and Carmelo Anthony, which should create openings for the others. The Spanish also aren’t as overtly physical as the Greeks, which should help the finesse-heavy American side. However, Spain will be able to handle the Americans’ ball pressure much better than other opponents have. It’s important for the U.S. not to gamble too much — that means you, Dwyane — because Calderon and ace three-point shooter Juan Carlos Navarro will burn them.”
The Painted Area: “Meanwhile, Spain has been inconsistent en route to its 3-0 record. They were impressive in their opener, an 81-66 win over Greece, but never should have been a position to nearly lose to China. Spain had to rally from 14 down in the 4th Q for an OT win against a team they should have beaten by 20. Even Spain’s 13-point win over Germany was deceptive - they looked sluggish and unimpressive for most of the first half, scoring just 12 points in the 1st Q, and trailing by as much as 8 in the 2nd Q, before turning things around and taking control in the second half. I’ve watched all three Spain games - the team just seems unable to get into a flow, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Spain coach Aito Garcia Reneses has taken a completely different approach with his lineups. I can’t even call it a “rotation” because there’s been absolutely no consistency to it.”
