Steve Campbell of The Houston Chronicle: “It’s so unfair and fair at the same time. One of the consequences of a tumultuous past is not always getting the benefit of the doubt in present. Artest is trying to reach out to his teammates, but it’s a long season. “With Yao, they probably win the championship (last year),” Artest said. “I don’t want it to be the story that Ron Artest is going to get them over the hump. They were already over the hump. If we stay healthy, we should be OK.” Yes, the Rockets are going to love having Artest as a teammate. Most of the time. Almost all of the time. If they’re mature enough to handle the other times, this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
Doug Smith of The Toronto Star: “A word of warning: You are not going to see the same level of intensity every night for an 82-game season. Not going to happen. It’s one thing to play that way for 20 minutes or so for eight games over more than two weeks; it’s quite another to expect it on back-to-back nights in, say, Toronto and Milwaukee some Friday-Saturday in February. What you are going to see, I think, is a different Bosh in “big games.” Important regular season games, playoff games, moments of tight games when they need a leader to step up on the defensive end. Then you’ll see a new level of confidence, a new level of leadership that was born in the Olympics. Every night? Not going to happen. It can’t. No one – not you, not me, not him – is wired that way.”
Need4Sheed: 24 seconds with Jason Maxiell
The Arsenalist: “One interesting thing to note in the interview is Colangelo’s implicit frustration with Chris Bosh taking shots outside the paint and getting away from his low-post game, something he didn’t do in the Olympics. He’s also saying that this is the first time Chris Bosh was fully prepared for a tournament and that credit needs to be given to USA coaching staff. Note to Sam Mitchell: This is an indirect shot at your preparatory skills which have proven to be far from adequate.” [Audio Interview with Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo]
SLC Dunk: Seven of the worst contracts in the NBA
Conrad Brunner of Pacers.com: “Five months before he was forced into premature retirement by balky knees in 2006, Jonathan Bender took the initiative to put together a relief effort that delivered two tractor-trailers filled with donated goods to the victims of Hurricane Katrina in the New Orleans area, including his hometown of Picayune, Miss. He still hasn’t stopped helping. That initial act of kindness has blossomed into a full-fledged entrepreneurial venture for the former Pacers forward. He owns an investment company that seeks community re-investment opportunities; a construction company that restores flood-ravaged housing; a property management company that leases those properties, targeting displaced residents looking to return to the New Orleans area; and a realty company to help facilitate the sale of those properties to qualified families. You’ve heard of a one-man wrecking crew? Bender has become a one-man rebuilding team.” [Via Hoopshype]
David Sparks of Hardwood Paroxysm: “The most significant shift, however, might be seen in the play of LeBron James. Last season in the NBA, James lined up at about 12 o’clock on the diagram; the style with which he most closely aligned was Perimeter Scorer. In these Olympics, however, James’ style reflects his commitment to doing whatever was needed by the team. His minty-green color and placement at a little before 11 o’clock reflect his Pure Perimeter style, though his relative proximity to the center of the diagram indicates that his fit here is not perfect. Rather than being the primary scorer for this team, as he is accustomed to being in Cleveland, James stepped up the defensive intensity, leading his team in blocks (with eight), and finishing second in the tournament in steals (with 19!), not to mention leading the tournament, by a landslide, in menacing scowls. Further, he was second on the US team in assists (30; Paul had 33), his assist-to-turnover ratio was a respectable 1.76, and he finished in the tournament top ten in total rebounds. To put it in perspective, the role James filled for this US team was similar to that played by Magic Johnson on the showtime Lakers, which is quite a niche, indeed.”
- Check out last night’s Highlights for more required reading
