Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Cleveland Plain Dealer: “In spite of the country’s economic woes, Gilbert, chairman and founder of Quicken Loans, the nation’s largest online home lender, said he had put no financial constraints on the Cavs, who have the league’s second-highest payroll at nearly $90 million. “I don’t think the payroll needs to be where it is now to be successful,” Gilbert said. “What I find baffling is some of these guys go out and buy these teams for hundreds of millions of dollars. It’s no time to get cheap,” he said. “If your team is successful into the playoffs and, hopefully, into The Finals, you’re going to make up way more by multiples of that.”"
The Associated Press: “Gilbert said James has given him no indication that he plans to leave for New York after his contract expires in 2010. He called the talk of his departure nothing more than conjecture from bored sports reporters. “It’s kind of an insult to the city of Cleveland in my opinion — an insult to the Midwest,” said Gilbert, who spoke to the media at the Cavaliers’ suburban practice facility Thursday, a few days before the team opens training camp.”
Alan Hahn of Newsday: “While the “insult to the mid-west” whining is a trite attempt at conjuring a small town vs. big city emotions, Gilbert should do all he can to keep LBJ, who has that opt-out in 2010. But over the next two years, whether he likes it or not, there will be two teams in New York who will do all they can to be in position to lure away one of the league’s best and most marketable players. An insult? No, Mr. Gilbert, that’s merely smart business.”
Charles F. Gardner of The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: “Michael Redd admitted it wasn’t easy staying informed about all the Milwaukee Bucks’ off-season moves. When the Bucks traded starting point guard Mo Williams to Cleveland as part of a three-team deal, Redd was with his U.S. basketball teammates in Beijing during the Olympic Games. “LeBron (James) came down to breakfast and told me about it,” Redd said. “He said, ‘We’ve got your point guard.’ ””
The Sport Count: Your Guide To NBA Tattoos
Fran Blinebury of The Houston Chronicle: “Reaching the NBA Finals, let alone hoisting the trophy, takes talent, grit and plenty of depth and the latter cannot be underestimated. For all the heroics of Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler, do the 1994 and 1995 Rockets win without Sam Cassell and Mario Elie? I’m not rushing to put Landry on a par with Sam I Am and Super Mario. But the point is, especially with young players, you just never know until the heat of the battle becomes white hot. And just last May, Landry was willing to show plenty of fire scrap while getting a tooth knocked out to claw for a playoff win in Utah. It looks like the Rockets have an abundance of depth on their frontline with the addition of Joey Dorsey. But they still have questions about their grit, about their durability.”
Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer: “The Charlotte Bobcats work force is about to take a trim. Several sources confirm the Bobcats plan layoffs, probably for Friday, that will significantly reduce their total employees. No sense yet how many will lose their jobs or in which departments, but this figures to impact the business operations more than the basketball operations.”
[Commenter Chrs G.: Is MJ getting laid off or just the people who actually show up for work?]
Michael Wallace of The Miami Herald: “Riley said the Heat stood just $415,000 from triggering the league’s luxury tax penalty for payrolls in excess of $71.2 million. So that might be the reason why the Heat would pass on landing a much-needed veteran at point guard. While there are plenty of other valid reasons for teams to pass on Marbury and Tinsley, money issues shouldn’t be among them. Not when both – upon their release from New York and Indiana, respectively – could probably be had for the league’s veteran minimum, which wouldn’t exceed $1.3 million for either player. On top of that, about half of that salary would be picked up by the league. So the total a team would have to commit in salary would be about $700,000. Theoretically, those figures would double for teams over the tax. But it’s hard to imagine Riley (or owner Micky Arison) allowing $300K to come between the Heat landing a battle-tested veteran point guard who could mean the difference between 5 to 10 more wins this season at least.”
Jeff Caplan of The Star-Telegram: “Expressing optimism and intrigue about the upcoming season, Nowitzki, who turned 30 in June, also turned philosophical, sharing interesting perspectives on getting older and his career, including how much longer it might last and where it might end. With three years left on his contract, Nowitzki repeatedly talked about gunning for a championship in these final three seasons and then, well, possibly hanging it up after 14 seasons, at the age of 33.”
Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News: “The best stuff is in Friday’s paper, with lots of nuggets from Dirk about the Mavericks past and his future. But with so many leftovers, I’ve decided to parcel them out over the next few days. Here’s what he had to say about the U.S. Olympic team winning the gold medal this summer in Beijing: “I saw their interview after they won it and it’s always special to represent your country. And for them to win it was great, especially after the last couple years when the whole world was saying they’re not as good and everybody else caught up. I think it’s good they won and showed the U.S. definitely is a basketball power in the world. I’m actually kind of glad they won. Every time they lost and I came back to Europe, everybody was like, they’re overrated and the NBA is not as good. To me, I was glad the U.S. won.””
Doug Smith of The Toronto Star: “”After (the Beijing Olympics) I went back to Spain for two weeks,” Calderon said yesterday. “I was working out in the morning but it was like a vacation. Just rest, be with friends and family … it was nice.” And unusual. Calderon has spent every summer for the past decade with Spain’s national team, either at an Olympics, a world championship, a European tournament or qualification event. A large chunk of this past summer was spent winning a silver medal in Beijing, but the rest between the end of the Olympics and Monday’s opening of training camp was a welcome chance for Calderon to kick back. “I think from when I was 14 years old I spent every summer with the national team,” he said.”
Casey Holdahl of Blazers.com: Joel Przybilla on his thoughts on coming off the bench,”That’s a good question. I don’t know. I know it’s a long year, a long season. Greg could start at the beginning of the year — and I’ve had that happen before — then maybe I come at start at the end.”" [Uh, what?]
Marc Berman of The New York Post: “Walsh and D’Antoni will hold a press conference at the Garden today and likely will give Marbury a vote of confidence. But Marbury said he doesn’t want to be kept around for the wrong reasons. “It shouldn’t matter if I go to a team in the same conference or a rival team,” Marbury said. “They are concentrating on the direction best for them. There’s nothing wrong with that – nothing wrong with change. If D’Antoni feels he needs to go in another direction with a starting point guard (Chris Duhon), that’s fine. I know I’m going to play someplace else. “I know what I can do on the basketball court. They know as well. There are newspaper writers and other people saying I can’t play anymore. I want to prove to my fans . . . what I can do.” Would he be willing to be a backup? “I’m not coming off the bench here in New York,” Marbury said.”
Ken Berger of Newsday: “All the toxic assets being peddled on Wall Street will be easier to get rid of than the one Walsh and D’Antoni inherited from Thomas. Recognizing how combustible the situation could become, D’Antoni’s agent, Warren LeGarie, flew to New York Thursday to meet with his client in an attempt to calm the waters and broker a solution. D’Antoni hasn’t even run an official practice yet, and already there are issues.”
Marc J. Spears of The Boston Globe: “Garnett didn’t work out with trainer Joe Abunassar in Las Vegas this summer, as he usually does. But Garnett began taking part in workouts Aug. 1 at his offseason home in Los Angeles that included basketball drills and playing, weightlifting, cardiovascular exercises, and running on the beach. He also spent time working out in Minneapolis and said he “busted his [behind].” “I know what I’m anticipating and what this season is about to be like. I trained with the intent that they’re coming [for me]. But guess what, I’m coming, too. We are coming.”"
Scott Howard-Cooper of The Sacramento Bee: “”The teams in the Western Conference have always had to travel more, just because of the fact that they’re spaced out so much geographically,” said Joel Litvin, the NBA president of league and basketball operations. “I suppose this has a slight impact on Portland’s travel because of fewer games against Seattle. But I think it’s just marginal.” It just became more spaced out for teams on the Left Coast, though much better for teams in Texas, Louisiana or Memphis going to Oklahoma City twice a year instead of Seattle. “I don’t know if it’s quantifiable,” Trail Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard said of the potential impact on wins and losses. “I know it’s tougher on bodies every time you get on a plane and fly three hours vs. 30 minutes. That can take a toll.” And, therefore, a new bonus for clubs in or close to the Central time zone. “Absolutely,” Pritchard said. “It’s all about flying and being in the air the least amount of time that you possibly can.”"
