Charley Rosen of FOXSports.com: “The most significant impediment to a deeper, more evenhanded understanding of sports is that most fans are totally invested in their loyalty to certain teams and certain players to the point where their own self-image and self-worth depend on the success and “goodness” of these players and teams. That’s why so many fans cannot tolerate any comments that puncture their We’re/I’m-Number-One fantasies, which is why so many fans are so eager to pounce on every mistake and erroneous prediction.”
Chris Tomasson of The Rocky Mountain News: “So there’s an ongoing world economic crisis? One might not know it when it comes to the NBA. There are three players in Nuggets training camp on nonguaranteed contracts who you need not cry too hard for if they don’t make the team. They will be paid a total of $7.5 million this season, even if they’re home, sitting in a La-Z-Boy.”
Jerry Brown of The East Valley Tribune: “The poor economy and the recent bailout of Wall Street is trickling down to the Suns and all pro sports franchises. Suns president Rick Welts said that while 94 percent of Suns season-ticket holders put down deposits to keep their seats in the spring, that number shrunk to 90 percent when it came time to pay balances at the end of the summer. “That’s something we’ve never experienced before. But in talking with other teams, it’s pretty much happening everywhere,” Welts said. “If you’re putting down money in the spring and then walking away from it … that’s a sign of where people are right now and how their outlook has changed.””
Red’s Army: “The question is… what will happen next year? And what happens when the rich companies and executives can’t afford to buy out those luxury boxes? We all know that regular fans have been priced out for quite some time. We can’t really afford to go to many games anymore. And when we go, it’s hard to get the really great seats. Those all go to the suits. But the suits are a little strapped for cash nowadays. And the suits are going to be strapped for a little while. In fact, they’re not going to be “the suits” for much longer. What will happen to the Celtics when they can’t fill the premium seats like they used to? For anyone who doubts that some sort of ticket price Armageddon isn’t coming, I advise you to remove your head from the sand. EVERY bubble bursts. The internet bubble. The housing bubble. Everything. Whenever something grows exponentially and without explanation, it will INEVITABLY come back down to earth.”
Jan Hubbard of The Fort Worth Star-Telegram: “Carlisle is like owner Mark Cuban in that he thoroughly studies stats. He showed a key stat to the team last week. The Mavericks averaged 17.1 3-point shots per game last season and made 35.2 percent from the field. “But in games where they attempted 18 shots and made at least 36 percent,” Carlisle said, “they were 12-3. It just shows you the quantum power of the 3-point shot. In terms of risk-reward, if you shoot 40 percent on 3, it’s like 60 percent on twos.”"
Isreal Gutierrez of The Miami Herald: “Once Beasley teamed up with the Heat regulars to start the third quarter — he started the game on the bench — the 19-year-old put on an exhibition of offensive moves against the Pistons. The actual Pistons, too, not the training-camp version of the Pistons that were on the floor in the fourth quarter and overtime. There was Beasley’s crossover and finish over Rasheed Wallace for a three-point play. There was his two-handed dunk off a feed from Wade, who had every defender’s eyes on him. There was his fake-baseline, spin-middle move against Amir Johnson. There was one-handed lefty finish while fending off Jason Maxiell with his right. ”Jason Maxiell — I don’t think I played against someone that size in my life,” Beasley said. But the fend-and-finish was “just natural.””
Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer: “Larry Brown says the Charlotte Bobcats might be the best jump-shooting team he’s coached. Whoa! Didn’t see that one coming. What Brown said makes a lot more sense when placed in context. He’s not saying any individual shooter on this team is as good as, say, former Indiana Pacer Reggie Miller. Right or wrong, he’s saying there’s a wealth of jump-shooters on this team who you can trust to hit a basket.”
Nakia Hogan of The Times-Picayune: “”I can bowl with him, ” Scott said, nodding his head in the direction of Paul. “He can’t golf with me. There’s a difference. At least I can give him some trouble in that bowling alley, but he has no chance on that golf course.” Like hell. “Coach knows he’ll beat me on the golf course, but he wouldn’t have a chance in the bowling alley, ” Paul said. And player and coach end their assertion with toothy smiles. This little spat isn’t going to threaten their relationship, which almost seems like it was made in heaven.”
Eric Musselman’s Basketball Notebook: Scouting for “clutchness”
Eric Musselman’s Basketball Notebook: The speed of trust
Brett Edwards of NBA FanHouse: Not So Fast, Jay-Z: LeBron James Might Be Staying in Cleveland [Video]
Adam Lauridsen of The San Jose Mercury News: “We’ve all seen Corey’s game before, but I hadn’t seen how he interacts with other players. From the glimpse I got Saturday morning, he seems articulate, vocal, easy going, and eager to help everyone — from the top of the roster to the bottom. He also provided the funniest moment of the media session. After finishing a few free throws, Maggette left the court to do a quick interview. Expecting Nelson to conduct his interview outside (as he does on sunny days), Corey took a seat in the coach’s interview chair. When Nelson appeared a minute later to do the interview indoors, he barked at Corey “If you sit in the coach’s chair, they’re going to start paying you like a coach. You don’t want that.” Everyone cracked up and Maggette quickly found a new spot for the interview.”
John McGrath of The News Tribune: “But as I track the Thunder from afar, as I note how the ownership devoted more effort and imagination toward the blue, yellow, crimson and reddish-orange logo than its casually delivered pitch to the state Legislature in Olympia, I can’t deny my wish for the relocation operation to fail. Just lose, baby. Just lose, and trade imprudently, and draft unwisely, and keep paying Robert Swift $2,601,113 a season for averaging 1.8 points and 2.3 rebounds over eight games. In the meantime, keep this thought: Throughout the history of the NBA, good things seem to happen – and happen immediately – to sports markets that lose an NBA franchise.”
Jason Quick of The Oregonian: “Fernandez didn’t disappoint. He was the flashiest and perhaps the sharpest player on the night. He made his first three three-pointers and finished with 18 points on 6 of 15 shooting, including 4 of 9 from three-point range. But what many will remember most is the Spaniard’s passing. He executed what McMillan called a “freaky” pass — a 180-degree, wrap-around pass to Travis Outlaw on a fast break that had everybody looking at the video screen to see it again. Later, he threw a long fast-break bounce pass between a defender’s legs that Outlaw converted for a layup.” [Video]
Marc Berman of The New York Post: “Marbury thinks D’Antoni’s philosophy in asking the guards to get the ball in position to shoot within eight seconds is brilliant. Marbury says if the shot isn’t there after eight seconds, they still have a chunk of shot clock left to get an open look. Marbury’s weight loss to his lightest since Lincoln High - after long hikes and jogging the Hollywood Hills - motivated him to do the video. “It’s for all different types of people, not just basketball players,” said Marbury, whose video is called “Starbury & Aim Sports Medicine Presents: The Rebuilding of the Mind, Body and Soul of a Superstar.”"
John Ourand and John Lombardo of The Sports Business Journal: “Turner Sports this week will unveil a multimillion-dollar rebranding campaign to raise the profile of the NBA’s digital assets as part of the network’s new deal with the league. Turner will immediately debut the tag line “The Game Happens Here,” to boost audiences for NBA TV, NBA.com and NBA League Pass. A central part of the effort will be the relaunch of NBA TV on the season’s opening night, Oct. 28, at 5 p.m. ET. The network will unveil a new on-screen look, featuring new sets and graphics, and its new schedule will devote much more time to live studio programming, which will use some of TNT’s high-profile talent such as Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith.”
