The Fundamentals

Shira Springer of The Boston Globe:  “With an assist from technology, Magic Johnson stopped by a downtown office building on Friday for a Cisco TelePrescence event where he talked about basketball and business ventures. When asked whether Paul Pierce was the best player in the NBA right now, Johnson praised the Celtics forward but sided with the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant. ‘Paul would like to think he’s better than Kobe,’ said Johnson with a hearty laugh. ‘But Kobe Bryant is the best closer in the game. He’s the best player in the game. You have to remember he’s done it for a long time at a high level. Now, was Paul Pierce better than Kobe in the Finals? Of course, he was better than everybody in the whole playoffs. Is he one of the top three or four players in the league right now, Paul Pierce? Of course he is. It’s hard to find a guy who can go inside and outside and also a guy who can put it on the floor then make plays for other people. Yes, I think he’s right up there with Kobe, right up there with LeBron. It’s hard to pick one of those three guys.’”

Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times:  “The basketball hasn’t come Andrew Bynum’s way much in the first eight games. He would like for that to change some. Mostly, Bynum wants to change his approach when he does get the ball down low. He figures that as the center for the Lakers, he can be more productive if he is more assertive. ‘I really haven’t been attacking, so I’m going to start attacking on the block,’ Bynum said. ‘Over all the games, I really haven’t scored much on the block play.’ Bynum is fifth on the team in scoring, averaging 9.9 points per game. Last season, before he got injured, Bynum averaged 13.1 points. He has been a presence on defense, averaging three blocks per game, second-best in the NBA. But his offense has been coming slow. He’s getting only 8.25 shots per game.”

Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post:  “‘There are less bad plays, more solid plays,’ Karl said. ‘I think the wasteful, cheap possessions that we used to have 10 to 15 a game, they don’t exist very much anymore.’ What always irked Karl was Iverson’s inability to run the offense like a general. Arguably, Iverson shot too much, and like Karl said, Denver could outscore about half the teams in the NBA. But when it came to beating the elite teams, the Nuggets had too many questions with ‘The Answer’ — about his shot selection, his dedication to defense and his ability/inability to trust his teammates. ‘We have contested-shot charts, bad-shot charts and cheap defensive possessions,’ Karl said. ‘I would say that when A.I. was here, we had most games in the teens of contested, tough shots, sometimes in the 20s. And I don’t think we’ve had a double-digit one since (Billups has) been here.’”

The Wages of Wins Journal:  “Last season Durant was above average with respect to taking shots, blocking shots, hitting free throws, and avoiding personal fouls.  He was also a little bit above average on the boards.  With respect to all other stats, though, he was below average. After 10 games this season Durant has the same profile.  But now he has declined further with respect to every statistic except for shot attempts and personal fouls.   Yes, Durant went from bad to really bad (and yet, his Player Efficiency Rating is still above average).”

Adam Lauridsen of the San Jose Mercury News:  “Nelson appears to favor his veterans in the games against better teams (like the Pistons and Hornets), while letting the kids run wild against the Clippers and Timberwolves.  My best guess is he’s (1) hoping to stay close against the better teams and possibly steal the game with his veterans and (2) save the kids from embarrassment.  The second justification, if true, is bogus.  If you’re fresh to the league and getting beaten by a better player demoralizes you, you’re not likely to stick in the league (unless your name is Kwame Brown).  Getting beaten by better players should serve as motivation for the youngsters to improve their games and work even harder.  On the other hand, the first justification makes some sense — if the veterans could squeak out some games against these better teams, it would be great to stay within sniffing distance of the playoffs until Monta returns.  The only problem with this logic is that we’ve yet to get the job done against a quality opponent with our veterans.”

Sekou K Smith of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:  “In the NBA it’s always inevitable. What goes up always comes down. And in the Hawks case, that would be not only their overall performance but also their defensive intensity. After stifling teams with their defense for six games and most of a seventh (in Boston), the bottom fell out in back-to-back losses to New Jersey. While the Hawks argued the contrary, but I saw guys who looked worn slap out. I saw guys who pushed themselves to play at such a high level (with little regard for what might be on the horizon schedule-wise beyond Boston, a tact I had no problem with then and none now), that they simply ran out of gas in their back-to-back road and home set with the Nets. It happens to teams that aren’t used to playing at a ridiculously high level all the time, and this is definitely something new for the Hawks.”

Fred Kerber of the New York Post:  “Harris tried it against Detroit. He eased the burden on Carter with his relentless forays to the basket, a tack he continued that night (when he shot 24 free throws) even after spraining his ankle. He resumed it in two games after a three-game absence from the ankle sprain. In his past three games, Harris has attempted 50 free throws, making 45, while compiling the first three 30-point games of his career (38, 30, 33). In becoming the first Net with three straight 30-point games since Carter in January ‘07, Harris did what he does best.  ‘There aren’t many players in the league better than he is in the open court,’ said team president Rod Thorn. Others benefit from Harris’ assertiveness offensively, and he now sees this. ‘The Detroit game opened my eyes,’ he said. ‘It forced me to see how I needed to play.’ If Carter remained an island, this time it was Manhattan. Carter has benefited from extra eyes on Harris. In his past two games, wins over Atlanta, Carter has shot 45 percent (17-of-38) and scored 55 points.”

Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel:  “If consistency is measured in maturity, perhaps it makes sense that the Heat is 5-5, as well as great at home and awful on the road. According to Elias Sports Bureau, prior to this season, only once previously over the past 14 years had a team started two rookies in each of its first 10 games. That’s when Stephen Jackson and Kenyon Martin did it for the Nets in 2000. This year, Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers have done it for the Heat (as well as Marc Gasol and O.J. Mayo for the Grizzlies). Clearly, there have been growing pains for the Heat. Beasley continues to look lost on defense (already benched this season in fourth quarters in favor of Mark Blount and Daequan Cook). Chalmers has been decidedly uneven in recent games.”

Brew Hoop:  “While the Bucks’ 5-6 record isn’t going to turn many heads in L.A. or New York, it’s tough to complain given what they’re up against: an obscene eight back-to-backs in the first month, 12 of the first 19 on the road, and seven games and counting without Michael Redd. Add in all the new faces and the team’s miserable preseason performance, and it’s difficult not to feel a bit relieved with what Scott Skiles and company have managed to pull off in the first eleven games. Then again, the Bucks have little time to pat themselves on the back, with six of their next eight on the road, including back-to-back road games in Denver and Utah.”

Britt Robson of The Rake:  “My other specific criticism of the coach involves his continual hectoring of Foye over on the sidelines during breaks in the action during crunchtime. Just about everyone on the team is a part of the current dysfunction but if anyone if the poster boy for the fragile psyche the team has demonstrated during this losing streak, it is Foye. During the past two losses, the erstwhile ‘4th Quarter Foye’  has shot 11-19 FG in the first three periods with 6 assists and 3 turnovers, then gone 1-10 FG in the 4th quarter with 2 assists and two turnovers. Meanwhile, a pair of team leaders who perhaps best represent the kind of combo-guard abilities that might serve as a template for Foye’s skill set-Brandon Roy and Billups-were stepping up in the clutch and seizing the game by displaying a keen sense of when to shoot and when to dish. Don’t think Foye is oblivious to all of this. The last thing he needs is Witt chewing him out on the sidelines with the game on the line.”

Marc Berman of the New York Post:  “Mavericks owner Mark Cuban acknowledged Stephon Marbury will have plenty of suitors when the Knicks finally waive him, but stopped himself before putting his hat in the ring. ‘Absolutely,’ Cuban said when asked the question of whether several teams will vie for the lightning-rod point guard’s services. The Mavs owner then backed up, after once being fined for tampering. ‘I take that back,’ Cuban said. ‘I’m not allowed to talk about players on other teams.’”

Melody Gutierrez of the Sacramento Bee:  “While the Kings’ national presence has gone from visible to nonexistent in the last few years, the Maloofs might have found a way to garner attention by turning a spotlight on the organization. Maloof Productions is partnering with reality icon Mark Burnett for a behind-the-scenes series called ‘Rebuilding the Kingdom’ on all things Kings. Burnett, the man behind ‘Survivor’ and ‘The Apprentice,’ told the Hollywood Reporter the show would be ‘committed to creating fun and innovative programming.’  The show is in the early stages and does not currently have a network partner. Maloof Productions is well versed in reality TV, producing SpikeTV’s ‘Bullrun’ and ‘Living Lohan,’ a reality series following Ali Lohan of Maloof Music. ‘It’s a good idea,’ Kings rookie Jason Thompson said. ‘We have a lot of young guys, and (our lives) intrigue a lot of people, especially rookies’ lives. We have guys who aren’t shy to the camera. We have a lot of personalities and guys who like to have fun.’”

Jason Quick of The Oregonian:  “Its not surprising to find Frye in the locker room, engaged in a conversation with teammates about something bizarre or off the wall. Throughout this season, we will drop in on some of these conversations and give you a slice of Fryes personality. We call it a trip to Planet Frye.  This week, the topic is sweat. Nobody on the Blazers sweats as much as Frye, who in a typical practice needs to exchange three T-shirts because they become so wet. As it turns out, Frye has long had a problem with sweating, having to bring an extra change of clothes to high school because he would sweat through them. Soon, the question turns to whether Frye is the sweatiest guy in the NBA. No way, Frye says. One of the sweatiest dudes is Nick Collison, by far. Teammate Joel Przybilla joins the conversation and puts in his two cents. Well, Shaquille ONeal has to be up there, Przybilla says.”

A. Sherrod Blakely of MLive.com:  “Some of Terry Porter’s fondest memories as a Pistons assistant were of Rasheed Wallace working with the team’s younger players. Porter did many of the same things near the end of his playing career, which to some degree, helped cement in Porter’s mind the idea of someday being a head coach. But Porter doesn’t anticipate Wallace will follow a similar path. ‘I could never see him being a coach. Maybe pee-wee,’ quipped Porter. ‘That, he could do. I don’t know about college or the NBA.’ Wallace has said in the past that he might give some thought to also coaching at the high school level. ‘Some of those school districts aren’t excited about embracing a guy who likes to use the F-bomb when he talks to referees,’ Porter said jokingly.”

Chris McGann of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer:  “The city of Seattle has at least one other reason to secure money for Seattle Center and KeyArena. Last year, as Bennett negotiated a deal that allowed him to move the Sonics to Oklahoma City, he agreed to pay Seattle $30 million if after five years the city was unable to acquire another NBA franchise. The main condition was that the city had to secure $75 million from the state during the 2009 legislative session. If the state fails to agree to provide funding, Bennett doesn’t have to pay the $30 million. The city would like to get another team to play at KeyArena because without the revenue from an anchor tenant for the facility, its economic viability is questionable. Hunter, the House Finance chairman, said it would take a lot of ‘heavy lifting’ by the city, the ownership group and supportive lawmakers to get any such plan through the Legislature. ‘Nothing is a slam-dunk,’ he said. ‘This is going to be a very difficult year. We have a horrendous budget shortfall.’”

Brian Windhorst of The Plain Dealer:  “Research and projections done by The Plain Dealer reveal that currently there are 18 teams in position to offer James, or just about anyone else for that matter, a maximum contract in July 2010. It is a fluid list that could change dramatically and will likely shrink because teams will be drafting and signing players to new contracts between now and then. The Nets and Pistons are two teams that have made moves to clear salary-cap space for 2010, which is shaping up to be the most prolific free-agent season in NBA history. James, as it is well-known, is the centerpiece of that market. Which is why likely this week and probably for the next two seasons, James will constantly be asked about his future. Especially when visiting places that have made it a priority to clear that valuable cap space. ‘Every day it seems like [the media] has me going someplace else,’ James said two weeks ago when the Pistons traded Chauncey Billups, significantly clearing their books for 2010. ‘I’m very happy here, I have said that over and over.’”