Matt Watson of NBA FanHouse: “If the Pistons look disjointed lately, it’s because of Iverson! The rest of the team is still adjusting to him, and he’s still figuring out where he’s supposed to be. In fact, I’ll go so far as to say Iverson is the only reason this team needs to put in extra time on a holiday. By skipping practice, he’s slapping his teammates in the face, telling them their time isn’t worth his need for a few hours of extra sleep. There’s no point for this team to practice without Iverson; he’s the lone wild card since the rest of the roster spent hours upon hours and days upon days going through the same drills in training camp that they went through yet again this morning. Going through the motions without Iverson is pointless.”
The Wages of Wins Journal: Are we just talking about practice?
Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times: “The black ballpoint pen is flying as Rambis draws up defensive schemes, scrawling out Xs and O’s on the wax paper that covers a table at an Italian bistro. He talks about steals, blocked shots and overloading one side of the court. He emphasizes the necessity to jump into passing lanes to intercept skip passes. He talks and draws, and then, finally, he eats. His work is done . . . at least on paper. It was a given that the Lakers would score gobs of points this season, but Coach Phil Jackson wanted to put a stop to all the points being dropped on them (the team’s defensive rank last season: 18th). So Jackson gathered his coaches before training camp and told them he was appointing a defensive coach, something he hadn’t done in his previous 18 years of coaching in the NBA.”
Marc J. Spears of the Boston Globe: “The allure of being part of every second of his rejuvenated NBA life with the Celtics and “The Big Three” was so strong that it kept Ray Allen from following his doctor’s orders regarding his ailing ankles last season. Allen, while playing for Seattle, had surgery by Dr. Richard Ferkel April 7, 2007, to remove bone spurs in both ankles. Before the Celtics began training camp last season, Allen said the Los Angeles doctor recommended he refrain from practice in training camp and sit out early back-to-back regular-season games to rehab his ankles. Allen, however, opted for the pain that, in turn, changed his trademark shooting stroke rather than miss the start of what would be the Celtics’ run to their first NBA title in 22 years.”
Ray Ratto of the San Francisco Chronicle: “Some general managers might be intrigued, thinking Marbury to be “redeemable,” at least if the Knicks paid most of his salary – as though a headache is actually a backrub if the price is low enough. What about Nelson? Nelson can see what Chris Mullin saw in Baron Davis four years ago – that Marbury is someone who can do whatever weird offense-only thing Nelson wants him to do. And since Nelson happens to be in town this weekend, and is operating as the team’s de facto general manager now that Li’l Bobby Rowell has defanged Mullin … well, opportunity awaits. In addition, Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni and general manager Donnie Walsh seem finally to be on the same page as regards getting rid of Marbury at any cost, and according to those who cover the Knicks, they’d like the matter settled this weekend. And with Nelson in the visitors’ coaching office with a cigar and an open mind at the ready … well, opportunity awaits twice.”
Roger Van Der Horst of The Charlotte Observer: “Anyone watching the Charlotte Bobcats? Or maybe the more relevant question is: Did Fox Sports Carolinas and Time Warner Cable bet on the wrong horse? Nielsen put out a report last week showing that, in the first month of the NBA season, several teams were getting better ratings in their local TV markets. New Orleans, Cleveland and Atlanta all showed significant gains. Nowhere to be found: the Charlotte Bobcats. In response to our request, Nielsen provided the entire list, and the Bobcats were last in the league in local TV ratings with a 0.425 average household rating – the percentage of TV households in that market tuned to Bobcats games. That’s actually a drop of 65 percent from last year’s Bobcats number for the same time period.”
Marc Berman of the New York Post: “Wednesday marked the second time in five days D’Antoni asked Marbury to play only to get turned down. Players Association attorney Hal Biagas, who represented Marbury during a buyout meeting two weeks ago, said the union would appeal any fine. ‘He expressed concern he wasn’t comfortable, he never said ‘no,’ ‘ said Biagas, who discussed the matter with Marbury on Wednesday. Yesterday, Marbury emphatically stated the Knicks would be out of line to fine him. ‘If you say I gotta play, I’m going to play,’ Marbury said. ‘If he said I have to play, guess what, I’m going to get on the court and play, period. If I refuse to play, I’m getting suspended. I never told him I’m not going to play. Those words never came out of my mouth. That’s insubordination.’”
Michael Grange of the Globe and Mail: “Yesterday afternoon, after practice with the Toronto Raptors, Anthony Parker returned to his waterfront condominium for a relaxing Thanksgiving dinner with wife and two young children. He could use the break, as tonight Parker will be back at work, testing himself against Joe Johnson of the Atlanta Hawks, another in a long line of top NBA talent that Parker finds himself trying to match up with while playing possibly the most demanding position in basketball. Unfortunately for the Raptors, more often than not Parker has been coming up on the short end of those confrontations. Whether it’s the Miami Heat’s Dwyane Wade slicing his way to the basket for 40 points or the Boston Celtics’ Ray Allen working his way free for wide-open three pointers, opposing shooting guards have had their way with the Raptors this season.”
Jody Genessy of the Deseret News: “Despite the fact he plays the same position, shares multiple old stomping grounds and displays similar durability, Millsap is no Mailman. Ironman, as he’s been called on occasion, will work on several levels until somebody gives him a new moniker. Wednesday’s start — during which he scored 24 points and pulled down 16 rebounds for his second consecutive double-double while filling in for the injured Carlos Boozer — upped Millsap’s playing streak to 180 straight regular-season games. The third-year player, who is expected to start again tonight against the Kings at EnergySolutions, has yet to call in sick, sprained or strained during his NBA career. Kinda reminds Jazz coach Jerry Sloan of guys he admires, who, like Malone — a future Hall-of-Famer who didn’t miss a game in 10 of his full NBA seasons — ‘play when they’re hurt and banged up a little bit.’ Sometimes a lot. ‘That’s the thing you appreciate in players — guys that give it to ya every day,’ Sloan said. ‘He’s done that and made himself a better player.’”
Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star: “The Pacers, who host the Charlotte Bobcats tonight at Conseco Fieldhouse, would likely be well over .500 if they could hold off opponents in the final 24 minutes. The Pacers (6-8) are just 4-6 when leading at halftime. ‘It’s tough,’ said Ford, who has been on the bench late in the fourth quarter of their two most recent blown leads. ‘It’s easy to say where the record should be. I think you hear teams say we should have been, but you’re not. That’s basically what it is. You look at games you should have had, but you can’t count them because you didn’t get them.’ The list of notable blown leads includes 26 points against Philadelphia, 15 points against Miami and 13 points against Dallas earlier this week.”
Ivan Carter of the Washington Post: “Since taking over for Eddie Jordan as head coach, Ed Tapscott repeatedly has stressed that the team’s offense will run through all-stars Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison. Butler and Jamison combined to score 60 points during Tuesday’s win over Golden State and entered last night’s game against the Orlando Magic as the highest-scoring forward tandem in the league (42.1 points per game combined). ‘I told [point guard] Dee Brown, ‘You are never wrong if you throw it to Caron or Antawn,’ ‘ Tapscott said before the game. ‘Let me make the game simple for you: Run the offense, call the defense, you have all of those responsibilities but you are never wrong if you throw it to one of those two.’”
Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: “No, it did not end pretty, which is why while there likely will be plenty of warmth when former Suns forward Shawn Marion is introduced before Friday night’s nationally televised game, the Heat is not exactly in position to embrace O’Neal. What started early last season with a practice-court confrontation between O’Neal and then-Heat coach Pat Riley over the quality of the roster, continued with O’Neal seeking a buyout, declining to play due to a variety of questionable injuries, and then backing the franchise into the Feb. 6 trade that delivered Marion and guard Marcus Banks. ‘It ended the way I wanted it to end,’ O’Neal said as he looked ahead Friday night’s game.”
Marcus Thompson II of the Conta Costa Times: “It’s not the attention from fans Biedrins is worried about but the attention he is now getting from opposing defenses. The noticeable dip recently in Biedrins’ production, he said, is directly related to being a primary focus of opponents’ game plans. Biedrins opened the season registering double-doubles with the ease of a breakaway layup. In the first 10 games, he averaged 16.8 points and 14.9 rebounds, running his streak of double-doubles to 18 dating to last season. But lately, reaching double-digits in points and rebounds has become quite the feat. He’s done it only once over the past five games, a span in which he averaged 14.6 points and 9.0 rebounds. Wednesday’s loss at Boston was his third consecutive game in which he failed to do so. He was also held to single-digit points as well as rebounds.”
Frank Isola of the Daily News: “LeBron James’ future will be debated and analyzed for the next 20 months. There are already whispers that the Knicks are the early leaders to land the potential free-agent-to-be in 2010.One person who may have intimate knowledge about LeBron’s next move is William Wesley, a close friend and adviser to the Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star. Wesley is regarded as a powerful insider among the NBA’s top players and executives, with connections to everyone from Michael Jordan to James. When asked during Wednesday’s Knicks-Pistons game at Auburn Hills if he feels the Knicks are the favorite to sign LeBron in two years, Wesley smiled and said: ‘Barack Obama could use Donnie Walsh to clear salary-cap space for the country.’”
Jerry Brown of the East Valley Tribune: “Walter Davis is the most prolific scorer in Phoenix Suns history. Alvan Adams has played the most games, grabbed the most rebounds and collected the most steals. Dan Majerle is the best 3-point shooter.Larry Nance is the top shot blocker. None of those four, however, rank among the top five in every one of those major all-time categories – and a few more as well. And the only man who does is coming back to Phoenix tonight for his first well-deserved curtain call. Shawn Marion doesn’t rank first in any category – which fits his “underrated” mantra during his 8 1/2-year tenure in Phoenix. But if the Suns kept track of the player with the most alley-oop dunks, the most nights guarding the opposition’s best player, most clutch offensive rebounds or most thrills per minute, “The Matrix” would rank first in each instance.”
Brian Windhorst of The Cleveland Plain Dealer: “Then there was his family; when he was traded, his wife was expecting their third child any day. He left the Cavs to be with her when the baby was born but couldn’t stay, leaving his family in a transitional time. It was more than just learning the plays and finding a role with the Cavs, the rest of his life was in upheaval. ‘My whole world was turned upside down,’ Szczerbiak said. ‘We were rushed, I was rushed.’ So calling Szczerbiak’s strong start to the season with the Cavs a resurgence isn’t quite accurate, it’s a stabilization. After he shot just 36 percent with the Cavs in 25 regular-season games and just 38 percent in 13 playoff games following last February’s trade, he has performed much better this season. He’s shooting 53 percent, a cog in the Cavs’ overall offensive uptick.”
Greg Oden: “Happy Thanksgiving, it is a good day today, even though we had practice this morning. That was kind of wierd im still use to doing nothing on holidays. I am very thankful for my job and everything it brings to me, im also thankful to my mom and the opportunities she has made for me with all she sacrificed, and im thankful for god and him allowing all this to happen in my life. Last night we had a game against the Miami Heat and we got a win, that was a good way to start off the holiday, and we play tomorrow so we are going to try to end it on a good note. Today i will get some good food grub out at like 3 peoples houses and chill. Im glad my brother got to come to Portland and visit me for this whole week so i do have family with me. To everyone whos reading have a Happy Thanksgiving and know that today is about giving thanks, not turkey, but i will eat a full turkey myself.”
