Jeff Caplan of the Forth Worth Star-Telegram: “Before the start of tonight’s finale to the Dallas Mavericks’ seven-game homestand, Dirk Nowitzki might find himself the recipient of the Western Conference’s player of the week award for a second consecutive week and third time in four weeks. His numbers are becoming mind-numbing.Nowitzki followed last week’s average of 30.7 points and 10.0 rebounds with an even more dominating three-game stretch: 34.7 points on 50 percent shooting, 10.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists. He totaled nine assists in the last two games. Over the six games of the homestand, the 7-foot power forward has amassed four double-doubles, is averaging 29.3 points and 10.2 rebounds, and has six blocked shots. His season-high 46 points Saturday against Oklahoma City, the third-highest point total of his NBA career, was his fifth game this season of at least 35 points, most in the Western Conference. He has eight games of 30 or more.”
Joe Freeman of The Oregonian: “The Blazers entered the season with one of the deepest rosters in the Western Conference and the belief that it would translate into one of the best benches in the NBA. And through the first 25 games, as the Blazers (15-10) have survived one of the most difficult early-season schedules the league has seen in two decades, the bench has lived up to the preseason hype. The dynamic and athletic second unit — Travis Outlaw, Rudy Fernandez, Joel Przybilla, Sergio Rodriguez and Channing Frye — not only has developed into one of this team’s biggest strengths, it also has become one of the NBA’s most productive. The “White Unit,” as coach Nate McMillan calls it, is averaging more than 36 points per game and has outscored its reserve counterparts 906-648 this season, an average of more than 10 points per game. Sixteen times this season, the Blazers’ backups have outscored their opponents’ benches, and the Blazers are 11-5 in those games. To put that into context, in 73 percent of the team’s victories, the Blazers’ bench has outscored the opponent’s bench.”
Blazer’s Edge: “On the one hand you have to be happy with Brandon Roy and Lamarcus Aldridge taking most of the shots. Anyone who objects to them hitting at a 50% clip and scoring 30–including their own teammates–needs a reality check. This is the NBA. You need players who can and will do that. Allen Iverson has made a huge career scoring 30 shooting a far poorer percentage than that. There isn’t an elite team in the league who doesn’t have at least one player who takes over the game on a regular basis. On the other hand, to loosely paraphrase Shaquille O’Neal (easily making this the most vilified paragraph I’ve ever written, name-checking Iverson and Shaq within two sentences of each other), ‘You have to feed the dog if you want him to guard your yard.’ Greg Oden needs some touches and shots. Rudy Fernandez needs shots as well. Sergio Rodriguez is not going to play his best without being able to create on his own. And with young players especially, when they’re not getting their touches they’re not in the game fully. That ball has to move around in order for everyone to be playing at their peak. When the Blazers are playing well this happens almost instinctively. But when somebody misses a few shots or the opponent turns up the pressure the flow gets interrupted. You see our stars start second-guessing making that pass, wondering if the guy on the other end is going to score.”
Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle: “For all the Rockets’ issues with injuries and lineup changes this season, the other unrelenting problem through the season’s first 24 games has been the tendency to abandon what they do best. When the Rockets move the ball quickly and find Yao inside, their offense clicks. When they don’t, it bogs down as it did in Saturday’s second-half collapse against the Clippers. ‘You can feel it happening,’ Rockets forward Shane Battier said. ‘Yet, for whatever reason, we don’t correct it. That’s the next correction this team needs to make. ‘It’s the same old story. When we have a game like this, when we don’t move the ball, move ourselves, we usually lose.’ Success is not measured with the number of shots Yao gets, or even with his touches. Getting Yao shots and touches can be the most direct way for the Rockets to succeed offensively, but his ability to dominate can be found in the way he forces teams to twist their defenses around him, opening other opportunities.”
Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times: “The concept of the triangle offense is ball and player movement with a purpose, to pass the basketball to the first open man, to cut hard. ‘The ball stops, often times when the ball is in Kobe’s hand,’ Winter said about Kobe Bryant. ‘That’s fine, as long as it’s an isolation situation that he can take advantage of. But the other players have to play without that basketball and stay spaced and make themselves available.’ Winter has liked what Pau Gasol has provided the Lakers. Gasol’s move from center last season to power forward has been seamless. ‘Pau is a smart basketball player,’ Winter said. ‘He has a good basketball IQ. He knows how to get himself open in the spots and I think the offense is really good for him. Now I think the thing we need to have is have [ Andrew] Bynum get back to playing like he did last year. And he will. He’ll come around. That’s the encouraging thing about it. The discouraging thing is we’d like to have it happen sooner than later.’ The Lakers’ swoon on defense is an issue for Winter too. He said defense is about hustle, about putting out an effort, about desire.”
Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald: “Paul Pierce was at the center of another photo shoot before yesterday’s practice, this time proudly posing with his shirt off as part of a promotion for an in-depth interview with ESPN’s Tom Rinaldi. That piece, and a recent story by Sports Illustrated’s S.L. Price, prove the Celtics captain is receiving the most national exposure of his career. So what better time to showcase his new fitness regimen, highlighted by his ability to lose approximately 10 pounds between the end of the NBA Finals and the start of training camp? Pierce, through his foundation P2, plans to launch a children’s health and nutrition initiative next summer. ‘I thought it would be a good idea because of what I’ve done with my own eating habits,’ he said. ‘You hear about diseases like diabetes on the rise that affect young children.’”
John Gonzalez of the Philadelphia Inquirer: “You can debate all you want whether it was time for Cheeks to go. But the organization has bigger troubles than which guy stands near the bench in a well-tailored suit. The Sixers threw a bunch of money at Andre Iguodala, and even more at Elton Brand, in an attempt to win games and energize the fan base. What a difference a 10-14 record makes. The only thing flatter than the Sixers are the attendance numbers. They’re 26th in the NBA, averaging just under 14,000 fans per game. That’s thousands fewer than the number of people who will show up at the same arena to watch fat men gorge themselves during Wing Bowl. While the players underachieve and the franchise flounders, the marketing team is trying to run the promotional equivalent of the weave to perfection. Between the ‘all you can eat’ section and ‘the guys’ night out’ special (which grants you and your entourage an audience with the Sixers’ dancers, among other perks), the marketing people are doing a fine job promoting a weak product. Food and females are generally the perfect bait, but not even those have reeled in fans. Not a good sign.”
Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: “While Beasley also had his moments, with 20 points and eight rebounds, finding a counterbalance to Wade is an emerging concern for the Heat, particularly on nights such as Sunday, when Wade shot 5 of 16 for 17 points. Not only did Mayo shoot 4 of 4 on 3-pointers, but he also went 8 of 8 from the line, with many of his points coming directly against Wade. It added up to a compelling daytime draft debate, especially after Wade spoke before the draft of the potential virtues of selecting Mayo at No. 2. Indeed, with Beasley still struggling to find his way as a pro, the rookie forward out of Kansas State said he again finds himself chasing Mayo’s success.”
Marcus Thompson II of the Contra Costa Times: “Pietrus said he thought he would get a premier role after the Warriors traded Mike Dunleavy to the Indiana Pacers. Instead, he wound up in and out of the rotation, playing out of position (coach Don Nelson made him a power forward) and uncertain about his future. Since leaving Oakland, however, Pietrus has had little to grumble about. His Magic has the third-best record in the Eastern Conference, and he gets to play with all-world center Dwight Howard. Before suffering a torn ligament in his right thumb in late November, forcing him out three to five weeks, Pietrus had started all 15 games and was averaging 12.9 points in 28.7 minutes, both on pace for career-highs. He’s also shooting 47.5 percent, including 36.5 percent from 3-point range. After never shooting 70 percent from the line for the Warriors, he’s up to 84.8 percent. What’s more, fatherhood has changed his perspective on life. ‘He made my life difficult, but he made my life better, too,’ Pietrus said of Evan. ‘Because when I step on the floor, it’s for him. When you go back home, there is always a good smile that makes you feel better. He gives me a lot of energy and a lot of emotion.’”
Chris Tomasson of the Rocky Mountain News: “‘Whatever we do, people are going to doubt us,’ said Kleiza, whose Nuggets begin their tough stretch Monday at Dallas before playing at Houston, home to Cleveland and at Phoenix before having a home-and-home series with Portland. ‘We’re still going to be labeled that team that’s only good now… To change that, we’ve got to wait until the playoffs.’ The Nuggets (16-7) are 15-4 since point guard Chauncey Billups first suited up after being acquired Nov. 3 from Detroit. But while they’ve cleaned up against the algae of the NBA, they’re 4-4 with Billups against teams with winning records, dropping them to 4-6 for the season. The Nuggets’ next six foes all have winning records, so the stretch should tell us something. They face a Dallas team that has won 11 of 13, a Houston outfit that has Tracy McGrady back (the Nuggets beat the McGrady-less Rockets 104-94 Nov. 30), and a Cleveland team that is one of the league’s best. The Suns might not be the powerhouse they once were, but the Nuggets have still have lost seven straight in Phoenix. And Portland slipped a bit in the past week, but still should be formidable.”
Brian Windhorst of The Plain Dealer: “Because of their superstar, their record and some incredible team statistics early in the season, the Cavaliers have had the ‘elite’ tag slapped on them in the NBA’s pecking order. Thus far they have earned it, but to keep it up they are going to have to address the only blemish on their 20-4 record. After Saturday night’s loss to the Atlanta Hawks, which snapped an 11-game win streak, the Cavs are now just 1-4 this season on the road against teams with winning records. On one hand it can be said the team doesn’t have a bad loss yet. During the winning streak, when the Cavs only played one team with the winning record (the Hawks), they vanquished the sub-.500 opponents nightly. On the other, watching the road performance of East rivals Boston and Orlando – the Magic won in Portland and Utah last week and lost by a single point in Phoenix – the Cavs still have some work to do.”
David Waldstein of The Star-Ledger: “‘I was waiting for a Vince Carter moment,’ Anderson said, ‘and that was more than I could ever dream to see. I’ve always seen the highlights, but I wanted to be there and see it personally up close and be a part of it. It was incredible.’ Anderson’s description is not hyperbole. Carter’s performance in that game, one of the best regular-season games in Nets history, was indeed incredible, and it wasn’t just the rookies who were impressed. Some of the veterans also took note of what Carter — staring down the warbling throats of 20,000 bulging-eyed Raptors fans venting their hatred for him — did that night. ‘What do I remember?,’ asked Keyon Dooling. ‘I remember the crowd booing every time he touched the ball at the beginning of the game, and I remember the dead silence in the second half when he touched the ball.’”
Brian Hanley of the Chicago Sun-Times: “The popular theory is the Bulls will go only as far as rookie guard Derrick Rose will take them this season. Then again, some say the Bulls will cash in on a playoff berth only if big-money players such as Luol Deng earn their pay. But after watching Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah come off the bench Saturday to help key the Bulls’ 113-104 victory over the New Jersey Nets, Ben Gordon cast his vote for those two as the players who will dictate the team’s fate. ‘Those guys are going to determine how well we do this season and how far we can go,’ Gordon said. ‘The more they can play like that, the better we’ll be.’”
Indy Cornrows: “In the last three Pacer losses, Jason Kapono, Rodney Stuckey and Charlie Villanueva each had their best game of the year for their respective teams. To be fair, all three of these guys are known for these types of outbursts and one may think the Pacers are simply unlucky to catch them on a night when they had it going. But this whole role player going off to light up the Pacers like the Circle after Thanksgiving seems to be a trend in tough losses that has played out over the past couple of years. I have a layman’s theory for why this happens which I’m sure an X’s and O’s junky could refute with the game tape and a little time. Such technical evidence wouldn’t sway me though, because I maintain great respect for the emotional elements of the game. The feel a player has which no one can quantify other than to say he’s in the zone. So why do the Pacers bring out the best game in some players who aren’t considered the first, second or even third option on offense?”
Howard Beck of The New York Times: “The defense improved, but the Suns lost much of their dazzle and lost a lot more games than they were used to. A four-game losing streak dropped them to 11-9 on Dec. 4, though they have since regained their footing to improve to 14-10, ninth in the West. Porter, bowing to pressure from his players, recently restored some elements of the up-tempo game. Jason Richardson, who was acquired in the trade with Charlotte, could help restore some offensive punch. But the mood of the team remains gray, its mind-set stuck in 2005. It is understandable. D’Antoni’s system helped turn Nash into an M.V.P., Stoudemire into a superstar, and Johnson into a very rich free agent (through a sign-and-trade deal with Atlanta). Diaw, an anonymous reserve with the Hawks, blossomed into the league’s most improved player with the Suns. Bell, a well-traveled guard, became a clutch shooter and a selection to the all-defensive team. Their loyalties to D’Antoni were evident.”
Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic: “Steve Nash never got over that the Dallas Mavericks immediately broke up his 2003 Western Conference finals team by trading Raef LaFrentz and Nick Van Exel, two of that team’s top five scorers. Nash practiced Sunday with a Suns team that has two other carryovers from two years ago. It was a day after many Suns attended the opening of Raja Bell’s Scottsdale Moody Blues store as Bell played in Charlotte. It was the day Mike D’Antoni was in town coaching a New York Knicks team in preparation for his return to US Airways Center Monday night. ‘I feel like I’ve been traded,’ Nash said, chuckling. ‘I feel like I’m on a different team because everything’s changed so much around here. We have a lot of differences now after quite a bit of stability but change can really be positive. Amidst that recent chaos could come strong order. We’re all optimistic but it’s a strange point with Mike coming and all the changes.’”
Frank Isola of the Daily News: “Eddy Curry was being touted the next Shaquille O’Neal when he entered the NBA. It was an unfair label and one that the Knicks’ center has been unable to live up to. ‘He hasn’t come close,’ O’Neal says. ‘I don’t want to say anything that is going to hurt his feelings, but I don’t know what is going on with him. In this league, when you’re touted as something and in your mind you don’t think you’re that, then you either got to put up numbers or you got to play the game.’ Curry’s career is at a crossroads. He’s sidelined with a knee injury that has kept him out of all 23 games this season. The Knicks have made it clear that they want to trade Curry because moving his contract would clear even more salary cap room for 2010. Curry knows he’s not wanted and would welcome a change of scenery. But in order for Curry to be traded, he’s got to play first, and O’Neal believes that if Curry is right both mentally and physically, he could thrive in Mike D’Antoni’s system.”
Fran Blinebury of the Houston Chronicle: “The sinking economy has been felt in even the richest of pocketbooks as Tiger Woods needs a new endorsement ride after Buick bailed out and LeBron James lost his Internet connection with Microsoft. But so far, the two biggest marketing names on the Houston sports scene — Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady — have not felt the pinch of corporate cutbacks. ‘So far as I know, nobody’s Tigered me or LeBroned me yet,’ said McGrady, who according to industry estimates, earns roughly $6 million a year in endorsements in addition to his $21.1 million salary from the Rockets this season. Estimates for 2008 have Yao earning $36.5 million, of which $21.5 million comes from various endorsement deals. His current endorsement packages from multiple sponsors total $150 million, Newsweek reported.”
