Howard Beck of The New York Times: “Contrary to some reports, Krstic was paid on time and in full, he said. But he found the experience lacking on every other level. The travel was harder, the crowds smaller and the quality of play underwhelming. ‘Our record was really bad and we didn’t play good,’ Krstic said. ‘We didn’t play like a team. The coach didn’t give me the role I expected to have.’ Krstic, a skilled shooter, said there were nights when he played just 10 to 15 minutes and got three shots — ‘and we were losing,’ he reiterated. Krstic had always intended to return to the N.B.A., just not this soon. He could have opted out of his Triumph contract after the season, but the team agreed to a buyout to ease the strain on its payroll. ‘They said after the new year they would have more problems paying me,’ Krstic said. ‘And if they let me go, they are going to collect more money for other players.’”
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com: “The sources — one of them a top international scout and the other a person directly involved in NBA front-office dealings — said Delfino is integral to Khimki BC’s plans and loyal to its coach. Essentially, Delfino is committed to the team for the rest of the season and will re-evaluate his options afterward. Rumblings about rampant interest in Pargo — such as, for example, from the Lakers — have been exaggerated, the second source said. But the Knicks — coached by Mike D’Antoni with a style suitable to Pargo’s skills — are ‘quite possible’ as a landing spot, the person said. Pargo, playing on a one-year deal for Dynamo Moscow, is friendly with Knicks point guard Chris Duhon, and they’re both from Slidell, La. The issue in Russia is that the sagging international economy has caused many teams to pay players late or not at all. The problem with Pargo finding a home back in the NBA is that the veteran’s miniumum would be a pay cut. There have been various reports about what Pargo’s deal is worth, but one of the sources knowledgeable about his situation said it was $3 million.”
Steve Weinman of CelticsBlog: “Forgetting the fact that the East Rutherford arena is located in the less-than-optimally-accessible Meadowlands complex, the experience inside is a mess. ESPN lists the Nets at averaging 15,399 fans per game (the 77 percent capacity ranks 24th in the league), but there is no doubt that is in tickets paid. It’s hard to imagine there were anywhere close to the reported 11,552 observers at the arena last night as 6,000 seemed a generous estimate. In fact, we were partially responsible for two no-show attendances on our own as a complete stranger handed us two more lower level seats on our way in, both listed at $85 face value. As was the case in my visits last season, the fans that were in attendance showed little to no interest in the basketball game. There was little hoops talk amongst the sparse clusters in the stands around us, and there wasn’t even much of that standard ‘Our boys are playing, let’s get a win’ buzz that most arenas seem to have a night-to-night basis.”
Adam Lisberg and Jotham Sederstrom of the Daily News: “Big changes are expected at the troubled 22-acre, $4.1 billion project, which was planned as an NBA basketball arena and 16 commercial and residential towers. ‘[Ratner] has to go out and get $1 billion in funding [for the arena],’ a source said. ‘That’s probably not going to happen. It can’t be built if that’s the price tag.’ Sources said Ratner is ‘looking to value engineers to do the arena less expensively and get that dollar amount down. … They are looking at the arena from inside out and upside down to see how to bring the arena to life less expensively.’ Cutting costs could include using less expensive materials, a different configuration or bringing in a less expensive architect, a source said. Forest City Ratner has been reeling from an economic meltdown that has threatened nearly every aspect of the controversial Prospect Heights project.”
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports: “Any team in the NBA can sign Miles to a 10-day contract, play him twice and punch out one of the summer’s top free-agent destinations. The Blazers are a prime destination for free agents, and the cap space also made them a fierce competitor for sign-and-trade deals. If Miles returns to the salary cap, he also will push Portland into the luxury tax. That means every team under the tax would benefit with about $250,000 of revenue sharing from Portland. ‘The point that everybody is missing is that this isn’t about Portland’s salary cap. It’s about whether this guy [Miles] is healthy enough to play or not,’ said an Eastern Conference executive. ‘He obviously is healthy enough to play. It doesn’t matter how good he plays. He can still play, and they said he couldn’t. ‘Portland received benefits when [Miles’] injury was ruled career-ending. If he can play, they don’t deserve to have those benefits.’”
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com: “It is hard to empathize with a team trying to get out from under a bad contract. If you sign a player to a bad contract, you should be prepared to live with the consequences. The Blazers have been in that frame of mind all along, so they’re not looking for sympathy. G.M. Kevin Pritchard told me in an email that he ‘planned for all the scenarios.’ The part of this that makes mne queasy is the notion that rival GMs are salivating at the prospect of signing Miles and running him onto the floor for two games just for the sake of hurting the Blazers. There has to be some mechanism, some power at David Stern’s discretion, to prevent such obvious abuse. I will let you know if such authority exists, but there is one reprieve at Portland’s disposal for sure: If Miles’ salary goes back on the books, the Blazers can apply after a year to have the final year taken off.”
Ian Thomsen of CNNSI.com: “A team executive said it was ‘unprecedented’ for an NBA team to threaten a lawsuit against a rival for signing a player who is a free agent. The executive speculated that Miles may seek legal action of his own against the Blazers, by claiming that Portland is limiting his right to work.”
Chris Tomasson of the Rocky Mountain News: “After Team USA won Olympic gold last August in Beijing, Colangelo vowed to give these superstars some space. But come the Feb. 13-15 All-Star Weekend in Phoenix, he plans to touch base with them. Colangelo’s preference is simple. He wants many of the top players back for the World Championships in Turkey in 2010 and the 2012 London Olympics. ‘Take 2009 off, get it done in 2010, take 2011 off,’ Colangelo said of time before the Olympics. ‘That’s the perfect scenario, if they’re willing to do that.’ With the U.S. having qualified for the World Championships because of its Olympic win, Colangelo said USA Basketball will have a camp this summer with young players.”
Scott Bordow of the East Valley Tribune: “Remember how Suns general manager Steve Kerr raved about his draft picks last June? Robin Lopez was going to play 15 to 18 minutes a game as Shaquille O’Neal’s backup and give the Suns the defensive-minded big man they so desperately needed. In Goran Dragic, Phoenix finally had a backup point guard for Steve Nash. Was he inexperienced? Yes. But the Suns thought enough of their second-round pick that they paid an exorbitant sum to get him here. Well, the Suns are 32 games into the season, and, so far, Lopez and Dragic have been about as useful as belly button lint.”
Ivan Carter of the Washington Post: “Blatche and McGuire have been starters, Young has a solid role as sixth man, Crittenton has seen more action recently and McGee, who made 13 starts early in the season, hasn’t played in three straight games. Despite the team’s 7-27 record heading into tonight’s game in Chicago, the organization is still not ready to play the young guys at the expense of searching for wins. ‘If you take a look at the minutes for the veteran guys, they are in the high 30s, and I just try to keep them just south of 40 because 40 minutes is a lot over the course of a long season,’ Tapscott said. ‘If you look at Caron, Antawn and Mike James, they are getting 35, 37, 38 minutes, so I’m not overly concerned with putting young guys in just to put young guys in. We’re trying to give them a chance to grow up and learn to play, but not at the expense of winning basketball games. So they have to contribute.’”
Sekou K Smith of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “Thursday was the day to correct that mistake and plenty of others for Mike Woodson and his staff. And let’s just say it wasn’t a session the family could have attended, as there were far too many interesting words uttered by Woodson for anyone with sensitive ears to be allowed in. I dug his approach and understood his main point; basically the Hawks made mistakes, most all of them correctable, he said. But if they weren’t committed to doing things the way they have along the road to this 22-12 record, he’d be happy to make sure and play guys that were committed to doing it that way. He didn’t mince his words. Not once. And not for anybody, including his starters and captain and All-Star. It was rather refreshing to see, as I’m not always privy to the goings on at every practice for various reasons. But I got the feeling that Woodson didn’t care who saw what I saw Thursday.”
X’s & O’s of Basketball: Good Decision Making Key to Spurs Offense
Stefan Swiat of Suns.com: “When Kerr would practice his shooting during the summers, he wouldn’t call it a day until he made a swish so perfect that he forced the nets to rise up and get caught on the rims of all six of the baskets in his high-school gym. That sort of meticulous manner in which he practiced extended to his habits in the pros as well. When playing for the Spurs, Kerr would team with the club’s shooting coach and guru, Chip Engelland, to craft his longe-range skills in a unique way. Since Kerr would sit for long stretches of time as a reserve, Engelland would try to replicate those conditions in their training sessions. Once Kerr would warm up, he would sit down for at least 15 minutes before Engelland would shout for him to get up and sprint to one end of the court and fire a three-pointer. After shooting, Engelland would have him sit down again before repeating this process several times. This allowed Kerr to become accustomed to shooting when he was stiff from sitting on the bench.”
John Schuhmann of NBA.com: “A simple explanation for Iguodala’s increased production would be the absence of Brand, who has his missed 12 of the last 16 games, two with a strained hamstring and the last 10 with a dislocated shoulder. Without Brand occupying space down low and having the offense run through him, there’s more room for Iguodala to operate and more opportunities for him to control the ball. Iguodala doesn’t see it that way.‘Guys are still in the same spots, so it’s not really a big difference,’ he said. ‘I’m just warming up a little bit and starting to get that feeling that I’ve been trying to get the whole year.’ As a team, the Sixers have been more efficient without Brand. In the games he’s played, they’ve averaged 103.2 points per 100 possessions. In the games he’s missed, they averaged 110.3. They’re scoring more on the break and just as much in the paint.”
Marc Berman of the New York Post: “During the first half, when the Knicks were rollicking and rolling, Nate Robinson showed why the Knicks are one of the NBA’s biggest losers and have been the past few years. Nate Robinson stole the ball, glided in for a breakaway layup and decided to do some styling, posing with his left hand behind his head as he laid the ball in. Moments later a timeout was called and you could see the Knicks’ players laughing as Robinson came to the bench. If the Knicks had a leader – and they don’t – someone would’ve told Robinson to cut that stuff out, our team is well below .500, save it for the Slam-Dunk competition because all it does is tick off our more established opponent. The Mavericks awoke in time to take the game, 99-94, as you knew they would. And Robinson is amidst one of his worst shooting slumps of his career. He went 4 of 16, 1 of 9 from 3-point range and Mike D’Antoni is quickly seeing why the Knicks have never entrusted Robinson with a big role. He’s inconsistent, erratic and immature and not very clutch. If he was 6-3, he’d be Fred Jones.”
David Moore of the Dallas Morning News: “Nowitzki has carried his share of the load this season. Howard hasn’t. He’s been a nice player on what will be nothing more than a nice team if he doesn’t regain his multitalented form. No one in the Mavericks organization will tell Howard this. They choose their words carefully around the small forward. They fear any challenge will be perceived as a slap in the face, one that will cause Howard to withdraw. Howard responds to criticism the way Mark Aguirre did 25 years before him. The temperamental similarities between the two are striking. When Howard is upset, when he feels the organization or coaching staff hasn’t shown him the proper respect, it impacts his performance. He allows his moods to diminish his talent and energy.”
Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: “‘I think it’s just a matter of getting shots,’ he said. ‘You can’t score without shooting. Getting five shots … what the hell’s that going to do? But, at the same time, it’s a matter if I’m involved.’ To Erik Spoelstra, Marion very much has a place in the Heat’s halfcourt offense, with Wednesday’s game an example. ‘When he’s aggressive and going to the rim, he’s one of the quickest players in the league and he can create matchup problems,’ the first-year coach said. ‘I think he was just more aggressive and we were trying to move the ball to find him in random situations.’ But, to Marion, that’s the rub. He said he is playing no differently in his 20-point games as in those games when he is getting only six shots, such as the previous two road games, against Eastern powers Cleveland and Orlando. So what made Wednesday different, besides heading hundreds of miles west? ‘We ran some plays, and the ball got to the weak side and I was able to be aggressive and be strong,’ he said. ‘I got the ball.’”
Larry Milson of the Globe and Mail: “Bosh said he sees ‘aggressiveness and confidence’ in the way Bargnani is playing. ‘He’s a lot more determined,’ Bosh said. ‘There’s been a couple of games in the past two weeks where he’s picked me up. He’s done a great job. He’s really raised the bar for himself’ Bargnani’s shooting ability can also create openings for Bosh. ‘He is a very talented big man,’ Bosh said. ‘He can defend as well as rebound. He can do everything. He just has to have that confidence in his game.’ Point guard Jose Calderon, who has been out with a strained hamstring, said Bargnani has been more patient. ‘He’s taking his time to think about whether to shoot the ball, pass or to penetrate,’ Calderon said. ‘He knows he’s going to play minutes.’ Bargnani’s play has already provoked speculation about how the playing time might be divided when O’Neal returns.”
Forum Blue & Gold: Lessons In Losing
Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times: “His production has been on the rise since he compiled 27 points, nine rebounds and five assists Christmas Day against Boston. He had 40 points against Utah and 39 against New Orleans. He had 26 points in 33 minutes against Portland. He had an even more efficient 31 in 32 minutes against Golden State. He had a well-rounded 21 points, five rebounds and five assists in a rematch Wednesday against the Warriors. Of particular importance is his shooting percentage, which has increased dramatically to 48.3% after enduring some rough early-season outings. If Bryant stays at his current level, he would set a personal best for shooting percentage, topping the 46.9% he shot in 2001-02.”
Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star: “His credentials scream All-Star. So do his supporters. He’s fifth in the league in scoring. He has scored at least 30 points in 11 games. His jumper is so pure that New Orleans coach Byron Scott said he thinks it’s going in every time he shoots. Still not sold? He outscored LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul in games. At the rate he’s playing — he has scored at least 35 in his past three games — Indiana Pacers forward Danny Granger will line up alongside LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Kevin Garnett in next month’s All-Star Game at Phoenix. ‘I’d be lying if I said making the All-Star team wasn’t one of my goals when I first came into the NBA,’ Granger said. ‘I wanted to be an All-Star, but the main focus is making a playoff push and being a championship contender. Being an All-Star along the way is one step along the ultimate goal.’”
Ross Siler of The Salt Lake Tribune: “There are 62 names belonging to Western Conference players on the NBA’s 2009 All-Star ballot. Paul Millsap’s isn’t one of them, yet the Jazz forward has barged his way into the All-Star conversation nevertheless. A former second-round draft pick making the NBA’s minimum salary and playing behind a two-time All-Star until seven weeks ago, Millsap has become one of the most improbable All-Star candidates in years. Since Carlos Boozer was lost to a left knee injury Nov. 19, Millsap has averaged 18.5 points and 11.7 rebounds in 20 games as a starter. With Boozer set to undergo arthroscopic surgery today, Millsap is likely to start for another month at least. His streak of 19 consecutive double-doubles — which survived even as Millsap missed three games with a hyperextended knee — is the longest by an NBA player since Kevin Garnett ’s run of 33 straight in 2006.”
Chris Mannix of CNNSI.com: “Both teams are physical. When the Cavaliers and Celtics resume their burgeoning rivalry Friday night at Quicken Loans Arena, expect bodies to be flying. Wallace and Cavs forward Anderson Varejao are no strangers to contact and Celtics center Kendrick Perkins seems to prefer it. And make no mistake, both teams are developing distaste for one another. Watch Kevin Garnett’s face every time James barks at an official: His eyes roll, the curses spill out of his mouth and the glare could burn a hole through concrete. There’s no love lost there. ‘We’re competitors,’ James said. ‘When you have that type of competitive nature and no one wants to lose, the game can look a little more intense sometimes and it can look like you don’t care for that person across from you.’”
Dave Feschuk of the Toronto Star: “The Celtics, 29-8 and a half-game behind Cleveland for first place in the East heading into tonight’s game between the conference’s two best teams, are still awfully good. And these are the nearly inconsequential dog days of a too-long season. Still, as any child psychologist can tell you, bullying is just a mask for insecurity and the Celtics have their reasons for self-doubt. They clearly miss, for instance, James Posey, the defensively savvy veteran who signed in New Orleans in the off-season, and P.J. Brown, whose late-game shooting pulled the Celtics past the Cavs in Game 7 of the East final. ESPN’s Marc Stein has reported the Celtics have considered signing Stephon Marbury, the property-of-the-Knicks head case, which speaks to Boston’s confidence in its guard play and its theoretical tolerance of yet more hard-to-respect antics. Most of the rest of the league, as it happens, seems in no mood to tolerate the Celtics’ tough-guys act any more.”
Brian Windhorst of The Plain Dealer: “The Cavaliers have been built in the image of the multiple-time world champion San Antonio Spurs, the result of their general manager and head coach’s lineage. They have picked up some of the style of the multiple-time world champion Detroit Pistons, the result of their owner’s roots. Now, even if they wouldn’t admit it publicly, they are employing some of the chemistry building maneuvers of the Boston Celtics, the result of being vanquished in last season’s playoffs. So even though there’s quite a rivalry brewing between the Eastern Conference’s best two teams, which renews Friday at The Q when the Celtics make their first visit of the season, there’s a pretty healthy respect on the Cavs’ end.”
