The Fundamentals

Ivan Carter of the Washington Post:  “Another reminder that the Washington Wizards miss three-time all-star Gilbert Arenas came in the closing seconds of Saturday night’s 92-89 home loss to Charlotte. Trailing by one with three seconds to play, the Wizards had time for a game-winning shot, but second-year guard Nick Young missed a midrange jumper. On Dec. 5 against the Lakers, Caron Butler missed a potential game-winning three-pointer in a 106-104 loss. Arenas thrived in such situations. His most memorable shot was the game-winning jumper he made to win Game 5 of the team’s first-round playoff series against Chicago in 2005. In all, Arenas has won 10 games with a last-second shot or free throws as a Wizard, including a buzzer-beating three-pointer that beat tonight’s opponent, Milwaukee, in 2007. Young has flashed the skills and shooting touch to be that kind of player but he has yet to connect on his first NBA game-winner.”

Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star:  “Pacers coach Jim O’Brien came out the locker room, looked at me and grinned before saying, ‘We really need to stop meeting like this.’ It was another close game and another close loss for the Pacers, who are 5-8 in games decided by three points or less. The Pacers defense, well, it’s a joke these days. The blue and gold aren’t interested in stopping the opposing team from embarrassing them. I take it back, there’s a couple of players that want to play defense. A couple of players won’t get it done, though. The Pacers have given up an average of 113.7 points in their last seven games. Team president Larry Bird had to be going crazy watching Jamal Crawford become the 28th player in 37 games to score at least 25 points against his team. Twenty-eight players in 37 games, that’s absurd.”

Mark Heisler of the Los Angeles Times:  “They used to get free tacos when their team held the opposition under 100 points but that has only happened once since the Christmas game against the Boston Celtics, more than two weeks ago. There’s no truth to the rumor that Jack in the Box has asked to move the magic number up to 105, in order to get back into game stories. If the Lakers have a problem, it’s on defense, although Coach Phil Jackson insists it’s not a problem. According to Jackson, they give up a lot of points, they score more, so what’s the problem? As he put it early December in Philadelphia, when the 76ers became the latest team to wipe out a large deficit before the Lakers eked out the win, ‘I guess we are what we are, a good offensive team.’ The Lakers have a new defensive scheme they haven’t mastered, possibly because they don’t put a lot of effort into it, unless they feel challenged and, you could check the standings, it takes a lot to challenge them.”

Frank Isola of the Daily News:  “He reiterated that he would make a move to enhance the Knicks’ playoff prospects as long as that deal does not jeopardize the team’s salary cap in two summers. ‘That’s one thing I’ve been pretty consistent with,’ Walsh said. ‘And to a degree it would have to be somebody that can help us. It can’t be just another guy.’ Walsh addressed the state of the Knicks following Saturday’s lifeless 97-76 loss to the Rockets. Sitting outside the visitors’ locker room, Walsh said his plan to acquire star players via free agency is still the best way to build a championship-caliber team. In November, Walsh acquired Al Harrington, Tim Thomas and Cuttino Mobley in two separate trades that put the Knicks in position to be under the salary cap in 2010 – when LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh can become free agents. The Knicks have slipped dramatically in the standings but Walsh added that you have to be willing to take a step back in order to move forward. ‘I think by getting the cap space in two years, we’ve got a chance, at least a chance to build a team that may be a contender,’ Walsh said. ‘I don’t know that, without that, we’d be able to do that through trades, through the draft, without taking a long time.’”

Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman:  “Thunder general manager Sam Presti has been as good as advertised in his six months in Oklahoma City, a not-so-easy task when you’re labeled a wunderkind and hailed as the man who’ll rescue the franchise from its losing ways. Last week’s trade that sent reserve center Johan Petro and a second-round pick in this year’s draft to Denver in exchange for Chucky Atkins and a 2009 first-round pick was Presti’s latest coup, a shining example of the magic he’s worked since taking over on June 7, 2007. Granted, Oklahoma City is the worst team in the league. In no way can that fact be overlooked. But pinning the Thunder’s 6-32 record on Presti would be misguided and supremely short-sighted. From the start, Presti has attacked the job with a tear-down-before-you-build-up approach, an almost mandatory method considering the franchise was stuck in mediocrity and risked facing an enormous payroll with aging and declining players.”

Tim Buckley of the Deseret News:  “During a seven-game stretch prior to Christmas — one in which Sloan’s team went just 3-4 — the Jazz were averaging 21.7 assists per game, with no more than 25 in any one game. Over their seven post-Christmas games — a span in which they are 5-2 — they’re averaging an above-usual 28.3, with 26 or more in each game. The difference is both obvious and significant. So, too, is the fact that in those seven pre-Christmas games they were assisting on 61 percent of their field goals. In the seven since, that total is up to 68.9 percent. No wonder Williams speaks so frequently about how important it is that the Jazz be ‘unselfish.’ No wonder sixth man Andrei Kirilenko said after Saturday’s win over Detroit — a game in which Utah assisted on 29 of its 38 field goals, an impressive 76.3 percent clip — that he really likes how the Jazz have been playing lately.”

Jeff Schultz of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution:  “The Hawks have to win now. Sund knows. They must assume the window for success is small. Next year Bibby might be gone. Joe Johnson will be entering the final year of his contract. See how quickly things can change? ‘For me, it’s always been that way,’ Woodson said. ‘I can’t look toward the future. When I took over, even though they gave me a four-year deal, I wasn’t guaranteed I would last each year. I’ve always tried to coach year to year. You have to try to get something accomplished now.’ He alluded to Bibby’s uncertain future adding, ‘Mike understands the situation. He’s been around long enough to understand the dynamics of what’s going on and what he’s going through right now. He’s handling it very well, knowing that he’s a free agent and anything can happen.’ Going through training camp with the Hawks has helped Bibby. So has staying healthy. His attitude? He told Sund in offseason meetings that the Hawks could be a legitimate playoff threat if everybody accepted their roles. ‘That really resonated with me,’ Sund said. Said Bibby, ‘I’m not worried about how many points I score or how many assists I have. I’m just trying to bring us as many wins as possible. Everybody looks good if we win.’”

Mike McGraw of the Arlington Heights Daily Herald:  “Even if the Bulls are given a pass for playing short-handed in the second of back-to-back games, there is no excuse for getting outrebounded 59-37 or botching three 2-on-1 fastbreaks because the player with the ball (Larry Hughes twice, Ben Gordon once) refused to pass to an open teammate. During his postgame news conference, Del Negro promised to address the fastbreaks with the team and he visited the topic following Sunday’s practice at the Berto Center. ‘If they can’t make good basketball decisions, then I’ll have to make good coaching decisions and get us to share the ball a little more,’ Del Negro warned. Gordon didn’t have much to say when asked about the fastbreak failures. It may have looked even worse to fans because all three times, rookie Derrick Rose was the player who should have been given the ball.”

CelticsBlog:  “Rest and free agent help are not likely on the way until mid February.  That means this team needs to pull itself up by the bootstraps and get things right from within.  They can’t wait for the cavalry to come and save them.  They aren’t going to get any easy wins or nights where the other team lets them off the hook.  Celtic blood is in the water and the sharks are circling. The starters need to set the right tone from the opening tip.  Defense has to be commited to for 48 minutes.  The bench needs to play within themselves and focus on getting stops (if they score 5 points in a 5 minute stretch but limit the other team to just 7 or even 10, I’m pretty happy with that).  And finally this team needs to close out games with a killer instinct.  No more sloppy 4th quarters.  No more taking the foot off the opponents’ throat.  ABC. The bottom line is that this team has to get right, right now.  Forget waiting for a break or an easier schedule.  All teams play 82 games.  Forget waiting for Danny to bring in someone to help.  You have to win with who you have now.  You have to survive the Winter by figuring out how to win when the chips are down.”

Holly MacKenzie of The Score:  Camaraderie, Chemistry and Celtic Pride: A Glimpse Inside Boston’s Locker Room

Tom Ziller of FanHouse:  NBA Ping Pong Derby Tightens Up

The Painted Area:  LeBron: Better Than Bird?

Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel:  “Dwight Howard is headed to the NBA All-Star Weekend as the defending slam-dunk champion and likely starting center for the Eastern Conference. And as a coach. Coach Howard? Howard told the Sentinel on Sunday that he and LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers have been asked to ‘coach’ in the rookie-sophomore exhibition game in some fashion. The top rookies and second-year players are chosen to play in the exhibition that will be held Friday night of All-Star Weekend. ‘That should be cool, a lot of fun,’ Howard said. Howard said he’s planning ‘a big surprise’ for everybody when he makes his coaching debut.”

Trevor Smith of Hoops Addict:  “Bargnani has arrived. This arrival was certainly stalled, delayed, and at times awkward, but it has come. When the adjective ‘potential’ is used in relation to professional athletes, it has a number of interesting, and conflicting, connotations. It is at once both a blessing and a curse. On the surface, it suggests merely that the player might become great, but beneath its surface, the term implies something more subjective about how that greatness may never be reached. At times, the label provides the player a safety net to make mistakes in the name of growing their talent in a safe, controlled environment. Yet paradoxically, it also creates extreme pressure. Being assessed as a potential future standout infinitely increases others expectations. Should those great expectations not be met soon, all the potential is the world will not save them from the wrath of scorn sports writers and casual fans. Andrea Bargnani has dealt his entire life with the complexity that having ‘potential’ brings. Nothing has ever been simple when it concerns the No. 1 pick from 2006 NBA Draft.”

Wages of Wins:  “The big story is the play of Devin Harris.  In his first four seasons, he posted WP48 [Wins Produced per 48 minutes] marks that ranged from 0.099 (his rookie season) to 0.135 (what he did for the Nets last season).  In sum, Harris was a bit above average for most of his career.  This season, though, his WP48 has increased to 0.226. When we look at Table Two we can see how Harris improved.  In general we focus on shooting efficiency, rebounds, steals, and turnovers when we wish to see why a player’s productivity has changed.  For Harris, though, we see very little difference with respect to these statistics. He’s a bit better with respect to turnovers and steals, but he’s doing less with respect to rebounds.  And with respect to shooting efficiency from the field he’s about the same.  In sum, with respect to the statistics that tend to drive performance, Harris hasn’t changed much. And yet, his Wins Produced has clearly risen.  When we look carefully at Table Two we can see the reason.  The primary difference is shot attempts. Whether we look at shots from the field or shots from the line, Harris is simply launching more basketballs towards the hoop.”

Hardwood Paroxysm:  “Now, we know they won a championship with Shaq, and we have no idea if they would have won one with Tuff Juice and Lamar the Head Case. But you have to believe that with young players, cap management, a superstar in Dwyane Wade, and the kind of potential they had, they may have been able to develop a lasting establishment. We’ll go ahead and throw that idea out for now as nothing more than whimsy. But when you look at the devastation in the wake of Shaq’s decline (and believe me, it’s coming Phoenix!), you have to at least think about what they had to go with. Now the Heat in that situation ditched the uncertain future for a certain path to the Finals. Great, right? But there’s a reason Joe Dumars doesn’t sacrifice multiple young players for superstars. He only took on Iverson when it was clear a change was necessary and he knew he could get him as an expiring. Dumars thinks about five years, not one. Again, this is not to say the Heat did the wrong thing. They have a ring they may not have had otherwise. But perhaps not being bold was the move then, but it is now. Because they are faced with a dual-headed scenario of equal complications now. On the one hand, they have Marion, who simply does not fit here. It’s not a conceptual issue, but he just sticks out.”

Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel:  “In some ways, Jackson’s observation is similar to Dunleavy’s, who said, ‘His ability to carry the ball right now, he’s getting away with that. He (carries) left to right, right to left, but he just does it fast, so nobody sees it, I guess.’ Jackson said he sees, but it is difficult for the referees to notice. ‘It’s very difficult to referee the game and look at the feet,’ Jackson said. ‘In this league, our referees have decided they’re going to referee the defense, not the offense, and so the offensive players obviously get away with more than the defense does, because they’re looking at the defensive players.’ Of course, Jackson also coached Michael Jordan, who was known to get an extra step or two during their Chicago championship days, although he said even Jordan endured a crackdown.”

J.A. Adande of ESPN.com:  “He had his best years in Los Angeles, winning three consecutive championships and his lone Most Valuable Player award. But this breakup was even more acrimonious, an inevitable result of his feud with Kobe Bryant, a departure further sullied by cheap shots he took at owner Jerry Buss and the city of Los Angeles. He was a big part of the Heat’s first NBA championship, then his body broke down and the Miami shipped him out to the desert, followed by more critiques of his former team. Shaq instantly became the best center in the Suns’ big man-deficient history, even at this late stage in his career. He hasn’t done enough to warrant a ceremony there (although he does deserve to play in the All-Star Game at USAirways Center next month). That would be like thinking of Ice Cube as representing the Westside Connection instead of N.W.A. So where would Shaq prefer to have his giant jersey hang? ‘Hopefully it’ll be here,’ he said, walking through the hallway in Staples Center. ‘I was part of the greatest one-two punch in Laker history. Hopefully they still remember that.’”

Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic:  “Meet Shaq-ovic. That was Suns center Shaquille O’Neal’s nickname around the locker room even before he ran his consecutive free-throws-made streak to 12 during Sunday’s 109-103 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. ‘If you go around the league, anybody with the last name (ending in) ‘vic’ is a great shooter,’ O’Neal said. ‘(Vladimir) Radmanovic, (Sasha) Vujacic next door (in the Laker’ locker room).’ O’Neal has shot free-throws like Peja Stojakovic the past two games. It is the first time in O’Neal’s career that he was perfect at the free-throw line in consecutive games. Since saying he reverted to his high school form to start December, O’Neal has made 77 of 111 free throws (69.4 percent).”

Jerry Crowe of the Los Angeles Times:  “Wrote Johnson in his letter of recommendation: ‘What made ‘Showtime’ was versatility, knowledge and skills, and no one — no one — brought that to the table more than Jamaal Wilkes.’ Wooden, once asked to describe his ideal player, told the New York Post: ‘I would have the player be a good student, polite, courteous, a good team player, a good defensive player and rebounder, a good inside player and outside shooter. Why not just take Jamaal Wilkes and let it go at that?’ So why isn’t Wilkes in the Hall of Fame? ‘A wonderful question,’ Walton e-mails, ‘and one that needs to be asked daily until this travesty is corrected.’ One possibility is that the former Keith Wilkes, after graduating from high school, was never again the best player on his team.”

Sam Amick and Melody Gutierrez of the Sacramento Bee:  “Pete Carril walked out on the Arco Arena floor long before tipoff Sunday, and it was as if he never left. On the first day of official business after being rehired as a consultant, the former Kings assistant and Princeton coaching legend began imparting his wisdom in rapid-fire fashion. He called Francisco García over, reminding the fourth-year swingman to play smart in late-game stretches. He worked with Spencer Hawes, with the second-year center and Kings assistant Randy Brown listening intently. Moments like these, Carril said, are why he came back. ‘Some people get a kick out of seeing a new car, some people like wristwatches, some people like beautiful clothing,’ Carril said. ‘I like to watch guys play (basketball) and seeing if I can help.’”

Jason Quick of The Oregonian:  “Instead of the typical ‘get-to-bed-early’ advice, McMillan encouraged his players to stay up late. Really late. ‘He was like, ‘You all go out, curfew is 2 a.m.,’‘ LaMarcus Aldridge said. ‘We all had to laugh.’ By then, the players understood McMillan’s reasoning. He wanted the team to stay up late in order to keep their bodies, and sleep patterns, on Portland time. It was all part of the Blazers’ new approach to how they travel, and more specifically, how they sleep when they travel. Flight departures were altered. Morning shootarounds canceled. Curfews relaxed. All so the Blazers players could get better sleep. At the seed of the changes was Dr. Charles Czeisler, a gray-haired professor who works at Boston’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital and heads Harvard Medical School’s Division of Sleep Medicine. Czeisler, who has also worked with NASA astronauts and the U.S. Olympic Committee, stresses the importance of getting enough sleep each night and keeping the body’s internal clocks in sync by maintaining consistent sleep patterns. Inside the Blazers locker room, he has become known simply as ‘The Sleep Doctor.’”