Bill Simmons of ESPN the Mag: “Ask the average fan to tell you who will be the best player in the NBA in three years, and the first five answers will be LeBron, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, D-Wade and either Rose or Carmelo. (Except in LA, where Lakers fans would go with the first three, then Bynum and Trevor Ariza.) I don’t see Durant getting many votes. Um … does anyone realize he just turned 20 on Sept. 29, making him younger than Mayo? That he’s breaking every scoring benchmark by age? That he’s been averaging 26 points, eight rebounds, 48% shooting, 85% from the line and 43% on threes since Thanksgiving? Go online and check out his ESPN.com game log. Do it now. I’ll wait. (Twiddling my thumbs.) Got it? Now look at those point totals: 28, 25, 26, 26, 28, 26, 25 … You know in Jaws when Richard Dreyfuss calls the shark an ‘eating machine’? Durant is a scoring machine. He was put on this earth to collect points. We have never seen anyone quite like him before: a 6′9″ forward with Plastic Man arms, 30-foot range and the ability to thrive in big moments.”
TalkHoops.net: “He honestly thinks that Kevin Durant has the potential to average 36 points per game one season or 33 points per game with shooting percentages of 55% from the field, 90% from the free throw line, and 50% from the three-point line. And he’s shocked that nobody is discussing it or acknowledging it. Bill thinks that a 6′9″ small forward with plastic man arms, 30-foot range and the ability to thrive in big moments is a mold of player that we’ve never seen before. Well, I’ve actually seen this type of player three previous times and once the guy turned out to be pretty good, another guy had his career killed by injuries, and the other one was a complete bust/joke. Does this mold of player not describe young prospects like DerMarr Johnson, Jonathan Bender, and Tracy McGrady?”
John DeShazier of The Times-Picayune: “It bears repeating and emphasizing that since the NBA began listing blocked shots and steals as official statistics during the 1973-74 season, only four players have found themselves under the right set of circumstances to finish a game with a quadruple-double. But is there any doubt that if any current player will do it, it’s Paul? He’s already lurking in the neighborhood, three defensive plays here and there from joining an elite fraternity. And it’s not like he shrinks from history, not as if he’s not accustomed to rising to the occasion and doing something special. It seems as if every other game or week he’s carving a space in NBA history, doing something that never has been done or that only has been done by men who are in the Hall of Fame. Just when it appears he can’t top himself, he does, and he has done it so often that now we simply assume the best.”
Jerome Soloman of the Houston Chronicle: “It was a T-Macnificent quarter, with McGrady pouring in 13 points — he made three 3-pointers — and adding a couple of assists. But late in the period, Rockets fans’ hearts sank as they so often have watching this oft-injured star. McGrady drove into the lane and dished to Luis Scola for a basket. When McGrady landed, his left knee buckled. You could see he was in pain. Again. He grabbed his left knee as he ran back on defense. He limped through a possession. He limped to the bench when a timeout was called. Rockets trainer Keith Jones met him there. The good news was McGrady didn’t even have Jones look at the knee. McGrady dealt with the pain and stayed in the game.”
Bethlehem Shoals of the Sporting News: “Getting Shaq allowed Stoudemire to move from center, a position he never liked, to his natural power forward spot. Sure, the Suns bowed out in the first round of the playoffs last year, with Nash not looking himself (granted, the Spurs were a rather tough first-round draw). But in three of those five games, Amare was absolutely unstoppable, just as he’d been from the time Shaq arrived. O’Neal anticipated this, calling Amare his ‘project,’ as if his old dominance would allow him to mentor an heir apparent. His persona could also serve as a model for Amare, showing him a way to retain his individuality and outspokenness without rubbing people the wrong way or consistently confusing them. It’s hard to blame O’Neal’s resurgence for Amare’s struggles this season. After all, it’s not like it’s impossible for two high-scoring big men to co-exist; if there’s any problem in that regard, it’s probably due to Stoudemire’s ego. Still, Shaq was supposed to be a positive influence on Amare, helping to improve the young star’s attitude and show him the value of being a good soldier. Unfortunately, Shaq’s personal improvement seems to coincide with Stoudemire becoming a worse teammate and less forceful player.”
John Canzano of The Oregonian: “Roy said he hasn’t thought too much about making the All-Star Game. But that’s what he has to say. He said he’s not sure why fans didn’t vote for him online. He wondered about the effect of Portland being a small market team, but said, ‘It’s not THAT small.’ He wondered if the Blazers didn’t publicize the voting kiosks on the concourse enough or maybe if there was someone electronically manipulating the ballot. Then after a few seconds, he said, ‘It doesn’t matter. I play because I love to play.’ Roy had 17 points against Charlotte. The Blazers looked a lot like a rested Western Conference playoff team giving a weary non-playoff team a back-alley whipping. And during one timeout of the game, a feature on the giant arena television screen showed all the Blazers players announcing what they’d wish their superpower could be. Martell Webster wished he could forecast winning lottery numbers. Most of the other Blazers wished for the ability to fly. A few others wished for super-human strength. Channing Frye, who later wondered if the others watched enough cartoons, said he wanted all the powers rolled into one. Roy? ‘I wish I could be invisible.’”
Steve Buckley of the Boston Herald: “Here’s some more outage: When players do not treat their league’s All-Star Game with respect. Look, if you’re hurt, you’re hurt. If you’re not hurt, and you are chosen to play in an All-Star Game, be a gentleman and go. Which brings us to Celtics guard Ray Allen, a 12-year NBA veteran who, one might guess, would probably choose resting his ankles for a couple of days over playing in the All-Star Game.But no. ‘I’ve never really understood guys who’ve said they didn’t want to go, because it’s an honor,’ Allen said last night before the Celtics faced the Sacramento Kings at the Garden. ‘It’s a privilege, not a right. ‘I remember the first year I was chosen,’ he said. ‘That feeling will always be in my mind. Being one of the best is always in my camp.’ Does he want to get chosen to play in next month’s All-Star Game? ‘Of course,’ he said, and then he said it again. ‘Of course.’”
Don Seeholzer of the Pioneer Press: “Kevin Love’s rebounding prowess wasn’t enough to earn the Wolves’ forward a spot in the rookie challenge at the Feb. 15 all-star game in Phoenix. ‘I just heard (that). What a travesty that is,’ coach Kevin McHale said before tonight’s game against Detroit. ‘That’s utterly ridiculous. Who picks that team?’ Informed that assistant coaches do, McHale said: ‘No way. Really?’ Asked by a writer if he was about to pin it on the media, he admitted, ‘I was.’”
Kevin Ding of The Orange County Register: “Considering his mantra about the importance of playing well when Bryant is not on the floor, Odom was asked if it was extra disappointing to lose after Bryant fouled out. As respectful of Bryant as could be throughout their years together, Odom answered in a curious way that pulled back the curtain further regarding the lack of support he got from Bryant. ‘To me, toward the end of the game, we were overreacting a little bit as far as when they scored or we didn’t get a loose ball,’ Odom said. ‘We could’ve kept each other up a little more. We tend to stay a little cooler, a little calm. I don’t think we did that tonight.’ Bryant has known Odom since he was 15. Half a life later, still a fun guy, but not nearly the NBA All-Star that Bryant predicted in February 2005 Odom would become. Odom grabbed his crotch while dunking Wednesday, showed up late for work Sunday (‘as usual,’ Jackson said) and wasted Bryant’s best efforts to salvage Tuesday by playing with neither head nor heart.”
Broderick Turner and Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times: “The NBA is reviewing the flagrant foul called against Lakers center Andrew Bynum that landed Charlotte Bobcats forward Gerald Wallace in the hospital to determine if any disciplinary action should be taken. But league officials said Wednesday that it’s common practice for the NBA to review flagrant fouls.The league could decide to do nothing, or it could fine and suspend Bynum for one game or more without pay.”
Charley Rosen of FOXSports.com: “Here are some of the opponents that MJ had to deal with during the Bulls dynasty: Future Hall of Famers like Gary Payton, Reggie Miller, Chris Mullin, Dennis Johnson and Grant Hill. As well as current Hall of Famers like Clyde Drexler, George Gervin, Joe Dumars and Dominique Wilkins. Plus perpetual all-stars such as Ricky Pierce, Tim Hardaway, Latrell Sprewell and the young Michael Finley. Not exactly less-than-serious-challengers. And, given the outlawing of hand-checking and bumping of cutters, Jordan’s point totals would have been about five points per game higher than they were.”
20 Second Timeout: Michael Jordan Named Chief Wish Ambassador for Make-A-Wish Foundation
Ian Thomsen of CNNSI.com: “No team endured a more congested first-half schedule than the Celtics, who played their 41st game midway through Week 12 of the season (Jan. 14). Their final 41 games are being played over 13 weeks, which is a more helpful breadth than it would appear. ‘Think about it: We have six back-to-backs the rest of the season,’ Boston coach Doc Rivers said. ‘We had [six] in the month of November.’ The Celtics say they’ve reverted to last year’s championship form because they’ve recently had enough practice time to reform their defensive rotations and work on ball movement offensively. ‘Throughout the whole month of December, I don’t remember us having a practice because we had so many games crammed in,” captain Paul Pierce said. ‘We were going into hotels and putting the tape down [on ballroom floors] and trying to mimic what teams were doing, but it’s not the same thing as having practice. We believe in what we do, and the reason we play well is because we practice it.’”
Marc Berman of the New York Post: “Chandler, selected 23rd in the 2007 draft, yesterday was named to the Rookie-Sophomore Classic on All-Star Weekend as one of the top nine second-year players. David Lee, selected 30th in the 2005 draft, has an outside shot of being named an All-Star reserve today. Robinson (21st) will be in this league for a while – even if not with the Knicks. He sparked their Atlanta win last night with 20 fourth-quarter points. Thomas took a leave of absence after his accidental sleeping-pill overdose. But he is back doing what he does best – college scouting in his untitled role under Donnie Walsh. Walsh said he has given Thomas a schedule of college games to scout. Thomas has laid low since the October incident at his house. In fact, he didn’t first speak to Walsh until early December – six weeks after the incident. Though Chandler, Lee and Robinson are the caviar of Thomas’ selections, all but one of the picks during his stint were solid – the exception being Channing Frye at No. 7.”
Bob Kravitz of the Indianapolis Star: “The good thing about being in the East is you always feel like you’ve got a chance to make the playoffs. The bad thing about being in the East is you always feel like you’ve got a chance to make the playoffs. Following? The East is an illusion, fool’s gold, one that gives bad teams the goofy idea that if they can only claw their way into an eighth spot, they can make postseason magic like last year’s Hawks. Put it this way: If the Pacers were in the West, they’d be completely out of the playoff picture and probably would be playing Hibbert and Rush significant minutes. Instead, Hibbert gets a few minutes at the end of the first half Wednesday and Rush never gets off the bench.”
Jim Reeves of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram: “Now we all know that LeBron will almost certainly land in the Big Apple, where his endorsements could make even Michael Jordan’s pale in comparison, but if Bosh (the Mavs would love to bring him back to his hometown) or Wade is your consolation prize, that’s not too shabby. ‘The thing that Mark has brought is the ability to hit the grand slam home run,’ Nelson, the Mavs’ general manager, said Wednesday from Chicago, where he planned to watch the University of Connecticut play. ‘You have an owner who is a proven, willing spender if the right deal comes along, and you can count those guys on one hand right now. Almost everybody is looking to cut back. ‘I don’t want to take that card away from Mark in 2010, because he’s shown he’s capable of pulling a rabbit out of his hat.’ That’s why the Mavs will approach deals with caution this season, especially when it comes to adding big-money contracts. It’s why they’ll just as carefully think long and hard about whether to re-sign Jason Kidd when his contract expires, or exercise their 2010-11 option on Josh Howard’s contract. What the Mavs won’t do — not while the Dirk Window is still open — is step back into a rebuilding phase.”
Jonathan Abrams of The New York Post: “Those Bulls, who finished 72-10 over all, and the 1966-67 Philadelphia 76ers were the lone teams that streaked to at least 20 home wins to start a season, then ended with an N.B.A. championship. That is the goal, first and foremost, in the minds of the Cavaliers. So far, Ferry said, the Cavaliers’ home streak has come away from the spotlight. The fast starts of the Boston Celtics, the Los Angeles Lakers and the surprising Orlando Magic have also drawn attention. The Cavaliers are cognizant that they are carrying a bull’s-eye, and that opponents will be lining up to be the first to knock them off at home. ‘It’s probably getting to that point now, where we do have that many wins,’ Ferry said. ‘But to this point we’ve done it a little bit under the radar.’”
Tim Reynolds/Associated Press: “Stan Van Gundy just bought a new car. A gift from the Orlando Magic coach to himself, a reward for his team’s sizzling start to the season? Not really. Van Gundy simply needed one because of engine problems in the old one. Of course, that’s what happens when someone engulfed by work forgets to change his oil for 30,000 miles. ‘It’s not to say that it’s a joyless existence,’ Van Gundy said. ‘But you don’t have time to focus on the record and ‘Oh, well, we’re doing well’ and all that. The next game up is all you’re really focused on.’ It’s a simple approach, one Van Gundy has always had, whether it was at Castleton State in Vermont, or as Pat Riley’s replacement with the Miami Heat or even now with the Magic, who matched their best first-half start in franchise history. Orlando (34-10) plays host to the Cavaliers (35-8) tonight — a game between two of the league’s elite clubs.”
Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel: “If you had to start a franchise, would you take Magic all-star center Dwight Howard, 23, or the Cavs all-star small forward LeBron James, 24? ‘Uh, oh, wow. … I played with Shaq, but that’s a tough one,’ said former NBA veteran Dennis Scott. ‘I would, um, go with. …’ The fact that Scott even paused speaks for the spell LeBron has cast. Scott concedes that, as a shooter, he’s partial to taking the side of the big men. Even as good as LeBron is, ‘finding a seven-footer with skills is so rare. ‘Traditionally, I’d have to go with the big guy — Dwight. At the end of the day, you need that inside presence … for defense, rebounding. He opens everything up and makes the game easier. Not to discredit LeBron, but as good as he is, I think it’s easier finding another LeBron than a Shaq or a Dwight.”
