Monte Poole of the San Jose Mercury News: “Baron Davis, the former prince of Oracle Arena, makes his first appearance tonight as a Los Angeles Clipper in the facility where he once raised the Warriors from the dead. For Warriors fans, the sight of Davis most assuredly will summon memories of spring 2007, when their team blasted into the playoffs for the first time since 1994 and, for two brilliant weeks, lit up the landscape. ‘It’s definitely like a homecoming,’ Davis said last week, anticipating his return. ‘A lot of memories are there, and the adrenaline is going to be circulating. It’ll be good to see a lot of familiar faces in the stands.’ Those familiar faces, the high-spirited ‘We Believe’ fans who enthusiastically support their energetic team, now try to cope with the reality of this woebegone season, which, according to numerous sources, can be traced to Coach Don Nelson, team president Robert Rowell (who operates on behalf of owner Chris Cohan) and decisions based less on building the best possible team than on impulse and ego.”
Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald: “The Celtics no longer have to worry about Orlando breathing down their neck in the Eastern Conference race. The Magic now are nearly astride them – even in the loss column and just one win away. Looking ahead to Cleveland has been replaced by the desire to maintain what the Celts have. But for a team that has begun to stumble badly under the weight of its injuries, the Green remain stunningly confident.‘You know what? My attitude is that wherever we fall, that’s where it’s going to be,’ Paul Pierce said after yesterday’s practice at Moody Bible Institute. ‘Regardless of how hard the road may look from whatever seed we get, it’s going to be hard anyway to win a back-to-back championship. So whether we’ve got to go on the road the first three rounds or starting with the second round or however we’ve got to do it, we feel confident that when this team is healthy we can get the job done. We’re not ready to push the panic button or anything, but definitely we want to get homecourt advantage throughout the whole playoffs. It’s just about us picking up our play and playing better basketball and stop letting these games slip away.’”
Sekou Smith of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “Joe Johnson has played phenomenally well during the Hawks’ five-game win streak. Yet even he realizes that he’s not the only player that pushes his team from good to exceptional when he’s going well. Johnson fingered his frontcourt tandem of Josh Smith and Al Horford as the culprits for his team’s success last week. The Hawks went 5-0, including home wins over Detroit, New Orleans, Utah and Portland. Smith and Horford played starring roles. They’re both averaging double-doubles during the Hawks’ current seven-game home stand, which continues tonight against Sacramento. ‘When you have two young big men that make plays on both ends of the floor it’s a whole new ball game,’ Johnson said. ‘I think we can compete with anybody in the league when we’re all clicking on cylinders the way we have these past few games. We’re a tough team to beat when our energy is high and everybody is in good spirits.’”
Matt Moore of FanHouse: “Good news: They are a game and a half back of Houston for the three seed. They are 28-6 at home, which is tied for second best in the conference. They’re finally healthy. They have the experience to go deep in the playoffs even if they don’t get a top seed (especially if they get to play Houston). They end the season with their last three home games against the Timberwolves, Clippers, and Clippers, who they will beat mercilessly until they cry for their parents or guardian figures. Hooray! The Bad News: They play eight of their last fifteen games on the road. They have yet to maintain any level of consistency with all of their players in the rotation. They still suffer from the same problems they’ve have for the last several years, which includes the fact that their starting center likes to hang out on the perimeter. And then there’s this delicious nugget. Pop quiz. How many games have the Jazz won on the road against teams with a winning record? Here’s a hint. It’s one more than me, Bill Cosby, and Carrot Top have won.”
Michael Cunningham of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: “One day Heat forward James Jones was playing 31 minutes and making a big 3-pointer and two free throws to help the Heat to a triple-overtime victory over the Jazz. The next, Jones didn’t get off the bench in Philadelphia even though coach Erik Spoelstra went to his reserves early and often to rest his starters. Chris Quinn was inactive and Yakhouba Diawara didn’t play against the Jazz. Then they were part of the all-reserve lineup that rallied the Heat against the Sixers, but there’s a chance either or both won’t play when the Heat continues its four-game trip Wednesday at Boston. Spoelstra has shown a willingness to go deep in his bench. But he hasn’t really settled on a consistent substitution pattern or regular roles beyond guard Daequan Cook’s shooting and forward Michael Beasley’s offensive punch. All season, Spoelstra has said he would stick with the mix-and-match strategy until a consistent bench rotation emerged. That hasn’t happened, and with 15 games remaining, Spoelstra might take his hodgepodge approach into the postseason.”
Chris McCosky of The Detroit News: “The Pistons find themselves between a rock and another hard place. They desperately need to practice. The crispness and efficiency have slowly been leaking out of their offensive execution. They have 48 turnovers the last three games, 19 by Richard Hamilton and 10 by Rodney Stuckey. On top of that, they have stumbled in winning or clinching situations all three games. But they need rest as badly as they need practice. Following this back-to-back set in Texas — Dallas tonight and at Houston on Wednesday — Detroit will have played eight games in 13 days. And with two key players out (Allen Iverson and Rasheed Wallace), the core group is logging heavy minutes. ‘It’s a concern,’ coach Michael Curry said. ‘We might need to go back to practicing more. But I am trying to do what we said we would do and give these guys a chance to be fresh. I am trying to keep them fresh, but it seems to be working in reverse.’”
Scott Fowler of The Charlotte Observer: “The Diaw Effect was on full display Monday night for the Charlotte Bobcats, who played one of their best games of the season to whip Toronto 112-86. The Bobcats shared the ball like a well-behaved kindergarten class. And while this sort of performance certainly can be credited in part to Charlotte coach Larry Brown, don’t forget forward Boris Diaw and his infectious style. In a ‘me-first’ league, Diaw is a ‘you-first’ player. He will pass up a relatively open 15-footer to find a teammate with a no-look hook pass for a layup. The Bobcats’ best play in their halfcourt offense is to put Diaw, 6-foot-8, at the top of the free throw circle and throw the ball to him. At that point, Diaw sees the game like he has 20/15 vision and everyone else wears horn-rimmed glasses. On Monday, the Raptors at first played him to pass, so Diaw sliced to the basket for 10 first-quarter points. Later, he contented himself with his more usual role – swinging the ball to the open man and exulting in teammates’ successes. ‘We had 32 assists out of 44 baskets made,’ Diaw said. ‘That’s really good.’ That’s what he cares about.”
Marc J. Spears of The Boston Globe: “It was just like the old college days at Marquette for Doc Rivers when he drove from Milwaukee to Chicago Sunday evening with his mother and brother. Once the Celtics coach got back to his hometown, some tasty and very filling home cooking was waiting for him. Considering the Celtics’ recent string of injuries, a surprising loss at Milwaukee, and Cleveland establishing some breathing room in the Eastern Conference race, an escape from the NBA with family definitely was good timing for Rivers. ‘You need to take mental breaks,’ said Rivers after yesterday’s practice at Moody Bible Institute. ‘[Sunday] was great. I ate too much. That’s why I’m walking back to the hotel. ‘[Family is] good for you. When you lose, you’re [upset] as a coach. But family is good all the time.’”
Ramona Shelburne of the Los Angeles Daily News: “He’s a good teammate, selfless and professional, all those great things fans say they want from their superstars but then vent about later because there’s nothing juicy to talk about on sports radio. The furthest the serenely talented Spaniard will ever come to complaining is an acknowledgement of polite frustration after game like Sunday, where he went 10 for 10 from the field in the first half against the Dallas Mavericks but got only three shots in the second half as the Mavericks went to a zone defense that caused the Lakers to blow a big lead, before they pulled out the win. Then he’ll hint. Politely. Passively, so as not to ruffle any feathers on what has become one of the most harmonious teams in the NBA. ‘If we would’ve lost the game I would’ve been a lot more vocal about it,’ he said Monday after a practice in which the Lakers worked extensively on their offense against a zone defense. ‘When you get away from what’s working and being effective, it doesn’t make a lot of sense, right?’ But deep down, sometimes he wonders whether holding his tongue is a good thing.”
Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel: “It’s thought to be a two-man race. L.A. Lakers guard Kobe Bryant apparently is the only other player on the lead lap. Even Kobe — who won his first MVP last season — has said he’s picking LeBron to win it. Howard likely joins Miami guard Dwyane Wade, New Orleans point guard Chris Paul, San Antonio forward Tim Duncan and Boston forward Paul Pierce as also-rans. ‘Once it’s my time, then it’s my time,’ Howard said. ‘Right now, my main concern is not MVP, but making sure we win games. That’s the only way we can win a championship.’ Howard, 23, figures he’ll ‘probably’ have to first win a title to warrant serious MVP love. He hasn’t been past the second round of the playoffs while Kobe already has won three rings and LeBron has played in the NBA Finals. Howard can lay some more groundwork for future consideration by besting LeBron tonight for the second time this season. The 53-13 Cavs — a league-best 29-1 at home — face the 49-17 Magic, who are four games behind the Cavs for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.”
Jason Quick of The Oregonian: “If Aldridge keeps playing at this pace, the Blazers stand a chance to make the season finale — April 15 at home against Denver — mean something. In each of his three NBA seasons, Aldridge has closed the season strong after the All-Star break, including this season. In 15 games since the break, Aldridge is averaging 19.7 points and 8.6 rebounds while shooting 48.1 percent from the field. ‘He’s been good, really good,’ McMillan said. ‘And I think he can be even better. He is still learning how to play. His jump shot has always been his strength, but now he’s mixing his offense from post to perimeter. He’s a tough cover.’ Early in Monday’s game, Aldridge was a perfect blend of inside and outside. He scored 13 of the Blazers’ first 21 points, keying the team’s 25-10 start. One of the shots was a corner three-pointer, just the sixth in 21 attempts this season. But what impressed McMillan and Aldridge’s teammates the most was the way he went about his outburst. No shot was forced, and several potential shots were bypassed in favor of setting up a teammate for a better shot. In addition, Aldridge was playing defense, swiping two steals and blocking a shot, and over the course of the game he added four assists.”
Frank Isola of the Daily News: “Thomas, who is expected to attend Davidson’s funeral today in the Detroit suburb of Southfield, remains employed by the Knicks although neither his name nor title appears in the team’s media guide or on its Web site. Thomas serves as an adviser to Walsh, who is responsible for giving Thomas his coaching break with the Indiana Pacers. Walsh respects Thomas, particularly his ability to evaluate young talent. Three of Thomas’ former first-round picks, David Lee, Nate Robinson and Wilson Chandler, are starting for Mike D’Antoni and are enjoying their best seasons. Thomas’ first draft pick as Knicks’ president was Trevor Ariza, who was selected 43rd overall in the 2004 draft. Ariza is a top reserve for the Lakers and scored a career-high 26 points in Sunday’s win over Dallas. Thomas scouted Danilo Gallinari, Walsh’s first draft pick with the Knicks, but it is believed that Thomas favored Indiana shooting guard Eric Gordon, who was selected seventh by the Clippers after the Knicks drafted Gallinari with the sixth pick.”
Marc Berman of the New York Post: “Speaking candidly on a ‘Knicks on Demand’ video for the team’s Web site, Knicks president Donnie Walsh said he does not have all his eggs in LeBron James’ basket and his decision to make trades to get under the salary cap in 2010 was a broader philosophical move. Speculation in recent weeks is King James isn’t leaving Cleveland. ‘You always have a backup plan,’ Walsh said from his Westchester office on the videotape, in which he answers submitted questions from fans. ‘I really didn’t know what the list of free agents were. ‘It wasn’t like I was going after LeBron or this guy. It was just, we have to get in the free-agent market. The market in that year, I won’t have to pick all the players. The fact we’re under the cap will put you in much more flexible position and not strung out over a long period of time where you can’t do anything. That flexibility is what I’m focused on, not the who, when and where.’”
