The Fundamentals

Woody Paige of The Denver Post:  “It wasn’t Game 7 of a playoff series. It wasn’t a 40-point beatdown. It wasn’t at home. It wasn’t on a last-second 3-pointer. And it wasn’t because of a lack of effort, energy and enthusiasm. But It was to the high-and-brash Lakers, and it was in a game that the Nuggets should have won, and it was the Game 1 that got away, and it was the Nuggets’ prime opportunity to win on the road in the series, and it was a chance to erase all the grimy memories of last season’s sweep and previous playoff series with the Lakers, and it was turned on a sloppy, senseless inbound play. It was the game that will prevent the Nuggets from winning the Western Conference finals. When the series is over, the Nuggets and their partisans will reflect sadly on Tuesday night in downtown L.A. This brass ring doesn’t come around often. Since the Nuggets joined the NBA, no other defeat has been so crushing.”

Jeff Eisenberg of The Press Enterprise:   “Bryant scored a game-high 40 points on 13-for-28 shooting, scoring his team’s final six points at the free throw line, including the go-ahead points when he drew a blocking foul on Kenyon Martin with 30 seconds to go. The Lakers needed every bit of it on a night when Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom were in foul trouble and Pau Gasol couldn’t seem to shake free from Denver’s physical interior defenders. ‘He was the scoring opportunity for us tonight,’ Jackson said. ‘We had very little else going on for us tonight. He muscled his way through that game.’ Just as impressive as Bryant’s scoring was his defense, especially since he seemed to rotate among Denver’s primary scorers whenever one of them threatened to get it going. When Ariza picked up his fourth foul guarding Anthony midway through the third quarter, Bryant told his teammate he’d guard the Denver star the rest of the way, limiting him to nine points in the last 18 minutes. ‘Once I sensed we didn’t have that energy, I took it upon myself to lead by example,’ Bryant said. ‘Melo got hot, Trevor was in foul trouble, so it’s just part of my responsibilities to the team.’”

John Schuhmann of NBA.com:  “In their three games, two won by the Magic, Orlando shot 48.1 percent from the field. On April 3, the last time the Cavs lost with LeBron James in uniform, the Magic made 44 of their 82 shots (53.7 percent). For the season, the Cavs allowed just 103.8 points per 100 possessions, but Orlando scored more than 12 points more per 100 against the Cavs in their three matchups. Only two teams (the Lakers and Kings) were more efficient offensively against the Cavs this season. It’s no secret that the Magic are a tough team to guard. With Dwight Howard in the post and four shooters around him, there’s no weak spot on the floor. Against the Hawks, the Cavs were able to leave Josh Smith open on the perimeter all game and double-team Joe Johnson almost every time he touched the ball. But they won’t have that luxury in this series. The only non-shooters in the Magic rotation are Howard and his backup, Marcin Gortat. And neither ventures far from the basket except to set a screen. Even Tony Battie can come off the bench and knock down a mid-range jumper or two.”

Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel:  “A few summers ago Howard predicted the Magic would win the title, causing raised eyebrows and chuckles in Orlando and the NBA. Howard was still a babe in the NBA woods, and his statement didn’t carry any currency or credibility. Now it has legs. And it’s on the move.The opportunity is here and real for Howard and the Magic as they meet the Cleveland Cavaliers for the right to play in the NBA Finals. The teams open the best-of-seven Eastern Conference Finals tonight at Quicken Loans Arena. It’s a chance that the Magic haven’t had since 1996, and a chance they realize might not come around again — even if you have an unnatural force such as Howard. ‘You can never take for it granted that you’ll have the opportunities again. Too many things can happen,’ Coach Stan Van Gundy said. ‘I remember hearing Dan Marino talk. Early on in his career, he gets to the Super Bowl and he started talking about, ‘When I get back here again’ … It never happened. You don’t want to be looking back and saying, ‘We should have come at it harder and should have gotten it done.’ You just got to play every year for what it’s worth.’”

Marc Berman of the New York Post:  “Moments after the lottery, Knicks president Donnie Walsh was outside on his cellphone, talking to James Dolan, who didn’t watch the lottery. Walsh told him, ‘We didn’t lose, we didn’t win.’ The NBA didn’t win either. The league’s two least marketable teams moved up to cop the top two picks and the rights, presumably, to Blake Griffin and Ricky Rubio. … The Knicks are likely headed toward taking a combo guard, but Walsh said don’t pencil it in. ‘Everyone projects a point guard down there because that’s what would be left to us, but I’m not 100 percent sure,’ Walsh said. ‘We still have a lot of work to do. There are some other players pretty good who are mentioned in the next 10.’ Walsh has had his eye on the Pac-10 all year and scouted its conference tournament, giving credence to a Holiday or DeRozan pick. Walsh said he will take a player suited to play Mike D’Antoni’s speedball system. ‘I think there aren’t a lot of guys who can’t fit (D’Antoni’s) system in the top 10,’ Walsh said. ‘We’re looking for good, all-around players who are defensively inclined.’”

Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman:  “So while the NBA Draft lottery sent the No. 1 pick — and Griffin’s wondrous talents — off to the Clippers, the Thunder settled for the consolation prize of the third pick. Could be UConn shot-blocker Hasheem Thabeet. Could be Arizona strong man Jordan Hill. Could, I suppose, be Spanish point guard phenom Ricky Rubio, if the Grizzlies of Memphis lose their mind and bypass him at No. 2. Either way, doesn’t matter. Since Thunder general manager Sam Presti took the basketball reins of this franchise, in June 2007, he’s had overall draft picks 2 (Durant), 5 (Jeff Green), 4 (Russell Westbrook) and now 3. If you can’t build a quality roster with that positioning, nobody to blame but yourself. Not that Presti has done anything to make us think he won’t ace this selection, too. The Durant pick was a no-brainer, but the Green and Westbrook additions have been home runs, so Presti seems unlikely to screw up this pick.”

Sam Amick of the Sacramento Bee:  “With a dire need for improved point guard play and some of the sizzle Rubio is expected to deliver, the Kings may not be out of the Rubio sweepstakes just yet. The Clippers were awarded the first pick and are expected to take Griffin. Memphis picks second, and the improved play of point guard and 2007 No. 4 pick Mike Conley could mean the Grizzlies pass on Rubio and instead opt for 7-foot-3 Hasheem Thabeet of the University of Connecticut. The more mysterious spot is third, where Oklahoma City has a productive young point man in Russell Westbrook and a need to improve its frontline that went unfulfilled thanks to an aborted midseason trade for New Orleans center Tyson Chandler. The counterargument from those who expect the Thunder to select Rubio, of course, is that Westbrook is not a true point guard and Rubio would take their offense to a new level. There may be incentive to trade down in the draft as well, with many league executives seeing a drop in talent after the first three picks and the potential to land a quality pick elsewhere in the top 10 while also landing other talent in an acquisition.”

Lisa Dillman of the Los Angeles Times:  “Griffin, who led the nation in double-doubles last season, could have had an up-close-and-personal look at the Clippers in April. On the same night he received the Wooden Award in Los Angeles as the college basketball player of the year, the Clippers were playing Sacramento a few miles away, fighting for better lottery odds. The Kings lost that night. But it hardly mattered, as it turned out. ‘It’s very positive for us because most people feel the draft is not a good draft,’ Dunleavy said. ‘There’s a big difference between us going No. 1 and being No. 6. That’s clearly a big positive. Last year, we knew we’d get a good player at six or seven.’ Still, the Clippers are not through with decisions. Griffin’s addition will raise questions about what to do with the big men currently on the roster: Zach Randolph, Marcus Camby and Chris Kaman. Dunleavy spoke about Griffin as a major asset. Said Roeser: ‘It’s not a good problem. It’s a great problem.’”

Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune:  “The Wolves now possess picks Nos. 6, 18 and 28 in this summer’s first round, a combination with all sort of possibilities for the man picked by owner Glen Taylor to replace Kevin McHale as the team’s vice president of basketball operations or general manager.If they don’t use those two extra first-round picks acquired from Miami and Boston to maneuver out of that sixth spot, they likely will choose from a collection of guards that includes Memphis freshman Tyreke Evans, USC freshman DeMar DeRozan, Italian pro league player Brandon Jennings, UCLA freshman Jrue Holiday, Davidson junior Stephen Curry and possibly Arizona State sophomore James Harden, who could be gone by the time the Wolves pick. ESPN.com’s mock draft posted shortly after the lottery results has the Wolves selecting DeRozan sixth, Ohio State freshman center B.J. Mullens 18th and St. Mary’s point guard Patrick Mills 28th. The Clippers, who had the lottery’s third-most chances, now have won the draft’s No. 1 pick three times in their history. The Wolves never have picked higher than third.”

Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News:  “Draft miracles just aren’t in the cards for this franchise — cursed, besotted, ridiculous, and fiercely and forever unlucky. The Warriors went into Tuesday’s draft lottery with a new general manager and sitting in the seventh slot, which is exactly how they exited once the pingpong balls quieted and the envelopes were opened. It would have taken a miracle for the Warriors to land the No. 1 pick, destined to be Oklahoma power forward Blake Griffin. It would have taken a miracle to land Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio at No 2. Other teams are allowed to hit the lottery jackpot. This time, it was the L.A. Clippers, of all teams, who moved from the third slot to No. 1. Memphis moved from the No. 6 slot (just ahead of the Warriors) all the way to No. 2. But it just doesn’t work that way for the Warriors, not in this era. They don’t get the Griffins or the Rubios. It’s never that easy. Instead of the two consensus potential stars, the Warriors and their fans have to take consolation knowing that this draft is deep at a premium need — a big guard who can run the offense and team with Monta Ellis.”

Alex Raskin of HOOPSWORLD:  “What if the Grizzlies determine that Rubio is in fact the draft’s second best player? Is his $8 million or so buyout going to stop a team from drafting him? ‘I have no idea,’ responded Hollins. ‘I haven’t talked to anybody about that.’ One reason team representatives are trying to stay clear of the Rubio talk is because of the complicated nature of his buyout. Rubio’s signature is allegedly not on his current contract. As a 16-year-old, Rubio’s parents signed his deal with DKV Joventut in his place. That distinction lends favor to Rubio and Agent Dan Fegan. However, DKV Joventut does have Rubio’s signature on last season’s addendum to the contract which gave the mop-topped point guard a pay raise. The team is trying to leverage that signature into either 6 million euros this season or as much as 10 million euros next season. That’s right. Rubio’s buyout actually goes up next season, which means if the situation doesn’t get resolved this year, it probably won’t be resolved next season either.”

Bill Livingston of The Plain Dealer:  “The next obstacle in James’ path to the championship, or at least to a confrontation in the Finals with Bryant, will probably require some Jordan impressions by him that go beyond wearing the same number, 23. … Maybe there is another 45-point burst in James, as in the seventh game last year at Boston, an instant tragic, er, classic that the Cavs lost. He is, however, a blend of Jordan’s scoring and, increasingly, his hunger, combined with Magic’s gregariousness and ability to fit into the game and still dominate it. So maybe it will be virtuosity in versatility. James has three playoff triple doubles among his career 20. Jordan had Detroit’s dynasty to conquer before validating his greatness. Magic had Larry Bird and Julius Erving. West had Bill Russell winning a ring almost every year. For James, Kobe is on the radar, Orlando is in town. ‘Can only you stop you?’ James was asked. ‘I don’t want to say that,’ he said, smiling. Then he added, ‘Yeah, I will say that.’”