Points in the Paint

» July 17, 2009 5:18 PM | By Brandon Hoffman

Marc Berman: “More and more, I’m starting to think 2010 is a fantasy. It must be disheartening to guys like Harrington and Hughes, with expiring contracts, to hear that talk. Harrington lives in Vegas and still hasn’t shown up to a summer-league practice or game. We mentioned in today’s paper Lee and Nate have talked to each other about being disrespected by the franchise with the team’s reluctance to give them long-term deals because of 2010. When D’Antoni talked about wooing free agents in 2010 and mentioned the need for Danilo and Wilson to step up this season, he probably could’ve mentioned Lee and Nate, too. If the Knicks get shut out in 2010, the worst thing that happens is Dolan spends $80 million less (payroll savings and luxury tax savings) for mediocrity.”

Ira Winderman reports on the Heat’s rumored interest in “The Answer”: “Allen Iverson not only is a backburner issue, but there appears to be genuine concern about statements from Iverson regarding expectations of playing time and the ability to compete for a starting role. The comments from Iverson were not the type of rhetoric the Heat wanted to hear.”

Former Bull and current Laker assistant coach Craig Hodges on Kobe vs. Jordan: “M.J., all day. There’s no comparison. M.J. could score 100 points in this era. You can’t hand-check now. Imagine that trying to guard M.J. It would be crazy.”

Dave Deckard of Blazers Edge on bringing Odom to Rip City: “Read my lips, folks. The Blazers cannot sign a 30-year old forward to a five-year deal. If they want a forward that long he needs to be in his 20’s. If he’s older and they want him he needs to be heading into the last couple years of his contract. The Blazers aren’t making a last grab at the brass ring. They can’t just sign a guy to wring out the next couple of years from him, paying the piper after knowing they’re going to be rebuilding anyway. Portland’s superstars aren’t going to be in their dotage in three years. Their superstars are going to be in their prime in three years. That’ll be time for all hands on deck, not all hands playing Mah-Jongg while popping ginseng and Geritol.”

Sid Hartman: “Kevin McHale, the former Timberwolves coach, is talking to TNT and ESPN about the possibility of doing some NBA work on television, but he hasn’t received an offer yet.”

Mike Barrett of Blazers.com desribes the scene at the Las Vegas Summer League: “I’ve mentioned this many times before when in Vegas, but at times it’s hard to know whether to watch the game, or watch the many meetings taking place in the stands between executives, agents, and even sometimes, current NBA stars. It’s also been interesting to see how this process has changed in the last few years, as everyone is now much more aware of cameras, prying ears, and potential twitterers (that’s probably not a word, but, oh well). The unique thing about Vegas in the summer is, most of these conversations take place in the stands, with regular fans sitting just feet away. Still, even though some of the innocence of this process is gone, you can still see many interesting discussions taking place. Most of the teams taking part in the festivities in Vegas are staying in the same hotel, which also makes things interesting. It leads to the possibility of many face-to-face meetings, which probabably makes things much more convenient for the decision makers. In the last three days I’ve found myself in the elevator with three of the more powerful agents in the league, have ridden with four different head coaches, and about five different general managers.”

Ian Thomsen of SI.com on the NBA recession: “It has helped the good teams grow better — which is crucial to the league’s success. The NFL and MLB thrive in times of parity, when you never know which team is going to win the title. But that dynamic doesn’t apply to the NBA, where the same few franchises and players dominate the championships. The expansion of recent decades has weakened rosters of NBA contenders, but that strength has been restored over the last year by the movement of talent from the have-not teams to the haves. The league has long-term financial problems that must be addressed, but for the time being the best teams will thrive — and that’s not such a bad thing at all.”

Sponsors