Howard Beck of The New York Times: “Donnie Walsh was aggressive when free agency opened, courting Kidd and Hill in early July. But Kidd returned to the Dallas Mavericks, Hill re-signed with the Phoenix Suns and soon Walsh was forced to alter his plans radically. On July 7, the N.B.A. announced a modest decline in the 2009-10 salary cap, and warned teams of a potentially large drop — up to 5 percent — for 2010-11. At that moment, Walsh said, he scuttled any plans to offer multiyear contracts to free agents, including Lee and Robinson. ‘That changed everything,’ he said. ‘It made it very difficult to project a scenario where you could fit in signing long-term contracts this year and yet have enough room to do what you want next year. Up to then, I wasn’t set against it all the way.’ Indeed, Walsh had offered three-year deals to both Kidd and Hill (as well as options for one-year contracts). Given the shrinking salary cap, the Knicks are probably better off having missed on both players. Assuming the cap drops to $50 million in 2010 — the worst-case possibility outlined by the league — the Knicks would have just enough room to sign one superstar (for about $15 million), and about $7 million left to fill out the roster.”
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com: “Amar’e Stoudemire’s quick recovery from eye surgery, the re-signing of Hill and Steve Nash, and the drafting of first-round pick Earl Clark have the Suns feeling frisky again. The practice gym has consistently hosted 10 players a day since early August, the first time that has happened to anyone’s recollection since Phoenix first re-signed Nash in 2004. The key figure in all of this, of course, is Stoudemire, who had plenty of time to reflect on the emptiness of his career to this point after undergoing a second procedure on his right eye in July. Afterward, Stoudemire had to lay face-down all but two hours a day for about 10 days to ensure proper healing of the detached retina he suffered when he was poked in the eye in February. He wasn’t cleared for strength training until about three weeks ago, and finally returned to on-court drills Sept. 1. Sources say Stoudemire emerged from the ordeal more determined than ever to reclaim his status as one of the most prolific power forwards in the game. More importantly, the typically aloof Amar’e has been more receptive than ever to suggestions that he embrace a bigger leadership role. It is likely that he’ll be named one of the Suns’ three captains before the start of the season.”
Frank Dell’Apa of The Boston Globe: “NBA players seldom take salary cuts willingly. But Marquis Daniels turned down offers worth more than the $1.99 million biannual exception to join the Celtics, the one-year contract finalized yesterday, seven weeks after he committed to the team. ‘Not many people get a chance to play with Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Rasheed Wallace,’ Daniels said at a news conference. ‘It’s a good opportunity and I’ll worry about the money later. Right now we have to worry about one thing, and that’s winning the championship this season. I had other situations where I could have went and made more money, but I wanted to be a part of a great franchise and a winning franchise, a team that’s a championship contender. I felt it was a good fit for me, with the guys in here. And I can give something off the bench, as well.’ Daniels, at 6 feet 6 inches, is expected to provide relief for Allen and Pierce, and also play point guard in certain matchups. ‘Marquis brings a great deal of versatility,’ Ainge said. ‘He can play the 1, 2, 3, or 4. He has playoff experience. He’s smart. His level of experience and character as well will help us try to win a championship this year.’”
Britt Robson of Secrets of the City: “So why do the rebuilding Wolves want to weight themselves down with $16 million in salary for a point guard right after drafting a pair of lottery points a few months ago? It’s a legitimate question. One answer is that Kahn is serious about that two-point guard backcourt theory he trotted out after taking Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn back-to-back on draft night. Another is that he’ll be a better mentor for Flynn than fading veteran Chucky Atkins. But the two somewhat related answers that make the most sense to me are that, first, Kahn has to put a club on the floor that can win more than 15 games without disrupting his blueprint too much–hope for the future is great, but the bills still come due in the meantime– and second, that Sessions has sufficient talent to be a decent value at the price he was signed. First, let’s be clear that Sessions’ most natural position is at the point. Yeah, he played a little two-guard in Milwaukee when Redd was hurt, but more than three-times as often, he was running the offense. More importantly, the numbers demonstrate that he knows how to make good decisions with the ball.”
Brad Rock of the Deseret News: “Jerry Sloan calls Stockton — who will also be inducted this weekend — ‘second to none’ and Malone a player who ‘made himself into a Hall of Famer’ through his dedication. At the same time, you could make a case none would have succeeded as spectacularly without the other two. It’s less likely, for instance, that Sloan would be an inductee had he ended up coaching Allen Iverson or Carmelo Anthony. As for Stockton and Malone, there’s no doubt Sloan advanced their careers in a way that benefited them all. It was he whose scheme turned them into the greatest pick-and-roll combination in history. Sloan who pushed them to outwork other teams, even on nights when they could have gone through the motions. Along with Layden, Sloan inspired Malone to work every off-season to improve an aspect of his game. Sloan called out the plays during the Jazz’s glory years, not Stockton. He gave them the opportunity and motivation. And the anger, too. You could see it on nights when the Jazz lost. Sloan would clamber onto the team bus in his knock-kneed gait and swing grimly into his seat at the front, brooding silently in the dark. Nobody talked loudly or laughed.”
Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports: “Michael Jordan had his pick. Dean Smith. Phil Jackson. Maybe even his good friend Charles Barkley. Each would have been an understandable choice to present Jordan during his induction Friday into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Smith was Jordan’s legendary coach at North Carolina. Jackson helped guide Jordan to six NBA titles with the Chicago Bulls. Barkley shared the role of rival and running buddy. Jordan passed on all of them. Instead, he chose someone who had never coached him or played with or against him. He chose David Thompson. The former NBA high-flyer who had starred at North Carolina … State. ‘I got a call from the Hall of Fame and they asked me if I was willing to be a presenter for someone,’ Thompson recently told Yahoo! Sports. ‘I said, ‘Yeah.’ I didn’t know who it was. … They said Michael Jordan. I was like, ‘Wow.’ He told them that he was a big fan of mine and I was the one that really inspired him. Being that there was so many North Carolina people he could’ve chose, I was honored.’”
Frank Dell’Apa of The Boston Globe: “Jerry Krause was among the major factors in the success of the Chicago Bulls, building a team around Michael Jordan that would win six NBA championships. But Krause will not be going to Springfield for Jordan’s Basketball Hall of Fame induction this week, and not because of animosity toward Jordan. Krause, the Bulls general manager from 1985-2003, resigned from the Hall of Fame selection committee several years ago over a conflict with the selection process and vowed ‘not to go into the building’ unless former Chicago assistant coach Tex Winter was inducted. ‘I don’t have a great desire to be there,’ Krause said. Krause said he agreed with Bob Cousy, who objected to the secrecy of the process and absence of those he considered worthy candidates and resigned as chairman of the selection committee in the early ’90s. But some friction remains in the Krause-Jordan relationship, in stark contrast with Krause’s feelings toward another inductee, Utah coach Jerry Sloan. … Krause wished the Bulls dynasty had a ‘happy family’ image similar to the one created by Red Auerbach with the Celtics. ‘We were not close, and we’re not close today,’ Krause said of Jordan. ‘And that’s fine. I read [Bill] Russell on Red and it was a great book. We had the same success but not the same relationship.’”
