Jeff Eisenberg of The Press-Enterprise: “The Lakers sat in the same seats during Wednesday’s bus ride to Anaheim as they did on the way to every game a year ago, just one of their subtle attempts to keep last season’s championship magic alive. They still have the same lockers. They still chant ‘One, two, three, ring,’ after every practice. And, aside from free agent Ron Artest taking Trevor Ariza’s place at small forward, they apparently still have the same starting lineup. Before his team opened the preseason with a 118-101 victory over Golden State, Lakers coach Phil Jackson confirmed he will start Andrew Bynum and bring Lamar Odom off the bench, explaining he saw no reason to deviate from what worked a year ago. Bynum validated his coach’s decision by showcasing the explosiveness around the rim that he lacked in the playoffs, hitting 8 of 13 shots and scoring 20 of his 24 points in the first half. ‘The key was being first up and down the court offensively and defensively,’ Bynum said. ‘My goal this year is to make the All-Star team, and in order to do that I have to get ahead of the ball in both directions.’ Although Bynum’s big night came against an undersized Golden State front line lacking anyone over 240 pounds, his dominance was still an encouraging sign for the Lakers considering how he finished a year ago.”
Paul Flannery of WEEI.com: “Kevin Garnett’s highly-anticipated return to live game action was sharp, efficient and uneventful. The first two adjectives are nice, but the last is the most important for the Celtics as they began pursuit of another NBA championship in a 96-90 loss to the Rockets in their 2009 preseason opener in Hidalgo, Texas Wednesday night. On the Celtics first possession, Garnett popped out and drained 20-foot jump shot. A few possessions later Garnett again played pick and pop and knocked down another. The jumpers were a pleasant reminder of the Garnett we all remember as were the six points, five rebounds and two steals, but what was most telling in Garnett’s 14 minutes (eight in the first half, six in the second) was that he was mobile getting up and down the floor and active on defense in his first game since March 25. The only blemish was when he couldn’t get up quickly enough on a Rajon Rondo lob, but that’s partly timing as well. Garnett’s second half was mostly nondescript although he did work in a post-up on the left block where he showed his usual deft footwork.”
Marc Berman of the New York Post: “Mike D’Antoni believes Nate Robinson could still turn into an All-Star and a winning player — not just a freakishly athletic sixth-man stat machine with oncourt behavior issues. There is the good Nate and the bad Nate. ‘That’s why he’s on a one-year contract,’ the Knicks coach said. ‘That’s why we won 32 games. As soon as we get it, as soon as he gets it, we’ll get in the playoffs.’ Robinson has looked superior during training camp. The Knicks, who play in Boston tomorrow, would own the league’s least-talented NBA roster had he not re-signed days before camp. If another team had signed Robinson to an offer sheet for multiple years, he would be an ex-Knick. The Knicks weren’t matching. ‘He was in a situation where we wanted to keep maximum flexibility for next year, and a long-term contract would’ve messed up the flexibility,’ D’Antoni said. ‘We won 32, but that doesn’t change how good he can be. He can be terrific.’ The bad Nate antagonizes referees, opponents, even rankles teammates with his overexuberance. Over the summer he was arrested for driving with a suspended license and, worse, tweeted during it. Yesterday, he was first off the practice floor, then declined an interview request.”
Jason Quick of The Oregonian: “There is a tendency around the Trail Blazers to be careful about what is said about Greg Oden. Nobody wants to apply pressure on the 21-year-old center. Nobody wants to raise expectations any higher than they already are for the former No. 1 pick. But on Wednesday, after the Blazers second preseason game this season, nobody needed to say anything about Oden. The play of the new-look center is speaking volumes. With a lighter frame, and a brighter outlook, Oden continued his resurgent comeback campaign with 20 points and 12 rebounds during the Blazers’ 89-86 win over Sacramento at Arco Arena. After averaging 8.9 points and 7.0 rebounds in a rookie season that even Oden considered disappointing, the 7-foot center has not only improved, he has vaulted into the forefront of both the team’s offensive and defensive arsenal. In two preseason games, Oden is leading the Blazers in scoring (19.0 average) and rebounding (10.5) while hitting 11 of 20 shots from the field and 16 of 19 free throws.”
Marcus Thompson II of the Oakland Tribune: “Warriors rookie guard Stephen Curry will be at least a part-time starter this season. Before Wednesday night’s 118-101 exhibition loss to the Los Angeles Lakers at the Honda Center, Warriors coach Don Nelson said Curry will be used at times as the fifth starter and play alongside Monta Ellis. But that plan didn’t work out too well against the Lakers when Ellis sprained his left ankle just over a minute into the game and did not return. Nelson didn’t name Curry the permanent starter, saying he will go with someone bigger when an opponent has a shooting guard that is too big and dominant. ‘I think I’m going to — because the kid (Curry) is so good — leave that spot open and it will be a matchup thing,’ Nelson said. ‘We’re going to have a small backcourt anyway. We might as well start that way sometimes.’ Nelson started guard Anthony Morrow across from the Lakers’ Kobe Bryant on Wednesday. The coach said he would also put swingman Kelenna Azubuike in that fifth spot and move Stephen Jackson to shooting guard, depending on the matchup.”
Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports: “Chris Paul was spent. His knee ached. His legs felt heavy. He had nothing left to give his New Orleans Hornets. The Denver Nuggets had used their bigger guards to batter Paul throughout the teams’ first-round playoff series, and it showed. In the Hornets’ final two losses – one by a humiliating 58 points – Paul averaged just eight points. Beaten and bruised, the Hornets exited the playoffs knowing what they needed to do. They had to get Paul some help. As the Hornets try to reestablish themselves as a legitimate contender in the Western Conference this season, they do so with a new mantra: The less we demand of Paul now, the more we’ll get from him later. Hornets coach Byron Scott is determined to reduce Paul’s workload, hoping to keep his All-Star point guard fresher for the playoffs. The offseason additions of two speedy newcomers – Bobby Brown and rookie Darren Collison could go a long way in helping him do so. ‘No disrespect to the backups that done it before,’ Scott said, ‘but now we have two guys who are the type of players that I’ve needed.’”
Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News: “One of the coaches stood in the locker room late Tuesday night, marveling about DeJuan Blair. Then he paused and changed direction. ‘I love Ian Mahinmi,’ he said, ‘but …’ The coach roots for Mahinmi, as does everyone in the Spurs organization. Mahinmi has done everything the Spurs have asked. Still, on this night, the coach couldn’t help but see the contrast. Blair turned 20 in April, and this is the first time he’s ever lived more than a block from home. And yet: He showed more basketball instincts in his first NBA game than Mahinmi had in four years. It’s October, and there are no guarantees Blair will be getting minutes in November. Still, his undeniable skill was on display. Blair had 19 rebounds in the first 22 minutes of his pro life, and this is something that works in any arena in any city. Asked about his rebounding philosophy, Blair smiled. ‘I just go get it,’ he said. ‘And if I don’t get it, I’ll get it the next time.’”
Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News: “Now in his seventh NBA season, Kapono has played with five teams after getting selected by Cleveland with the 31st overall pick in 2003. No doubt each time he left one team to play for another, he left some fun memories behind. He’s hoping to make some here as well. He was at the Phillies game with some teammates the night they clinched the National League East, and went to Lincoln Financial Field when the Birds lost to the Saints. He can’t stand driving on the Schuylkill Expressway, and his passion for golf is immeasurable. ‘Whatever the best or biggest word is to describe a love for something, that’s what I have for golf.’ But there’s more to Kapono, a Long Beach, Calif., native, than just fun and games, so to speak. ‘What I like about Jason is that he’s a veteran and he has a great way about himself,’ coach Eddie Jordan said. ‘He’s serious, but yet he’s not serious. Everybody likes him. He’s easy to be around. We’ve found out he can defend, he can execute and move well without the ball. He does a lot for us. We did our homework on him before we made the deal [trading Reggie Evans to the Raptors], just knowing him in the gym is even better. His personality . . . he fits. There’s no drama. It’s a great thing. He’s low maintenance, and that’s a good thing.’”
Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press: “Besides being the Timberwolves’ oldest player at 32, forward Brian Cardinal is known in the team’s locker room as the ‘janitor.’ The nickname is not a reference to Cardinal’s tidiness around his locker. Wolves players came up with the name because of the way he cleans up the floor with his dives for loose balls and taking charges — the unglamorous part of being an NBA player. ‘He does everything,’ Wolves forward Ryan Gomes said of Cardinal. ‘People look at him and think he’s not a player, but he’ll do the little things and make the extra hustle plays.’ The 6-foot-8 Cardinal has a receding hairline that makes him look more suited for a 50-and-over league. He admits he is not good enough to be a starting power forward in the NBA, yet he is approaching his 10th season in the league. Cardinal has been a backup with each of his five NBA teams, including the Wolves last season. He has never averaged more than 9.6 points in a season, but his value is measured more in work ethic and a lead-by-example attitude.”
Eddie Sefko of the Star-Telegram: “A new season, a new team, a new system and a new chance to be on a big winner. It never gets old because Drew Gooden never seems to stick around long enough for it to get old. The Dallas Mavericks are his seventh team in eight seasons. He’s lasted more than 100 games with a team only once — when he put in 3 1/2 seasons with Cleveland. That was a meaningful part of his career, by the way. It included a trip to the NBA Finals in 2007, when Gooden started every game for the Cavaliers in the playoffs. That’s part of why the Mavericks were hot to sign him this summer. And while Gooden is used to learning new routines, he said arriving in Dallas isn’t quite the shock to his system that some of the other stops have been. ‘This is my career,’ he said. ‘It’s how it’s always been — adjusting and transitioning and picking up new stuff. But it’s a great group of guys. And a lot of the stuff here is the same as we ran with Mike Brown at Cleveland because Mike was under Rick [Carlisle] at Indiana. So a lot of the stuff I’m familiar with. It was an easy transition.’”
Ron Green Jr. of The Charlotte Observer: “Charlotte Bobcats rookie Gerald Henderson was on the court in Cleveland Tuesday night in the first semi-official minute of his NBA career when he found himself with the ball. Henderson, the former Duke All-American, came off a screen and turned the corner, the basket in his sights. From the corner of his eye, Henderson saw Shaquille O’Neal coming his way. Even rookies know certain things. ‘I was, like, this isn’t going to be good,’ Henderson said. O’Neal swallowed Henderson’s dunk, fouling the rookie hard in the process. Henderson made one of two free throws and the first of what will likely be several professional baptisms had occurred. ‘It was one of those welcome to the NBA moments,’ Henderson said. Henderson and the Bobcats will play their second preseason game tonight when they meet the New Orleans Hornets in the Greensboro Coliseum. The rookie from Duke should be easy to spot because as part of his introduction to the league, the Bobcats veterans are making him carry a light blue North Carolina backpack everywhere he goes.”
Ken Berger of CBSSports.com: “The Sixers haven’t been bad enough — or drafted well enough — to have a truly impactful lottery pick since 1996, when they chose Allen Iverson No. 1 overall. Cap space that could be used to attract a top-flight free agent next summer is tied up in Brand and Samuel Dalembert, who already is barking about his role and playing time, making him even less tradable. Out is point guard Andre Miller, who signed with Portland without so much of a whimper of protest from the Sixers front office. Enter Jordan and his motion offense, which doesn’t require a traditional point guard but does call for relentless cutting and movement. It’s the classic case of taking what the defense gives you, with constant emphasis on moving the ball away from the pressure until the best possible look at the basket is achieved. Jordan hopes Brand gets his fair share of those looks, even though he has never played in a system remotely similar. ‘He’s getting it,’ Jordan said. ‘He sees that if he can run just a little bit more, a little bit harder, a little bit longer, he’ll get better post-ups in the open floor. He’s finding out that if he learns how to cut in the offense, his post-ups [on the blocks] will be easier. He’s learning that if he can kick it out as a passer from the post, he’ll score a little easier. But the fact that he can get his shot off is really important to us. That’s the skill level he brings.’”
Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald: “The NBA is a watered-down product. The salary cap slowly has whittled benches across the league down to faceless entities, punchless sparring partners in practice and fill-ins who hope not to undo the work of their betters at gametime. But the Celtics went into last night’s preseason opener against the Rockets with a modern-day anomaly. The reserves have dished out as much as they have absorbed during the first part of training camp. The second unit of Rasheed Wallace, Marquis Daniels, Glen Davis, Eddie House and Brian Scalabrine beat the starters in a scrimmage last Saturday in Newport, R.I., and figure to win a lot more. ‘It’s crazy,’ Kendrick Perkins said of the burgeoning rivalry between the starters and reserves. ‘They make us work every practice. We have no slack on the backup side, so every practice is really like a game. They’re good. They have a lot of shooters. They have Eddie House, he’s 10 years (in the league), Rasheed 15, Marquis seven, Baby three, Tony six, so they have a lot of experienced guys on their team.’”
Brian Windhorst of The Cleveland Plain Dealer: “On the surface, the Cavaliers appear to have one of the deepest and experienced teams in the NBA. But look a little deeper and there’s a hole. The team won’t admit it publicly, but any way it’s viewed, the Cavs are short a point guard. Add the continuing uncertainty surrounding Delonte West and it is only clearer. At the moment, it may not be a fatal flaw. If everything goes to plan, it may not even matter. But if there is one sure thing, it is that things rarely go to plan — as West is currently proving. West began a second leave this season Wednesday, this one excused, to handle personal matters. He had not played in either the open scrimmage or first preseason game. There’s no denying that is worrying. ‘We’re concerned about the state of Delonte because we want him here,’ LeBron James said. ‘You want your full team to see what your full potential is, but at the same time we’re going to give him time.’ James didn’t say he was concerned about the point guard situation, but deep down he and his teammates must be to some degree.”
Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Times: “If this had happened a month ago, the San Francisco Chronicle and city officials would have been another party skewered in Michael Jordan’s Hall of Fame induction speech. The newspaper published photos Tuesday of Jordan smoking a cigar during a practice round at Harding Park, despite the city’s ban on smoking on public golf courses. City officials asked the PGA Tour to remind Jordan he can’t smoke while being an honorary assistant at the Presidents Cup. ‘It was sort of a gentle nudge reminding them that smoking is illegal and that we would appreciate their support,’ Recreation and Park General Manager Phil Ginsburg told the Chronicle. As for enforcing the $100 fine on Jordan? Matt Dorsey, the spokesman for City Atty. Dennis Herrera, remains unsure how that will play out. Said Dorsey: ‘But don’t expect me to ask him for it.’”
Ross Siler of The Salt Lake Tribune: “Even if it is just a preseason game, the Jazz will have nothing to gain and everything to lose Thursday when they step on the court to play Spanish power Real Madrid at the Palacio de Deportes. If anything, the Jazz will be looking to avoid an ambush before returning to Utah, well aware that NBA teams from the Toronto Raptors to Philadelphia 76ers have lost five games to Euroleague teams since 2005. ‘You don’t want to get embarrassed, you know?’ Deron Williams said, adding, ‘You definitely can’t take them lightly. This is a team who’s probably been together, been practicing for a while, and is going to be ready for this game.’ The Jazz still might be mixing and matching lineups in the preseason, but the expectation is than an NBA team always should beat a top European team regardless of the circumstances. That said, Real Madrid downed Toronto 104-103 on the same floor in 2007. ‘It’s going to be tough for us,’ Andrei Kirilenko said, ‘but we’re an NBA team, we represent the best league in the world; we’re supposed to fight.’”
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports: “Around the Wizards, they can see that Arenas has changed. He’s still going to make everyone laugh, but no longer does everything seem to be a performance. The surgery on his left knee, the two lost seasons, have taken their toll and made Arenas reconsider and reevaluate it all. After missing all but 15 regular-season games over the past two seasons, Arenas has honored his private promises of far more playmaking and far less promotion. He isn’t talking to reporters, nor blogging, nor twittering. He did his duty with a relatively clipped Q&A on media day, and the league office won’t threaten to fine him for his silence until the regular season. Most importantly, in practices and during an impressive preseason debut on Tuesday night, Arenas has gone out of his way to think pass over shot, to think we over me. He’s indulged Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison with passes, pushing back any inclination to retake these Wizards with the blunt force of his jump shot. ‘It’s definitely the right strategy to come back here,’ Butler said. To have returned to the Wizards as a shameless gunner could’ve had grave consequences in a locker room that’s healing rifts of the past two seasons.”
(AP Photo/Jeff Lewis)
