Points in the Paint

» October 19, 2009 3:38 PM | By Brandon Hoffman

Former NBA player Casey Jacobsen recognizes some of the game’s best team players. Jacobsen on Steve Nash: “It is rare to find a player who is one of the best shooters in the history of basketball (yes, I did say that), who would rather set up someone else for a basket than score one himself. Steve found more joy in helping someone else succeed than any other player I’ve been around. We read about people like this in books, but they never seem to exist in real life. Steve Nash was the best player on our team, and the hardest worker. I remember the season I played with Nash vividly. Before the season began, he worked out every morning in the summer at 7 a.m. in the Suns practice facility. I hated waking up early, but I wanted to workout with him so badly that I did it anyway. Shooting and playing one-on-one with him during those early morning workouts was some of the most intense, focused workouts I’ve done. He was always so humble, too. He never boasted about himself, or referred to himself in the third person during an interview.”

After two and a half years spent largely lying on the floor due to severe back pain, Bill Walton is healthy, and ready to make amends with the city of Portland.

Shaquille O’Neal believes he has a future as an NBA analyst. Brian Windhorst reports that Shaq would like to have a TV or radio show that is stocked with former NBA players to comment on and analyze the league. Episode 1: explain this.

Sam Smith on S-Jax: “It never ends with Stephen Jackson in Golden State as the Warriors stripped him of his captaincy amidst Jackson doing interview after interview (give the guy that. He is cooperative) about how he still wants out and nothing’s changed. On the surface, Jackson seems ungrateful, but don’t blame Jackson. He’s spent a lifetime as a hustler.”

Like Jerry Sloan in Utah, Warriors coach Don Nelson has decided to spend more time in film sessions before and after practice in an attempt to improve his team’s defense.

Derek Fisher on whether Andrew Bynum has reached his potential, as reported by Jon Gold: “I don’t think so. I don’t think that, because of injuries and just his growth in this league, we’ve seen him reach his full potential. One thing that is apparent is that when he is healthy, he’s willing to do the work that’s necessary to be as good as he can be. When the work ethic is there, the timing, the training, they have a much better chance of making it to that full level.”

Arash Markazi of SI.com: “Sacramento is not asking Tyreke Evans to be a prototypical point guard in new coach Paul Westphal’s offense. Instead, the Kings want him to be a playmaker and a defender who will be called on to facilitate when necessary. Westphal has also pushed Evans to improve his conditioning (he cramped up Thursday) and develop a consistent jump shot. ‘He just needs to play the way he plays. We’re not going to ask him to be the orchestrator of all things for this team,’ said Westphal, who likens Evans to a combination of Kevin Johnson and Dan Majerle, his backcourt tandem in Phoenix when he led the Suns to the Finals in 1993. ‘We have a lot of offense that is initiated by many different people. He’s not being asked be the second coming of Bob Cousy. We’re asking him to attack and make the right decision when the defense adjusts to his attack.’ Evans says Westphal’s offense is actually easier to run than Memphis’ because of spacing that allows for more open shots.”

Ryan McNeill has some follow-up from last night’s Raptors/Celtics game: “Garnett looks like he aged 10 years since I saw him play last season. Sure, he posted an impressive stat line in the first half of 15 points and 4 rebounds before finishing with a game high 21 points, but what stuck out for me was watching the veteran forward hobble up and down the court with a noticeable limp. Then when Garnett retreated to the bench in the second quarter the first thing he did was start icing his knees. Not the kind of stuff Celtics fans have to be happy to see. Further adding to my concern was a sequence in the first quarter when Garnett was camped under the basket for an easy rebound but Andrea Bargani was able to drop down from the foul line and steal the rebound. Not only that, but in a couple fluid movements Bargnani was able to spin by Garnett and finish the play off with an impressive dunk. There is no way this sequence of events would have transpired last season.”

Chris Bosh, according to Arsenalist at Raptors Republic, needs to muscle up: “I’ve said it a thousand times and I’ll say it again: I don’t like the way Bosh allows himself to be neutralized. A weak front by Kendrick Perkins should be easily negotiable, even if there’s a weak-side defender waiting in case the lob is made. Just look at the C**tics, in those cases they use a pass back to the top followed by a hi-low to get an easy layup, a foul, or force the whole defense to collapse in the paint thus spawning their ball movement. If Perkins is on you, you don’t fade. Period. No excuses, nothing. You use your God-given advantage over hm which is your quickness, you don’t fade because that’s what he wants you to do. It doesn’t matter if you happen to draw a couple fouls that way, it’s still what Doc Rivers prefers. Garnett was given the Bargnani assignment leaving Bosh with the easier matchup of Perkins but we couldn’t gain an advantage. And that muscle you added, put it to use because you sure don’t need it to fade.”

Terry Pluto: “LeBron James continues to work on his low-post moves near the basket. He has not used them often in the preseason games, but James has made it a focal point of extra time on the court after the regular practice sessions. James has said he will have something new for this season — and going into the low post a few times a game will put even more pressure on opposing defenses.”

In an interview on Versus’ $ports Take, via HOOPSWORLD, Jerry Colangelo cites former North Carolina coach Dean Smith’s recommendation as a key reason for hiring Mike Kryzewski as coach of the Olympic team.

The Associated Press: “After years of courting the European and Asian markets, the NBA is trying to build up its fan base among Hispanics. The league will launch a marketing campaign on Monday called enebea—the Spanish pronunciation of NBA. Featuring increased TV and internet exposure, plus community projects, the NBA hopes expand its reach among a demographic that makes up 15 percent of its fan base.‘I think that it’s a great idea,’ said New Jersey Nets forward Eduardo Najera(notes), who is Mexican. ‘I think it’s only going to help for Hispanics to identify with players besides the Hispanic ones, and overall I think it’s going to be a great chance for them to feel included in the NBA. I’m happy about that.’ Najera is one of 19 players in the NBA from six Latin American countries.”