- Steve Politi of The Star-Ledger: "Firing Lawrence Frank now is like throwing the captain of the Titanic overboard after it hit the iceberg. Why bother? To borrow the famous quote from Micheal Ray Richardson, the ship be sinking anyway. The Nets kept the coach around this long for one reason: They were too cheap to hire his replacement, just like they were too cheap to keep this team from becoming a national joke. The issue is not who replaces Frank short term -- Red Auerbach and John Wooden combined couldn’t save the Nets from oblivion now. It’s who makes the decision on his long-term successor, since the same executive will be calling the shots on the other moves in this pivotal offseason. That will determine if this franchise digs out of this historic hole. And the man who has had all the answers for the Nets over the past decade is just as stumped as everyone else on this one. Rod Thorn will not name a permanent replacement for Frank in part because of the timing, but also because the pending change in ownership makes it impossible for him to do so. Thorn does not have a contract beyond this season. For the few remaining fans of this team, that’s a scarier prospect than an 0-17 record with Jason Kidd coming to town this week."
- Tim Buckley of the Deseret News: "When New Jersey fired coach Lawrence Frank on Sunday, it marked the 235th coaching change since Jerry Sloan became the Jazz's head coach on Dec. 9, 1988. 'This is a very fickle business,' Sloan said, 'and if you don't understand that it can eat you alive.' "
- Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune: "From the precipice of lasting infamy, the Timberwolves on Sunday plucked a stupefying 106-100 victory at Denver that ended their losing streak at 15 games, one loss away from tying a franchise record. Until Sunday, the Wolves hadn't won since opening night, 32 days earlier. Until Sunday, the previously 12-4 Nuggets hadn't lost in their past 17 home games, a streak that dates to last March. So how, pray tell, did the Wolves resurrect themselves from a 17-point deficit in the first half to produce a 31-12 third quarter and a decisive second half that defeated one of only two teams unbeaten at home this season? This from veteran forward Damien Wilkins about says it all about the Wolves' season thus far: 'We had a lot of confidence coming into the locker room at halftime. We were only down 14.' "
- Phil Jasner of the Philadelphia Daily News: "The major aspect of Ed Stefanski's decision-making process has to do with the absence of Lou Williams, who is recovering from a broken jaw suffered Tuesday night in a loss in Washington. The Sixers were excited with Williams' development and his ability to
make plays, for himself and for others. Without him in Friday night's loss to Atlanta, they often appeared rudderless down the stretch. They believe rookie Jrue Holiday, given time, will become the player they projected when they made him the No. 17 pick in the June draft, but they don't believe he's immediately ready for prime time. The question is, whether Allen Iverson could help them in that regard or whether his presence would simply delay Holiday's progress and limit opportunities for Andre Iguodala and others. The source said any decision would not be based on whether Iverson would sell tickets -- the Sixers are currently 29th (next-to-last) in attendance. There is a belief among management that Iverson would sell tickets for a short period, but that there would not be a substantial lasting effect. The larger question is, whether adding Iverson would have any substantial positive effect on the team." - Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun: "This time there was no hesitation. Chris Bosh was knocked down and the Raptors bench rose as one. Instead of coaches Jay Triano and Alex English leading a shameful two-man charge out on to the floor to defend their captain, it was assistant Marc Iavaroni trying to hold back an entire bench and avoid the technical that goes to anyone entering the playing surface from the bench. The object of all that pent-up anger was Amare Stoudemire, who threw Bosh to the court with a hard foul as the Raptors forward drove to the basket in the second quarter. There was no taunting by Stoudemire as Paul Pierce did the other night in Boston when he caught him with an accidental knee to a delicate area and then stood over him taunting the fallen Raptor. But this time, there was a response from Bosh's teammates which was completely different than the other night."
- John Jackson of the Chicago Sun-Times: "Like the Bucks, Brandon Jennings has come back to earth of late, but he's still leading the team in scoring with an average of 22.3 points. He's shooting 43.3 percent overall but a stunning 48.6 percent from three-point range. He'll certainly be a major focus of the Bulls' defense. ''He puts a lot of pressure on you with his speed,' Vinny Del Negro said of Jennings. ''He pushes the tempo, can make nice floaters in the lane and shoots three-pointers. He gets you back on your heels; he has a quick trigger. He's been very good, very positive for them. 'It's not one guy guarding him; it's a team effort. We have to make a conscious effort to control his penetration and contest shots.' Still, Bulls point guard Derrick Rose will match up with Jennings most of the time -- just like when their teams played AAU games in high school. Rose also got a chance to face Jennings earlier in the season and made one of the key defensive plays when he blocked Jennings' shot in the lane in the final minute. ''You have to make sure you always stay in front of him, contest all his jump shots; it's like that with any other good guard,' Rose said. 'He can score and so can every guard in the league. You just have to make it difficult for him.' "
- Jeff Rabjohns of The Indianapolis Star: "Mike Dunleavy's return is likely to alter the way the Indiana Pacers approach their offensive scheme. Dunleavy gives the Pacers their full rotation on the wing and a player who excels in the pass-and-move game coach Jim O'Brien considers critical. As important, Dunleavy's return from a serious right knee injury allows O'Brien to use a smaller lineup to spread the floor and take advantage of the Pacers' shooters. How that works likely will begin to take shape during the Pacers' four-game West Coast trip that starts tonight at Golden State (5-10). The Pacers (6-8) also face Sacramento, Utah and the Los Angeles Clippers. Dunleavy played for the first time this season on Friday, and it didn't go unnoticed that his first basket of the season come on a backdoor layup, catching a perfect pass from center Jeff Foster."
- Dave Krieger of The Denver Post: "They were outrebounded again Sunday, for the 10th time in 17 games. Someone named Nathan Jawai, a T-wolves backup big man, had seven boards in 13 minutes. Chris Andersen, the Nuggets' backup big man, had three in 19 minutes. Denver's lack of size may yet prove fatal. But Sunday's lesson was not mostly about size or skill. It was about heart. It was about effort. The truth is, a good team can sleepwalk through certain games on the NBA schedule and still come out on top. The more often this happens, the more tempting it is to do. Let's face it -- it's easier not to play hard all the time. Sometimes it takes a slap in the face to snap out of it. That's what the Timberwolves provided Sunday. It may be the most valuable thing anybody's done for the Nuggets all season."
- Michael Lee of The Washington Post: "Gilbert Arenas, the centerpiece of the team, is finding that returning to all-star form after an almost two-year hiatus is more difficult than he, or his coaches, imagined. The Wizards' trio of former all-stars -- Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler -- has shared the court for only five games, winning two of them. Saunders has been unable to find reliable production from other players, making it hard for him to settle on a regular rotation. The Wizards (5-10) were aware of the challenges that came with a rough early schedule and Jamison starting the season sidelined with a shoulder injury, but players are growing increasingly more frustrated with each loss. 'I didn't think November was going to be tough,' said Arenas, adding that he thought the Wizards would have at least 11 wins by this point. 'But that's not the case. We can look at our schedule and talk about wins and losses, but we have to pick it up. And in the past, November's never really been a good month for us. So, hopefully as in the past, December, January will be our month.' Arenas's optimism that the team's fortunes will improve contrasts with his performance, which has been regressing of late as he is unable to find a comfortable role within the offense."
- Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic: "Before the game, Jason Richardson was told that the Suns had won their past 12 games in which he scored 20 points or more. 'Let's keep it going,' he said. Richardson saw to it, scoring eight of the team's first 18 points. His 22 points included 12 on 3-pointers. He looks more comfortable when deciding where to get his points than he did last season. The Suns always have fared well when the off guard scores often, and they need him to maintain it with Leandro Barbosa out."
- Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer: "Sometimes a new player's impact isn't best reflected in his own statistics, but rather what his presence does for others. I'm talking specifically about Stephen Jackson; his field-goal percentage with the Bobcats isn't so special (41 percent), but in his first six games here, the Bobcats shot 48.6 percent. Compare that to what they shot before his arrival (39.4 percent). Jackson demands defenses' attention and he's a better playmaker and decision-maker with the ball than even coach Larry Brown anticipated. If he keeps this up, he's the fix this offense needed."
- Ross Siler of The Salt Lake Tribune: "Every morning after a game, the Jazz players can look forward to finding a piece of paper on the locker room board at their practice facility. For the first time, they are being graded individually on the number of perfect possessions they contribute to on defense. It's part of the Jazz's emphasis on defensive accountability after a season in which they gave up 100.9 points and 46.4 percent shooting on average, with coach Jerry Sloan and his assistants resolving that something had to change. The catch-phrase now is 'perfect possessions,' with the Jazz hoping to grade out at 80 percent or better each game. Players are graded on everything from getting back on defense and boxing out to how well they help and stick with the team's principles. ... Wesley Matthews consistently has been the Jazz's highest-graded defender at nearly 90 percent for the season. Sloan regularly has cited the fact in talking about the undrafted rookie, who has started the last eight games. 'I don't want to give it up,' Matthews said of his first-place standing. 'There's a lot of pride that comes with it. Everybody on this team is a competitor. I'm going to try to stay on top as long as I can.' "
- Ronald Tillery of The Commercial-Appeal: "Grizzlies second-year center Hamed Haddadi met with the Clippers' television announcers -- Ralph Lawler and Michael Smith -- before tipoff and listened to their regret over off-the-cuff remarks made about him during a recent broadcast. Lawler and Smith received a one-game suspension for mocking the Iranian-born center and his culture. They made the comments Nov. 18 during the final minutes of the Grizzlies' 106-91 win over the Clippers in FedExForum. 'I was really mad at first,' Haddadi said about the incident. 'But I tried to tell myself it was done in fun. The biggest part for me is that they came to say 'sorry' and explain what happened.' Haddadi said he was upset mainly because he received a lot of phone calls from Iranian fans. Coincidently, Sunday was Iranian Heritage Day in Staples Center. Iranian fans wore green T-shirts to commemorate the day. They also chanted 'We want Haddadi!' several times throughout the game. Haddadi didn't play."
- Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News: "David Robinson watched video highlights of his career on the giant TV screen above center court and listened as former teammate Sean Elliott described the impact he had on the lives of teammates and in the San Antonio community. Robinson couldn't contain himself when he rose to speak to the 17,000-plus fans who had remained in their seats Sunday night for a special ceremony celebrating his induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. 'You make me feel like I want to play again,' he said, whereupon Spurs coach Gregg Popovich jumped up from a seat a few feet away and shook his hand, as if to hold him to the sentiment. The Spurs held the ceremony after playing the 76ers to give fans a chance to share in Robinson's Hall of Fame experience, and Robinson appreciated the gesture. 'I consider this Hall of Fame celebration as much about this city and about this team as it was about me,' he said. 'So it's nice to be able to do it here, with the fans, and let them all enjoy.' "
- Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman: "It's one of the most mysterious terms in basketball, a pithy phrase regularly seen in scouting reports, supposedly to sum up a player's knowledge of the game. Basketball IQ. Defining it isn't so easy. ... Nearly half the Thunder's roster at one point has been tagged with the term. You couldn't find a scouting report on rookie James Harden that didn't possess the phrase in the weeks leading up to the June draft. Shaun Livingston, Kyle Weaver, Kevin Ollie, Nick Collison and Jeff Green are among Harden's teammates who also have had the label attached to their names. 'We have a good IQ team,' Scott Brooks said. 'I'm happy with our guys. Their level of IQ is pretty good.' But the term is widely overused, Brooks said. 'Absolutely. It's like 'Guys work hard,' or 'This guy's a winner,' ' Brooks said. 'I've been on teams where guys don't work hard but they're known as hard workers. No one wants to tell the truth because it'll hurt people's feelings.' Players and coaches say those who really have it contain a court savvy that goes beyond the coach's X's and O's. It's instinctive ability that a player has, knowing when to shoot and when to make the extra pass. Knowing how to set a screen on one possession and play off it on the next. Knowing when to employ subtle defensive schemes such as 'pulling out the chair' in the post."
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