- Jeff Schultz of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "The Hawks open the playoffs Saturday night against Milwaukee. This needs to be Joe Johnson’s time. Not just because his play will help determine how far the Hawks go this postseason. Not just because he is nearing free agency and potential bidding teams (including the Hawks) will ask, 'What did he do in the playoffs?' But because Johnson needs to prove something -- and he’ll be the first to tell you. 'I’m going into these playoffs with a chip on my shoulder,' he said. 'Not only do I want to prove I’m one of the best players in the league but that we have one of the best teams in the league. Honestly, I’m really not trying to prove it to anybody but myself. I just want to know that, if necessary, I can put this team on my back and take us as far as we can go.' This is what a Hawks fan wants to hear. Their best player wants to take over. Johnson’s postseason results have been mixed. Two years ago, he had a few good games and a few duds. Playoff performances last year also were uneven, though he was plagued by an ankle sprain. Following each postseason, there have been questions about where he fits on the greatness scale. Perception dictates status. Status dictates dollars."
- Ken Sugiura of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "The NBA regular season ended Wednesday and for a change, Jamal Crawford was still at work Thursday. 'Usually, I'd be shipping my cars and getting my clothes and stuff together,' the Hawks guard said. 'I'd already be halfway back to Seattle by now.' Saturday, when he takes the Philips Arena floor for the opening game of the Hawks' first-round series against Milwaukee, Crawford will take himself off the list as the most tenured active player without a playoff appearance. Crawford's drought will end in his 10th season, after 676 career games. The torch of that ignominy will pass to Indiana's Troy Murphy. ... Rapper Jay-Z is among many friends who have reached out to Crawford to congratulate him and wish him well. 'The night before [the first game], I may not be able to sleep,' Crawford said."
- Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel: "The underdog label is one the Milwaukee Bucks reluctantly will accept
in their first-round playoff battle against the Atlanta Hawks. Bucks guard John Salmons said that's an understandable notion with Milwaukee missing its 7-foot shot blocker and low-post offensive presence, injured center Andrew Bogut. 'All the pressure is on them,' Salmons said. 'Everybody knows we're missing a big piece. We don't have anything to lose. We're going to go in there and try to play as free as possible and try to get the win.' Salmons said the situation would be entirely different if the Bucks had Bogut on the court instead of on the sideline wearing a robotic-looking cast on his fractured right hand. Would the Bucks still be an underdog then? 'I don't think so,' Salmons said." - Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times: "The Milwaukee Bucks are hoping history repeats itself. The Bucks will be making their first playoff appearance since the 2005-2006 season when they take on the Atlanta Hawks in an Eastern Conference first-round series starting Saturday in Atlanta. The Bucks will be heavy underdogs. They will be facing a team with superior talent, superior depth and superior athleticism. In other words, the daunting challenge that awaits the Bucks won't be unlike the one another Bucks team encountered just more than two decades ago. That's when the Bucks and Hawks met in a first-round series in the 1989 playoffs. That Hawks team was also saturated with talent and athleticism. The national pundits predicted the Bucks had little chance of upsetting the high-flyin' Hawks and their superstar Dominique Wilkins. But the Del Harris coached Bucks controlled the tempo, played stifling defense and stunned the Hawks, winning the series 3-2."
- Mike Bianchi of the Orlando Sentinel: "While I realize the NBA is a player's league and understand the Magic's Big Four on the floor -- Dwight Howard, Jameer Nelson, Vince Carter and Rashard Lewis -- are the most important elements to winning a championship, let us at least take just a few minutes to recognize the franchise's Four Horsemen of the front office. We are talking, of course, about team president Bob Vander Weide, chief operating officer Alex Martins, general manager Otis Smith and coach Stan Van Gundy. They have formed what appears to be the ideal blend of business and basketball. It seems the only time we ever recognize management is when it does something stupid -- like draft Fran Vazquez or hire a hockey player to run an NBA franchise. And it seems the only time we ever acknowledge a coach is when he says something controversial or decides not to foul Derek Fisher and loses on a 3-pointer in Game 4 of the NBA Finals. Today, though, let's give it up for a Magic organization that has put together a team that finished with the second-best record in the league, won more games than anybody during the second half of the season and is a legitimate contender to win an NBA championship. Too often in this day and age, there is a disconnect and a dysfunction among the egotistical men who run sports franchises. This week, for instance, reports surfaced in Chicago regarding a physical altercation between Bulls GM John Paxson and coach Vinny Del Negro."
- Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer: "Michael Jordan, Larry Brown and general manager Rod Higgins are the three voices in the room whenever the Bobcats make a significant roster move. Those three have the Bobcats in the playoffs for the first time after dramatically reshaping this team. Only three players -- Gerald Wallace, Raymond Felton and Nazr Mohammed -- pre-date Brown’s arrival two years ago. There have been bumps along the way; early on, Brown was occasionally left in the dark about pending decisions (re-signing Emeka Okafor or exercising Adam Morrison’s option year, to name two). But the collaboration these days sounds healthy. 'I like that we have the type of relationship where everyone can be open and candid,’ Jordan told the Observer. 'I’m not afraid to push back and I think Rod isn’t afraid. I don’t think it would be of benefit to us in the long term if it wasn’t that way.’ Brown concurs. 'You know what a competitor he is and he’s got strong opinions, but he’s never kept me or Rod from saying what we feel,’ Browns said. 'And I wouldn’t want him rubber-stamping everything I say.’ "
- Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald: "It matters now, right guys? Just checking. After a Celtics season during which caveats became one of the four basic journalistic food groups, it is hopefully safe to take what we see now from the C’s at face value. 'They stunk, but . . .,' is no longer an operative column angle. The buts have been kicked to next season. We no longer have to include that a given calamity doesn’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. Wins, losses and what you had for lunch all now do. If the Celtics know what’s good for them, they are taking urgency intravenously. Tomorrow night against the Heat, the burden of proof will be on their shoulders as they traverse the parquet. Has any Celtics playoff opener been subject to such scrutiny? People are curious to see whether this team is serious about getting its act together or whether it is naught but seven gallons of bluster."
- Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald: "Heat forward Michael Beasley said he was nervous during his first playoff series last season against Atlanta. But he said that nerves will not be a problem in this season's first-round series against Boston. 'I've been there before,' Beasley said Thursday. 'Big floor, big stage, playoff basketball. I know what to expect. No nerves. No butterflies. I'm going to play my game, play within the system.' Dwyane Wade said it is 'no secret' that Kevin Garnett is 'going to go at the young guy in many different ways.' 'This could be a series that Beas goes up and this can lead him to what his expectations of himself probably are,' Wade said. 'Now we have an opportunity to see what a young guy like Michael can do.' "
- John Jackson of the Chicago Sun-Times: "If, as expected, Vinny Del Negro's run with the Bulls comes to an end shortly after his team is eliminated from the playoffs, Del Negro can leave with his head held high and a great sense of accomplishment. Sure, there have been other coaches in franchise history who have fared better, but for each one of those there are at least two others who fared worse. While there's certainly nothing special about his 82-82 regular-season record in his two years, you have to match it against expectations and circumstances. ... I'm not saying Del Negro is a great coach and, no, he wasn't among the three names on my coach of the year ballot. All I'm saying is you're not dealing with reality if you don't recognize his role in the team's modest success. You also have to recognize his improvement in his two seasons. ''Have we slipped up in areas? Of course,' Del Negro said. 'But have we improved in a lot of areas? Yeah.' One area where Del Negro deserves great praise is keeping the players from packing it in during the 10-game losing streak last month. He admits it was difficult to stay positive during that stretch."
- Bob Finnan of The News-Herald: "The devastating loss to the Orlando Magic came in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals on May 30, 2009. After the 103-90 defeat at Amway Arena, LeBron James didn't shake hands with the Magic, showered and walked to the team bus. Fast forward to 3 p.m. Saturday in Game 1 of the first-round playoff series against Chicago. 'I've been waiting -- personally -- since Game 6 of the Orlando series,' James said. 'It's a different monster they'll be playing against on Saturday. I'm looking forward to the challenge.' James admits he has much pent up emotion stemming from the postseason loss. 'It hurt for a long time when you have to hold that in for the whole summer and the regular season,' he said. 'You have to hold that in. I'll be happy Saturday when I'll be able to unleash it.' James said he's going to play better than ever. 'Absolutely,' he said. 'You'll see.' "
- Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News: "When February ended with Tim Duncan playing both games in three of four sets of back-to-backs, Gregg Popovich looked ahead to the four sets in March and reiterated his desire to limit his play. ... Things changed sometime between Jan. 13, when Popovich declared his precautionary intentions, and the regular season finale against the Mavericks on Wednesday, when Popovich scratched him from his starting lineup 18 minutes before tipoff. Of the nine sets of back-to-back games in the final four months, Duncan played both games eight times. ... The reason for the amendment of Popovich's plan was simple: The tight Western Conference playoff race required Duncan's presence in the starting lineup nearly every night. Duncan's competitive nature rebelled at the notion of skipping games, too. 'I feel great,' Duncan said in response to Popovich's stated plan to rest him more often than in the past. 'As long as I feel good, I expect to play.' And play he did. Sitting out Game No. 82 marked just the second time Duncan missed a game this season for reasons other than injury. Not since 2004-05, when he missed 16 games with a sprained right ankle, has Duncan played fewer than 75 games. In 13 seasons, he has played 977 regular season games and an additional 147 playoff games. His durability has come at a price, for the tendonosis in his right quadriceps now requires the use of a knee brace that looks bulky, but is so technologically advanced the Spurs star swears he is unaware of its presence."
- Gil LeBreton of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram: "The midseason trade with Washington provided a much-needed boost and reality slap. Having Brendan Haywood (and his six fouls) to lean on Duncan provides a great plus. But success in the NBA postseason tends to be about who can stop the other team when the clock says it's time. Can the Mavericks be that consistent on defense to make those stops? Too late for posing questions now. It's answer season. The six months of circling the musical chairs are over. Rick Carlisle's team isn't playing Portland, or Oklahoma City, or Utah, but instead an old and familiar rival. Nobody planned it, as such, despite what Gregg Popovich's lineup looked like Wednesday night. The NBA wants to review what happened in Dallas and why the Cavaliers sat LeBron James? Hmm. And what exactly would that new rule sound like? Six months of basketball. Forty-one road games. And finally, the main course is served. Who's the hungriest? That's the only note that needs to go on Carlisle's bulletin board."
- Benjamin Hochman The Denver Post: "Apologies to Doubleday, Naismith and others, inventors of fine sports indeed, but couldn't they have jazzed up the position titles a little? First baseman? Yeah, we get it, the man near first base. Center? Yeah, the gentleman standing in the center of the offense. But then there's power forward. Oooh. That's a fun one. That's a position you want to claim when chatting up the ladies at happy hour. It's suggestive. Power forwards are the bad boys, up to no good in the trenches; small forwards are the nice guys, watching from the safety of the perimeter. The upcoming Nuggets-Jazz series features two of the baddest (complimentary, of course) power forwards in the league -- Denver's mauling Kenyon Martin and Utah's bruising Carlos Boozer. Each is a linchpin to his team, and each enters this series, which begins Saturday at the Pepsi Center, banged up. Martin took it easy on his left knee during Thursday's practice, and Boozer sat out Utah's final game Wednesday, but told ESPN.com that he's playing 'no matter what' against Denver, despite a strained oblique muscle on his right side. How these two play through pain will be vital to their team's success. 'I'm going to be Kenyon no matter what,' Martin said. 'I'm going to go out and play hard. ... And I'm anticipating everyone playing (for Utah).' "
- Gordon Monson of The Salt Lake Tribune: "Dependable is not the first descriptive word that slams into the mind when pondering the contributions of Carlos Boozer and Andrei Kirilenko through the years. Crowding well ahead of the D-word are: enigmatic, frustrating, infuriating, decorated up with a few others that Tiger might spew after an errant tee shot. That's not even meant to completely call into question whether they could have played Wednesday night, had they wanted to, had they cared more about their teammates, had they been tougher, had they been ... Karl Malone or John Stockton. Although, the temptation is great to call that commitment into question from now 'til kingdom come or 'til the Jazz actually win a title, whichever arrives first. ... Either Boozer and Kirilenko are two of the unluckiest players in Jazz history, or two of the softest. Call Doc Welby to know which is the truth. There's still a small bit of playoff time left for Boozer and Kirilenko to make that determination more certain, in either direction, to rearrange their legacies, to alter the lasting images, to change the symbolism. But after the defeat to Phoenix, you have to wonder whether the whole truth, alongside the Jazz's momentum, is lost for good."
- Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic: "There are many reasons for Suns coach Alvin Gentry to be optimistic about the playoff series with Portland starting Sunday. Phoenix was the West's best team since the All-Star break, although Portland was next best. Portland star Brandon Roy is out for the series with a knee injury, although his team won at Phoenix without him. The Suns won the last meeting, although it was their second-lowest-scoring win of the season. But Gentry's best reason for optimism is the verbal bouquet of roses that TNT's Charles Barkley has been tossing at his former team. 'We had to have a great year,' Gentry said of going 54-28. 'We got Chuck on our side now. He's talking good about us? You can't get any better than that.' Barkley spent much of his 10 years as a TNT analyst blowing down the Suns' hopes with his skepticism and criticism of their style, depth, defense and rebounding. The prevailing wind has turned."
- Joe Freeman of The Oregonian: "After a year full of injuries and trades, Nicolas Batum and LaMarcus Aldridge will be the only returning starters from Game 1 of the 2009 playoffs. In less than two seasons, the 21-year-old Batum has blossomed from an in-over-his-head NBA Summer League flop into an untouchable component of the Blazers, a player so valued by team management that he has been deemed virtually untradeable and so respected that players believe he's as important to the franchise as the Big Three. The Blazers (50-32) streaked into their second consecutive Western Conference playoffs by winning 16 of their final 21 games and things started coming together when coach Nate McMillan inserted Batum into the starting lineup. After missing the first 45 games of the season recovering from shoulder surgery, Batum became a permanent starter on Feb. 23 against the New Jersey Nets and the Blazers won 18 of their final 24 games. Now, the focus shifts from a turbulent regular season to a first-round postseaon date with the Phoenix Suns. And for Batum, that means trying to erase that dreadful experience versus the Rockets last April."
- Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times: "While the Lakers will begin their postseason at home, their dutiful coach has already strolled into an enemy camp, pitched a tent, started a fire, caused a mess. While the Lakers will host Oklahoma City , Phil Jackson will begin the playoffs inside Kevin Durant's head. ... Casually, caustically, it happens every spring. For brief moments in each of his 10 playoff runs here, the star whisperer has become a bleacher heckler, lobbing unexpected shots down at unsuspecting opponents, testing their patience, judging their mettle. He doesn't do it maliciously, but he doesn't do it accidentally. He wants to know who is soft. He wants to know where to punch. ... Once during a emotional series with the Sacramento Kings, Jackson called the city of Sacramento a ‘cowtown.' The fans lost their cool. The Kings lost their focus. Last year, in the middle of a tied conference championship series with the Denver Nuggets, Jackson essentially called Dahntay Jones a dirty player. Jones was indignant. His teammates were distracted. The Nuggets were cooked. This year it's Kevin Durant's turn, the barely adolescent Thunder star accused by Jackson of being pampered by officials, Durant reacting in the sort of anger and hurt that could lead him to play outside himself come Sunday's opener. In other words, Durant reacted perfectly, the league's leading scorer brilliantly playing the part of Jackson's mark."
- Bill Haisten of the Tulsa World: "In a discussion about the Thunder, Kobe Bryant made reference to 'Oklahoma.' Not to 'Oklahoma City.' 'I love what Oklahoma is doing and how well they're playing,' said Bryant, whose defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers face the Thunder in a Western Conference first-round playoff series. Why is it interesting that Bryant would shorten 'Oklahoma City' to 'Oklahoma'? Because some would prefer the team name to be the Oklahoma Thunder -- in effect, a state team based in Oklahoma City. Critics are hacked that the word 'City' separates 'Oklahoma' from 'Thunder.' In response to a Thursday Tulsa World column about the indifference of many Tulsans in regard to the 50-win Thunder, e-mail correspondents explained that they remain miffed by owner Clay Bennett's 2008 decision to name the team the Oklahoma City Thunder instead of the Oklahoma Thunder. ... Some Oklahomans always will grouse about the team name, but real fans of the Thunder have legitimate matters to worry about. They can fret about the Thunder's penchant for blowing leads. ... Prediction: Lakers over Thunder in six games. Surely the playoff atmosphere will result in an intensified effort, but if the Thunder continues to have pockets of defensive incompetence, this thing will be a 4-0 sweep. To anyone who cares about Thunder basketball: Reserve your stress for the game, not the name."
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