- Michael Wilbon of The Washington Post: "Often in this space I've defended Michael Jordan's right and Tiger' Woods right to keep their thoughts private instead of giving in to group pressure and taking a stand simply to satisfy others' agendas. And I will continue to defend their right to act privately. Even so, I'm thrilled with Greg Oden's decision to talk openly and write in his blog about his conversation with Obama. Had he endorsed Sens. John McCain or Hillary Rodham Clinton, I'd have felt the same way. (In fact, Oden just yesterday introduced first lady Laura Bush at a function in Portland, Ore.) What's important about Oden's involvement is he understands and articulates the importance of people 18 to 25 actually voting, and he apparently pays little to no attention to playing it safe."
- Tom Knott of The Washington Times: "The free agency of Gilbert Arenas and Antawn Jamison is not as likely to break in the favor of the Wizards if they stumble to another injury-induced, first-round exit. Both players are not merely seeking contracts that address their All-Star status. They also want to be with a franchise that has the prospect of a championship. The Wizards once thought they were tilting in that direction. But that was before the onset of injuries, the ascent of the Celtics and the fortification of the Pistons. At full strength, the Wizards may be no better than the fifth-best team in the conference if you consider the Magic and the retooled Cavaliers. That is the hard reality before the Wizards as they head into the last two months of the regular season. They are enveloped in the unknown, their postseason prospects becoming fainter with each passing week."
- Phil Jasner of the Philadelphia Daily News: "You can't necessarily see it in the crowds at the Wachovia Center, or maybe even in the TV ratings. It's not as if anyone in Philadelphia suddenly has real playoff fever. On the other hand, a seven-game home winning streak, eight victories in the last 10 games and an enthusiastic announced crowd of 14,124 for Wednesday night's impressive 101-89 victory over Orlando was encouraging. New president/general manager Eddie Stefanski has been speaking to fans and season ticket holders in small breakfast and lunch groups. He has been making telephone calls, responding to e-mail, telling ticketholders about his plans and listening to their concerns. He's been on the job for slightly more than two months and says, 'There's more of a buzz than when I first got here.'"
- A. Sherrod Blakely of Booth Newspapers: "'I'm looking to be the garbage man,' Amir Johnson said. 'Sort of like what Ben Wallace did when he was here. I'm looking to get all the rebounds blocked shots, loose balls. Everything.' He said that desire to be anything and everything Detroit needs, comes from understanding opportunities are few and sometimes far between in the NBA. 'Nobody's promising me minutes or anything like that, so when I get out there, I gotta try and make something happen so I can stay out there,' he said."
- Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "Bucks forward Yi Jianlian said he spoke on the phone with Houston center Yao Ming on Thursday, the first time they have talked since the news broke Tuesday that Yao would miss the rest of the season with a stress fracture in his left foot. ... 'They're waiting for a second opinion from the doctor and seeing if he needs to do surgery or not,' Yi said. 'All the Chinese fans are very caring about the results of the examination.' ... 'He just said that I've got to watch out for my own physical condition in the future,' Yi said of Yao's words of advice."
- Rick Noland of The Medina County Gazette: "What, you expected the Cavaliers to become the best team in the NBA overnight? Don't worry -- at least not too much -- that Mike Brown's team has gone just 1-2 with Ben Wallace, Wally Szczerbiak, Joe Smith and Delonte West in uniform. It takes time for four players to jell with a new team, especially when they're acquired at this point of the season and all are playing major minutes. Things are going to be just fine, people, though Cleveland's up-and-down performances should justifiably quell all the premature talk about an NBA championship."
- Mark Montieth of The Indianapolis Star: "Five incidents involving players since September have further eroded their public image, although only one resulted in a player being charged with a crime. The latest occurred Wednesday, when Gary Bohanon, who was wanted in connection with a Tennessee murder case, was arrested after leaving the home of Pacers forward Shawne Williams. CEO Donnie Walsh and team President Larry Bird said Thursday that enough is enough. 'We want our franchise to stand for the right things, and for 20 years we did stand for the right things,' Walsh said. 'And now as these things pop up and keep casting a bad light on us, it's difficult for us to let the people know that our franchise doesn't stand for any of this.' The Pacers promised a swift and certain response if their players had a role in criminal wrongdoing."
- Geoff Calkins of The Commercial-Appeal: "The team isn't moving anytime soon. It's just not. In this time of finger-pointing and misery, it seems important to recognize that. The NBA may or may not work in Memphis over the long haul. The tickets are expensive, and the season is long. If the Grizzlies are drawing (and losing) like this in a decade, of course they'll move on. But for now, enjoy them. Or be frustrated by them. Or ignore them. Whatever you like. Just don't believe it when someone tells you they're on their way out, OK?"
- Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post: "The evolution of a Marcus Camby block begins on the training table, an hour before tipoff. There, while the big fella is attended to by trainers, assistant coach Tim Grgurich shows Camby video of that night's opponent on his laptop. One final glimpse, hoping to gain that split-second edge that could mean a block instead of a basket. Camby thirsts to watch film and analyze a point guard's footwork or a shooting guard's shot fake."
- Chris Tomasson of the Rocky Mountain News:
"Andrew Feinstein, 32, a Denver native and nationality syndicated cartoonist who said he has been a Nuggets fans since being in his 'mother's womb,' launched FireGeorgeKarl.com on Sunday. It has since gotten about 10,000 hits, no doubt helped by a mention on ESPN.com. It's not certain if any hits have come from George Karl. But the Nuggets coach is aware of the site, which has as many good things to say about him as Ann Coulter does about Democrats. 'The longer you're with a team, the more people like you and the more people dislike you,' Karl said. 'I don't think it's valuable to pay attention to that, to de-energize me and waste my energy right now.'" - Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News: "Manu Ginobili said he won't be truly relieved until the deal is finalized, but was nonetheless pleased about Barry's announced intentions. 'Until I see him in here, working out with us and practicing with us, I'm not going to be completely happy,' he said 'But he is a big part of what we do, and he knows we like him and want him back.' Barry's teammates valued his ability to keep them laughing. He was popular enough to get them to participate in elaborately staged, videotaped skits for the team's annual fundraising event, lip-synching Broadway tunes. 'I must like him a lot to want a guy back who made me dress up like Evita,' said Ginobili, who had donned a white dress for his role in the Barry-produced video clip."
- Jeff Caplan of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram: "Somebody please give Brent Barry an Academy Award. The veteran shooting ace has played the trade game to perfection. Traded from San Antonio to Seattle last week, then immediately cut, Barry kept the league on pins and needles awaiting his next move. Would he wait 30 days and re-sign with the Spurs? Or would he tick off San Antonio fans and sign with the hated Suns, who put on the hard sell? ... Unlike Jerry Stackhouse, who annoyed the league by spilling the facts of his impending return to the Mavs had the original trade with the Nets for Jason Kidd worked, Barry has played this thing out like a pro. And for that, he deserves an award."
- Sam Amick of the Sacramento Bee: "Shareef Abdur-Rahim wears a suit instead of a jersey these days, following his Kings teammates at home and on the road while the right knee that's been operated on twice since June keeps him away from the game he loves. But make no mistake. 'Reef' is still making an impact. The 'Reef House' is an afterschool safe haven for kids on the outskirts of Atlanta, a labor of love where Abdur-Rahim has poured his resources and his soul into using his hoops career to have a positive influence."
- Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald: "Head-to-head in practice, they have been known to go at each other like two young bulls in a small ring. But when Doc Rivers plays Leon Powe and Glen Davis together in games -- a recent ploy the Celtics coach admits has worked surprisingly well -- the result can be like a creation from WWE chairman Vince McMahon. 'They're sort of like Bruiser and Crusher from pro wrestling when they're out there together,' Rivers said ..."
- Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle: "... when asked about the doubts about the Rockets' chances expressed since Yao's injury was announced Tuesday, Tracy McGrady seemed to want to 'shut people up.' 'I never worry about what people say about our team,' McGrady said. 'The only way you shut people up like that is you go out and you win ballgames. ... I think we're a pretty good basketball team. This is a game, right? I love this game. I love playing it night in, night out. I love competing with my guys. If it doesn't happen for me, it doesn't define who I am, and I'm not going to let it. Despite what anybody says about me, the criticism about how I can't get out of the first round, that doesn't define who I am. I can't control that. I really can't. They got to put the blame on somebody, and it's got to be me. I'm the next-best player.'"
- David Mooore of The Dallas Morning News: "Maybe Jason Kidd's presence wouldn't have made a difference. We'll never know. But by asserting his control at the end of the game, Avery Johnson took the game out of Kidd's talented hands. For this to work, Johnson must learn to trust Kidd in a way he never did Devin Harris. The irony is if this trade had not been made, Johnson likely would have had Harris on the floor at the end of Thursday's game. ... 'We were looking at spreading the floor with all of our shooters in the game,' Johnson said. 'We wanted to put Stack and Josh [Howard] and Jet [Terry], and that gave Dirk some more room to operate in those situations. Our spacing was good, and that is what we were doing on that particular one.' Spacing? I'd argue Johnson spaced out. The four shooters that surrounded Nowitzki on the final possession were a combined 2-of-9 in the fourth quarter. Now, if Johnson had said that Kidd hasn't been around long enough to run the play he wanted at the end, I might understand that."
- Teddy Kider of The Times-Picayune: "If the competition between Chris Paul and Deron Williams constitute a thrilling rivalry, the enthusiasm for it certainly is lacking on the Hornets' end. Paul, New Orleans' starting point guard, answered questions Thursday in advance of his third game of the season against the Utah Jazz and Williams, describing the so-called rivalry with two words empty of exuberance: 'It's old.' The plot between Paul and Williams began with hints of a budding rivalry. Both were point guards selected among the top four picks of the 2005 NBA draft Williams at No. 3, Paul at No. 4 and marked to lead their franchises into the future. But those same factors seem to have led to a close friendship, one that was on display at the NBA's All-Star Weekend in New Orleans. Paul was the one voted to the All-Star Game, but Williams beat out Paul in the Skills Challenge, and the two were seen chatting and laughing at events."
- Art Thiel of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer: "NBA Commissioner 'David Stern is not going to stand in Clay Bennett's way, because Stern likes his teams to be able to move,' [King County Executive Ron] Sims said by phone Thursday. 'Bennett so far does not want to sell, since he has six first-round draft picks over the next few seasons and likes what he has.' Even in the likely event of a June defeat in federal court for his attempt to get out of the club's KeyArena lease, Bennett, in Sims' view, will endure the necessary losses t
o relocate the team in 2010 to his hometown of Oklahoma City. Sims is also convinced that NBA owners do not want to abandon, long-term, Seattle's large market and gateway status to the biggest item on the NBA's business agenda -- development of a subsidiary pro basketball league in China."
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