- Sekou Smith of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "Hawks coach Mike Woodson and Josh Smith finally had their training camp dust-up Tuesday, ringing in yet another year together. Woodson called his team together in a practice-ending huddle and began his speech by telling the players they needed to take their game to another level with the regular season approaching. He mentioned Smith by name, which prompted the fifth-year forward to react by saying he was willing to 'take all the blame.' After a brief exchange, the huddle broke and Smith headed for the locker room steaming at being called out and shattered his mouthpiece case against a wall. Woodson, smiling the entire time, warned his assistants and other players that Smith would be fine and that they shouldn't worry. ... 'For me, it's about measuring myself,' said Smith, who insisted his reaction to Woodson was strictly tongue-in-cheek to get a rise out of everyone -- and he later went into Woodson's office to make sure there was no mistaking his motives. 'Coach is right. I do need to crank it up, and we do need to crank it up as a team. And I understand that when Oct. 29 comes, I'm going to lay it all on the line.'"
- Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News: "The Ben Wallace who plays for the Cavaliers these days seems a far cry from the towering power forward that dominated for the Pistons. His former teammates believe it's the personnel around Wallace that has made a big difference. 'I still think he has the ability,' Chauncey Billups said. 'You have to have the right talent around him and know how to use Ben. That's why his numbers have dropped off. If he was here, he could pick up right where he was at with the same guys.'"
- K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune: "It's hard to tell which was more impressive Tuesday night: Derrick Rose's fourth quarter or his refreshingly humble approach afterward. Minutes after scoring 14 of his career-high 30 points to spark a 19-point, fourth-quarter comeback, albeit against Mavericks reserves, Rose didn't even hesitate when asked what went through his mind while so hot. 'Not losing,' Rose said after the Bulls' 109-105 victory. 'That's the only thing. I've taken too many losses in the preseason. My biggest thing is competing and winning. This can start off a nice little roll for us.'"
- Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal: "Politics usually isn't a subject of conversation in the Grizzlies' locker room. The players, though, got a heavy dose of the presidential campaign Tuesday evening on their way to American Airlines Arena. An otherwise ho-hum bus ride suddenly turned into the Griz receiving a police escort because of the traffic and huge crowd forming downtown near Bicentennial Park. Why all of the commotion? Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama's speech at a rally that was expected to draw 50,000. 'It was like being in college when you're at the tournament,' Griz forward Rudy Gay said. 'Everybody was waving like we had Barack on the bus. It made us feel important.'"
- Phil Jasner of the Philadelphia Daily News: "Elton Brand doesn't like most preseasons, usually dreads them. But, last night's 76ers' 91-83 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers notwithstanding, not this one. 'This year, I like it,' said Brand, who signed with the Sixers as a free agent after seven seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers. 'This year, we have a chance to work on camaraderie, on cohesiveness, to learn about each other.'"
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: "After playing off the bench in his first four professional appearances, the No. 2 overall pick in last June's NBA draft was given his first start in Tuesday night's 102-85 Heat exhibition victory over the Grizzlies at AmericanAirlines Arena. 'It was exciting,' Beasley said. 'I was kind of surprised.' Two early fouls limited Beasley to seven first-half minutes. He finished with 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting, albeit without a rebound in his 20 minutes. 'I ain't never not got a rebound,' the 6-foot-9 forward said. 'That's crazy.'"
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel: "Developments in the Magic's exhibition season that have been worth watching: Dwight Howard has been ridiculously dominant, but he hasn't overshadowed Rashard Lewis. Lewis is playing, all around, better than anyone. He looks as if he can make a run at playing in his second all-star game. He'll never live up to his $118 million deal, but he has averaged 21 points and is shooting 50 percent. He leads in steals (10), free-throw percentage (90 percent) and minutes (almost 42 per). 'I didn't want to take 10 games to get it going,' said Lewis, who broke late from the gate last season, battling expectations. 'I'm ready. I feel I can take it up one more notch.'"
- Dave Feschuk of the Toronto Star: "If we've learned anything watching the Raptors in the mercifully concluded pre-season, it's that when Chris Bosh, Jermaine O'Neal and Jose Calderon take a breather, the Raptors flash a decidedly different look: Call it disorganized chaos. As drop-offs go, it has often looked like Niagara Falls. Jason Kapono, the Raptors' off-the-bench sharpshooter, was shaking his head at the state of the second-stringers yesterday. 'It's like, 'Oh my God, dude, why are we always faced with four seconds on the shot clock, being forced to take a bad shot?'' said Kapono. 'We've been, uh, slow to gel.'"
- Frank Isola of the New York Daily News: "Eddy Curry's days as the Knicks' starting center are over, and judging by the harsh language Mike D'Antoni used Tuesday night, Curry won't be seeing the floor anytime soon. D'Antoni expressed disappointment in Curry's play and his conditioning just one week before the Knicks open the season against the Miami Heat. Curry, who was once described as a cornerstone piece of the franchise, is now just an expensive 7-foot ornament. 'He's going to have to play better than what he has shown me,' D'Antoni said after Curry did not play in Boston's 101-90 victory at the Garden. 'He is going to have to pick it up. He has got to pick up his training.'"
- Ross Siler of The Salt Lake Tribune: "As the Jazz practiced for the first time since Deron Williams was ruled out for at least two weeks with a second-degree sprain, Carlos Boozer reminded reporters Tuesday that 'every guy in the gym has had a twisted ankle before' and that Williams was in good hands. But Boozer's comments also suggested that Williams might be holding out hope that he could play in the Jazz's opener a week from today against Denver at EnergySolutions Arena. Williams was unavailable for comment. 'If he's not 100 percent for the first couple of games,' Boozer said, "we're going to have to have some guys step up because that's a big loss for us if he can't play. 'He'll probab
ly be able to play, obviously we need him to play, but if he can't, then we have to have some guys step up.'" - Lisa Dillman of the Los Angeles Times: "All about Al. Understated Al. Entrenched Al. Either description would nicely fit Al Thornton. As expected, the Clippers on Tuesday exercised their third-year contract option on Thornton, who is in his second season with the team. Understated? 'It tells me I've been doing some good things, right things,' he said before Tuesday night's exhibition game against Phoenix. ... Entrenched? 'I'm a Clipper player,' Thronton said. So the less-understated quotes will have to come from elsewhere. 'He could be an All-Star player in this league,' said Clippers Coach Mike Dunleavy."
- Martin McNeal of the Sacramento Bee: "Close your eyes, longtime Kings fans, and you can see the Mitch Richmond movie with Kevin Martin playing 'the Rock.' That was one of the first thoughts while watching the Kings play the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night at Arco Arena. In the early and mid-'90s, Richmond often seemed to take on entire defenses and win his personal battle, but the Kings usually lost. ... Martin and Richmond certainly do things differently. However, both are relentless scorers. Martin's quickness, ability to draw contact and uncanny body control will make him one of the game's best scorers. But as long as the Kings remain soft inside, the road to success will remain too steep."
- Matt Steinmetz of The Examiner: "On Tuesday night, Warriors shooting guard Stephen Jackson might have become the first NBA player to ever take the court in alligator shoes. Seriously, part of the Protégé shoe Jackson was wearing against Lietuvos Rytas in Tuesday's exhibition game was made from genuine alligator skin. That's what teammate Al Harrington said, and he should know. Protégé is his shoe and apparel company. Harrington has taken a cue and expanded from New York Knicks point guard Stephon Marbury, who created a line of very affordable basketball shoes. Harrington said that ever since he was a little kid, he wanted to have his own shoe, and Protégé is the culmination of his vision."
- Joe Freeman of The Oregonian: "Ike Diogu arrived in Portland as an afterthought in the draft-night trade that brought promising rookie guard Jerryd Bayless to the Trail Blazers. Four months later, after roughly three weeks of practice, five exhibition games and four nondescript performances with his new team, Diogu finds himself on the verge of becoming an afterthought. With two exhibition games remaining, the 6-foot-9 forward is averaging 5.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, 1.5 blocked shots and 14.0 minutes per game during preseason play. Given the one thing he's consistently asked for throughout his brief NBA career -- an opportunity -- Diogu has labored amid his own weighty expectations and self-inflicted pressure. 'I just hold myself to a really high standard,' Diogu said. 'And if you're a guy who's going to go out and say, 'If I had more playing time, then I would be able to do this,' then I feel like you should be able to go out there and prove it. I just feel like I haven't played the way I'm capable of playing.'"
- Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News: "The mats were back on the court and the lights dimmed at the Spurs' practice facility after a Monday practice session as the players engaged in their second yoga class of the preseason. As the players learn some new deep stretching techniques, some continue to struggle with unusual postures the yoga instructors are attempting to teach. 'The flying dog, or whatever that's called?' said swingman Roger Mason, Jr. 'No, I'm not good at it.' Mason, though, is a proponent of the yoga sessions. 'I think it's good for us,' he said, 'good for camaraderie. I don't think any of us will be going home and doing yoga today, so it's good to do it as a team.'"
- Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald: "Meet Leon Powe and Bill Walker, two players who had undergone multiple knee surgeries before either played a minute in their first training camps. That urge pushed Powe to the stage where, despite being an undersized 6-foot-8, C's coach Doc Rivers intends to make him the first big man off the bench once the regular season begins. Walker, the Celtics rookie with a chiseled body that gives him the look of a young Ron Artest, pushed his way into early discussions about the Celtics rotation. Both were second-round picks. If not for scarred knees, both would have been drafted much higher, in Walker's case perhaps even the mid-lottery."
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