- In the print version of today's New York Times (but not online that I can find) Howard Beck recounts one of the greatest conversations in Italian NBA history: "D'Antoni recalled asking [rookie Danilo] Gallinari if he was ready to play. 'He says, 'Well, if you want to win, I'll play,' D'Antoni said, laughing. 'Spoken like a true Italian.'" Worth noting D'Antoni lived in Italy for ages, and is extremely affectionate towards the place. Also worth noting that Gallinari did play, and the Knicks did win.
- Mike from Knickerblogger recounts the following conversation between announcers Clyde Frazier and Gus Johnson last night, as the Knicks build a huge lead: "Clyde: I think the crowd is stunned, Gus, by what has happened here tonight ... Gus: I'm stunned. They're playing so well. It's almost too easy. Clyde: Yes, that word surreal ... The crowd is like they're waiting for something bad to happe ... Gus: The Knicks are playing well."
- Terry Porter and his Suns beat the Spurs in San Antonio as Tim Duncan misses a big shot down the stretch. And as soon as the game is over, Duncan runs over to Porter, gives his former teammate a warm hug, and says something that really seems to make Porter smile. Watch the video. Tim Duncan is a classy dude.
- Super cool diagrams of where Suns wing players take their shots. (Via Red Blue Rich Poor)
- The Kings are 0-1, and Sactown Royalty's Tom Ziller is unbelievably excited. Why? Reggie Theus has started calling crunch time plays for Kevin Martin, Spencer Hawes had more blocks than any King in the last half-decade, Quincy Douby got some burn ... and this: "I think we all expected some Jason Thompson early in the season, considering the Miller suspension and Spencer Hawes' propensity for foul trouble. But that early in the first game? Against Al Jefferson? WHAT. I panicked I was so flippin' excited. I was like, 'OMIGOD! Reggie put a rookie in already?! I don't think I'm on the right channel!' So I was beside myself with excitement just seeing a rookie get into the game. Imagine my mood when Shock Thompson went off for 18 POINTS AND 10 REBOUNDS IN HIS KINGS DEBUT. (In 22 minutes.) Holy s---! I don't know what it looked like when Chris Webber came out of the womb, but I cannot imagine it was quite as beautiful as this."
- PG-13 account of how Philadelphia celebrates. I live near Philadelphia. I like Philadelphia. And I am always happy to see Philadelphia teams win. But you had to know the angriest sports fans in America would not just slap high-fives after winning the World Series.
- Wizznutzz is, delightfully, back on patrol, making up the crazy stories about the Wizards pre-season European trip. Wizznutzz is an acquired taste, and I recommend you acquire it. (PG-13 for, more than anything, insanity.) For instance: "Last we heard about Lithuania was when we reported on former Wiz baller Tyrone 'TNEZ' Nesby who moved to Lithuania and dropped the IMF financed euro-hit "My Life" and blew up as a rap megastar and spokesman for 40/40 Pork Water(tm). Well when he heard his boyz were coming to town Vilinius' Most Notorious left the studio and rolled down Darius Songalia Memorial BLVD to pick them up personally. As he drove them around he got waived through checkpoints and told them how he's bigger than ever since he brokered a truce between Lithaunian Gangs and the powerful mafia family Seimos Lygino Asilas aka The Family of The Iron DOnkey. He showed them a brand new, up all night Lithuania, where anything is possible, thanks to all the Lacto-dollars that flooded into the coutry thanks to EU farm subsidies. There so much money in Lithuania nowdays that rich young turks finding crazy ways to spend it, like converting YUGO PHANTOMS to biodiesel (hey T Boone, half smokes burn clean: good for environm,ent and checkbook!) and one mayor who paid 2 million dollars to fly in Reggie Theus to captain his celebrity ballers league team. Turns out like Jerry Lewis is to france, Reggie Theus is to Lithuania!! Hang-Time, putting it on the line!!!!"
- Amen, amen, and amen. BlazersEdge lays out the three things every Blazer fans needs to know about the next month.
- Britt Robson of The Rake on Minnesota's Corey Brewer: "Brewer is the team's only clearcut lockdown defender, and that should count for something -- something other than giving him the green light and otherwise encouraging him to shoot when open on offense. No doubt, in a perfect world, Brewer would burn opponents that slough away, but realize that if he misses too often, he ratifies the strategy and corrodes his already fragile confidence. What I've seen is that Brewer thrives on chaos. The times he's going to knock down that jumper are going to be very early in the game when teams are feeling each other out, or when things have gotten 'sloppy' via an assortment or steals or bold gambits. Oftentime Brewer has a hand in these slapstick moments because he's pressured an opponent into a steal or a turnover and has turned into a dervish heading the other way. As I've recently written, he has these boomlets where he'll get 6 points and two steals and an assist in 90 seconds -- and then disappear when the game returns to normalcy. This is not a guy you want to have getting the ball swung to him in a deliberate half-court set. I bet his shooting percentage in such instances is below 33%. So, instead of telling him to shoot when open, tell him to make something happen he's open and has the ball -- a good pass, a nifty drive, quick furtherance of ball movement, or, if he's feeling it, a jumper. But more often, put him in circumstances that have a higher chance of creating chaos."
- Andrew Bynum -- re-signed by the Lakers, per the L.A. Times.
- Michael Grange of the Globe and Mail on player introductions in Philly: "The 76ers did the pre-game introductions by having players stand at the top of the stairs beside flame-thingys and then came down the stairs in the dark - well, there was shaky spotlight to guide them - trying not to trip on the banister or the stairs while simultaneously high-fiving thronging fans. The mind reels." Worth pointing out those same players went on to lose to the visiting Raptors.
- DeMarcus Nelson, inspiration.
- As long as we're talking about Sam Bowie, let's remember -- he was a good NBA player.
- Master your amygdala. It wants you to pa
nic, but you don't have to ... - Warrior fans do a nice job welcoming Corey Maggette.
- Kobe Bryant, guitar hero.
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