- Jim Ingraham of The News-Herald: "The Cavaliers played in New York on Tuesday night. That meant LeBron James was in New York on Tuesday night. That meant New York was obsessing about LeBron James on Tuesday night. Again. Here's what most amuses me about the New York state of mind. Whenever a sports superstar emerges in any other part of the country, New Yorkers immediately begin the countdown to when that player will eventually be acquired by a New York team. It's as if the rest of the country exists solely for the purpose of developing great players who can eventually be appropriated by the New York teams."
- Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman: "Mark it down. NBA basketball returned to the Ford Center not in July, with the Seattle settlement; not in September, when the team was named; not in October, when the Bucks came to town for the season opener. The NBA returned Tuesday night, when the Thunder started giving fans their money's worth. That's when the Ford Center finally became the Boomtown it was in the Hornet days. This was the first game all season that felt like OKC's first NBA experience, when the Ford Center rippled with energy and the sports world was full of possibility. And overwhelming circumstantial evidence has to credit Scott Brooks. Two games into his head-coaching career, he's got the same old players looking like a brand new team."
- Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News: "P.J. Carlesimo: Fired by Oklahoma City after losing 10 straight. Eddie Jordan: Fired by Washington after starting 1-10. So with those two recent events in mind, let's look at tonight's game, in which Don Nelson's Warriors stumbled badly in Washington. Yes, DN's Warriors extended their losing streak to 3 games. So, what happens if DN's GSWs lose their next 6 or so in a row, to make it a 9-game skid, which isn't ridiculously impossible? ... Could Nelson be in trouble, the way Jordan and Carlesimo suddenly got in trouble? NO, OF COURSE NOT. Nelson can't get into trouble with the Warriors. Won't happen, no matter what the record is, since Robert Rowell has guaranteed Nelson's predominance. Nelson is the king of the Warriors these days, having seized control of all things in the last few weeks and inked a two-year, $12M extension through 2010-'11. I'm just throwing this DN-jeopardy headline out there as an exercise. As a thought-bubble. Gee, what if things weren't perceived the way they are in the Warriors' offices right now?"
- Chris Perkins of the Palm Beach Post: "Dwyane Wade, the Heat's acrobatic but injury-prone superstar, might have found a way to prolong his career. It's called a jump shot. 'It keeps you off the floor, and it keeps you from getting banged up as much,' said Wade, who is second in the league in scoring at 28.5 points per game. He is getting his usual complement of free throws while less frequently crashing to the hardwood on devil-may-care drives to the basket. 'Even though I'm still getting at least 10 free throws a game, it keeps you from having to work as hard,' said Wade, who is second in the league at free throws attempted per game (10.5)."
- Chris Lau of the Detroit Free Press: "Antonio McDyess likely will re-sign with the Pistons on Dec. 7 and could be in the lineup that night. But he won't start over Kwame Brown or Amir Johnson, because Michael Curry wants him to get his shots with the second unit. McDyess' return could create another adjustment period for Rasheed Wallace, Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince, as McDyess and new Piston Allen Iverson have yet to get acquainted. 'There are going to be times where he (McDyess) is out there with A.I., and he's going to have to get adjusted with him,' Prince said. 'And there are going to be times he is with the guys he's comfortable with, and he'll be able to pick up where he left off.'"
- Bill Bradley of the Sacramento Bee: "After spending two of the past five nights watching the top centers of the 2007 NBA draft, I ask you to ponder this: Who would you pick now, Spencer Hawes or Greg Oden? I would take Hawes. You say I'm crazy? Stay with me. As much hoopla as there was over Oden as the No. 1 overall pick -- and yes, he was injured all of last season -- he seems to be a one-dimensional player. He is great inside, rebounding and blocking shots. Yet he doesn't have the offensive impact like the big men to whom he was compared, Shaquille O'Neal and Karl Malone. Hawes isn't in that league, either. But what makes him attractive is his other dimensions: passing and outside shooting. Plus, Hawes has bulked up enough to compete with the wide bodies and he isn't afraid to play inside this season."
- Jim Fenton for the MetroWest Daily News: "The 2008-09 Celtics, who have been whistled for a league-leading 19 technicals in 15 games, must be making constant-complainer Antoine Walker proud. Center Kendrick Perkins tops the NBA with eight, costing him $1,000 apiece. Walker was first in the league with 23 technicals during the 2002-03 season, his final full year with the Celtics. Paul Pierce is tied for fourth in the NBA with three techs, the same number called on coach Doc Rivers. Kevin Garnett and Leon Powe have two apiece while Eddie House has one. ... 'We initiate a lot of the noise talking,' said Perkins. 'That's just how we are. We've been like that since last year. That's how we play. Guys are trying to get at us, so we're going to try to get at them first.'"
- John Denton of Florida Today: "Dwight Howard, 22, is blocking shots this season like never before in his five-year NBA career, leading the league with 4.10 swats a game. And because he also ranks second in the NBA in rebounding (13.4 rpg. to Andris Biedrins' 13.5 rpg.) and is the heavy favorite to repeat as rebounding champ, Howard could be flirting with history. Since the NBA started keeping blocked shot statistics in 1973, only three players have ever led the league in rebounding and blocks in the same season. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the first to do it in 1975-76 while averaging 16.9 rebounds and 4.2 blocks a game. Bill Walton repeated the feat a season later with 14.4 rebounds and 3.25 blocks a game, just edging Abdul-Jabbar in both categories. Ben Wallace was the only player since then to lead the league in both categories, doing it in 2001-02 with Detroit while averaging 13 rebounds and 3.48 blocks. Now, Howard could be poised to join that elite group of big men and do something that not even Magic assistant coach and Hall of Famer Patrick Ewing achieved."
- Dave D'Alessandro of The Star-Ledger: "Vince Carter recalls last season's Thanksgiving jaunt vividly, and even now he won't criticize his illustrious predecessor for using Turkey Week to kick off his Free Jason Kidd campaign with the Nets at 4-6. And as Carter spoke about it for the first time at Tuesday's shoot-around, he insisted it was tricky -- but manageable. 'I knew it
was tough for him,' Carter said of Kidd. 'You play so many years, but when new situations arise -- not like he doesn't know how to handle it -- it's tough. It's a lot of stuff to handle, and it beats you up.' He added that the two of them never spoke of it at length, perhaps because Carter sensed that one of Kidd's primary complaints was that Carter was either too injured or too docile to turn the team around." - Mike Wells of The Indianapolis Star: "First came the $60 million deal, next comes an All-Star appearance for Pacers forward Danny Granger, according to Rick Carlisle. Carlisle coached Granger, the Pacers' leading scorer, during his first two NBA seasons. 'The deal he just signed is a deal he deserves because he's stepped up his game every single year,' Carlisle said. 'He gained my confidence very early as a rookie. He's going to be an All-Star player. He may be an All-Star this year if he continues at this pace. Their team is going to be good in the East.'"
- Bryan Chu of the San Antonio Express-News: "Matt Bonner is a self-proclaimed 'boring guy' who likes staying at home and reading. He's into Indie Rock. Things he's revealed on his bio: He's never had a cavity and he has a bad habit of twisting his hair. He drives a 2006 white Pontiac Grand Prix; in college he had a hand-me-down 1999 Hyundai while playing at Florida, where he had a 3.96 GPA in business administration. 'They are jealous' of his ride, Bonner, 28, said of his teammates. 'They know I can take any one of them off the line.' Despite making $2.978 million this year and $3.256 next year, Bonner remains frugal. Former Spurs guard Brent Barry, who is now with the Houston Rockets, remembers a time in Sacramento when Bonner was getting a snack at his favorite spot: Subway. 'Matt had a coupon for half off a sandwich, which said: 'Valid at participating stores only,'' Barry said. 'The owner said we're not 'participating stores' and Matt was like 'Well aren't you a Subway? I walk outside and I see the name 'Subway.'' After 10 minutes, he talked his way to half off a turkey sandwich. He saved like $2.16.' Added Bowen: It's not about what you make, it's about what you keep. He understands that motto perfectly.'"
- Jeff Eisenberg of The Press-Enterprise: "Lamar Odom strode into the locker room about an hour before Tuesday's game, a bag of professional wrestling videogames, figurines and DVDs under his arm and a huge grin on his face. Asked about his interest in wrestling, Odom chronicled his love for 'Ric Flair,' a retired professional wrestler known for his platinum blonde locks, in-ring antics and use of the catchphrase, 'Woooooo!' Professional wrestling is a lifelong passion for Odom, who said he cried as a boy when he discovered the action wasn't real. One of his most cherished birthday gifts was one of Flair's trademark full-length robes, replete with rhinestones, sequins and colorful feathers along the neckline. So where does Flair rank among Odom's childhood heroes? 'Magic Johnson, No. 1. Then Flair,' Odom said with a straight face. 'No, really.'"
- Dick Jerardi of the Philadelphia Daily News: "Now in his fifth season with the Orlando Magic and first with a 5-year, $43 million (including reachable incentives) contract extension, Jameer Nelson has made a 'substantial' gift, which will ensure that the next generation of Hawks players have much better facilities than he and his teammates ever had. Nelson's gift will name the new men's basketball locker room, which is part of the ongoing $36.4 million Fieldhouse expansion and renovation project that is scheduled to be completed before next basketball season. A new practice gym is already in use. The modernized and expanded Fieldhouse will be named The Michael J. Hagan '85 Arena. A 20,000-square-foot basketball center, which will include that new locker room, is rising on the Overbrook Avenue side of the facility. 'I wanted to be a leader and I wanted to be a role model,' Nelson said in a statement released by St. Joe's. 'Saint Joseph's made those dreams come true. I wouldn't trade my 4 years at St. Joe's for anything, and I hope this gift helps others have the same kind of experience.'"
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