- Jerry Zgoda of the Minneapolis Star Tribune: "The guy who has energized the Timberwolves' recent, unexpected winning ways with his flair for the spectacular is quiet away from the court ... and he bowls. 'He does what?' Wolves forward Al Jefferson asked. Rodney Carney bowls -- has his own custom ball, too, and once rolled a 288 -- and he runs and he dunks. And, as he showed in Saturday's 106-104 comeback victory over Milwaukee that extended Minnesota's winning streak to five games, he shoots the three. Until very recently, you probably didn't know he did any of those things. Even his teammates and his coach don't know that he'd like to challenge New Orleans' Chris Paul and Orlando's Dwight Howard for the title NBA's Best Bowler. 'Wow,' Wolves coach Kevin McHale said drolly. 'That's exciting.'"
- Chris McCosky of The Detroit News: "If you ever wondered what it means when basketball players talk about the 'dog days' of a season, this is it. The Pistons just completed a back-loaded four-game Western trip where they played three games in the last four nights. On Tuesday, they start another stretch where they play five games in seven days, three of those on the road. And this is what the dog days feel like: Amir Johnson has a left ankle sprain. Tayshaun Prince gets daily treatment on his right shoulder and left ankle. Allen Iverson has pain in just about every area of his body, most acutely in his legs. Rodney Stuckey's back has stiffened on him the last three games. Antonio McDyess still is wearing protection on his ribs and has torn tendons in the pinky finger of his left hand. And those are the guys who are playing every night."
- Ivan Carter of The Washington Post: "Another reminder that the Washington Wizards miss three-time all-star Gilbert Arenas came in the closing seconds of Saturday night's 92-89 home loss to Charlotte. Trailing by one with three seconds to play, the Wizards had time for a game-winning shot, but second-year guard Nick Young missed a midrange jumper. On Dec. 5 against the Lakers, Caron Butler missed a potential game-winning three-pointer in a 106-104 loss. Arenas thrived in such situations. His most memorable shot was the game-winning jumper he made to win Game 5 of the team's first-round playoff series against Chicago in 2005. In all, Arenas has won 10 games with a last-second shot or free throws as a Wizard, including a buzzer-beating three-pointer that beat tonight's opponent, Milwaukee, in 2007."
- Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer: "Larry Brown didn't play Gerald Wallace for most of the second half Saturday. According to Wallace, Brown never explained to him why he was on the bench. However, Brown was frank when I asked him, saying Wallace lacked energy and wasn't running hard enough to satisfy the coach's expectations. Wallace was plenty surprised when I read him Brown's comments in the post-game locker room. This won't sit well with Wallace, who perceives himself (rightly, for the most part) as a guy whose effort sets a standard for his teammates. Brown has never been afraid of a little friction. His job is to get the best from players in the here-and-now, and he doesn't worry much about sparing feelings when he thinks a point must be made. Bears watching."
- Dave D'Alessandro of The Star-Ledger: "So here's the weirdest part about playing pro basketball in Russia: Sometimes you'd show up for practice -- ready and able to go all-out, with your ankles already taped -- and your coach tells you to take the day off. Or you show up for a game feeling like you can beat the world -- especially when the opponent has no one bigger than 6-7 -- and your coach plays you for 12 minutes. 'The coach just had a weird tactic for me,' Nenad Krstic explained Sunday. 'He didn't want me to practice at all. And then, I didn't play much, because he said he was saving me for the second part of the season. He just kept saying, 'You'll play more when we really need you.' 'I told him I wanted to play more, but he didn't speak English very well. Maybe he was scared for my knee or something, but I kept trying to explain that I could practice and play more. He wouldn't do it. But he is a good man, really. I never argued with him.' If there was a method to the madness conjured by Stanislav Eremin, head coach of Triumph Moscow, it eludes Krstic to this day."
- Jonathan Abrams of The New York Times: "The hurricane left Chris Duhon's childhood home in Slidell, a suburb about 30 miles outside New Orleans, in tatters. Family members and friends became survivors, stripped of their dwellings. It took Duhon a couple of months after the hurricane to return. It was a fleeting visit. 'I really couldn't stay that long because it was too devastating for me,' Duhon said. 'It also told me that I had to do whatever I could to help and to try and meet as many needs as I can.' His response, though, was immediate. Duhon's charitable organization has helped raise $450,000 and delivered 3,000 boxes of supplies. It is in the process of refurbishing damaged basketball courts in the area. And although few children ventured out here on a blustery day, the smiles they return to Duhon are indelible. Duhon's effect on them is undeniable. He signs autographs. He takes pictures. And just as he does most evenings on the court, Duhon leaves his mark."
- Jeff Schultz of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "The Hawks are viewed as one of the league's up-and-coming teams. The problem with such labels is it assumes too much about the point guard position and Mike Bibby's future. Bibby is playing without a contract beyond this season. That's not going to change. Rick Sund has a history of letting guys play with expiring contracts. One year in Seattle, his team played with nine impending free agents. The Sonics won the division. Do you think he's going to change now? Bibby can compartmentalize. The contract status hasn't affected him. 'My mom always told me, 'Don't worry about things you can't control,'' he said. 'So I'm not.' Bibby won't be traded. There is no reason to mess with a team that, for the most part, has blended well. Bibby and Joe Johnson are one of the league's best backcourts. If the Hawks did start to fall apart this season, it's far more likely there would be a coaching change than a roster change. Never mind the up-and-coming tag. The Hawks have to win now. Sund knows. They must assume the window for success is small. Next year Bibby might be gone. Joe Johnson will be entering the final year of his contract. See how quickly things can change?"
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: "The last time the Heat was in Los Angeles, Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy spoke of how Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade gets away with carr
ying the ball. Back at Staples Center on Sunday night, Wade learned that he apparently also travels. 'What he's really been able to do is that pick-up move, that the Europeans really have brought in,' Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. 'We all would consider that a walk move: Pick up the ball, take two steps, that's two and a half steps. And he's been able to get a long distance on that. And because of his ability to change directions from left to right and right to left very well, he's able to avoid defenses, and he's exceptional at that.'" - Sam Amick and Melody Gutierrez of the Sacramento Bee: "Pete Carril walked out on the Arco Arena floor long before tipoff Sunday, and it was as if he never left. On the first day of official business after being rehired as a consultant, the former Kings assistant and Princeton coaching legend began imparting his wisdom in rapid-fire fashion. He called Francisco García over, reminding the fourth-year swingman to play smart in late-game stretches. He worked with Spencer Hawes, with the second-year center and Kings assistant Randy Brown listening intently. Moments like these, Carril said, are why he came back. 'Some people get a kick out of seeing a new car, some people like wristwatches, some people like beautiful clothing,' Carril said. 'I like to watch guys play (basketball) and seeing if I can help.'"
- Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News: "As the Mavericks were getting whipped Sunday night by the Sacramento Kings, another group was taking a bigger beating. The Josh Howard bashers. For those who question the value of Howard, the Mavericks' 102-95 loss to the Kings provided a hard argument to fight. Without a strong third scoring option, the Mavericks' twosome of Dirk Nowitzki and Jason Terry were swarmed and the rest of the Mavericks had trouble taking up the slack."
- Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman: "Russell Westbrook and Kyle Weaver, two unheralded guards coming out of the Pac 10, are proving Sam Presti's skills as a talent evaluator and are only further whetting the appetite for the arrival and debuts of fellow 2008 draft picks D.J. White, Serge Ibaka and DeVon Hardin. Presti also stole a gem by plucking Nenad Krstic from basketball purgatory. And the recent hiring of assistant coach Ron Adams, a respected veteran coach who is known for defense and a way with youngsters, cannot be overlooked as the franchise continues rebuilding. The Thunder is coming out of the tear-down phase well-positioned, equipped with an exceptional foundation of players, five first-round picks in the next two drafts and more than $20 million in salary cap space next summer and more than $35 million in 2010. By accumulating those assets, Presti has the Thunder primed for future success. But it's the moves Presti makes as he shifts into build-up mode by which the wunderkind will ultimately be judged. Stay tuned."
- Jerry Crowe of the Los Angeles Times: "Jamaal Wilkes usually is not one to toot his own horn. It's an admirable quality, but friends tell him his reluctance to promote himself could be one reason the former UCLA All-American and Showtime-era Lakers forward has been shunned by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. So now he's lobbying. 'I believe I should be in,' says Wilkes, whose nomination is under consideration by the selection committee again this year. 'I'm not obsessed with it, but I believe I deserve to be in.' Wilkes' opinion is shared by Hall of Famers who played with and against the former Santa Barbara High standout (Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Walton, Rick Barry) as well as Hall of Famers who coached him (John Wooden, Pat Riley). All wrote letters to the Hall on Wilkes' behalf, as did Hall of Famer Bill Sharman, who coached the Lakers to their first NBA title in Los Angeles."
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