- Chris McCosky of The Detroit News: "I don't want to hear anybody bad-mouthing Richard Hamilton any more. I think a lot of fans, and media members, made a lot of premature assumptions about Hamilton. I think people assumed he would be a diva and not accept coming off the bench. I think people assumed he would be a bad teammate or a distraction. Turns out, he's willingly made a tremendous sacrifice for the Pistons. He doesn't love the fact that he's coming off the bench and, honestly, he probably didn't have any choice but to accept the decision. But from the sound of things, he's willing to do everything in his power to make it work. And that's what matters."
- Bruce Arthur of the National Post: "But while trading for Shawn Marion would be the correct move -- if the deal is, as has been discussed, Marion and spare part Marcus Banks for Raptors centre Jermaine O'Neal -- it shouldn't be to save the season. Because 42 games in, Toronto has the third-worst record in the Eastern Conference. There's not an awful lot of season left to save. ... No, the chief value of Marion's theoretical arrival is that he would allow this team to embark on its latest repair job one season sooner - that is, one season before Chris Bosh opts out of his contract and is presented with the option to become a Detroit Piston, to become a New York Knick, or to win several championships with LeBron James, in Cleveland or elsewhere."
- Mike Jones of The Washington Times: "A game away from the season's halfway point after a lopsided loss at Golden State, the Washington Wizards understand that a fifth consecutive postseason is rather unlikely. That, however, doesn't mean the 8-32 Wizards are giving up on the season. The second half won't feature a throwing-in-the-towel-type demise in an attempt to better position themselves to win the lottery for this summer's draft, and it won't be an attempt to give their younger players more experience for next year. 'I will not be a part of that,' team captain Antawn Jamison said. 'We're playing, and we're playing to win.' Said teammate Mike James: 'Yeah, the fight's still there. It's got to be there. If it ain't, it's going to be even longer of a season, so we have no choice. We got to fight.' Providing further evidence to the Wizards' intentions, interim coach Ed Tapscott said he will continue to give his veterans the bulk of the playing time rather than handing their minutes over to the young players."
- Sekou Smith of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "Marvin Williams thought he was seeing things Monday when his cellphone indicated he had missed a call from his good friend Josh Childress. While he kept in contact with his former Hawks teammate regularly via e-mail and text, they had spoken on the phone only a couple of times since Childress left for Greece. 'I knew something had to be up if he was calling,' Williams said. Something was. Childress had sports-hernia surgery Tuesday in Philadelphia and will be out for six to eight weeks, providing an early return stateside, even if it is for a month or so. He joins a growing list of injured Hawks, former and present. Williams (concussion) and Al Horford (knee) are day-to-day, while reserve guard Acie Law IV is out seven to 10 days with a right quadriceps contusion."
- Steve Politi of The Star-Ledger: "So the player who can rescue the Nets for New Jersey is not LeBron James, the free agent everyone wants in 2010. As long as this team stays on this side of the Hudson River -- and few outside the organization believe they're getting to Brooklyn any more -- James is not signing here, no matter how chummy he is with part owner Jay-Z. No, the savior already has a Superman tattoo on his chest. Shaq, whose Phoenix Suns will play the Knicks at Madison Square Garden tonight, also is a free agent in 2010. He might be nearing the end of his playing days, but his stature in the sport will never fade. In Newark, he is more than a basketball player. He is a landowner and entrepreneur who is committed to rebuilding the city. He is part owner of a planned 25-story upscale condo building near NJPAC and understands how the presence of an NBA team would help that investment, too. Shaq is the type of charismatic figure who could attract money from others, the perfect ambassador for a team that, for too much of its existence, has struggled to captivate this market. So can Newark make him part of keeping the Nets here? That can only start once the team gives up on Brooklyn, a project that seems less likely each day."
- Mike Wells of The Indianapolis Star: "Are you just as confused as I am as to what Pacers coach Jim O'Brien is doing with his rotation? Rookie Brandon Rush went from being inactive Monday at New Orleans to playing nine minutes in the first half and finishing with 26 minutes against San Antonio on Tuesday. 'I don't think it's fair to have the same guys on the inactive list every night,' O'Brien said. 'Maceo (Baston) has been on the inactive list, so I thought him being a veteran, it's worth giving him a uniform. They'll be different guys on the inactive list every night.'"
- John Denton of Florida Today: "All eyes are still on Jameer Nelson, but they are suddenly approving ones now that he is playing the best basketball of his career. Howard has been as great as ever inside and Turkoglu and Lewis have been steady on the wings, but no player is more responsible for Orlando's scorching 33-8 record at the midpoint than Nelson. The Magic's point guard was named the Eastern Conference's Player of the Week on Tuesday for a second time this season following a spectacular week in which he led Orlando to three wins while averaging 24.7 points, 8.0 assists and 1.7 steals a game. Considering all the abuse and doubts that he's endured through his first four NBA seasons, you'd think Nelson would be cackling a sarcastic laugh these days. But Nelson said his satisfaction doesn't come from quieting the detractors; it comes from helping the Magic wake up Tuesday morning with the best record in the NBA."
- Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic: "After the Suns' worst loss of the season, the fingers can point just about anywhere, but much of the fans' wrath starts with reason No. 1, as in the franchise player's number. Amaré Stoudemire scored three points Monday at Boston. It was his career's worst scoring game in which he played at least 30 minutes. It also was his most precipitous game-to-game dropoff, after scoring 31 on Sunday. The frustrations with Stoudemire are not solely about offense, although Sunday's 30-point game was only his third of the season. He had 21 30-point games last season under Mike D'Antoni, whose Knicks host the Suns today, and 13 of the 21 came after Shaquille O'Neal was acquired in February. There are ongoing issues with Stoudemire&
#39;s lapses on defense and rebounding. His mistakes on rotations and weak-side help can't be numerated, except that they are part of how the Suns are giving up more points than any potential playoff team. Since Thanksgiving, the Suns have held three opponents in the 90s." - Martin McNeal of the Sacramento Bee: "The Slovenian last summer was signed to a five-year, $32 million extension and handed the starting point guard spot. Now, my man has confidence issues? Are you kidding me? If anything, Beno Udrih should be overflowing with confidence. His financial future is assured. And entering the season, he had an organization totally committed to him. If he has confidence issues at this point, he really never truly had any confidence, nor will he ever. That's the truth, Ruth. Perhaps that's why so many people who had either played with or coached Udrih warned that depending upon him to lead the ship might not be the way to turn."
- John Canzano of The Oregonian: "If the Trail Blazers are going to reach their full potential, if they're going to accelerate their growth, if they're going to approach the wide-open playoff window before them as something to leap through, they need to act with great alacrity today. Portland needs to decide between point guards Jerryd Bayless and Sergio Rodriguez. Waiting to see more is not an option. Bayless is the future, and the Blazers need to commit to him now."
- Jan Hubbard of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram: "Jason Terry is the only non-starter in the league averaging more than 20 points a game, and considering that the majority of his points come from the perimeter, his 46.6 shooting percentage is solid. But even more significant is Terry's willingness to accept his role. Most 20-point scorers in the league would pout if they did not start. But not Terry, who is averaging a career-high 20.6 points. 'He's always like, 'OK, coach. That's great. I'll do what you want,'' Carlisle said. 'When you have an important player like that on your team, it really makes a difference.' Terry is the leading candidate for the Sixth Man Award, although he will face challenges from Manu Ginobili and Leandro Barbosa."
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