- Elliott Teaford of the Los Angeles Daily News: "Here are two important things one should know about Andrew Bynum on the eve of Game 1 of the Finals. Actually, there are probably a good deal more than just two, but let's start with them and work from there. First, his knee isn't sound, and it won't be until he has some time off this summer to strengthen it with daily rehabilitation exercises. His game isn't sound either and probably won't be until he arrives at training camp in October with his knee right again. Second, because he's nowhere near his best, there's no reasonable way the Lakers can count on him to play the forceful game they need in order to combat center Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic starting Thursday night at Staples Center. He's going to need help. Lots of it. 'I don't feel like there's pressure,' Bynum said Tuesday. 'It's great to get a shot like this. It's unfortunate what happened to me this year. I was playing well, got hurt, came back, and can't do anything about it now. All I can do is move forward and wait until I get time off, so I can strengthen my knee. I'm going to be out here fighting. That's what I have to do, especially since we need to win the championship.' That's why Bynum felt compelled to return to the active roster before the end of the regular season in April. He believed he had to be there for his teammates oneseason after they played without him in the Finals and lost to the Boston Celtics."
- Brian Schmitz and Hal Boedeker of the Orlando Sentinel: "You probably wouldn't want to be in Magic SG Mickael Pietrus' shoes. He'll have to help defend Lakers star Kobe Bryant. Fact is, Pietrus doesn't want to be in Kobe's shoes. Pietrus said he has worn a pair of basketball shoes that Bryant endorses during games but will not do so for his NBA Finals match-up against the Lakers. 'I have some at my house, but I'm going to play with Michael Jordan shoes,' Pietrus said. Pietrus, who helped defend Cleveland star LeBron James in the East finals, cautions anyone who thinks he can stop Kobe cold. 'The only thing I can do is try to minimize his touches in the fourth quarter,' Pietrus said. 'He's a tremendous player and those guys you can not stop them. So maybe I can say, 'Hey, stop, Kobe! Yo! Stop!' Maybe that's the only way I can stop him. 'Stop for a minute!' ' Pietrus, who has starred coming off the bench this postseason, said he admires Bryant's killer instinct and tried to emulate that character trait when he first came into the league."
- Tim Lemke of the The Washington Times: "Dwight Howard is a big man, and he's on the verge of getting even bigger. In a postseason packed with star power, the Orlando Magic center has emerged as not only a frontcourt behemoth but also a potential advertising powerhouse. As Howard and his team prepare to face the Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals, he is poised to join a small but exclusive club of the most marketable stars in the NBA. 'This is clearly a huge opportunity,' said Darin David, an account manager with Dallas-based sports marketing agency Millsport. 'Throughout NBA history, it's the superstars that stand out. It's a case where he can step into that group. He's a young guy. He's clean-cut. He's got a lot of the attributes that people are drawn to. Win or lose, he has definitely put himself in the spotlight.' "
- Mike Wise of The Washington Post: "The NBA Finals start tomorrow in Los Angeles, all eyes trained on Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard. The unfinished business of the tradition-rich Lakers against the underdog, who-knew Magic. It's a great story. But Rafer Alston is a better one. It's about a streetball legend, nicknamed 'Skip to My Lou' soon after his dazzling ballhandling began attracting crowds as an 11-year-old on the New York asphalt, ending up on the game's grandest stage at 32. It's about an improvisational schoolboy star, whose tricks and swagger were once blamed for killing America's game, growing up to save an NBA franchise's season. When Magic starting point guard Jameer Nelson went down to injury, Orlando's visions of playing into June vanished. But then Alston was acquired at the trade deadline, his stop-and-pop game and experience the perfect antidote to help Rashard Lewis, Hedo Turkoglu and Howard keep rolling. Two months later, he's knocking down shots and doling out pretty assists against the 76ers and the Celtics, bringing a new crowd to its feet with a mixture of disbelief and wild applause."
- Howard Beck of The New York Times: "The rivalry between Kobe Bryant and LeBron James has never been more heated, at least in the alternate universe created by advertisers who were banking on a certain N.B.A. finals showdown. Except that the real-life LeBron and his Cleveland Cavaliers just got bounced from the playoffs, and it will be the Orlando Magic that faces Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers for the championship. The real-life Kobe stands alone, where he has always been. A rival? In 13 seasons, Bryant has never had one. A few audacious souls have tried to claim the title. Some players with comparable star power have traveled in a parallel orbit. But if a rivalry is defined by similar talents going head to head and competing at the highest level over several years, then the role remains vacant. It took Bryant less than a second to respond to whether anyone qualified. 'No,' he said last week. 'I mean, rivalries are really born in the playoffs, anyway, between teams. You get the rare occasion where you have two superstar players that wind up being rivals. But that happens because your teams are facing each other in the postseason.' "
- Paola Boivin of The Arizona Republic: "The high profile nature of the NBA postseason makes it an ideal stage to shape a player's legacy. LeBron James' image took a beating with his recent handshake snub of Orlando. Kobe Bryant, meanwhile, is painting a still-unfinished canvas, a Surrealist piece with a 7-foot-1 Dali-like figure melting in the background. Can Bryant win a title without the Big Twitter, or whatever Shaquille O'Neal is calling himself these days? For a man who has three NBA crowns, 11 All-Star appearances and one MVP title, Bryant is perceived as a player with something to prove. You know what? That's fine. The greats conquer the biggest challenges and winning it all -- as the main attraction -- is something Bryant has yet to do. Lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a victory over the Orlando Magic in the NBA Finals, which begin Thursday, and Bryant cements his spot as one of the game's top five. Lose? He remains in that less heralded top 10."
- Doug Robinson of the Deseret News: "I wasn't surprised when I read that Carlos Boozer is reportedly seeking employment with a team other than the Utah Jazz, even though he recently said he prefers to stay with the Jazz, even though before that he said he
was definitely going to opt out of his contract. After all, he's a mercenary player. Just ask the Cavaliers. But this surprised me: There are teams that are interested in Boozer. According to published reports identified as rumors -- we're talking high journalism here -- Boozer is being wooed by the Toronto Raptors, New Jersey Nets and Detroit Pistons. They're not exactly dream teams, are they. Where's Oklahoma City? Other well-paid veterans at this point in their careers are usually trying to find a winning team; not Boozer. Just show him the money, baby. He wants ca-ching, not a ring. He might dump the Jazz -- who regularly make the playoffs -- for the Nets (34-48 last season), the Raptors (33-49) and the Pistons (39-43). But never mind asking what Boozer is thinking. What are these teams thinking? What is the director of player personnel telling his boss?" - Sekou Smith of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "Zaza Pachulia's an unrestricted free agent, meaning the Hawks will have to compete to keep him. And I'm not sure he isn't there most crucial free agent they need to retain because of the dearth of quality and affordable bigs on the market. I know several of the Hawks' competitors in the Eastern Conference are interested, I've spoken to executives from four teams that have brought his name up in our conversations over the past two weeks. There are other guys in that realm with higher profiles (guys like Rasheed Wallace, Antonio McDyess, Chris Wilcox, Joe Smith and others) that are a bit of a risk compared to Pachulia because they're older and perhaps will command a bit more money (in the case of Wallace). I thought Pachulia was a monster bargain when the Hawks snagged him initially. The expectations were raised after his first season with the team, when he was thrust into a starting role and flourished after Jason Collier's sudden and tragic death. Pachulia for anything near the same price right now is an equally monstrous bargain."
- Don Walker of the Journal Sentinel: "Eddie Doucette might be most famous for coming up with 'sky hook,' a phrase to describe Abdul-Jabbar's signature shot. Doucette may have come up with the phrase, and there are legions of fans who swear that he did, but it's Abdul-Jabbar who appears to be capitalizing on it now. Abdul-Jabbar, who works with the Los Angeles Lakers, has trademarked the phrase, according to his manager. And, according to the Los Angeles Times, which published a brief item on it recently, Abdul-Jabbar wants to sell apparel with the phrase for charitable purposes. His manager, Deborah Morales, said Tuesday that Abdul-Jabbar had trademarked the phrase more than 10 years ago. In fact, she said, Abdul-Jabbar used the phrase while playing as Lew Alcindor at Power Memorial High School in New York City. Reached this week, Doucette, who said he had not seen Abdul-Jabbar in nearly two years, said he was not aware that the Hall of Famer had trademarked 'sky hook.' But, Doucette emphasized, that's all right with him. Asked if it bothered him that Abdul-Jabbar had taken possession of the phrase, Doucette said no. 'He's using it for the right reasons,' Doucette said. 'That's OK.' "
- Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee: "If Austin Daye is available for the Kings to select with the 23rd pick, someone might have lied to him. He'd like a guarantee from a team that it would select him. Daye said he's heard he'll fall between 9-17. The lanky small forward from Gonzaga hasn't hired an agent. Daye said he's 'pretty dedicated to staying in' the draft with this caveat. 'I really don't want to fall into the 20s,' Daye said after his workout Tuesday at the Golden State Warriors practice facility. 'If that happens I'm probably going to go back to school, if that's what they're saying.' Daye spent two seasons at Gonzaga. At 6-10, 192 pounds, Daye sees himself creating matchup problems as a small forward or even a power forward like Rashard Lewis. Daye just doesn't want to wait to be selected after the top-20 picks to show he can do that, even if it might mean going to a better team. 'If you fall to the 20s it could help you and it could hurt you,' he said. 'You could be buried so far down on the bench you might not get out of that hole.' "
Sort comments by: Most Recent | First Posted
Comments that include profanity, or personal attacks, or antisocial behavior such as "spamming" or "trolling," or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. We will take steps to block users who violate any of our terms of use. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
TRUEHOOP CONTRIBUTORS
Henry AbbottTrueHoop ESPN Archive |
J.A. AdandeTrueHoop ESPN Archive |
Kevin ArnovitzTrueHoop ESPN Archive |
Chris BroussardTrueHoop ESPN Archive |
Chad FordTrueHoop ESPN Archive |
John HollingerTrueHoop ESPN Archive |
Chris SheridanTrueHoop ESPN Archive |
Marc SteinTrueHoop ESPN Archive |
