- Janis Carr of The Orange County Register: "The Lakers staged a half-hearted tribute for Kurt Rambis on Saturday in front of a few dozen fans who happened by the main court of the 3-on-3 tournament. I mean, come on. Here's a guy who not only played for the Lakers, winning four championships, but served as an assistant and interim coach for the past seven seasons and he gets a lukewarm send-off by A.C. Green and Cedric Ceballos? Rambis, always with a smile, appeared thankful for the honor, even though the Mayor and city council woman couldn't make it. I watched him happily sign autographs and pose for pictures for those fans who stopped by and he seemed genuinely touched. Let's hope the Lakers do something a tad more when the Timberwolves visit Staples Center during the season. Rambis deserves more."
- Geoff Calkins of The Commercial Appeal: "People write me all the time and say, 'Isn't there anything nice you can say about the Grizzlies?' Sure there is, and he's wearing bowling shoes. Lionel Hollins was out at Winchester Bowl Saturday for something called 'Bowling for Backpacks,' a charity event Hollins dreamed up to help supply needy kids with backpacks and school supplies. Mayor Pro Tem Myron Lowery stopped by. So did Shelby County Mayor AC Wharton. Former mayor Willie Herenton showed up wearing an enormous crown. OK, I just made up that last part. But Lowery and Wharton were there. Penny Hardaway dropped in. So did Memphis coach Josh Pastner, and not because he's recruiting Hollins's kid. 'Lionel asked me to come,' said Pastner, and see how easy it can be? Now Hollins just has to ask Zach Randolph to play defense. Then ask Rudy Gay to rebound. Then ask Hasheem Thabeet to hit the weights. Then ask Mike Heisley to open his wallet and ... oh, wait, I was being nice. And it's easy to be nice to Hollins, even if I wasn't on the occasion of his hire as Griz coach. He was the cheapest guy available. He signed an unprecedented year-and-a-half deal. But if the Grizzlies are able to transform perceptions of the franchise inside Memphis and beyond, it will be because Hollins has managed to extract more out of his players than anyone suspected he could."
- Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman: "So, to be clear, there should be no questioning which man holds the keys to the ship and is calling the shots. Maurice Cheeks' arrival should only assist Scott Brooks in driving the boat. Bringing in a coach of Cheeks' stature, however, is a salute to Brooks' makeup. The Thunder's coach could have settled on someone with less experience who in no way would have been qualified to serve as a potential successor. But that coach would have had far less to offer. The decision illustrates Brooks' self-confidence and his trust in Cheeks. That trust stems from a relationship first formed in 1987, when Brooks nearly made Cheeks' star-studded Sixers squad as a little-known guard out of UC-Irvine. Brooks made the team the next season and served as Cheeks' backup for one year."
- Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post: "This summer, the NBA's Quentin Richardson has been traded more times than Kyle Orton has thrown an interception, and that's saying something. Many NBA players aren't traded four times in their careers. Richardson was traded four times in 49 days. Now, it's tough to feel sorry for athletes because: 1. They make more money than a Ponzi scheme. 2. They get to play sports for a living (which is almost as wild as writing about sports for a living). 3. Have you seen Mrs. Bryant? But, I'll admit a small part of me feels sorry for Richardson, who has been a pretty good pro and will make around $9 million this season, but will forever wear the scarlet 'T.' It's not that teams couldn't use Richardson's veteran talents, but more enticing than his expertise is his expiring contract, two words that sound like Mozart to the ears of general managers. Just look at the win-win with the Chauncey Billups- Allen Iverson trade: Denver got a savior, and Detroit got the GNP of Liechtenstein off its books this summer."
- Kimberley A. Martin of Newsday: "Chris Duhon will welcome any newcomers to the Knicks with open arms. Even if it means he'll be relegated to the bench. The Knicks openly have courted several guards in the offseason - including Milwaukee Bucks restricted free agent Ramon Sessions - but Duhon, the team's starting point guard last season, said he has no ill feelings about any possible roster moves. 'I'm confident with my situation, where I am, my place with the team,' Duhon said in Manhattan Saturday. 'I understand this is a business. That's what it all is. The only thing I can do is prepare myself to lead this team and get to our goal, which is to make the playoffs.' Regarding the Knicks' interest in other guards, including Sessions, Andre Miller, Jason Kidd, Jason Williams and Jamaal Tinsley, Duhon says that's a good thing. 'If we get a guy like Sessions in, it's only going to make our team better,' said Duhon, who got off to a strong start last season before appearing to wear down under heavy minutes. He wound up averaging 11.1 points and 7.2 assists."
- Darren Heitner of SportsAgentBlog.com: "O.J. Mayo's search for a new agent may have un-officially come to a close. Mayo cannot actually sign a new NBPA licensed advisor until fifteen days after his firing of Leon Rose and CAA. But the rumor is that the search party is over and that as soon as he is able to sign a new contractual agent, O.J. Mayo will hire LaPoe 'Smitty' Smith Jr. Smitty is a basketball agent who works out of an office in San Antonio, Texas. ... So why the sudden change for O.J.? I am sure that someone was in his ear. When you are a professional athlete in any sport making decent money, people are going to start talking. But another concern for Mayo might have been that he would get lost in the CAA shuffle. Remember that CAA recently acquired Henry Thomas's basketball practice at CSMG. Mayo had to know that LeBron James and Dwyane Wade would take preference over his own affairs. Perhaps he wanted to make sure he was #1 on his agent's list. By becoming the only client of LaPoe Smith, he knows he will be the top concern at the agency."
- Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel: "It's hard to believe nearly a decade has passed since a young player out of Ohio State was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round of the 2000 draft. Now Michael Redd is approaching his 30th birthday this month, and he's facing a turning point in his career. He is coming back from major surgery on his left knee after an injury that prematurely ended his season in January and helped push the Bucks out of the Eastern Conference playoff picture. 'It's amazing; it's been a fast journey,' Redd said of beginning his 10th season with the Bucks this fall. 'I'm looking forward to a new chapter after the injury. I'm ready to explode and have so
me fun.' But first there is more work to be done, more taxing hours of rehabilitation and preparation. Redd has been spending 2 to 2½ hours each day working out at Ohio State University, his alma mater in his hometown of Columbus. Redd has not played basketball yet or been on the court, and he admitted he's getting anxious for that moment. 'I'm just trying to get the leg stronger,' he said. 'I feel good. I really haven't had any breaks. I'm doing a lot of scar-tissue work, machine work and cardio. It's getting the scar tissue to heal. I'm making progress. The whole process is good because it's a chance to build your body up again.' " - Jerome Solomon of the Houston Chronicle: "He's tall, thin. He's from a foreign land thousands of miles from Houston. He has a soft jump shot and is more of a finesse player than a banger. He is the Rockets' center. But he's not Yao Ming. (Never will be.) David Andersen, the Australian-born big man who signed a three-year contract with the Rockets this week, made sure to stress just that in his first appearance before the local media. ... Andersen should fit in well in Houston. Not just as a player -- we'll get into that in a bit -- but socially. He comes across as relaxed, laid-back, downright gentlemanly … nearly Southern. Heck, if he had a 'normal' accent and didn't begin conversations with 'G'day,' he could be a Texan. A tall Texan. From what he's seen, he likes it here. And most of you are probably going to like him. Now if Andersen can only be as comfortable in the NBA. He thinks he will. Did I mention he has a soft jumper? They say it's sweet."
- Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel: "The Orlando Magic reached the NBA Finals last year, but the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics will be the teams to beat in the Eastern Conference this upcoming season. That's the conclusion that can be drawn from an Orlando Sentinel poll of 11 NBA experts asked to rank the conference's teams from top to bottom. With the flurry of free-agent signings mostly over, the time seemed right to take stock. The Cavaliers finished first in the overall rankings, just ahead of the Celtics. Boston, however, received six first-place votes while Cleveland was ranked first on five ballots. The Magic placed third overall. They were ranked as the conference's second-best team on four ballots. So what happened? Aren't the Magic the defending Eastern Conference champions? Didn't they eliminate the Celtics and the Cavaliers during the playoffs? The voters think Orlando will miss Hedo Turkoglu and will need time to adjust to a roster filled with new players."
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