- Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News: "Gregg Popovich figured he would cut Duncan's playing time as the season went along, and he did. Duncan's average minutes ended up being lower than any of the four previous seasons. Still, he played fewer minutes mostly because his knees were hurting. Until he broke down, Duncan looked lively and young, as fit as his MVP years. Until he broke down, the Spurs had treated Duncan as they no longer will. There can be other stages past this one. But Duncan likely won't stick around as a role player, or put up with pain that stops him from playing well. That's why this level is probably his final one. It can go on for a few years, and it can be productive. After all, in the series finale last season against the Mavericks, he ended with 30 points. To maintain that, Popovich will ration him, and he says he would like Duncan to average 32 minutes. Because of McDyess, Jefferson, Ratliff and Blair, that is possible. Because of them, there might be nights when Popovich tries to win without Duncan at all. So Duncan lost some things this summer. But this week, as the new Spurs come together for the first time, on display will be what he has gained. Namely, another chance to win."
- Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal: "Four weeks of training camp will be invaluable for a young team that still has much room to improve. The Griz will also have a head coach working in the final year of his contract with no discussions about an extension. Griz owner Michael Heisley appeared a bit offended by the notion that Lionel Hollins is a lame-duck coach. 'He's a friend,' Heisley said. 'We'll see how the season goes and I think it'll go well. Lionel did a fine job last season. But I'll address Lionel's future when the time comes. I'm not going to do that in the press.' Hollins said his contract status is like vehicle exhaust -- hot air. 'It's not a thought for me. I think about the job I'm supposed to do,' Hollins said. 'The only thing that matters is me putting forth the effort and getting the results I expect to get. The business side of that doesn't come into play. My being able to do the job won't be determined by (a contract) but by how much respect I garner from the group. Marc had another year on his contract. Did that keep him with the players' ear? Did it get him all that he wanted or needed to be successful? It's an easy term coach to throw out there. What makes me a lame-duck coach? If I do the job, I'll get another contract.' "
- Chris Dempsey of The Denver Post: "Ty Lawson plans to be patient as he begins his NBA career. Minutes early in the season will likely be hard to come by for the Nuggets guard, selected 18th in this year's NBA draft. And while that won't sit well with fans who have a Christmas Eve-type expectation of seeing the North Carolina product on the court, it will be coach George Karl's decision on when Lawson is ready for a significant role. 'I'm sure you guys are going to have fun criticizing me on that one,' Karl said. 'I still love (Anthony Carter). I think A.C. is a big part of why we've been successful here. But the kid's good. The kid's had a very good summer, and he's had a very good September in our gym.' According to Carter, Karl told him this summer his minutes would not be reduced this season, even with the presence of Lawson, who is regarded as the heir apparent at point guard. Carter, who signed a one-year contract with the team in August, averaged 22.9 minutes per game last season. Though Lawson is used to starting and playing nearly the entire game, he knows he'll have to wait his turn now."
- Michael Grange of The Globe and Mail: "Whatever happens when the Toronto Raptors hit the floor for training camp tomorrow in Ottawa, and then for real when the NBA season opens on Oct. 28, large doses of credit should be reserved for president and general manager Bryan Colangelo. ... The first sign of promise came when he traded Jason Kapono to the Philadelphia 76ers for bruiser Reggie Evans, exchanging Kapono's heavy contract and light touch for Evans' grit. The breakthrough came when Colangelo obtained Hedo Turkoglu in a four-team deal that also allowed Toronto to retain the salary cap flexibility required to round out their roster. DeMar DeRozan was drafted ninth overall to add a dose of athleticism on the wings; Jarrett Jack was signed to round out both guard positions; veteran Rasho Nesterovic provides a quality backup at centre while Marco Belinelli was acquired from Golden State for loose change, off-setting some of the shooting lost when Kapono was traded. One last deal brought a young energy player, Amir Johnson, from Milwaukee in exchange for the rights to Carlos Delfino and Roko Ukic. By the time he rested, Colangelo had given head coach Jay Triano seven players that are expected to crack the rotation without touching Bosh, Bargnani or Calderon."
- Sam Amick of The Sacramento Bee: "The microfracture surgery, Sean May said, was solely to blame for his tipping 300 pounds in 2008. It's life in the 260s now, with nothing but excitement about what he can do without the unwelcome weight. 'The stigma has always followed me,' May said. 'But the one thing is, you've never heard me get upset about it, never heard me (complain) about it. You've just never heard that from me because I don't care. It doesn't bother me. I know me. I know my game. People who watch me play -- If you didn't even hear a weight and you watched me play, you wouldn't think that he's too heavy. But as soon as you hear a number, this connotation comes in your head. It's just been that way.' The number in college, May said, was higher than his scale reading now. 'I was heavier at (University of North) Carolina, like 270, May said. '(The focus on weight) is also with the knee surgery, that scares them. When Sacramento came to me (about his weight clause), My agent asked me, 'Do you care if they put a weight clause in your contract?' I was like, 'I don't care, as long as it's not something where he's got to be 245.' I'll never get to 245. I haven't been that since eighth grade. I just don't care (about the clause). I want to play basketball.' "
- Sekou Smith of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "Rather than tossing out a random number of wins for this season, Mike Woodson said he's simply pushing his team to achieve bigger and better things than they did with last season's trip to the Eastern Conference semifinals. 'We're at a stage now with our team where I think that's the logical thing, taking the next step,' he said. 'And now that next step is trying to get out of the second round of the playoffs and trying to challenge for a spot in the Eastern Conference finals. That's the next step.' If that seems like a rather bold prediction, consider the source. This is the same coach who refused to count his team out when they were down 0-2 to Boston in a first-round playoff series two years ago. 'After that Celtics series, no one thought we would snatch one of those top four spots in the conference, no one gave us a shot,' Woodson said. '
;You can complain all you want about how we did it, but we did it. My belief is that you push to take the next step and for bigger and better things than you've done before. If you get to the Eastern Conference finals and find a way to win it, anything can happen after that.' " - K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune: "The cameras were rolling. The good-natured trash talk was flying. And the video game commercial was nearing completion earlier this month in Los Angeles. Derrick Rose says he didn't want the experience to end. Humble to a fault, Rose still doesn't picture himself worthy of rubbing elbows with the game's elite. So the second-year Bulls guard had an ulterior motive to sharing a set with Kobe Bryant. 'When you're around people like that, of course you can learn a lot,' Rose said Sunday following practice. 'How they manage themselves, how they eat, how they treat people, how they take care of their business, how hard they work, how they act all day. 'If Kobe's not the most competitive person in the league, I'd like to see the person who works harder. That's Kobe. He wants to win everything. I want to win everything. I guess it's something that's just born in you.' Comedian Chris Hardwick joined the commercial shoot, so there were more laughs than lessons. Still, Rose soaked up as much Kobe Karma as possible. 'I just wanted to ask him about winning,' Rose said. 'I was asking him about [the Lakers] getting [Ron] Artest and how good their team would be. It was a cool experience.' "
- Brian Windhorst of The Plain Dealer: "Healthy and with a new six-year, $48 million deal, Anderson Varejao was able to play to Brazil in the FIBA Americas Championship in Puerto Rico. He played well, averaging 13.6 points and 8.4 rebounds, and the Brazilians won the gold medal and qualified for next summer's world championships. Team USA didn't take part. 'It was a good summer for me, it was good to be able to play for Brazil again,' Varejao said. 'When I was at the airport in Sao Paulo on my way back, there were people who wanted to take their pictures with me now.' Varejao said it helped that the team's performance in Brazil got excellent television coverage at home. But what he did after he came back didn't hurt his reputation, either. Varejao and Brazilian teammate Leandro Barbosa got fellow NBA players such as Shawn Marion and Drew Gooden to come Rio de Janeiro for a charity game. As a result, Varejao presented a $100,000 check to an organization that helps abused Brazilian children and also spoke to young players. 'I can tell them that I was once their age with the same dream,' Varejao said. 'When I was young the gym we played at didn't have a roof, so when it rained we had to stop. I've come a long way since then.' "
- Frank Isola of the New York Daily News: "The countdown has officially begun. In 275 days, LeBron James can become a free agent and possibly change the course of Knicks history. The prospect of LeBron in a Knicks uniform makes what happens between today (the start of training camp) and July 1 (the first day of free agency) seem rather trivial. However, it would be encouraging to James and Knicks fans if the club can post its first winning season since 2000-01. 'We're going to have to overachieve without a doubt,' coach Mike D'Antoni said. 'I think we can fool a lot of people and overachieve.' ... D'Antoni believes that second-year forward Danilo Gallinari, coming off back surgery, will make a contribution. The Knicks are also encouraged that Eddy Curry has dropped 40 pounds. But even D'Antoni admitted the team 'has got a lot of question marks. If some of the question marks come through we'll be okay,' he added."
- Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel: "Is Jameer Nelson back to being his old self? 'I feel good -- normal now,' he said. 'I worked harder this summer than I did any summer ever because I had to. I wanted to get back to the level I was at. I didn't want to become just one of the guys.' Nelson concedes that the little guy running around in the NBA Finals against the L.A. Lakers, making a surprise return just four months after major shoulder surgery, was an imposter. 'I was nowhere near 100 percent,' he said after a recent workout at RDV Sportsplex. 'I'm not sure of where I was at. Because of who I am, I was really confident out there. I didn't play with any lack of confidence. It was just me knowing the reality of the situation, knowing I couldn't do certain things. I had to tone things down a little bit.' ... Nelson said he has yet to watch the video tapes of the Magic's Finals loss to the Lakers. He doesn't want to watch an imposter. 'I would have watched it if we had won,' he laughed. 'Plus, that wasn't me 100 percent playing. The only tapes I've watched of myself was up until the all-star game. I watched a lot of those films.' "
- Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman: "The Thunder can enter into contract extension talks with Kevin Durant next July, with NBA rules permitting the two sides to sign up to a five-year extension through 2015-16. Durant has repeatedly professed his preference to remain in Oklahoma City long term, but there is one factor that could ultimately close the sale. Continuity. When decision day arrives for Durant, he will look up and find himself surrounded by complementary young talent that he's grown up with in Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. It's a not-so small factor that could provide comfort to a player who this season will play in the same city in consecutive seasons for just the first time since his early high school days. Familiarity alone certainly won't get Durant's signature on a long-term contract. But money won't be an issue, as the Thunder already has cleared more than enough salary cap space to re-sign Durant to a max deal."
- John Canzano of The Oregonian: "Because Brandon Roy is going to hold court at the Rose Garden today and tell us he's serious about winning big in this league. And LaMarcus Aldridge is going to explain that his contract negotiations won't be a distraction, that he's focused on this season. And Andre Miller and Steve Blake are going to explain that depth, and nasty competition, make a team better. But if you're like me, you want to hear from Greg Oden most of all today. I want to hear motivation in his voice. I want him to be upbeat. I want to listen closely today, on the eve of the first practice of the rest of his life, and hear a guy who is tickled at the possibilities. The season has already started, but it won't really take off without Oden. Consider that Roy is going to continue to be a star. And Aldridge is going to evolve into one of the top players at his position. And the competition between Blake and Miller make the team tougher. But if we're questioning what it's going to take for Portland to once again be one of the best teams in the West, what we're really asking is, 'What will Oden look like?' As the big dude goes, so goes this franchise."
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