- Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle: "Stephen Jackson promises tonight's game against the Lakers, and specifically his rematch against Kobe Bryant, won't get out of control. ... Jackson wants to prove he belongs in a sentence with Kobe Bryant, and Bryant has wanted to win every competition he has ever entered. 'I love competing against and guarding the best guy,' Jackson said. 'I just don't like being treated like I'm less. If I play against a guy, we both play the same, physical game. We are treated the same, and (if) he outplays me, I'll give him his props. But if the game is being called one-sided and I'm not being treated fairly, I'm going to be upset.' Jackson picked up five personal fouls and a technical in the opening 10 minutes of the teams' first preseason meeting. He claims Bryant elbowed him and called him 'young fella,' a derogatory moniker for someone of the same age. Bryant, so far, has stayed silent. He denied rumors about his wife being on the reality show 'The Real Wives of Orange County,' but, otherwise, hasn't levied a response to any of Jackson's claims. 'I doubt he'll say anything,' Jackson said."
- Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer: "Asked if he'd like to see Delonte West play before the season starts, Mike Brown said, 'I'd like to see whatever's best for Delonte. ... He looks good on both ends of the floor. It's just a matter of time before he gets out on the floor.' Brown said West wouldn't start when he returns, but didn't rule out him regaining his starting shooting guard spot at some point. Then the coach was asked if this had been a difficult training camp with all the issues swirling around the team, including the raised expectations that came with the signing of O'Neal. 'We haven't really had to face true adversity when wins and losses are on the line, guys are not getting playing time or getting enough shots or whatever it may be,' Brown said. 'You lose three or four in a row ... that's real adversity. That's when the bunker mentality comes into play. That's when it will be tested more and not the preseason. In the preseason, everybody's still in love with each other all the time.' "
- Terry Foster of The Detroit News: "Richard Hamilton believes the Pistons have the bulk andthe guard play to win this season. And he wants to stay. That wasn't always the case. Take last season, when Hamilton went through the toughest season of his career. The Pistons traded his friend and backcourt mate Chauncey Billups to the Nuggets for Allen Iverson, who replaced Hamilton in the starting lineup until he was banished from the team. Hamilton was hurt by the slight, but one of the first things new coach John Kuester did was try to patch things up. Hamilton admits it was a test on his love for the team. 'But at the end of the day I still wanted to remain here,' he said. 'That was the positive thing. I love the city. I love the fans. We brought a championship here and hopefully we can find a way to get back to the promised land.' Hamilton dreams of the Hall of Fame and wants to walk out before his fans as a retired man and watch his number and name lifted high. 'Man, that would just be awesome,' Hamilton said, breaking into a wide smile. 'It would be awesome to be part of a dynasty, and when you look up into the rafters you not only see Hall of Fame guys but to be a part of it, that would be great.' "
- Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: "The most important statistic for the Miami Heat, and, for that matter, the NBA this season will be 98.6. And, no, we're not talking about team scoring averages. Just body temperature. Anything higher combined with sniffles, sneezes or wheezes and, well, you're out. The NBA last week issued a memo to its teams stating a league policy regarding the H1N1 virus, amid concerns about a potential swine flu breakout. Simply stated, if a player exhibits flu-like symptoms, he must be sent to a doctor. If there is fever, he should not be allowed to appear at games or travel with his team. Yes, even Wade, LeBron and Kobe. 'The key word,' NBA spokesman Tim Frank said, 'is fever. Once the fever subsides, until it is felt he is not contagious, the player is being asked to stay away.' While there won't be thermometer police at the scorers' table, the NBA is demanding its teams practice vigilance."
- Tania Ganguli of the Orlando Sentinel: "Dwight Howard's travels this offseason took him all over the world and during one of his stops, Bulls guard Derrick Rose accompanied him. The pair went to China as part of an adidas tour. Almost three years older than Rose, who turned 21 earlier this month, Howard said he enjoyed watching Rose experience a trip abroad. 'I just wanted Derrick to get a feel for what it's like to go overseas and see the millions of fans who support NBA basketball,' Howard said. 'I think it was great for him. You know, he expanded on his fan base. I think he did an excellent job over there and I'm real happy for him. I think he's going to have another good season. We text every now and then. I just try to be like a big brother to him.' "
- Chris Dempsey of The Denver Post: "Carmelo Anthony has shown glimpses of leadership in the past, but based on his performance in training camp, the Nuggets' star has taken it to another level. 'Melo's really taken a big piece of leadership role on the team,' guard Chauncey Billups said. 'Guys are looking up to him. Melo always, since I've been here, he's been our best practice player. He goes hard. When you've got your best player going extremely hard like that and playing and competing every single practice, it makes everyone else around him say, 'He's doing it, I better do it.' He's been great.' While Nuggets coach George Karl said he has seen Anthony's leadership manifest itself 'by his approach and his actions more than just his words,' Anthony insists none of what he's done in the preseason was a calculated decision. 'Nah, it's just natural,' Anthony said. 'Being a leader isn't something that you go home and go, 'Man, I'm going to be a leader today.' It was always instilled in me. But I'm a leader in my own way. I come in, I play hard. It just so happens it's coming out more. Guys are starting to ask me questions now. I feel like a veteran now. When you start getting that, your confidence goes up and your leadership just grows even more.' "
- Joe Davidson of The Sacramento Bee: "Kings rookie Omri Casspi was stunned to hear of the news of the death of Moni Fanan, the former manager and vice chairman of the Maccabi Tel Aviv basketball club that was a launching pad for Casspi to become the first Israeli chosen in the first round of the NBA draft. Fanan hanged himself in his North Tel Aviv apartment Monday, according to media accounts in Israel. He was 63. Fanan signed Casspi to Maccabi Tel Aviv, the highest level of play in Israel. Casspi played for Maccabi Tel Aviv for four seasons. Fanan managed the club for 16 seasons, winning 15 league championships and three European titles before stepping aside last year amid conflicts with other team executives. Casspi said after Monday's practice that Fanan was like family. 'I know him very well,' Casspi said. 'His kids are my best friends. I've known him since I was 13 years old. He's legendary. I love him. He was one of my closest friends. It's very sad to me, a big surprise. I don't know what to say.' "
- Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times: "Ron Artest definitely says what he's thinking, and Monday was no different. 'Anybody who has studied the history of basketball, this has got to be probably one of the best teams put together,' he said of the Lakers. 'We've got to take advantage of that.' Artest seemed intrigued by the premise of playing defense alongside Kobe Bryant. 'With me and him on the wings, it's going to be tough [for opponents],' Artest said. 'There's a lot of other teams that's going to do what their coach asks them to do -- they're going to play hard -- but I don't know if there's people as naturally gifted defensively as me on that wing. And Kobe's a naturally gifted defender.' "
- Lisa Dillman of the Los Angeles Times: "Sebastian Telfair and his Clippers teammates were almost giddy in the aftermath of rookie Blake Griffin's spectacular flying dunk over Lakers center DJ Mbenga in the fourth quarter on Sunday. 'His nickname is Amazin',' DeAndre Jordan said of Griffin. 'His new nickname is Amazin'.' Jordan shouted over in the locker room to Telfair, saying: 'Bassy! Bassy! Amazin', right?' Telfair: 'Amazin'.' 'It was a good pass, I just tried to go up and finish,' Griffin said. 'I don't keep track of a personal highlight film. Something like that was fun. Still gotta get better.' He drew kudos from Kobe Bryant and Lakers Coach Phil Jackson. Telfair declared that was only the beginning for Griffin. 'Just showing everybody what he's going to be doing all season,' Telfair said. 'That's his nickname. Amazin'. That's what we gave him, the first day he walked in.' Who came up with it? 'Me,' Telfair said. 'The first day.' "
- Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer: "It was pretty obvious during the Carolina Panthers' preseason that their failure to do fundamental things (tackling, blocking) would doom their season. It's similarly obvious that if the Charlotte Bobcats don't clean up some fundamentals on the quick, their season is in jeopardy. I've written off-and-on the past few weeks how poorly the Bobcats are defending dribble-penetration and giving up too many offensive rebounds. That came to a head in Los Angeles Sunday night when the Utah Jazz shot 52 percent against the Bobcats and had as many offensive rebounds (17) as the Bobcats had defensive boards. ... It's obvious this team's playoff chances will hinge on Chandler's and Diaw's quick recovery from ankle injuries. Chandler plans to play in the last two exhibitions following off-season ankle surgery. Diaw played in Los Angeles, and Larry Brown pronounced him out of shape, to the point that Diaw is running 'foul line-to-foul line,'' versus baseline-to-baseline. You might remember the last time Brown used that 'foul line-to-foul line'' description, he was referring to Sean May, and we know how that turned out. But Brown said Diaw's lack of conditioning is understandable, after missing five weeks with an ankle sprain."
- Sekou Smith of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "Josh Smith won't hide his ambitions this year. He wants to be an All-Star. But he'd gladly settle for a spot on the All-Defensive team, an honor that's eluded him his first five seasons despite his shot-blocking prowess. The difference between the aspirations Smith had earlier in his career and now center on his understanding that the team's success comes first and the residual benefits usually follow in the form of individual honors. 'After all the goals we have as a team -- and we have lots of them -- those are definitely my goals,' Smith said. 'And I don't think they are too far fetched. I'm six years into my career and I've tasted some success. I want more of that, for my team and myself, in that order.' When told that Smith mentioned both the All-Star team and the All-Defensive team as goals for this season, Hawks coach Mike Woodson smiled."
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