Lakers vs. Spurs

• Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times: "It was just one game, just Game 1, just a beginning. It felt like seven games, Game 7, an ending. The Lakers didn't just come back from a 20-point deficit to steal an 89-85 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference finals opener Wednesday. They turned basketball's smartest crunch-time team into dummies. They turned basketball's toughest veterans into twitching rookies. They stole a victory from a team that was doing everything right, and they stole it after doing everything wrong."
• Jeff Miller of The Orange County Register: "The NBA isn't always easy to figure out, but it's generally understood that if the Lakers and Spurs are playing each other and Bryant isn't outscoring Kurt Thomas, bad things are happening for L.A. Both players had two points entering the third quarter. Now this update: Bryant finished with 27, while Thomas still has just those two. 'Kobe was doing the trust-his-teammates thing,' San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. 'He was checking out his territory out there. In the second half, he did his job.'"
• Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News: "'Even when you are tired, you've go to be really smart,' he said. 'We always talk about how experienced we are. We didn't show it, so we are very upset.' They took too many jumpers, and they made too many bad decisions. Ginobili drove once, and his arcing pass was intercepted. Also, twice in that fourth-quarter lull, Tim Duncan found himself alone and within a leap of the basket, and twice he passed out to Ime Udoka. Once Udoka had a turnover, the other time Udoka missed. Gregg Popovich will point out all of this, and he took that slant in his post-game comments. He continued to stick by his comments that the game had nothing to do with their travel problems. 'Everybody's gone through those sorts of things during the season,' Popovich said. In truth, no team in memory has ever slept on the tarmac."

Celtics vs. Pistons

• Rob Parker of The Detroit News: "There are times in the playoffs when you look at a team's Game 1 loss in a series and realize they are in trouble. This isn't one of those times. For sure, the Pistons' 88-79 loss to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference finals at the TD Banknorth Garden was disappointing. They had a real chance to steal the game. But the things the Pistons did wrong are easily correctable. That's why they weren't down-and-out or in panic mode before they practiced at Emerson College on Wednesday afternoon. They were just as confident as they have been all postseason. In fact, you would have been hard-pressed to guess correctly whether they had won or lost."
• Drew Sharp of the Detroit Free Press: "The NBA draft lottery on Tuesday marked five years since the Pistons won the No. 2 selection in a draft that produced such stars as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Carmelo Anthony. And, yes, the Pistons took (burp!) Darko Milicic. 'People come up to me sometimes,' Pistons rookie Rodney Stuckey said, 'and they say, 'Make us forget Darko.' Everybody still thinks about it. But I don't look at that as pressure. I like the challenge.' Stuckey has become the Darko antidote. ... Consider Stuckey when listening to the debate revolving around this year's draft lottery. With the first overall pick, should Chicago opt for the next potentially great point guard in Memphis' Derrick Rose or go for a high-scoring forward in Kansas State's Michael Beasley? There should be no argument. Take Rose."
• Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald: "Like any athlete of his celebrated stature, Paul Pierce has enough memorabilia to stock Christie's Auction House. But for now, the most important piece may also be the newest -- the game ball from Game 7 against Cleveland. Celtics co-owner Wyc Grousbeck was so moved by Pierce's 41-point performance, and his legendary shootout with LeBron James, that the gesture didn't just sound good. It had to be done. 'I told him, 'Thanks for sticking with us,' and he said 'Thanks for sticking with me,' Grousbeck said yesterday of a bond that has grown stronger than ever with Pierce's last two performances."
• Christopher L. Gasper of The Boston Globe: "There are few players in the NBA Kevin Garnett respects as much as Rasheed Wallace. He looks forward to their matchups. They share a friendship and, according to Garnett, a lot more. 'I see a lot of myself when I see him play and vice versa,' said Garnett. 'He plays with energy and his heart and his soul. I commend that. I don't think a lot of guys do that.' ... Garnett said Wallace is misunderstood, his passion mistaken for petulance. 'I just think that people see what they want to see and that's what it is," said Garnett. "Seeing who he really is, I don't think he lets too many people into his own personal [life], but I do know that he's very, very smart, very, very entertaining. He's energy. He's heart and soul. You can go over there and ask any of those guys, they know that.'"

2008 Draft

• Greg Couch of the Chicago Sun-Times: "My first thought on seeing the Bulls land the No. 1 pick in the draft lottery was this: Oh, my god, the Bulls are going to get Michael Beasley. It was only later that I learned, by reading the papers in town and listening to the radio and TV, that anyone who doesn't think the Bulls should take Derrick Rose would have to be an idiot or crazy. Or both. Michael Beasley, who needs you? ... I understand the appeal of Rose. He's great. He's a leader, and the Bulls don't have one of those. He's a Chicago kid and can immediately bring back some of the team's buzz. He's a point guard. He would be a great pick. I'll still take Beasley."
• The Chicago Sun-Times: "As a freshman, Derrick Rose led a veteran Memphis team to the brink of a national championship. Tigers coach John Calipari was traveling Wednesday but called from an airplane to tell 'Waddle and Silvy' on WMVP-AM (1000) why the Bulls should choose Rose over Kansas State forward Michael Beasley with the No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. 'If you're watching these playoffs, what Deron Williams has done for Utah and what Chris Paul has done for New Orleans, you start saying, 'We better not pass on point guards that can play,' Calipari said. 'And Derrick can be that kind of guy. When you talk Derrick Rose, you're talking about a program-builder. You're talking about a kid that defers to his teammates and a kid who would rather pass and have other people have success. He wants people to feel good around him. He could have scored 30 a game for us if he wanted to, but he understood [that] by scoring 14, we had a chance to win every game. That's contagious.'"
• K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune: "In a nutty turn of events, former Bulls player and executive B.J. Armstrong is employed by uberagent Arn Tellem's agency and works closely with Derrick Rose, who signed with Tellem. Armstrong sat with Rose as Tuesday night's draft lottery unfolded and is with Rose daily in Los Angeles, where the point guard is working out. Armstrong, who served as Jerry Krause's assistant for several seasons, left the club shortly after John Paxson assumed the general manager job in April 2003. He tried his hand at broadcasting before delving into the agency business. 'I'm enjoying it,' Armstrong said. 'I'm learning every day.'"
• Michael Wallace of The Miami Herald: "Michael Beasley wanted to know his options if he were to be picked by the Heat in next month's NBA Draft. So this power forward from Kansas State asked his college coach, Miami native Frank Martin, for a few tips on one of their favorite topics: food. 'He can't control where he goes or what city he ends up in, but we joked about it a little bit -- what [Miami] is all about,' Martin said. 'He knows my background, so he's asked me where all the good Cuban restaurants are, so he can get a good sandwich down there. We've talked about Spanish food and that kind of stuff.'"
• Gary Washburn of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer: "The Sonics' most pressing needs are at point guard and center. Durant will play shooting guard again next season, according to coach P.J. Carlesimo. And because of a strong second half -- 13.5 points, 5.3 rebounds per game -- Jeff Green should enter the season as the starting small forward. Chris Wilcox or Nick Collison will be a fixture at power forward. The wild card for the Sonics is the direction of the Minnesota Timberwolves, who will pick third and whose needs are eerily similar to the Sonics -- a legitimate point guard and dependable center. Minnesota is set at shooting guard, small forward and power forward with Randy Foye, Corey Brewer and Al Jefferson, respectively. No matter what Minnesota does, however, the Sonics will get a potentially brilliant player to team with Durant in the backcourt or perhaps finally a quality center after three failed drafts in search of one."
• Marc Berman of the New York Post: "Danilo Gallinari is a tough-as-nails Italian stallion who will become more popular than 'The Sopranos' if drafted by the Knicks. That's the view of some European-based NBA scouts who see Gallinari's skills, versatility, height, power, breeding and shot making worthy of a high lottery pick. Others, however, wonder if Gallinari's athleticism is good enough for him to be a competent NBA defender at small forward. ... Gallinari is squarely on the Knicks' radar, especially after the lottery pingpong balls sent them falling to the sixth pick, especially with new coach Mike D'Antoni a connoisseur of Italian basketball."

Leaguewide 

• Jerry Brown of the East Valley Tribune: "Elston Turner had his interview with Suns general manager Steve Kerr Wednesday and all indications are the discussions went well and will keep the 48-year-old Turner on the 'A' list of head coaching candidates. ... Turner told KTAR (620 AM) Tuesday that the Suns are 'a team that's intact with all the pieces in place' and 'a good situation' for an incoming coach."
• Phil Jasner of the Philadelphia Daily News: "A team that wins 40 games and is farther away from Detroit and Boston in the NBA East than it wants to admit should have no untouchables in the trade market. But, to me, the Sixers have one: Thaddeus Young. If the Sixers' prize rookie of 2007-08 continues on his upward path, he should be the starting small forward for the foreseeable future and as good a candidate as any to blossom into an All-Star. He plays hard and, for the most part, strong; he will get better -- and increase his range -- as a shooter, making him a difficult matchup for opponents. If, situationally, they choose to go small, he can move to power forward, as he did frequently during his maiden voyage."
• Mark Bradley of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "In the mazy world of the Atlanta Spirit, you can't tell the players even with a scorecard. Three of the five main jobs are open, and the other two could be in flux. In that, ahem, spirit, we offer this guide to who could be coming, who could be going, and who's making the calls. Position: Hawks general manager ... The job opened when Billy Knight resigned 16 days ago. Michael Gearon Jr., one of the many Spirit owners, is heading the search for a replacement. 'I'm running that process, with help from my partners,' he said Wednesday. There's now a short list of candidates, and it includes both seasoned NBA executives and what Gearon called 'the next generation.' (He declined to name names.) ... Likely suspects: The Hawks are believed to be high on Chris Grant, who was Knight's assistant here and who's now the assistant GM in Cleveland, and Tom Sheppard, who's an assistant to Ernie Grunfeld with Washington. ... Prediction: Chris Grant."
• Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer: "I keep hearing suggestions from readers that the Charlotte Bobcats should do what they did last season, and trade their first-round pick for an impact veteran. I'm totally with you that those options should be explored. But it's considerably harder for the Bobcats to make such a deal now than it was when they acquired Jason Richardson 11 months ago on draft night. It's about money. ... The Bobcats aren't capped out this off-season, but they certainly don't have the flexibility they once did to absorb a huge contract. That will limit the ways they could turn the ninth pick into a veteran rotation player."
• Bill Livingston of The Plain Dealer: "This is a man made for the biggest stage. He craves the attention. It helps make him great. Spike Lee sitting at courtside helped inspire James to a 50-point game in New York this season. ... The Lakers wooed Shaquille O'Neal away from Orlando by challenging him to match Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's legacy and restore the Lakers' greatness. Orlando did everything it could to no avail. Dan Gilbert is a very creative owner, one who will do everything possible to keep James. But restoring the Knicks' greatness is an appeal James, a student of the game, would understand. True, James did build an enormous home in this area and he likes playing before family and friends. Those factors have weight. But what if a guy who thinks of himself as a king simply wants a bigger realm?"
• Bob Wolfley of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: "In recent years, there have been some worthy players taken No. 8 overall in the NBA draft but nobody special. Connecticut forward Rudy Gay, chosen No. 8 in 2006 by the Memphis Grizzlies, had a good second season, averaging 20.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 37.0 minutes while starting 81 games for the Grizzlies. That's a solid start. But if go back through the drafts dating to 1980, you don't find too many 8s who were special. The Milwaukee Bucks learned Tuesday night they are to choose eighth on June 26, when the NBA draft is held in New York."