Janny Hu of the San Francisco Chronicle: "As proud a player as Stephen Jackson is, he cannot deny what is becoming apparent in these final weeks of the Warriors' regular season. Though he and Baron Davis are still the overall leaders, Monta Ellis has taken up top billing on the court. 'As far as his game, what he's expected to do every night, he's mastered it,' Jackson said. 'Right now, we've got to catch up to his level, because he's the one who's risen to a higher level.'"
Peter Vecsey of the New York Post: '"If [Dennis Johnson] were alive I'd suggest he consult with Susan Lucci to get guidance through this trauma.' Chicago-based agent Mark Bartlestein said it best and speaks for us non-HOF-voters. 'Coaches, organizations and those handing out the honors love to talk about sacrificing personal statistics for the sake of success yet rarely reward it,' he said. 'Dennis Johnson epitomizes that. He did so many things that effected winning. Many were intangibles. Much of what he did gave his team's superstars the freedom to focus on what they did best. No, Dennis Johnson's stats aren't Hall of Fame. But his game was Hall of Fame. You actually have to understand the game to understand that.'"
Frank Zicarelli of the Toronto Sun: "As teams locked in on Bosh and forced the ball out of his hands, the three-time all-star admits he wasn't exactly sold on his teammates stepping up when he deferred. ... 'I have to do a better job of trusting my teammates,'' Bosh said yesterday as the Raptors essentially went back to drawing board in the wake of three successive losses to sub-.500 teams that have dropped Toronto (38-39) one game under .500. 'I've lacked in that and I can be man enough to say I've made that mistake. I've talked with the coaches and they told me the same thing -- trust my teammates.'"
Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register: [Kobe] Bryant's maternal grandmother, Mildred, went to West Philadelphia's Overbrook High School with Wilt Chamberlain. 'He asked her to the prom,' Bryant said, smiling. 'But she shot him down. She was dating my grandpa.'"
The Blazers make a pretty killer website to support their campaign for LaMarcus Aldridge as Most Improved Player. I don't think he'll win it, but he sure has to feel supported by the team. (The Bulls sure aren't doing this for Tyrus Thomas, you know?)
Holy cow. If you have a lot to do today, do not start watching this documentary. It's on a basketball blog, but it's not really about basketball, other than the fact that a lot of NBA players will be asked to get political in advance of the Olympics.
What does Kobe Bryant know about Manu Ginobili's bedroom? He has some educated guesses. Alyssa Roenigk quotes Bryant from a Nike appearance, on ESPN the Magazine's blog: "Kobe charmed the journos for a while he answered an Italian journalist in Italian, an Argentine journalist in Spanish and answered questions witha gentle sensibility that belied the ear-shattering music/video montage that introduced him. 'Back then, they were a novelty,' he said, when asked to compare the old, dominant Dream Team to the merely great 2008 version. 'Other teams were in awe of Jordan and Pippen. They had their posters on their walls. If you go to Manu's house, I don't think he's going to have a poster of me up in his bedroom.'"
Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle: "With ice on both knees and a larger pack numbing his sore hamstring, Rockets forward Shane Battier spoke of what had been accomplished and what was left to do. The Rockets had just clinched their place in the Western Conference playoffs, with five games remaining to spend however they would consider best. Battier immediately knew what needed to be done with nine regular-season days left. 'Buy more ice,' he said."
Chris McCosky of The Detroit News: "The Pistons are honoring the 30 greatest players in their history in a special ceremony before the game, and Isiah Thomas certainly will be front and center. ... Thomas is one of 10 Bad Boys on the all-time team. Joe Dumars, Bill Laimbeer, Vinnie Johnson, Dennis Rodman, John Salley, Mark Aguirre, Rick Mahorn, James Edwards and John Long are all expected to be at the ceremony. 'It will be good to be honored with all my teammates and my ex-teammates,' Thomas said. 'To be able to see all those guys again and to see what they're doing now and the continuation of the tradition that we tried to start there will be nice. I think when you talk about the great franchises now in the league, in terms of championships, you include the Pistons in there now; whereas before you didn't.'"
Jonathan Abrams of the Los Angeles Times: "Shaun Livingston is looking to Elton Brand's healthy return from a ruptured Achilles' tendon for motivation. 'It's inspiring to me,' Livingston said. 'And it also sheds some light and hope on coming out and playing.' His own chances of returning this season were derailed after the discovery of tendinitis in his surgically-repaired knee. He was examined again Monday in Alabama by Dr. James Andrews, who said Livingston's tendinitis is improving, and the point guard still anticipates playing summer ball in a few months."
UPDATE: ESPN Insider Chad Ford: "NBA scouts and GMs say that, overall, [Derrick] Rose helped himself more than anyone else in the tournament. Considering he was already the consensus No. 2 pick in the draft, that's saying something. More GMs than ever are starting to say that the No. 1 pick in the draft should be Rose, not fellow freshman Michael Beasley. While Rose didn't put up Beasley's numbers this year, his leadership, position and upside all suggest to some in the NBA that he could have an impact similar to Chris Paul's in the league. That's saying something. We'll keep monitoring this over the coming weeks. I'd estimate that about 65 percent of GMs I've spoken with still have Beasley atop their boards. But the trend is clearly tracking toward Rose."
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