Clyde Drexler, trashing Tracy McGrady a little, in a conversation with SLAM's Russ Bengston: "Our games are similar in the fact that we're very talented and make it look easy. But there are certain aspects of our games that I think are completely different. Because I was more of a passer, a penetrator, making my teammates better. I really worked on efficiency, making the game easier so we could rest and get ready for the next game. So those are my thoughts, and Tracy is more of a scorer, he's gonna score in bunches. I coulda done that, but I was really focused on making my teammates better and making the game easier." According to John Hollinger's Player Efficiency Ranking (PER), Drexler has a career PER of 21.1. McGrady is a couple of notches better, at 23.4. Drexler averaged 5.9 assists per 36 minutes, McGrady is at 4.8.
Juan Carlos Navarro flees the NBA for much more money in Spain. Before Game 2 of the NBA Finals, David Stern had this to say about such things: "You know, there are plenty of players who have decided that it would be, Frederic Weis comes to mind, that it would be better to stay, play a shorter season and do what they're going to do. ... We're not concerned about that. If players actually stay in Europe because they can earn more, that's fine. We think that European basketball, which we try to support, might be the better for it, and that's good."
Andre Miller talking to the Starting Five's Michael Tillery: "People look at basketball the wrong way. Some parents look at basketball the wrong way. They feel like if their kids can score the ball that their kid is going to be the next Kobe Bryant or LeBron James. What I want to give back to the game is how to play the right way. Everybody can't be Kobe or LeBron. Be able to make simple plays and communicate. Be able to not be an individual. You have to play as a team. If you play it the right way, everybody is gonna get the attention. There is always going to be somebody who gets more exposure because of their talent. Just as they notice that star they notice the little things that makes the team get better. People see that eventually. ... You have role players, you have stars and you have the blue collar worker. The way this league is&it promotes stars. That's how the league makes their money. I think a star in this league is a guy that can make all his teammates better, that's willing to communicate and is willing to make plays in the clutch. A leader and a star is also a guy that when things aren't going right is able to step up and say these are the things we can do right as a team. A star is also someone who can admit when they aren't playing to their potential and accept criticism. There's been a few years where I thought I should have made the All Star team but as I said earlier, the way the league is promoted those stars are going to get that recognition. The fans vote, so of course the fans are going to vote for the stars."
Memphis GM Chris Wallace, talking to Chip Crain of 3 Shades of Blue: "There aren't many NBA players who didn't come from high profile Division 1 schools. The junior college player has virtually dried up. There are almost no small college players of any significance. The historic black schools just aren't putting the players out they used to. The Willis Reed's, the Earl Monroe's, the Bobby Dandridge's. It just doesn't happen anymore. I don't know if there are any NAIA ball players in the league anymore. Maybe Devon George might be an NAIA player. That's like 1 guy out of 400 something players. The Juco players or players coming out of JUCO to Division 1 schools, that has come to a halt. So what we are dealing with is basically big time high school players who came out of the BCS conferences with minor exceptions and the high level European players. So you don't have to go out and beat the bushes like you used to do. We're not trying to outfox the experts for the next great player out of Uzbekistan. These are all known players. So our object is not discovery. It is catagorizing. Getting those known players in the right order. Now that's no small feat. If you look back at past drafts you'll see that a lot of times the names are all upside down. Every team in the NBA has blown many drafts. Partly because it is an inexact science at best and more I think because of the decision making and the outside stimulas in the process more than people just don't know talent. So my point is having more people, a large group, doesn't neccessarily lend to a better result. Take the top 10 and there are at most 12-13 players being considered for those spots. Everybody knows who they are. The most casual fan can name them because outside of Gallinari they are all branded players. Now the trick is getting them in the right order."
A TrueHoop reader e-mails: "Watched Game 6 on Tivo ... One of the things I watched was the performance of Rajon Rondo. From watching in the arena, it seemed to me that his ability to stymie and disrupt the Lakers had been one of the keys for the Celtics in Game 6, and I wanted to watch on TV to figure that out. Game 6 tally for Rondo: Eight steals (six officially, with the Finals single-game record being seven) -- that's eight times he either got an outright steal or tipped the ball away from the Lakers to a teammate. One other "steal" -- stole it from Farmar -- refs incorrectly called a foul. Three "steals" on the offensive boards -- that's three times he snuck in and "stole" an offensive rebound after a Laker big had appeared to grab it. He had another offensive board and tip-in later. (One disconcerting note about scorekeeping -- in addition to the steals discrepancy noted above, Rondo was credited with only two offensive rebounds on the night. This is wrong by any interpretation, since he had at least four. Not sure what they were watching or what it says about scorekeeping in general.) In sum, he created 12 extra possessions for the Celtics from steals and offensive rebounds (mostly in the decisive first half), plus the one steal that was called a foul, plus another five defensive rebounds, with one turnover, in 32 minutes. So the final stat line for him should have read: 21 points, nine rebounds, eight assists, eight steals. Over 40-minutes this translates to 26 points, 11 boards, 10 assists and 10 steals ... for what would have been the first quadruple-double in Finals history. Not bad for a Game 6 of the Finals." UPDATE: TrueHoop Reader John reacts by e-mail: "It was strange to read the comments you posted today from one of your readers on how the Boston scorekeeper was stingy to Rajon Rondo on a few rebounds. Remember that play in Game 2 where Leon Powe took a pass, ran the full court and threw down a dunk? Rondo got an assist for that play. These things have a way of evening out."
Michael Grange of the Globe and Mail with a little joke: "A few emailers were eager to point out a rumor coming from Phoenix that would see the Raptors send T.J. Ford and the No.17 pick to the Suns for Boris Diaw. Poked around a little on this and I don't see it happening. One reason is that while the Raptors have had interest Diaw and new Suns coach Terry Porter might have warm feelings for Ford dating from his time with the Bucks, if the Suns trade for Ford how can they be sure Steve Nash will adjust to coming off the bench?"
UDPATE: I don't know if this is Renaldo Balkman's car or not. But I know it was a lot of work! Whoever put all this love and attention into those Knick colors -- you will be sad when he gets a new team, the team gets a new logo, or Balkman gets a new number. This is one short-term investment in art.
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