Mike McGraw of the Arlington Heights Daily Herald: "General manager John Paxson has said he will not use a strategy of creating cap room in 2010. That sounds like a smart decision, since the Bulls demonstrated in 2000 what can happen when a team puts all its eggs into the free-agent basket. A 15-67 season, to be specific. Of course, Ben Gordon will make his own choice next summer. If he doesn't stay with the Bulls, cap-room creation could become an attractive backup plan. Which brings us back to the tantalizing dream of securing a homegrown backcourt featuring Rose and Wade in 2010."
Israel Gutierrez of The Miami Herald: "It seems every step Michael Beasley has taken since he left Kansas State has been televised in some fashion. You saw him buying a suit and preparing for the ESPYs and practicing with his old high school coach and experiencing each second of draft night. Sunday's events were slightly more significance in Beasley's NBA growth. But this evolution wasn't televised. So unless you were among the pockets of fans inside AmericanAirlines Arena on Sunday night, you missed Beasley's first true taste of NBA basketball. It tastes like freedom."
Scott Howard-Cooper of the Sacramento Bee: "Question: How will Jason Williams be remembered, now that he's announced his retirement? Geoff Petrie: 'He really has a little bit of a unique place in history of the NBA, I think, in the sense that his rookie year and into his second year, he kind of came out of nowhere at a time when the league was coming out of the lockout and sort of struggling with its style of play and just trying to regain some of the footing it had lost at that time. And here was this kid that had these incredible dribbling and passing skills and sort of pedal-to-the-metal attitude about the game. He just caught the imagination of the entire country, along with the rest of our team. It really helped the NBA. It really helped this franchise, along with a lot of other terrific players too. He became the darling of ESPN highlights just about every night. I've told this to other people: there was a time there, probably for about a year or so, other than Michael Jordan, he was the most popular basketball player in America because of this flamboyant style he had.'"
Mike Wells of The Indianapolis Star: "Marquis Daniels might be the biggest surprise of camp so far. Daniels is finally healthy, he's quicker and he's shooting the 3-point shot with a lot of confidence. He'll be in the mix for significant playing time at the swingman position."
Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer: "It's a good thing D.J. Augustin has to wear that grammar-school backpack (yes, it's hazing) because that's the only way you'd tell he's a rookie. Augustin is remarkably efficient for a point guard yet to play even an exhibition in the NBA."
Alan Hahn of Newsday: "If you're looking for more evidence that the Knicks have become far more media-friendly under Donnie Walsh and Mike D'Antoni, tune in to NBAtv today at 11 a.m. to catch a live broadcast of the team's practice at the MSG Training Center. NBAtv does this regularly with teams but never asked the Knicks in the past."
Bryan Chu of the San Antonio Express-News: "Players like Devin Green, who have had a sniff at the NBA level, can't help but compare the lifestyle away from the pros: Playing in front of sold-out crowds instead of a scattered fan base. Private planes and catered food versus crack-of-dawn flights with two or three layovers and eating at Subway and Denny's. Spurs forward Anthony Tolliver, 23, who played for the D-League's Iowa Energy last season, points out the $115 per diem in the NBA versus $25 in the D-league. Living arrangements are a huge difference. 'Super 8 versus the Omni that's all I gotta say,' said Spurs guard Desmon Farmer, 26, who added back when he played for the D-League's Tulsa 66ers, players had their stuff broken into all the time. Added Tolliver: 'We're spoiled. You walk into hotels and you think, 'Man, this is unnecessary.' One difference I did find is the cheaper hotels have free Internet. The more expensive hotels charge, which makes no sense.'"
Steve Campbell of the Houston Chronicle: "Face it: Rafer Alston isn't merely the Rockets' starting point guard again this season. He's here to stay. Don't be fooled just because Alston's contract with the Rockets runs only through the 2009-10 season. When there is famine and pestilence, when locusts cut a swath across the land, Alston will still be wearing his No. 12 jersey. When the meek have inherited the Earth, they will watch with raised eyebrows as Alston does the Skip To My Lou up the court. When cockroaches have emerged as the planet's master species, Alston will still be hoisting up 3-point shots with the same old corkscrew motion."
Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal: "He arrives early and stays late. His competitive spirit never needs booster cables. O.J. Mayo is making a smooth transition so far. 'He's shown everything he's shown before,' Griz head coach Marc Iavaroni said, referring to Mayo's offseason work. 'He's a tremendous competitor. He pays a lot of attention to defense. He's got a balanced game. He's learning that he can be an assassin in this league.' That Mayo isn't trying to do too much is perhaps his best characteristic. He's delivered the wow factor at times with spectacular plays in practice, but Mayo seems to focus more on asking questions, learning and blending into a framework established by returnees Rudy Gay, Kyle Lowry and Mike Conley."
Chris Tomasson of the Rocky Mountain News: "Few players in NBA history have made as much as Juwan Howard. With most of it coming from a $105 million contract Howard played under from 1996-2003, he has pulled down more than $140 million in his career. But Howard, 35, still wants to play. So here he is sweating it out in Nuggets camp on a nonguaranteed deal that would net him $1.26 million more if he can last the season. 'It goes to show you how much passion I have about basketball,' said Howard."
Sekou Smith of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "Hawks coach Mike Woodson won't apologize for his Al Davis approach to preseason basketball. When asked what his approach to the Hawks' eight-game exhibition slate would be, Woodson borrowed one of the longtime Oakland Raiders boss's most famous slogans. 'Just win, baby,' Woodson said with a smile Sunday. 'It's time to play, man. Some people view preseason games as something to get players in shape and get ready for the season. To me, it's huge in terms of using that time to bond and get used to doing things in a winning way. I don't think you can do it any other way. You have to play to win.'"
Matt Steinmetz of The Examiner: "Stephen Jackson's upper teeth are now all veneers, and you can tell he's feeling pretty good about his new look. 'I'm ready for GQ,' he said. Turns out that during the infamous incident involving gunplay a few years back in Indianapolis, Jackson suffered what he termed 'a jacked-up mouth.' In other words, not only did Jackson end up getting run over by a car, his face took a beating, too. 'My mouth was all jacked-up,' Jackson said. 'I had six teeth broken. I had to have plastic surgery. On my lips, in my mouth, my teeth, all with no anesthesia. (Former Pacers coach) Rick Carlisle was holding my one hand and my wife was holding the other. When they stuck that needle in my lip, I looked like the Nutty Professor.'"
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