Bob Finnan of The News-Herald: "The NBA took away his hop step. Will the 'crab dribble' be soon to follow? ... 'If they take it away like they did my hop step after my first two years, I'll find a way to do something else,' James said. He was asked whether it was a tough adjustment not being able to utilize the hop step. 'You tell me,' he said while laughing. 'How have I failed? I'll be fine.' ... Two days after the play, James insists it was a bad call. 'I've done that move many times,' he said. 'I believe it's a good move. If they call it more consistently, then maybe it isn't a good move and I'll have to change my game. If it's not called consistently, then I don't know.'"
Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal: "The Grizzlies waived Darius Miles soon after their 94-87 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 6-9 forward was told of the team's decision before the players and coaches boarded a plane for New Jersey, where the Griz play tonight. ... 'I don't think you've seen the last of him in the NBA,' GM Chris Wallace said. 'He showed he can come back and play in this league.' Miles can still sign a 10-day contract with the Griz or another NBA team. He said Wallace gave him no indication if the Griz planned to bring him back. 'I'm just glad to have had the opportunity,' Miles said. 'It was a blessing. Everybody was nice. I can't complain about my time here. I love Memphis, and I thank the Grizzlies.' Miles said he's confident he can contribute in the NBA if given the chance."
Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News: "I checked again with people who know Monta Ellis, and I will repeat and now can amplify what I've been saying for weeks: Ellis is working to get back healthy, but he is not happy with the Warriors, it's getting worse, and he definitely is not pleased about rejoining a Warriors universe that is ruled by Don Nelson and Robert Rowell. In fact, the word is that Ellis' recovery is coming along very nicely. Whether that means he's ready to play in a few weeks or a month or in late-March, nobody knows. It's just looking good for him as his ankle heals and he begins to get ready for some full-court work. However, that is not a purely positive thing for the Warriors. It could be a very bad thing for the Warriors, unless a sudden ceasefire is called between Warriors management and Ellis. Of course, if you've been following the last six months of Warriors activity, you know further ugliness is a far better bet than any semblance of tranquility. Rowell and Nelson are cultivating and attracting ugliness, for no good reason that I can see. I've said that I don't think Ellis will ever play for the Warriors again. Now I've got to allow that it's possible that he plays for them merely to boost his value and increase his leverage, all after informing the Warriors that he wants to be traded. Possible."
Mike Wells of The Indianapolis Star: "Many Pacers said their 12-22 record would be better if Mike Dunleavy had been there to help guide them through late-game situations. Tonight at Phoenix, they'll get to test their theory. Dunleavy will make his regular-season debut after sitting out 34 games because of a right knee problem. Savior? More like sidekick. 'I'm going to just go out and play my game, and I think it'll translate into helping out the team,' he said. Danny Granger, who is averaging a career-high 25.5 points while carrying the Pacers, let out a loud 'Yes!' on Tuesday when he found out his running mate was returning."
John Denton of Florida Today: "The Orlando Magic have been the exception to the rule for years, mysteriously struggling against the Southeast Division-rival Hawks. Including its shocking 99-85 season-opening loss to Atlanta, Orlando has dropped six of the past nine games against the resurgent Hawks. And the Magic have been even worse in Atlanta, losing six of the past seven there. ... Magic star center Dwight Howard, an Atlanta native, has been confounded for years as to why Orlando always seems to struggle against the Hawks. This set of back-to-back games is a chance for the Magic to right what they deem to be a wrong against the Hawks. '(The Hawks) seem to have our number lately, but this is our chance to send a message to that team from the start of the game,' said Howard. 'They really play well at home and they are a good team, but if we go down there and dominate from the first quarter we can get ourselves a good win.'"
Mike McGraw of the Arlington Heights Daily Herald: "A few days ago, Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro mentioned that he had no problem with teammates arguing on the floor, as long as it's constructive. Del Negro is also cool with fans booing the Bulls at the United Center, which they did during last Saturday's loss to Minnesota and again in the first half of Tuesday's win over Sacramento. 'If you don't come and play hard, you should get booed,' Del Negro said before the contest. 'Fans pay a lot of money to come to games. They want to see guys that work hard and put it out on the floor. I think we've done that for the majority of the season, but some games we haven't been as consistent in that area and those are the things that concern me.'"
Jody Genessy of the Deseret News: "Deron Williams continued his comedy routine when asked if he was offended by ESPN columnist Bill Simmons' much-ballyhooed statement early last fall about how purporting the Team USA teammates to be co-equals was as silly as comparing Pearl Jam and the Stone Temple Pilots. His response was a smile and a claim that he didn't know the meaning of the comparison because he isn't familiar with those rock groups. 'I don't listen to either of them,' Williams said with a slight grin. 'Are they like neck and neck or are they here and there? So, basically what's that mean?' When told it means Simmons (aka 'The Sports Guy') considers Chris Paul to be Pearl Jam and far superior -- on the court, and probably in concert -- Williams/Stone Temple Pilots didn't act too offended. 'Everybody's entitled to an opinion,' he said. 'That's OK. It doesn't bother me.' Kyle Korver also found no offense at Simmons' comparison. 'I'm a big fan of Stone Temple Pilots,' he said. 'There's nothing wrong with that.'"
Sam Amick of the Sacramento Bee: "When Kings swingman John Salmons voiced frustrations about his offensive struggles Monday night, there was no mistaking his opinion. Even with Kevin Martin's return from injury, Salmons said it is up to the team's coaching staff to keep him involved. A day later, Kings coach Kenny Natt disagreed. 'I'll continue to make the decisions as long as I'm the coach of the team,' Natt said before Tuesday's game. 'I'll try to do whatever I can to make things better for the guys out there on the floor. But I don't shoot shots. I don't turn the ball over. I told him, 'Hey, I'm a man, just like all of you. I've made mistakes, and we have to learn to own up to our mistakes and our lack of effort and production.'"
Ramona Shelburne and Elliott Teaford of the Los Angeles Daily News: "New Orleans coach Byron Scott sees a lot of good things in this year's Lakers team. But he's not prepared to line them up with the Showtime Era Lakers teams Scott played on back in the late 1980s. 'They're not close,' he said quickly, before the reporter could even finish asking his question. 'They're not close. They've got a swagger, but their swagger is nowhere close to ours. We just followed right behind Earvin (Magic Johnson), so everybody had to swagger ... 'I just remember from the day I got here in Los Angeles, playing with Magic and (Michael) Cooper, they had that swagger. They expected to win championships, that was the bottom line. My wife used to tell me that she would stand right by the tunnel and watch us come out. I never saw her. ... It's just like the Raiders back in the day. They used to get off the bus with the all-black on, they just tried to intimidate people. We just wanted to let you know that we were coming and we meant business all night long.'"
Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer: "Obviously, there was plenty to like about the Charlotte Bobcats Tuesday. They played great defense in overtime (five straight stops). They were precise in the first half (one turnover). The rookie (D.J. Augustin) was the best player on the court in the extra five minutes. But none of that would have mattered without something more basic: The Bobcats didn't take the Boston Celtics' crap. In particular, they didn't take Kevin Garnett's crap. All great teams are arrogant in one manner or another. When I was around the New England Patriots the year they beat the Panthers in the Super Bowl, they were subtle in their smugness. They seemed to be laughing at some joke no one else got. The Celtics aren't subtle. Garnett sure isn't subtle."
Frank Dell'Apa of The Boston Globe: "The Charlotte coaching staff listed brief reminders for players on a grease board before the game. For Garnett, the advice was brief -- 'Don't get punked,' referring to Garnett's ability to psych out opponents."
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