John Wall’s latest practice sessions included some contact, according to Carla Peay of The Washington Times: “He did some live contact today, as did Trevor [Ariza],” Wittman said. “You could see the excitement in [Wall‘s] eyes to reach that point. It was good. That’s a positive, trust me. Now we’ve got to get him in shape. That’s the main thing. He’s been out a long time.”… “We’ve got to make sure he’s in good condition,” Wittman said. “He can’t go out there and hurt himself from a calf muscle or a hamstring or something. We don’t want to set ourselves up for that.”… “We needed practice,” Wittman said. “We need to get better.”
The Nets will take a patient approach in “wooing” Phil Jackson, according to Howard Beck of The New York Times: “Based on a combination of public gestures, private conversations and the signals being picked up in coaching circles, a rough framework of the Nets’ plan has emerged: They will woo Jackson whenever he is ready to be wooed, whether now or this summer. They will happily stick with Carlesimo as the interim coach for the duration of the season, and perhaps even beyond, depending on the results. No other candidates are in serious play, although that could change in a few months, depending on the Nets’ performance and Jackson’s ultimate position.”
George Karl believes the Timberwolves, at times, are better off without Kevin Love in the lineup, according to Jerry Zgoda of Star Tribune: “His shooting woes continued Thursday, as he shot 4-for-13 but also had 17 rebounds in 23 1/2 minutes. He declined to speak to reporters after the game. “Obviously, he’s a big part of what we do,” Ridnour said. “But we were able to get out, run some pick-and-rolls, get some stops. Our defense picked up and we got some big stops off their transition.” Said Karl: “I think Minnesota at times plays better without Love. They’re kind of a machine-like offense. They give guys different opportunities. But they’re pretty good.”
Russell Westbrook wants to beat the Heat so bad that he loses trust in teammates as a result of his desire, from sideline reporter Ric Bucher: “Russ Westbrook wants nothing more than to beat the Miami Heat. He might just want it too much. A league source who knows Russ well believes that for the Thunder to avenge their loss to the Heat in last year’s Finals, Westbrook can’t go to his reflex, which is to take matters into his own hands when the game gets wobbly. It is a reflex that makes him both a great player and a highly criticized point guard. That’s how he went at it in last year’s finals and again on Christmas Day. “Russell has to trust his teammates more,” the source said. “He does in most other games, but he just wants to win so bad against Miami, he doesn’t as much.”
Darvin Ham thinks there is no comparison between Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan in terms of shooting, from Mike Trudell of Lakers.com: “Ham: I think Kobe is a far better pure shooter. I think they’re both equal in having initial moves, counter moves, and then if you stop the initial and counter, they have an escape move. They’re totally identical in that aspect. Mike was probably stronger, but Kobe is more fluid. Take nothing away from Mike (because) he had an amazing, amazing arsenal of moves, but Kobe is a lot more fluid. He’s never off balance and he can shoot with either hand, which just makes it really tough on the defender.”
Jeremy Lin is nowhere near as marketable as he was last season. Here are some reasons for his decline in popularity, according to Darren Rovell of ESPN: “Now he’s in the Houston market, and he’s not even at the top of people’s minds there. The Texans grab a majority of the headlines with football season still ongoing, and even on his own team, Lin is living in the marketing shadow of his teammate James Harden, who scores more points and has that sexy beard. Then there’s something people outside the Houston market might not know: It’s not exactly easy to find the Rockets on local television these days. Due to a pricing feud, Comcast Sportsnet Houston, which carries the games, is only available to 40 percent of area homes.”
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Is D’Antoni for real? I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, he has to be the most belligerent SOB in all of sports.