Today's Best NBA Reporting and Analysis 2/23/16
- Gregg Popovich On The Qualities That The Spurs Look For (from Baxter Holmes, ESPN):
"For us, it's easy. We're looking for character, but what the hell does that mean? We're looking for people — and I've said it many times — [who] have gotten over themselves, and you can tell that pretty quickly. You can talk to somebody for four or five minutes, and you can tell if it's about them, or if they understand that they're just a piece of the puzzle. So we look for that. A sense of humor is a huge thing with us. You've got to be able to laugh. You've got to be able to take a dig, give a dig — that sort of thing. And [you have to] feel comfortable in your own skin that you don't have all the answers. [We want] people who are participatory. The guys in the film room can tell me what they think of how we played last night if they want to. [Former Assistant GM] Sean Marks would sit in on our coaches' meetings when we're arguing about how to play the pick-and-roll or who we're going to play or who we're going to sit.
"We need people who can handle information and not take it personally because in most of these organizations, there's a big divide. All of the sudden, the wall goes up between management and coaching and everybody is ready to blame back and forth and that's the rule rather than the exception. It just happens. But that's about people. It's about finding people who have all of those qualities. So, we do our best to look for that and when somebody comes, they figure it out pretty quick."
- Lionel Hollins On Mike Conley; Coaching The Nets (from Stefan Bondy, NY Dauily News):
Read it here: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/lionel-hollins-knicks-target-mike-conley-chase-money-article-1.2540043
- Coach Michael Malone: The One Who Got Away From The Kings (from James Ham, csnbayarea):
Read it here: http://www.csnbayarea.com/kings/locker-room-leader-malone-one-got-away-kings
- Nagging Issues On Defense Are Bugging Denver Coach (from Christopher Dempsey, Denver Post):
Read it here: http://www.denverpost.com/nuggets/ci_29548980/nagging-issues-defense-bug-nuggets-malone
- Kings Guards Aim To Improve Perimeter Defense (from Jason Jones, Sacramento Bee):
Read it here: http://www.sacbee.com/sports/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-blog/article61902562.html
- How The Trail Blazers Became The Hottest Team (from Jason Quick):
Read it here: http://www.csnnw.com/blazers/how-trail-blazers-became-hottest-team-nba-love-learning-and-losses
- Adjustments Fuel Blazers' Turnaround (from Erik Gundersen, columbian.com):
Read it here: http://www.columbian.com/news/2016/feb/22/looking-back-adjustments-fuel-portland-turnaround/
- Bulls' Play Breakdown: The McDermott Hammer Set (from Tyler Pleiss, blogabull.com):
Read and view it here: http://www.blogabull.com/2016/2/23/11095910/hoiball-play-breakdown-the-mcdermott-hammer-set
- Analyzing The Magic's Faltering Defense (from Cory Hutson, orlandopinstripedpost):
Read and view it here: http://www.orlandopinstripedpost.com/2016/2/23/10766800/Breaking-down-Orlando-Magic-struggling-defense
- Player Devopment: Serge Ibaka, Former "Project" (form Rob Mahoney, Sports Illustrated):
Read it here: http://www.si.com/nba/2016/02/23/serge-ibaka-thunder-kevin-durant-russell-westbrook-billy-donovan
- Why The Mid-range Jumper Still Counts (from Chris Pakrer, The Guardian):
Read it here: http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/feb/23/nba-three-pointer-mid-range-jumper
- The Utah Jazz Are Growing (from Jonathan Auping, Vice Sports):
Read and view it here: https://sports.vice.com/en_us/article/the-utah-jazz-are-growing-into-something-scary/
- Aftermath Of A Voided Trade (from Bobby Marks, Yahoo Sports):
Read it here: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/front-office-insider--aftermath-of-a-voided-trade-234451759.html
- Four Days With John Wall (from Michael Lee, Yahoo Sports):
Read it here: http://sports.yahoo.com/news/four-days-with-john-wall---i-ain-t-trying-to-waste-a-season-164836324.html
- Recapping Monday's Games (from SBNation):
Read it here: http://www.sbnation.com/nba-scores
- NBPA Notifies Agents Of Regulation Tightening, Conflict Ban (from Ken Berger, CBS Sports):
Read it here: http://www.cbssports.com/nba/writer/ken-berger/25491940/nbpa-notifies-agents-of-tighter-regulations-ban-on-double-dealing
Additional Player Notes, Updates, Profiles:
- Devin Booker (from Paul Coro, Arizona Republic): Phoenix Suns hoping Devin Booker starts getting defensive
- Moe Harkless (from Mike Richman, Oregon Live): http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/index.ssf/2016/02/moe_harkless_has_emerged_as_a_game_changer_for_the.html
- Derrick Rose (from Ian Levy, Sporting News): http://www.sportingnews.com/nba-news/4695829-derrick-rose-chicago-bulls-mvp-point-guard-jimmy-butler-injury and (from Gerald Bourguet, Hoops Habit): http://hoopshabit.com/2016/02/21/can-derrick-rose-recapture-star-form-2016/3/
- Anderson Varejao (from Ethan Sherwood Strauss, ESPN):
- Steph Curry (from Ethan Sherwood Strauss, ESPN): http://espn.go.com/blog/golden-state-warriors/post/_/id/1335/steph-curry-the-friendly-assassin
- Karl-Anthony Towns (from Kent Youngblood, Star Tribune): http://www.startribune.com/work-is-towns-secret-for-avoiding-rookie-wall/369749801/
- JaKarr Sampson (from Nate Timmons, bsndenver.com): http://bsndenver.com/new-nuggets-forward-jakarr-sampson-im-just-ready-to-get-to-work/
- Jerian Grant (from Fred Kerber, NYPost): http://nypost.com/2016/02/22/jerian-grant-gets-rare-chance-to-actually-learn-by-doing/
- Bradley Beal (from Ben Standig, csnmidatlantic): http://www.csnmidatlantic.com/basketball-washington-wizards/talk/historic-and-current-oddities-beals-free-throw-woes
- Hassan Whiteside (from Manny Navarro, Miami Herald): http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/nba/miami-heat/article61887667.html
- Channing Frye (from Chris Fedor, cleveland.com): http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/index.ssf/2016/02/channing_frye_will_do_whatever.html#incart_river_index
- J.J.Barea (from Tim McMahon, ESPN): http://espn.go.com/dallas/nba/story/_/page/QAMavs022216/how-dallas-mavericks-guard-jj-barea-made-mark-league
- Marcus/Markieff Morris (from Ric Bucher, Bleacher Report): http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2618242-think-you-know-what-the-nbas-morris-twins-are-all-about-think-again
- Justin Holiday (from Sam Smith, Bulls.com): http://www.nba.com/bulls/news/samsmith/what-justin-holiday-brings-table-bulls
- Ricky Ledo (from Brian Rzeppa, Ridiculous Upside): http://www.ridiculousupside.com/2016/2/23/11079630/how-improved-shooting-is-guiding-ricky-ledo-career-year-in-nba-d-league