Notes from NBA on TNT Coverage ­ Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015

Webber on the team play of the Rockets: “The Rockets are winning games because of sharing and penetration, and it all starts with [James] Harden.”

Webber on Rockets forward Josh Smith: “He’s athletic and a willing passer. He is a good defender and keeps guys involved, but [for Smith to be successful in the NBA] it’s going to take somebody like Rockets head coach Kevin McHale believing in him.”

Webber on the winning style of the Rockets: “The great thing about Houston is they have defenders, guys that can steal; they shoot threes and they have the personnel to switch. If [center] Dwight Howard goes out, [power forward] Donatas Motiejunas comes in to stretch the floor. It seems like the perfect team for the defensive and offensive style that [head coach] Kevin McHale wants to see his team play.”

Webber on Josh Smith’s poor three-point shooting: “If you don’t shoot well, it affects your aggressiveness. Smith needs to improve his three-point shooting or teams are going to hack-a-Josh in the fourth quarter, and the Rockets don’t want that.”

Webber on Rockets point guard Patrick Beverley: “We all know he is a capable offensive player but, with his defense, any offense that you get is just extra. Usually you have a specialist on your team that just plays defense. No one in the league guards the ball or turns guys like he does. Having his offense is just the icing on the cake.”

Webber on the recent incident between Kevin Garnett and Dwight Howard: “I would like to see Dwight Howard protect himself and show other players that you can’t do that to him, but that’s not his personality or his character.”

Webber on Thunder’s recent trade for guard Dion Waiters: “They are starting to get their mojo and their groove back, and they are very excited about Waiters. They are saying that he is a defensive player and he really helps the facilitating.”

Webber on the versatility of Westbrook: “I love the different speeds of Westbrook…he can speed it up or slow it down. He can also shoot from anywhere on the court.”

Webber on the three-team trade between the Cavaliers, Knicks and Thunder: “I like the trade for everyone, especially [Thunder guard] Dion Waiters. Whenever you are traded it’s a deflation of your ego, but you have to remember someone wanted you and asked for you. It’s a great opportunity for guys to revaluate themselves, be honest and reinvent themselves.”

Webber on reported trade involving Nets center Brook Lopez to the Thunder: “I know it’s just speculation, but Brook Lopez is what OKC might need. He can block shots and finish. If I’m a Thunder fan; I’m very excited about that prospect.”

Miller on the reason it is taking this Cavaliers time to find their rhythm: “There are a lot of moving parts. You are adding a center, two shooting guards [J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert], a new system and a rookie coach who has never coached in the NBA before.”

Miller on Cavs head coach David Blatt: “The thought when he first came to Cleveland was that he was going to expand the Cavaliers’ game offensively. The reason why we haven’t seen that is all the injuries and trades.”

Miller on the relationship between LeBron James and Kobe Bryant: “I equate these two to Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan on the original Dream Team. Kobe and LeBron are the best of their generation, obviously. They have a special relationship. They are the best players on the planet.”

Miller on Cavaliers center Kevin Love’s back spasms: “You can tell Kevin Love is very uncomfortable by the way he is walking. His back is really acting up. If you’re [head coach] David Blatt that is something to really think about. There are a lot of games left to play.”

Miller on Love playing through the pain: “It sends a message to your team. ‘I play hurt. I’ll do whatever it takes to win.’”

Miller on the notion that the Lakers might shut Kobe down after the All-Star break: “If that ever happens, I would love to be in the room for that conversation. There is no way Kobe will ever think about shutting down. He wants to compete at the highest level, all the time. It’s already tough enough that the Lakers have cut his minutes down to 32, but Father Time is undefeated for a reason.”

Miller on the mutual respect shared by Kobe Bryant and LeBron James: “LeBron looks up to Kobe, but it’s mutual respect and admiration. At the end of the day, these two want to beat each other, but they’ll have a good time while doing it. It’s been a while since we’ve seen them going against each other on the court due to injuries. It’s a great scene.”

Miller on how the Lakers can improve next season: “In a perfect world, this team wants to be bad enough to have a top five pick. Then they will get an injured [Lakers rookie] Julius Randle back, have a top draft pick and still have money to go out and get a top free agent.”

Miller on the impressive play of Kobe Bryant: “I hope people appreciate this. We aren’t going to see it much longer. There are only two guards in the history of the game that I would take over Kobe Bryant. One being Michael Jordan, the other being Magic Johnson. After that, Kobe Bryant is the best guard who has ever played this game.”