Notes from NBA TV’s Fan Night presented by Sprint
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Los Angeles Lakers (112) @ Houston Rockets (125)
Voting is open on NBA.com, the NBA Facebook Page, Yahoo.com, mobile web, mobile Game Time app and Twitter for next week’s Fan Night match-up that will air on Jan. 15
Fans can select between the following games:
New Orleans Hornets @ Philadelphia 76ers
Indiana Pacers @ Charlotte Bobcats
Toronto Raptors @ Brooklyn Nets
Portland Trail Blazers @ Denver Nuggets
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AutoTrader.com Pregame Show
Ernie Johnson, Chris Webber and Greg Anthony
Anthony on the Lakers style of play: “The way they are trying to play, they are not good enough to play the way the elite teams play. They can’t play as fast as OKC, San Antonio and the Clippers. They are being built to play that way but as an older version. They have to shrink the game.”
Webber on Dwight Howard’s athletic ability: “He is one of the most athletic and powerful people that I have played against including [Charles] Barkley as far as a vertical jump-up. When you look at him now, he doesn’t get that kind of lift. It does make me wonder whether he can bring it.”
Anthony on the Lakers’ chemistry: “I think chemistry is a huge issue. You don’t have to like each other to have great chemistry; they just don’t have good chemistry because of the way they are trying to play. It is hard to develop chemistry when you are asking a bunch of guys to do things they are not comfortable doing.”
Anthony on the Houston Rockets: “They have a lot of solid pieces; they just have to get better defensively to become more of a factor.”
Anthony and Webber on the top sixth men of the year who should receive All-Star consideration:
On New York Knicks guard J.R. Smith:
Anthony: “He should be an All-star. He has been one of the better defenders.”
Webber: “Definitely.”
On Los Angeles Clippers guard Jamal Crawford:
Anthony: “He’s the one guy that has elevated the Clippers from being a good basketball team to a legitimate contender for a title. He was the difference. I would say he his having an All-Star caliber season.”
Webber: “He’s an anchor just like J.R. Smith. When the bench comes in and they don’t rebound well, this is him…Mr. Offense, Mr. Automatic…he calms the whole team down.”
On Miami Heat guard Ray Allen:
Anthony: “He’s having a solid year but there’s a big difference in what he has done and being an All-Star. I don’t know if I would put him in the same category with Jamal Crawford and J.R. Smith.
Webber: “He is fitting in and making a big adjustment but not enough to be an All-Star.”
On Golden State Warriors guard Jarrett Jack:
Anthony: “I love Jarrett Jack; he’s a solid contributor and a really good player in the NBA. But there’s a difference between being that and being an All-Star. Not taking anything away from what he’s done but he’s not quite on that level.”
On Oklahoma City Thunder guard Kevin Martin:
Webber: “Kevin Martin has come in and played wonderfully. I love Kevin Martin and he is one of the best guards in the league, but not an All-Star.”
Anthony: “He has been a really good player but he hasn’t been an All-Star. He has fulfilled his role and been an All-Star in his role.”
Anthony on the 76ers: “They are playing better and beating the teams they should beat. But we still don’t know how good this team is until they show us their skill against the elite teams in the Eastern Conference.”
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Sprint Halftime Report
Johnson, Webber and Anthony
Anthony on Lakers guard Steve Nash: “As a basketball player and fan you have to appreciate the greatness of Steve Nash. He has the vision, the understanding and just the timing of how to play the game. This guy is unreal to me.”
Webber on Nash’s skill set: “His skill set survived systems, his skill set survived defensive players. Nash is a great player and a lot of it has to do with his ball handling and how he uses the great players around him.”
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NBA GameTime presented by Hyundai
Johnson, Webber and Anthony
Anthony on the Lakers having challenges in the second half of the season: “I think health is going to be an issue for them all season. They are just an older team and that is going to be a concern for them. I also don’t see any type of consistency in their effort to defend.”
Webber on the Lakers heading toward the playoffs: “I don’t think they can make the playoffs. Of course they should be able to do it, but the parity in the Western Conference is some of the best right now.”
Anthony on Rockets head coach Kevin McHale: “His coaching style reminds me of (Timberwolves head coach) Rick Adelman in that he gets the most out of his team. Everyone on the Houston roster is playing at a high level.”
Anthony on the difference between Houston and L.A.: “The Rockets play hard and the Lakers try to play hard. They try but it is just not who they are in terms of the way they have been conditioned mentally over the course of this season. It is a real glaring difference in the two organizations right now.”
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