Notes from NBA TV’s Fan Night – Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Toronto Raptors (100) @ Cleveland Cavaliers (108)
Voting is open on NBA.com for next week’s Fan Night match-up that will air on Tuesday, Jan. 26. Fans can select between the following games:
L.A. Lakers @ Washington Wizards
Minnesota Timberwolves @ New York Knicks
Milwaukee Bucks @ Dallas Mavericks
Charlotte Bobcats @ Phoenix Suns
Golden State Warriors @ Sacramento Kings
CLIP OF THE DAY
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AutoTrader.com Pre-Game Show
Johnson, Webber and McHale
Webber on why the addition of Raptors forward Hedo Turkoglu hasn’t paid dividends yet: “There are three reasons that the relationship hasn’t clicked. One, it’s just a new situation. A lot of times in a new situation you’ve got to get your feet wet and figure out who the people are that you’re playing with. Secondly, and most importantly, I don’t know that the team uses him the way he likes to play. It may be best for them, but maybe not the way he likes to play. He needs to have the ball in his hands, he’s not a catch and shoot guy. When he has the ball he draws so much attention to himself that he can then let other people get involved. He’s a facilitator; he doesn’t need you to get him the ball. Lastly, I think that Dwight Howard and Chris Bosh play two different styles of ball. Chris Bosh can use the ball and post up without anyone around, but Dwight Howard needed Hedo to get him the ball. Those three reasons are the reasons why it hasn’t jelled and they haven’t seen the possibilities of how everything can come together.”
Webber on the catalyst for the Raptors to improve their defense: “Losing did it. We sit and talk about (the Raptors), their fans do, their families do, saying you guys haven’t reached your potential. You’re second in the league in scoring and you’re 26th in defense? That is terrible, that really means that you don’t care about defense. I think that losing was the turnaround and helped be the catalyst for the coach to jump up and say, ‘listen guys, we’ve got to play defense, can’t you see?’”
McHale on the Raptors’ players needing to realize that they have to get serious about their defensive game: “You know (the Raptors) are watching film and when you’re giving up 110 points a game you know there are some terrible defensive plays. There’s some stuff where you’re not even working, you’re sitting there hoping the coach doesn’t look at you. To give up that many points, there is no effort. I just think that what happens with a good coach he’ll watch it and watch it and watch it but eventually the players have to buy in. You get embarrassed. When you’re that bad defensively you get embarrassed. They’ve improved their defense by 11 points during this winning streak, going from 108 to 97. That’s hard to do, that’s a big jump.”
McHale on the top Eastern Conference teams: “Right now Cleveland is the best team in the Eastern Conference. But I think going down the stretch when Marquis Daniels get back and gets healthy and KG (Kevin Garnett) gets back and they get a little bit of rhythm, I love their bench with Rasheed (Wallace), Marquis Daniels, Big Baby (Glen Davis) and Eddie House, those are four guy who can really play basketball. The Celtics have to catch that wave after the All-Star break, they come in and get healthy and ride that last 25 games. I always say that I’d rather be 22-3 coming down the stretch and be the seventh seed than I would be 15-15 and be the second seed.”
Sacramento Kings rookies Tyreke Evans and Omri Casspi joined Fan Night live in studio for the pregame show.
Evans on one of his first NBA experiences during the preseason: “When I first came in the NBA and I was in the preseason, I was thinking that everything was going to be easy. We went down to Oklahoma City for our first game and they played like they were the world champs. That’s when I realized in the NBA you can’t take a day off. Every night you’ve got to bring it and I just do my best to put it all out there.”
Casspi on what it’s like to play in the NBA after growing up and watching it in Israel: “I remember myself waking up at four or five in the morning with my father and older brother to watch NBA games, especially in the 90’s with Michael Jordan. It’s big, I remember the first time we got to Chicago or L.A. at the Staples Center. I was excited, I was excited to go out there and even at shoot around in the morning I had a lot of energy. I’m just happy to be here, it’s a dream come true, I’m living my dream.”
Raptors forward Chris Bosh on how he approaches each game: “Me and Andrea (Bargnani) know that we’re kind of a key to the team’s success. I know that I’ve got to do my part every time I step out onto the court, and I try to be consistent no matter who we’re playing. Cleveland is a great defensive team. They are great team period. They are probably the hottest team in the NBA this year. We’re really going to have to concentrate and really execute what we’re supposed to do on their home floor.”
Webber on Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan who is competing in the NBA Slam Dunk-In for a spot in the Sprite Slam Dunk: “I’m sure I’m like most fans in that I’m not that familiar with (DeMar) DeRozan because I haven’t seen him dunk that much. But he has a strategy already saying he’s got to save some dunks for Saturday in case he gets to the championship. Anyone who puts that much planning into a dunk contest, he’s hired a consulting agency, anytime you do all that maybe you have some skills to upset some people. He has a great thought process.”
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T-Mobile Halftime Report
Johnson, Webber and McHale
Webber on Raptors’ ability to score inside being a big factor in playing well in against the Cavaliers: “The fact that Toronto and has gotten in the paint and they are shooting so many jumpers, this just goes to show you that when you play inside, and defense is optional in this game, it gives you a chance to stay in this game. Cleveland has done a great job, but they have guys who can get in the paint. There is no way that Toronto should have this many points in the paint which shows you why they are playing a great game on the road with this great team because they are getting just as many points inside.”
McHale on Raptors forward Chris Bosh’s versatility: “(Chris Bosh) can put you on the floor and take you off the dribble, he can make jump shots. He’s just so versatile. I like the fact that he can put the ball on the floor and he makes contested shots, but yet he’s got that game where he’s just got enough speed and quickness. He’s hard to guard.”
Webber: “Speed and quickness and pacing. He doesn’t let his speed get him out of control, he’s not dribbling off of people’s feet and things like that. He’s got a very controlled game. He has one option, jump shot, a second option, pump fake and drive, third option, pump fake and step back, jump shot. You don’t know which of those three options are coming so it’s very hard to check.”
Webber on whether Cavaliers guard Mo Williams deserves to be an All-Star: “Cleveland has the best record in the East and (Mo Williams) is the point guard? Yes. Someone else from that team has to come and with the record of the team, the way he’s played – you can’t go back to playoffs, we’re talking about right now – he’s the point guard and one of the leaders with one of the best records in the East. I think so.”
McHale on the Cavaliers’ improvement as a team when guard Mo Williams improved individually: “I don’t think it’s any coincidence that (the Cavaliers) started playing better when Mo Williams started playing better. A couple of weeks into the season I think that Mo was wondering, ‘how am I going to fit in with Shaq?’ He finally said, ‘I’m going to be Mo Williams.’ And when he did, then this team took a big jump up. I think that Mo is the second most valuable player on this team for their success, so yeah, he should be an All-Star.”
McHale on the Miami Heat’s inconsistency: “(The Miami Heat) started and stopped, they sputtered, you think they are going to start playing better, but they just have not caught fire. I’ve said it all year long, (Michael) Beasley has got to become more consistent, be that second or third option to help Dwyane Wade. Sometimes you watch them play and Dwyane Wade looks like he’s playing by himself. He’s just not getting any offensive help.”
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NBA GameTime presented by Hyundai
Johnson, Webber and McHale
Webber on the lessons the Raptors can take from their loss to the Cavaliers: “There are not any moral victories of this game, but Toronto should go home and look at this tape and be proud. (They should) look at this game as a template to say if we play this way every night, meaning hard, guys are going to make more shots than this, if they play this way, execute and play hard, they’ll be in games. If you come to play hard you can steal some games. They played hard and smart but just not enough against ‘The King’ (LeBron James) and his team.”
Webber on the many facets of LeBron James’ game: “Imagine if you have a quarterback who can throw like a Montana, run like a Steve Young or Michael Vick and be a winner like a Montana. Hopefully that’s what (LeBron James) is trying to do. This guy, when he has the ball he can score at anytime, he’s athletic so he can catch an alley-oop, he’s strong so he can post up and finish like a four, he’s unselfish so he can pass it like a (Steve) Nash. He has so much talent and the great thing about him is that he’s a guy who makes you better, and he’s someone you want to play with because he has fun and he keeps you involved. It’s not just about him, it’s about the team.”
Cavaliers center Shaquille O’Neal joined the Fan Night post-game show via ArenaLink after the Cavaliers victory over the Raptors.
O’Neal on his role with the Cavaliers: “This is a different point of me in my career and it would be very idiotic of me to get 20-25 shots when you have a great player like LeBron on the court. I’m not really worried about scoring; I’ve been a high level role player. Whatever they want me to do, I will do it. I have a Shaq O’Neal quote. Listen closely, Barkley. The only demise of Shaquille O’Neal will be his age. I don’t know what that means, but it sounds cool.”
O’Neal on his long tenure in the NBA: “I’ve been in (the NBA) a long time. I always joke with my son Shareeff, he’s 10 now. He’s always saying, ‘hey, LeBron is the man,’ and ‘I tell him, ‘son, I’ve been the man for four different presidents.’ I’m just having fun and I always remember the great players like Kevin McHale and Wilt (Chamberlain) and Bill Russell. When I started playing I said, ‘when I’m done I would like to have my name mentioned with those guys.’ You too, Sir Master C-Webb!”
O’Neal on being only the fifth player to hit the milestone of 28,000 career points: “The funniest thing about me scoring 28,000 points is I just got to the locker room and I got a call from my father. He said, ‘I’m not going to take congratulations. If you had hit your free throws, dummy, you would have had 33,000.’”
McHale on encountering a rookie Shaquille O’Neal in the final year of McHale’s playing career: “My last year was (O’Neal’s) first year and I played against them, played down in Orlando. We got into an overtime game, we made a couple of shots on them and we won the game late. Shaq came up to me and said, ‘it was really an honor to play against you.’ I looked at this great big guy and I said, ‘big fella, by the time you’re done you’re going to rewrite the record books.’ You could see it back then. What a gracious guy. I’ve always enjoyed him and what a fun guy to be around.”
Webber on Cavaliers center Shaquille O’Neal’s impact on the game of basketball: “(Shaquille O’Neal) is a balance between a competitor and being gracious. If you get into it with him, he’s going to compete against you hard and let you know he means business. But he’s been one of the best ambassadors for the game that we’ve had with his humor and his honesty and sometimes with his sarcasm. I’ve had some great battles against him and at the end of the day, if I’ve hated him or loved him I always respected him and loved him again. He’s just been great for the game of basketball and we’ve all benefited from it.”
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