Notes from NBA TV’s Fan Night presented by 2K Sports’ NBA 2K11
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
Memphis Grizzles (105) @ Los Angeles Lakers (124)
Voting is open on NBA.com for next weeks Fan Night match-up that will air on Tuesday, Nov. 10. Fans can select between the following games:
Denver Nuggets @ Indiana Pacers
Utah Jazz @ Miami Heat
New York Knicks @ Milwaukee Bucks
L.A. Clippers @ New Orleans Hornets
Minnesota Timberwolves @ L.A. Lakers
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AutoTrader.com Pre-Game Show
Ernie Johnson, Kevin McHale and Chris Webber
McHale on Lakers guard Kobe Bryant being a hundred percent after knee surgery: “He’s such a dynamic player. The guy has played regular season games, playoff games. He is such a machine. He really rises up and uses his leg. He has to have his leg feeling good and it must be feeling good because he is making shots.”
Webber on how well Bryant is playing after surgery: “He is playing well early. He is not exerting so much energy. He’s not checking the best defender; he has Ron Artest doing that. He hasn’t played as many minutes. I think his leg is fine. It is only going to get better with time. He doesn’t have to do as much because this team is well-seasoned.”
McHale on Lakers guard Steve Blake: “I think he is going to let (Derrick Fisher) Fish get some rest. They need this guy right here to make shots. I think he will run the triangle beautifully. He is a great fit for them.”
Webber on Steve Blake’s contributions to the Lakers: “I think his consistency and temperament are perfect for this team. He and (Derrick) Fisher are the same player, except he may be a little younger.”
McHale on Memphis Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay: “Rudy Gay has his hands full (against the Lakers). I think there is only one way to play Ron Artest. You have to get the ball and attack him. Rudy Gay is really a good offensive player so it will be fun to see what he can do against a strong, physical Ron Artest. This guy has length, he has the ability to rise up and shoot it and can go in the post, but Ron Artest makes his money by shutting guys down like Rudy Gay.”
Webber on Shannon Brown being a key player for the Lakers this season: “To be young and have that much athletic ability (for me) it was hard to listen because you know your body could do certain things and you didn’t want to play in certain systems. I’m so happy that Shannon Brown is coming out (this year) and being aggressive. It is good to see young pieces of teams just fitting in and becoming a good solid part of the team.”
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T-Mobile Halftime Report
Johnson, McHale and Webber
Webber on Washington Wizards guard John Wall: “When this guy has the ball, you just see it. He is long, he has extremely long arms and is very fast, he gets everyone involved. He is very athletic and can finish. When he is coming down the court, you don’t know whether to stop him, get to someone open or if he can finish.”
McHale on Wall’s abilities: “The thing I like about him is that he has good vision. He has such quickness that you have to space him. If you get up on him, he’s gone. He has great ability to change direction going really fast and when he makes his jump shot on a steady basis he will be unguardable, very much like (Derrick) Rose. He reminds me a lot of Derrick Rose.”
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NBA Gametime
Ernie Johnson, Kevin McHale, Chris Webber
Webber on the importance of an inclusive atmosphere: “Being a captain on teams before it was good when I had reinforcements. The locker room was ours, meaning that it was the teams. No matter whom you were, if you come into the locker room you have to abide by the rules. There are no role players. I think that Matt Barnes, the guards, (Steve) Blake, everybody else is going to come in and be a part of that unit. If you’re not part of that team, then you are ostracized. That’s the way it should be. It has to be the team first.”
McHale on the chemistry between Lakers teammates: “They brought in two very intelligent players in (Matt) Barnes and (Steve) Blake. They really know how to play. Then they have a bunch of rookies who are just happy to be there. Then they’re going to bring back (Anthony) Bynum which is going to add to their depth. They have something that is very special and it will be fun to see what kind of record they end up putting together this year. They can will a lot of games this year.”
Webber on the Lakers strategy for the season: “Everyone is talking about Miami (winning) 72 games. No one is going to win 72 games. But no one is talking about the Lakers, which is where I suspect the Lakers want to be, under the radar. I think they are just plotting away and they are going to stack up their wins and in the end we’ll say, ‘wow, their record is the best.’”
Webber on Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant being motivated by the Miami Heat: “I think Kobe is sitting back like the old wise grandfather and saying ‘I know they’re good but wait until we get our turn.’ He says he doesn’t need motivation, I believe that and he’s proved it. But you can’t tell me that this (decision) did not motivate him any extra. If you motivated him or (Los Angeles Lakers head coach) Phil Jackson, who is in his last year of his contract, any more it could be scary as to what his potential is.”
McHale on Bryant’s performance after surgery: “Kobe looks really good. His knee looks really good. When he says he feels fine he really does.”
Webber on the San Antonio Spurs’ ability to beat the Los Angeles Lakers: “They’re under the radar. Everyone is talking about Miami (Heat). Everyone is talking about the (Los Angeles) Lakers. They just resigned (guard) Tony Parker, made sure they had (Manu) Ginobili, they play hard, and we know that they put that effort in every night. Last year, we thought (teams) would get past San Antonio and they didn’t. I think San Antonio (has it) because of their structured system and the team they have.”
Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant joins NBA TV via satellite after win over Memphis Grizzlies
Bryant on his performance after pre-season surgery: “Just had a little patience, just doing the right things and making sure that I’m strong. Make sure I’m flexible. When the season started, I was ready to go.”
Bryant on breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s record of most minutes played: “I’ve been very fortunate to play with one organization my entire career. I just feel very lucky because you don’t see that too often.”
Bryant on the message he has shared with young teammates: “Intellect and patience. Those are the two things that go a long way for us. We need to be smart in how we play and how we practice. (Be) patient. (We need) to be able to develop as the season progresses and continue to evolve as a team.”
Webber on the Lakers 4-0 season start: “You build confidence through practice. They have a unit that has been together for a long time. The trust that what they have instilled in each other is great. They’re all policing each other because they want to be the best team.”
McHale on Bryant’s leadership ability: “I like what Kobe said. If you’re intelligent and take care of the ball you’re going to win a lot of games. He’s a great leader. He not only makes great end of game shots, he leads them throughout the season. I’m very impressed with him.”
Webber on Boston Celtics’ point guard Rajon Rondo: “I think point guards in the NBA should look at how Rondo plays. They are a lot of point guards that are more talented offensively as far as shooting. They are a lot of point guards that have better finishers on their team. This guy does it because it makes his team better. He’s not trying to score and take all the credit. He really keeps everybody involved. I haven’t seen a true point guard like this besides (Phoenix Suns Steve) Nash in awhile.”
McHale on Rondo: “It’s amazing that you can dominate NBA games without scoring a lot of points. He is so good defensively. He’s good with the ball. He dominates the game. You can talk about the Big 3 but it’s the Fantastic Four (Celtics) because he is valuable to that team.”
Webber on Washington Wizards’ rookie John Wall’s performance the first three games: “He does it with speed. I think I’ve played with some of the fastest basketball players ever. But when this guy has the ball, he’s very fast, and gets everyone involved. He’s athletic. He can finish. When he is coming down that court, you don’t know whether to stop him, whether to get to someone that’s open, or if he is going to finish.”
McHale on Wall: “He’s got good vision, too. He’s got great speed and a great ability to change direction. When he makes his jumps shots on a steady basis, he’ll be un-guardable. He reminds me a lot of Derrick Rose.”
Webber on current NBA guards: “(Sacramento Kings) Tyreke Evans, rookie of the year, (Chicago Bulls) Derrick Rose, rookie of the year, (Washington Wizard) John Wall, who is a good rookie, all come from the same system. I have to give Rod Strickland a shout out. I played with him. He was a great finisher. I know how he would take his time and always want to get to the hole but never take a jumper. I like how he infused that type of aggression into these young guys. I really see his influence. We have the best guards we’ve seen in a long time.”
Webber changes his prediction on the Atlanta Hawks: “The Hawks are going to be good. I didn’t have them going to the playoffs. But tonight they showed a lot. I didn’t know where their chemistry was going to be after their coach being gone. They are playing well together. They are talented. I just didn’t know if they would see that talent through.”
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