Notes from TNT’s NBA Coverage – Thursday, November 8, 2012
TNT’s NBA coverage continues Thursday, November 15, with a doubleheader featuring the Boston Celtics @ Brooklyn Nets at 8 p.m. ET followed by the Miami Heat @ Denver Nuggets at 10:30 p.m.
***QUOTE OF THE NIGHT***
“I’m going on the record. The best center in the West right now is DeAndre Jordan. You heard it here first.”
– Shaquille O’Neal on who is the best center in the Western Conference
***CLIP OF THE NIGHT***
(Please click the text below to view)
The Inside the NBA crew congratulate Charles on his “retirement”
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TNT NBA Tip-off presented by AutoTrader.com
Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith
Barkley on the Thunder trading James Harden for economic reasons: “Oklahoma City has a bright future but the biggest problem they’re going to have is being able to sign all of their guys. If you look at the economics, you can’t pay [Kevin] Durant, [Russell] Westbrook, [Serge] Ibaka, [Kendrick] Perkins and James Harden. That’s just not feasible. If you sign those five guys, you aren’t going to be able to pay anybody on your bench.”
O’Neal on Bulls forward Joakim Noah: “He gets better every year. He always plays with a lot of energy. I think he’s having his career year. With their ultimate scorer [Derrick Rose] out, he has picked up some of the slack. He’s having his best year so far.”
O’Neal on Bulls forward Carlos Boozer: “He’s a veteran and a big, strong guy. I would love to see him play the way he’s supposed to play…powerful rather than shooting jumpers all the time.”
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Game 1: Oklahoma City Thunder (97) @ Chicago Bulls (91)
Announcers: Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Reggie Miller (analyst) and Craig Sager (reporter)
Miller comparing Rockets guard James Harden and Thunder guard Kevin Martin: “[Kevin Martin] and James Harden go about it differently. James Harden would have the ball a little bit more in pick-and-roll situations, he’s more of a playmaker and he’ll get you buckets. Kevin Martin is going to use the screens a little bit more and set his man up.”
Miller on the Thunder taking time to adjust following the James Harden trade: “You lost a big part of your team when James Harden got traded. It’s going to take some time but you have to understand that’s why there are so many different combinations with so much young talent that the Thunder have. It’s going to be a while before [head coach] Scott Brooks understands that he’s got guys that can solidify and play together. It’s a good luxury to have.”
Miller on the Thunder: “The Thunder don’t force a lot of turnovers…but when you’ve got these young guns that are energetic, can play the wings and get out into the open court, good things are going to happen.”
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Sprint Halftime Report
Johnson, Barkley, O’Neal and Smith
O’Neal on Thunder forward Serge Ibaka: “I really like [Ibaka], he’s fearless. He never stops moving and he’s so aggressive. He’s really good.”
Barkley on the importance of Serge Ibaka to the Thunder’s ability to contend for a championship: “If this team is going to win a championship, Westbrook needs to be more under control and Ibaka is the guy because you’re not going to beat the Miami Heat on the perimeter. They’ve got two of the best five players in the world. The only way to beat the Heat is to beat them up physically inside. If Ibaka can keep getting better on the offensive boards and he can post up and dominate them down low…they are going to go to the next level. Ibaka is the guy who has the most room for improvement.”
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Miller on whether the Bulls can win the Central Divison: “Yes they can. Everyone thought it would be the Indiana Pacers with Derrick Rose going down [with injury]. The one thing you can count on is, defensively, the Chicago Bulls will be there night in and night out.”
TNT’s Craig Sager interviewed Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeau following the third quarter
Thibodeau on the challenge of defending Thunder forward Kevin Durant: “You can’t guard him individually…we have to guard him with our entire team.”
Miller on Thunder guard Kevin Martin: “Not that James Harden was a great defender, but that’s been one of the knocks on Kevin Martin is that he doesn’t play any defense at all. That’s going to be required in this position.”
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Game 2: Los Angeles Clippers (103) @ Portland Trail Blazers (90)
Announcers: Marv Albert (play-by-play), Steve Kerr (analyst) and Stacy Paetz (reporter)
Kerr on Trail Blazers rookie point guard Damian Lillard: “He’s got a beautiful stroke. Head coach Terry Stotts told us that every time Lillard goes up for a shot, you feel like it’s going in. Some guys just have that. Steve Nash, Ray Allen… [Lillard has] got that kind of stroke. That’s what is so exciting for Blazers fans. He is their point guard of the future.”
Kerr on the Trail Blazers retooling: “It’s shocking how quickly they’ve had to retool. It was about three years ago when they looked like they were the up-and-coming team…and it all fell apart with injuries. They’ve had to retool on the fly. They’re gaining assets and have some good young players.”
Kerr on the Clippers: “They were very predictable offensively last season. Better execution on both ends is the next stage for them to become elite.”
Kerr on what the Clippers need to do to take the next step towards a championship: “They are poised to take that next step but it’s a difficult process to go from good to great. It’s one of the hardest things to do in the NBA. I love the character of the players, their work ethic and their competitiveness. They just have to get to that elite level defensively. That’s what all the championship teams do and that’s the next stage.”
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Sprint Halftime Report
Johnson, Barkley, O’Neal and Smith
O’Neal on Clippers center DeAndre Jordan: “I don’t know what all the other big guys were doing this summer but I know what DeAndre Jordan was doing…he was working on his game. He’s playing like a real big man, taking his time and going right over the top. Nothing can stop him in this game.”
O’Neal on who is the best center in the Western Conference: “I’m going on the record. The best center in the West right now is DeAndre Jordan. You heard it here first.”
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Kerr on Trail Blazers forward Nicolas Batum: “Batum is hot and cold. He’ll get hot and light it up and then he’ll have nights when he can’t buy a hoop. He’s at the point in his career where he needs to be more consistent and add more things to his game…he’s got to continue to improve.”
Kerr on Nicolas Batum’s defense: “Does Batum remind you of Scottie Pippen defensively? He has incredible length, range, speed, quickness and the ability to guard multiple positions, particularly a point guard. He’s been amazing on [Clippers point guard] Chris Paul.”
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Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai
Johnson, Barkley, O’Neal and Smith
Smith on Clippers center DeAndre Jordan: “A lot of players get to a point of ‘gratification of contract.’ Meaning, I have a contract but that doesn’t mean that I’m a good player. I think this summer DeAndre Jordan realized his basketball ability didn’t match his contract. It is so noticeable that he’s been working on his game. You can watch one game and realize that he is a different guy.”
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