Doc Rivers Not Looking Forward Towards Match-Up Against Son
From Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald:
“I’m actually not,” said Rivers, whose club will take a six-game win streak onto the parquet. “I still don’t know how to feel about it. “I’ve always thought he had a shot to be in the league, but I never thought about coaching against him. You don’t ever think about that part. “I’ll be glad when the game’s over. I can put it that way.”
“I don’t care if he’s Doc’s kid,” Jeff Green said. “Is he going to get mad at me? I mean, he wants us to stop him, right? If he comes into the lane, I’m going to hit him. Welcome to the NBA, kid.”
Added Pierce, “I knew he’d be an NBA player. I had a chance to play him one-on-one when he was like in the 10th grade, and I think I went upstairs and told Doc, ‘You’ve got an NBA player right here.’ I knew from there he’d be able to make it to the NBA.”
Timetable Not Set for Derrick Rose Return
From Seth Gruen of the Chicago Sun-Times:
Coach Tom Thibodeau said the next step for Rose is to practice with contact. If he shows no ill effects from the injury after going through such drills, Rose could lobby to return sooner than the organization intends. Thibodeau said he limits the amount of contact the team goes through because of the schedule. So he will look to get Rose extended practice time when he integrates him into the contact portion.
George Karl: Andre Miller Should Be an All-Star
From Christopher Dempsey of the Denver Post:
Asked which of his players he deems worthy for consideration, Karl paused for a second.
“That would be really difficult to say,” Karl said. “I’d probably say Andre Miller. From the standpoint of efficient minutes, Andre’s given us as efficient minutes as anybody."
Tayshaun Prince Not Affected by Trade Rumors
From Vincent Goodwill of the Detroit News:
“The reason why I’m always positive and upbeat is because around the same time all the time, people always ask me and expect the answer to change and it’s not,” Prince said. “The first time I was on the trading block it was my sixth or seventh year, and you asked me that, my answer might be different. I was a younger player.
“You know what? I don’t think about it. You know why? I’ve been on the trading block since my sixth year in the league, according to who you talk to,” said Prince, who put additional emphasis on “according to”.
“One day it might hit me. I might get in a position where it’s time for me to win one more (championship),” Prince said. “To go to a contender-type team. I might go to Joe that day and say ‘it’s time for me to move on’ and play that route but now is not the time.”
Warriors Know Winning Against Heat Won't Be Easy, Despite Their Struggles
From Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle:
“They’re playing some rough road games, but I don’t think they’re going to panic,” Jackson said after Tuesday’s practice, a day ahead of his squad’s rematch with Miami. “They’re the champs for a reason. They have all-time greats. They have a very, very good coach, who does an exceptional job of leading that team. I don’t think they’re concerned, and rightfully so.”
“They still have LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh,” Warriors power forward David Lee said. “Those guys are pretty good. We have a huge challenge ahead of us.”
Eric Bledsoe To Still Back-Up Chris Paul, Chauncey Billups
From Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times:
“I’m just preparing for that moment,” Bledsoe said in his typically quiet voice. “I’m still learning behind Chris and Chauncey. Hopefully, we win a championship and if I do get that chance, I can lead a team.”
“I’m just focused on winning,” Bledsoe said. “I’m just focused on winning and learning how to win right now. For the most part, I’m just continuing working and building, learning how to run a team. The other stuff will take care of itself.”
LeBron James, Erik Spoelstra Speak On 20,000 Points Milestone
From Ira Winderman of the Sun-Sentinel:
“It’s more than a number,” James said. “It means I’ve been able to stay healthy, for one. And I’ve been able to, I guess, play at this level at a high level, and been around teammates that allow me to play at a high level, as well.
“What’s most notable, probably, about the fact that he’s been able to get to that milestone so quickly is he’s not simply a scorer,” Spoelstra said. “He’s been criticized for that, not necessarily always having a scorer’s mentality.
Timberwolves React to Ricky Rubio's Shooting Woes
From Jerry Zgoda of the Star-Tribune:
“The big thing for him is the legs, and I’m not sure how good his legs feel,” Wolves acting head coach Terry Porter said. “I think that’s something as you play more minutes, your legs are very important. You don’t want to become an arm shooter. You’ve got to use your legs.”
“All that stuff is going to work itself out,” Porter said. “Obviously, that [his 22.2 percent shooting] is something that jumps out at you. I think that’s part of the process of him getting back in the game, getting his knee stronger.
“I have to work my legs because it has been a long time,” Rubio said. “If I’m working them, I can feel they are not ready, but it’s going to come. … It’s hard when you feel like you are not 100 percent yet. You want to do it. Your mind is doing it, but your legs are not. I just have to keep pushing and it’s going to come.”
Mirza Teletovic Making Impact for Nets
From Zach Schnonbrun of the New York Times:
“I wasn’t prepared to adjust to everything this team expects from you,” Teletovic said. “Different rules on defense, different rules on offense, just a lot of new stuff. You need a month or two just to get used to it a little bit.”
“He’ll have practices where he won’t miss a shot,” guard Keith Bogans said. “What you saw from him today is what we’ve seen from him in practice.”
“He stayed patient,” Deron Williams said. “He was in a tough position where he wasn’t getting much playing time, getting thrown out there for a few minutes and having to produce. That’s tough for anybody to do.”
Deron Williams Doesn't Think He's an All-Star
From Tim Bontemps of the New York Post:
“No,” Williams said bluntly when asked if he was having an All-Star season. When asked to elaborate, he simply said, “I just think there’s people playing better than me.”
Joe Johnson Downplays Return to Atlanta
From Filip Bondy of the New York Daily News:
As for the trip to Atlanta, he insisted, “Not to be downplaying it, but it’s just another game. There are familiar faces, but I’ll just be going for another win.”
“I have no idea,” he said of the expected reception. “It won’t affect me one way or another.”
Johnson says he “wasn’t upset at all” by the deal.
“That was the direction they went,” he said. He makes no waves, then or now.
When informed of the trade last July, Johnson had faith the Nets would become a top contender in the East. He now calls them, “one of the most complete teams I’ve ever played with.”
