The Starting Five

TNT NBA Thursday continues on Thurs., February 5th with an exclusive doubleheader featuring a rematch of the 2008 NBA Finals. At 8 p.m. ET, Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers visit Kevin Garnett and the Boston Celtics. The second game will feature Deron Williams and the Utah Jazz hosting Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks at 10:30 p.m. ET. The night will conclude with the Emmy® award-winning studio show Inside the NBA presented by Hyundai with Ernie Johnson (host), Kenny Smith (analyst) and two-time NBA MVP and 14-time All-Star Karl Malone (guest analyst).

TNT will be in Phoenix, AZ for exclusive coverage of NBA All-Star 2009 from February 12-15. All-Star starter LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers will join TNT as part of the network’s telecast of the 2009 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam on Friday, Feb. 13 at 9 p.m. ET. Beginning at 5 p.m. ET on Saturday, February 14, Inside the NBA, featuring a game of H-O-R-S-E with NBA players, will tip off the night’s action followed at 7 p.m. ET with NBA All-Star Slam Dunk Theater. Exclusive live coverage of NBA All-Star Saturday Night presented by State Farm follows at 8 p.m. ET, which includes the Haier Shooting Stars competition, the Playstation Skills Challenge, the Foot Locker Three-Point Shootout, and the Sprite Slam Dunk. Play-by-play announcer Marv Albert and analysts Doug Collins and Reggie Miller will be courtside for the 2009 NBA All-Star Game on Sunday, February 15 at 8 p.m. ET.

I participated in the annual teleconference, but almost didn’t get on. These can be a little frustrating but it’s great to listen to questions of reporters from across the nation. My question is near the bottom and I’ll have Reggie Miller’s response transcribed a little later on.

Interviewing Skip Bayless later today. If anyone has questions, hit me up by email. I wanna make this good.

Participants:

Marv Albert, TNT NBA play-by-play announcer

Reggie Miller, TNT NBA analyst

Doug Collins, TNT NBA analyst

Jeff Behnke, Turner Sports executive producer

Albert on Lakers guard Kobe Bryant being lauded by Knicks fans when he put up 61 points on Monday night: “At the (Madison Square) Garden these days, it’s a combination of appreciation, and even though the Knicks are better this season, there is frustration that they are under 500 and that they have not been good in quite some time.  The climate is so different these days, the guys like Kobe (Bryant) and LeBron (James) and Dwyane Wade, these guys are so popular and they get so much exposure, all three come across so well in commercials, interviews and they are very likeable.  In most arenas it has become similar to applauding for a popular entertainer, these guys are like rock stars.  A few years back when Reggie Miller was lighting it up against the Knicks at the Garden, perhaps even he would have been well received. Then again, maybe not.”

Miller on his exchange with Knicks fan Spike Lee about the Madison Square Garden crowd chanting “MVP” for Lakers guard Kobe Bryant: “Playing at the Garden is the number one venue for any NBA player to play in.  I was watching the game last night, and I was texting Spike (Lee) as the game was going on and saying how disappointed I was in the fans chanting MVP to Kobe, ‘how the mighty have fallen.’ In times past, I never got cheered, I’m sure (Michael) Jordan never got cheered and now they are chanting MVP for Kobe.  (Spike Lee) kept texting back saying, ‘times have changed, the climate has changed.’

Miller on Lakers guard Kobe Bryant’s 61-point performance and how it effects the MVP race: “It was a fabulous performance by the reigning MVP (Kobe Bryant).  Every time everyone is conceding the MVP this year, rightfully so to LeBron James who is having a fabulous year, Kobe comes out with a performance like this that makes everyone say, ‘let’s hold off a little bit and let the season play out and take a look at both guys’ stats the whole year.’  Every time someone talks about LeBron, Kobe comes out with a performance that makes everyone scratch their heads and say, ‘we could be looking at a two-time MVP, back-to-back.’”

Miller on his experience with the game H-O-R-S-E which will debut during NBA All-Star Weekend: “We had to go to H-O-R-S-E after I kept losing one-on-one to (sister) Cheryl, so we went to an easier game, which is the H-O-R-S-E game. I’m very familiar with H-O-R-S-E, it’s something I could definitely beat Cheryl in because all I had to do was go back into my mom’s rose garden and shoot some long range jump shots and I could get the letters on Cheryl.”

Collins on how the absence of Lakers center Andrew Bynum will affect the team, particularly once they head into the playoffs: “They played forty-seven games at the end of last year without (Andrew) Bynum. It’s shame this guy has gone through this again, obviously he was starting to play his best basketball, he had gone through a five game stretch averaging 25 (points) a game, his rebounding and shot blocking was up. (TNT had) the first game of the year and (Lakers coach) Phil Jackson was very outspoken in that they wanted the home court advantage this year all the way through, so if they got to the NBA Finals, Game #6 and 7 would be in their building.  He talked very strongly about how the front line was going to have to be tougher and how the team was more prepared to start the season and not ease into the season because they had such a good early schedule. (Kobe Bryant) is a basketball genius, part of last night (Monday) was him sending a message that, ‘we are going to be ok, as long as I’m on this team we are going to be ok.’ I don’t think the concern is the regular season, they are going to win a ton of regular season games, the question is come playoff time.  If (Andrew Bynum) is not healthy they are going to miss his size and strength on that front line.  Phil (Jackson) last year spoke mightily about how he thought his team was out-toughed on the front line.  They got out rebounded by 30 rebounds which is five a game.  That is such a critical thing come playoff time. I don’t see them missing (Bynum) during the regular season, but come playoff time, when you start playing in a game and it gets more into the half court and you need that size and strength on the front line, that’s where I think his absence will be felt.”

Miller on which player should be selected to the NBA All-Star team in place of injured Magic guard Jameer Nelson: “You can’t go wrong either way with (Cavaliers guard Mo Williams or Celtics guard Ray Allen).  I felt that both players should have made the initial NBA All-Star team.  When you look at the Cleveland Cavaliers, at the time of the selection they had the best record in the NBA.  I was kind of floored that only one player, LeBron James who was voted in, would be representing the Cavs, so you can definitely make a case for Mo Williams.  He has played fantastic since coming from Milwaukee, he’s put up big numbers at times and Ray (Allen) has been the most consistent of the (Boston) Big Three from shooting the ball, stretching the floor.  You can make a case for both of them, it’s going to be a tough decision for the commissioner about which one to pick, but you can’t go wrong for either one.”

Miller on whether you can compare Lakers guard Kobe Bryant’s 61 points to the 55 points scored by Bulls guard Michael Jordan in 1995: “Those (Jordan-era) Knicks teams were very competitive, defense-oriented.  Even though this New York Knicks team plays more in transition, shoots a lot of threes and is not as talented…it’s hard, I don’t care who you are playing, to score 61 points.  It’s going to be hard, you could be playing a high school team and it’s hard to score 61 points. It’s hard to compare the two because it’s in different eras with different players.  There are similarities because they (Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan) are both shooting guards and they both have a lot of the same flair for the game, but 61 is pretty remarkable as well as the double nickel (55).  They are both remarkable feats on the road in a hostile environment.  Even though they aren’t the same Knicks, it’s pretty special to put up 61.”

Collins on whether Cavaliers forward LeBron James will try to match Lakers guard Kobe Bryant’s performance: “Great players always look at great players. Even though (LeBron James) throws up big numbers, I always felt that the biggest part of his game that was underrated was his passing.  So much of his early play in Cleveland was that he had to score for his team to have a chance to win, but personality-wise I never felt that he was a guy who thrived on throwing up big numbers.  Not that he can’t, but I’ve always seen him play and through the years he has more of a Magic Johnson mentality of being able to make plays for others and he was criticized for that.  Whereas Kobe was so much like Michael. They have that dominant scoring mentality, so to me it’s just two different approaches.”

Miller on who his MVP favorites are: “Before (Kobe Bryant’s) 61 (point game vs. the Knicks on February 2), I would have gone with LeBron James (as MVP). LeBron does such a fabulous job with making sure everyone on his team is involved.  I think LeBron has less talent than Kobe, but his overall game from points, rebounds, (he’s a) fabulous defender this year, definitely should merit winning the Defensive Player of the Year (Award).  Kobe is being Kobe and especially with (Andrew) Bynum going down (to injury) this is going to be a real chance for Kobe to elevate his game once again if that can be the case.  Those two are the front runners with (Hornets guard) Chris Paul closing fast, he’s playing fantastic.  Those three guys are at the top of my MVP voting.”

Collins on which team benefits the most from Lakers center Andrew Bynum injury: “(The Spurs) are an amazing team.  What they’ve gone through this year (dealing with injuries, head coach) Gregg Popovich warrants a lot of consideration for Coach of the Year.  They started (the season) 2-5 and he tweaked their defense.  Tim Duncan is now their center, where he used to be their power forward.  Now their fourth man is a shooter so the dynamics of their defense has changed.  (Guard Tony) Parker got off to a great start.  Tim Duncan has been terrific all year.  The one thing I’ve always felt about San Antonio is they are so dependent on (guard Manu) Ginobili.  San Antonio is a team that you can put in the mix, especially if Bynum can’t play in the playoffs.”

Behnke on Charles Barkley’s status for NBA All-Star Weekend: “Nothing has changed regarding Charles’ status.  He continues to be on a leave of absence and no date has been set for his return.”

Collins on what LeBron James biggest improvement has been since last season: “The biggest jump I’ve seen in (LeBron James) is his leadership.  I think the way Coach K (Team USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski) used him last summer (during the Olympics) was so important to his development.  He’s such a great player and he used him as the backline of the defense.  It was (James’) voice that resonated through that team in Beijing every single game. The biggest jump that LeBron has made playing-wise is attention to details.  Early in his career, you would watch him during the game and his footwork was never the same and he never shot the same shot twice.  I think it helped being around Kobe (Bryant) and other players who are such masters to attention to detail.  I think that LeBron is that way now with the way he approaches the game and gets himself prepared.   I so admire him, I go back to him coming to the NBA there was any way in the world he could match the hype and he’s been better than the hype which to me, is mind-boggling.”

Collins on how great leadership affects teams: “(Having great leadership is) how you win championships.  You look at teams that have won NBA Championships, you are going to see a leader, and it’s not always your best player who’s your leader. It’s a guy who has tremendous amount of respect from his teammates so when he speaks, people listen. More importantly, when he speaks he puts the pressure on himself.  Leaders give you that feeling that when you go into a game no matter what happens, you’re going to find a way to win. When you have players that step up and take a grasp of the team, it relieves the coach of the pressure and now he can focus on other things.”

Michael Tillery: Doug could you reflect on your first All Star Game considering it was in Philadelphia in the Spectrum–which is scheduled to close on March 13th?: “It was the Bicentennial (All-Star) Game in Philadelphia (in 1976) and I was chosen to be on the team along with my teammate George McGinnis.  To play in front of the Philadelphia fans (in the All-Star Game) and walk into that locker room and see John Havlicek, Walt Frazier, Dave Bing, Dave Cowens, guys you watched on television and all of a sudden you’re sitting in the locker room with them.  I couldn’t believe I was on the team with these guys.  It can be an overwhelming feeling.  I think you stop, you sit at your locker and you look around and you think about being a little kid playing in your backyard.  All the days I beat Jerry West in my backyard and won imaginary games and now you’re sitting with the world’s greatest players.”

Collins on the Phoenix sports-scene abuzz heading into NBA All-Star 2009: “With everything that has gone on (in Phoenix) with the Arizona Cardinals (going to the Super Bowl) and how they have turned this city upside down.  Right now the dynamics with the Phoenix Suns, there are a lot of head-scratching going on right now.  This team was the darling of the city for the last four years with Mike D’Antoni, (they were) high flying and had a wide-open style.  There have been a lot of trades and changes and I think they have more meetings in the last month than I have in my career trying to get things squared away which is always a bad sign.  To be here (in Phoenix) and see these people and be so proud (of the area) because there is so much happening out here.  It’s a wonderful place to live and it’s a great spot and I have a home game, I don’t have to travel so it’s even better.”

Collins on good players on bad teams not making the All-Star squads: “Unfortunately, in this business, the tendency is for coaches to fill out the roster with guys who are on winning teams.  That’s not always fair to guys.  A player like (Timberwolves center) Al Jefferson, who probably would warrant a spot on the (All-Star) team based on his numbers, isn’t on the team.  The essence of it is that the better team you play on, the better chance you have to be an All-Star.”

Miller on who he is picking to win the T-Mobile Rookie Challenge: “This year, I’m going with the rookies (to win).  This is a great rookie class with (Bulls guard) Derrick Rose, (Grizzlies center Marc) Gasol, (Heat forward Michael) Beasley, (Grizzlies guard) O.J. Mayo, they have enough offensive power to go against the sophomores.  The sophomores have the experience but for this rookie-sophomore game, I’m going with the rookies.”

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