‘Melo seeks out Kobe | No fear in Memphis | Rockets rolling | Celtics get bomb threat | Walton has Phil factor
No. 1: Carmelo gets his “Phil” from Kobe — Three seasons into their relationship as resident superstar and club president, Carmelo Anthony is still struggling to comprehend and co-exist in his relationship with Phil Jackson. So who better to turn to than Kobe Bryant, who played for, went to verbal war with and was a prime subject in one of Jackson’s books. Anthony told Ramona Shelburne of ESPN.com that he has chatted up the Black Mamba to get some clarity on the situation:
C “Me and Kobe have countless conversations about that,” Anthony said Saturday after the Knicks practiced in Los Angeles ahead of Sunday’s game against the Lakers. In an interview with CBS Sports, Jackson recently said Anthony can play the “role that Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant played” in their teams’ triangle offenses, but Jackson said Anthony sometimes breaks a team rule by holding on to the ball too long. Anthony said he had a short meeting with Jackson on Saturday about the recent dust-up, but added that he’s moved past the situation and is determined “not to read too much into it.” “That’s something I’ve learned over the years, especially with Phil,” Anthony said, referring to the advice Bryant gave him. “[Jackson’s] going to talk. Nobody can stop that. So try not to read into it too much.”
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No. 2: Grizzlies won’t back down — Some saw it as an opportunity to prove they are for real. Commentators like Chauncey Billups even joked that it would be the start of their first three-game losing streak of the season. But the Grizzlies opened a stretch of three straight games against the 2016 Finalists from Golden State and Cleveland as a chance to stand tall. After thumping the Warriors Saturday night without Mike Conley and Chandler Parsons, first year coach David Fizdale said it was anything but a fluke, according to Ron Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal:
“We fear no one,” said Fizdale, whose injury-depleted squad won its sixth straight game. Tony Allen and Marc Gasol each tossed in 19 points to lead seven Grizzlies in double figures scoring. Memphis (17-8) stormed ahead by 11 points midway through the opening quarter and held a double-digit advantage for all but 32 seconds in the game. The Grizzlies’ largest lead was 68-38 in the third period after Gasol stole the ball from Stephen Curry. The Grizzlies will try to extend their winning streak early next week when they face the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers back-to-back. “I see opportunity in front of us. I’m different,” Fizdale said. “Everybody else can talk about this buzz saw and all these great teams we play. I see opportunity to beat great teams. I just got a lot of faith in this team no matter who is on the court for us. “We fear no one. I know everyone else is looking at the schedule and kind of cringing, but I’m looking forward to it. I want to play against the elites even when we’re down different guys.”
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No. 3: Rockets are humming in tune — The secret to the Rockets becoming one of the top teams in the league is not just their success with the long ball, but in the secret sauce of their harmonious relationship with each other. After upping their win streak to six in a row, they told our Fran Blinebury that it’s all about pulling in the same direction:
“I’ve never been on a team like this before,” said forward Ryan Anderson. “I gotta say it’s probably the most fun I’ve ever had playing basketball.” A 109-87 win over the Mavericks Saturday night made it six in a row, which ties the Grizzlies for the longest active win streak in the league. Just over a quarter of the way into the season, this team that underwent a major renovation during the off season is now 17-7 and has the fourth-best record in the entire NBA. “We’re playing for each other,” Harden said. “Some nights different guys can get it going. Some nights Trevor can get it going. EG (Gordon) has been playing well. Ryan didn’t have a good shooting night, but he did the small things. Patrick hasn’t been scoring the ball a lot but he’s been rebounding and making plays. So we’ve got guys that are doing everything else to win the games and that’s what’s important.”
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No. 4: Bomb threat on Celtics’ plane — The Celtics team plane was evacuated and searched upon landing in Oklahoma City Saturday night due to a bomb threat that was called in enroute, says Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald:
“Oklahoma City police department received a call of a bomb on that flight, and they contacted us,” FBI special agent Terry Weber told the Herald. “Agents from our office, officers from the Oklahoma City police department, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the Oklahoma City fire department and EMSA ambulance service responded to the incident. Passengers and crew were removed from the plane safely. The plane was searched, baggage was searched and no device was located.” According to team spokesman Jeff Twiss, the threat was called in during the flight. Twiss, who was on the flight, said the information was received about three-quarters of the way into the trip, but only a select few in the traveling party were told. The plane did not execute an emergency landing at Will Rogers World Airport, touching down as planned around 5:45 p.m. CST. At that point, those on board were instructed to leave their personal carry-on luggage. That and the team’s equipment were checked for explosive devices, but none was found. The baggage was later brought to the team’s hotel, where players had already arrived. As for where the threat originated, Weber said, “We’re still looking into that aspect of it.”
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No. 5: Jackson shaped Walton the coach — When a bad back prevented Luke Walton from contributing on the court for the Lakers, coach Phil Jackson kept him engaged on the bench and planted the first seeds of what could turn into a long and very successful coaching career. Mark Medina of the Orange County Register has the story of the evolution:
So, Jackson gave Walton a different assignment. Throughout the 2010-11 season, Walton sat on the sideline and charted plays. Walton helped former Lakers assistant Frank Hamblen compile scouting reports and break down film. And Walton sat in on coaches meetings, seeing up close how Jackson’s coaching staff prepared for games and assessed their own players. “That was more of getting a better general idea of what coaching was like. As a player, I had no idea the amount of time they spent and what they were looking for,” Walton said. “I wasn’t taking notes back then. I was just happy to be doing something.” Jackson’s gesture to make Walton feel included on the team became a significant event that fueled his interest in coaching. It reinforced how Walton’s philosophies and personalities mirrored Jackson after playing as a key reserve for him from 2004 to 2011 that included two NBA championship runs (2009, 2010). And when the Lakers (10-15) host the New York Knicks (13-10) on Sunday at Staples Center, Walton will show first-hand to the Knicks’ president how that experience shaped his coaching thus far. “A lot of the way I am as a coach comes from my years playing under Phil,” Walton said. “I wasn’t trying to pick up on it as a player. But I think it naturally just kind of formed who I am as a coach.
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SOME RANDOM HEADLINES: It was Quin Snyder that lit Draymond Green’s fuse the other night in Salt Lake City … It seems a couple of the folks in Cleveland least impressed with LeBron James’ feats are his own sons … Just a short time after the Grizzlies decked the halls with the Warriors, Steph Curry was lit up with the holiday spirit in Memphis … It seems that Hassan Whiteside was listening when Erik Spoelstra talked, based on his impressive response against the Bulls … Gregg Popovich says his Spurs can always handle the truth … Joel Embiid says trust the process and trust the shoes … In the long running soap opera of Donatas Motiejunas, the Rockets told him to just go home Saturday night.
