THE END OF CIVILIZATION AS WE KNOW IT: Lakers guard Steve Blake had to apologize for swearing at a fan who was riding him from a courtside seat because the fan was the son of LA Gear chairman Steve Jackson, who owns eight courtside seats for home games and hosts workouts for Lakers prospective draft picks at his gym.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Detroit Pistons coach Lawrence Frank, on why certain teams seem more committed than others:
“Who’s the most coachable player on the Spurs? Tim Duncan. Who’s the most coachable player on the Celtics? Kevin Garnett. Who’s the most coachable player in Oklahoma City? Kevin Durant. Who’s most coachable player of the Miami Heat? LeBron James. This is not calculus. This is not trying to figure out the next Pythagorean theorem. This is easy: Your players have to unite and inspire by how they play. It’s that simple.”
LINE OF THE WEEK: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Charlotte vs. Dallas, Nov. 10: 41 minutes, 8-12 FGs, 9-10 FTs, 12 rebounds, one steal, two blocks, zero turnovers, 25 points in a 101-97 overtime win. The rookie showed unreal poise down the stretch, running down two offensive rebounds off missed free throws that led to crucial baskets that gave the Bobcats their first win over the Mavericks in 17 all-time tries.
LINE OF THE WEAK: Josh Smith, Atlanta vs. Miami, Nov. 9: 36 minutes, 6-19 FGs, 0-2 3-pointers, 1-5 FTs, eight rebounds, zero assists, two steals, two blocks, three turnovers, 13 points in a 95-89 loss. In addition to his poor shooting, Smith’s missed free throws included an airball in the second quarter and two clangs with the Hawks trailing by two with 1:05 to go.
TRILLION WATCH: Thunder rookie Perry Jones III got some unexpected run in Friday’s win over Detroit and did not disappoint, posting a 5 trillion to take the regular season lead. Coming up a bit short were Suns swingman Wesley Johnson and Warriors rookie Draymond Green, who each had 4 trillions Saturday. And Mavericks rookie Bernard James had a pair of 1 trillions and now has three for the season, making him this season’s answer to Vernon Macklin.
GAME OF THE WEEK: New York at Memphis, Nov. 16. Both teams are off to fantastic starts and have notched their belts with wins over the Heat. Both teams have imposing front lines and are ranked 1-2 in point differential. Both teams will be coming off tough road games – the Knicks are at San Antonio on Thursday and the Grizzlies are at Oklahoma City on Wednesday. And when told his team has the unbeaten Knicks upcoming, Rudy Gay responded, “They have us.”
GAME OF THE WEAK: Orlando at Detroit, Nov. 16. One of the benefits of watching the above game is you avoid being subjected to this one. The Magic haven’t broken 75 points in three straight games. The Pistons haven’t broken into the win column.