Smith’s father, however, thinks his son should just keep shooting away. He also criticized fans for thinking Smith partied after Game 2, from Berman: “But his father, Earl Smith, who taught J.R. all his offensive skills, said it’s only a matter of time before Smith starts lighting it up again. “Shooters shoot. He’ll be fine,” Earl Smith said when contacted at his Jersey home. “A shooter has to keep shooting. You’re open, you got to shoot it. You can’t force a pass or you’ll turn it over. He’s got to keep shooting and taking it to the rack.’’… Earl Smith said he is surprised at the negative reaction. “My thing is, those people need to get off the computer and let professional athletes be professional athletes,’’ Earl said. “If they want to go out on a Saturday night, who gives a damn? Who cares? How come you don’t hear about LeBron [James] after he loses? You don’t think LeBron went out the other night [in Miami]? Leave the professional athletes alone. They know what they’re doing.”
Erik Spoelstra discussed the stigmatization of winning coach of the year, from Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald: “Heat coach Erik Spoelstra suggested Wednesday the fact he didn’t win the NBA Coach of the Year — he finished second to Denver’sGeorge Karl — was actually a good thing. Why? Four of the previous seven coaches to win the award were fired within two years of winning it, though none of the past three lost their jobs. “It’s not quite as definitive as the [Sports Illustrated] jinx, but pretty close,” he said, jokingly wiping his brow in relief when he learned he didn’t win it. “I congratulate George Karl. I know he didn’t want it, either. I’m probably more pleased this morning than George Karl. I’m not very superstitious.. but [coaches] are aware of the stigma.”
Tony Parker emphasized the importance of him making shots against the Warriors, from Jeff McDonald of Express-News: ““I have to make jump shots,” Parker said. “They’re going to leave me open. I’m going to get 20 shots, Timmy (Duncan) is going to get 20 shots. That’s what they’re giving us, a little like the Lakers. Parker believes if he can begin to hit his jump shot again, it might open the floodgates for him in Game 2. It’s not just Thompson standing in his path. Golden State center Andrew Bogut, though barely ambulatory at this point, is a prime rim defender. He’s not mobile enough right now to challenge Parker on a jumper coming off picks. Parker says coach Gregg Popovich has encouraged him and Duncan to take what the Warriors are so obviously giving him. “Pop told me if I have to shoot 25 times, I have to shoot 25 times,” Parker said. “Same things for Timmy.”
Flip Saunders is starting to make changes already for the Timberwolves, from Jerry Zgoda of Star Tribune: “Saunders fired scouts who were working without a contract or whose contract was due to expire this summer and retained scouts who have years remaining on their contracts. Gone are international scouting director Pete Philo, regional scouts J.T. Prada, Curtis Crawford and Steve Gordon and special-assignment scout Will Conroy. Regional scouts Milt Barnes, who briefly was an assistant coach alongside Saunders with the Gophers in the mid-1980s, and Derek Pierce will remain. Saunders said at his introductory news conference last week that he intended to revamp the team’s scouting, moving away from a regional system that former president of basketball operations David Kahn installed. He also said he intends to hire a general manager and/or someone who specializes in statistical analytics.”
Jrue Holiday is endorsing the idea of Michael Curry as the head coach of the 76ers for next season, from John N. Mitchell of The Inquirer: “As the 76ers ramp up the search for their eighth coach in the last 11 seasons, Jrue Holiday, who has voiced his opinion that the Sixers should consult him during the search, cast his vote for the promotion of associate coach Michael Curry. “I’ve known him for the last three years,” Holiday said Wednesday in a telephone interview. “He’s somebody I trust, and somebody I’d love as a head coach.”… Holiday went even further. “I think he was the glue to our team last year,” Holiday said of Curry. “Obviously we were defensive-based, which is big for us. That was our calling card, and Mike was responsible for that.”
I would take anything that Kawakami has to say about David Lee with a grain of salt. He has been a known Lee hater for years.
I know this, but what he’s saying right now are facts. If he’s saying stuff without substance, I’d never promote it.
What Kawakami is saying is speculative. Isn’t there just as much reason to think they would have taken game 1 had they another body as capable as Lee down the stretch as there is to think that their success is in part due to Lee’s absence? I.E. we can only speculate on what his absence means, and to ignore the positive appears biased, a la Kawakami. At the very least to say that it is factual is a stretch. We would have to not only judge the Warriors at their best, but also at their worst, and, in my opinion, without Lee their worst is worse than it is with him…