- McGrady also explained why he thought about using performance enhancers: “To go from the level I was playing at, to having my knee blow out on me and then to try to work out to get to that level again and just not being able to do it, that’s when I contemplated [using performance-enhancing drugs],” McGrady said. “I tried going to Germany [for platelet-rich plasma therapy] and I tried everything you could possibly try. I tried doing it the right way and it just didn’t happen. I got back healthy, but not to my explosive self. Confidence-wise and mentally, that was tough. It was probably the biggest challenge for me to get over. That hurdle was tough. It was just a mental block that I just couldn’t erase. I couldn’t do a lot of the moves that I was accustomed to doing, and it was challenging in the beginning. When I did overcome that, I had lost the desire to still play ball. The last three years, I gave it a go, but I was mentally ejected.”
- McGrady thinks he may have a future as a GM in the league: “I really don’t have any interest in coaching, but maybe I’ll be a GM,” McGrady said. “That’s something that I could see myself doing. I think playing in the league for so long and recognizing talent could help me in that job. Not only that, but I’m a student of the game. I know players, I know their tendencies, I know what they like to do. I have a high basketball I.Q. and I know the game. With that knowledge and experience, I think that would go a long way.”
- According to Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports, Kyle Lowry will be playing with an injured finger for a while: “Raptors say guard Kyle Lowry injured his left ring finger tendon and will protect it with a splint for approximately six weeks.”
Matt Barnes thinks anyone not named Kobe of Pau should have no say about what the Clippers do with the Lakers’ banners at Staples Center, from Arash Markazi of ESPN Los Angeles: “No one from that team should have anything to say unless it’s Kobe or Pau because they’re the ones that put the banners up in the organization,” Barnes said. “Any new players should have zero to say about that situation.”… “I understand it, with all due respect to everyone that put those banners up and those retired jerseys but when it’s our home court it’s our home court and it should be that way,” Barnes said. “It’s our home floor, it’s our fans and it should be that way.” “It just shows that this organization has come a long way. I was here my rookie year and we were terrible and everybody knew that. We’ve come a long way through the organization and with the players we’ve signed. It’s a change of times and now it’s our time to shine.”
- Markieff Morris has been suspended for one game. Here’s the video of him throwing an elbow at Serge Ibaka.
Monta Ellis has a solution for all the turnovers he has had in recent games – shoot it instead, from Tim MacMahon of ESPN Dallas: “I think I’m looking for the pass too much,” Ellis said after Wednesday’s win over the Atlanta Hawks’ backups, when he had 15 points on 5-of-13 shooting, five assists and six turnovers. “I’ve got to be more aggressive attacking the basket, getting a couple to go down and then work to see how the defense changes.” … “There’s a lot of shots that’s been there and I’ve been making the late pass,” Ellis said. “I think the majority of my turnovers come because instead of me taking that shot or making the layup, I try to pass. I’ve got to get out of that. I’ve got to be more aggressive and make the defense move.”
Andrew Bogut described the Warriors as “top dog” after losing to the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, from Marcus Thompson of Mercury News: “”A hard lesson learned,” Bogut said after totaling 12 points, five rebounds and four assists. “We’re the top dog now. Teams are going to come after us … especially teams that aren’t supposed to beat us on paper, they’re going to give us their best shot. If we don’t come to play — especially against a free-flowing team like Sacramento who gets up and down, shoots a lot of threes — it’s going to be a tough game.”
