Oh, Chris Douglas-Roberts, you can never just not be cryptic when a reporter asks you a question can you? Al Iannazzone asks CDR whether he would “recruit” LeBron James, apparently a friend Douglas-Roberts has given “advice” to (tiger raising tips?). Here’s CDR’s response to Al: “Leon, LeBron, everybody’s together. Every relationship we have, that’s what it is. For example if they’re not happy somewhere or they’re not happy with something it’s all in the family, no one’s happy.”
Speaking of LeBron, as expected, the storyline from some beat writers is how this is the Nets last chance to “impress” James this season when he visits the Izod Center tonight. Julian Garcia of the Daily News brings up one advantage the Nets have over the Knicks: If putting up a fight is appealing to James, then the Nets have done a better job than the Knicks. The Nets’ worst loss to the Cavaliers this season was by 10 points, while the Knicks took a 31-point beating in Cleveland Monday night.
With Shaq out of the lineup tonight, Brook Lopez begins his preparation for what the Cavs are likely going to throw at him: “I look at it as a challenge, how it’s going to affect me defensively,” Lopez said. “Guys like Varejao and Hickson in, who are a lot more mobile – I think we can help a little bit more (on LeBron James and others), but at the same time, they’re going to be cutting a lot, they’re all great cutters; they play off the ball really well. So while we can help, we’ve sort of got to keep an eye on them.”
Al Harrington of the Knicks tells the New York Post that LeBron’s loyalty to Ohio may trump all this summer: “But if he’s as loyal as he says, I would think it’s very hard for him to leave, especially because he’s home.
Mikhail Prokhorov, prospective Nets owner, reportedly lost a $53 million deposit for a home he was looking to buy on the French Riviera.
Tom Ziller at NBA Fanhouse looks at the ping pong ball “derby” for this summer’s NBA draft.
