What’s being said in the NBA

San Antonio Coach Gregg Popovich said this season’s compressed NBA schedule has altered his approach in practice:

“We’re cramming in less than normal,” he said. “With those young kids you need to keep repeating some things before you put new things in. Think back to your algebra class. If you went too quickly, and it’s the fourth week and you didn’t know [what was taught] the second week, you’re screwed for the whole year.”

TNT analyst Charles Barkley was asked about bad teams.

“The worst team in the NBA, the Washington Bullets,” he said. “I call ‘em the Bullets, ‘cause I want to shoot ‘em … I’ll never call them the Wizards. They should be called the Generals. They already got … Flip Saunders got fired. Let me tell you something, Phil Jackson, Red Auerbach, Lenny Wilkens, coaching together couldn’t make them bums winners.”

Milwaukee center Andrew Bogut has been injury-plagued in his career. Last Wednesday in a game against Houston he landed awkwardly after trying to block a shot and fractured his left ankle. “I do [feel snakebit]. It’s like someone has a voodoo doll [of me] and is putting pins in it,” he said.

The wave of injuries has also caught the eye of Boston Coach Doc Rivers.

“I was half-joking when I said: ‘At this point you’re almost scared to have a practice.’ Because if one guy sprains an ankle in practice, with all the games that means he could miss seven games,” Rivers said. “You almost wanted to blow the whistle and say, ‘OK, we’re going to practice but no one can touch each other.’ ”