NBA quotes of the week

Philadelphia 76ers Coach/psychologist Doug Collins talked about handling a team with young players. “The one thing about players today is that they’re very sensitive and very fragile. They didn’t grow up with tough coaches,” he said. “I treat this team very much with kid gloves; I really do. And I’m still looked at as an ogre. It’s terrible. I find myself during the games looking at a coach and saying, ‘Was I all right during that timeout? Did I hurt anybody’s feelings? Was I OK?’ That’s the sensitivity, and the younger the guys, the more sensitive. That’s what you’re wrestling with.”

Last weekend the Warriors trounced the Nuggets by 15 points, so Denver Coach George Karl made his players watch a replay of the game. “I don’t usually show negative video, but if I had to watch that … they had to watch it.” On Monday the Nuggets beat the Warriors by 39 points. “They came out like a team that was embarrassed last game on national TV, and we came out going through the motions. It was a good ol’ fashioned beatdown,” Warriors Coach Mark Jackson said.

One bright spot for the Wizards was a recent win over the Magic. Washington forwards James Singleton and Cartier Martin, both on 10-day contracts, played the entire fourth quarter, and each scored 12 points in the game. “We might have to go to all 10-day contracts next year. Some of the guys might not like it,” Wizards Coach Randy Wittman said.

Phoenix Suns guard Sebastian Telfair tweeted about his teammates: “One of the best things in the nba is playing cards on the plane. #jokes #money #fun # chemistry”