Click here for the forum’s thread for tonight’s game at Phoenix
Game previews:
So the team’s president of basketball operations decided to take the unorthodox approach in his first season on the job. While most front-office types attend only a handful of road games during the course of the season, he has been a road regular.

The motive, Kahn said, was to join forces with first-year coach Kurt Rambis and his players for a season that all involved knew would test their wills.

“It would have been especially hard on (Rambis), coming from the Lakers (where he was previously an assistant), for me to say to him, ‘Now it’s time for you to hit the road Kurt. I hope you can deal with it,’ and not be there in those difficult moments as well,” Kahn said as he sat courtside at Arco Arena before Sunday night’s game. “That felt a little selfish to me. I felt that yes, it’s not only helpful in terms of being able to build a relationship, but it also demonstrates to him and the whole staff that they’re not in this alone.”

From Benjamin Polk/City Pages: Ricky Rubio: Looking at a Spanish tapestry
Afterward, Rambis mentioned Damien Wilkins, Ramon Sessions, Ryan Gomes and Wayne Ellington as players who fought and swung all night long.

“Those players, I felt really continued to try to do the right things,” Rambis said.

Then he mentioned star center Al Jefferson.


“I thought Al had moments out there, to add him to that group,” Rambis said referring to a 22-point, 10-rebound performance that was Jefferson’s 31st double-double in 63 games this season. “But my expectation of him is a lot higher than everybody else’s, too. He’s got to step up and be a leader on this team.

“Even though he’s still a relatively young player on this team, he’s the one who can have the biggest impact on our team.”