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Thursday, October 1

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Cleveland Cavaliers guard Delonte West showed up for practice today at the team's facility after missing Tuesday's and Wednesday's workouts as an unexcused absence. Cleveland Plain Dealer

After practice today, Cavs center Shaquille O'Neal said it was good to have West back. "He's a vital part of this team," O'Neal said. O'Neal said he did talk to West, but he declined to discuss the details of their conversation with reporters. Cleveland Plain Dealer

Longtime St. Joseph’s University men’s basketball coach Phil Martelli is “worried” and “concerned” about former player Delonte West. “He needs help,” Martelli said in a phone interview when asked about the Cavaliers guard, who Wednesday missed his second set of two-a-day practices at Cleveland Clinic Courts. “I can only pray. He is as driven as anybody I’ve ever been around on the basketball court, and I know the Cavaliers are there to support him. I hope he’ll extend his hand and accept their support. Chronicle-Telegram

“I’m worried,” the veteran coach added. “To me, there’s something going on that can be seen only when you’re walking in his skin, only when you’re walking in his shoes.” The Cavaliers are saying only that West is dealing with a “personal matter,” but coach Mike Brown confirmed the guard’s absence is unexcused and he’s being fined. Chronicle-Telegram

Pritchard said there have been no new developments in contract negotiations with forward LaMarcus Aldridge since camp started. Columbian

The Warriors have 15 guaranteed contracts on the roster. They wanted to go with 14 players for economic reasons, but the Warriors signed center Mikki Moore to a one-year deal to fill out the front line. The Warriors still, feasibly, could move some players. But the likelihood, according to a team source, is that the roster will remain as is until around the trade deadline in February. Contra Costa Times

Bottom line, though, Eddy's still big and Eddy's hurt again. That doesn't help him or the Knicks _ and that's the story. "It's going to take a little bit of extra work," Mike D'Antoni said. "This is the easiest thing to get in shape this way [at training camp]. It's harder when you do it on your own and Eddy will have to do it that way." In other words, a way that hasn't always worked. Perhaps all the money he's made and is still due is the biggest reason why it hasn't _ and remember who gave that to him (and gave up and unprotected lottery pick for him): Isiah Thomas. Perhaps Eddy doesn't find the fire he's always lacked until he's pursuing his next contract _ at age 29. But he's 27 now and, let us remind folks again, a big man in a league that lacks them. He'll get plenty of chances for a vareity of reasons, whether you believe he'll succeed or not. Bergen Record

Kobe Bryant on what Ron Artest is going to bring to the team: “Well aside from his physical presence he is just a tough guy. As far as from an execution standpoint, we will be able to get into the penalty a lot earlier because he attacks the basket and puts teams into foul trouble. We are a pretty good foul shooting team so just from that standpoint alone he will help us out tremendously.” On whether Ron Artest will defend the number one scorer on the opposing team: “What we will do actually is I had to be a lock down defender for the past several years. I think now it allows me to do is play passing lanes more. Create turnovers more. Get more steals and things like that. He can just be our lock down corner and I could be more of a Troy Polamalu.” Sports Radio Interviews

It's too early, by most accounts, to give him a thorough analysis. But rookie guard Stephen Curry has members of the Warriors organization feeling good about his development. "He's holding his own very nicely," coach Don Nelson said Wednesday. Members of the coaching staff and some players got to see Curry in summer league and working out at the team's practice facility in Oakland leading up to training camp. But that's different than practicing full bore against a full squad. Contra Costa Times

Rookie Jordan Hill actually outshot Danilo Gallinari during Wednesday night's scrimmage, showing signs of a decent catch-and-shoot jumper from out to 18-20 feet reminiscent of Kurt Thomas, but with a quicker release. Bergen Record

Here are the top two paragraphs from a news release sent out by the NBA this morning: "Kobe Bryant tops the list of most popular NBA jerseys in Europe for the second straight year. Coming off his fourth NBA title in 2009, Bryant also has the most popular jersey in the U.S. The top four most popular jerseys remain unchanged from last year with Kevin Garnett of the Boston Celtics at No. 2, Pau Gasol of the Lakers at No.3 and LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers at No. 4. The Most Popular NBA Jerseys in Europe list is based on sales from retail locations across Europe during the 2008-09 NBA season. Los Angeles Daily News

Kobe Bryant's No. 24 is the best-selling NBA jersey in Europe for a second straight year, according to a list released by the NBA and gathered by surveying European retail stores. Bryant narrowly beat out Boston's Kevin Garnett and Lakers teammate Pau Gasol, No. 2 and 3 respectively. Here is the complete list of the 15 best-selling jerseys in Europe: 1. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers 2. Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics 3. Pau Gasol, Los Angeles Lakers 4. LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers 5. Dwyane Wade, Miami Heat 6. Tony Parker, San Antonio Spurs 7. Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic 8. Andrea Bargnani, Toronto Raptors 9. Jose Calderon, Toronto Raptors 10. Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics 11. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks 12. Rudy Fernandez, Portland Trailblazers 13. Marco Belinelli, Golden State Warriors 14. Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls 15. Gilbert Arenas, Washington Wizards. Riverside Press-Enterprise

What is somewhat surprising is how they choose to address the problem, banning the use of cellphones, PDA's and other electronic devices 45 minutes prior to the game until the conclusion of the required media availability window. Beat writers around the league are likely celebrating this decision, mainly because players tend to make deadline waiting writers stand around while players check text messages and reply to e-mails on their Blackberries and iPhones. HoopsWorld

Chuck Swirsky: Good news from the NBA.....broadcasters can tweet-just not running pbp-we will have updates throughout all Bulls games- Friday in Indy. Twitter.com

The Toronto Raptors aren’t exactly sure what role DeMar DeRozan will play when they break training camp and begin the regular season. But the high-flying rookie from the University of Southern California has already been stamped ‘approved’ by NBA royalty. The final negotiations were still being done yesterday, but DeRozan said he expects to be signing an endorsement deal with Nike and more significantly will be the only NBA player this season to wear the signature shoe of Kobe Bryant, the Los Angeles Lakers star and reigning NBA Finals most valuable player. Toronto Globe and Mail

He came to the Raptors midway through the season last year and stuck around during the summer. Now with the departure of Roko Ukic and the uncertainty of what Marcus Banks may or may not bring, Quincy Douby could have a definite role as a 3RD PG in Toronto’s line up. I chatted with the Brooklyn, NY native … ES – BlackBerry, iPhone, or Palm Pre? Quincy Douby – iPhone ES – Coke or Pepsi? QD - Pepsi ES – Your favourite NBA city to visit is …? QD – Miami ES – What is your all-time favourite movie? QD – “He Got Game” ES – Who was the most influential person in your life when you were growing up? QD – My high school basketball coach, Jack Ringel ES – Leno, Letterman, Conan, or Jon Stewart? QD – Leno. FAN590

KHTK's Carmichael Dave takes a lot of grief for not being a SERIOUS sports media personality. God forbid. But as he shows in his nine-minute interview with Beno (you'll get the Benjamin part later) Udrih from media day, he's not just a one-player pony (Ron Artest) when it comes bringing some comedy into this world. Dave is joined by the station's Sean Cunningham and local sports writer Tony Harvey in the chat. Enjoy... Sacramento Bee

Davis isn’t joking when he says he’s a serious MMA fan. He’s been at a number of local shows, most recently rubbing elbows with street fighting legend Kimbo Slice at a World Championship Fighting event in Wilmington last Saturday. Davis says with a laugh that he’d love to get into MMA more seriously when his basketball playing days are over. Allan says Davis’ skills are no joke. “He’s pretty (darn) good. I’m not going to front. At jiu-jitsu, he’s such a natural beast. He’s such a beast and has such good balance and strength. In Muay Thai, he’s sto tall and long and he’s really coordinated. He really pops (punches). His hands are fast and he has a really powerful leg kick. He could be a really good fighter.” Boston Herald

Okafor was obtained in an offseason trade for center Tyson Chandler, who coincidentally needed surgery to repair a big toe injury. That injury resulted in the nullification of Chandler's trade to the Oklahoma City Thunder in February. Chandler missed 37 games last season and in the deal that sent him to Charlotte for Okafor, the Hornets were hoping to get durability as an asset. Okafor has played all 82 games in each of the past two seasons. "I don't expect him to miss a whole lot of games this year," Hornets head coach Byron Scott said on Wednesday. "But the one thing we want to do is give him ample time to heal. Right now, we're in the early stages of the season. We have training camp and then preseason. "This is not a time for us to be concerned about whatever is going on with him right now ... It's a long season and we need him for the long haul, not just the short term ... I'm not real worried about it." NBA.com

The Charlotte Bobcats' options at power forward got that much thinner Thursday when Vlade Radmanovic sat out practice with a sprained right ankle. The Bobcats were already short-handed at the position, with Boris Diaw nursing an ankle sprain he suffered with the French national team. Charlotte Observer

Deng’s father, Aldo, served in the Sudanese parliament and became the country’s Minister of Transportation before moving to Egypt to avoid Sudan’s civil war. In 1993, when Deng was eight years old, his father was granted political asylum in England. A new life in London began for Deng, and now, he couldn’t be happier to go back. “I’m really excited that we get a chance to play in London,” Deng said as training camp opened. “I grew up there, and to have a chance to play in front of friends and family is exciting for me. I’m excited for the guys; taking a trip like that can bring you together as a team.” Bulls.com

Deng is prepared to be a tour guide of sorts in London, and plans to do his best in showing his teammates around. He added that he expects a warm welcome from the natives. “I’m also really excited for the fans in London,” said Deng. “There are a lot of Chicago Bulls fans there. Chicago is such a known team and it’s unbelievable how many fans we have in London.” A member of the Great Britain national team, Deng has long been eyeing the summer of 2012, when London will host the Olympics. But he’s also got a keen interest in the 2016 summer games. “I really hope it happens,” said Deng of Chicago’s 2016 bid, which will be announced Friday morning from Copenhagen. Deng pitched in with the city’s campaign efforts, filming public service announcements earlier this summer. “This is my sixth year in Chicago and I can’t say how much I love the city,” he said. “I think Chicago is ready to host it.” Bulls.com

Responding to rising fears, team co-owner Gavin Maloof said the team won't file for relocation by the NBA's deadline of March 2010. "No, no, no. There's no way," Maloof told The Bee Wednesday, waving his arms emphatically. "We love the market. We love our fans. This is the only place we want to be." Maloof met with Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson for a half-hour later in the day, telling Johnson the team is "not going anywhere." Maloof said a combination of deep recession and his family's belief in the Sacramento market means the team must be patient as it seeks a replacement for Arco Arena. "Eventually there needs to be a new arena," Maloof said. "Everybody agrees with that. When and where (in Sacramento), we don't know. But we're patient." Sacramento Bee

Mark Cuban on whether or not he has a problem with one of his player’s twittering: “If I see someone twittering, I’m just going to look them in their eye. I don’t have to say a word because it’s like where is your attention going? I don’t mind if guys twitter. They want to build their brand and I like that they can connect with the fans. I think that’s a good thing. My two things that I’ll tell the guys is team business is team business. What happens in the locker room stays in the locker room and if you violate that I’m going to fine your butt. Number two is never vent. That’s where you get in trouble. The guys who have gotten in trouble so far have tried to get things of their chest. The reality is saying it on twitter is just like saying it on ESPN Radio. It’s no different. It lives forever.” Sports Radio Interviews

In announcing that they've assembled a staff of 62 replacement referees to work preseason games beginning Thursday night, NBA president of league and basketball operations Joel Litvin expressed little optimism that a deal with the locked out refs could be reached. "That is not close to being reality right now," Litvin said Thursday when I asked him when a contract agreement would have to be signed in order to get the real refs back to work in time for the start of the regular season Oct. 27. CBSSports.com

The business of hiring, vetting, monitoring, and evaluating officials changed forever when rogue ref Tim Donaghy was discovered to have bet on NBA games and shared confidential information with gamblers. Aside from the obvious issue that the league won't know how competent the replacements are until they start working, the league also has to be especially vigilant about making sure there isn't another Donaghy or three on the replacement roster. "We’ve got our safeguards in place," Litvin said. "They apply to these officials. They’ve been thoroughly trained in our gambling policies. You say [they're on the] low and of the pay scale, but these guys are making more money than they were making previously. I don’t view this as an added risk whatsoever." CBSSports.com

With its regular referees locked out, the NBA is confident in its roster of replacements -- even the two it previously fired. The NBA begins preseason play Thursday night with 62 referees. The league said more than half have officiated in the NBA Development League, and all but five have worked the summer league. It also said the two with league experience, Michael Henderson and Robbie Robinson, were some of the best replacements available. Realizing the scrutiny the backups face, the league reminded teams Wednesday about its rules against publicly criticizing the officials. But senior vice president of referee operations Ron Johnson believes the teams won't have much to complain about. "I think some people rise to the most amazing level of performance at amazing times," Johnson said on a conference call. "So we'll see." AP

Before each game, the Heat makes sure Dwyane Wade is stretched, well-padded, physically up for the challenges ahead. Only then does it send him out on the court. It certainly would never put its franchise player at risk. That's what makes this NBA preseason schedule, the one that begins with Thursday's Denver-Utah exhibition, a concern for teams with franchise players. The games will be officiated by replacement refs, with the Heat's preseason opener scheduled for Monday in Detroit. "It's going to be tough on them because of the speed of the NBA game," Wade said, "but we'll go with it. I'm not necessarily worried about it. I'm going to play the game." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

No, this lockout of the referees is not the best way to break into a season, especially for a veteran team such as the Heat, one well-versed in the NBA whistle. "It's not like we're playing with no refs," Wade said. "It's not like we're playing five on five and there's no refs out there. I mean, there's going to be calls. A foul is a foul. "Hopefully they resolve it for the refs and for their families so they can get past it, but if not, then we go with the refs that we have and hopefully they continue to get better and get up to speed with the NBA game, because it's a different speed, no question about it, and there's a foul on almost every play." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

"I'm like everyone else," said Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, a longtime critic of the officiating system. "I hope we work out a deal with the refs. However, if we don't, it will be a great opportunity for the league to evaluate our new official hiring, evaluation and training procedures, and learn where we need to improve, which in turn will provide a long term-payoff for the league." NBA.com

"I think eventually they're going to come to some kind of agreement," Adelman said. "But if anything it may help in the long run in that you get some guys some on-the-spot training where they have to deal with the players and coaches and everybody else. NBA.com

"I think our refs are the best in the world, the best in the business, so we'd love to have them," Nowitzki said. "But if it doesn't work out, we've got to adjust. I think it's going to be an adjusting period for everybody there. "We should focus on playing the games. There always will be some questionable calls no matter which refs are reffing the game. You just have to keep your cool and play through it." NBA.com

For the first time, the Miami Heat have a presenting sponsor. The Heat formally unveiled a multiyear deal Thursday with Assist-Card, a travelers' insurance company. Financial terms were not disclosed. Several NBA teams, including Miami, have recently struck deals for new revenue streams in response to the struggling economy. The Heat recently had all basketball operations employees accept pay cuts of up to 20 percent, in return for no layoffs in the department. USA Today

Real Madrid has been rumored as a possible destination for Marko Jaric. Zona 131

Indeed, Miller, 33, is at the stage of his career where he points to peak for the playoffs. And his value will increase as this season progresses no matter what: Either his expiring, $12.25 million contract is a tradable asset at the Feb. 2010 deadline or he offers steady, valuable minutes come the postseason like he did against the Celtics. "The playoffs are the fun time," Miller said. "I don't even think about being traded. I know that's the business side, but I'm not remotely worried about it. I'm extremely happy to be here from the start of the season and having fun helping these young guys." Chicago Tribune

Coach Vinny Del Negro admitted having Miller is a luxury because of his dependability and downplayed that Aaron Gray's injury might force him to use Miller more than desired at the season's front end. Chicago Tribune

On Tuesday night, Romel Beck was watching television at home when his agent called and said the Rockets wanted him in training camp. Less than 24 hours later, he had signed a non-guaranteed contract, gone through his physicals and was guarding Trevor Ariza in the Rockets' scrimmage. “Crazy,” Beck said. “I'm happy I'm here. I thank God for this opportunity. I'm going to do my best to make this team. I think I bring my shooting, my all-around game, my experience playing in Europe (in Italy), and on the national level, and all-around game.” Houston Chronicle

Camp invitee Brian Hamilton also was held out, Frank said, due to a contractual thing with FIBA. Nets were trying to resolve the matter. New York Post

Former second-round pick James Gist did not sign a training camp contract with the Spurs, and is expected to spend a second straight season overseas. Under that arrangement, the Spurs will retain his NBA rights. San Antonio Express-News

The formal courtship of McDyess was relatively simple: a to-the-point negotiation between Buford and agent Andy Miller and a few phone calls and text messages from Tim Duncan, the Spurs’ two-time NBA Most Valuable Player. A man of few words, McDyess appreciated the simplicity of Duncan’s recruiting pitch. “What did I tell him?” Duncan said. “Come to the Spurs. We’d love to have you.” San Antonio Express-News

Nevertheless, he would trade that gold medal for one of the four rings Duncan has. “I don’t think about that Olympic thing,” McDyess said. “I always think about that Game 7 in ’05, seeing Tim and the other Spurs celebrating. So I think we’re pretty much even.” San Antonio Express-News

The TV was tuned into the NBA Draft, because Lee wanted to see where his high school sidekick — Jeff Teague of Wake Forest — was going to end up. But the entire night is still a blur. And the fact that he was traded for a genuine star, Vince Carter, didn’t mitigate the numbness he felt. “All I could think was, ‘Wow, this is a dagger,’” the Nets shooting guard said Wednesday. “And it took a while to get over it.” Newark Star-Ledger

“After I got over the initial shock, my mentality was to get better, and just realize that the Nets traded for me — they wanted me, and went after me,” Lee said. “They said the deal never would have gone down if I wasn’t in it.” The Nets’ motive was abundantly clear. But clarity came from the unlikeliest of sources two weeks later, when Shaquille O’Neal — of all people — came out with this in an ESPN radio interview: “The only move that really shocked me was when Orlando got rid of Courtney Lee,” Shaq said. “That dude is going to be a star, I’m telling you right now. That’s a star, brother — star, star, star.” Newark Star-Ledger

According to Ilyasova, FC Barcelona made a serious pitch to retain him, offering a lucrative, five-year offer. Ilyasova said he also got a sweet offer from Olympiakos, the Athens-based powerhouse. Olympakos had a four-year, guaranteed contract on the table for him. Ilyasova wouldn't disclose the monetary numbers for the FC Barcelona or Olympiakos offers, but conceded it was "more money than the Bucks.'' The Bucks signed Ilyasova to a three-year, $7 million deal. Racine Journal-Times

Ilyasova wouldn't have signed on the dotted line with the Bucks if Tolga Tugsavul, Ilyasova's agent, had his druthers. "He wanted me to stay in Europe,'' Ilyasova said. Racine Journal-Times

Sam Amick: Sean May made weight today - 261 and 100k for his hard work. Twitter.com

After saying he wouldn't need to hire an agent until he needed to negotiate an extension to his rookie contract, Heat forward Michael Beasley confirmed Wednesday that he's shifted gears in his thinking and has retained the services of agent Jeff Schwartz. Beasley fired his first agent, Joel Bell, weeks after he was taken with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2008 draft. Miami Herald

Despite the opposition voiced by late owner Larry Miller, the Jazz are poised to pay the NBA's luxury tax for the first time in franchise history, taking their place alongside the league's traditionally biggest-spending teams. With $82.1 million in salary commitments, the Jazz would be assessed an additional $12.1 million in penalties for exceeding the league's tax threshold of $69.92 million, making this by far the most expensive season in their history. Salt Lake Tribune

"If you said to me, 'Could we afford an $82 million to $90 million payroll every year?' No, we can't do that," O'Connor added. "But there are some exceptions to the rule, and this is one of those years when we caught a lot of people in the last year of their contracts." Salt Lake Tribune

Day Two in the will-he-or-will-he-not-show-up-at-practice saga of Delonte West came Wednesday and the Cavaliers sounded unfazed by West's absence. West surprised everyone Tuesday by not showing up for the first practice after appearing Monday at the team's Media Day in seemingly good spirits. The enigmatic and troubled guard faced the media a little more than a week after being arrested on gun charges in Maryland. Akron Beacon Journal

Although it's easy to paint West as a player who's aloof and perhaps selfish, his teammates said that's not the case. ''Basketball has nothing to do with what's going on, so he needs to take as much time as he needs, and when he comes back, we're going to welcome him the way we've always done,'' LeBron James said. ''When he gets back, it's going to be as if he was always here.'' Akron Beacon Journal

Neither Williams nor James has had any personal contact with West, but they said they're sure he's going to be fine. ''I'm not worried about him,'' Williams said. ''I would worry about someone who doesn't have a supporting cast around him that really cares and is really not trying to help him. He's in a situation that he's getting professional help from everywhere.'' Akron Beacon Journal

Vince Carter -- the eight-time All-Star -- caught Van Gundy's wrath Wednesday, just the second day of training camp. Often treated with kid gloves during his time in New Jersey, Carter became the example of what not to do late in the morning practice. "He (Carter) did not play well defensively today. He didn't do a good job out there. He's capable of doing a lot better, and that's what I want to see," Van Gundy said. "As a matter of fact, we'll talk to him about that and show him some (film) clips tomorrow." FanHouse

"He did not play with great focus, particularly near the end of the scrimmage," Van Gundy said. "He just didn't do as good a job as I know he's capable of. He's a smart guy and capable of being good defensively. He wasn't at that level today. I think he would tell you that, too." FanHouse

Van Gundy was particularly upset when Carter fell asleep on one defensive possession, allowing J.J. Redick to catch and score on a back-door play. "No, I'm not surprised (about Van Gundy's criticism)," Carter said when told of Van Gundy's assessment. "You can have 12 turnovers (and nothing is said) with him, but you let one guy go back-door and get caught looking, he'll let you have it. I won't make that mistake again." FanHouse

Andre Miller was the only player with a guaranteed contract who didn’t pass the Trail Blazers conditioning test on Tuesday night, while Steve Blake, Travis Outlaw and Greg Oden recorded notable times. In each of his five training camps, coach Nate McMillan holds a conditioning test that requires players to run the length of the court and back five times, or in other words, 10 lines. They have to do this in four different sets. Oregonian

Blake set what McMillan believes is the best time for any player in his 10-years of holding the test, finishing with 24 seconds to spare. Martell Webster previously held the Blazers record with a plus-21 time. Travis Outlaw, who has passed the test on the first try only once in five seasons (two years ago), came in Tuesday night with two seconds to spare. Oregonian

McMillan was reluctant to talk about the results, but he smiled and raised his eyebrows in approval when Oden’s time was brought up. “I don’t want to comment on our guys, because it’s not … it’s something for them, if they want to, measure themselves from year-to-year. It’s something they know they gotta be prepared for, because you can’t workout a week and come in here and run that test.’’ Oregonian

Ron Artest sees the commotion caused by newlywed celebrity Lamar Odom and internationally recognized Kobe Bryant, and thinks, "This is a media circus? Really?" He chuckled when asked whether the goings-on at Lakers training camp are a distraction. "I'm always trying to be in the media anyway. I'm always trying to do things to stay out in the public, stay relevant," he said. "That's my history, of being a distraction to the team." Los Angeles Times

He's fit and well-conditioned at the start of training camp, a stark contrast to last season when he was so out of shape during the Lakers' opening preseason game that Coach Phil Jackson said Odom looked "like he's either curling or doing some other kind of sport" Odom explained the boxing workout was effective because the leg-burning stance, bob-and-weave movement and heavy gloves made back- pedaling down court and getting low on defense seem easy by comparison. Riverside Press-Enterprise

"It's probably the only time he's worked in the offseason since I've been here," Jackson said. "He's had injuries two or three of those years and he was recovering from surgery, but he's definitely in better shape than he has been before." Riverside Press-Enterprise

Mike Trudell: Kobe going to Houston to learn a few moves from Hakeem Olajuwon isn't a coincidence ... We should see him on the block more than ever. Twitter.com

Mike Jones: Gilbert Arenas didn't play in any of the scrimmages media was able to watch. Nothing serious though. Just rest, team spokesman said. Twitter.com

I found it amusing that Arenas said Jordan never focused on defense. I happen to recall back in 2006-07 -- when the Wizards started out with the best record in the East -- Jordan tried to get the team to get better defensively and the team quickly hit the skids. After an embarrassing home loss to Portland, Arenas blasted Jordan because he said Jordan kept talking about defense when the Wizards were an offensive team. Washington Post

Mike Jones: Randy Foye would have to be the other standout in Wiz scrimmages. He seems to glide out there. Gets his shot wherever he wants. Twitter.com

I have to admit, I like what I've seen out of Young so far. He appears to be taking his job more seriously, and appears to be in a good rhythm offensively. In the scrimmage yesterday, he didn't try to do too much. He took shots within the flow. He also has a good attitude. I liked it when he said he's going after the starting two-guard spot. He doesn't want to settle. But the guy will always be a goofball. He did show up for camp with a Mohawk. Washington Post

As the practice ended, Battie sought out Yi Jianlian and made a special point to tell the forward he had a good day and impressed. "Really good practice," Battie told him. Yi is critical for the Nets. He's bulked a bit – he says six or seven pounds (basically, a weekend for the rest of us) – and he is determined to improve and contribute. "He's playing really hard,. Really tough, really strong," praised Brook Lopez. New York Post

"One of the things I learned is that you have to enjoy this," Webster said. "It doesn't last forever. I kind of took that from Brett Favre. Every time I see him on the field, he's smiling and enjoying every second of it. That's what you have to do. I'm just taking each second and soaking it in for what it's worth." Oregonian

In another illustration of this sacrifice -- and of Webster's increased maturity -- Webster said he fully embraced the Blazers' summer pursuit of free agent Hedo Turkoglu, who was courted to play small forward. "He's a great player; I don't blame them," Webster said. "I'm still here. If (Turkoglu) were here, I would still be here, too. In this game, you have to make an effort to try and make your team as best as you can. And that's what we tried to do. It's a business." Oregonian

Brown is beating up on Lex Ajinca and Gana Diop in practice. He's roughing them up about their sloppy screens and slow recognition of what's going on around them. Good. The Bobcats are shaky inside, with Tyson Chandler and Boris Diaw watching from the sideline. So Brown is coaching these guys up to turn them into NBA players. Charlotte Observer

After career-low in playing time last season in Portland, Frye opened camp this week as the Suns' starting center. He has not been a regular starter since he was in New York three seasons ago. "It is great, let me tell you," Frye said. "It may look like I'm dog tired out there but I love every minute of it. Just being able to go out there and play and take shots you know that you work on. It's a place that's extremely individualized. It's an opportunity to take your spots where you're supposed to be on the court and figure out how you can score better. Arizona Republic

Frye is so content that he is not fazed that coach Alvin Gentry started camp by regularly calling him, "Tyson," as in Charlotte's Tyson Chandler. "He calls me Lionel Hollins now," Gentry said of the Memphis coach. "He was made to play in a system like this . . . . He's a very cerebral player and he's a better athlete than I thought he was." Arizona Republic

"Most people who come here do great because they have good basketball IQs. They put time in and it's fun. Everybody plays unselfish. There's nothing to worry about. If you're open, shoot the rock." Corey Brewer’s shooting doesn’t look that much improved, but he is ever fast in this setting. If the Wolves can run the way Rambis wants them to, he could thrive. The Wolves just need a reason to keep him on the floor for his defensive potential. Minneapolis Star Tribune

Shaun Livingston was the only player at Media Day who said shooting for the playoffs should be a goal for the Thunder this season. Veteran Nick Collison, always a straight shooter, summed it up well: “It’s tough to judge us,” Collison said. “We are a very talented team that could make a huge push. We’re capable of it. But with that being said we’re probably 25 games short from our record last year. That’s a huge jump. “As players we’re expecting to be a much better team. We’re expecting to not get off to a bad start like we did last year that put us in such a deep hole. As the season goes along, anything can happen. It’s hard to say we’re going to be in the playoffs or not be in the playoffs. We do feel much better about our team. But it’s a process.” Oklahoman

Every year I attend one, I am amazed at how something I despised as a player has now become so comfortable. You have a conversation with anybody that played until the mid 90’s and they will tell you some horror stories about those 28 days. “No pain no gain” has always been a favorite quote of a majority of committed athletes. Well, the pain part in reference to an NBA training camp in that era was a combination of mental and physical pain that no one looked forward to. Some guys would purposely delay signing a contract to avoid it. Today, NBA teams will only go on average through three days of two-a-day practices and one of them is deemed “No contact.” Back then, we virtually went two-a –days for 28 straight days and if you had an old-school coach like Cotton Fitzsimmons, you might get a three-a-day practice. HoopsHype.com

But my next story gives you more insight into the insane competitive nature of Michael Jordan. Entering the 1988-89 season, I was a Phoenix Sun with the same coach – Cotton Fitzsimmons. We had a young and up-and-coming team led by Kevin Johnson and Tom Chambers. We happened to be on another two-city tour with the Chicago Bulls. We had gone through a grueling training camp and again my body felt like someone just beat me with a bat for five hours. The first night we embarrassed the Bulls and blew them out. We see Michael and his teammates out at a local club after the game and the obvious trash talking occurs. Both teams have to catch a 6 am commercial flight the next day headed to Louisville for a rematch, but unbeknownst to me Michael had other plans. When both teams checked into the hotel and were having breakfast, Michael suggested we come and play a popular card game amongst athletes called “tonk”. HoopsHype.com

Tom Chambers, Tyrone Corbin and I entered Jordan’s room around 10:30 am. Jordan, Scottie Pippen, Horace Grant and Jack Haley are waiting to play cards. At about 3:30 pm I am ready to go get a quick nap, but Jordan refuses to quit. I decide to call Cotton and make up an excuse about why I can’t play that night and he says no problem. At 5:30 pm, we have no choice but to quit because the bus leaves for the game at 6:15 pm. When I stood up after seven hours of playing cards, I could barely walk. Tom Chambers immediately called Cotton and said he couldn’t play. He said OK, but by then Cotton was getting suspicious. HoopsHype.com

Before we left the room, Jordan looked at us and said, “I am going to give your boy Dan Majerle 40 tonight.” Now understand he was sitting for seven hours just like us and yet he was determined to give Majerle 40 points in an exhibition game. We asked why he was so determined to attack Majerle. He said Dan guarded him when he was playing with a select team against the 1988 Olympic squad and everyone bragged about how Dan shut him down. I was like, “No way you get 25.” That was based on how my legs were feeling at the moment. HoopsHype.com

Meanwhile, Cotton was extremely suspicious about why all of sudden all three of us were asking for the game off. Well, Jordan gave Majerle 40 that night and I watched in amazement how he was flying around the court and we three were on the bench stiff and fatigued. On one of his last plays of the night, Jordan caught the ball by our bench with Majerle guarding him. He looked at Cotton and said, “I took your boys’ money today at cards and I am getting ready to take him baseline and dunk on him.” He did exactly that, Cotton called timeout and asked Dan why he was so mad at him. Majerle was flustered and said, “I didn’t do anything.” HoopsHype.com

The NBA formally announced its new social media guidelines Wednesday, informing teams through a league memorandum that the use of cell phones, PDAs and other electronic communications devices -- and thus accessing Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites -- is now prohibited during games for players, coaches and other team personnel. The league has defined "during games" as the period of time beginning 45 minutes before the start of a game and ending "after the postgame locker room is open to the media and coaches and players have first fulfilled their obligation to be available to media attending the game." "During games" also includes halftime, according to the memo. ESPN.com

Kevin Love hasn’t tweeted since Aug. 14 but vows a spirited comeback soon. He says he has taken a break since front-office guys Fred Hoiberg and Jim Stack told him he shouldn’t have been tweeting some of the stuff he did. “I said, “What happened to the First Amendment law,’ ” Love said wryly. Minneapolis Star Tribune

DaJuan Summers: I think I am going to make a blog. I be having some stuff to talk about but I cant get it all out on twitter... will be like my therapy. Twitter.com

Marc Stein: Other big rule change that teams were informed of today pertains to the league's attempts to cut down on players standing while on the bench. NBA says it's responding to "numerous complaints that the NBA and its teams received from fans during last season" about players standing. Twitter.com

Kevin Garnett’s right knee passed a tough test during practice yesterday. He not only went the distance in a two-hour workout, he quickly recovered from a blow to his leg to continue. “I got kicked in the leg, I hobbled over and worked it out,’’ Garnett said. “And, two seconds later, I was back on the court. So, those are all signs of good basketball, because there’s going to be contact - I just got to play through it. “The leg is going to tell you, or whatever is injured on you, is going to tell you that you can’t go - stop. It’s not going to be something you have to think about. I had a long talk with Tony Allen and he said, ‘Kevin, don’t think about the leg,’ and that’s what I’m trying to keep in the back of my mind. I’m not worried about anything, just getting stronger and better each day. I’m moving pretty decent.’’ Boston Globe

“There are just certain things, not necessarily I can’t do, but just from power and strength,’’ Garnett said. “You see when I sprint I can’t get out - zzzzzz - like I really want to. But I can honestly say that each day I’m getting better and better, so 85-90 percent would be pretty accurate. “I’m probably most excited [about] defense, being able to move laterally, recover. A guy makes a strong move and I can respond, react to that, opposed to in the past where I probably fouled or would have reached. For the most part, I can move laterally and move around defensively better than anything. Boston Globe

Chris Bosh, meanwhile, also did a little shooting but is not expected to be on the floor with his teammates until at least Sunday when the team returns to Toronto. He is nursing a sore hamstring. Toronto Sun

Coming off the most injury-plagued season of his career, Ginobili drew rave reviews after Wednesday morning's workout. “He was arguably the best player on the court today,” Popovich said. “He's Manu. He's back. Now, he's just got to get into shape.” San Antonio Express-News

Martin will not play in the preseason opener in order to rest a right quad contusion. "We're not going to force it," Karl said of the injury. "Veteran players who have a little bang, we're not going to force anything." Afflalo is also suffering from a right thumb sprain, but it is improving and he should be available tonight. Denver Post

Tyreke Evans is already back in action. I was told he looked good and wasn't limited by the bone bruise revealed by today's MRI. Surprisingly, Evans wound up being the third biggest story today, with Kings co-owner Gavin Maloof making headlines in two significant areas (you'll have to wait for those). Sacramento Bee

Golden State Warriors guard C.J. Watson will miss one to three weeks because of a sprained ligament in his right knee. Watson was injured Tuesday in the first practice of the season. He underwent an MRI on Wednesday and was diagnosed with a sprained medial collateral ligament. ESPN.com

Although he replaced Kevin McHale as Wolves coach, Kurt Rambis and McHale have had no interaction since Rambis' hiring. Twitter.com

"I know what you're saying," Paul Westphal is saying on the telephone. "Logically, it's very easy for me to say I thought it was possible I'd never get another chance. But I always thought I would. I wasn't obsessed about it ... but I always thought that things would fall into place. At the same time, I'm blessed by every second of it. It's a privilege to be involved in the league, to be involved in every decision that affects the direction of a franchise. I don't take that lightly." NBA.com

"He knows what he wants to do," says Portland coach Nate McMillan, who broke into coaching in 1998 on Westphal's Seattle staff. "He comes into practice with that mindset and he goes into games. He's been around for a long time, played for a lot of teams as a player and a coach. He's had some very successful teams ... he knows what he wants to do, as opposed to younger coaches, normally they come in and they have an idea of what they want to do, but they're open-minded to what their assistants have to offer. He's more of a guy like a Riley or a [Jeff] Van Gundy or an Adelman -- those guys that have had success, they've been around a long time and they run their stuff." NBA.com

Westphal also pleaded with legendary coach Pete Carill, now 79, to stick around at least one more year in Sacramento as an assistant. "He was going to retire," Westphal said. "I talked him back. It would have been criminally negligent to let that guy go. I wanted him. I've always been a guy that wants the strongest possible staff . Might not be the smartest thing, because a lot of guys get more longevity if there's no one there to replace him. I just tried to get the smartest guys I could to fill the niches that are required in the NBA these days." NBA.com

Great Britain head coach Chris Finch has confirmed that he has no plans to step down from the role, despite accepting a job in America. The 38-year-old, who was in charge of the national side at this month’s Eurobasket finals, is to take charge of Texas-based NBA Developmental League side, the Rio Grande Vipers, after quitting Belgian club Mons. “It doesn’t affect things,” Finch said. “I cleared it with them before I took the position that I could continue with GB. I think it can even enhance it. Yes, I lose a little bit of my connection with Europe but it allows me more time in between seasons to better prepare. I can still come to Europe in the spring and I’ll have more time to see players without being pinned down by my club schedule. Brit Ball

Responding to rising fears, team co-owner Gavin Maloof said the team won't file for relocation by the NBA's deadline of March 2010. "No, no, no. There's no way," Maloof told The Bee Wednesday, waving his arms emphatically. "We love the market. We love our fans. This is the only place we want to be." Sacramento Bee

President Obama may have weighed in on New York’s upcoming gubernatorial race, but he remains silent when it comes to commenting on Atlantic Yards. That after the White House declined comment on Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov’s majority purchase of the NBA’s Nets and their planned move to Brooklyn. Obama, a huge Chicago Bulls fan, recently decided to scrap former President George Bush’s missile defense plan in Eastern Europe in favor of a more mobile defense system, and relations between the United States and Russia appear to be thawing. New York Post

The New Jersey Nets have renewed deals with 20 corporate sponsors and signed agreements with 10 new partners in moves that will generate $4.5 million annually. Nets chief executive officer Brett Yormark announced the signings on Wednesday, a day after the NBA team opened its training camp. USA Today

When replacement officials take to the floor for Thursday's NBA preseason opener, there will be negativism coming from every direction. If the last such work stoppage is any indication, it wouldn't be surprising if locked-out officials picket outside the EnergySolutions Arena in Utah. A replacement official from 1995-96 agreed to speak with FanHouse under the condition his name not be used. While an official always has to face adversity, he offered some insight about what it was like to deal with also being called a "scab.'' FanHouse

The official remembers once going to great lengths to avoid hostile officials outside the Spectrum in Philadelphia, a city where there were more protests than most. "The NBA rule was you had to be at a game one hour in advance,'' said the replacement, who had been a minor-league referee and ended up working more than 15 games before the regular officials returned in December. "So I said to the guy I was working with, 'Let's get there two hours in advance and we'll miss them. So we did. And then after we arrived, I remember 76ers people coming to us and saying (the two officials outside) were yelling, 'You guys are (wimps) for coming in early. Come on out and talk to us.' We just laughed. We didn't come out.'' Despite some of the tension, the official said he didn't feel intimidated. He also didn't claim to be intimidated by much of the other negativism surrounding the replacement officials. FanHouse

"The reasons these guys did this is they were thinking that, if they did a good job, that they're going be offered a position (as a full-time official after the work stoppage),'' said the official, who did not end up getting such a call. "I loved it. I was always excited walking out on the floor. It's an entirely different feeling (than any other officiating). It's like being on the PGA Tour instead of the Nationwide Tour. It's like being in the major leagues rather the minors.'' While the official generally spoke well about the quality of refereeing during the 1995-96 work stoppage, he did say that not all officials were fully ready for the major leagues. "There was one referee who was 24 years old and smoked,'' he said. "(During a game that extended past regulation), he came up to me and said, 'I'm absolutely exhausted.' I said, 'Are you kidding me. I love what I am doing.' " FanHouse

With the NBA set to use replacement referees for the Jazz's preseason opener tonight against Denver, coach Jerry Sloan thought back this week to the replacement refs who worked the 1977 playoffs when Sloan was a Chicago Bulls scout. "They, I thought, did a terrific job," Sloan said, even though the Bulls lost 2-1 to Portland in their first-round series. The use of replacement refs largely has been a non-issue for the Jazz, with Sloan saying he didn't want his players to let it become a "built-in excuse." "I think they have a little bit more leniency, knowing these guys are not the regular NBA officials, and probably give them a chance to breathe a little bit more," Sloan added. Salt Lake Tribune

Deron Williams said he was most interested in how the replacement refs were selected -- "You've just got to go out there and play and hopefully they do a good job," he said -- while Carlos Boozer joked about Sloan's lack of familiarity with the new faces. "Coach has been around for so long he knows everybody's first and last name, middle name and everything," Boozer said. "So he's got to get used to some new names. We'll let the NBA take care of [the referees] and we'll just go out and play basketball." Salt Lake Tribune

The biggest news came from off the court as the Mavericks announced that an open audition will take place to find a new public-address announcer for games at American Airlines Center. Billy Hayes, who was the designated screamer for the last several years, has left because of family health issues. As owner Mark Cuban said: "We are looking for someone who can embrace the attitude of the Mavs fan." The audition is Tuesday and interested applicants can get details on mavs.com. Dallas Morning News

Some lifelong Chicago-ans have been hesitant to get fully behind the city's bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics, but Bulls guard Derrick Rose has offered his very enthusiastic support. ''That would be huge here,'' Rose said of Chicago hosting the Games. ''I know I have a huge fan base in Chicago, and there will be a lot of people trying to get to the [basketball] games. The Courier News

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