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But Ilgauskas, 34, is getting close to the end of the line. His contract expires at the end of this season, and he told FanHouse he might retire next summer. "This [season] could be it,'' Ilgauskas said. "I don't know. ... Injuries. Everything else. I'm not a spring chicken any more. So we'll see how I feel [after the season].'' FanHouse

Those close to him see the possibility of Ilgauskas, who was drafted by the Cavaliers in 1996 and has the longest tenure of any NBA player with the same team, retiring after a season in which he will make $11.54 million. "If he wins a championship [this season], that is what is going to happen,'' said Austin Carr, a former Cleveland star and the team's television analyst throughout Ilgauskas' tenure. "I think he will [retire].'' FanHouse

"When we made the deal for Shaq, being a former MVP, All-Star player, the credentials he brings to the table, it does, quote, unquote, make sense for him to start,'' Brown said. "So I called Z right away when the deal was made [June 25]. We talked, and I asked him, 'Big fellow, how would you feel about coming off the bench?' He didn't hesitate at all. But he's human. I assume there are emotions that were going through his body even if he didn't hesitate [about accepting his new role].'' FanHouse

The decision of Spanish teenage sensation and Minnesota Timberwolves first-round draft choice Ricky Rubio to stay in Spain rather than jump to the NBA season was a hot topic for Spanish reporters at practice Wednesday. "He's definitely a guy ahead of the time. I'm very sorry that he can't go and play in the NBA right now for a couple years," Kirilenko said of Rubio, who has a huge buyout clause on his current Spanish League contract. "But probably it's a good experience for him to play a couple years in Europe and put himself in a position to be a leader of the team, and to be a major player so he can go to the NBA with confidence. Deseret News

West began a second leave this season Wednesday, this one excused, to handle personal matters. He also had not played in either the open scrimmage or first preseason game. There's no denying that is worrying. "We're concerned about the state of Delonte because we want him here," LeBron James said. "You want your full team to see what your full potential is but at the same time we're going to give him time." Cleveland Plain Dealer

"[Gibson] is a capable backup and we have a couple other young guys we're looking at," Cavs coach Mike Brown said. "In top of that you have a guy like Anthony Parker, who has started at point guard in this league, and you have LeBron. So we feel our ball-handling capabilities are above average." Cleveland Plain Dealer

Wizards swingman Mike Miller wore James' Nike shoes to practice and was told by teammate DeShawn Stevenson, "We don't wear these around here." James said he didn't care. "Mike is a good friend of mine," he said. "He named his son after my best friend, Maverick (Carter). We have a good history." News-Herald

James said Miller should lace up his sneakers, though. "For an unathletic white guy, these are the best shoes to wear," James said. News-Herald

After a particularly unhappy summer that included a league-mandated stay in a substance abuse program in Houston, an exaggerated bout with depression, and a self-inflicted social-networking disaster, he looked both relieved and excited that another basketball season was starting. "I'm anxious, nervous, excited to get back on the court, to doing what I do best,'' he told FanHouse Wednesday night. "I'm back in my sanctuary, where I can put all that other stuff out of my head. It's the only place where I really can get away from it all.'' FanHouse

"He blew everyone away with his conditioning tests,'' said Heat coach Eric Spoelstra. "He worked hard. He spent the whole summer working with us. He got better each month as a rookie. Combine that with that a productive summer, and he's going to be a much better player for us. And that's the way it should be.'' FanHouse

O' Neal said he's back after dealing with knee problems for three years that limited his ability and caused him to gain weight. His knees often swelled to the size of grapefruits, and there were fears the end of his career was coming. Not anymore. "The challenge is that basically, for the first four years of my career, I did not play," said O'Neal, who at age 30 is still a young man despite 14 years of wear and tear. "I am in my prime. If I had to choose at what point am I a better player I would choose now." Detroit News

Odom initially bristled at coming off the bench for the first time in his career last season, but this season he quashed that line of questioning quickly. "I wouldn't change it. We won a championship," he said. "I'm comfortable with my position. I'm still playing enough minutes. I have no problem with it. I've found my niche, my lane, as far as what this team needs me to do. It would be stupid of me to fool with that." Riverside Press-Enterprise

"The key was being first up and down the court offensively and defensively," Bynum said. "My goal this year is to make the all-star team, and in order to do that I have to get ahead of the ball in both directions." Riverside Press-Enterprise

When Warriors rookie Stephen Curry checked into the game for Monta Ellis early in the first quarter, Ron Artest walked over to mid-court, shook his hand, and told him, "Welcome to the NBA." There may not be another player in the league who would do that and mean it. Riverside Press-Enterprise

Kobe Bryant loves to needle his opponents, especially when that opponent is a longtime friend like Corey Maggette. When Maggette was complaining to a referee about a first-half call, Bryant pointed at Maggette and shouted with a grin, "That's the best flopper in the league right there." Riverside Press-Enterprise

Mikki Moore got banged on by Shannon Brown. It was sick. One-hand. Emphatic. He took off from pretty far. It didn’t look like he would get there. Mikki Moore tried to take the charge. I’m sure he didn’t think Brown would try to dunk it. Nor did anyone else in the Honda Center. Somebody screamed from the crowd “Hey, Moore, you got (expletive) on!” Moore smiled. He shrugged his shoulders and motioned his arms as if to say what can you do about it Moore to the fan: “It happens”. Contra Costa Times

Arash Markazi: How crazy was the Shannon Brown dunk? He's the No. 3 trending topic on Twitter right now, ahead of the Dodgers-Cardinals in the NLDS. Twitter.com

Brian Kamenetzky: Re: Edwards to Cleveland, I asked Walton if he could punch a member of Kobe's posse without getting traded. Answer? "No." Twitter.com

And when it's not harnessed and pointed in the right direction? Well, Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said Wednesday that Robinson's inability to direct his energy appropriately is a big reason he and the Knicks are in their present position. "That's why we're on a one-year contract. That's why we've won 32 games," D'Antoni said after practice. "If Nate gets it and we get it, we can get in the playoffs and the guys can find homes. I think that's everyone's goal." Newsday

D'Antoni was asked what were some of the wrong things Robinson was doing. "There's a lot of things like grabbing people, cutting down on technicals," D'Antoni said. "He's got to do a better job of keeping his mind right and focused on the game. "The guy could average a lot of points. If he concentrates and keeps his mind in the game, his numbers should go way up and he should make us a winner." Newsday

Around the Wizards, they can see that Arenas has changed. He’s still going to make everyone laugh, but no longer does everything seem to be a performance. The surgery on his left knee, the two lost seasons, have taken their toll and made Arenas reconsider and reevaluate it all. After missing all but 15 regular-season games over the past two seasons, Arenas has honored his private promises of far more playmaking and far less promotion. He isn’t talking to reporters, nor blogging, nor twittering. He did his duty with a relatively clipped Q&A on media day, and the league office won’t threaten to fine him for his silence until the regular season. Yahoo! Sports

Yet now the front office and players are marveling over the state of his body and mind. They want to believe this preseason is prelude to permanent change. “That’ what I’ve seen, and the sense that I’m getting from him,” Butler insisted. Once, the Wizards had to fit around Arenas, and thus far he’s tried to fit around them. “He’s not forcing the issue,” Butler said. “He’s one of the best point guards in the game. His decision making has been great. … It shows a real sign of maturity and a great deal of leadership.” Yahoo! Sports

And yet there’s no magic to Grover’s formula. It demands immense work. That’s why Michael Jordan thrived with him and why Kobe and D-Wade do now. Those are the trainer’s three clients for the ages, the standards for everyone else. And he must admit: Arenas surprised him a little this summer. Grover knew he was a great scorer, but ultimately unsure he had the capacity for completeness. “I put Gil right up there with those guys, if not pretty damn close behind,” he said. “All the things he can do – and he showed – I never knew he had all that.” Yahoo! Sports

Hornets coach Byron Scott is determined to reduce Paul’s workload, hoping to keep his All-Star point guard fresher for the playoffs. The offseason additions of two speedy newcomers – Bobby Brown and rookie Darren Collison – could go a long way in helping him do so. “No disrespect to the backups that done it before,” Scott said, “but now we have two guys who are the type of players that I’ve needed.” Yahoo! Sports

"It's going to be hard to keep Greg out of the starting lineup," team leader Brandon Roy said before the first preseason game. "He is playing really good. That's not to say Joel (Przybilla) is not, but Greg is playing at a really high level." Oregonian

Oden, in his own quiet manner, said he is confident he can provide that for his coach. He says he is healthy, in condition and confident -- three things he was never able to accomplish last season. "I still have work to do," Oden said. "But I'm a lot better than last year." Oregonian

Skiles was not surprised that both were so highly coveted by Detroit. "You could make a case, I may not be sitting here if it wasn't for Ben Gordon," Skiles said. "His rookie year, he single-handedly won so many games. I'm a huge, huge Ben Gordon fan. He's going to help." Skiles also spoke highly of Villanueva. "Everybody knows what Charlie can do," said Skiles, a former guard from Michigan State. "He can spread the floor by shooting. He can put it on the deck and (pass) a little bit. He's an offensive weapon. I would imagine both guys can help them significantly." Booth Newspapers

Sources familiar with the situation in Sacramento say Westphal's complaints about Casspi and the other forwards were meant to justify May's signing. Casspi, for his part, made great strides to build muscle tone and to adjust to NBA rules. He also learned to fit in with the other guys, benefiting from his workout at a fitness camp in Miami alongside Kevin Martin, the team's star. "Kevin and I became really good friends," Casspi told Haaretz last month. "It's a wonderful opportunity for me to learn from close up from such a good player." Another close friend is Dominican forward Francisco Garcia, and the two often do personal training together. Haaretz.com

Associates close to Casspi say they told him recently to ignore all the drama around him and to keep giving the game his all. They say they reminded him that he wasn't in Sacramento by chance, and that he's played at the highest levels with Maccabi Tel Aviv in the Euroleague. Haaretz.com

The Suns will need to find a balance of getting out on breaks and staying in for gang rebounding. "If everybody takes care of their guys on the shot, we're good to go," assistant coach Bill Cartwright said. "What happened too many times last year is they scored easy and now we're taking the ball out of the basket and trying to get into our offense." Arizona Republic

Jared Dudley: Can amare return to his old self? can steve maintain an all star level? can J rich be a defensive presence? the answer is Yes, Yes, and Yes. Twitter.com

Chris Douglas-Roberts: If I wasn't from the hood,I wouldn't have this killer instinct attitude I have now.That attitude has gotten & will keep me in the NBA. Twitter.com

"For the most part, I felt great out there," Garnett said after a lengthy postgame treatment that involved putting his entire right leg in a intermittent compression unit, which resembles a slimmed-down solid black golf bag. "Didn't feel any pain. There wasn't any hesitance on my part." ESPN.com

Memphis Grizzlies guard Allen Iverson could miss three weeks after an MRI revealed a partial tear in his left hamstring. The Grizzlies made the announcement before Wednesday night's exhibition game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. If the timetable is correct, Iverson would miss all of preseason, and his status for the season opener at home against the Detroit Pistons on Oct. 28 would be in jeopardy. "The way I see it, I'm glad it's happening right now rather than in the season," Iverson said in a pregame press conference. "That's the only positive thing I can take out of the whole thing." AP

"My whole thing is to work as hard as I can to try and get back to 100 percent," Iverson said. "I don't want to try and come back too early and have this thing lingering on throughout the whole season." AP

Jermaine O'Neal immediately made sure to quell the concerns. "Not the knees," the Heat center before Wednesday night's 90-86 preseason loss to the Orlando Magic at Amway Arena, "it's not the knees." But it was a game played in the injury absence of O'Neal, and considering the 14th-season veteran's history, that's always a concern. "I'll be back at practice ready to go on Friday," O'Neal said, with the Heat expected to be given Thursday off, before beginning preparations for Sunday's home exhibition opener against the Spurs. "I have no doubt in my mind that I'll be ready to rock and roll at a high level come Sunday." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

The Mavericks had a lively practice Wednesday that featured some scrimmage time. ... Josh Howard (left ankle) is on schedule to return to action later in the preseason but probably won't start scrimmaging for another week, Mavs officials said. Dallas Morning News

While Miles' injury seems more severe — Millsap said his was a partial tear, and it was on his left, non-shooting hand, while Miles is a southpaw — it's quite similar to the one that the Jazz power forward dealt with this past offseason. Millsap tore his thumb ligament during the Jazz's playoff series loss to the Los Angeles Lakers and then, after surgery, spent much of the summer rehabbing. "Mine wasn't as serious of a situation as C.J.'s (because) the season was about to start for him — and the season was ended for me," Millsap said. "So, it's a different scenario. But I managed through it. His best thing is to stay in shape and be ready for these two months." Deseret News

Even Jazz coach Jerry Sloan soaked in a bit of a London, visiting a Winston Churchill museum. But several Jazz players stayed in their rooms for the practically the whole trip and passed the time playing cards. Spades, apparently. Their loss. And too bad somebody from the organization didn't force them to go see Big Ben or some other iconic landmark, or at least encourage them to venture beyond a 200-yard radius from the hotel. Just about everyone from the franchise brought their wives along, after all, so it wasn't like this was being treated strictly as a business trip. Deseret News

It’s hard to find a lot of sympathy for NBA refs at any point in time, but count on a growing sentiment to emerge among the players and coaches as the preseason continues. The game was too fast for the refs at times and there was an awful lot of hand-checking that went uncalled. And yet there were still 102 free throws, which even for a preseason game is way too many. NBA players are adept at adjusting their games to the refs, but what they want more than anything is consistency, which was in short supply. There were some funky calls including a travel on Ray Allen for a move he’s been making since before he played Jesus Shuttlesworth in He Got Game. The easiest prediction of the night was the technical foul on Rasheed Wallace after what he thought was a clean block. WEEI

Former NBA players aren't the only people pursuing the Wolves' sixth assistant coach position, one devoted exclusively to working with players individually on their skills. Rob McClanaghan was in town Wednesday to audition for Rambis and assistant coach/player development director J.B. Bickerstaff. McClanaghan, a player at Syracuse in the early 2000s, has become a player development guru. He prepares college players for the NBA draft through Wasserman Media Group and NBA super-agent Arn Tellem. Minneapolis Star Tribune

Gersson Rosas, the Rockets vice president of player personnel, was named the general manager of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers as part of the Rockets' new agreement to run the Vipers' basketball operations. The position will not impact his duties with the Rockets, but is designed to give the team more control to use the D-League for player development. “I will be leading the efforts for our group down here,” Rosas said. “We are going to take this opportunity very seriously in terms of how we approach it. I would even say according to (general manager) Daryl (Morey)'s plan in how we approach the draft, how we approach the trading deadline (and) free agency. Houston Chronicle

The fouls piled up in a hurry for the Heat. Quentin Richardson was 3 of 3 from three-point range, but he was hardly around to sustain that hot-shooting streak. He picked up three fouls in four minutes. Haslem, who has been in foul trouble all preseason so far, had his fourth foul by the 9:15 mark of the second quarter. Both Haslem and Anthony would foul out. A total of 45 fouls were called, with players and coaches from both sides barking frequently at the replacement officials. "You're messing up a good game," Carter yelled at one ref after he was called for a foul. "Pay attention," Spoelstra shouted moments later after the officials got another call mixed up. "Just pay attention. Is that too hard?" Miami Herald

Jose Anibal Carrion got close to being the first Puertorican referee in the NBA, but he rejected the league's offer to replace other officials during the lockout. Primera Hora

Arash Markazi: Everyone I've talked to says this is the first time they've seen Jerry Buss sit courtside for a game in a decade. He's usually in a suite. Twitter.com

If you just look for the best seasons ever, in terms of rebounding percentage, the players are young. Super young. In the entire top 20, only one player was older than 23 as of February 1 in the season in question. Arvydas Sabonis, a real outlier, cracked the list in the season when he was 31. Besides Sabonis, nowhere in the top 50 is there even anyone as old as 25. There are a few (Dikembe Mutombo, Antonio Davis, Corie Blount) of 25-year-olds in the second 50, but no one in the entire 100 (besides Sabonis) as old as even 26. ESPN.com

Another wrinkle: If you look at players younger than 22 (who have played at least 500 minutes), since 1946, here's the all-time leader list. 10 of the top 15 are active in the NBA right now. Isn't that amazing? It's not a high-schooler effect, either; All the guys near the top of this list went to college. Young players now are apparently better than young players used to be at getting rebounds, for some reason. ESPN.com

Guard Jeff Jordan is interested in returning to the Illinois basketball team. Now it's up to coach Bruce Weber if he wants a walk-on with the nation's best name recognition back on the team. A meeting between Weber and Jordan hadn't been scheduled as of Wednesday afternoon, but Jordan talked with assistant coaches about a return to the Illini. Jordan, a junior and the oldest son of former NBA superstar Michael Jordan, quit the team voluntarily in June. Rockford Register Star

On Tuesday, MacCulloch was named a Manitoba Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee by the MHSAA. Later today, he will be given the Key to the City by Mayor Sam Katz at City Hall. The 33-year-old, 7′0″, 280 lb center played four seasons in the NBA before retiring in 2003 due to a genetic disorder that affected his feet. chrisd.ca

Three months after its civil lawsuit against Cuban was tossed, the agency said it plans to take its arguments to the US Court of Appeals, according to a notice filed in Dallas yesterday. "We believe the District Court erred in dismissing our complaint," a spokesman for the SEC said. Stephen Best, Cuban's lawyer, blasted the agency's decision to pursue the case further. "This appeal is nothing more than the SEC's desperate attempt to shock a heartbeat into a case that was dead on arrival," he said. New York Post

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