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Thursday, October 29

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Ric Bucher: Observation of a rival GM: a superstar playing as hard as LeBron did in the first two games + still losing is a sure recipe for unrest. Twitter.com

Rajon Rondo and the Boston Celtics have a little bit more time to work toward a contract extension. The league has pushed the deadline for contract extensions for all players from the 2006 draft class from Saturday to Monday, league spokesman Tim Frank confirmed Thursday night. NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com that all 30 teams were notified via league memorandum earlier this week that the league's annual Oct. 31 deadline for players in the fourth year of their rookie-scale contracts, according to the collective-bargaining agreement, is moved to the next available business day if the deadline falls on a Saturday, Sunday or federal holiday. ESPN.com

Meanwhile, the Griz aren’t likely to finalize a contract extension with forward Rudy Gay before the Saturday deadline. Negotiations between Gay’s representatives and the Griz are said to be cordial at best. Memphis Commercial Appeal

The market for Ronnie Brewer came into clearer focus Wednesday after the Oklahoma City Thunder agreed to a four-year contract extension with guard Thabo Sefolosha , who was taken one spot ahead of Brewer in the 2006 draft. Sefolosha's deal is believed to be worth an average of $3.3 to 3.75 million a year. The Jazz are facing a Saturday deadline to come to agreement with Brewer on a contract extension. Brewer otherwise would become a restricted free agent at season's end. Salt Lake Tribune

Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor declined to comment on how Sefolosha's signing will impact negotiations with Brewer, whose agent, Henry Thomas , didn't return a message. Salt Lake Tribune

Howard Beck: Nets announce they have exercised options on Lopez, Lee and Yi. Twitter.com

The Memphis Grizzlies have exercised the fourth-year team option on guard Mike Conley and picked up third-year team options on guard O.J. Mayo and forward Darrell Arthur, putting the three players under contract through the 2010-11 season. Memphis Business Journal

The Toronto Raptors announced Thursday they have exercised the fourth year team option on the Rookie Scale Contract of guard Marco Belinelli. Belinelli is now guaranteed through the 2010-11season. In accordance with the league’s collective bargaining agreement, the Raptors had until October 31 to exercise their option on Belinelli. Per team policy, financial terms of the deal was not disclosed. The Fan 590 Toronto

As expected, the Nets exercised third-year contract options on Brook Lopez ($2.4 million) and Courtney Lee ($1.3 mill) and a fourth-year contract option on Yi Jianlian ($4.05 mill), while declining to pick up the fourth-year option on Sean Williams. These moves give the Nets up to eight players under contract next season – Devin Harris, Lopez, Lee, Yi, Terrence Williams, Najera, Keyon Dooling and Chris Douglas-Roberts – totaling about $26.7 million. But it could be less. Douglas-Roberts has a team option, which at $855K would seem a no-brainer to pick up. But Dooling’s $3.8 million salary is only protected for $500,000. So if the Nets waive him before June 29, they will have seven players at about $23.2 million, giving them more money to spend on LeBron and company. Bergen Record

Adrian Wojnarowski: Thabo Sefolosha's four-year extension with OKC Thunder starts in 2010-'11 and pays him $13.8 million, league source says. Twitter.com

One Western Conference scout at Tuesday's game was surprised by the Mavericks' lack of movement, especially at the defensive end. Arenas repeatedly gouged the Mavs with the pick-and-roll, as big men Erick Dampier and Gooden were often caught out of position. That's exactly what Nelson was hoping to avoid after the offseason makeover. "You've got to be ready for anything in the West, and with Gooden and Damp and a little Dirk at the 5, it gives us versatility," he said. "We can play slow-down, beat-'em-up basketball. And with Marion and Josh at the 3 and 4, we can have a heck of a small-ball team. There are lineups where we can switch 1 through 5." NBA.com

Before the game, I spoke with Idan Ravin, who trained Curry this summer and fall. I asked him how I'd know if Curry was comfortable during the game. "If he's not looking at the vets for anything," Ravin said. "If he's not looking for positive reinforcement, not looking for Stephen Jackson to dap him or Monta to shake his hand. Those guys are vets. They're not handing the reins of this team to this kid. If he's playing in his zone, he'll be fine. If he misses a shot and looks toward Nellie [Don Nelson] on the bench, then I'm worried." SI.com

While Lamar Odom was chattering away about how he wants to get a replica championship ring for his pinkie or his re-sized to wear on his smallest finger (”But I might fall over, you know what I mean?” he said), Shannon Brown said that he ordered a replica ring for his “Pops” and a pendant ring for his mother. “They brought me into the world, it’s the least I can do,” Brown told me. “I hope it puts a smile on their faces.” Orange County Register

How does a 21-year-old like Rose indulge the spotlight while continuing to sacrifice himself for the good of the team? Each of the great point guards has managed the dichotomy between his need to become a star and the needs of the team. As famous as they become, they don't lose sight of their larger purpose on the floor to create opportunities for others. Rose's teammates see those values in Rose, and they trust he won't let them down. "You've really got to credit his brothers," Bulls center Joakim Noah said of Dwayne, Reggie and Allan Rose, all older than Derrick. "They'll be in here in the summertime just playing 21 or shooting around, and they're really tough on him, and I think that's good. They're not going to hype him up, they're not going to believe the hype one bit, and even if they were, they're not going to let him know anyway." SI.com

As we talked, Noah was sitting on a courtside table watching the model and the point guard greet each other for the sake of the gathered cameras. Miller handed Rose a Bulls jersey that read SEXY above his number. "Don't let that get to your head!" Noah shouted as Rose waved back to him. "Relax, man." SI.com

One lesson Rose will be preaching this season is to not misjudge his humility as weakness. Alarmingly quiet as a rookie, he has been learning to raise his voice in order to express leadership. But he isn't likely to get carried away with it. "My mom would not let that happen," Rose said. "She would kill me if I [went] around talking about how I'm better than someone or acting a certain way toward somebody." SI.com

In the absence of proof there’s only imagination, and the thought of a coach with unmonitored access to players has allowed all kinds of scenarios to run through rival executives’ heads. They suggest that the only way to ease the fears would be to have the USA Basketball coaching staff consist entirely of college coaches and/or out-of-the-league coaches (current examples would be Doug Collins, Avery Johnson and Mike Fratello.) “I find that kind of ironic,” USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo said. “Not long ago there were people saying there shouldn’t be any college coaches. When you hear things like you hear, you have to really analyze the source. Everyone is so concerned about their own little world. It’s ludicrous, in my opinion, to have those concerns.” ESPN.com

Lakers forward Pau Gasol missed practice again today because of his strained right hamstring and the team said that Gasol also will not play in Friday night's game against the Dallas Mavericks at Staples Center. However, the Lakers said they hope Gasol will be able to play Sunday, in the team's third game of the season, when they host the Atlanta Hawks. Los Angelees Times

Kurt Rambis asked why he didn’t wait around in LA to take the job after Phil Jackson retires: “They want Phil to coach as long as he can coach. As long as he wants to coach. How long is that going to be, 3, 4, 5 years from now? Phil is a very competitive individual, he wants to win, he wants to win championships and right now that team is built to win championships. I just thought this was a great opportunity here, to come to a young team, we got a lot of draft choices, got a lot of free agent space for the upcoming year. David Kahn, the new VP of operations assured me we would be working hand in hand in turning this team around in our vision. We want to win a championship, we want to put a championship caliber team on the court, and we want to play a certain style of ball that’s exciting for the fans to watch. I wanted to come in on a ground floor situation and that opportunity doesn’t come along that often. All of those pieces were there and when an opportunity like this comes along I just didn’t th ink it was the to turn it down and wait for something that may or may not happen with the Lakers and what direction they would turn to when Phil retires.” Sports Radio Intererviews

Elizabeth Ventura, the NBA's senior vice president of communications, issued the following statement to CBSSports.com and other news outlets: "In 2008 Mr. Donaghy's allegations were thoroughly investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office. We are reassured that the U.S. Government completed its investigation finding that the only criminal conduct was that of Mr. Donaghy. "We take any question regarding the integrity of our game extremely seriously. At the time Mr. Donaghy’s crimes came to light, we appointed Lawrence B. Pedowitz, a former Chief of the Criminal Division in the U.S. Attorney's office of the Southern District of New York, to lead a comprehensive independent review of the NBA's officiating program. Mr. Pedowitz's review revealed that the NBA’s core values of neutrality and accountability were not compromised by anyone other than Mr. Donaghy. CBSSports.com

Robert Nardoza, spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office, declined to comment on whether federal authorities were re-opening their investigation. No criminal charges have been filed against any NBA employee other than Donaghy. "We saw the article," Nardoza said, referring to news that Donaghy's publisher had pulled the book amid fears of legal action. "Beyond that, I'm not going to comment." Donaghy's tell-all, "Blowing the Whistle: The Culture of Fraud in the NBA," was scheduled for publication later this month by Triumph, a division of Random House. Despite news reports to the contrary, NBA spokesman Tim Frank said the league "never threatened a lawsuit or anything else." In the excerpts, Donaghy cut a wide swath through the ranks of his former colleagues, naming names and offering details on how other officials allegedly manipulated games. Many of the details mirrored those he gave to federal prosecutors as part of his plea negotiation. CBSSports.com

Laughed while finding out that the Mormon Tabernacle Choir will sing the national anthem at the Jazz game Friday after the Nuggets opened up with The Fray's Isaac Slade for the Star-Spangled Banner and Naughty by Nature at halftime. Deseret News

As soon as Mikhail Prokhorov reached agreement on the $700 million purchase price for the New Jersey Nets, sources say his emissaries were relentless in securing something they believed to be of the highest importance for the Russian billionaire: A sit-down with Jay-Z. It is rare that an owner with such a small controlling interest in a franchise could inspire such dogged pursuit, but Jay-Z is no silent partner with the Nets. Immediately, insiders understood Prokhorov’s plans to woo Jay-Z pushed far beyond the music mogul’s global celebrity and Brooklyn roots. This was part of the Russian’s ambition to become intimately involved in the summer of 2010 and the most valued free agent in professional sports history: LeBron James. Yahoo! Sports

Suddenly, the Russian’s staggering $9.5 billion fortune and alluring charisma threaten to transform the fledging Nets into a fully loaded weapon again. “Prokhorov and his people know that the way to LeBron is through Jay-Z,” one high-level source connected to the Russians and Nets said. “From the start, that’s right where they’ve wanted to go.” Yahoo! Sports

When asked about the Knicks’ strategy Wednesday morning, Wade smirked slightly and said: “I really don’t think about it. Honestly.” The question was rephrased slightly and he gave the same response. Asked about dealing with the topic for 82 games, Wade turned slightly playful, saying: “I’ll answer it different every time, depending on how I feel. Right now, like I said, I’m not even thinking about it. Later on, I might give you a different answer.” New York Times

My theory is that a return to form by Stoudemire makes it easier for the Suns to trade him and his $16 million salary, an option the Suns would like to have as they continue to find ways to reduce payroll. I haven’t heard it rejected when I run it by members of the organization -- including Stoudemire. “That’s possible,” Stoudemire said. “It can be either way. It can lead to me staying here or leaving. Whatever makes sense for both of us, both companies, that’s the route we’re going to take.” ESPN.com

A league source said contrary to published reports, Rondo is not seeking a maximum-level contract, though he is still asking for more than the C’s want to pay. Boston Herald

Marc J. Spears: duffy says nothing new with rondo contract situation. deadline for ext sat. Twitter.com

Our evening check, via NBA front-office sources, likewise suggested that Golden State is still getting largely unappetizing offers for Jackson. The Warriors are undoubtedly prepared to move Jackson but have said from the start that they won't rush the process just for the sake of making a deal. ESPN.com

Cleveland nonetheless continues to be nominated by executives around the league as the most likely destination for Jackson. Yet we must again pass along the disclaimer that obstacles to a Cavs-Warriors swap remain, even if Cleveland’s 0-2 start has put LeBron James and his overhauled supporting cast on a path toward desperate faster than anyone imagined. ESPN.com

The Cavs have had the most serious discussions with Golden State because they’re the rare team able to absorb the $28 million left on his contract, as well as his unbalanced persona. Yahoo! Sports

Sources say that both LeBron and Shaq -- although they have no plans to say so publicly – like the idea of acquiring Jackson. But Cleveland’s reluctance to part with Zydrunas Ilgauskas and his $11.5 million expiring contract in the exchange, which would make the Cavs smaller as a team and strip them of their O’Neal injury insurance, has been well chronicled.If the Warriors were willing to package Ronny Turiaf along with Jackson or planning to waive Ilgauskas after they got him – potentially setting up Big Z to rejoin the Cavs after a 30-day wait as seen last season with Antonio McDyess – Cleveland’s perspective would presumably change. Every signal I’m getting, though, suggests that Golden State would be amenable to neither of those scenarios. ESPN.com

The Nuggets, sources say, remain interested Jackson as well, but Denver’s trade exception which expires next week is down to $7.4 million. Which means that the exception is a touch too small to accommodate Jackson’s $7.65 million salary, even if Denver was prepared to absorb the long-term tax implications of adding the 31-year-old to their payroll. ESPN.com

Yet I was also told in strong terms that neither San Antonio nor the Los Angeles Clippers are on that list. And we covered last week how Dallas, with Shawn Marion and Josh Howard already on the roster, has been telling the Warriors that they’re not interested, even though Jackson’s publicly stated dream destinations are Cleveland, New York or one of the three Texas teams. ESPN.com

The Clippers were quick to dismiss a report that they were interested in the Warriors' Stephen Jackson, a good friend of Baron Davis. One official joked, saying: "I hope they're thinking of Steven Jackson, the Rams' running back." Los Angeles Times

Marcus Thompson: I am told the heating up of the Jackson trade talks is iffy at best. Hard to tell if they are just trying to put the hush down. Twitter.com

There was a report today that you guys were seriously looking at trade offers for Stephen Jackson, that it could happen very soon. Is that true? NELSON: I haven’t heard that. I speak to Larry every day. I haven’t heard that. You don’t imagine Jackson’s going to be traded soon? NELSON: This is the first I’ve heard about it. So… it would surprise me if that’s true. San Jose Mercury News

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Nets expected to announce decisions on rookie contract options today. They'll pick up those of Yi, Lopez and Lee, decline that of Sean Williams. New York Post

In what qualifies as the least surprising move of the season for the Spurs' player personnel department, the team on Wednesday exercised its option to keep guard George Hill on the roster for the 2010-11 season. Hill led the Spurs in scoring in the preseason, averaging 15.3 points and emerging as a solid backup for All-Star point guard Tony Parker. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said it was an easy decision to pick up the third year of Hill's rookie-scale contract at $1.13 million. “Yeah, that's a no-brainer,” Popovich said. “If someone is your favorite player, you ought to extend him, whether he can play or not.” San Antonio Express-News

“TD (Tim Duncan) tells me Pop's favorite player used to be Rasho Nesterovic, and he's no longer here,” Hill said. “So favorite player sort of rolls off my back now, and not in a good way.” San Antonio Express-News

Ric Bucher: About the rumored Rondo-TMac trade: figment from Bos offering Ray and Rajon around this summer. Told Bos wouldn't want TMac. The player gained some surprising security, and the team added some essential stability. Twitter.com

Two things happened Wednesday when Thabo Sefolosha and the Thunder agreed to a four-year, $15-million contract. The player gained some surprising security, and the team added some essential stability. They’re the two factors that prevented talks from spilling over into next summer, as Sefolosha appeared to be headed for restricted free agency with just three days remaining before the deadline for an extension. "It’s definitely a great feeling just to be able to say I’m going to be four more years here,” Sefolosha said before Oklahoma City defeated Sacramento 102-89 on Wednesday in the Ford Center. Oklahoman

Thabo Sefolosha: signed a 4-year contract extension with the Thunder + we won against the Kings... I couldn't ask for more today! Twitter.com

They were called team options but really each Suns player left management little option with how to act on their contracts. Suns General Manager Steve Kerr informed forward Jared Dudley and center Robin Lopez on Wednesday that the team was picking up their 2009-10 contract options. He also told guard Alando Tucker that they were not exercising his 2009-10 option. Arizona Republic

Linton Johnson III's tenure with the Magic came to an abrupt end Wednesday. With C Adonal Foyle's rehabilitation from arthroscopic knee surgery going well, and with so few practice days scheduled before Foyle returns in about four to six weeks, the team waived Johnson after the morning shootaround. General Manager Otis Smith said the roster probably will remain at 13 players -- a number that includes Foyle -- but Smith added that "there's nothing guaranteed." Cutting Johnson, a practice player, does save the team money. Orlando Sentinel

So much for Derrick Byars making the Bulls' opening-night roster. Byars, a first-year guard from Vanderbilt, was waived on Wednesday, a little more than 24 hours before tonight's game against the Spurs at the United Center. The Bulls have 13 players on the roster but will go into the season with only 11 healthy bodies because of injuries to Aaron Gray (stress fracture) and Jerome James (Achilles tendon). Chicago Sun-Times

For any team, going over the limit -- even by a few thousand dollars -- could be a difference of a few million dollars to its bottom line because teams that remain under the threshold get to share the tax revenue. That usually results in a sizable check at the end of the season for teams under the threshold. So why did the Bulls drag things out with Byars? A source in the organization said they did it as a reward to him because players started drawing regular-season pay late last week. Chicago Sun-Times

After the game, Mike Brown had a long meeting in the locker room with GM Danny Ferry and assistant GM Lance Blanks, I assume talking about the game. I'm not sure what was said but there was a lot to go over. For the first time in his five years as the coach the locker room opened to the media before Brown spoke, indicating how drawn out the discussion was. It will probably continue for the next few days. Cleveland Plain Dealer

The mood within the locker room following the loss was mostly stunned silence. They know they are not very good right now and that is something they understand, but the amount of work they're going to have to do to get where they need to be is sinking in. Mo Williams said it was like being on an 18-hour drive and being in the seventh or eighth hour, knowing how much more is ahead. I like the analogy but disagree with the timing, I'm not sure the Cavs have hit the first rest stop yet. They have, however, hit the first speed bumps. Cleveland Plain Dealer

So, Cleveland’s Mike Brown had a long postgame meeting with his boss and close confidant, GM Danny Ferry, Wednesday with the coach emerging to eventually decry that, “We’re not giving effort all the time.” With the season barely 48 hours old, this was a disturbing declaration in the franchise’s telltale season. For the Cavs, the basketball issues are multiple and unlikely to work themselves out in the short term. Boston and Orlando are far more advanced – something everyone expected – but few imagined the Cavs to be confounded on offense and defense. Yahoo! Sports

Even so, James’ postgame mood hardly mirrored the grim-faced GM and coach. As the dressing room emptied of coaches and teammates, as cameras and reporters waited for the better part of an hour for him to spit out his nightly clichés, James planted himself on a stool to watch the late innings of his old Cleveland pal, CC Sabathia, trying to pitch the New York Yankees to a World Series title. Yahoo! Sports

For now, Cleveland has time to work through its problems because LeBron is a superstar who has learned the lesson of patience. “If it was 35 games into the season, I’d be disappointed,” James said. “But it’s not at this point. …I get frustrated when guys make the same mistakes, but that hasn’t been happening here.” Yahoo! Sports

Those close to West believe he manages his life best with basketball in it, and would like to see him on the floor sooner than later. The Cavs want to know they can trust West, that his behavior won’t cause him to be jerked in and out of the lineup. To a man, the Cavaliers will tell you they desperately miss him. “He’s the glue guy for them,” Celtics star Paul Pierce said. “I think they really miss him.” Yahoo! Sports

Though Bargnani was forced to the bench for much of the second half because of foul trouble, he electrified the crowd at the Air Canada Centre, scoring 28 points, 21 in the first half, as Toronto opened the season with a 101-91 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, title contenders who are 0-2. "I was talking about that with a friend the other day. I was saying if Andrea gets going, if he's scoring the basketball a lot, then we're going to be tough to beat," said Raptors forward Chris Bosh, who had a strong game himself. "He had a great second half of (last) season, but we haven't had that consistency with him scoring so many points. So that's a plus for us." London Free Press

“I was put in a bad situation that I, obviously, wasn’t mentally ready for because I was promised it would be another way, and it was totally different,” said Iverson, who will sit out tonight’s season opener with a left hamstring injury. “Obviously, it didn’t work out. The head coach isn’t even there any more after one season. “It didn’t turn out the way Michael Curry said it was gonna be.” Detroit Free Press

Pistons guard Rip Hamilton, who was at the center of the controversy by starting ahead of Iverson, backs Iverson’s account and thinks the pairing could have worked if a better coach were around. “I just thought that the coach we had at the time (didn’t allow us to be) at our best, and when you don’t have that, it makes it difficult because all guys are just trying to figure each other out on the floor on the fly other than putting us in situations where we can make each other better,” Hamilton said today. Detroit Free Press

Celtics coach Doc Rivers offered a solemn if forgiving comment on Glen Davis before the game. The coach said he had no idea what, if any, plans the Celtics have to suspend Davis. "He made a mistake," said Rivers. "I'm mad at the mistake. But he's still part of our team. You get upset at your kids, and they're still in the family. That's the way I look at it Baby. He's still part of this family and is going to be an important part of this family." Boston Globe

"It was cool, " Wallace said after the game. "I felt like I was welcomed with open arms by the fans. All the guys had said it was going to be hype. They told me in Cleveland, 'It's going to be crazy.' I felt that. When I heard, 'Now introducing your Boston Celtics,' and being a part of that, it was a good feeling." ESPN.com

A short time later, Gino, the American Bandstand dancer adopted as the Celtics' virtual victory cigar, appeared on the video board, and Wallace watched with interest while getting a history lesson from Kevin Garnett. His review on Gino's dance moves? "I don't know, everyone was saying Gino is the man," Wallace said while keeping an eye on the Phillies game on the TV in the Celtics' locker room. "There's a lot of guys up there pop-rocking it, too, man. The big fella, he's throwing the chicken wing. It was all right, it was definitely cool." ESPN.com

You just condemned him for taking a three-year extension for some $28 million, like signing that extension negated his right to an opinion or to be critical of an organization. You act like the Warriors gave him charity, and beggars can’t be choosers. So you booed him. How original. JACKSON: “Fans are so predictable about that. Any time you say you want to leave, that’s going to happen. I was prepared for it. They can do it all they want. I’m going to go out there and play hard for the fans that do support me.” Contra Costa Times

Marcus Thompson: Jax took a seat at the end of the bench, away from the team huddle. Did he just know he wasn't going in to start the 4th or was he pouting? Twitter.com

Stoudemire also was poked in the eye and suffered a partially detached retina. There went the Suns’ playoff chances, followed by Shaquille O’ Neal to Cleveland then, for Stoudemire, a long summer of nothing. The recuperation from his eye surgery entailed lying face down for day after day. “I couldn’t ride a bike,” Stoudemire said. “No treadmill. I couldn’t do anything to keep my cardio up. Couldn’t shoot jumpers. No free throws. That was the entire summer.” ESPN.com

Asked what would be a realistic expectation for Stoudemire at this stage, Gentry joked: “20 and 10.” The reality is they’ll take whatever they can get from him. “Defense is one of my main focus and rebounding is definitely a key for me,” Stoudemire said. “I want to eventually have a complete game. A lot of folks out there are talking about my defensive awareness and things of that nature, and also rebounding. So I figure if I can take care of those two aspects then I can be talked about as being a complete player and having a complete team and even contend for it, to go further in the playoffs.” ESPN.com

Nate Robinson: I want to be the 1st to say sorry for that game tweeps we will play better, and I will make a shot sorry again yall, word aapp!!! Twitter.com

D'Antoni took a dig at ex-Knick Quentin Richardson, who lost 25 pounds and yesterday earned the starting forward job for the Heat. "Good for him losing weight -- a contract year will do those things to you," D'Antoni cracked. New York Post

Richardson said he gained most of the extra weight while dealing with back problems in 2007 and 2008, before undergoing back surgery. “My own perception of myself wasn’t that I was that much bigger,” he said. “And then when you go back and you look at games and you look at the difference, you can see it. It took my agent sitting me down and talking to me and said, ‘Look, this is what is; you have to drop some weight.’ ’’ New York Times

In other words, Greg Oden touched the ball on less than 20 percent of the offensive possessions last night and went more than 2.5 minutes between touches on average. Even worse, after a turnover-plagued first quarter, Oden touched the ball just 5 times on the 36 possessions he played during the final 3 quarters, less than 15 percent. Sure it was evident while watching the game that Oden was out of the flow on offense. But that much out of the flow? Blazers Edge

Remarkably, of his 10 touches, 4 were initiated by Oden himself thanks to offensive rebounds. In other words, Oden's first touch on a possession came from a teammate's pass only 6 times during the the entire game. Remember, Oden played 26 minutes last night. Blazers Edge

Joe Freeman: Didn't get this in the story but Mac says Outlaw can play every position but center. Really? Even PG? I told Mac I wanted to see it Thursday. Twitter.com

To be sure, I followed up with Crouse--whose story, by the way, is a very good read--and she got back to me quickly with confirmation that the Ferrari mention was based on an article by Michael Hunt from two weeks ago. Crouse wasn't able to follow up with Bogut while in Milwaukee to confirm it, and only after the story was published did she determine that the fine piece of Italian engineering belonged to Michael Redd. She noted a correction would be run, so that will hopefully put the matter to rest. Brew Hoop

The non-issue then got a second wind earlier this week with Crouse's article, which compared Jennings' shockingly reasonable Ford Edge to Bogut's Ferrari. The irony is that Crouse wasn't trying to single out Bogut per se; the idea was simply to contrast Jennings with your typical NBA player. But the NYT has a bit more reach than the JS, so the non-story suddenly became a story again. Bogut again denied via Twitter that he owned a Ferrari, sarcastically thanking Hunt for starting the rumor. Needless to say, Shoals continues to find humor in it all. Brew Hoop

Spoelstra said Haslem and Wade would remain the team's captains. South Florida Sun-Sentinel

He hasn't picked up a football to see if he can still fling it 75 yards, as he could before injuring his right shoulder last February. But Orlando Magic guard Jameer Nelson proclaims himself healed and ready to lead his team back to the Eastern Conference finals. "My game is good, my health is fine. Mentally I feel strong. I feel like this is going to be a big year for us," said the former Saint Joseph's star, whose Magic opened the season against the Sixers last night. Nelson had seven points and six assists in 21 minutes of Orlando's 120-106 win. Philadelphia Daily News

With less than 5 minutes to play in the game, Pistons guard Richard Hamilton injured his right ankle when he was fouled by O.J. Mayo. After making one of two free throws, Detroit had to call a 20-second timeout to get him out of the game. X-rays were negative, but that doesn't mean Hamilton is out of the woods yet. The ankle is sore to the point where he had to be carted into the locker room afterward in a wheelchair. "Usually, I try to walk it off, but when I went to the free throw line, I couldn't push off of it," Hamilton said. Booth Newspapers

A source said Eddy Curry could return to practice Monday to begin Comeback II. New York Post

The Matt Harpring watch has been extended. But Utah officials aren't ready to give up on him. In late September, just before the start of training camp, the team announced the status of the injured forward would be re-evaluated in six weeks. Now, Jazz general manager Kevin O'Connor says that, with Harpring not available any time soon, the plan is for medical officials to evaluate him and make a decision around mid-December. "If not by mid-December, it would difficult for him to get back into any kind of shape for the season,'' O'Connor said Wednesday night in an interview with FanHouse before Utah's game at Denver. FanHouse

"It doesn't matter whether he wants to play. He's got to do it himself,'' said O'Connor, who said Harpring has to get to the point where joints "don't swell up on him.'' O'Connor said Harpring's knees and ankles are both significant concerns. He said caution must be taken because there is a risk of an injury that could affect Harpring after his career if he continues to play. "It's not like a broken bone,'' said O'Connor, not wanting to elaborate on specifics about long-term possible risk. FanHouse

Celtics coach Doc Rivers said back-up forward Brian Scalabrine is getting close to returning to action. Scalabrine turned his right ankle when he inadvertently stepped on a camera at Madison Square Garden in the last week of the preseason. “I don’t know the answer,” said Rivers, who has been talking to team trainer Ed Lacerte about his condition. “I know he’s going to dress tonight but he’s not playing. I didn’t ask Eddie. I knew he wasn’t playing in the first two. I think he’s close from the last talk I had with him.” WEEI

Derrick Rose on the Olympic team: “I’m a candidate. I really want to make it. I’ve been going two, three years. I want to play with all the great players to learn from them and be part of history. Im waiting for Coach K. or someone to contact the Bulls organization or my agent and let me know.” Bulls.com

The Raptors have been deftly restored under general manager Bryan Colangelo’s watch, but beside him in the tunnel stood Maurizio Gherardini, the assistant GM out of the Euroleague whom Prokhorov tried to hire for his Moscow power, CSKA. He is considered Prokhorov’s top choice, sources say, to eventually run the Nets – despite the mistake it would be to replace Rod Thorn. Yahoo! Sports

Chris Mullin, who is often rumored as a potential front-office addition for the Knicks, spoke at length with the team president Donnie Walsh before the game. Mullin said he was “happily and healthily taking a sabbatical” and had not considered his next career move. He said his conversation with Walsh was purely social. Mullin was fired last spring by the Golden State Warriors. He was in town Wednesday to attend the jersey retirement of Tim Hardaway, his former teammate with the Warriors. Darko Milicic bruised his left knee early in the fourth quarter and limped off the court. The injury is not considered serious. New York Times

Forman, who took over as the team's GM last May when John Paxson relinquished the title, says he plans to keep a close eye on the entire operation. In fact, he intends to travel with the team on most, if not all of the trips. "The reasons are two-fold. First of all, I want to be around the team, I want to be around the players and I want to be around the coaching staff," Forman said. "But secondly ... personally, in the past my emphasis has been more in regards to the draft. We do have some flexibility, moving forward, as far as the free-agent market. So I want to see as many NBA games as possible, to be evaluating players around the league." Chicago Tribune

Apparently the momentum from last year has carried over to the new season. The NBA tipped off the regular season Tuesday night with its most-watched opening-night ever on TNT, dating back 26 years. The doubleheader featuring the Boston Celtics-Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers-LA Lakers averaged 3.68 million total viewers, up 43 percent over the 2.56 million who tuned in to last year's opener. Media Life Magazine

Among households, the two games were up 40 percent, from 1.91 million to 2.69 million. Media Life Magazine

In typical Tim Hardaway fashion, he was cool under pressure while watching his No. 10 Heat jersey being raised to the rafters before the season opener Wednesday night at American Airlines Arena. "When you first see your name going up, I almost lost it," said Hardaway, 42, who came over in a trade from the Warriors in the 1995-96 season and played in Miami through the 2000-01 season. "They almost had me but I'm from the south side of Chicago. I'm still jittery, still nervous, but it was great. "They understand that you were one of the focal points of the organization. That's above and beyond a championship ring. After that, is the Hall of Fame." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Mourning created the style of play -- the low-scoring, defensive-minded style -- but someone still had to win the game. And Hardaway usually did that. ``When I first got here, it was dull,'' Hardaway said in one of the more frank moments of his speech Wednesday. ``Y'all was dull.'' Miami Herald

Stephanie Fisher and her son Lawrence Shaw sat in their lower-level seats about an hour after Wednesday night's game ended, waiting for Dwight Howard to come greet them. As part of a contest, Howard flew the two of them out from California for the Magic's season opener against the Philadelphia 76ers. Fisher won by being the one millionth person to follow Howard on Twitter. The arena was mostly empty when Howard strolled up the steps to their seats. He thanked Fisher for being his millionth follower and asked if she'd return for more games. "We won," Howard said. "Y'all might be our good luck charm." Orlando Sentinel

Predators lurking for local children on the Internet could soon be talking to a 7-foot-1 undercover deputy. The Ohio Peace Officer Training Academy is reviewing paperwork to determine whether Cavaliers center Shaquille O'Neal is eligible to carry a gun and a sheriff's five-point badge. Cuyahoga County Sheriff Bob Reid last week notified the state agency, which determines officers' eligibility, that he intends to deputize O'Neal if approved by the state, according to records obtained by The Plain Dealer. O'Neal held law-enforcement commissions in Arizona, Virginia and Florida. Reid declined to comment until the process is complete. Cleveland Plain Dealer

As promised earlier, here are a handful of excerpts from David Stern's favorite book, Blowing the Whistle, by Tim Donaghy. On gambling refs: To have a little fun at the expense of the worst troublemakers, the referees working the game would sometimes make a modest friendly wager amongst themselves: first ref to give one of the bad boys a technical foul wouldn't have to tip the ball boy that night. In the NBA, ball boys set up the referees' locker room and keep it stocked with food and beer for the postgame meal. We usually ran the kid ragged with a variety of personal requests and then slipped him a $20 bill. Technically, the winner of the bet won twice-he didn't have to pay the kid and he got to call a T on Mr. Foul-Mouthed Big-Shot Du Jour. After the opening tip, it was hilarious as the three of us immediately focused our full attention on the intended victim, waiting for something, anything, to justify a technical foul. If the guy so much as looked at one of us and mumbled, we rang him up. Later in the referees' locker room, we would down a couple of brews, eat some chicken wings, and laugh like hell. DeadSpin

We had another variation of this gag simply referred to as the "first foul of the game" bet. While still in the locker room before tip-off, we would make a wager on which of us would call the game's first foul. That referee would either have to pay the ball boy or pick up the dinner tab for the other two referees. Sometimes, the ante would be $50 a guy. Like the technical foul bet, it was hilarious-only this time we were testing each other's nerves to see who had the guts to hold out the longest before calling a personal foul. There were occasions when we would hold back for two or three minutes-an eternity in an NBA game-before blowing the whistle. It didn't matter if bodies were flying all over the place; no fouls were called because no one wanted to lose the bet. DeadSpin

During one particular summer game, Duke Callahan, Mark Wunderlich, and I made it to the three-minute mark in the first quarter without calling a foul. We were running up and down the court, laughing our asses off as the players got hammered with no whistles. The players were exhausted from the nonstop running when Callahan finally called the first foul because Mikki Moore of the New Jersey Nets literally tackled an opposing player right in front of him. Too bad for Callahan-he lost the bet. I became so good at this game that if an obvious foul was committed right in front of me, I would call a travel or a three-second violation instead. Those violations are not personal fouls, so I was still in the running to win the bet. The players would look at me with disbelief on their faces as if to say, "What the hell was that?" DeadSpin

If a player of Kobe's stature collides with the likes of Raja Bell, the call will almost always go for Kobe and against Bell. As part of our ongoing training and game preparation, NBA referees regularly receive game-action video tape from the league office. Over the years, I have reviewed many recorded hours of video involving Raja Bell. The footage I analyzed usually illustrated fouls being called against Bell, rarely for him. The message was subtle but clear-call fouls against the star stopper because he's hurting the game. DeadSpin

If Kobe Bryant had two fouls in the first or second quarter and went to the bench, one referee would tell the other two, "Kobe's got two fouls. Let's make sure that if we call a foul on him, it's an obvious foul, because otherwise he's gonna go back to the bench. If he is involved in a play where a foul is called, give the foul to another player." Similarly, when games got physically rough, we would huddle up and agree to tighten the game up. So we started calling fouls on guys who didn't really matter-"ticky-tack" or "touch" fouls where one player just touched another but didn't really impede his progress. Under regular circumstances these wouldn't be fouls, but after a skirmish we wanted to regain control. We would never call these types of fouls on superstars, just on the average players who didn't have star status. It was important to keep the stars on the floor. DeadSpin

Allen Iverson provides a good example of a player who generated strong reaction, both positive and negative, within the corps of NBA referees. For instance, veteran referee Steve Javie hated Allen Iverson and was loathe [sic] to give him a favorable call. If Javie was on the court when Iverson was playing, I would always bet on the other team to win or at least cover the spread. No matter how many times Iverson hit the floor, he rarely saw the foul line. By contrast, referee Joe Crawford had a grandson who idolized Iverson. I once saw Crawford bring the boy out of the stands and onto the floor during warm-ups to meet the superstar. Iverson and Crawford's grandson were standing there, shaking hands, smiling, talking about all kinds of things. If Joe Crawford was on the court, I was pretty sure Iverson's team would win or at least cover the spread. DeadSpin

Fellow referee Danny Crawford attended Michael Jordan's Flight School Camp years ago and later told me that he had long conversations with other referees and NBA players about how Bavetta propped up weak teams. Danny told me that Jordan himself said that everyone in the league knew that Bavetta cheated in games and that the players and coaches just hoped he would be cheating for them on game night. Cheating? That's a very strong word to use in any sentence that includes the name Dick Bavetta. Is the conscious act of helping a team crawl back into a contest "cheating"? The credo of referees from high school to the NBA is "call them like you see them." Of course, that's a lot different than purposely calling more fouls against one team as opposed to another. Did Bavetta have a hidden agenda? Or was he the ultimate company man, making sure the NBA and its fans got a competitive game most times he was on the court? DeadSpin

The 2002 Western Conference Finals between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Sacramento Kings presents a stunning example of game and series manipulation at its ugliest. As the teams prepared for Game 6 at the Staples Center, Sacramento had a 3–2 lead in the series. The referees assigned to work Game 6 were Dick Bavetta, Bob Delaney, and Ted Bernhardt. As soon as the referees for the game were chosen, the rest of us knew immediately that there would be a Game 7. A prolonged series was good for the league, good for the networks, and good for the game. Oh, and one more thing: it was great for the big-market, star-studded Los Angeles Lakers. In the pregame meeting prior to Game 6, the league office sent down word that certain calls-calls that would have benefitted the Lakers — were being missed by the referees. This was the type of not-so-subtle information that I and other referees were left to interpret. After receiving the dispatch, Bavetta openly talked about the fact that the league wanted a Game 7. "If we give the benefit of the calls to the team that's down in the series, nobody's going to complain. The series will be even at three apiece, and then the better team can win Game 7," Bavetta stated. DeadSpin

Bavetta went on to inform me that it wasn't the first time the NBA assigned him to a game for a specific purpose. He cited examples, including the 1993 playoff series when he put New Jersey guard Drazen Petrovic on the bench with quick fouls to help Cleveland beat the Nets. He also spoke openly about the 2002 Los Angeles–Sacramento series and called himself the NBA's "go-to guy." DeadSpin

Nunez loved the Hispanic community in San Antonio and had a lot of friends there. He had been a referee for 30 years and loved being on the road; in fact, he said that the whole reason he had become a group supervisor was to keep getting out of the house. So Nunez wanted to come back to San Antonio for the conference finals. Plus, he, like many other referees, disliked Suns owner Robert Sarver for the way he treated officials. Both of these things came into play when he prepared the referees for the games in the staff meetings. I remember laughing with him and saying, "You would love to keep coming back here." He was pointing out everything that Phoenix was able to get away with and never once told us to look for anything in regard to San Antonio. Nunez should have a championship ring on his finger. DeadSpin

Shortly after the Javie-Iverson incident, I worked a Jazz-Nuggets contest in Denver on January 6, 2007. During the pregame meeting, my fellow referees Bernie Fryer and Gary Zielinski agreed that we were going to strictly enforce the palming rule against Iverson. Palming the ball was something Iverson loved to do, but if he so much as came close to a palm, we were going to blow the whistle. Obviously, our actions were in direct retaliation for Iverson's rant against Javie. True to form, I immediately excused myself and made an important phone call. Sticking to our pregame pledge, each of us whistled Iverson for palming in the first quarter-we all wanted in on the fun. The violations seemed to affect Iverson's rhythm and he played terribly that night, shooting 5-for-19 with five turnovers. After getting repeatedly whistled all night long, Iverson approached me in an act of submission. "How long am I going to be punished for Javie?" he quietly inquired. "Don't know what you're talking about, Allen," I responded. DeadSpin

The widow of Knick great Dave DeBusschere, Gerri, passed away two days ago. She had been living in Florida. New York Post

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