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Friday, November 13

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Brian Windhorst: Cavs have been keeping touch w/ PG Jamaal Tinsley but I heard tonight from 2 sources that Tinsley may be signing soon with Memphis. Twitter.com

But there will be more this season. Maybe soon, too. One source plugged into Clipperland insists that owner Donald Sterling has already flirted seriously with the idea of dismissing Mike Dunleavy immediately, even though prized rookie Blake Griffin's debut has been put on hold because of his recent knee injury and despite the fact that Dunleavy is still owed $5 million next season on top of this season's $5 million. ESPN.com

One trusted source we consulted this week suggests that Dunleavy could leave the bench and still retain his front-office gig, given that several of his recent roster moves -- drafting Eric Gordon, foisting Zach Randolph on Memphis for a nice chunk of cap space next summer and stealing Rasual Butler from the salary-dumping Hornets -- have been excellent. Instead of paying Dunleavy to leave, Sterling would appear to have the option of keeping him as personnel chief, since Dunleavy and Lucas are long-time pals and could presumably co-exist in a GM/coach relationship. ESPN.com

Yet another trusted source, however, says Dunleavy wouldn't accept serving as GM only, which only muddles the picture further. ESPN.com

The distinct feeling I was left with is that Bosh wants to be the undisputed star on his team and wants to play in a happening metropolis he enjoys. The Raptors and Toronto can make those things happen. ESPN.com

In Dallas, where Bosh was raised, there are folks that have known him for years who remain convinced that Bosh and LeBron were indeed a lock to sign somewhere together in 2010 free agency, with the metropolis of New York ranking as the primary option, followed by the idea that Bosh could/would join James in Cleveland. All of that, though, was based on the outdated premise that the Knicks or Cavs would be able to afford LeBron and another max free agent. No team in the NBA, at present, expects to have that kind of cap room next summer. ESPN.com

So I believe the fresh guidance I've been given suggesting that Toronto -- as we stand some 230 days away from free agency -- is Bosh's most likely destination for the 2010-11 season and beyond. ESPN.com

Cleveland continues to show the most trade interest in Golden State's Stephen Jackson, sources say. Yet we still await a firm signal that a deal is imminent. If/when the Cavs and Warriors do reach that point, you can almost count on Delonte West's inclusion in the deal. In spite of the considerable off-court tumult in West's life already this season, I'm told that Golden State is not averse to taking him in a Jack deal. Especially not when West's $4.5 million salary in 2010-11 can be bought out for $500,000 as long as he's waived by Aug. 2, 2010. ESPN.com

The latest health setback for Mavericks swingman Josh Howard makes it natural to wonder: Will Dallas revisit its position about joining the trade bidding for Golden State's Stephen Jackson? The answer, as of Friday morning, was no. Dallas is one of the teams on the wish list of destinations Jackson revealed in late August when he went public with his request to be traded. The Mavs, though, informed the Warriors early in Golden State's subsequent shopping process that it wouldn't be making a play for the rugged swingman -- in spite of the fresh memories of Jackson's playoff successes against Dallas with San Antonio and Golden State -- largely because they don't think they can find enough playing time for Shawn Marion, Howard and Jackson. ESPN.com

Turns out there might be more playing time available than anticipated if Howard -- pulled from Wednesday's loss in San Antonio when coach Rick Carlisle noticed Howard limping on his surgically repaired left ankle -- needs more time to fully recover from his offseason ankle surgery. But sources with knowledge of the Mavs' thinking re-iterated to ESPN.com this week that the club remains resistant to the idea of trading for Jackson, as much as they might like him, because that means absorbing Jackson's three-year, $27.8 million contract extension that kicks in after this season. ESPN.com

Nelson said Friday there were no developments in the team's attempt to oblige Jackson's trade request. As Nellie recently noted, Jackson is the definition of difficult to trade because of the three years and $28 million left on his contract after this season. But while other teams -- Indiana with Jamaal Tinsley, the Knicks with Stephon Marbury, and the Sixers with Allen Iverson -- have sent troublesome players home while attempting to trade them, Nelson said that's not an option with Jackson. "Jack is a good player, and even though he may not be able to perform up to what he did a year ago because he doesn’t want to be here, he can still be a positive factor and help us win some games," Nelson said. CBSSports.com

Bad person? Good person? Jackson will leave the analysis to others. He's just keeping his cell phone handy, hoping for a call that makes his wish come true. "Hopefully it happens soon," he said. "They're not telling me much. Whatever happens, I'm ready for it." SI.com

Speaking after shootaround, Jackson said he's still on speaking terms with Nelson, but added, "It's not what it used to be." No surprise there, considering Jackson's agent, Mark Stevens, recently ripped Nelson publicly by questioning his trustworthiness. "I think at this point, I come out here and respect him as a coach and do my job and leave it at that," Jackson said. "I think that’s the best thing for me right now. Just give him the respect he deserves as a coach and do my job. And then once I leave the gym, I'm on my own." CBSSports.com

A couple of teams contacted Friday said that Brand indeed has been made available by the Sixers, but Boozer (in the final year of his contract at $12.3 million) is obviously far easier to move than Brand, who has three seasons left after this season on the five-year deal he signed in the summer of 2008 worth just under $80 million. ESPN.com

Bringing back Antonio Daniels was an option for the Wizards to get through their ongoing injury crisis, but Earl Boykins was always Washington's front-runner to pick up some of the guard minutes vacated by injuries to Randy Foye (ankle), Mike James (hand) and Javaris Crittenton (foot) and with Gilbert Arenas playing through calf soreness this week. The Wiz wanted a good vet and someone who could push the ball and apply full-court pressure if needed. The guy who now ranks as the second-shortest player in team history -- Boykins is 5-foot-5 to Muggsy Bogues' 5-3 -- qualifies on all fronts. ESPN.com

When a team abruptly releases a player it often means that player's roster spot is needed to accommodate a follow-up signing or forthcoming trade. We're told Toronto's release of guard Quincy Douby on Thursday is not one of those situations. Turns out Douby's $855,159 contract would be guaranteed for the entire season if he stayed on the Raptors' roster beyond this month. ESPN.com

How stressful was free agency for someone who didn't have big numbers last season, knowing how tight money is around the league? Channing Frye: You know what? I really wasn't worried about the money, man. In my situation I just wanted to go somewhere where I was going to have an opportunity. I haven't felt this good in a long time. Their training staff is the best in the league like everyone says. The whole environment here is conducive to playing basketball just the way I like to play it. ESPN.com

Were you close to signing with anyone else? Channing Frye: [In free agency] I went to [Cleveland coach] Mike Brown's house. I was talking to [Denver's] George Karl and Mark Warkentien a lot. I just felt like I had to do something for myself and that was come here. It really had a lot to do with … [as an Arizona native] this is home, but it had more to do with the style of play that's here and just the environment that's here that I heard so much about. ESPN.com

The Houston Rockets today assigned Joey Dorsey to the team’s NBA D-League affiliate Rio Grande Valley Vipers. The assignment is the first of the NBA D-League season and the second time Dorsey will join the Vipers in his two-year NBA career. Dorsey’s assignment also marks the first time the Rockets have assigned a player since assuming control of the Vipers’ basketball operations as part of their single-affiliation partnership in June. Dorsey, a 6-8 forward/center, re-joins the Vipers following a seven-game assignment last season, when he averaged 9.7 points and 9.0 rebounds in five starts between Dec. 26, 2008 and Jan. 9, 2009. With Dorsey’s assignment to the Vipers, who open their 2009 training camp tomorrow, he becomes the second Rocket to spend the NBA D-League preseason in Rio Grande Valley, following Steve Novak’s stint in McAllen, Texas in 2007. NBA.com

The Warriors apparently made it through their shootaround Friday without any shouting matches. This qualifies as progress for a team cloaked in controversy. Afterward, coach Don Nelson was unapologetic about his verbal confrontation with Monta Ellis, which took place at practice a day earlier. "I disciplined a player in practice, and that’s part of my job description," Nelson told CBSSports.com after the shootaround in preparation for Friday night's game against the Knicks. "I've done it before and I’ll do it again, and that’s all I’ve got to say about it." CBSSports.com

Nelson confirmed that it was Ellis, his $66 million guard, who received the brunt of the discipline. "Yes, it was Monta," he said. "But I'm not going to go into it. I disciplined the player, it’s over, and that’s all I have to say about it." Asked if he and Ellis were OK going forward, Nelson said, "You need to talk to Monta about that. I’m OK." CBSSports.com

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy was asked Friday morning about James' request, and he didn't hesitate to say he thinks the idea is misplaced. "It's a nice gesture, but he (Jordan) is not Jackie Robinson. Baseball did it because it had historical significance,'' Van Gundy said. "There actually were guys before Michael who could play the game. Then you should retire numbers that (Bill) Russell, Wilt (Chamberlain), and certainly Oscar (Robertson) wore. I understand LeBron didn't grow up watching those guys, but still. '' FanHouse

"I wasn't in the banner department,'' he said. "I'm just not one of those guys who thinks unquestionably that he (Jordan) was the best player of all time. I don't buy that. We've had a lot of great players at a lot of positions, so what are you going to do? Retire all the numbers, and pretty soon our guys will be wearing No. 327 because all the two-digit numbers are gone.'' FanHouse

Louis Williams: Lebron is making a major statement in changing his 23 to honor michael jordan. I agree. Im In. Twitter.com

If LeBron James’ call for players to give up use of the No. 23 takes root, Warriors guard C.J. Watson — one of 13 men in the league this season wearing Michael Jordan’s old number — won’t mind all that much. After all, he’s only wearing that uniform because Brandan Wright has the one he really covets: the No. 32 he wore at Tennessee. “Unless me and BWright work something out, I don’t really mind,” Watson said of James’ plan, which is meant to recognize Jordan’s contributions to the game. “(I’m) not really mad about it, (I) agree he’s the best.” 48minutes.net

Phoenix guard Jason Richardson, another one of the No. 23 wearers, said via Twitter that he’s up for the change. “Im all 4 it he’s the greatest player to ever play,” Richardson said. “NBA should of retired 23 yrs ago.” 48minutes.net

Caron Butler said he was getting a massage while watching the Heat-Cavaliers game last night. When he saw Wade send Varejao sprawling to the ground, he shot up and nearly knocked over his masseuse. Then, he decided to relax. "I got to keep myself calm. I got to play him next week," he said. After practice, I overheard someone else put it best: "If they can retire Jordan's jersey in Miami, they should also put a chalk outline on the floor of Varejao." Washington Post

Deron Williams left the Jazz on Friday morning and returned to Utah to deal with a medical situation within his family. Williams would prefer to keep the matter private for now but may make a public announcement later. Although Williams has voiced frustration in recent days with the Jazz’s 3-5 start, the situation is far from a disgruntled star leaving his team. Williams has a private plane at his disposal and could rejoin the team for Saturday’s game at Cleveland. Salt Lake Tribune

The Jazz have excused Williams and said he would miss tonight’s game against Philadelphia. Down to just nine players, the Jazz will give rookies Eric Maynor and Wesley Matthews their first NBA starts, coach Jerry Sloan said this morning. Sloan added that he will bring Andrei Kirilenko off the bench to help with ball-handling duties. Ronnie Brewer and Kirilenko will fill in as backup point guards behind Maynor, who has played just 31 minutes all season. “That’s what basketball is about,” Sloan said. “All the teams run into some of those problems every once in a while. It’s how you approach it, you come and play hard and go home and realize it’s not life or death. Salt Lake Tribune

Mike Jones: I asked Flip: On scale of 1-10, where is Gil in grasping the O. Flip reply: "He grasps it a little bit....Everyone just has to be patient." Twitter.com

Kaman, who leads all centers with 21.7 points to go with 9.6 rebounds, was left off the All-Star ballot released this week. He was not among the 12 Western Conference centers selected to contend for a starting spot at the Feb. 14 midseason showcase in Dallas. (Another high-scoring Clipper, second-year guard Eric Gordon, also didn't make the cut.) Camby, who has played alongside Kaman at power forward this season, was picked as a center. "There's a lot of politics involved. The big-name guys are always going to be there and you can't change that," said Kaman, the reigning Western Conference Player of the Week. "I mean, to be honest, I wouldn't have put myself on there after not playing many games last year." SI.com

"It's probably not going to matter," Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said of Kaman's exclusion. "He's not a guy who is going to get voted on by the fans. He would be a coach's vote [as a reserve] based on how he's played. The marquee guys, the guys with all the publicity, are going to be the guys who get voted on by the fans. Yao Ming [who is out for the season and not on the ballot] is probably still going to get voted in." SI.com

The same team that won the title while he logged just 17.4 minutes in the postseason and 22, 16, 23, 16 and 17 minutes in the L.A.'s five Finals games. Bynum disagrees -- "No, I don't need to prove that I can fit in at all. I think I've already proved that. Coming back off the injury, I had [four] games ... to get ready for the playoffs. It's tough. You've got to get back in rhythm and everybody else is at the highest level. It's natural, I think, to go out there and struggle a little bit. I was happy that I was able to contribute what little I did -- try to defend Howard, use my fouls, help earn us a ring. I just can't wait to get back there in the playoffs this year, because hopefully I'm healthy and I'll be able to contribute." NBA.com

"His teammates are going to find him," coach Phil Jackson said of Bynum. "And when you have a player like Kobe that draws the attention of two players, he's going to find Andrew. It's very hard to keep Andrew away from the basket. That's going to be a force to be reckoned with. Andrew's developed a lot of moves on his own and he has a desire to score, so he's going to score some points." NBA.com

Where is the latest with your hamstring? Gasol: It's been a long process so far. It's been tough because hamstrings are pretty tricky. Sometimes you think you're there but you're not there, it takes a little extra time. Right now, I'm healing. I'm doing what I need to do in order to be out there soon. I don't know. I really don't have a date or a plan right now. I'm just taking it day by day. We're just taking small steps forward instead of trying to take one big one and take three backwards. I'm hoping to be out there as soon as possible. Whenever that is, I'm looking forward to it. I'm doing my rehab every single day and working as hard as I can to get out there and our training staff is helping me to accomplish that. That's where I'm at. I don't have a specific return date in mind because there's no way of assuring that. NBA.com

Asked about McGrady coming back from injury and where he is now: “It will be interesting, it doesn’t look bad in practice, his timing is still a little bit off; he has missed eight months. And trying to hop into a NBA game is tough for anybody. He is getting conditioned and his legs under him, he will have to adjust to our style of play. He has been here for a couple of years and we played more of a half court game and we have a brand new style. I think he will be able to jump back in and play with the rest of us.” Sports Radio Interviews

Josh Howard is going back on the inactive list indefinitely, coach Rick Carlisle said after the Mavericks' shootaround this morning. The Mavericks made the decision to give Howard more time to recover from his off-season left ankle surgery after he had difficulty in the second of back-to-back games earlier this week. Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Lisa Dillman: Finally...good news emerges from Clipper HQ. Chris Kaman, who missed yesterday's practice with virus, was at morning shootaround. Twitter.com

Chad Ford: Harrison Barnes, the likely No. 1 pick in the 2011 NBA Draft, will be playing for North Carolina next season. Twitter.com

Informed observers remain convinced that Byron Scott will still be on the list of potential replacements for Phil Jackson when Jackson is ready to leave coaching, no matter how quickly things unraveled for Scott with the Hornets following his rise to NBA Coach of the Year in 2008. Yet there is ever-growing conviction in Lakerland that Jackson will be back on the bench next season and maybe longer. Jackson's $12 million-a-year contract indeed expires after this season, but you heard Kurt Rambis say it when he took the Minnesota job in August: Lakers management is trying hard behind the scenes to convince Phil, at 64, to keep going. ESPN.com

One more note on Scott: New Orleans didn't want to fire him after last season's playoff humbling from Denver -- including that unforgettable 58-point loss in Game 4 in what wound up as the Hornets' final home game of the season -- because Scott was scheduled to earn $5 million this season himself. Yet I remember that the Hornets were borderline rooting for Sacramento to try to hire Scott away from them before the Kings' courting of Kurt Rambis and ultimate hiring of Paul Westphal. Which should have been a clear indication that a change was coming sooner rather than later. ESPN.com

The slacker son of the New Orleans Hornets owner went to Los Angeles with the team and began to grumble about the priorities of the coach. Yes, it was over for Byron Scott now. The old man had crowned Chad Shinn with a VP title and authority on choosing the Honeybees, and even he knew Scott failed to understand the urgency of his plight. With three games in four nights, his franchise in freefall, the coach was planning tee times in SoCal. “Yeah, that bothered some people,” one Hornets source said. Yahoo! Sports

This wasn’t out of character for Scott. His players wanted a more sophisticated playbook, management wanted longer hours and more diligent preparation and, well, Byron Scott wanted to hit the links. To be fair, this was Scott when he was the NBA’s Coach of the Year, and this was him now. Yahoo! Sports

Embarrassed by the Lakers on Sunday, the Hornets beat the Clippers on Monday, and the team’s departure to Phoenix for Wednesday night’s game had been pushed back to accommodate the coach’s golf game. Scott played 18 holes with his last two allies in the organization, superstar Chris Paul and his brother/business manager, C.J. Paul. Yahoo! Sports

That’s the case for the entire organization. After Hornets president Hugh Weber met privately with Paul and David West(notes) to tell them Scott had been fired, the team wanted Paul to stay, wait out the news conference and give a brief statement to the press. He wouldn’t do it. His best friend, West, stayed and declared publicly what he had been saying privately: The Hornets desperately needed a change, and West made no apologies for it. Privately, West bluntly told friends: “We really don’t run any plays.” Yahoo! Sports

For Paul, this wasn’t so much professional as it was personal. He takes things hard and feels them deeply. Truth be told, Paul is livid. C.J. Paul posted an apparent dig at Weber on his Twitter account: “I can’t stand when [people] that don’t know basketball make major basketball decisions. It turns out to be a disaster.” As the Hornets’ general manager, Bower had been reluctant to replace Scott with himself, but there was no suitable interim on the coaching staff. Bower is a burly man with a shaved head who looks far more like a prison warden than a basketball coach. Bower’s no Showtime Laker, and he sure won’t try and sell himself to the Hornets as a sideline star. His job is momentous and his mandate unmistakable: To save this season, to save his job, Jeff Bower has to win over the best point guard on the planet. Yahoo! Sports

Bower has made some costly misjudgments, but it offended several respected GM peers to see Weber, the Hornets’ fake tough guy who married into the job, so publicly grandstand at Bower’s expense during a news conference. “How about the statement from Weber?” one Western Conference GM emailed on Thursday night. “ ‘Bower put this together and he’s going to be held accountable.’ I’m sure it was his vision to dump salary and give away all the pieces they did to reduce salary.” Yahoo! Sports

Bower will coach the rest of the season, and ownership allowed him to bring back Tim Floyd, his old boss, as his top assistant. No one has to tell Bower how loyal Paul is; he’s seen it over and over. Yes, Paul loathes change. He grows attached to people, and holds on when maybe he should let go. As flaws go, it isn’t much. Paul was disconsolate when the Hornets traded Bobby Jackson. Once, he struggled with the release of a nonguaranteed training-camp rookie named Tre Johnson. It’s just his nature. In the end, Paul’s had two coaches since high school – the late Skip Prosser at Wake Forest and Byron Scott. Yahoo! Sports

Former NBA coach Eric Musselman turned down, on Thursday, a proposal from Russian team Spartak SPB. The club, which recently added to its roster Goran Suton and James White, was looking for a new coach after the decision made by Trifunovic to step down from his position for contrasts with the management. Sportando

The Nets don’t need a healthy Yi to sell to China. They announced today they entered into signage deals with Agricultural Bank of China and Yili, a China-based dairy company and have renewed all four of their sponsorship alliances with China-based companies, including PEAK, Sina Corporation, Haier, and Nike China. Bergen Record

Yao remains out for the season as he tries to recover from chronic foot woes, creating the aforementioned opportunity for Stoudemire and Bynum to win fan balloting at center, But Yao did engage in some basketball business this week when he helped the team he owns back home in China hire its coach. After Yao conducted an interview in Houston, the Shanghai Sharks selected former Nets, Hornets and Cavaliers assistant Bob Donewald Jr. to be their new coach. Donewald last coached in the NBA with Cleveland in 2004, working closely with a rookie named LeBron James. ESPN.com

What is your role on the show? Pau Gasol: I play a random guy who is in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's cool because I'm not playing myself or the stereotypical basketball player. It's a little bit of a challenge. My character's name is Victor and I'm driving my sister's boyfriend's car and I'm returning the car to the guy and I get into a car crash. I can't tell you the whole episode but will tell you that I get out of the car and I see that the other car is severely damaged and I see wounded people in there. One of them I believe is dead and the other I am trying to help and save his life. NBA.com

How did this opportunity come about? Gasol: I told my agent, Arn Tellem at Wasserman Media Group, that I had interest in doing acting and if stuff came up and it did. My agency had a good opportunity with CBS and they presented it to me and I was happy to have it. I met with the production company of CSI: Miami and it worked out great. NBA.com

Do you have the acting bug? Is this something you want to continue to pursue? Gasol: Yes. It's refreshing. It's something different from what I do. I love watching movies and I think it's cool to be part of production and movie process. If I continue to have these opportunities, hopefully I can take advantage of them but it's hard with our schedule. The summer is the only time we have off. It's too difficult during the season. It takes time, effort and practice, just like any other job. NBA.com

Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy's wife, Kim, will undergo more tests after losing consciousness Wednesday and being rushed to a hospital by ambulance. "We got some more testing to do," he said. "She's better and doing her normal stuff...running the kids around. ...She's fine, but she still doesn't feel great." Orlando Sentinel

League sources, however, maintain that point guard Chris Paul was not one of the players who had issues with Scott. Paul had remained loyal to Scott even during the team’s struggles. “Chris Paul had nothing to do with it,” said one source close to the team. Yahoo! Sports

Paul wasn’t happy with the decision, and he certainly wasn’t pleased with being caught off guard by the announcement. He said the Hornets should have sought his and West’s input before the decision was finalized. "I felt like, maybe somebody would have at least consulted with me and asked how I felt before it happened," Paul said by telephone Thursday night. "It’s not to get my approval, but we feel we should know about the decision before it takes place." New Orleans Times-Picayune

Chris Broussard: CP3's statement about being upset about BScott's firing is not just PR move. i'm told he's truly not happy. N.O. is a mess, CP frustrated. Twitter.com

Though Scott was a demanding coach, Paul said their relationship transcended beyond the court. "Coach had an open line of communication," Paul said. "Guys would feel a certain way about playing time, and Coach was always honest with you. He was always straight-forward with you from Day One." The Hornets said Bower will be the full-time coach and there are no current plans to search for a replacement. Bower has never been a head coach on any level, but previously worked as an assistant for the Hornets. Yahoo! Sports

League sources say Hornets owner George Shinn had encouraged Bower to take over as coach as far back as the summer. Bower has been with the Hornets since 1995, serving as everything from an advance scout to assistant coach to general manager. He was promoted to GM in June 2001 then returned to the bench as an assistant under Floyd during the 2003-04 season. Bower said he doesn’t whether he will coach the Hornets beyond this season. “This plan is in place so all our attention will be focused on this team right now to change the results and change some of the habits that we have,” Bower said. “That’s where all our energy is.” Yahoo! Sports

Hornets forward David West told reporters in New Orleans there were “philosophical differences” between Scott and some players, and hinted that Scott might have become stubborn in his beliefs. “Pride is a dangerous thing,” West said. “Amongst the team there was a sense of a few guys not trusting what we had in terms of our system and our ability to know what we were going to get every single night from our system.” Yahoo! Sports

“We were way too predictable,” West said. “We worked way too hard to get simple stuff accomplished. “What we had wasn’t working – the philosophy, the way we approached things just wasn’t working.” Yahoo! Sports

General manager Jeff Bower, who's stepped in as Scott's replacement, and team president Hugh Weber decided nine games were enough to make a change. The front office squarely placed the blame on Scott for the Hornets' 3-6 start. New Orleans also suffered a first-round playoff ouster last season after nearly reaching the Western Conference finals the season before. "The general feeling was -- and Chris Paul has said this -- that this team did not have an identity, did not have a style, did not have a process for winning," Weber said. "Coach felt the issue was trust and effort, that if we just trusted each other, we'd get better, but the issue was execution." NBA.com

"We had ongoing discussions about all of the potential fixes about the brokenness of the team," Weber said. "Jeff volunteered the thought, 'I can do this.' I said, 'Are you sure that's what you want to do? Because once you do, the genie can't go back in the bottle.'" NBA.com

Making this arrangement particularly unwieldy is that Bower has virtually no support system -- the Hornets have the league’s smallest front office. In fact calling it an “office” is probably too generous; it’s more like a spare closet in the basement. Presumably personnel director Brian Hagen will take on a bit more responsibility on some of the personnel nitty-gritty while Bower focuses on his other full-time job. Director of Basketball Administration Andrew Loomis, who has basically been a cap specialist, may also take on some new responsibility. ESPN.com

"I think we're all surprised," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "It's pretty early in the season, not even 10 games in that this would happen. "I had this conversation once with an owner that I knew ... commiserating with him about firing a coach. And he said, `Thanks, I know that firing's very hard on owners, but usually the players fire the coach before the owner has to fire him. "The players stop responding to the coach, and it makes it a lot easier, it's not a grudge match between the owner and the coach. So I kind of had to reconsider that a little bit." Los Angeles Daily News

Ben Golliver: On 95.5FM, Blazers radio broadcaster Brian Wheeler says Steve Blake joked on team plane, "Jeez, can Chris Paul coach the team too?" Twitter.com

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But, I warn you of this: I have it on serious authority that there are no moves planned at the moment. They didn’t do this so they could go and get a specific guy right away (and that means all you ‘go get Allen Iverson’ zanies can stand down), they did it for future possibilities. Now, Quincy is a very nice, quiet young man that the coaches loved and wanted to keep but Bryan won this discussion. And it may pay off down the road. Toronto Star

Base Oostende announced the signing until the end of the season of Eddie Gill. The guard born in 1978 started his career with Nets and then moved to Memphis, Portland, Indiana and Seattle. Sportando

Thursday, Moon returned to Miami, where he played 26 games last season after being traded to the Heat from the Toronto Raptors. Over the summer, Moon had some discussions about going back to the Heat before the Cavs signed him to a two-year, $6 million offer sheet Miami didn't match. The Heat was concerned about the luxury tax this season and protecting cap space for next summer. "They wanted to bring me back, but I don't know what their financial situation was going to be," Moon said. "I actually thought I'd be back, I thought they'd find a way, but it didn't work out." Cleveland Plain Dealer

After a successful year over there, he decided he wanted to come home and was confident that he could make it back to the NBA. Yesterday, it happened for him. It's a pretty rare situation, and that's exactly how Boykins described it. He's well aware that once you're 33 and out of the league, you rarely make it back. "I'm a rare NBA player," he said. "I was out of the NBA, but as long as you're getting paid to play basketball, it's not that bad. I went to Europe and had some success over there, but I just didn't want to go back this year. I wanted to return to the NBA. "Not being in the NBA, it was different over in Europe," Boykins added. "I think I developed an appreciation for the European game. It's a different game, and it's actually more difficult to play in Europe than in the NBA. The biggest thing is the guys are smarter. All the guys are so much smarter. When you're young, you don't play overseas. It was tough, but I had a great experience in Italy, but now I wanted to come back and return to the NBA." Washington Times

Both consciously and subconsciously, the Cavaliers seem to be preparing themselves for life without Delonte West. Out of respect to his problems, both mental and legal, the team continues to be vague and clipped whenever addressing his status. But the more he's not around, the more the Cavs players and coaches are showing signs they're just moving on. West did not play Thursday against the Miami Heat and was not at AmericanAirlines Arena after he was with them the night before in Orlando but not on the bench. He was simply placed on the inactive list again. It didn't even seem to make a blip in the locker room or in coach Mike Brown's plans for the game. Cleveland Plain Dealer

"At this point, it's not a distraction," LeBron James said. "At the end of the day, what he's going through is more than just about basketball. He's going to continue to work out and continue to work to get back." Cleveland Plain Dealer

But then afterwards talking to a small group of reporters following his main media session, LeBron elaborated on the decision and backed it up with some good points and strong statements. Then he issued a challenge to the other players who wear No. 23 to think about doing the same. Like he had been working on the idea for months in his head. Cleveland Plain Dealer

"I just think what Michael Jordan has done for the game has to be recognized some way soon," James said. "There would be no LeBron James, no Kobe Bryant, no Dwyane Wade if there wasn't Michael Jordan first. "He can't get the logo, and if he can't, something has to be done. I feel like no NBA player should wear 23. I'm starting a petition, and I've got to get everyone in the NBA to sign it. Now, if I'm not going to wear No. 23, then nobody else should be able to wear it." Cleveland Plain Dealer

LeBron did meet with Jordan, who was in town to do some sponsorship work with Dwyane Wade, earlier on Thursday. He was in an arena that honored Jordan by retiring his number as Pat Riley did as the president of the Heat. Some of that could have played into it and he perhaps got emotional after the victory in front of Jordan. But he did it with all these reasons to do it plus reasons he's ready to change his jersey to No. 6 next year. Besides all that stuff, LeBron also just decided after the game to put Wade's dunk on Anderson Varejao in the first half in the top 10 of all-time. Along with his dunk on the same hoop in 2006 on Damon Jones, that is. Cleveland Plain Dealer

As the players cooled down from a practice at the Reebok Sports Club and prepared for the bus ride to the hotel, Ellis called Nelson over to the bench, where he sat alongside Jackson and Acie Law. "Coach, why do I get blamed for everything?" Ellis asked. Then, the coach and player had this heated dialogue: Nelson: "What have I ever blamed you for?" Ellis: "For everything. Everything. People not knowing their plays. I didn't do this. I didn't do that." Nelson directed a two-handed wave off at Ellis and left the facility. The guard yelled, "That's why I won't do it. I just won't do it." San Francisco Chronicle

Ellis refused to talk to media after the argument. He even brushed off friend and teammate Corey Maggette, who tried to calm the situation. According to a Warriors player, Nelson reprimanded Ellis in front of his teammates. The player said Ellis wasn't the only one who wasn't quite ready when practice was scheduled to begin at noon, but the guard still took the brunt of Nelson's anger. San Francisco Chronicle

Nelson significantly influenced those alterations and is notorious for going out of his way to provoke the wrath of players -- Mickael Pietrus, Jamal Crawford and Al Harrington, to pinpoint some. "Had I stayed with the Warriors any longer I felt for sure he would have ended my NBA career," Harrington said to me last month. New York Post

Ramona Shelburne: Kobe Bryant on whether there are enough shots in the post for both he and Bynum: ``It's not an issue. I eat first, everybody knows that.'' Twitter.com

Ty Lawson has played as many regular-season games against the Los Angeles Lakers as, well, you have, dear reader. But ask Lawson about the Lakers, and he sounds like, well, you again. Dude wants to beat L.A. "I'm already ready to beat the Lakers — it's a rivalry," the Nuggets' rookie point guard said this week. "We've got to set a tone early. Last year they beat us in the Western Conference finals, so this year, we're going to set the tone that we're not taking it this year — we're going to get this win." Denver Post

"The Lakers have a good way at zoning (Anthony) up — he's not playing against one guy very often," Karl said. "For me, Melo is a simple theory. Big guy on him, go outside; little guy on him, go inside. Get as many baskets and touches in transitions as you can." Denver Post

It wasn't so long ago Camby was teammates with Allen Iverson in Denver. Camby thought that his buddy, who is in limbo with Memphis, might return to the NBA instead of retiring. "That's a strange situation," he said. "I haven't had the chance to talk with him. I hope he's still in Memphis when we get down there next week. I still think he has a lot left." Los Angeles Times

This wouldn't be the way Iverson exited, Camby thought. "Not with all the controversy he had in Memphis and Detroit," Camby said. "I don't want anything to tarnish his legacy. I still feel he's a Hall of Famer." Los Angeles Times

One problem with having the youngest team in the league is the unwillingness of players to follow others in their peer group. "It's not coming from nobody right now," Zach Randolph said when asked about leadership. Memphis Commercial Appeal

Most teams that turn on their coaches (i.e. Hubie Brown, Sidney Lowe, Mike Fratello, Marc Iavaroni) have multiple players complaining in the locker room over a period of time. That hasn't been the case so far with this collection of Grizzlies. Instead, the players blame themselves. "Everybody has to take ownership for what they do out there," Gay said. "Everybody. It has to change. It will change because we care. Nobody's happy. Nobody's laughing around here because this isn't fun." Memphis Commercial Appeal

Howard's rebounding average has also dipped recently. He was averaging 16.0 rebounds per game after the team's first three games; now, that number since has fallen to 10.6 per game. Even Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy noted during Wednesday's postgame news conference that Howard "has not been dominant defensively or on the boards in the last four or five games. I know that that has to change for us to be good." Howard said his statistics will improve. "It's just a phase," Howard said. "I've just got to bounce out of it. I'm going to have nights where my numbers are not as high as I would like them to be. As long as we win, that's all that really matters right now." Orlando Sentinel

Contrary to recent media-inflated reports that Roy's ego and need for the ball are on the rise, the franchise representative for all things black and red has been, if anything, willing to downsize and downplay his star role for the greater good this season. Need Roy to hold down the Blazers' small forward position for a few games, while coach Nate McMillan experiments and attempts to add new life to his team by inserting point guards Andre Miller and Steve Blake into the starting lineup? No problem. Need Roy to play the part of a proven, wise veteran, without the normal benefits such as increased minutes, points or touches. No problem. Columbian

"Any adversity I go through this early in my career is good for my career," Roy said. He's also continued to put up all-star caliber numbers, highlighted by team highs in key categories such as average points (20.8), made free throws (6.3) and assist-to-turnover ratio (3.0). Roy has sacrificed, challenged himself and searched for answers. All in the hope that change and struggle will eventually bring him and his team closer to their ultimate goal. "That's what I want everybody to do, is just give things a chance," Roy said. Columbian

While no one is pleased that the Wizards are 2-6, Butler said that now is not the time for alarm. "It's still early for everybody. We just have to continue to play together," Butler said. "It's not going to be one individual making heroic plays to save us. That's the type of team we have. We don't need nobody to be extra spectacular, we just need everybody to stay together, stay on the same page and play together. Just continue to believe in the system." Washington Post

Also forced into the Brand discussion was Sixers president and general manager Ed Stefanski, who signed Brand to a five-year, $80 million contract in July 2008. "Elton is trying to find his way - no question about it. He hasn't played in games for two years," Stefanski said. "It may just not come as quickly as he'd like to." Philadelphia Inquirer

"He's not a big issue as far as me playing him 40 minutes to see if he can get off," Jordan said, sounding slightly frustrated. "I'm looking at guys who are giving me production right now. I have a rotation that's very good for us right now. By design, the first play of Wednesday night's game went to Brand. Philadelphia Inquirer

For his part, Brand seemed more focused on how he can improve his situation rather than expecting Jordan to change it for him. "Keep doing what he's doing, working the practices, giving me the opportunities," Brand said when asked what he would do if he were Jordan. "If I'm going well, keep that opportunity. And that's about it." Philadelphia Inquirer

Asked if he thinks he's the key for the Sixers, Brand replied, "Definitely. I think I've got to be up there. Those games (in the past that) I didn't play in the fourth quarter, we lost by 30 points. I know if I'm out there doing what I need to do, it's going to be a close ballgame - we have a chance." Phillyburbs.com

"Duhon is my point guard," D'Antoni said Thursday, the day after Duhon went scoreless in the Knicks' fifth straight defeat. "He is in a funk. We have to get him out of it." Newsday

Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle was unhappy with his team's effort in a 92-83 loss to a San Antonio squad that was missing two All-Stars on Wednesday night. The short-handed Spurs played extremely hard without Tony Parker and Tim Duncan. "Simple as that," Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. "If you don't play hard enough, you're going to get your ass kicked. ... That's essentially what happened." ESPN.com

As is his nature, Nowitzki was hardest on himself when recounting the loss to San Antonio. "I took a bad shot," he said of the Mavericks' possession when they had closed to within 83-79 and had the ball. "Maybe I was a little tired and just pressed too much. I just took some shots I probably shouldn't have taken." Maybe not a bad idea since he and Terry were about the only ones making any in the fourth quarter. Dallas Morning News

I don't know sign language, but I think Steve Nash might have had a problem with Violet Palmer's officiating in last night's game against the Lakers. (The Suns got crushed, btw.) Or maybe he's just invested in a LensCrafters franchise and wants to make sure everyone in the NBA has quality, stylish eyewear. He can take care of that for you in about a hour. DeadSpin

“I like playing against Amar’e because I’ve been looking up to him since I was young,” said Speights, who grew up in St. Petersburg, Fla., about an hour away from Stoudemire’s haunts outside of Orlando. “I always looked up to him, so it’s pretty cool to play against a guy like that who I try to model my game after.” Pottstown Mercury

Blair had ruptured the ligaments as a high school sophomore, but they were presumably repaired in surgery. The theory now is that the grafts did not take and were absorbed by the body. Although an A.C.L. is necessary to help stabilize the knee, the 20-year-old Blair has likely compensated by building up strength in other muscles and ligaments. He said his knees had never given him trouble since high school. Still, many N.B.A. executives were spooked by the revelation. There were other concerns, including Blair’s weight (he is listed at 265 pounds) and his height. But his knees “were a big factor in him falling as far as he did,” said an Eastern Conference scout, who spoke on condition of anonymity while discussing another team’s player. New York Times

Blair is what is known as a “coper,” meaning he can function normally without an A.C.L., said Dr. James Gladstone, the chief of sports medicine in the department of orthopedic surgery at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Copers comprise about 5 percent of people who tear an A.C.L. “For the vast majority of people, not having an A.C.L. and playing basketball don’t really go together,” Gladstone said. New York Times

“I want to annoy guys,” said Bogans, the Spurs' latest starter at shooting guard. “I want guys to know when I'm guarding them, it's going to be a tough night. I don't want anybody to think it's going to be a walk in the park. See me, and put a smile on your face? No, that's not me.” San Antonio Express-News

Bowen's departure left a void Bogans longed to fill. “Once I saw Bruce leave, I thought it was a perfect opportunity for me,” said Bogans, who has also played for Orlando, Charlotte and Houston. “I do basically the same thing he did. I'm not as good of a defender yet, but I'm trying.” San Antonio Express-News

You see him every night, fist-bumping and chest-thumping his teammates, cajoling and celebrating and trying to keep their game-time temperatures simmering. But he looks like a terrific teammate and what's not to like about his enthusiasm? "I really haven't been in this position before, not in a long time," Evans said Thursday. "It long ago got to the point I didn't want to be moping and stuff. But I'm a team player. It's just not in me to get down. You've got to let your teammates know you are there for them in any way, form or fashion." Toronto Star

"You got to. Every now and then, your teammates need a lift. They need that voice in their ear. I think my teammates respect me, because they know what I say is always in a positive way. I don't say things in a negative way and now, I think sometimes they're looking to me to say something." Toronto Star

Under doctor's orders, Chris Kaman stayed away from his teammates Thursday. Nothing against the Clippers' leading scorer, but that may have been the best call of the week. Kaman is suffering from a virus -- not flu, the team says -- and the last thing they need is for what he has to go spreading through the squad. It's not a good thing if their numbers continue to hover around 10 and 11 players, at practice, and especially with a three-game trip coming up, starting at Oklahoma City on Sunday. Los Angeles Times

Ryan Anderson, who is recovering from a sprained right ankle, had hoped he could play tonight against the New Jersey Nets, his former team. But Anderson acknowledges it would take a "miracle" for that to happen. Anderson has run and worked out at RDV Sportsplex in recent days, but he hasn't practiced with his teammates. "Honestly, I want to come back when it's 100 percent," he said Thursday. "I want to be 100 percent ready conditioning-wise and everything to come back on Monday. It's looking great for Monday." Orlando Sentinel

The Suns do not have their first-round pick in the June draft. It will go to Oklahoma City as the final part of the salary-dumping, 2007 Kurt Thomas trade. However, the Suns still will scout the same as previous years because of the possibility of acquiring a first-round pick or the possibility of a player they covet slipping to the second round. The Suns have three second-round picks, including Charlotte's spot. Arizona Republic

Jackson is in the final year of his current contract, but has not ruled out coaching beyond this season if his health allows him to. Those close to Jackson continue to say that he is open to coaching past this season. Los Angeles Daily News

"I feel really good," he said Thursday. "I have a device that really takes away a lot of the discomfort that I've had. That's a real big relief for me as far as just having to deal with some issues when I stand or walk. I'm much better that way. "As far as the edema that I was kind of suffering from flying, obviously, we haven't been out on the road very much, but that's well-controlled." Los Angeles Times

If the trigger-happy style invites criticism, that it is unsuited for the more grinding defensive emphasis needed in the postseason, the Suns don't care. "If that was true, then everyone should be playing the triangle -- right? -- because that's what won the championship," said Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry, gently mocking the naysayers before his travel-weary Suns were handled by the Lakers, 121-102, at Staples Center on Thursday night. Riverside Press-Enterprise

Former Most Valuable Player Nash may be 35, but the Suns' recommitment to the speedy game revolves around him, and his staying healthy and fresh. Asked about protecting him, Gentry shook his head. "How many minutes should I be playing him?" he asked, adding, "He's averaging 34, which means he does not play 14 minutes. That's 14 minutes that makes me nervous as (heck)." Riverside Press-Enterprise

Staying competitive has remained elusive. The Knicks have done nothing well this season. So Walsh has studied the practices — looking, pondering, evaluating. He was aware of the hurdles that faced him when he came to the organization. The second year, he forecast, would be the hardest. But even he did not envision the Knicks struggling this much. “I didn’t, mainly because we had guys from last year back,” Walsh said, adding: “I don’t know what it is. That’s why I like to come to practice and watch us try to work our way out of it.” New York Times

The early season has weighed on Walsh, as it has the entire organization. Walsh is tired of talking about who may be available and who may not be as a free agent. “I’m looking at this,” Walsh said, motioning to the players practicing. “This is in front of me. The room is going to be there. That’s done. But we’ve got some good players here and I want to see which one of these guys we want to keep.” New York Times

Responding quickly to a mayoral call, some of the region's largest developers are rushing to draw up proposals for a new sports and entertainment arena in Sacramento. And from the early discussions, it looks like downtown is back in play. Mayor Kevin Johnson released what he called a "request for offerings" Tuesday for a new arena that could be home to the NBA's Kings, saying he is looking for local help, and looking for it fast. By Thursday, at least two developers, including the owner of the downtown railyard, said they plan to respond, and others were expressing interest. Sacramento Bee

As part of their proposals, developers must include: a design for an arena; a financing plan – including equity sources and whether public money would be used; a timeline for construction; a location; and the number of jobs the arena would create. The mayor has said he will not favor plans that involve new taxes. "I'm excited that people are showing interest," Johnson said. "This is exactly what I had in mind when I talked about having a sense of urgency and a desire to reinvigorate the discussion." Sacramento Bee

LeBron James is wearing a new Nike shoe saluting his favorite New York team -- the Yankees, not the Knicks. Nike personally designed for King James a Yankees shoe commemorating their World Series title and he debuted them Wednesday night in Orlando. On the left shoe, at the toe, the words "New York'' are screened in laser navy blue print. It is cast over pinstripes. On the right shoe reads the number "27'' over a baseball. James was presented the shoe by Nike on Friday night before the Cavaliers' ballyhooed blowout victory over the Knicks in his lone Garden appearance of the season. Alex Rodriguez, Robinson Cano and Mark Teixeira, who attended the Cavaliers-Knicks game after their championship parade, also were given the shoes by Nike. New York Post

James didn't wear them vs. the Knicks because he didn't want it to cause a commotion and detract from the game, a source said. According to Nike spokesman KeJuan Wilkins, the shoe will not be available for retail purchase. Nike made the shoe for James, knowing the Yankees are his favorite sports team -- other than the Cavaliers. New York Post

Detlef Schrempf: Like most athletes who are totally consumed by the sport I did not pay as much attention in my playing days as I would now after working in the financial sector for almost 10 years. As a player you trust your advisors and don't want to be bothered with financial matters you might not understand anyway. The key is to find proper counsel and that is a challenge in this unreal culture of recruitment and presentation. The shady advisors/agents outnumber the solid firms and the NBA and Player Union are not doing enough to monitor the player management sector. But that is obviously only one part of the problem. Education is necessary to guide the players to a life style which they can hopefully maintain for the rest of their lives. Detlef Schrempf

Arash Markazi: DJ Mbenga is up in Hyde catching up with Cuba Gooding Jr. That's right. Even Mbenga's gone Hollywood. Twitter.com

Manu Ginobili: Hi everybody!! Just wanted to let u know that my beautiful wife got even more beautiful becoming pregnant 4 the 1st time. We r THRILLED & wanted to share this moment w/ all of you! Thanks! Facebook

Former Suns Dancer, Brittany Bell, who spent the last three seasons entertaining fans across the Valley, will be competing in the Miss Arizona USA pageant this weekend. If Bell should capture the crown, she will go on to represent Arizona on the national level in the Miss USA pageant. The preliminary competition will take place on Saturday, Nov. 14, at the Mesa Arts Center Theater from 7 to 9 p.m. The competition will consist of contestants participating in both evening gown and swimsuit competitions. Then, after narrowing the contestants down to 5-10, the remaining girls will return the following night. Sunday night’s competition will run from 7 to 10 p.m. and will feature an interview with all of the finalists. NBA.com

The questions that have been posted so far reflect the strong current of nationalism among China's youth, as well as a curiosity about Mr Obama's personal life. "Mr President, when George W Bush came to China he rode a bicycle to entertain us. Can you do a live performance of Michael Jackson's Billie Jean?" asked one respondent. "Can you have a word with the NBA to let Yao Ming and the Houston Rockets win one championship?" was one plea, while others had even bigger ambitions: "Russian media reported that in 2010 the US will cede California to China. How do you view this?" Telegraph

The case against a former NBA star who owes $822,500 in casino gambling debts is moving forward after a brief hearing today in Las Vegas Justice Court. Antoine Walker was scheduled to appear this morning in front of Justice of the Peace Melanie Andress-Tobiasson. His lawyer, Jonathan Powell, appeared on his behalf. Powell indicated that Walker intended to waive his right to a preliminary hearing and asked for a continuance. Another hearing in front of Andress-Tobiasson was set for 7:45 a.m. on Nov. 30. Las Vegas Sun

But what they didn't say – what no one could predict with certainty – was that the Kings rookie would carry his country along for the historic ride, and not only shoulder the weight, but withstand the additional burden caused by the recent scandal ensnaring Israeli basketball. A suicide. A government investigation. Possible tax evasion. Allegations that former Maccabi Tel Aviv team manager Moni Fanan ran an illegal investment scheme on the side, losing millions and embroiling players, coaches, high-ranking sports executives and possibly referees in a tawdry, ongoing affair. Sacramento Bee

"Omri has been a shining light given the whole atmosphere of basketball right now in our country," said Eran Soroka, the premier NBA writer for the Israeli newspaper Maariv. "We are getting up at 5 a.m. to watch the games, and when Omri does something good, it's all over the TV and newspapers." Sacramento Bee

"It's terrible," Casspi says, shaking his head. "Moni was a dear friend, a father figure to us. But I just have to worry about the Kings and becoming the best player I can. And I'll tell you … it's hard. The games come so quick, the travel, practice. In Europe you only play twice a week." Sacramento Bee

The father of former NBA star Jayson Williams has died. The Brice W. Herndon and Sons Funeral Home said Elijah Joshua "E.J." Williams died Tuesday. He was 76. Christopher Adams, an attorney for Jayson Williams, said E.J. Williams died at his son's home in Bluffton, S.C., of complications from several strokes. USA Today

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