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Thursday, November 19

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The New York Knicks, winners of just two of their first 11 games, are seriously contemplating signing Allen Iverson if he clears waivers on Thursday afternoon. "We are at a point where, 'Do we need an influx of something else?' " Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said. "It is always a fluid situation. It is fluid right now. We are just trying to determine what is the best for this organization and these players." ESPN.com

Alan Hahn: Two sources indicate the Knicks won't have anything officially done re: Iverson tonight when (if?) he clears waivers at 6 p.m. Twitter.com

Larry Brown on calling teams around the league on AI’s behalf: “I just want to see Allen go to a team that he has a chance to win with. I called New York because with D’Antoni and the way he plays, shoot, that’s perfect for Allen. But I called a lot of teams in the summer that had a chance to win that I thought he would be good with, but it simply didn’t work out. But in order to bring Allen in, you have to realize this is a kid who’s so competitive - that’s what’s made him great. And if you think you’re going to manage his minutes and he’s going to be satisfied with that, it’s not going to happen. He has to be a big part of your team and you have to be confident that you’re going to let him do what he does.” Sports Radio Interviews

On if he thinks it’s at all possibile of him landing with the Knicks: “Oh yeah. Yeah, well Donnie loves him; Donnie’s always loved him and admired him. But it’s up to D’Antoni and that’s what Donnie told me. He’s not going to ask the coach to take a player which I think is the way a GM should work. But I don’t want to see the kid end his career like this. We played them the last exhibition game in Memphis, and he was just working out. I never saw him so happy. I mean it was amazing. He knew he was coming back and had a great frame of mind. And then I watched the first game - he played like 17 minutes and I read some of those comments and I immediately called him and his agent. I didn’t get him, and I said, we can’t let this happen. This doesn’t look right, but he’s an emotional kid as you know, and that’s what made him great. You know, some of the things that get him in trouble also made him so special.” Sports Radio Interviews

Adrian Wojnarowski: Former Clippers guard Mike Taylor has signed with Red Star of Serbia, a source said Thursday. Taylor played 51 games for Clips last year. Twitter.com

Q: I read that Monta Ellis will soon be available. Do you think that the Heat should trade for him? He has explosive offensive skills that the Heat really needs and will definitely bolster the Heat at point guard. However, will it still leave space to sign a max-contract free agent along with Wade? -- Tony. Ira Winderman: Monta's contract has four additional seasons to run, all at $11 million. And I'm not exactly sold he is a point guard (although I'm not sure that would matter alongside Wade). With any player who would eat into space, the question would be: Is it worth losing out on the possible chance to add LeBron or Bosh? Would Ellis help here? Sure. About the only way to make it work and preserve almost equivalent 2010 cap space to what is now available would be to include Beasley, Daequan Cook and James Jones in such a deal, since those three are on the books for about $11 million next season. Hmm. South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Jennings has heard the Archibald comparisons and is flattered, the same feeling he gets from being likened to Van Exel, another quick-trigger left-hander unafraid to launch 3-pointers from a foot -- or two, or three -- behind the arc. Nets guard Rafer Alston said Jennings is sort of a combo between Van Exel and Anderson, and Anderson is actually the player Jennings wanted to pattern his game after. "In seventh and eighth grade, I had a tape of his highlights from his days at Georgia Tech, and I wanted to model my game after him," Jennings said. ESPN.com

Milwaukee scouts Billy McKinney and Jeff Weltman had each traveled to Rome to watch Jennings play against Euroleague competition, and they let their eyes and instincts do the judging rather than focusing on his rather pedestrian statistics. "The thing that stood out for me with him was just his quickness -- and his quickness in playing in a slower-tempo game," McKinney said. "And when you watch the Euro game, they play a slower tempo there, and you would think that would be an advantage for the bigger players defending him, yet he was able to handle the pressure and pretty much do what he wanted to do. The only question I had at that time was it looked like he had some technical flaws in his shot, minor flaws, and he didn't play a ton of minutes. So I came away from that game with a lot of questions, which is what you do in the scouting process -- instead of making a final evaluation you come away with questions -- and that's how you evaluate him in workouts, and those questions were answered." ESPN.com

Added Weltman, "It's a different game in Europe, and you don't get to see all the stuff you get to see when you're scouting a college kid and projecting him for the NBA. It's a slower game, he's playing with older guys and all that stuff, so I think he was a difficult guy for us NBA guys to go over there and scout because it's such a different setting over there, and it kind of masks things that make him who he is." ESPN.com

This is the first in a series of conversations with Vaccaro, about Jennings, that'll be on TrueHoop in the days to come: What's your initial reaction? If he had gone to Arizona, under the flawed pretense of that university and that situation out there ... if he had gone there, there's no doubt in my mind he might have gone third or fourth in the draft. Only Scott Skiles and John Hammond had guts enough to do it. Henry, I saw you that night at the draft. I was a nervous wreck. I was like a child that night, [Vaccaro's wife] Pam and I. I'm not lying to you. It would have been sinful. On the day of the draft I called around. I did. I'm not trying to make these people lose their jobs, but my belly was crazy. I was having a volcano inside of me. My wife was a nervous wreck. I kept telling her: They're going to punish him. They're going to punish him. That's why, in my mind, I will forever be eternally grateful for what Milwaukee did. They did what they felt was the right thing to do. ESPN.com

When we started this talk, I had in my mind that scouting him was tougher. Maybe people are lazy and were used to an old way of doing things and so didn't investigate him as well. But you say teams punished him. Like they knew he was good but passed to try to prove his European model wrong? Well just go read that article you sent me. They basically say that in so many words. How do you not even bring him in? OK, so Blake Griffin will be the top pick, but after that, how do you not bring him in to work out? I think he didn't work out for some of the top teams, but that's not the point. They brought in some kids who were role models as college players. And they can all play. None of these kids are bad. But to not allow this one the chance to show he's better? He was right there on the draft board. That was the mistake. ESPN.com

The interesting contrast was Ricky Rubio. Wonderful player! The funniest thing was that the media that was against Brandon was for Ricky. And a team that could have picked Brandon picked Rubio. And he didn't come! Brandon was mystified. We had our people, Americans, vote for their kid, Rubio, against our kid, Brandon. That hurt. Nothing against Rubio. Nothing. But it's interesting. He made a franchise look like a fool. He made the NBA look like a bigger fool. And we wasted a fortune traveling back and forth, he embarrassed us by not coming. I'm not picking on Minnesota -- they all wanted him. That's the irony. And Brandon suffered the consequences. But Brandon didn't create this situation! If he had the same opportunity Ricky did, to come here as an 18-year-old, you wouldn't be writing this story. He was denied that opportunity. He was denied it, Mr. Abbott. ESPN.com

Phil Jackson on the addition of Ron Artest and whether he is like Dennis Rodman: “Not at all. There’s nothing there. Some of that fixation that comes along with a little bit of getting lost in the melee, forgetting about the offensive set. You have to remind about something here and there. Other than that, he’s been a great addition to us” Sports Radio Interviews

On whether Artest’s anger has been an issue so far: No, we haven’t had any of that. I haven’t seen anything like that so far.” Sports Radio Interviews

Donnie Walsh still remembers his mindset right up to the moment that Ron Artest leapt off the press table at the Palace of Auburn Hills and into the stands, forever changing the immediate and soon-to-be longer fortunes of the Indiana Pacers. “We were up by 15, on the road, against the defending champs. We were kicking their butts. It looked to me that we had a team that was more than capable of making it to the NBA Finals,” said Walsh, then the president of the Pacers. “And then, just like that, everything changed.” Yahoo! Sports

Appearing on "ESPN First Take" on Thursday, Green recounted the incident and the changes he's made in his life since initiating one of the worst brawls in U.S. sports history. He said Artest called his home several months ago to apologize. "He said that he was sorry, that ... the whole thing embarrassed him as it did me," Green said. "He wanted to do something for the community for troubled youth. Of course, I can't do much on this end without him. "We tried to come up with something to give back to the community and come up with something positive. It's not like it's not always going to be known as the brawl, but maybe we could take something good out of it. We're going to try to do something in inner-city Detroit or L.A., maybe after the season ends and he has more free time on his hands." ESPN.com

"I remember throwing the cup, actually a cup of Diet Coke, not a beer, but I had been drinking and I've had issues with alcohol in the past," Green told "ESPN First Take." "I remember [Artest] running into the stands and grabbing the wrong person and I felt bad. I grabbed Artest from behind, the whole thing was kind of a huge blur. It happened so fast." "Just a very bad scene," Green said. "It was a scary situation." Green said he's made strides in his problems with alcohol. "You know, I realized then the trouble I got in that night pretty much stemmed from alcohol," he said. "I wouldn't have done that sober. Look at the video of people throwing stuff. One little thing triggered this huge event with people throwing stuff and getting way out of hand. It all stemmed from alcohol. If we can control that, we can control these situations." ESPN.com

Five Things You Probably Didn't Know About The Brawl: Ron Artest stretched out on the scorer's table because he had been taught in anger management counseling to physically remove himself from potential trouble. He did the right thing, but he made too big a show of it. Pacers radio announcer Mark Boyle, sitting courtside, stood up and gamely tried to take a charge as Artest ran to introduce himself to the fans, but was knocked out of the way. Boyle suffered a cut above his eye and a chipped bone in his lower back for his trouble, and needed treatment in the locker room after the game. SI.com

Lewis started last night's fourth quarter on the bench, because the Magic had built a commanding 78-53 lead. He was going to stay on the sidelines, but Magic coach Stan Van Gundy sent Lewis and Dwight Howard to the scorer's table midway through the fourth quarter after the Thunder had chipped away at the lead. They never got into the game because the Magic built the lead back to 20 -- and Lewis wasn't about to ask to go back in. "If I had got back in, I would've went for it," Lewis said. "But at the same time, I definitely thought some of those guys that were on the bench needed to play some minutes." Orlando Sentinel

"I thought about it because my players got on me," Van Gundy said. "You can make an argument either way. Maybe I should've. I don't know. I don't really think that way. I don't think in terms of individual records and things like that. I just don't. And then if you're going to do it, how long are you going to keep him out there to get one more assist? Are you going to give him two more minutes? Four more minutes? Six more minutes? The entire quarter? Where does it stop?" Orlando Sentinel

Money is flowing even faster into Jennings' bank account this season. And "on the money" is one of numerous phrases that can accurately be used to describe how he has played in the first nine games of his NBA career, which included a spectacular 55-point effort Saturday night against the Golden State Warriors. "He's one of those guys who has vision and can score without dominating the ball. It's easy to say I want a point guard to run my club and all that, but in the NBA a point guard has got to score some points for you, and he can do both," coach Scott Skiles said before Milwaukee's 99-85 victory over New Jersey on Wednesday night, in which Jennings scored 19 points. "Tiny [Archibald] has gone through my head a little bit because he could score and also pass, but that's lofty company for a guy who has played eight NBA games. Now I know that's everybody's job, and we do that too at draft time, but again, that's a name that led the league in scoring and assists, so that's a big name." ESPN.com

Fran Vazquez on the NBA and Orlando: "I played a final series too last season. And I won it. Different types of basketball. I'm happy for them and right now I think about my team." TuBasket.com

He has moments. He has more flashes than a woman in her 50s. For him, this is progress. For the league's No. 1 pick of 2007, for the 7-footer who initially had folks cavalierly tossing around the names of "Russell" and "Ewing" like items in a discount bin, for the sake of the Trail Blazers, this is good news. Greg Oden lives. Now, can he grab more rebounds? And develop a go-to move? And stay away from silly fouls? And learn proper footwork? And shoot from short range? And show some passion? And gain the confidence of his teammates? And for goodness sake, stay healthy? Covered everything? "It's not all going to come at once," cautioned Blazers coach Nate McMillan. NBA.com

A scout from a Western Conference team, who watches Portland often, recently said Oden may be like the economy, needing years to fix. And what does Oden say? "I'm just trying to work on my game and get better. That's all I can do. Keep working hard, keep trying." NBA.com

At least there's some positive, encouraging news: He's healthy. "I'm not thinking about my physical problems in the past," he said. "I'm just moving forward." NBA.com

"If we stay healthy and keep doing what we're doing, I don't think anybody could sweep us," said Josh Smith, on his way to an All-Star season after terrorizing Miami in all phases Wednesday night in Atlanta's 105-90 victory over the Heat. "We'll make a series out of any team." CBSSports.com

"We're cool," said Smith, who had 16 points, 14 rebounds, seven assists, two steals and two blocks, taking over with a ferocious second quarter. "You don't have to talk about us at all. We just want to stay within ourselves and keep playing Hawk basketball and keep playing unselfish. Those teams that you name, they have a right to be talked about because they've accomplished a lot in this league. We're just trying to get to where they're at." CBSSports.com

As he walked past, I asked Arenas if he thought he'd make it to a million. "Probably not, probably not," he said. "Easily you will," someone else called out. "Hmmm," Arenas said, as if he didn't really care. "It don't matter. Because if I don't get there, I won't be talking." It's been oft-noted that Gilbert and Boykins sort of began to make their mark in the NBA together, as guards with Golden State. Boykins also has a reputation for speaking his mind in the locker room, and Arenas recently told Michael Lee that Boykins already gave him a talking to about the way he's been carrying himself. "Even Earl said it when he first came here," Arenas said. "He said, 'I remember that Angry Gilbert in Golden State. All that Gilbert did was get a whole bunch of technicals and tear up the locker room.' He said, 'Nah, man, you just got to go back to being yourself. Just go out there, laugh, have fun, play silly, that's what you do. That's when you're at your best.' " Washington Post

Manu Ginobili is out and Tony Parker is listed as doubtful as the injuries woes continue for the San Antonio Spurs. Ginobili won't play Thursday night against the Utah Jazz after straining his left groin in Wednesday's overtime loss at Dallas. AP

Danny Ainge on whether the media making this stuff up: “In the media there are people who are more concerned with breaking news then they are with writing truth and writing real history. It’s the competition of who breaks the story first, and I have a feeling there’s people with motives that are trying to get their player traded from another team. That’s why this story gets out.” Sports Radio Interviews

Whether it’s possible that an agent with a media person would have their own reason for doing this: “I think that happens a lot. There’s some person who will call some person in the business to get their input. That input spreads from person to person to the next thing you know a story comes out and there’s no validity to it. There’s so much of that that goes on. I spend so much of my time talking to reporters that are calling to see if this stuff is true.” Whether he has to deal with the agents and players on the other side when something like this comes out: “That’s the easier part. Players get it. They understand the business. I’ve been very honest with my players. I’ll answer any question they have to see if there’s any validity to any of the rumors. It’s not just our team. There are things that I read almost daily that I know for a fact aren’t true.” Sports Radio Interviews

On the Internet and how it has changed the rumor mill: “There’s time when an agent or a team will call and say here’s a trade or something we’d like to do and I may be very polite and say [no.]. The next thing I know there’s been trade discussions. It’s unbelievable what happens. I guess there’s a lot of interest in trades and that seems to be a real focus of conversation. Maybe it’s the Fantasy League part of it.” Sports Radio Interviews

Magic Johnson would go along with LeBron James' plan to have NBA players stop wearing No. 23. James said last week he would change jersey numbers next season in honor of Michael Jordan, and said no other players should wear it, either. Critics of his plan said other players before Jordan deserved the honor at least as much, with some using Johnson and Larry Bird as examples. But Johnson praised James for showing respect to those before him, and said he and Bird would be supportive. "We care about the game," Johnson said Wednesday. "We care about what's important and so if everybody votes in terms of nobody should wear 23, we're going to be the first ones to say it should happen." AP

Phil Jackson on Jordan’s Hall of Fame speech: “I think everybody got lost on this whole thing. Michael prefaced this whole thing on a rant that the idea that what motivates me what motivated him from his high school days. Then he went off from his high school days what could make me a better basketball player. We had many situations where it was Cleveland when he missed three of five free throws and he got on the bus and said ‘have no fear we are going to whip these guys no matter if it’s in their building.” Sports Radio Interviews

Johnson also praised Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for coming forward with news that he has leukemia, saying his former Lakers teammate would help in the fight against cancer. "It says a lot about his character and who he is to go out and then to come out publicly with his announcement and then willing to be the spokesperson and the face of cancer," Johnson said. "He's going to help a lot of people. I think you'll see a lot of people starting to get their checkups, get their physicals, starting to check for it, and Kareem is a very committed guy, so once he makes a commitment he gives 150 percent and so you'll see him very involved. That's who he is. He cares like I care about people, so it's great." AP

Brandon Jennings has made the Milwaukee Bucks relevant again, an electrifying rookie getting the city excited, the team rising and the league talking. Which is pretty much how it was 40 years ago, only writ large. Writ taller, too, as in 7-foot-2. Jennings, who scored an eye-popping 55 points last weekend against Golden State to stir memories of Milwaukee's best-ever rookie, couldn't be more different from the other guy. Jennings is a slight point guard, selected after nine other prospects in the June draft, a youngster just one year out of high school who took one of the most untraditional detours ever to the NBA, turning pro for one season in Italy. NBA.com

In that 1969-70 season, Abdul-Jabbar was a rookie of immediate and jaw-dropping impact. "When you put the combination of great, great skills as an athlete with the intellectual part --- Kareem would learn from facing guys the first time, the second time, and make adjusts --- he's the best I've ever seen at that,'' said Jon McGlocklin, a teammate of Abdul-Jabbar back then, a Bucks broadcaster tracking Jennings' learning curve now. "But this rookie we have now is doing it, too. It's kind of amazing.'' NBA.com

Retired NBA star Jayson Williams has agreed to a plea deal that would send him to prison for up to three years for accidentally shooting a driver at his New Jersey estate in 2002, a person with knowledge of the case told The Associated Press on Thursday. Williams, who retired in 2000 after playing nine seasons in the NBA for the Philadelphia 76ers and New Jersey Nets, was to face a retrial in January on a reckless manslaughter count. AP

However, the ex-New Jersey Nets center’s manager said Thursday afternoon that Williams had not yet signed off on what is thought to be an 18-month sentence. Williams’ mind has been on the death of his father, E.J., last week, Akhtar Farzaie said, adding that Williams also has been battling the flu. “He’s not at the point yet of focusing on the exact stipulations of this deal,” Farzaie said. “And when I’ve spoken to him, it’s been as a friend, to talk about his father.” Bergen Record

The Knicks could have competition from Miami, who according to a person close to Iverson said the team is "hot" after him. New York Daily News

Allen Iverson has told associates he is prepared to come to New York and resuscitate not only his Hall of Fame career but also a desperate franchise trying to pacify its frustrated fans as it bridges the gap to 2010. Newsday

The team is in a free fall, and with no other help on the horizon, Knicks officials are seriously considering Iverson as a quick fix. The matter was still being deliberated on Wednesday, but one team official said the chances were at least 50-50 that they would pursue Iverson. A person with close ties to the team put it in stronger terms: “It’s a given,” said the person, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was discussing private deliberations. “They’re going to make the biggest play for him.” New York Times

The decision rests with the team president, Donnie Walsh, and ultimately with James Dolan, the Madison Square Garden chairman. There are strong indications that Coach Mike D’Antoni is already sold on the idea. Walsh denied any reports that a decision had been made. But he gave every indication that signing Iverson remained a strong possibility, given the Knicks’ 1-9 record entering their game Wednesday against the Pacers. “We wouldn’t be considering it if we thought that we were functioning well — and we’re not,” he said before the game. “But I want to make sure that if we do something like this, it’s the right thing to do.” New York Times

It is believed that Dolan would have to sign off on adding Iverson, which adds another interesting wrinkle to the equation. Historically, Dolan has not wanted controversial players on the roster. He was behind both Latrell Sprewell and Stephon Marbury being run out of town, while Iverson has both a criminal record and a history of causing trouble in the locker room. New York Daily News

Walsh even went as far to say that he believes that Iverson's presence would "benefit" the Knicks' younger players. "We wouldn't be considering it if we thought we were functioning well," Walsh said. "And we're not. But I want to make sure if we do something, it is the right thing to do." New York Daily News

Ric Bucher: Source says Knicks are considering AI more seriously than originally thought or advertised. Twitter.com

Walsh spent his day back home in Indianapolis on the phone getting advice from several resources, including Larry Brown, who coached Iverson in Philadelphia and recently revealed that the Bobcats made an offer for Iverson in September. But Iverson chose to take the higher offer from the Memphis Grizzlies. Brown said Charlotte, with its glut at guard, wouldn't have a spot for Iverson at this point. Newsday

Harrington is one of several Knicks who would be glad to see Iverson in blue and orange. He spoke as though Iverson's arrival was imminent. "I think it will help things," Harrington said. "You got a guy who's a proven scorer, probably a Hall-of-Famer. He can only do positive things, I think, to this team." Eddy Curry, who scored 10 points in 12 minutes in his first game since he tore his right calf muscle on the opening day of training camp, said Iverson could provide a boost. "He's a great player," Curry said. "We can definitely use the help." Newsday

Smith reiterated his stance on Wednesday after shootaround that he had no interest in signing a player yet, including Allen Iverson. Orlando Sentinel

"I don't want to see him end his career this way," Brown said before the Sixers' 86-84 win, and just to accent the importance of this particular talking point, he repeated that phrase or some facsimile thereof twice more. Of course, there really is no other way for Iverson's playing career to end, just as there was no other way for Brown to depart the stage here. Brown left for Detroit, for New York, for Charlotte, in his desperate search to be loved, to find a coaching situation where there was nothing for him to lose, and he found it with the sad-sack Bobcats. He can only be the hero there, can only lead - and take credit for - any resurrection. phillyburbs.com

In fact, Brown's been left to play a dual-pronged role as part-headhunter, part-social worker for Iverson to try to coax another team to sign him. Brown keeps calling franchises on Iverson's behalf, and those franchises keep saying no thanks. "Hopefully, it'll work out," Brown said. "He's accomplished an awful lot. I don't want to see it end this way." phillyburbs.com

Monta Ellis’ agent is coming to town tomorrow (Thursday), planning for a sit down with Warriors management to talk about Ellis’ future (and he’s also here to co-promote the Andre Ward-Kessler fight). Apparently, the Warriors brass is saying there’s no clear certainty that Robert Rowell or Larry Riley will take a meeting with the agent–Jeff Fried–though you’d imagine that it’d be fairly silly to refuse. Presuming they talk, there is a strong chance Ellis, via Fried, expresses discontent with the general Warriors situation and suggests that he might want to be elsewhere. Certainly wouldn’t be a shocking discovery for Warriors management. San Jose Mercury News

Gary Washburn: Monta Ellis tells Boston Globe: "I’m the leader. It starts with me. Everything starts with me. We got to hold everybody accountable." Twitter.com

Lets’ get right to it, right off the bat. We keep hearing about this three-team deal, lay it on us, what’s going on? Ainge: We have nothing going on. WEEI

Are you telling me that the media making this stuff up? Ainge: In the media there are people who are more concerned with breaking news then they are with writing truth and writing real history. It’s the competition of who breaks the story first, and I have a feeling there’s people with motives that are trying to get their player traded from another team. That’s why this story gets out. WEEI

Were there any conversations with any of these teams at all? Ainge: No. You haven’t had any conversations with any of these teams? Ainge: No. So, is it possible that an agent with a media person would have their own reason for doing it? Ainge: I think that happens a lot. There’s some person who will call some person in the business to get their input. That input spreads from person to person to the next thing you know a story comes out and there’s no validity to it. There’s so much of that that goes on. I spend so much of my time talking to reporters that are calling to see if this stuff is true. WEEI

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Alexander's 2010-11 option for $2.76 million was not picked up by the Nov. 2 deadline, making him an unrestricted free agent next summer. In an interview with FanHouse before Tuesday's win over the Nets at the Bradley Center, Alexander was asked if he believes that means the Bucks could deal him as the February trade deadline approaches. "They made it pretty clear that they don't see me having a future here,'' said Alexander, the No. 8 pick in the 2008 draft who averaged 4.7 points last season as a rookie. "So I'm assuming a trade would definitely be one of the options.'' FanHouse

Alexander then was asked if he would welcome a trade. "I mean, yeah,'' he said. "If they don't want me, if they don't see a future with me here, that really is the only other option.'' FanHouse

"When the time comes, that conversation is going to happen,'' Alexander said. "Exactly what it's going to entail and all the details, I can't say for sure right now. But it'll probably happen.'' Asked by FanHouse about Alexander's desire to be traded, Bucks general manager John Hammond declined comment. Asked if there's a chance he could be dealt before the February deadline, Hammond said, "I don't discuss trades with players on our team.'' FanHouse

Hammond, though, denied that Alexander isn't considered part of the team's future. He said "absolutely'' there's a chance he could be re-signed for next season. "We're hoping that once he becomes healthy he can help our team,'' Hammond said of this season. "His job is to help us win games. And we hope he is capable of doing that.'' FanHouse

The agent for guard Antonio Daniels told the Sentinel on Wednesday that he spoke with the Magic about signing Daniels in the aftermath of an injury to starting point guard Jameer Nelson. Tony Dutt, who represents Daniels and Rashard Lewis, said he spoke with Magic General Manager Otis Smith, but said Smith isn't ready to make a move yet. "I talked to Otis about Antonio after Jameer got hurt. But I think they are going to wait a few days if they do anything," Dutt said by phone. Orlando Sentinel

Instead of signing former training camp invitee Tony Gaffney or bringing in a veteran free agent, a source with knowledge of the Lakers' plans said they're content standing pat for the time being. The Lakers had spoken to Gaffney's agent this week upon learning that Luke Walton would miss at least the next six weeks with a pinched nerve in his back. They don't see the need to add to their league-high payroll right now, however, instead preferring to either give Walton's minutes to Adam Morrison or rotate Kobe Bryant to small forward and play Shannon Brown more frequently at shooting guard. Riverside Press-Enterprise

For starters, in the weeks leading up to the NBA trading deadline last February, the Bucks and Memphis Grizzlies had trade discussions. The Bucks coveted Mike Conley, a quality young point guard. If the Bucks had been able to consummate that trade, Conley undoubtedly would have been their point guard of the future and there wouldn't have been any need for them to draft Jennings. Racine Journal-Times

The Bucks also explored trading the 10th overall pick, the one they used to select Jennings, who last week scored a franchise rookie record 55 points against the Golden State Warriors. The Bucks had talked to several teams, including the Washington Wizards. At the time, the Wizards had the fifth overall pick but were quite receptive to trading it. The Bucks brass was hoping to secure Washington's pick and possibly draft sharp-shooting guard Stephen Curry. Instead, the Wizards dealt the pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves in a multi-player deal. Racine Journal-Times

Before the draft, the Bucks also chatted with the Charlotte Bobcats. At least, that's what Terrence Williams told me Wednesday night. Williams was the 11th overall selection,taken by New Jersey -- just one pick after the Bucks took Jennings. According to Williams, he was told there was a strong chance he would be taken by the Bucks with the 10th pick and then traded to the Charlotte Bobcats. Williams said he doesn't know why the trade didn't materialize and he didn't know who the Bucks would have gotten in return. Racine Journal-Times

Based on conversations with Warriors officials, the Jennings' camp was led to believe Golden State was going to draft Jennings with the seventh overall pick. But that didn't occur, I'm told, because Minnesota, which had the fifth and sixth picks, surprised the Warriors and most NBA officials by taking two true point guards: Ricky Rubio and Flynn. Racine Journal-Times

The Hawks traded Law to the Warriors on draft night, along with veteran point guard Speedy Claxton, for Jamal Crawford. That one stung, but at least he saw it coming. Monday's trade to Charlotte, however, was a sucker punch he wasn't expecting. "I can't lie, I was furious when I found out," Law said by phone Wednesday morning after the Bobcats wrapped up practice. "I started at the bottom this summer. There were five point guards on the roster when I got there and I worked my way up. It just happened so fast. I was only with Golden State for a couple of months, 10 games." NBA.com

Moore was back in town for Wednesday night's game against the Celtics at TD Garden. He might not even remember the first visit, but he admits he was sad to leave earlier this year. "I didn't want it to be over," recalled Moore. "I thought we could win a championship. It was already written though … nothing I could do about it." ESPN.com

Former Grizzlies guard Michael Dickerson is practicing with Granca of the Spanish fifth division. Marca.com

His cousin Josh Fisher plays in the city and Dickerson is spending time with his family there. Marca.com

Thursday marks five years since the Pacers - Pistons brawl at The Palace of Auburn Hills. Rasheed Wallace, a member of the Pistons at the time, was surprised it has been that long. “No, no I don’t even think about it unless somebody brings it up,” he told WEEI.com. So what does he think when someone does bring it up? “That was a funny little event there, if you ask me,” he said. WEEI

In spite of the penalties, Wallace, who was not suspended, doesn’t think there have been many lessons learned from the fight. “No, not really,” he said. “There’s fights that still go on. They just try to break it up. But see, once it’s a real melee they talk all the refs tried to break it up but no, they [are] ghosts. The refs are in the back. So it’s all on the players to break it up.” WEEI

But the core of it seemed to be Stevenson disrupting James' entire viewpoint of the game to the point where James hurt himself out of sheer frustration. "It is not even about that for me, I don't know about anyone else's mind frame," James said afterward. "We don't try to do that, we just try to win games." Cleveland Plain Dealer

What happened was as soon as Stevenson entered and started guarding James, he seemed to become obsessed with the 1-on-1 match-up. At that point the game was close, the Cavs overcoming rebounding and turnover issues with good passing. James was 8-of-9 shooting at that point. He'd had seven assists in the first quarter alone. The Cavs were shooting better than 50 percent from the field and they had 18 assists for the game. But James stopped passing and started dribbling, locking eyes with Stevenson and start to fire crazy jumper after crazy jumper over him. "In general our entire team, LeBron included, brought the ball to a stand still," Cavs coach Mike Brown said. Cleveland Plain Dealer

"It was great having him back out there," Arenas said of Jamison, "especially for me because they can't kill on me as much because most of my pick and rolls come off Antawn and he came out stroking it. He dominated that first quarter, Mike Miller dominated in the second quarter, I dominated in the third quarter, then Earl Boykins and Caron came in and dominated the fourth. We just had a real balanced effort tonight." Washington Post

"I see myself getting to the rim whenever I want to, I need to just say, 'I'm just going to" stop thinking so much, Arenas said. "Just little things mentally I was faster in the game. In my mind, I know Delonte West jumps every time he shoots the ball. In my mind I know that! I've watched too much gamefilm not to know that. But in the game, I see him coming, and I'm not using the pump-fake, and as soon as it gets blocked, I'm like [crap], I already knew what he was going to do. It's just getting that timing back." Washington Post

Ric Bucher: League consensus: Shaq clogs middle for LeBron, as he did Nash. He's also been a ballstopper. Hence, the Wizards' take on floor-spreading Z. Twitter.com

Even still, Kirilenko was given just faint praise by the Jazz coach afterward. Jerry Sloan wants Kirilenko to play more fundamentally sound on the defensive end of the court and to quit taking so many chances. "Andrei had some good moments," Sloan said. "But he's been here nine years. He shouldn't be making some of the mistakes he does on defense. "To me that's really uncalled for because our philosophy is pretty simple. It's not like we're asking him to jump over the basket to play defense. (What we are asking) is to stay between your man and the basket. Sometimes he gets carried away and gets out of sync a little bit for a veteran player." Deseret News

Kirilenko is also an asset to the team for his versatility and the ability to play numerous positions. "Since the beginning of my career, I was playing like from one to five (positions)," said Kirilenko. "I don't really care; as long as it works, it works. It's the European style of basketball. Anybody can play any position." Deseret News

Point guard Derrick Rose is so disgusted with his play, he could pull his hair out. Check that. He apparently will take the opposite approach. ''I probably won't get a haircut,'' he said Wednesday after practice at USC's Galen Center. ''I might get a lineup, but I'm not touching my hair until I get back on track. I'm just trying to change something; there has to be something that I'm doing wrong.'' Chicago Sun-Times

''We're winning right now, so I don't care anything about my game,'' he said. ''But if we weren't winning -- I'm playing terrible. I'm not going to the hole the way I used to. It seems like, to me, I'm not that aggressive. ''But it's gonna change [tonight]. I know that I'm gonna have to be aggressive from now on.'' Chicago Sun-Times

Asked last night if he thought he could win the NBA scoring title this year, Durant surprisingly downplayed his own skills in an almost "embarrassed to answer the question" kind of way and said he didn't think he was good enough yet. "Nah... I doubt it. There are too many great scorers in the league," admitted Durant. "That's not something I am trying to focus on, getting the scoring title. When you have guys like LeBron, D-Wade, Kevin Martin, Carmelo and Kobe Bryant, you know, I am nowhere near that company. I am just trying to do what I can for Oklahoma City." HoopsWorld

"It is flattering," Durant said of the company he keeps at the top of the NBA scoring leaders. "At the same time I know I have to continue to work on my game and get better, those guys have proven themselves in the league, you know, been to the playoffs and been to the Finals, even won the Finals." "I have a long, long ways to go before I get there. If I continue to work who knows what'll happen." HoopsWorld

Just in case Brandon Jennings didn't know -- and he didn't -- Scott Skiles wanted him to recognize whom he would be dealing with. "Do you know who holds the NBA record for most assists in a game?" the Bucks coach asked his new point guard after the team made Jennings the 10th pick in last summer's draft. "Uh, John Stockton?" the rookie guessed. "No," said Skiles. "I do." (It's true: Skiles had 30 for the Magic in 1990.) ESPN.com

But less than a month into the season, the lithe 20-year-old is the first-lap frontrunner for Rookie of the Year. With a line of 17/9/9 against Philly, he nearly became the only player besides Oscar Robertson to go for a triple-double in his NBA debut. He scored 25 against the Bulls, clearly outplaying Derrick Rose, the standing ROY, in the process. And in only his sixth game, he put 32 on Chauncey Billups and the Nuggets. "I admit I've been surprised by how well he's played," says Raptors senior VP Maurizio Gherardini, who's also a former Italian League GM. "Somehow, he has sped up the process from being a teenager to being a man." ESPN.com

Curry, who went down with a calf injury on the opening day of training camp, made his much-anticipated season debut Wednesday night and played a key role as the Knicks rallied from a 19-point deficit for a 110-103 road victory over the Indiana Pacers. He finished with 10 points and four rebounds in 11 minutes off the bench. “You forget what a presence he is underneath the basket and you forget what it’s like to have that presence,” Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni said. “He just gives us another dimension to the offense and also defensively it’s a big body in there they have to contend with.” NBA.com

Curry left the game for good with 8:49 remaining, but the Knicks continued to build off his momentum as they closed out the contest on a 30-15 run to snap a six-game skid and earn their second win of the season. “I think the coach did a great job of getting me some touches in places I like the ball,” said Curry, who went 3-for-4 from the field but still felt he could have done even more to help the team. “If I could knock down some free throws, maybe we can pull away a little earlier.” NBA.com

The Bulls center had just earned yet another double-double (15 points, 14 rebounds), but he had other things on his mind. The gregarious 7-footer channeled his inner-Tupac and started singing "To Live & Die in L.A." in front of all his teammates. It's safe to say that Noah is looking forward to his trip down the coast toward Los Angeles. "Very, very, very excited," Noah said of the trip. "I have a lot of friends out there. I'm excited to go to L.A. We're playing against the world champions in L.A. We're lucky people, man. We're very lucky, very privileged [to] play against the best in the world and just go out there and compete." ESPN.com

For Noah, the trip serves as a kind of homecoming for him. Over the past summer, the lanky big man started working out harder in the weight room and spent plenty of time on his game, transforming himself into a chiseled post presence. The famous Gold's Gym on Venice Beach became one of his favorite training spots. "Worked out with those big monsters," he happily recalls. "Just lifting with some bodybuilders and stuff. I felt like it gave me confidence, just seeing the intensity they brought into the weight room was a little different than [what] a basketball player would bring to the weight room. It was just good to be around different people and just understanding you have to bring a certain intensity to the weight room to get results." ESPN.com

Stan Van Gundy has asked Vince Carter to play more aggressively, and that request has become even more urgent now that the Orlando Magic will be without point guard Jameer Nelson for the next four to six weeks. If anything, the coach has said, Carter has played too unselfishly. Instead, Van Gundy says he simply wants Carter "to be Vince." Orlando Sentinel

Carter responded Wednesday night with arguably the most aggressive game of his brief Magic tenure. He scored a team-high 18 points and collected six rebounds to lead Orlando to 108-94 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first game without Nelson. "That's probably the reason why he wanted me to just be more in attack mode," Carter said. "He expects Jameer and I to do it together. So, with him out, he expects me to kind of carry the load in that aspect of it. That's fine. I've been there before. That's my game. I just wanted to assert myself tonight." Orlando Sentinel

Magic reserve guard Anthony Johnson playfully bit on his jersey Wednesday as he was peppered with questions about his anger over being pushed out of the Magic’s rotation. Johnson appeared in 80 games last season, but did not play in the Finals when Nelson returned from a shoulder injury. And prior to Wednesday night, Johnson had played in just four games this season. NBA.com

Ellis, the team’s leading scorer, also hasn’t been happy this season. Nelson chose to turn the focus toward rookie Stephen Curry. “I love him,” Nelson said. “He’s one of the things that keeps me going. I think he’s really going to be a good point guard and I’m excited to see him every day and watch him get better.” Boston Herald

As the New Jersey Nets are ringing up losses, Scott Hastings has a vested interest. Hastings, you see, was on the expansion 1988-89 Miami Heat that set the record for most losses to start an NBA season at 17. So Hastings is hoping the Nets will knock the Heat out of the record book, right? Try again. "Absolutely not,'' Hastings said. "We were a bad team. We deserved our record, and I'm disappointed any time anybody gets close. Go Nets.'' FanHouse

"You never want to be in the record books on that side,'' said guard Rafer Alston. "But hopefully we don't get to 0-17. We don't want to let that happen.'' FanHouse

Tracy McGrady marked the occasion of his “target date” to return to the court by getting in uniform after his customary pregame workout. That, however, was as close as he came to beginning his comeback from last February's microfracture surgery. Though the Rockets have only 11 active players, he remained on the team's inactive list in the locker room during the game. “We have no timetable,” coach Rick Adelman said when asked about McGrady's return. Houston Chronicle

Pau Gasol finally will play for the Lakers tonight when they face the Chicago Bulls at Staples Center. The right hamstring that kept Gasol out of the Lakers' first 11 regular-season games, the injury that hampered him for just over five weeks, healed enough to where he feels comfortable enough to play in a game. "I think that I'll be able to go tomorrow," Gasol said after practice Wednesday. "It felt great today and I don't plan on any reason why it wouldn't feel the same way tomorrow." Los Angeles Times

Gasol has experienced a few close calls in returning to game action since he injured his hamstring in early October. So Gasol was pressed harder, with the media looking for a definitive answer about his playing tonight. "Everything felt great," Gasol said, "and I don't plan on any reason why I shouldn't play. "I want to play. I've been wanting to play since day one. It just wasn't ready. The muscle wasn't healed and now I think it is healed. It felt great practicing and I've got to go out there and play." Los Angeles Times

Parker, who averaged better than 30 points in four meetings against the Mavs last season, is day-to-day. He hopes to be able to play tonight at home against Utah. “It's nothing big,” Parker said. “I'll be fine.” San Antonio Express-News

Ginobili's status wasn't immediately known. Wednesday's game marked the second consecutive one he left early. Spurs coach Gregg Popovich opted to sit Ginobili for the fourth quarter against Oklahoma City after the guard's left hamstring tightened. San Antonio Express-News

Brown said Shaquille O'Neal, who isn't on the road trip, won't play Friday and likely will not play Saturday when the Cavs play host to the Philadelphia 76ers. O'Neal has a shoulder strain and Brown has indicated he wants him to have a practice before coming back. The team's next scheduled practice is Monday. "He's got a ding, it is early in the year and we all have a better comfort level than in game one, two or three," Brown said. "In my opinion, it is an opportune time to let him get some rest." Cleveland Plain Dealer

Marc Stein: Raja still going to have surgery and will schedule it next week after Monday medical examination but insisted that he play for Dubs tonight. Twitter.com

Forward Andres Nocioni (right hip pointer) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice. Nocioni sat out Tuesday's game and was replaced by Donté Greene in the starting lineup. "I think the nature of that injury is you don't want to overdo it and get bumped again," Westphal said. "But I'd say he's a little more likely to play the next game (Friday in Dallas) than he was the last game, but he's probably questionable to doubtful." Sacramento Bee

Nuggets forward Chris Andersen had an MRI on his right knee Wednesday and no structural damage was found. He is listed as day to day with patella tendinitis. Denver Post

Ronny Turiaf was cautiously optimistic Wednesday that his left knee sprain is healing and is calling it day to day. The day before, coach Don Nelson said he thought Andris Biedrins, who will have his back and groin re-evaluated Monday, could join the eight-man rotation before Turiaf. San Francisco Chronicle

Last season, Cavaliers star LeBron James played out his football fantasies in an insurance commercial that had him clad in a No. 23 Browns jersey. Members of the struggling Browns are now willing to make that a reality. ''I think he should come on down,'' Browns coach Eric Mangini said Wednesday. ''I know he's pretty busy right now, but if he wants to give it a shot . . . the guy's gifted, gifted athletically, he's competitive, he's tough. I'm sure whatever he applied himself to, he'd probably be good in baseball, or soccer or or swimming. The guy's a freak athletically.'' Akron Beacon Journal

The only skeptic about James' football prowess of those polled in the Browns' locker room Wednesday was Pro Bowl nose tackle Shaun Rogers, a devoted NBA fan. ''I heard that comment. I have mixed emotions about that,'' Rogers said. ''A great athlete, yes. A football player, no. ''Yeah LeBron, I said it. I'll get at you.'' Akron Beacon Journal

The son of former NBA all-star Shawn Kemp was among six players who have signed to play basketball for Auburn. Coach Jeff Lebo announced Wednesday that the Tigers signed 6-foot-10, 215-pound center Shawn Kemp Jr. He is a former Alabama signee who is now attending Hargrave Military Academy. SI.com

After kidding that Gasol actually injured himself in a scene where he pulled an accident victim from of a burning car and expressing disbelief that people even watch this show in the first place, advice given to Pau was shared: "I told him to keep his night job." Los Angeles Times

Naturally, El Spaniard was informed of el smack during Wednesday's practice. He took it all in stride, focusing on the good feedback he received from "most of the population" and the enjoyment gained from the experience. "If Phil doesn't like it, it's all good," shrugged Gasol. Another writer mentioned that Phil's not really one to talk, since his most recent gig in front of the camera involved no talking whatsoever. That's when Pau offered a jab of his own --"well, his acting wasn't too good, either"-- followed by an impression of his coach's handiwork. Los Angeles Times

I'm a little shaken up at the moment, I must say. I just taped a segment for SportsCenter over the phone with Scott Van Pelt out in the arena bowl here at the Verizon Center. We had to record it twice. Why? Because in the middle of the first take, a rat the size of a rabbit went zooming past my feet. I wish I was kidding. Seriously. Cleveland Plain Dealer

Ben Golliver: Nate McMillan on owner Paul Allen: "I saw him and just hugged him. He's a strong man. He loves his Blazers." Twitter.com

He had an infectious smile, a big heart and a generous spirit. Nick Kladis, 81, who passed away Monday at his home in Park Ridge, had been a basketball star at Tilden Tech, where he perfected a one-handed jump shot and became known for what he would call "a crazy left-handed hook shot." The cause of death has not been determined. Mr. Kladis played forward at 6 feet 2 and starred at Loyola before the Syracuse Nationals drafted him in 1952. Chicago Tribune

"(My grandparents) came from Greece and his father started One Stop Foods and Liquor (in Chicago)," Denny Kladis said. "My father was drafted, but they weren't paying much money in the NBA back then, so he opted to go into the family business." Chicago Tribune

Former NBA star Jayson Williams is expected to appear in court Friday for a plea deal in the 2002 death of a limousine driver in Hunterdon County, according to people with knowledge of the case. Williams, 41, was facing retrial for reckless manslaughter for shooting Costas "Gus" Christofi, 55, on Feb. 14, 2002, at the estate Williams owned in Alexandria Township. Barring any last-minute developments, the plea hearing is scheduled for tomorrow before Superior Court Judge Edward Coleman in Somerville, sources said late last night. Newark Star-Ledger

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