HoopsHype.com Rumors

Sunday, January 3

Visit the HoopsHype.com Forums to discuss the latest news and rumors in the NBA / You also can check out rumors from back in the day in the Rumors Archive

Gilbert Arenas: for P Vecsey-ur articles r very entertaining and exciting..its like AND 1 basketball..great to watch but just not the real thing. Twitter.com

Gilbert Arenas: so peter pls i dont know as a person but as a writer..ill rather get booed for missing freethrows then read another false report. Twitter.com

Gilbert Arenas: Now on to YAHOO...REALLY REALLY YAHOO..disruptive force in practice WOW man ur great u heard i was playing great defense in practice lol. Twitter.com

Gilbert Arenas: me and coach Flip talk every other day on the phone or by text..i dont know who ur fake Ratatouille..i havent even talked bac to coach. Twitter.com

Gilbert Arenas: i dont lose money..if i think sumone needs it i will lend them money..so if i owed a teammate money i think i can afford to pay him. Twitter.com

Gilbert Arenas: but if this story broke out about money HEYYYYYYY maybe i just dont owe anybody any money...but hey u guys r doing a great job these stories. Twitter.com

As the league’s most disappointed and fractured team watched a late night turn to early morning, a forgettable card game would end up with unforgettable consequences. All around Arenas, this had been a season of tension and turmoil, and now these Wizards couldn’t close out a card game without drama. Arenas and Crittenton had contributed to much of the pot, and eventually the franchise’s $111 million man infuriated the young player with sarcastic taunts and teasing. Yahoo! Sports

Arenas loves to needle, tweak, and still no one’s sure the reasoning for his refusal to pay a debt that sources say reached into the tens of thousands of dollars. Nevertheless, Agent Zero’s declaration delivered Crittenton into a rage: The payment plan was this: zero money down, zero money later. Yahoo! Sports

Sources say Crittenton suggested Arenas could catch a beating for such belligerence, but “Gil could tell he was pushing Javaris’ buttons,” and that was too joyful for him to relent. Arenas is older, wittier and savvier than Crittenton. What would happen when the players returned for practice two days later on Dec. 21 is still a matter of some uncertainty. Whatever witnesses were in the locker room, including Arenas and Crittenton, have told friends and associates on the outside conflicting stories. Some sources have described a practical joke gone awry, some have detailed a far darker, more frightening picture. Yahoo! Sports

Here is the story that Crittenton and Arenas plan to tell police on Monday, sources said: When the Wizards returned to practice, Arenas unlocked three unloaded guns out of a strong box in his locker and laid them on a locker-room chair and instructed Crittenton to choose one. The Washington Post reported Crittenton had playfully threatened to shoot Arenas in his knee on the plane, and that offering him a gun to deliver the deed was a way of trying to diffuse the tension. Yahoo! Sports

“Gilbert Arenas did not point a gun at anyone,” Fegan said Saturday. “I don’t believe it. That’s 100 percent inconsistent with the person that I’ve known. Gilbert is a born practical joker, and maybe this is a joke gone wrong … but there’s no way he pointed a gun at a teammate.” Yahoo! Sports

Only Crittenton, feeling belittled and bullied, tossed one of the guns to the floor in anger and the tone between the two players escalated again. One NBA executive, briefed on the investigation, said Saturday, “The law is going to start trying to isolate them. Once the entire interrogation starts, you have to wonder if the stories will start changing.” Yahoo! Sports

Arenas barely talked to coach Flip Saunders in training camp. Sources say his trainer, Tim Grover, spent time in Richmond, Va., for training camp and became, in the words of one team witness, “a buffer” between the coach and star. After the team broke camp and returned to Washington, Arenas became increasingly belligerent and defiant of Saunders. Witnesses insist he began to purposely disrupt practices. Privately, Wizards executives were conceding to friends, “We’ve lost control of this thing.” Yahoo! Sports

Saunders said he was informed of the story early today and denied its validity. "That's not true. Somebody had reported that we had some sort of confrontation after training camp. Where they got that information is totally untrue," Saunders said. Washington Post

"He has not been in any situation along those lines. When we've been in meetings in film sessions, he's been on time. We chart our timeouts, we keep track of what guys are saying. He's been as much of a vocal leader as anybody on our team. That's one of the things, the situation that's happening, people try to lump a lot of things together. That's not fair to him." Washington Post

As Saunders walked away from reporters, I asked him what he thought about something like this getting out, and he said, "Don't let the facts get in the way of a good story." Washington Post

Not only has Arenas denied he pointed the unloaded gun, he denies he was gambling. Still, sources insist Arenas is a relentless high-stakes gambler, that he loves the action of it. One league source told Yahoo! Sports he approximated Arenas had lost as much as $70,000 to $80,000 in an evening betting on PlayStation games against a friend of former teammate Donnell Taylor. “The guy went out the next day, bought a real nice car in cash the next day and still had money left over. Gil gave him his money.” Yahoo! Sports

The Wizards could void the contract and relieve themselves of the 4½ years and $90 million-plus left on it. Adidas is monitoring the case, too, and it must understand Agent Zero doesn’t sell shoes the way he did two years ago. For now, the company is waiting to see what goes down in D.C. before it makes a decision on its deal with him and on their future together. Yahoo! Sports

We reported in today's Sunday Newsday that, according to sources, the Knicks had attempted to trade Nate Robinson -- as per his agent's request -- to the Memphis Grizzlies for former UConn guard Marcus Williams and a draft pick. One source said the deal didn't go through because Robinson exercised his veto power to squash the move to Memphis. Newsday

A Knicks official shot down a report that the team had turned down a deal with the Nets that would have sent Robinson and Darko Milicic to New Jersey, with the Knicks taking back Rafer Alston and Tony Battie. The source said there was never a deal, and now that Robinson is back on the court and being productive, teams may be wasting their time calling the Knicks to make a deal for him. New York Daily News

According to the French newspaper L’Equipe, the Detroit Pistons are interested in Amara Sy, who plays for the Bakersfield Jam in D-League. The Joe Dumars’ franchise, in crisis after nine straights loss, came to Fort Wayne to see him play. Detroit searches some help and could find it with Sy, a forward who can defend and attacks the basket. Hoops Notes

Didier Drogba: You had a bad knee injury last year, how is it now? Kevin Garnett: It's 100 per cent. That was the first surgery of my career so I've had to learn to be patient with my recovery but this is my 15th year in the NBA so I've still got plenty of old aches. How long have you been playing? Boston Globe

Brian T. Smith: #Blazers' Fernandez said he is at least two weeks away from returning to action. Twitter.com

Didier Drogba: The NBA is especially big in places like France... Kevin Garnett: That's why I think at some point the NBA will have a team in London, one in France, definitely one in Spain, Italy maybe. The game has the potential to be really world-wide, like football. Boston Globe

The Wizards might not have a hard time dealing Caron Butler in a package deal with James, however, but not to Houston. I'm hearing Butler and James could be headed to either Miami or Chicago. Mike Jones Sports

Some of the pieces Washington could be trying to get back from Chicago, the source said, could be Kirk Hinrich and Jerome James. Before, the Wizards hadn't wanted to take on more money, but it appears that as they grow more desperate to turn things around, their main motivation is bringing in new life to kick-start a rebound. Mike Jones Sports

A source close to Arenas said he has no desire to leave the Wizards, but his bosses could be growing tired of his antics, and teammates, I'm hearing, are beyond over having to explain for him and would like more maturity in the locker room. It could be a challenge to find a team willing to take on not only that contract, but also Arenas' strong personality and off-court baggage he has right now. Mike Jones Sports

One of the scenarios mentioned has been Arenas and Mike James to Houston, but I'm told by a source "that deal is unrealistic." Mike Jones Sports

Walt Frazier has a message for LeBron James: If you sign with the Knicks in July, you can put yourself on the same level as Kobe Bryant. "I think LeBron would gain in stature by coming to the Knicks," Frazier said. "I think if he signed with the Knicks, he'd be right up there with Kobe. By being in L.A. and playing for the Lakers and winning four titles already, I think Kobe is above LeBron. I think playing in L.A., in that market, does that for him. But I think coming to New York would help LeBron get to be on Kobe's level." New York Daily News

As hard as it is to believe, given Reed and Frazier's iconic status, New York has never been home to the NBA's No. 1 player, except, Frazier argues, for 1970, the year that Reed was named MVP of the regular season and Finals. "That year, Willis was the best player in the league, and he has the awards to show it," Frazier said. "As great as he was offensively for us, he was a terror on defense. I was allowed to wreak havoc because I knew I had him back there to block shots and be our last line of defense. New York Daily News

As for right now, there are many people behind the scenes claiming they know what James is going to do. But James leaving Cleveland benefits most of these individuals' personal situations and therefore they project what they want out there, whether it is true or not. The people closest to James benefit no matter what he does. As for James himself, he's not really even worried about it. He knows he's going to get what he wants no matter where he goes and he smiles at all the maneuvering. When the season is over is when he -- and Bosh and Wade -- will seriously look at options and talk about things. Would it help the Cavs immensely if he would come out now and state his intentions, either way? Of course, but it would have helped last summer and James chose not to then. He holds all the cards. He wants to have his cake and eat it too and, because of the player he is, he will continue to do so. Cleveland Plain Dealer

It was a huge gamble to bring back 12 players from last season, even after Boozer/Okur/Korver opted in to their contracts, from a team that finished eighth in the Western Conference. I’ve said this before: Everybody knew last year was the payoff season given all the players who were either set to be free agents or who could opt out of their contracts. The Jazz finished a worse team at full strength than they were injured. They’ve been just as maddening this season. We’ll see where Jerry Sloan and Co. go from here: There are some small-scale immediate changes that Sloan could opt for, including returning Wesley Matthews to the starting lineup over C.J. Miles, giving Kyle Korver some rotation minutes and giving his young big men - - Kyrylo Fesenko and Kosta Koufos - - greater opportunities. Salt Lake Tribune

Bosh knows that being in Toronto has afforded him every honour and accolade he's gotten. He loves being The Man – "Yeah, it's fun, it's cool" – and he pretty much has free rein. "I get a lot of shots, I get to rebound, I get to play as much as I want until I'm tired and I get to make the all-star team every year," he said. "What's not to like?" Toronto Star

Johnson, who stands to become part of the esteemed free agent class of 2010, approached the Hawks about an extension last summer, according to an NBA source, but was told that since his salary cap number is higher than his actual salary, he would be best served to wait until unrestricted free agency and re-sign. Boston Globe

As for speculation about the Sixers' interest in acquiring Tracy McGrady from the Houston Rockets, multiple sources indicate that, while the Sixers have some interest and have been in contact with the Rockets, no specific players have been discussed. The Rockets have also made it clear that, while McGrady has taken a leave of absence from the team, this is is likely to be a long process. Philadelphia Daily News

Some pretty good names getting tossed around in the first week since the Rockets said they would try to trade Tracy McGrady. Caron Butler. Andre Iguodala. Not bad. It won't be long before Kevin Martin enters into speculation. Keep in mind, however, none of them has been offered or is being discussed. That could change and probably will. But for now, teams have been giving the Rockets to opportunity to get some really bad contracts and little else. Houston Chronicle

Iverson's impact: Stefanski will have to decide by the end of the week whether to let Iverson go, and thereby not owe him any more money this season, or to keep him, thereby guaranteeing his contract for the rest of the season. Stefanski won't say what he's going to do, only that, "We still have time to make a decision." Courier Post

But reading between the lines indicates that Iverson will remain a Sixer. "He's been a great teammate and has done everything we've asked of him," Stefanski said. "On the court, he's practiced. During timeouts, he's encouraging guys. Having Allen in there brings a calmness to the team. He makes other players feel better about themselves." Courier Post

With the deadline approaching in three days to guarantee his contract for the season, point guard Carlos Arroyo said during the two-game trip he has heard no assurances from the Heat regarding his short-term future. ``I try not to worry about those concerns,'' said Arroyo, an eight-year veteran and former FIU standout. ``I just go out and do what I can do to try to stay on this team. Just play hard and hopefully things will fall in place. I definitely want to stay here.'' Miami Herald

Heat president Pat Riley ultimately will decide whether to dip a bit deeper into the luxury tax to keep Arroyo, whose $1.1 million veteran's minimum salary is partially paid by the league. Because Miami is operating above the NBA luxury tax, Arroyo's contract would count about $1 million toward a season-ending tax bill that sits at $3 million. Spoelstra said during the trip that he didn't anticipate making any changes at the position, and was comfortable with Arroyo's play. Miami Herald

I've spoken with a few sources close to the situation -- including one individual that was in the locker room at the time and Arenas, as he tweeted yesterday had no malicious intent. And like Lee said, horse play was involved. That doesn't make this any less serious, however. If your franchise player is horsing around with guns on team property, no matter how good a mood he is in, it's still in violation of league policy and D.C. gun possession laws. Mike Jones Sports

From what I've gathered, Arenas, Crittenton and some teammates were indeed playing a card game on the flight back from Phoenix, and both Crittenton and Arenas were coming up on the losing end, but Arenas didn't owe $25,000, and the amount wasn't owed to Crittenton, but to JaVale McGee. Arenas bailed on the game unhappy with the rules, and Crittenton was left to pay the pot, much to his displeasure, so he was trying earnestly to get Arenas to pay his part. Tempers flared during this dispute and I'm told Crittenton wanted to fight Arenas for backing out of paying up. Arenas, meanwhile, said he would burn Crittenton's car, and Crittenton said he would shoot Arenas in his bad left knee. Mike Jones Sports

That brings us to practice on Dec. 21 when Arenas placed four guns -- the ones he had brought into the locker room to store in his locked box, according to him to keep from his children-- on the chair of Crittenton with a note 'pick one' on top. Crittenton came into the locker room where Arenas was waiting and ready for a good laugh, but Crittenton wasn't as amused as Arenas continued joking around. A source says teammates told Crittenton not to take the taunts from Arenas so seriously, but the younger guard didn't appreciate being made fun of and chucked one of Arenas' guns across the locker room and said "I have a gun of my own." Mike Jones Sports

The situation was soon diffused I'm told Ernie Grunfeld learned of the spat and first heard Arenas pulled a gun in the locker room and then reported him to the league office. At that time, I'm told Grunfeld began considering either voiding Arenas' contract or trading him. Upon further investigation, Grunfeld learned more of the facts and has cooled slightly and is in a wait and see mode. The NBA is watching and waiting as well, allowing the D.C. police and U.S. Attorney's office to proceed with their investigation before David Stern hands out any suspension and fines. Mike Jones Sports

A source who has spoken to Arenas, who yesterday continually downplayed the seriousness of the incident, said if the authorities buy his story of joking around and unloaded guns, and him being unaware of the D.C. gun laws, they could simply hand out a fine and community service. But, if they don't and he receives a felony charge, the maximum punishment is a five-year prison term and/or a $5,000 fine. Mike Jones Sports

	Want to follow HoopsHype.com on Twitter too? Click here.

Gilbert Arenas: scared of whats going on around me...naw i dont get shaken up in my life outside basketball..cant live in fear of sumthing that hasnt happened yet...its easy to hide from ur problem but a real person dont break character when thing arent going his or her way..becuz thats u have at the end of the day. Twitter.com

Gilbert Arenas: quick question they can take ur twitter page from u if ur reckless? theres a twitter jail..god damn..i dont wanna go to twitter if im facing real jail..lmao jk its a joke but it will be on espn tomorrow watch. Twitter.com

"It's been a little rough lately, but I'm trying to keep a smile on my face," Arenas said after scoring 23 points in the Wizards' 97-86 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday night. "I'm a goofball. That's what I am. Even with something like this, I'm going to make fun of it." Washington Post

Gilbert Arenas continued to dispute media accounts of his recent locker-room confrontation with teammate Javaris Crittenton but conceded Saturday night that he used "bad judgment" just by having three firearms on Washington Wizards property. Speaking to a group of reporters after the Wizards' 97-86 loss to San Antonio, Arenas also revealed that he is scheduled to discuss the case Monday with authorities. Yet Arenas described himself as "not nervous at all" about the fact that the circumstances of his gun possession and his Dec. 21 encounter with Crittenton at the Verizon Center are at the center of a local and federation investigation. ESPN.com

The agent for Crittenton, meanwhile, also disputed the New York Post's original report alleging that Arenas and Crittenton pulled guns on each other in a locker-room standoff. Chicago-based Mark Bartelstein, who began representing Crittenton in December before the incident, insisted in a phone interview Saturday with ESPN.com that his client's name will ultimately be cleared. ESPN.com

Although he declined to discuss specifics in the case, Bartelstein said: "I think that once the investigation is completed and everyone's done their work, it will be shown that Javaris has done nothing wrong. It's just frustrating in today's world that these things spread like wildfire and there's just rampant speculation. "If you weren't in the locker room, I don't know how the heck you know what happened. I just find it very unfair in today's world the way people just run with a story without making sure they've got all their facts checked. I feel very confident that once the investigation is concluded that Javaris will be shown to have [committed] no wrongdoing." ESPN.com

Two people with knowledge of the situation corroborated some of the details that have been reported about the Arenas-Crittenton disagreement, which played out over three days as the team returned from a road game in Phoenix last month. The players got into an argument on the team flight to Washington on Dec. 19, apparently over a card game, the sources told CBSSports.com. The team was off on Dec. 20, but the hostilities continued before a practice at Verizon Center on Dec. 21. CBSSports.com

What happened next included the following exchange, according to one of the sources: In the midst of the argument, Arenas removed as many as three firearms from his locker, placed them on Crittenton's chair and said, "Pick one." Crittenton became angry and said, "Stop your games," then knocked the weapons off the chair. CBSSports.com

When the players arrived for practice on Dec. 21, Arenas placed three guns on a chair next to Crittenton with a note that read, "Pick one." Two sources said the guns were the same guns Arenas had brought to the arena following the birth of his third child early last month. Arenas, according to sources, was expecting Crittenton to see it as a joke, based on his earlier comments. But Crittenton wasn't laughing. He grew enraged and tossed one of the guns across the room, saying that he had his own gun, according to a person who was in the locker room at the time. Washington Post

Asked after Saturday's game about guns being drawn, Arenas told reporters: "I can't speak on that. But if you know me, you've been here, I've never did anything [involving] violence. Anything I do is funny -- well, it's funny to me." Asked if the accounts of what happened have been blown out of proportion, Arenas laughed and said: "A little." ESPN.com

Apparently, we already know the Wizards' guidelines. Obviously, security does not thoroughly check players; otherwise Arenas (and Crittenton?) would not have been able to stash three guns in his combination lock box and remove them when his teammate demanded payment for a gambling debt. New York Post

Not that it's a revelation NBA players own guns. Some are even licensed. Numerous players have them in glove or hidden compartments of cars (Scottie Pippen) just in case there's trouble (Jackson's Indianapolis parking lot incident) and some cart them into locker rooms. It took more than a minute for the league and Player's Association to ban that practice but it still regularly happens, I'm informed. New York Post

Contrary to union executive director Billy Hunter's notion that pulling out guns in the locker room and menacing each other is unprecedented in the annals of professional sports, it's part of ABA lore. The infamous John Brisker and an ex-football player, who was trying out for the Pittsburgh Condors, got into a fight one afternoon and each went to their cars for equalizers. When they appeared at opposite ends of the facility, guns drawn, coach Jack McMahon screamed: "Practice is through for the day." New York Post

Bulls assistant Johnny Bach told me years ago of walking into their dressing room during the team's championship seasons and red dots (plural) would appear on his chest. Finally, Phil Jackson ordered players to leave their toys, er, protection at home. New York Post

James was bombarded with postgame questions from New York area media. It wasn't about this summer's free agency, but about a story involving Washington Wizards' guard Gilbert Arenas getting involved in gun play with a teammate last month. James refused to discuss the issue and avoided giving direct answers about whether he owns guns. "I wasn't there, I don't have enough information and it's a very serious matter, so I don't want to make a comment," James said. "I live in Akron, which is my hometown so I don't need security. I don't travel with security, I just continue to keep my family safe." James does employ security guards for certain events and Marvin Cross, the Cavs' director of security, travels with the team. Cleveland Plain Dealer

Mike D'Antoni smiled when asked how Nate Robinson's 41-point explosion Friday night influences his rotation going forward. "I'm going to sit him another 14 games, then get another 40-pointer," the Knicks coach said with a laugh. "That's how you do it." New York Post

D'Antoni celebrated New Year's Day with Robinson back on the floor, where he will be again when the Knicks play host to the Pacers tonight. "He's playing," D'Antoni said. "I'm not going to grasp straws. Once you start to go down that road, I'm going to go down that road for a while. "We're going with him." New York Post

"Nate said he didn't have anything to do with what was being said by his agent, and now he gets fined? Now I've seen it all," said the Nets' Rafer Alston. "You really can't control what the next person is going to say about your situation. That's where I support him, because he said he didn't have anything to do with what his agent said." New York Daily News

A guy who once stumped via Internet video for an all-star berth – kicking off a litany of similar antics among NBAers – said the attention that comes with his spot in the sport and with the franchise is not something he craves. "I used to crave it at first but after a while, it's like, who really needs attention?" he said. "I have the attention here and I can't walk around many places here and that just kind of bugs me. Do I want that everywhere?" Toronto Star

Imagine if Portland was healthy. “It’s frustrating, but the biggest thing is that we’re getting a lot of young guys a lot of experience,” said Brandon Roy, who has scored 23 or more points in 14 consecutive games. “It’s definitely hard because you’re still looking to the future and there are so many games to be played. It’s like we just don’t have the bodies so we just keep playing.” FOXSports.com

Aldridge wore a walking boot Wednesday and Thursday and is listed as doubtful for Saturday's game. Blake, meanwhile, is expected to remain hospitalized a few days and is out indefinitely. “Our league is turning into one with a lot of injuries,” general manager Kevin Pritchard said. “Unless you are prepared and mentally tough, it is just difficult, because once you get out of rhythm, how do you get back in? “We’ve got guys who are workers, and we’ve always felt if you work you can overcome a lot of things. No one is going to feel sorry for us. We have to stay competitive. I’ve never seen this many injuries. It’s going to be challenging, but I like the way some guys have stepped up.” FOXSports.com

Brian T. Smith: Roy on 'MVP' chant: 'I do like to be depended on. I mean, yeah, that’s what every basketball player wants.' Twitter.com

They were livid about many calls down the stretch, especially offensive fouls called on Trevor Ariza and Carl Landry. If it was not clear enough how they felt on the floor, Rick Adelman was asked about the Rockets' late-game execution and showed his anger while keeping himself from saying anything to draw the NBA's attention. "I'm trying to find out what an offensive foul is," Adelman said. "That's all I want to find out, what an offensive fouls is. Is it more than slapping a guy's hand away? Is it more than stepping in front of a guy? Is it more than putting a shoulder down? I don't know. That's all I've got to say about this game, otherwise it's going to cost me." Houston Chronicle

"Am I surprised? I'd be lying if I said I was surprised," Iguodala said. "I think coming into this year we had a few question marks, and I wondered how we'd start out with the new offense. It's kind of a situation where you want to hope for the best that you don't get off to that start. But, no, I'm not surprised." Philadelphia Inquirer

T.J. Ford's time in the rotation is over for the foreseeable future. Coach Jim O'Brien has made Ford, who has been inconsistent his entire time as a Pacer, the third point guard behind Earl Watson and rookie A.J. Price. "It's a matter of playing the people you think give you the best opportunity to win," O'Brien said. Ford had his first DNP-CD since a game at Utah last January. Indianapolis Star

Ford said there wasn't an explanation given to him on why he's fallen out of the rotation. "I still don't know, I'm still in limbo," he said. "Do I plan on talking to him about it? No, not really. What's done is what's done. I'm here. If they decide to (trade me) it's not because of me, it's because they choose to. "I'm not forcing anybody's hand. Just going to support the people that's playing the same way they supported me when I was playing. There's no salty feelings. It is what it is." "I just have to stay professional," Ford said. "I have to come in and do what I need to do keep myself ready. At the end of the day it's a business, you have to just respect their decision and go from there. This is the first time that I've had to deal with a situation to this extent." Indianapolis Star

When Rashard Lewis returned from his 10-game suspension to start the season, Orlando Magic forward Brandon Bass was the clear loser in playing time. Bass went from playing 22.5 minutes a night during Lewis’ absence to taking 12 DNPs, including Saturday night’s loss to the Chicago Bulls. Well, at least one Orlando Magic fan has had enough. The Coolest Mind Flow blog run by ChevyTheCoolest (a k a Chevall Kanhai or @chevythecoolest on Twitter) wrote this on his blog Saturday night in a post entitled “Dear Stan Van Gundy …. Please Play Brandon Bass”Orlando Sentinel

Kevin Durant: Man if u keep ignoring me Ima come home and we jus gon talk face 2 face. Twitter.com

Celtics coach Doc Rivers did not appear pressed to bring Kevin Garnett back from a hyperextended right knee. He is going to allow his All-Star forward plenty of rest and said it could be another "10 days" before Garnett returns to action. That would put his return as Jan. 13 against the New Jersey Nets, meaning he would miss five more games. "At least you know it's not going to be a lot longer than that," Rivers said. "But you don't know how quickly he can come back from that." Boston Globe

Celtics captain Paul Pierce said he had a second procedure to clear an infection from his right knee last week after the first was unsuccesful. There is no timetable for Pierce's return, though it is not expected that the extra procedure will keep him out substantially longer than originally thought. Pierce says he is day-to-day. He will travel with the Celtics on their next road trip but has not set a target date to return to game action. "It's getting better," said Pierce. "I'm feeling pretty good. Right now it's day-to-day. There's no timetable on it." Boston Globe

“At this point it’s all in my pain threshold,” Pierce, who yesterday jumped rope and rode an exercise bicycle for the first time since the issues arose, said of not worrying about further damage to the knee. “No ligament damage, no tear. The swelling is going down every day. I measure it every day, ice it, keep my leg strong. . . . Right now I can’t bend it all the way back when I want to, but when I can I’ll probably be able to play. “Of course you want to play, but you don’t want to be dumb. You have to pay attention to the longevity of it. I want to get out there when I’m feeling better and healthy.” Boston Herald

“It was a situation I got home and I was sort of sitting back and relaxing and then sort of felt a slight pain in my knee and then over a 10-to-15 minute period, it just got worse and worse,” Pierce said. “It went from just kind of hurting to sore to bad to extreme in like a 15-minute period, which was crazy. “I called Eddie Lacerte about 1:30 in the morning and he knows I never call him unless it’s really bad. So, he came over to the house and checked it out. We went to the hospital that morning, doctor checked it out and we did the surgery. An infection somehow got into my leg.” WEEI

Vince Carter says his left-ankle injury looked much worse than it actually is. In fact, he said he’ll play Tuesday night against the Indiana Pacers in Indianapolis. “I’m gonna play,” he said. “I’m gonna play. I’m not one for missing games. I’m going to go out there and do everything I need to do. But I’ll be able to play. The good thing about it is I don’t swell.” Orlando Sentinel

Head coach Jay Triano is hoping to have point guard Jose Calderon dressed for Toronto's game in Orlando on Wednesday, though the Spanish point guard did not fly with the team to Boston. Toronto Sun

The Jazz could be down to just one point guard in Ronnie Price for tonight's game against Denver with Deron Williams missing the pregame shootaround and uncertain to play against the Nuggets as a result. "If I have to play, I have to play," Price said. "This is a big game for us, a team that we need to get a win against. Hopefully, Deron will be all right and be able to suit up and play tonight, but if not, we've got to roll with what we've got." Salt Lake Tribune

Meanwhile, Paul Westphal continued to gain support to be named the NBA Coach of the Year. Dallas Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle believes Westphal is doing as good a job as any coach this season. Despite Saturday's loss to Dallas, the Kings have 14 victories, three short of last season's win total. "He's done a great job with these guys, and he'd be Coach of the Year right now without any doubt," Carlisle said. Sacramento Bee

While working as a broadcaster in Seattle, Carlisle learned more about Westphal's approach while he coached the SuperSonics. "I've just got a lot of respect for how he approaches the players," Carlisle said. "Sort of his philosophical view of the game. I've gotten a chance to talk to him several times over the years about those kinds of things." Westphal chuckled when told of his "philosophical" approach to coaching. "Whatever that means, that's nice," he said. Sacramento Bee

Stefanski is still hopeful that the Sixers (9-23), who came into today's final game of a six-game road trip against Denver, can find a way to show the promise that he expected before the season started. "I'm not happy," Stefanski said. "The coaching staff, the players, we're all not happy. We're not playing to the level that we should be. We are what the record says we are. We've got to keep working at it, and we will. And in the personnel department, I've got to do my job, too. We've got to keep trying to get better." Courier Post

"We haven't defended as well as we should," Stefanski said. "I know the head coach and the coaching staff emphasize defense every day in practice. We have to make it a staple of our team. We have to have five guys doing it together. It has to be a team effort because when we play defense, it fuels our fastbreak, which is the strength of our offense. Our defense is crucial for that." Courier Post

When asked if Jordan, who didn't have a reputation as a defensive coach in Washington, is to blame for that, Stefanski responded: "Every coach has his system. There are different ways to cover a pick-and-roll. The bottom line is all five guys have to do it." Courier Post

There's LeBron James, of course. Shaquille O'Neal and Zydrunas Ilgauskas have two of the largest expiring deals in the league. But the team has another major asset at the end of his contract but it's not nearly as well known. This summer, General Manager Danny Ferry's contract is up, which is yet another wild card currently in play in this clearly go-for-broke Cavs season. Both Ferry and Cavs majority owner Dan Gilbert have declined to discuss the situation and right now it doesn't seem like a big issue. But Ferry's five-year deal, which is believed to average around $2 million per season in base salary, is indeed coming up. Cleveland Plain Dealer

Ferry's had the advantage of an owner willing to spend, which has given him bullying rights in these economic times. But having the power of the purse isn't a guarantee for success -- just look at the six-year train wreck that has been the wild-spending New York Knicks. Ferry has leveraged his owner's checkbook to make a series of lopsided trades. From buying Flip Murray in his first year on the job to trading for Mo Williams and O'Neal without giving up major assets, he's known for making winning deals. In doing so, he's always kept the roster mostly flexible without locking himself into a roster than can't be altered. That is much more difficult than it sounds, as numerous teams can attest. In a way, that may be Ferry's best work even if it isn't quite so obvious to the average fan. Besides roster management, Ferry's often been a ruthless negotiator -- especially when it comes to the bevy of restricted free agents he's dealt with, sending agents away grinding their teeth and railing about how hard-headed he can be. Cleveland Plain Dealer

So far, it is fair to say Ferry has two black marks on his record. One is signing Larry Hughes to a five-year, $60 million deal plus incentives just a few days after he took the job in the summer of 2005. That didn't work out and two of the other players he signed that summer, Damon Jones and Donyell Marshall, turned sour long before their contracts matured. Ferry's insistence to re-sign Ilgauskas that summer, however, has worked very well as Ilgauskas has enjoyed five healthy and productive years. His other significant mistake was not being able to get deals done with Sasha Pavlovic and Anderson Varejao in the summer of 2007, leading to holdouts that negatively affected that season and contributed to the team taking a step back. But signing restricted free agents to reasonable contracts has helped the team hold on to valued flexibility over the years. Cleveland Plain Dealer

Sharman actually invented the shootaround a decade earlier, when he was coach of the Cleveland Pipers of the American Basketball League. Sharman also conducted shootarounds when he coached the ABA's Utah Stars from 1969-71. He continuing the ritual after being hired by the Lakers. Salt Lake Tribune

According to one version of history, Sharman decided to hold shootarounds in L.A. to get his No. 1 night owl, Wilt Chamberlain, out of bed in the morning. "... I had a talk with Wilt and explained how I thought it would help the team," Sharman told Hoopshype.com in 2004. "He said, 'I don't like waking up early but I'll try it.' Fortunately, we won a lot of games that year and Wilt bought into it. He didn't miss many shootarounds." Salt Lake Tribune

"I think it's a waste of time," Popovich said during the Spurs' first visit to Utah this season. "It's one more appearance for the players -- one more mental exercise, one more physical exercise that probably doesn't do them a whole lot of good when compared to the 82-game season and the preseason and the playoffs." Salt Lake Tribune

Iowa Energy center Earl Barron has been suspended one game for striking Fort Wayne Mad Ants center Jared Reiner in the mouth it was announced today by Chris Alpert, Vice President of Basketball Operations and Player Personnel for the NBA Development League. Our Sports Central

"Shaq vs." is about to become more than a television show as a woman has hired top Hollywood attorney Gloria Allred to represent her. Allred is representing Vanessa Lopez, a model claiming that Shaquille O'Neal has been harrassing her. The impending lawsuit could be settled out of court, avoiding Allred's infamous legal strategy that usually leaves few secrets uncovered. Especially considering that it's also not the first time a woman has claimed that she has been harrassed by the NBA great. Cleveland Leader

Any rumor missing? E-mail us at hoopshype@hoopshype.com.