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Sunday, January 10

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Minnesota Timberwolves general manager David Kahn recently offered forward Al Jefferson to the Indiana Pacers for forward Danny Granger, but was immediately rebuffed, league sources told Yahoo! Sports. While Pacers president Larry Bird remains determined to build around Granger, sources say Kahn has become increasingly dubious on making Jefferson a cornerstone for the Timberwolves. Yahoo! Sports

Jefferson, 25, has three years and $42 million left on his contract after this season. Any proposed deal would’ve needed another player or two involved to make the salaries match, but the Pacers had no interest in such a discussion, sources said. Minnesota also has chemistry issues between Jefferson and forward Kevin Love. “There’s some jealous stuff that’s playing out,” one league source said. Yahoo! Sports

The Pacers, who are tied for the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference, could be dealers before the trade deadline, but league executives believe Indiana has all but ruled out any moves that would include Granger or center Roy Hibbert. After missing a month with a foot injury, Granger returned to the Pacers’ lineup on Friday. He has become one of the league’s best young scorers, averaging 24 points a game. Yahoo! Sports

The Cleveland Cavaliers would like to acquire a power forward who can shoot, and the Pacers’ Troy Murphy is near the top of their wish list, perhaps trailing only the Washington Wizards’ Antawn Jamison. The Cavs’ front office is still trying to gauge the seriousness of Wizards GM Ernie Grunfeld about eventually agreeing to a Jamison deal. While waiting for the Wizards on a move Grunfeld may never make, Cleveland doesn’t want to miss out on Murphy. Yahoo! Sports

Sources close to Jamison and Murphy say both players would welcome a trade to the contending Cavs. Yahoo! Sports

Chris Bosh is Toronto’s franchise player, but the pending free agent seems to be losing faith in his organization. Many NBA insiders believe Bosh will leave the Raptors. Boston Globe

The Warriors signed swingman Cartier Martin to a 10-day contract, the team announced Sunday. The 25-year-old Martin is a call-up from the NBA Development League's Iowa Energy, where he averaged 14.4 points and 4.3 rebounds in 12 games this season. The 6-foot-7 Martin, who went undrafted out of Kansas State in 2007, began last season with the Energy before being called-up by the Charlotte Bobcats, for whom he played 33 games and averaged 2.6 points and 1.0 rebound in 8.1 minutes per contest. Oakland Tribune

This is where Arenas’s story strays from your typical NBA-player-who-feels-he’s-above-reproach tale. Arenas was abandoned by his mother as an infant and was passed around by family members until his grandmother called his father to come get his son. Gilbert Arenas Sr. moved to California to pursue acting and his son showed up at Grant as a sophomore after being told that he would never make the Birmingham High School varsity team. For years, it seems, Arenas has harbored this sense of abandonment from his mother, and Levine believes it has grown to the point where Arenas challenges authority because he doesn’t trust authority. “Deep down, it’s what happened with his mother when he was a kid,’’ Levine said. “He made a statement that I read and he was talking about Stern and said he was a mean man. That’s a 5-year-old talking. Boston Globe

“He certainly does not grasp the authority the NBA has over him and certainly did not grasp the complexity of toting around guns. “He’s not a ghetto kid. But I do have an idea of what’s going on in the periphery of the NBA world. There’s certainly a lot of hangers-on. And I can certainly understand why some players would feel the need to carry guns. But why he would be playing with guns, I don’t understand. He has not accepted the responsibility of being a grown-up.’’ Boston Globe

Arenas knew his personality would gain attention, but he has constantly crossed the line of appropriateness. Levine and those close to Arenas cringed when they read his Twitter posts and watched recent interviews. In his own bizarre way, Arenas has been crying out for help with his ill-timed jokes, and his act finally drew the ire of league leadership with an indefinite suspension on his 28th birthday. “I don’t think anybody could talk to Gilbert right now,’’ said Levine, who said he talked with Arenas often early in his NBA career but has not spoken to him in more than a year. “He has put himself in this box and it’s a way of protecting himself from people getting close to him.’’ Boston Globe

“He’s not even close to being a violent guy,’’ Levine said. “He did get in a fight or two in high school, but not in front of me or never in a game. And I saw him in games where the other teams physically tried to beat him up and he never raised a fist. “There’s never been any ounce of a violent nature in Gilbert. But what’s a nonviolent person doing with three or four guns?’’ Boston Globe

Meanwhile, the day after his teammates banded together without him and upset the Orlando Magic, Arenas made an appearance at Chantilly's Hoop Magic for some pickup basketball, just happy to be playing anywhere. Mike Jones Sports

Arenas once defecated in teammate Andray Blatche's shoe during Blatche's rookie season. Washington Post

Well, the organization can banish Gilbert Arenas's name and likeness from its arena, but DeShawn Stevenson will keep the love alive. Witness his ankle tape from Sunday's home loss against the Hornets. Admirable loyalty to a missing friend? Or PR stumble from a franchise that's had enough of those? The team appears not to be joking around with this purge of Agent Zeroisms. I've gotten e-mails from two different fans about their Free Gil signs being confiscated, including these two gents pictured below. Unclear whether the Wizards are taking sign-confiscation advice from the Redskins or not. Washington Post

Magic guard J.J. Redick would love the opportunity to take part in next month's three-point shooting contest at All-Star Weekend in Dallas. "I consider stuff like that an honor," Redick told RealGM's Jarrod Rudolph. "If the NBA asked me to do it, yeah, I'd happily go to Dallas for a weekend of shooting threes." RealGM

Holly McKenzie: After House's fifth foul Sheed tells the refs to look out for the flop and says, "This ain't the Euroleague!" Twitter.com

Bruce Arthur: Fan, to Rasheed, during a quiet FT: "You suck, Rasheed!" Sheed, in Elvis voice: "Thank you very much." Twitter.com

Tyreke Evans launches a three-pointer that misses everything, a shot attempt that is so short that it barely grazes the bottom of the net. But from where J.R. Smith was standing, apparently the shot appeared to go through the net. Because Smith acts like it did exactly that, by grabbing the rebound and stepping out of bounds to inbound the ball and begin the following possession. FanHouse

Lamar Odom has long been known for his basketball abilities -- he helped the Lakers to an NBA title last June -- but who knew he had a flair for fashion design? The Lakers forward recently launched his Rich Soil clothing line at trendy L.A. boutique Kitson. "I'm more than just the person that funds it," Odom said of his involvement. "I look over all the designs and come up with designs myself. It's something that I've always been interested in and wanted to do." ESPN.com

Odom worked to create a complete line: "It's everything -- T-shirts, denim, button downs. I've got a women's line that I'm working on." A women's line seems like a natural progression for Odom, whose whirlwind courtship with wife Khloe Kardashian and their reality TV event wedding has introduced him to a whole new demographic. "It's no longer just sports fans that know who I am and recognize me," Odom said. "All the people who were into 'Keeping Up' or who follow the Kardashians. I'm kind of popular in their eyes now." ESPN.com

Scottie Pippen, a seven-time NBA All-Star and a member of six NBA title teams, today issued the following statement regarding his role in the movie “Midgets vs. Mascots”: “Given the recent controversy surrounding Gary Coleman, the fact that I’ve been repeatedly asked questions about my small part in the movie ‘Midgets vs. Mascots,’ and a related video posted online which shows me being assaulted by a group of Little People, I want to clear up any misunderstandings. Chicago Press Release

“In 2008, I agreed to play a cameo role in a movie titled ‘A Tribute to Big Red’ (now titled ‘Midgets vs. Mascots’). My role was scripted, and the first two scenes went off without any problems. During the third scene, I was told that four Little People, along with actor Gary Coleman, were going to become angry with something I said and storm off as the scene ends. Chicago Press Release

Instead, they basically attacked me, with Gary Coleman apparently climbing on a chair behind me to hit me over the head with a phone (twice). “A short fight ensued before I heard the film’s director yell ‘cut.’ As I recall, some of the Little People were laughing as the director explained that the scene was ’sort of like an episode of the TV show Punk’d.’ At that point, I left quickly without a clear understanding of what was going on. Chicago Press Release

“As for the Little Person who claims he was injured in the attack, I really don’t think I caused the injury or can be held to blame. To the best of my knowledge, there is no action being taken against me, nor am I pursuing any action. For the record, I have never seen the movie and, in hindsight, wish I’d not been involved with it. I simply wanted to make clear my role and position as I understand the movie is coming out soon. Chicago Press Release

A Lakers source told me the team had its sights set high, as usual, and planned to target the possible acquisition of Chris Bosh when it got closer to the 3 p.m. Feb. 18 trade deadline, and the Raptors might be more likely to move their Olympian/All-Star while still entitled to compensation. It commonly is believed Bosh almost certain is to flee Toronto after this season, when he has the right to opt out of the final year ($17.1 million) of his contract. New York Post

My source believes the Lakers will offer Andrew Bynum for Bosh (if they haven’t done so already) well before the deadline expires. In itself, the one-for-one swap is impossible to make. Bynum’s “base year” essentially allows L.A. to take back but half of his salary this year ($12.5M). Of course, that restriction is lifted when next year’s salary ($13.7M) activates come July 1, at which time a sign-and-trade transaction would be feasible. New York Post

Asked by e-mail about all of the above and whether the Raptors and Lakers have discussed a Bosh-Bynum proposal, team president Bryan Colangelo, who surely is being contacted on a daily basis regarding the availability of his franchise player — especially when the team was 11-17 — he replied in kind: “For the record, I am not actively seeking a deal or discussing Bosh with any team, much less the Lakers. “I haven’t traded him yet and our position has been the same. We will not make a deal just to make a deal. Our intention is to keep him here long term. New York Post

“Additionally, I have not yet offered an extension as Dwyane Wade and LeBron James both received [from their respective teams]. So technically he has not said no. “I honestly don’t think C.B. knows what the future holds, or what he wants to do, so I would say we’re still in the game as far as his pending free agency.” New York Post

In the meantime, the languishing Lakers may only have the marginal goods to obtain the likes of, say, Hornets’ forward Hilton Armstrong. Friday night they lost again (third straight road loss) to the Blazers (nine consecutive in Portland) and continue to showcase (I’m being kind) Sasha Vujacic (one year left at $5.475M) and free agents-in-waiting Jordan Farmar and Adam Morrison. New York Post

Wade, in fact, might have offered a clue as to where he won't land as a free agent next season, after he arrived particularly bundled up for a morning shootaround. "I didn't like the cold when I lived there," he said of his Chicago roots and collegiate days in Milwaukee, "and I don't like it now." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Jamison has remained loyal to the Wizards, but he might believe that it's time for him to move on. A Wizards official, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the power forward as being tired of what has become a sideshow-like atmosphere. ''He wants to win. He's tired of the [expletive] here,'' he said. For Jamison, that means he's amenable to being traded. ''Definitely. This stuff is wearing thin on him,'' the official said. Akron Beacon Journal

Cavaliers coach Mike Brown said it's not essential for the team to make a deal by the Feb. 18 deadline. Brown believes the Cavaliers have the proper pieces in place now for a run at a ring. "I like our team,'' Brown said in an interview Saturday with FanHouse. "I think we have a group of guys that can compete for a championship now. In this business there's nothing guaranteed, so that's all you can ask for. "I don't think you can ever say no (to considering a deal). If there is something out there that you feel is going to help your team, you got to listen to it. But I know as a coach I'm happy with the group of guys that we have out there on the floor.'' FanHouse

Williams doesn't believe the Cavaliers need to make a move before the trade deadline. Like Brown, he believes they are well positioned now in their quest to bring home the Larry O'Brien Trophy. "I would agree with that 100 percent,'' Williams told FanHouse about a trade not being essential. "We made the moves to get where we are now. We have the pieces available. Leon Powe (who played for Boston's 2008 title team and is due to return from a knee injury late in the season) still can help. That will be an extra piece that can get it done. ... We've shown that we can play with the best and beat the best and we can be at the top of the standings.'' FanHouse

It isn't a certainty, but several league executives said this week that the Wizards are listening to offers for every player on their roster and not ruling any sort of deal out. "If you're running a team you can either sell success or you can sell hope but that's about it," said one high-ranking executive. "They've got a new owner coming [in Washington] and right now they sure can't sell success so you can understand why they are looking at some options to have hope by the [trade] deadline. You expect them to look at all their options to do it." Cleveland Plain Dealer

The Wizards they may not want to even think about making a trade to help the Cavs, who have so much bad blood with them. Frankly, though, Washington may not end up having much of a choice, especially if it is committed to reducing future payrolls. "There's no way the Wizards will want to make that deal with the Cavs," one general manager said last week. "It may come down to a tough decision because in reality there's not a lot of places they can send him if they want to get cap space. That's why it may not happen until the very last minute, they'll search for other options." Cleveland Plain Dealer

Lisa Dillman: Clipper source shot down Caron Butler spec bright and early. Why it had been almost three days without any Marcus Camby trade rumors. Twitter.com

Camby and Dunleavy said a Washington Post report of a rumor that the Washington Wizards might be interested in trading forward Caron Butler for Camby was news to both of them. Los Angeles Times

Tracy McGrady's nameplate still hangs at his locker along with assorted clothing. But the Rockets swingman is in Chicago training as the Knicks and other teams bid for his services. The Knicks will be hard-pressed to make a trade because of Houston's unwillingness to take on Jeffries' contract. However, if the Rockets can't find a deal, there is a chance McGrady could be bought out after February's trading deadline, become a free agent and then be signed. New York Post

Woodson said the staff will meet following the team's return from the Boston game Monday to talk about plans for the 13th roster spot, which is open with forward Othello Hunter being put on waivers. Woodson said that former Hawks guard Mario West, who played two seasons for the Hawks before being cut this season, was a "possibility." Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Darko Milicic was with the Knicks in Houston after reports suggested the team might buy out his contract — which team president Donnie Walsh called erroneous. Milicic, who hasn’t played since Nov. 13 and spent his 13th straight game Saturday on the inactive list, owns an expiring $7.5 million contract that could be used in a deal by next month’s trade deadline. He did not attend two games at the Garden (including Thursday’s) because of illness and a family matter, coach Mike D’Antoni said. "He hasn’t said he wants to leave," Walsh said of 2003’s second overall draft pick, who has said he plans to play in Europe next season. Bergen Record

With one easy stroke, the Nets are going to erase those two glaring roster mistakes Sunday, when they send Najera to Dallas for Kris Humphries and waive Williams so they can acquire another lost soul with a familiar name, forward Shawne Williams. Both moves were nearing completion Saturday, but according to someone close to the negotiations who is not authorized to speak on the moves, it had yet to get full sign-off from incoming Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov. That is expected to be a formality. Combined with the Rafer Alston jettison Tuesday, this is essentially a cap-neutral deal, and just another step in the purge of 2009-10. Newark Star-Ledger

Najera said he was told by his agent, Dan Fegan, that the deal was “not 100 percent” as of Friday, but that “there’s a pretty good chance that there’s an agreement” after they complete “league paperwork and all that stuff” tomorrow. “What I can say is there definitely has been discussions,” said Nets coach-GM Kiki Vandeweghe, before conducting an off-day practice at New Orleans Arena. “We do not have a deal yet.” Newark Star-Ledger

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To create room for the two players, Sean Williams will be waived. Upon completion of the trade, Shawne Williams also will be waived. Nets coach/general manager Kiki Vandeweghe could not confirm anything had been reached since nothing is official. Sean Williams said he hadn’t heard anything, although he winked. But Najera said his agent told him to be prepared to pack his bags. “He said there’s a pretty good chance,” Najera said. “I think there’s an agreement. It’s just league paperwork.” Bergen Record

Team sources who confirmed the deal said the Nets also are looking to deal other veterans as they prep for the big free agent summer. They're shopping Josh Boone (interest, nothing close), Tony Battie (some interest) and Bobby Simmons (not much interest). Figure Boone goes next. New York Post

Watching from afar as the Nets opened the 2009-10 season by setting a dubious record for the worst start in league history — 18 losses in a row before finally beating the Charlotte Bobcats on Dec. 4 — was difficult for a player who still has friends inside the organization. “You feel for them,” said Jefferson, acquired by the Nets on draft night 2001 in a swap of first-round picks with the Houston Rockets. “You feel for the people who are there. You feel for the fans.” San Antonio Express-News

The Knicks still have high hopes for Hill, but their decision to pass over Jennings continues to generate a negative backlash. The latest rumor had Knicks president Donnie Walsh telling his scouts that they blew it and can't afford another drafting mistake. "That's all a bunch of bull----," Walsh said the other day. "I never did anything like that. Any innuendo that I'm displeased with my staff, I'm not. In fact, when I got here I went through the first draft with them, I liked their work, and I re-signed most of them." New York Daily News

Washington Wizards reserve Javaris Crittenton could be summoned before a federal grand jury as early as this week to testify about a gun-flashing incident in the team's locker, The Examiner has learned. A handful of players and team coach Flip Saunders have already given their version of events to grand jurors. But Crittenton, the putative victim of a Dec. 21 stunt in which All-Star guard Gilbert Arenas displayed four handguns, has since been accused of responding to Arenas by bringing a weapon of his own and sliding a bullet into the chamber. Washington Examiner

Gilbert Arenas is already under investigation for possession of firearms in the District. NBA Commissioner David Stern suspending him indefinitely and the Washington Wizards organization appears to be distancing itself from him in all marketing and promotions. If Arenas weren't already dealing with enough, he now faces the watchful eye of his shoe company, Adidas, which released a statement on Friday that is putting the three-time all-star on notice. "We are evaluating our relationship with Gilbert Arenas based on his recent conduct and subsequent suspension from the NBA," Adidas spokeswoman Lyn Famiglietti said in a statement. "We echo the Commissioner's concern for such a serious incident and will continue to follow the investigation by the league and law enforcement." Washington Post

This time, because of the publicity surrounding the gun play, Stern might be forced to crack down on high-stakes games. "David will try to curtail it," said a former league executive. "He knows it's been going on for years. I don't know how he can do it. But the stakes in some of these games have gotten out of control." New York Daily News

Unless Stern steps in and tries to limit the stakes, several GMs said that they are not going to cut off one of the players' favorite activities. The Knicks' Larry Hughes compared the games to activities at family outings, and is among the many players and coaches who point out that most have been run without incident. While there have been fights in the past over a player's failure to pay his debts, the Wizards took it to the extreme after returning from a pre-Christmas trip to the West. "This Arenas thing is one team with a couple of idiots who obviously had a trust problem," said a second Eastern Conference GM. "Believe me, when the stakes get high, you can get nervous. But if you've got good people who have a level of trust between them, there won't be a problem." New York Daily News

Foye, Nick Young, JaVale McGee and Andray Blatche were fined $10,000 each for their participation in the finger run episode, as played a premeditated role, falling down when Arenas "shot" them. "The joke wasn't meant to harm anyone, but at the same time it was wrong, period," said Blatche. "I was involved in it. I fell, and I took my consequences for it. I took the fine, which I had no problem with. What was wrong was wrong." Washington Examiner

At Gilbert Arenas Sr.'s lowest, the three days in 1989 when he and his young son lived out of the back of his Mazda RX-7 in North Hollywood, Calif., he first began to notice the pattern. It didn't matter what his boy did -- smiled, pouted, acted silly -- people took a liking to him, wanted to help the child out. "I don't know who you are or where you're trying to get at, but here, here's some money," a woman said after knocking on their car window. "She said, 'Good luck to you and your son,' and gave me $25," Arenas Sr. said. "True story." Washington Post

His future boss was so taken by the 7-year-old who came to a job interview, because the elder Arenas could not find or afford a baby-sitter, Arenas Sr. found work without ever being asked a question in the interview. Within days of driving cross-country and having run out of cash, the single father somehow also found an apartment and summer day care. "Gilbert was my good-luck piece," he said. "Everywhere I went, people fell in love with him and wanted to do things for us." Through grade school, college and on to the National Basketball Association, the trend continued: Gilbert Arenas Jr. seemed to extricate himself from any hard-knock predicament with his guile, smile and scintillating play on the court. When pranks on teammates obliterated the boundaries of good humor, becoming more dark and devious than funny, he could always say, "I'm joking," and go back to work. Washington Post

There is a sentiment among people close to the Wizards organization -- few of whom spoke on the record, given the sensitive nature of the situation -- that the team's upper management, team President Ernie Grunfeld in particular, covered for Arenas and coddled him for too long. "There are a lot of people responsible for this, other than" Arenas, one person familiar with the situation said on condition of anonymity because the individual could not speak on behalf on the Wizards organization. Former Wizards coach Eddie Jordan and his staff privately intimated they felt undermined by Grunfeld when it came to matters of discipline with Arenas. Arenas, a notorious practical joker, often crossed the line of acceptable decorum. The example often cited was how Arenas once defecated in teammate Andray Blatche's shoe during Blatche's rookie season. His behavior often went unchecked and unpunished, said a former team employee on condition of anonymity. Washington Post

The employee said Arenas would get fined for breaking team rules -- such as being late for practices or team flights -- and Arenas would sometimes have his money returned. Jordan tried to push Arenas to be a better defender. But one former coach said Jordan inevitably felt that wouldn't happen after a game against Portland, when Arenas was held to just nine points -- coming 41 shy of his stated goal of reaching 50. After the game, Arenas complained that Jordan's focus on defense kept him from scoring the way he wanted. Washington Post

Grunfeld added he could not recall giving back any fines to Arenas. Asked if he regretted any situations and how they handled Arenas and his antics, Grunfeld added: "People are responsible for their own actions. If someone takes their own actions, they have to be ready to accept the consequences and not look to deflect blame elsewhere." Washington Post

Asked if his son was enabled by the organization, Gilbert Arenas Sr. said: "It depends on what it was that they allowed him to get away with. Not being serious about certain things that they needed, not being the leader they wanted him to be, it depends. It all boils down to him signing that large contract," he added of the $111 million contract Arenas signed in July 2008. "Before he signed that, he was a major investment they didn't want to lose. "Now, did Ernie try to protect Gil in this case? That's an interesting question. And as much as I love my son, at some point the franchise is more important than Gilbert." Washington Post

An NBA official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the team provided support to Arenas -- including professional counseling. Another prominent player on the Wizards, who spoke on condition his name not be used, said all of Arenas's erratic behavior and pranks the past few years had been addressed by the organization in some manner. But the player added: "There is only so much you can do to discipline a star before you start making him want to go somewhere else. I think every team walks that line. And we did that with Gilbert." Conversely, the player added, "Gilbert did more than walk that line." Washington Post

A person close to Arenas said Stern's suspension might have been a blessing in disguise, saving Arenas from further condemnation. He had apparently scripted an even more elaborate -- and uncouth -- opening for the next night in Cleveland, in which he would affect a gimp-legged walk like John Wayne and draw at 10 paces with Young, his also-playful teammate. "We talked about it," Young acknowledged Friday night. Washington Post

"He feels like everybody turned his back on him," said Arenas Sr. by telephone Saturday afternoon. "It's sad, because there's a real sense of, especially with the media, you helped create this person. "I told him, Don't even Tweeter right now. You trying to show people being funny is how you deal with this and it's not working. The only part they're hearing is you had guns. You just have to keep your mouth closed. You have to accept that right now. Move forward and eventually they will get a chance to see your heart again." Washington Post

For years, the only team that openly encouraged a ban was the Utah Jazz and veteran coach Jerry Sloan, who said gambling between players had negative effects on the floor when he was a player. "I don't have a no-card playing rule," Sloan told reporters in Salt Lake City. "I just told the players I don't want them playing for money. I've tried to legislate that a little bit because I know a lot of times players go back to the hotel and play cards." No matter what the league may say, players often play privately on their own time. Also, betting on shooting games after practices and shootarounds is commonplace. Sometimes coaches get involved in such wagers. "I don't want to be a cop and run around behind these guys and watch everything they do," Sloan said. "But I think things like [high stakes] card games are conducive to failure and, I think, you see it. Things happen and all of a sudden basketball isn't important. The other stuff becomes more important." Cleveland Plain Dealer

The Bulls were cruising along toward an easy 110-96 victory over Minnesota on Saturday. There should have been no worries, but then Tyrus Thomas got a surprising quick hook late in the third quarter, leaving the floor after playing less than two minutes. I wasn’t watching when Thomas walked over to the bench, because I wasn’t expecting him to leave. But he remained standing on the sideline for a long time before finally pulling on his warm up and sitting down. What was this all about? Not sure and didn’t think there was any point in asking coach Vinny Del Negro after the game, because he always downplays internal issues. Thomas left the locker room quickly after the game, which isn't unusual. Arlington Heights Daily Herald

The key was Davis, bummed to the max in fall 2008 after being abandoned by Brand who'd recruited him, finding everything he heard about the Clippers coming true, wishing he could be beamed out of here. Funny, Baron can't remember back that far. "It's hard for me even to remember that much because that wasn't even a glimpse of myself," he says. "I just vowed to come into this season and not be that person and get back to being the hard-working individual and the leader that I am. . . . Los Angeles Times

About an hour after his coach gave him props for being one of few Pistons to give a solid effort in the team’s dismal home loss tonight to the 76ers, Ben Wallace called himself out. “I got to do a better job of leading this team from start to finish,” Wallace said in the Pistons locker room after the 104-94 loss – the Pistons’ 12th straight loss. “I know what this team is capable of doing. “I got to get this team ready from the start.” So why does Wallace blame himself? “Most of this has been on me,” he added. “I haven’t been playing the way I know I’m capable of playing. “I call myself the leader of this team and if you’re leader of the team and things not going well, then it falls on you.” Detroit Free Press

Mavs coach Rick Carlisle was asked how he felt about Erick Dampier's decision to shoot a 3-pointer with 5.4 seconds left in the fourth quarter of Friday's 112-103 victory in San Antonio. Dampier made the shot, his first 3-pointer since his rookie season in 1996-97. "I'm not crazy about it, to be honest, at that point in the game," Carlisle said. "But it's over." Mavs owner Mark Cuban was chuckling about it before Saturday's game. "I asked the commissioner to put him in the 3-point shooting contest," said Cuban, referring to the annual All-Star Game skills competition. "We'll see what happens." ESPN.com

Bargnani. - Why he has been more expressive with his emotions on the court: "Probably because I'm more comfortable. It's not easy for me, it's not my nature but I know it's got to change because it's not good. At the end, yesterday was a great game to win. I was feeling really good, everybody was feeling great and we were really happy." The Score

Bosh. - On seeing Bargnani show emotion late in games: "It's good. It's real good. It's always good to play with a little emotion, a little fire, at least, that's what people tell me. When he's into the game like that I think it's good for us and it gives us confidence in him. It shows how important it is. I think everyone likes to win, so that increases the emotion a little bit. We've got to keep him inspired to keep doing it." The Score

The worst part, however, is that Hill sits while another rookie, an undrafted one at that, plays ahead of him. Marcus Landry, the Knicks' rags to riches story, has factored into Mike D'Antoni's plans recently at the expense of Hill, whose claim to fame right now is that the Knicks selected him last June over Brandon Jennings, who is now starring with the Bucks. "It's a little frustrating not playing," Hill said about his limited role. "But I understand where Coach is coming from. There are veterans in front me." New York Daily News

Marc Berman: How weird is this? Carl Landry said before game he paid for Marcus' flight and hotel to try out for Knicks this past camp. Twitter.com

Chris Mannix: NBA just announced that Ben Gordon scored the ten millionth point in NBA history in the second quarter of the Pistons-Sixers game. Twitter.com

Chris Douglas-Roberts: When I go back to the hood,it's like everyday is a block party.As soon as I leave,they're slick dissin.Hahahaa.That's why visits are RARE! Twitter.com

Ben Q. Rock: Good news: I can aver that @MGortat is, in fact, Marcin Gortat. He seemed happy that I asked. Twitter.com

Brooks and Robinson were football teammates when they were 7 years old in Seattle, with Brooks at quarterback and Robinson at running back, and they competed against one another in track and basketball. Saturday's meeting was their first since Brooks became the starting Rockets point guard and leading scorer, with Robinson back to coming off the bench after 14 games in which he did not play. “I knew he'd be playing eventually and when he did, he would create havoc,” Brooks said. “I don't really know what's going on over there. I guess he's gotten the message and responded. “I knew it couldn't last too long. He's too good a player to sit on the bench.” Houston Chronicle

Brooks should know. “We were on the same football team when I was 7 and played against each other a lot when I was little, ran track against each other,” Brooks said. “He used to always beat me, run faster and jump farther. “I used to hate to see him at the track meets. We were one and two.” Houston Chronicle

A CT scan on the left ankle of Anthony Randolph indicated that the second-year forward did not endure an acute fracture, the Warriors announced Saturday night. The team will re-evaluate Randolph before today's practice in hopes of getting a further diagnosis and a timeline for his return. X-rays after Friday's 108-101 victory over Sacramento, in which he was injured in the first quarter, pointed to a sprain and a possible fracture. High ankle sprains can sideline players for as short as two to three weeks or as long as six months. San Francisco Chronicle

Power forward-center Matt Bonner, who suffered a fractured fourth metacarpal bone in his right hand on Dec. 19, isn't ticketed for a return to game action until mid-month, but he spent 30 minutes before Saturday's practice session shooting jumpers with his right hand. Bonner previously had been shooting strictly with his left hand. He continues to wear a light protective cast on his right hand. San Antonio Express-News

It could have been John Kuester bobblehead night. When someone mentioned the doubters who suggested Allen Iverson exaggerated an injury to avoid playing against the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night, Kuester shook his head. Then the Detroit coach shook it some more. “No,” he said. “That would never be the case. Allen Iverson is one of the ultimate competitors. If you’re able to turn the lights on, he’s going to go out and play. “That would never be the issue.” Booth Newspapers

Iverson did not travel with the team to Detroit for the game Saturday night between the Pistons and Sixers. He scored 22 points and had four assists Friday night in a 108-106 loss to the Toronto Raptors, but he aggravated the arthritis in his left knee during the game. That prevented him from making his first trip to play in Detroit since playing last season for the Pistons. Booth Newspapers

Trail Blazers point guard Steve Blake, who has missed the past four games with pneumonia, said he will return to action Sunday against Cleveland. Blake on Sunday completed his second consecutive practice, this time under the watchful eye of team doctor Tom Reis. After Blake completed a strenuous 2-on-2 workout, during which he teamed with Shavlik Randolph against Patty Mills and Jeff Pendergraph, Reis took his blood pressure and vitals. Blake said everything was fine. "I'm going to tell them I'm ready to go,'' a sweat-drenched Blake said. Oregonian

There are a lot of reasons why the Atlanta Hawks are on pace to surpass their previous season's victory total for the fifth consecutive year. The biggest reason might be a philosophy that Coach Mike Woodson brought from Day 1 of the 2004-05 season when the Hawks hit bottom with only 13 victories. "I said from the start, I'm not here to teach effort. If I have to teach you effort, I don't want you in a Hawks uniform,'' Woodson said Saturday before his team played the Magic in Orlando with the top spot in the Southeast Division at stake. "That's not my job. If you can't give me the effort I want, you shouldn't be here. You won't be here.'' FanHouse

But as Woodson has told his young star and now tells us, there always has been a baseline of affection beneath the turmoil. Go over to the coach's house — hypothetically, this is not an actual invitation. Peek into his office. Know what you'll find? "The only picture you're gonna see in there is of Josh Smith [it's one of Woodson hugging Smith, nicknamed J-Smoove]," the Hawks head man said. "Why? Because he started with me from scratch and he's still hanging in there with me. He probably caught more hell than any player I've coached. Smoove's still with me; and his picture has been there for the last two years." Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"Me and him, we have been here the longest, been here a long time," said Smith, sounding like an old soul at 24. "We both came in as rookies at our position. I've grown as a leader and a player on and off the court, and I think he has grown as a coach." Atlanta Journal-Constitution

How do I become an All Star? Having been part of the warm-up act as a former slam dunk champion, Smith wants to join the big show. And Wilkins, who sees much of his young self in Smith, mostly reinforced the advice that coaches had been heaping on him the last five seasons with varying success. "I told Josh," said Wilkins, "the first thing you got to do is get to the basket. Then play under control. Don't settle for the 3-pointer. And keep playing defense on such a high level. Then you will be an All Star." "I told Josh, 'Only you can stop you.' " Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"When we shoot well it's all because I work with the guys and when we shoot poorly it's all my assistants' faults," Del Negro cracked after the game. "I wish it were that easy. I'm just happy to see us knock some threes down. It opens our penetration lanes up. It opens up a lot of things." ESPN.com

His mentor remains in the shadows. Denver's Tim Grgurich is a Nuggets assistant coach, an NBA lifer, who watches games against a railing 20 feet from his team's bench, aloof in body, not in mind. To know the impact the fascinating Grgurich has on players and proteges, just ask Brown. "He's probably, single-handedly, the most important guy who helped me get to the seat I'm in now," Brown said. Denver Post

Billy Hunter, the union's executive director, spent the past week on the West Coast meeting with player representatives, as well as player president Derek Fisher of the Lakers. What Hunter is preaching, 18 months before the fact, is that the players need to remain unified in case the owners impose a lockout for the start of the 2011-12 season. The underlying message, of course, is that if Hunter is rallying his players 18 months ahead of time, he fully expects some sort of labor dispute once that season arrives. SI.com

Hunter said he expects to receive a formal proposal from the NBA in the next few weeks, after which the sides will sit down again at All-Star weekend in Dallas in mid-February. Though he could not be certain of the contents of the proposal, Hunter said he expects the league to ask the players to reduce their take of basketball-related income from 57 percent to 50 percent. "They obviously indicated what their concerns are, how they feel they are being impacted economically," Hunter told SI.com after meeting with Warriors players. "We looked at it. We don't necessarily agree with their interpretation of the facts and numbers. Their primary concern is that the percentage of the revenues that the players are receiving is too high under the current economic circumstances. "I would suspect they would like to see it somewhere closer to 50-50. I don't want to give any indication where I am. But clearly I am nowhere near anybody's 50-50. Where I am is I propose we extend the current deal. I have already offered that to the owners." SI.com

The prevailing thought in league circles is that this will be the final agreement that the 67-year-old Stern negotiates before his retirement. It will be his legacy, and because of that, he will take a hard line. "I don't know about that," Hunter said. "I thought the last one was going to be the last hurrah. In terms of him putting his stamp on it, he put his stamp on every one -- 1998, 2005. And here we are now in 2009-10. If he hasn't put his stamp on it by now, I don't know whether that is going to occur in the next round. "My fear is that the last thing the league can withstand is another lockout, particularly in today's economic climate. It doesn't make sense. They contend that they have teams losing money. There is a strong possibility that those teams may not exist after a lockout. They may no longer be a part of the league. You may be looking at something worse than what it would be if you could strike a deal. The only deal we are going to do is an equitable deal. There is not going to be any imbalance. I would never be inclined to recommend that the players accept anything unfavorable to them." SI.com

Hunter said he is preparing the players today for the eventuality 18 months from now. "The one thing I always advise the players -- and this is why I am on the road now -- what I have told them is we have to stay together," Hunter said. "We have to be cohesive. We can't let the same thing happen to us that they let happen in hockey, where, after they confronted the lockout, they splintered and went their separate ways. We have to have unity. And they have to trust that we are going to do what is best for them." SI.com

Thunder chairman Clay Bennett and his Professional Basketball Club LLC partners officially saved $30 million when the clock struck midnight New Year's Eve. As part of an agreement signed in July 2008, Bennett's group agreed to pay the city of Seattle $45 million to cancel the final two years of a contract with KeyArena. Another condition of the agreement stipulated Bennett and his partners would pay an additional $30 million if the city of Seattle approved funding to renovate KeyArena by Dec. 31, 2009, and Seattle didn't land another NBA team by 2013. When Seattle politicians failed to pass legislation in 2009 to make improvements on KeyArena, it assured Bennett would have to pay only the original $45 million. News-Herald

Barkley took a turn poking fun at himself, starring in a skit about getting professional help to fix his golf swing and joking about getting "arrested," a nod to his Jan. 2009 drunk-driving bust. The ex-NBA star also quipped about the league's infamous womanizers, saying as he hit on an audience member: "I been in the NBA a long time, I know a freaky white girl when I see one." NBC San Diego

Steve Nash: does anyone see charles barkley blatantly reading cue cards during his saturday night live skit? Twitter.com

This week, Smith pleaded not guilty in Orange County (Calif.) Superior Court to charges of grand theft. Smith, who played at BYU in the late 1980s, is accused of stealing $735,000 from a friend to finance a real estate developmental deal that fell apart in the depressed economy. In court, the 44-year-old Smith posted a $25,000 bond and remains free on bail. Unless some sort of deal is struck between his attorney and prosecutors, Smith's next court appearance will be for a pretrial hearing on Feb. 5. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison. Salt Lake Tribune

In the Los Angeles Times , Smith's attorney claims his client hasn't done anything illegal and is going to pay back his friend. "Mike is absolutely not guilty of any criminal activity, period, and we fully expect to show this in court," said Dyke Huish. Salt Lake Tribune

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