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One rival general manager said Toronto does not have a choice. Bosh, who is averaging 24.1 points and 11.2 rebounds a game, is too much of a talent to let walk for nothing. The general manager who matters, Bryan Colangelo, agrees with that assessment. "When you look at our pieces and say Chris Bosh is a major unknown as far as the future, certainly we'd love to lock him in -- and that is our intention," Colangelo said. "That is our Option A. With respect to building around Chris Bosh, that is the plan. We are going to build around Chris Bosh." SI.com

When Bosh was asked recently if he thought the team could win consistently in its current form, and whether that would affect his decision this summer, he refused to answer the question. Twice. "Whatever my decision is, it is going to be a winning decision," he said. "Anywhere I am. That is just how I feel." But can the team win with the roster the way it is? "The GM is always going to make moves," Bosh said. "But I am not a GM. I don't paint the picture. I just play my role." SI.com

Bosh did not want to get into the specifics of the changes that need to be made, but there are obvious issues. Starting with defense, where the Raptors rank 27th in scoring defense (105.9 points) and last in defensive efficiency. The problem is that two of three teams below them in points allowed -- Golden State and Phoenix -- don't profess to play much defense. The Raptors do, which is alarming. Several NBA scouts speculated that the Raptors have too many European players, many of whom aren't known for their defensive prowess. Colangelo denounces that theory -- though he does say that working Turkoglu, a 10-year veteran from Turkey, into the rotation has been a challenge. SI.com

Alvaro Martin: Rudoy: has not discussed with Manu length of possible extension with SA, even if Duncan retires in 2 seasons. Rudoy: "excellent question." Twitter.com

Asik was the 36th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by Portland. A good FIBA World Championship should take Asik, who has a wingspan of 2.24m, closer to his dream of playing in the NBA. “What I like about him is that he’s setting goals for himself,” Turkoglu said. “He wants to play in the NBA himself. He’s close to reaching his goal.” The Chicago Bulls now own Asik’s draft rights. The club appreciates young, European talent, as demonstrated by their approach to give Great Britain’s Luol Deng and France’s Joakim Noah plenty of playing time. InterBasket.com

Turkey has already given the NBA three outstanding players in recent times with Turkoglu, who is now with Toronto, Utah’s Mehmet Okur and Milwaukee’s Ilyasova. “Hopefully he’ll come there and will become one of us, too,” Turkoglu said. InterBasket.com

It’s been about a year since you’ve been out of the game. Any regrets about hanging it up? Alonzo Mourning: Nah, no regrets. I think I’ve accomplished more than what 90 percent of the guys in the NBA, the guys that have ever come to the NBA, would have loved to accomplish. So, I’ve got no complaints, brother. I really don’t. I’ve got no complaints. I’m blessed, and I feel like I’ve had a pretty productive and impactful career, considering some of the obstacles I had to deal with. Slam

Dwight Howard had hoped that NBA officials would rescind the technical foul he received during last Sunday’s game against the Charlotte Bobcats. Not going to happen. League officials have reviewed that technical — Howard’s 14th of the regular season — and determined that it will stand, NBA basketball communications coordinator Tim Kuck told the Orlando Sentinel in an e-mail message today. Orlando Sentinel

How do you think you would have fared against Dwight Howard when you were in your prime? Alonzo Mourning: Ahh, Dwight. Well, Dwight is very strong and agile, and I was the same way. The only thing that separates me and Dwight is that fact that I had a jumper. I mean, Dwight doesn’t really have a jumper. I could shoot, I could shoot deep. I could extend the defense because I was shooting the three when I came to the League. You know, I was shooting from the top of the key. That’s not Dwight’s game. I used to do all the things that Dwight’s doing, I was very athletic; I was running the court; I was rebounding, blocked a lot of shots. But like I said, the only difference between me and Dwight at that particular time was that I was a lot better shooter. I was a lot better scorer than Dwight. Slam

I was wrong to imply in my story for Tuesday’s paper that Hedo Turkoglu or Andrea Bargnani or Bryan Colangelo refused interview requests after their practice on Monday. That’s not what happened. Toronto Globe & Mail

This is what happened: While Chris Bosh – who in my opinion has been an exceptionally accountable pro during his time in Toronto and who has been by far the most consistent player this season, not to mention pretty close to brilliant – was getting some tough questions about his role in the Raptors recent slide, Turkoglu made the veteran’s exit, which is to say: leave when the media are otherwise occupied, thus limiting the possibility of having to do interviews. Toronto Globe & Mail

Hedo’s never turned down an interview request, but to me to the scene didn’t seem right, at least metaphorically: Why is Bosh getting the business and the guy who’s been the perhaps the biggest disappointment this season easing his way out the door unobstructed? Toronto Globe & Mail

Similarly when Triano was talking, Colangelo left. Now Colangelo has always been accessible to reporters and to his credit he stopped and talked when he was asked. But again, it struck me that Triano was taking his share of weight while Colangelo was making a quiet exit. Toronto Globe & Mail

Gery Woelfel: Brandon Jennings told me his choice for Rookie of the Year is Darren Collison. Twitter.com

After getting medically cleared to begin running last week, New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul is now cutting and moving lateral during his pregame workouts. Though there is no set target date on his return, Paul said he is getting closer toward returning to the lineup after requiring knee surgery on Feb. 4. Paul could return this Saturday against Utah or on Monday night at home against the Dallas Mavericks. “It’s amazing just weeks ago, I was like will I ever get back,’’ Paul said. “But now to be almost there gives me a lot of hope and something to be excited about. I’m moving pretty good right now, but I still have a little ways to go.’’ New Orleans Times-Picayune

Marc Berman: Sources telling me J.R. Giddens has been cleared to play by doctors and indeed very well might debut tonight vs. former team. Twitter.com

Brett McMurphy: USF junior Dominique Jones appears like he won't be back next yr. On Facebook he posted "its time to make money now." Twitter.com

Several jobs are expected to open up this offseason, including the Clippers and Nets. Jackson currently lives in Los Angeles, but he is a native of Brooklyn, the future home of the Nets. The former point guard enjoyed a 17-year career with seven teams and is third all-time in assists. Jackson went straight into a broadcast career after retiring and doesn't own any coaching experience. "I talk to lot of people about Mark Jackson, including Doc Rivers, Donnie Walsh and Jeff Van Gundy, and I can't find anyone who says he won't be a great head coach," agent Steve Kauffman said. NBA.com

We're at Denver's Swedish Medical Center. The helmet is actually a white, hard-mesh mask that fits to every contour of Karl's big bucket head. It has red crosses all over it, like a hockey goalie's. He lays his 283 pounds on the table and the technicians clamp the mask on hard. How Karl breathes I'll never know. They secure his limbs and ask him to hold a blue plastic donut so no part of him moves. He looks like Hannibal Lecter about to get fried. "It makes you a little claustrophobic," the 58-year-old coach tries to say through the mask. "But what are you gonna do? Leave?" Coaching the wildly talented but wildly uneven Nuggets is hard enough, let alone doing it with throat and neck cancer, but that's what Karl is trying to do. Everybody tells him it's not possible, and today, maybe he's starting to believe them. ESPN.com

He shows me. He shows me many things I don't want to see. He's doing it because he wants people to know exactly what it's like. Wants to take the fear and mystery out of it for people. "The rash is a good sign," says the technician. "It shows the radiation is working." "Mine's not bad," Karl mumbles, hardly able to talk. "There's a guy in here who can't even lay his head on a pillow." Karl absorbs the machine's worst for 15 minutes every weekday, except on Wednesdays, when he does it for 30. Then he goes to work. ESPN.com

If there was a DL for coaches, Karl would be the first five names on it. He's not going to get on the team plane this afternoon for Minnesota. He won't coach them there. For a controllisimo like Karl, that's torture. "I woke up today thinking of all the things that could go wrong," he tries to say through a mouth that sounds like it's full of rock salt. "Actually, I didn't really wake up. I didn't hardly go to sleep. Couldn't." ESPN.com

By his car, I ask Karl if he's scared to die. "I'm scared every day," he says. "Scared all the time. But my kids, my family, my staff, they keep me thinking positive." Anything good coming from all this? "Oh, yeah. Lots. Sometimes, I feel the sunshine on my face and I just stop and think, 'Damn, this feels good.' I never used to think about sunshine, you know?" ESPN.com

The people who work at Vulcan Inc. are busy working behind the scenes again with owner Paul Allen's basketball operation, and those following the curious firing of vice president Tom Penn this week are looking at Pritchard wondering if his shelf life as the franchise Golden Boy is expiring. "They can't do Kevin in the middle of the season, but they can do a drive-by on someone close to him," said Warren Legarie, the agent for Penn and Pritchard. "But guess who would be next?" Oregonian

A league executive confirmed late Tuesday that higher-ups in Allen's operation were steamed after they believed they got played by Penn last summer when he "misrepresented" the offer from Minnesota to get a raise and promotion in Portland. "I'm not guessing on this, there's no speculation here, the resentment over the Minnesota thing is real," the source said, "the Vulcans can be vindictive." Oregonian

The Oregonian has obtained evidence that the Timberwolves indeed made a four-year offer to Penn on May 12, 2009 that would have made Penn the team's Vice President of Basketball Operations. Penn turned down that offer to stay with the Blazers, where he got a new title and a raise. Of course, Minnesota's ownership didn't help Penn by perpetuating the idea that David Kahn, the guy who later got the job, was their first choice. The Vulcans are apparently buying that. Never mind that organizations rarely admit that the person they hired was their second or third pick. Oregonian

I reached Penn late Tuesday. He said he was surprised and disappointed by his firing. He thanked Allen for the opportunity and said, "I loved working here." Then, I asked Penn how he could go so quickly from the guy everyone viewed as a rising star in the organization to packing his desk in what seemed like a cruel joke. "You were their guy," I said, "what the heck happened?" Penn started to answer, but then stopped and I could hear him choking back the emotion. Ultimately, Penn said he'd rather just let his comments stand. Oregonian

The NBA Board of Governors has unanimously approved Michael Jordan's bid to buy a controlling interest in the Charlotte Bobcats. NBA commissioner David Stern said in a statement Wednesday that he was pleased the $275 million purchase was "closed in such a smooth and expeditious fashion." ESPN.com

"We're thrilled to have Michael back in the league as the principal owner of the Charlotte Bobcats," NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver told NBA.com. "We have no doubt that he will apply himself in a similar manner to the way he did as one of the greatest players of all time." NBA.com

The buzz in Charlotte is generally positive and supportive of Jordan's new role. The Hall of Famer and six-time NBA champion has spent the last four years as a minority owner of the Bobcats in charge of basketball decisions. He was heard from little and rarely seen at Bobcats games and practices. That's led to skepticism in the community regarding Jordan's commitment to the franchise. "He was not the principal owner," Silver said. "It was Bob's team. As far as I know, Michael did everything that he committed to do as part of his relationship with Bob Johnson, but part of his deal was not to be the face of that franchise as he's going to be now." NBA.com

Silver said the New Jersey Nets sale to Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov remains on track to be completed in early-to-mid April. "It would be our hope that the deal would be completed by the Board of Governors meeting," said Silver, referring to April 16 gathering of the league's owners in New York. Silver said the financial hurdles between Prokhorov and current Nets owner Bruce Ratner have been cleared. Issues related to the new arena in Brooklyn still need to be resolved. Ground was broken last week and the Barclays Center is scheduled to open in 2012. NBA.com

You might have the best beard in the League. What are the three keys to keeping a fresh beard? James Harden: Get up and brush it like you would do your hair. You got to make sure it’s clean cut and—[bends over in laughter as Thabo Sefolosha shakes his head at him nearby]. You have to make sure it’s looking right at all times. You don’t want to go out there and have your beard looking all nasty. Slam

Serving as confirmation that basketball is indeed bigger than hip hop in Serbia’s capital, Partizan representatives have announced that rapper 50 Cent’s show scheduled for the evening has now been switched to the basketball venue; Partizan will host Maccabi Tel Aviv in their game three quarterfinal match at the bigger Belgrade Arena. BallinEurope.com

Last update: 8:23 am ET

Griz owner Michael Heisley told a group of season ticket holders that the team intends to match any offer Gay might receive as a restricted free agent this summer. Heisley spoke before the game at the team’s annual “State of the Franchise” Chalk Talk where season ticket holders could ask questions. Memphis Commercial Appeal

Dwyane Wade said Monday he plans to talk to several free-agent friends after the season about their plans (LeBron James, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire) and encourage them to sign with Miami if he stays. Miami has room for two maximum contracts -- including Wade -- with another $5 million or so left. Wade has expressed a preference to stay, and owner Micky Arison put the odds at 95 percent, but he won't handicap it: ``I'm not a percentage guy. I have a lot of things to think about.'' Miami Herald

Knicks forward Al Harrington often wears a ballcap with a scripted "NJ." The former star at St. Patrick's High in Elizabeth, who lives in Edgewater, said he's not trying to send out any subliminal messages -- but told The Post he definitely would be interested in signing with his hometown Nets this summer, especially since they will play in Newark, 10 miles from Elizabeth, the next two seasons. "If they had interest in me, I'd take a strong look at that," Harrington, a free-agent-to-be, told The Post. "It's still the city. It's still home. I'd rather play at the Garden, but I'd play in Newark, too." New York Post

According to a source, the Wizards, Blazers and Bulls are expected to have interest in Harrington this summer. New York Post

He's seen the writing on the wall, feels he's been shoved aside to give more playing time to guys who figure in their future. "It'd be a lie if I said I didn't think about it," Harrington, a 30-year-old, 11th-year pro, said of free his agency. "At the end of the day, I'll definitely have a job next year. Someone's going to want my services -- if it's not New York, somewhere else. "For me it doesn't matter. I know I'm going to end up somewhere. As long as I'm in a position to win basketball games. I don't want to be at this point of the year, not playing for anything. Because this [stinks]." New York Post

Up to now, the Spurs had been limited to offering the 6-foot-11 center $970,000 for the first year of his rookie scale contract. Now, they can offer a lot more, but they are still bound by collective bargaining agreement rules. Just as they have no cap room to offer big money to free agents from other teams this summer, they are limited to cap exceptions as they try to lure Splitter. The most they can offer: The mid-level cap exception, expected to be around $5 million. San Antonio Express-News

Trouble is, even that amount likely won't pry him out of Spain. That's because the prospect of an NBA lockout that could wipe out the entire 2011-12 season is enough to make any player making mega-Euros think twice about bolting for the NBA. Splitter's deal reportedly is worth more than $5 million. “That's why they're probably not going to get him, even for the full mid-level,” said one NBA executive. “If you've got a nice, guaranteed deal over in Europe, why would you sign over here and face a lockout? I'm telling you, the full mid-level probably isn't going to get it done.” San Antonio Express-News

They're still the only NBA team that can negotiate with his people — Splitter switched agents within the last few months, dropping Herb Rudoy for Arn Tellem — and there are a lot of teams with significant cap space this summer who could make him a better offer if they had his rights. “It's more likely they'll try to do a sign-and-trade that includes his rights,” said the same NBA front-office figure. “Maybe he can end up in a deal involving Chris Bosh.” San Antonio Express-News

If the Spurs can leverage another team's desperation to alleviate some of their own, they should do it. Don't get overly excited about the prospect, though. The suggestion from afar was that the Spurs might be able to use Splitter's rights as a third-party sweetener in a Bosh sign-and-trade, getting another player or future draft pick in the package, not Bosh. San Antonio Express-News

What will happen this summer is an opportunity to hit the NBA market. Allen has come back from injuries and he has a strong believer in general manager Danny Ainge, but it will be interesting to see what kind of free agent interest he draws. A few teams already have been asking questions. “I just want to be somewhere secure,” Allen said. “Everybody wants job security. I mean, that goes without saying. “I like Boston. I just want to help this team as much as I can. I mean, I’m in the gym every day working hard trying to get my body back to where I need it to be. I’m working with (strength coach) Bryan Doo and (assistant coach Mike) Longabardi, just showing them and the other coaches that, hey, I’m willing to work. I’m not going to get complacent. I’ve been hit with a few bad injuries, but if I take those injuries away I think I can be probably one of the top defenders in this league. I think I can be effective on both ends of the court. I’ve just got to stay healthy, and that’s my biggest key.” Boston Herald

And he knows if he gets there, it may not be here. Allen is aware his future could lie elsewhere. “That’s the whole thing,” he said. “If I can just show this league that I’m healthy, I’m ready, I’m pretty sure somebody will have that interest in me. All I’ve got to do is build on consistency. “My main thing now is just getting this organization to like me, continue to believe in me. I want to let them know I’m happy to be here. Everything else will take care of itself. I’ve been in this situation before. We’ll see how it goes.” Boston Herald

Dooling joined Jarvis Hayes as current Nets wanting to return, citing a bright future with cap space and a high draft pick. "I think it will turn around here pretty quick," he said. "I got a buyout at $500,000. That's a team option. If it was my option, I'd put it in right now and sign up." New York Post

Real Madrid wants to sign Sergio Rodriguez in case he decides to leave the NBA. Marca.com

After Gee recorded his first career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, and adding two steals in 26 minutes off the bench, Coach Flip Saunders said that the team intends on signing him to a second 10-day contract. Gee has shown steady improvement with increased playing time, and he was all over the place on Tuesday. He was asked active on the glass, fighting for extra possessions, and had to contend with Carmelo Anthony on defense with Al Thornton battling foul trouble. Washington Post

The Kings' 10-day experiment with Garrett Temple ended last Saturday when the rookie signed a 10-day contract with the San Antonio Spurs. Temple played in five games with the Kings, averaging 2.2 points. Westphal isn't seeking out more players at this stage of the season. "It's not my focus right now," he said. "If (team president) Geoff (Petrie) sees somebody we'd like to look at, we're certainly open to that. But we're happy to play the guys we have as well." Sacramento Bee

Reportedly, there’s a buyout clause in his contract that could enable the Cleveland Cavaliers to pick up his rights for the 2010-11 campaign. Kaun was a second-round pick in the 2008 NBA Draft. “As of right now, I do not have any idea about the NBA,” Kaun said. “I definitely want to come back and play there, but a lot of variables are going into this decision so I can’t say anything is concrete right now. We will see in the summer.” Lawrence Journal-World

The Thunder has signed Tulsa 66ers’ guard Mustafa Shakur to a 10-day contract. Shakur, who played at Arizona, is a D-League All-Star. With Tulsa, Shakur averaged 20.7 points, 7.2 assists and 2.3 steals which all rank in the top 10 in the D-League. "At first I was shocked then excited to be able to call my family,” Shakur said. "It’s a great situation for me because I know about 90 to 95 percent of what’s going on. I know all the terminology and defensive concepts. That’s the best part about it.” Oklahoman

I spoke with Pacers point guard T.J. Ford before Tuesday's game to check how close he thought he was to being joining the Bobcats at the trade deadline. Charlotte and Indiana were in discussions on a deal that would have sent Ford and Brandon Rush to Charlotte for D.J. Augustin, Gerald Henderson and Nazr Mohammed. Ford got a call from his agent as he was headed for a team flight informing him of the talks. The Bobcats ultimately decided against it, and I'm told that was about owner Bob Johnson's reluctance to take Ford's $8.5 million salary next season. "I assume it got close if it came right down" to the 3 p.m. trade deadline, said Ford, who has a strained groin. Charlotte Observer

The listless Nets, who got 21 points from Brook Lopez and a 13-point, career-high 20-rebound double-double from Josh Boone, didn't have Devin Harris (upper respiratory infection) as they used their 18th different starting lineup. And the way this horror season has unfolded, the Nets would rather discuss upper respiratory infections than their record. "We don't talk about it, but I think it's on everybody's mind," said Lee. "You can see there's a sense of urgency about it, because it comes up a lot. It's going to come up a lot more if we don't get some wins soon." New York Post

"It's on our minds," said Keyon Dooling, who wants to return next season (his deal is partially guaranteed). "It's gotten so bad, one of our goals is to not be the worst team in the history of the game. That's hard to associate with 'goal,' but we don't want to go down in history as the worst team ever." New York Post

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Nate Robinson already has faced the Knicks at the new Boston Garden, just five days after his trade to Beantown, so tonight's game is nothing new. What Robinson has circled on his calendar is his first visit to Madison Square Garden in Celtics green on April 6. Unlike the wonderful montage video tribute afforded Eddie House on his return to Boston on Feb. 23, the Knicks have no plans to honor Robinson's nearly five-season stint in any tribute, according to a team source. The 5-foot-7 ½ athletic freak warred with coach Mike D'Antoni but arguably was their most popular player for the past two seasons. Fans still populate the Garden stands wearing his old "4" jersey. New York Post

After coming off the bench and helping the Cleveland Cavaliers put away the Celtics, 104-93, yesterday, Powe, who won an NBA title with Boston in 2008, took a moment to reflect on his former team, a squad showing signs of age and perhaps vulnerability. "Looking at the defense from the championship year, when we won it, it doesn't look the same," Powe said. "It looks like the rotation is slower and they ain't getting to the shooters and closing out like they did before. I don't know if it's effort or maybe they're a little older. "But they've been old." FoxSports.com

A Sports Illustrated poll of NBA players had Artest (42 percent of the vote) and Kobe Bryant of the Lakers as the two toughest defenders in the league. Howard was third with 12 percent, followed by Garnett (6 percent) and Shane Battier (4 percent). Orange County Register

Baron Davis knows a few things about playing the point guard position. So when the Los Angeles Clippers' star says he thinks Bucks guard Brandon Jennings should be the league's rookie of the year, you listen. "I think Brandon should be the rookie of the year because it's all about winning in this league," Davis said after the Clippers' practice session Tuesday. "He's been winning, and he's been doing a good job of leading his team. "He's had the numbers and all the accolades. He's definitely the point guard of the future in this league." Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

The 30-year-old Davis admittedly has some bias toward Jennings because both are L.A. guys. "I've been watching him since before he went to high school," Davis said. "He's always had that focus and that confidence. It's great to see your little brother grow up and be doing it. He's like a little brother to me. I just have a lot of respect for his game. "I always knew he was going to make it, and at the level he's performing, I'm not surprised." Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

"I've had some bad games the last five games – I'm not doing it on purpose, I'm really not," Kaman said. Los Angeles Times

Which has meant increased defensive responsibilities for Kaman and the loss of instant chemistry up front. "It's tough. My minutes are really inconsistent," Kaman said. "I'll start the game and they'll take me out with six, seven minutes to go. I'll go in for a little bit in the second quarter. I don't really feel like I can get into a rhythm. It's kind of tough –the coaching change. "I like Kim. We've had our differences the past few weeks about different issues. But ultimately he's a good guy and I like him. It's just been a little different." Los Angeles Times

Phil Jackson hasn’t always been Bynum’s biggest fan publicly, but this season Jackson has largely supported and excused Bynum despite not meeting the coach’s expectations. Now, Jackson is on board with Bynum’s enthusiasm and production. “We’ve found a better idea what and how to use Drew inside,” Jackson said. “He’s got a resurgence after he hurt his hip. He had a bad knee bruise. He had a couple things physically that kept him from having the power that he likes to have in the post. (Tuesday night) was an exhibition by him and Pau (Gasol) that showed the strength of our team.” Orange County Register

About the Lakers only leading the Western Conference by four games and possibly losing that top seed, Bynum said: “We don’t even think that’s a possibility.” Orange County Register

Still, Farmar played just 2:54 against the Suns last Friday night and 8:18 against the Warriors on Monday night. "Well, he has to live with it," Jackson said. "That's part of what the team is all about, getting the team ready for the playoffs and winning games in the process and trying to get everybody in the position where they can help us out. So, that's really important. "I know there are personal feelings and sometimes they have to subjugate for the team's goals." Los Angeles Times

General Manager and Interim-Head Coach Jeff Bower gave praise to West Monday night before a New Orleans victory over the Los Angeles Clippers. "He's been terrific. He's been a guy that our other players have looked to as a source of strength and professionalism," said Bower. "His approach, not only in the games, but in our shoot-arounds and our preparation for games, has been outstanding and really helpful to the other young guys. His level of experience and his level of understanding what a team needs to be successful has been something that's carried through this team." HoopsWorld.com

In five games, Finley is shooting 18-for-28 from the field (64.3%), including 6-for-11 on three-pointers, in 13.8 minutes a game. He was shooting 38.1% for the Spurs. "I didn't know what to expect honestly," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "He hadn't played a lot this year with San Antonio, and he wasn't making shots. I just don't believe a guy can forget how to shoot. We thought we could get him in here, get him some looks and give him a chance to make some shots." USA Today

Part of the reason Stoudemire has returned to his old self is the dropped weight. He has lost about 26 pounds and is down to 242, a more customary weight for him at this point of the season, and his body fat is about 5.5 percent. "I feel great," Stoudemire said. "Feel quick. Feel fast. Agile. With that being said, my basketball IQ is definitely improving. That's been helping my teammates. "Just the fact of me now getting in great shape allows me to really feel a lot better and quicker on the basketball court. This is my weight right here. You guys know every second half of the year, I turn it up a notch. Making the playoff push last year, I wasn't able to turn it up. I went out with the eye injury. You guys should be used to it by now." Arizona Republic

Stoudemire entered Tuesday night's game averaging 30.7 points and 11 rebounds in his previous seven games. "Having a sense of urgency, knowing we're going for this playoff push, it's very important for us to all be playing well," Stoudemire said. "That's the reason why I turn it up a notch. It seems to be working out well for us. We're getting wins." Arizona Republic

Hawks guard Joe Johnson will miss his second straight game with a sore Achilles tendon Wednesday at Toronto. Coach Mike Woodson said Johnson, who sat out against the Nets on Tuesday, is also questionable to play Friday against Charlotte at Philips arena. Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Joakim Noah quivered with excitement, his legs literally shaking, as he detailed plans to return from missing eight straight games with plantar fasciitis in his left foot. "I'm real close," Noah said. "I think I can go Saturday." Unfortunately for him, that's only his plan, not necessarily that of the Bulls. "Joakim is feeling better but there's a process in place for him to come back," coach Vinny Del Negro. Chicago Tribune

"I'm feeling a lot better," Noah said. "But I'm in that window where I have to be careful not to get this close and do something foolish." Chicago Tribune

Tyson Chandler: This is the best I've felt all year. I can move around and I'm just able to be myself out there without thinking about everything, thinking about every move that I'm trying to make or every cut that I make. Now I'm just able to play. Going up to the doctor definitely helped because he looked at everything, took every test and then gave me the OK that I'm going to be fine out there. When you have pain in certain areas and you try to play, you're always afraid that you're going to hurt something even more. For him to give me that stamp, it definitely helped. It helps me focus and I can just let everything go. TysonChandler.com

The Sixers said Young broke his thumb during Monday's loss. Young was in and out of the training room during the game, with the injury listed as a cracked thumbnail. He now has a removable cast. No timetable has been set for his return. Philadelphia Inquirer

Fabricio Oberto has not gone wireless. At least not when it comes to monitoring his heart. The Washington center has played four games in the past week with three wires underneath his jersey attached to different sections of his chest. The wires connect to an ECAT, a heart-monitoring device that looks like a pager and is hooked to his shorts. It's all part of a process Oberto must go through after having last June an ablation, a procedure done to correct his heart's electrical system. FanHouse.com

"You can feel the wires,'' Oberto said before the game against the Nuggets. "But it's a good thing for me. It's good to keep an eye on it.'' Since the ablation, Oberto has experienced no further problems with his heart. "The last couple of days have been good,'' Oberto said of this monitoring period. "They're watching 24 (hours a day) and seven (days a week). It's connected with a phone and then they're watching it online every day to see if they see something.'' FanHouse.com

Travis Heath: Melo told me tonight that he heard Syracuse swingman Wesley Johnson is a lock to go in the top 5 in June's NBA Draft. Twitter.com

Instead, the 6-7 forward is down to his last loss at Texas, a senior hoping to somehow lift his team out of a downward spiral. He has no complaints. "No doubt," James said. "I'll be a rookie in the NBA one day. And you don't want to be back in Nacogdoches, selling drugs and doing things of that sort. It wasn't meant for me to be at OU. It played itself out perfectly." Dallas Morning News

Nick Calathes is hoping to follow up his senior team debut with Greece at last year’s EuroBasket in Poland by competing for the national team at the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey. The Panathinaikos rookie played an important role for the Greeks off the bench last summer, helping Jonas Kazlauskas’ team win a bronze medal. “I definitely see myself there, as a part of the Greek team,” Calathes said to FIBA.com. “I will try to be a part of this.” FIBA.com

While acting coach Adrian Dantley did all of the pregame media sessions Tuesday, there was a noticeable buzz in the crowd about two minutes before the start of the game when head coach George Karl made his way through the tunnel and onto the Pepsi Center floor. Karl, who missed all of the Nuggets' four-game road trip that ended Monday while undergoing treatment for his neck and throat cancer, felt well enough to rejoin his team for the game against the Wizards. A team spokesman said speaking was still uncomfortable for Karl, although the coach was clearly touched by the ovation he received from the fans as he made his way to the Nuggets' bench. Denver Post

According to the source, there had been rumblings in recent weeks within the organization that Penn's job was at stake. The primary reason was that Penn had a tendency to rub many of those he worked with the wrong way, the source said, and was seen as being a "ladder climber." Columbian

Adrian Wojnarowski: Pritchard helped Penn leverage Port with Minny job, and sources say GM expected he could get new deal too. Ownership declined, emphatically. Twitter.com

Adrian Wojnarowski: League sources have been describing unrest in front office for months, centered on Pritchard's inability to get new contract after Penn did. Twitter.com

Adrian Wojnarowski: Two officials who spent time in last 10 days with Port GM Kevin Pritchard and fired No 2 guy, Tom Penn, spoke of "awkwardness" and "tension" Twitter.com

The one thing I know about Penn is that a lot of people within the organization did not like him. What I heard most often was that Penn was impacting the culture in a negative way. He was apparently sensitive about things said in the media, by his own broadcasters and even others in the front office. There was a new brand of paranoia creeping in and a lot of people felt Penn was power hungry and eating away at Pritchard’s power base. DwightJaynes.com

Adrian Wojnarowski: Many believed Penn was destined to run team, but clearly something caused momentum to change lately and Penn lost favor. And his job. Twitter.com

Subtle rumblings coming out of Blazer headquarters in recent months had Penn with his fingers in a few pies, none of them relating to the cap. Tracing the practical chain of command in Portland's hierarchy is challenging in the best of times. Perhaps Penn's (alleged) expansion of power was planned. On the other hand those philosophical differences may have resulted from the organization discovering it had a V.P. of Basketball Operations who wanted to spread his wings farther than the team was comfortable with or prepared for. BlazersEdge.com

A Blazers source tells me that Penn absolutely rubbed owner Paul Allen the wrong way in the war room during the draft that netted Portland Greg Oden. "Paul may never have recovered from that," source said. But it raises some questions about why Allen would give Penn a raise and promotion so recently. Something more had to have happened for Allen to move so shrewdly to hand Penn the pink slip on Tuesday. Oregonian

In the end the Blazers likely still wanted a great capologist who could work as part of the decision-making team. If Penn wanted more, if heads butted over more...well...it wouldn't be the first time that happened in business. (In fact it's an eerie parallel to some of the on-court roster issues the Blazers are facing.) Sometimes the direct resolution is the best resolution. BlazersEdge.com

Western conference executive tells me Vulcan headquarters was livid in late summer after they realized Penn played them in getting a raise and promotion out of the phantom Minnesota offer and, "there's real resentment at Vulcan headquarters at that whole deal." This source isn't buying the idea that something new happened on Tuesday that caused Penn's firing, rather, that the Vulcans decided long ago they were going to blow up Penn the first time they had cause. What was that cause? "I'm not guessing on this, there's no speculation here, the resentment over the Minnesota thing is real," source said. "The Vulcans can be vindictive %$&#'s" Keep an eye on the movements of Penn agent Warren Legarie (ex-Blazers GM John Nash's agent and KP's agent as well) who was at the center of that situation, and also, has been involved with the Clippers extensively. Oregonian

Penn was given a raise and a promotion by the Blazers 10 months ago when the Minnesota Timberwolves were apparently offering him their vacant GM position. Kevin Pritchard tells the story of keeping Penn around over a bottle of wine on the back deck of his property.... dreaming on the possibilities. Some speculation today that Penn may have misrepresented that Minnesota offer. (UPDATE: See NBA exec comment below). Penn says no. But this is a curious move by a team that is 15 games from the end of the regular season. Oregonian

Wendell Maxey: heard back from a person close to the clippers on their gm status - they are happy with neil olshney. not sure where penn goes from here. Twitter.com

Penn refuted the idea that he's expressed interest in other NBA jobs, including the Clippers opening. Blazers find out he's been poking around? Hmmmmm... That's one theory that makes total sense. Penn maintains that he's suprised and disappointed, and said, "I love the city, and feel grateful for the opportunity. I had good times here, and when I reflect I'm grateful that I was part of the good run." Oregonian

Penn late Tuesday night said he was “surprised” and “disappointed” when team president Larry Miller called him into his Rose Quarter offices Tuesday afternoon and informed him he was being relieved of his duties. Penn, however, would not say why he was fired. “I can’t speak to specifics and I prefer not to,’’ Penn said. “I don’t think it is appropriate.’’Penn was gracious and thankful Tuesday night. “I’ve moved on. It’s been an unbelievable run,’’ Penn said. “I fell in love with Rip City.’’ Oregonian

Ben Golliver: Blazersedge: A league source has floated Oklahoma City's Assistant GM Rich Cho as one potential replacement for Penn. Twitter.com

You can't talk to a player in the Warriors' locker room without one of them mentioning how, despite being plagued by injuries, the team is playing hard and holding its own. Team president Robert Rowell said the same is happening on the business side. "We're down, but we're holding our own," he said. "It's been a tough economy, and it's been a tough season." San Jose Mercury-News

As teams in Memphis, Milwaukee, Charlotte, Miami and even Atlanta can attest, it could be worse. All those franchises are in the race for the postseason, yet they still average below 90 percent of capacity. Golden State is at 91.5 percent. "We've drawn pretty well this year," Rowell said. "Our fans have come to the games. We're down (compared) to where we were the last two years. But we're having a solid season." San Jose Mercury-News

KC Johnson: Grizzlies' nice gesture of honoring military marred by soundtrack---Springsteen's Born in USA, one of most scathing, anti-war songs ever. Twitter.com

Detroit Pistons forward Jason Maxiell is donating a classic 1989 Chevrolet Camaro to be raffled off to benefit the Food Bank Council of Michigan. Raffle tickets are available at a kiosk in front of Section 110 at The Palace of Auburn Hills during home Pistons games and online at pistons.com through April 7. Tickets are for $5 each, $10 for three or $20 for 10. Michigan Live

Did you learn anything from seeing those guys up close that helped with the character? Common: "It definitely helped me understand a little more what NBA players go through, but what really helped was hanging around one of my guys, Baron Davis of the Clippers. I also talked to Rajon Rondo about it. I met him doing a show in Boston. I did a little freestyle on the Celtics and said something about Rondo. He happened to be there, so I guess it was a good thing it was positive! "We had a good vibe. He's a good guy and I love. Arizona Republic

One final note about Artest: He says his daughter, Diamond, who continues receiving treatments for kidney cancer, is doing well. That's great to hear. For all the criticism Artest has taken, anyone who has spent time around him knows him as a doting, loving, involved father. Sacramento Bee

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