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Saturday, March 20

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Last update: 10:28 pm ET

Marcus Thompson: Raja Bell will be waived to make room for Reggie Williams to sign for the rest of the season. Announcement coming tomorrow. Twitter.com

Ric Bucher of ESPN has a report today including information from a source discussing LeBron James and the 2010 Free Agency Summer of Doom. The source contends that Hawks guard Joe Johnson may be the King's preferred partner in crime if he heads beyond the sunny gates of Cleveland. NBCSports.com

I spoke with Johnson at All-Star Weekend and asked him if remaining in the south was a favorable idea like it was when he departed Phoenix for Atlanta. He rebuffed that, saying he was older now and locale wouldn't make an impact on his decision. So clearly New York is going to be on the board (the most likely destination of a LeBron-Johnson team-up). But making all the pieces fit will be a puzzle for GM's with a lot on the line. NBCSports.com

The NBA has completed its review of Thursday’s technical-foul call against Dwight Howard, and league officials have determined that the tech will stand as called. That news — relayed to the Orlando Sentinel minutes ago by NBA basketball communications coordinator Tim Kuck — means that Howard’s technical-foul count remains at 15. If Howard commits one more technical foul before the regular season ends, he’ll receive an automatic one-game suspension. Orlando Sentinel

When draft day arrived last summer, Orlando Magic General Manager Otis Smith did not use a scalpel for cosmetic alterations on a roster fresh off an appearance in the N.B.A. finals. He used a jackhammer for a major renovation as the Magic crossed the luxury- tax barrier for the first time and imported five new players. None of them is more integral than the sometimes inscrutable Vince Carter, whom Smith acquired from the Nets. “Vince has been Vince,” Smith said. “When you need him to be big, he’s big. If you need him to fade into obscurity, he has a tendency to do that, too.” Orlando Sentinel

Carter is averaging 16.9 points this season, the second lowest of his career. He may still be finding his place. “That’s the only thing that somewhat bothers me about Vince Carter and this Magic team,” Reggie Miller, a TNT analyst and former Indiana Pacers star, said recently. “I knew what I was going to get with Hedo in fourth quarters and the pick-and-roll situations. That’s why you are here. You don’t ask, ‘Can I have the basketball?’ You go and take the basketball. The guy who has that much talent, where you are going to be judged is coming, playoff time. It’s not what you do during the regular season.” Carter shrugged off the criticism. “I don’t listen to those guys,” said Carter, who is second only to Bryant with 69 game-winning shot attempts in the last decade, according to ESPN. “I’ve proven over years and years that I’m willing to take the shot. We have so many guys on this team that have the ability to take the big shot. I’m one of them. I’ve never been afraid. Coach can ask me or not ask me if I want the ball. I’m willing to take the shot and deal with the consequence.” New York Times

Sacramento Kings guard Tyreke Evans had an X-ray and CAT Scan taken this morning, of which the results came back negative for a fractured jaw. He will not travel with the team this afternoon to Los Angeles for tomorrow’s game against Clippers. Evans also suffered a slight concussion in last night’s 114-108 double overtime loss to Milwaukee at ARCO Arena. He will be re-evaluated Monday. NBA.com

Andrew Bynum saw a foot specialist Saturday and an MRI confirmed the center has a strained left Achilles tendon. There is no tear of the tendon. Bynum will be re-evaluated in a week. "These are the type of things that look like they're going to take some time," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "We're just hoping that the time is not extended." ESPN.com

Portland Trail Blazers guard Rudy Fernandez will not play Sunday night against the Phoenix Suns, Blazers coach Nate McMillan said. Fernandez, who is recovering from a left quadriceps strain, will not travel with the team and will remain in Portland for treatment. Columbian

He’s not really thinking about what might happen once the season ends, but Kentucky freshman Daniel Orton won’t deny that the NBA could be a possible destination for him as early as next season. “That is not something I am thinking about, but if I had a good tournament and we won the national championship that would be a possibility,” said Orton Friday. “I would say you would have to think about it. That would be a great way to carry on my career. That is something I have always wanted to do, so who knows what could happen.” Scout.com

Now that the college basketball season has come to an end, Lake Wales native Dominique Jones has some big decisions ahead of him. Jones, who has won a bushel of hoop honors this season as a junior at the University of South Florida, said this week he has not made any decisions yet on whether or not he will seek to make himself available in the upcoming National Basketball Association draft. "I want to set the record straight in regards to my plans regarding the NBA. I have not made a decision on going to the NBA or returning to USF. At this time I plan on gathering information on my status and will likely test the waters to further determine my positioning within the draft. I also expect to get feedback on areas of improvement for myself,” Jones said this week in a statement released by USF. "In the near future I hope to have a clearer picture of what my plans will be. My goal to play in the NBA as well as my goal to earn a college degree are both important to me. My dad and my coach will help me in this process." Lake Wales News

Jonathan Givony: Have heard many NBA executives speculate that there will be numerous cost-cutting front office moves/firings made by NBA owners this summer. Twitter.com

Jordan says he will reach out to one of his friends, Pittsburgh Penguins owner Mario Lemieux, for advice, along with his former Chicago Bulls boss, Jerry Reinsdorf. "I'm not afraid to experiment or explore every option to make this situation better," he said. "I am insanely looking for any way to get this thing back to where it was. I want this place to be like it was when we used to come to town and play (the Hornets), with the arena and the big crowds and the loud buzzing noise. I'm not immune from asking for advice. I want to improve things." New York Daily News

Asked what advice he'd give to his newest peer, Cuban said in an e-mail: "You have to get out there and sell. We grew our sales staff from five to about 40 when I took over. You can't ever be working hard enough at making your product fun, affordable and easy to buy. And the final thing would be to realize that your product isn't basketball. It's fun. Out of the 10,000 jumpers Michael Jordan has taken, you might remember two. But you always remember the games you had fun at, who you were with and what you did. It's all about the experience. That is what makes an NBA game unique. A CEO can be next to a 16-year-old that is all 'gothed out' and cheer together and share a high-five, even if they have never met before. You don't see that happening at a movie or a McDonald's." New York Daily News

Former NBA and BYU star Shawn Bradley is hoping to offer some tall competition for a seat in the Utah House of Representatives. The 7-foot-6 Murray Republican just beat Friday's filing deadline to enter the race for the seat held by state Rep. Tim Cosgrove, a Murray Democrat. Bradley says he was encouraged to run by friends and lawmakers. He says he's always been interested in politics, and "would like to make a difference in people's lives." WKRG.com

Last update: 9:50 am ET

After a mysterious firing of his key aide, the Portland Trail Blazers are at risk of losing general manager Kevin Pritchard, according to NBA sources. A few days ago, the Blazers fired assistant general manager Tom Penn. Around the league Penn is prized as an attorney who mastered the NBA's collective bargaining agreement. ESPN.com

The firing of Penn concerns many fans who are troubled by the potential loss of Pritchard, who orchestrated the team away from a troubled Blazer past, on and off the court. "I think their fears are justified," said Warren LeGarie, agent for both Pritchard and Penn. "We've been given no indication that this team sees Kevin as somebody who will be there on a long-term basis. All we've seen is them taking away people that Kevin feels are important to his ability to do his job successfully. "I've been a Blazer fan from early on. I've been involved in some way with the team for many many years. I want them to be successful. They gave Kevin an unbelievably wonderful opportunity. But in order to make that opportunity work, he still needs to have people who believe in him around him, and people that he'd like to have, and that's certainly not the case anymore." ESPN.com

Perhaps the worst news for Blazer fans is, according to sources, last summer LeGarie became so convinced the Blazers would not commit to Pritchard that the agent has spent the better part of a year looking for another team to take on Pritchard and Penn. The firing of Penn only confirmed his suspicions. Blazers team president Larry Miller was non-committal about Pritchard's future. "Kevin is the GM here," Miller said. "I can never commit to anybody being around long term. I don't know that I'll be here long term. That's just not the way it works. To me, Kevin is our GM, and my feeling is we should focus on finishing out the season, trying to win games, trying to have a successful run in the playoffs. That should be our focus right now. The situation with Tom was an isolated incident. It's unfortunate, but hopefully we can put it behind us." ESPN.com

But according to Blazers President Larry Miller, the team is in no rush to fill the position of general manager Kevin Pritchard's right -hand man. "That's probably going to be an offseason move," Miller said Friday afternoon. "I think we feel like we can get through the rest of the season and then we'll figure it out during the offseason." Oregonian

"The decision will mainly be made by Kevin at this point," Miller said. "Just as we do with most decisions around here, they're not made in a vacuum. But I think the general manager will definitely make the final decision with input from other folks. Kevin is our general manager and as far as I'm concerned he'll be making that decision." Oregonian

Around the League Penn is seen as a guy who knows a thing or two about basketball, but he's mainly prized as the former criminal defense attorney who mastered the NBA's more arcane stuff like the collective bargaining agreement. And nobody mourns lawyers. Right? (Even fans of that assistant GM, if such people exist, could hardly be too upset -- Penn will keep drawing paychecks for more than two years even if he doesn't land another job. But teams are interested, and Penn is a shoo -in for a good position. Just last summer he passed up an offer to run the Timberwolves' basketball operations.) It's the kind of story that just about does not matter to fans ... in most cities. ESPN.com

One reported theory is that LeGarie and Penn exaggerated word of a Minnesota offer, to get Penn a raise. Miller says: "I have no idea where that ever came from. From my perspective, I've never heard any dispute internally that Tom had a valid offer." ESPN.com has obtained a copy of the Minnesota offer. Is there any chance Penn was fired for faking the Minnesota job? According to Miller: "No." ESPN.com

Similarly, there are stories that Penn may have been flirting with the Clippers, who recently fired Mike Dunleavy as general manager. Is that why Penn was ousted? "Absolutely not," says Miller. Likewise, sources insist Penn never sought that job. Another report said that Penn was fired because of some unspecified "H.R. issue." Miller's response was that there's "nothing valid to that." ESPN.com

Still more sources suggest that in the lead-up to his firing, Penn had been involved in a personal confrontation of sorts with top Blazer brass. "I'd like to know who makes up this kind of stuff," says Miller. "That's absolutely, positively, untrue. ... That, I can tell you, is unequivocally untrue." ESPN.com

Not the most reassuring sight: In the wake of Tom Penn's firing, neither Paul Allen nor Kevin Pritchard were sitting in their customary courtside seats. Instead, Blazers President Larry Miller was flanked by Vulcan Flunky (and Paul Allen's college roommate), Bert Kolde. BlazersEdge.com

James did make one comment after the game about his impending free-agency, basically reminding everyone that he’s not committed to Cleveland. “This is a business,” he said. “This isn't high school basketball any more. You have to do what's best for you and your family. I've always said I've loved being in Cleveland. I love these guys in here and how I approach the game.” Arlington Heights Daily Herald

Here’s more LeBron on Chicago: “Chicago is a great city, one of the best in America. It has a great lifestyle and is a great sports town. Derrick Rose is an incredible talent, and Taj Gibson and (Joakim) Noah are really bright spots for them. They have a lot of great pieces in place when they’re healthy.” Arlington Heights Daily Herald

As the day (Monday) fast approaches when the Cavs can begin to discuss a contract with Ilgauskas, Brown continued that practice. ''I'm not going to count my chickens before they hatch, so I'm going to keep my fingers crossed and try to be a good boy to help with the luck and hopefully, he and [Ilgauskas' wife] Jennifer come back,'' he said. Akron Beacon Journal

The Cavs will have to make a roster move next week when they are expected to re-sign center Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Despite Telfair not being a part of the plans, the Cavs are likely to keep him because he has a $2.7 million player option for next season that he's sure to pick up. Cleveland Plain Dealer

All indications are that there will be no contract extension before he becomes an unrestricted free agent this offseason. But a meeting Wednesday between his agent and franchise officials left Carlos Boozer confident the Jazz are willing to explore ways to re-sign him, even if player payroll commitments for next season and beyond currently preclude that, unless the team were to become a luxury-tax payer for years to come. "I got that feeling," Boozer said Friday. "I definitely, really did. That's pretty much what the message was." Deseret Morning News

"It definitely was a positive meeting," Boozer said. "I'm happy about that. ... I couldn't be more pleased." "Both of us expressed that what had happened in the past is over, and both us felt those issues are no longer roadblocks for us and that we both have a desire to want to see if we can jointly build something for the future," Rigby added. "We have a strong interest in talking with him and seeing if we can do something for the future, and they expressed an interest of Carlos wanting to play in Utah." Deseret Morning News

Devin Harris hears what you hear, reads what you read. He is aware that when you take everything into consideration, the best-case scenario for the Nets next season would, theoretically, involve him playing in another city. Because if the NBA Draft lottery falls in their favor on May 18, “It probably means Devin’s not going to be here next year,” he said. Newark Star-Ledger

He reiterated that he’d like to stay in Jersey, even if that’s just something players say so as not to irritate management and devalue their stock. Besides, he stressed, he’s flexible. At 27, he may not even be in his prime yet. “I’ve got a lot of experience under my belt, but I’ve got a lot of things to add,” said Harris, who has averaged 23.6 points in his last five games, with Toronto visiting Izod Center tonight. Newark Star-Ledger

But the Warriors find themselves in the same situation they were when they wanted to keep Anthony Tolliver. They have 15 players under contract. The league won’t allow a 16th (they only allowed the injury exception to sign a player to a 10-day). That means if Williams stays, somebody has to go. The likely candidate is Devean George. He’s a free agent at season’s end. He’s played a lot more recently, thanks to the injuries, but he’s still not a priority as far as minutes go. He’s a veteran who they never expected to stick around after this season anyway. Easy call, right? Contra Costa Times

Bell might not even return this season. If he does, Nellie said, it would be the last few games. Only problem with cutting Bell is that the Warriors want him. General manager Larry Riley has said he wouldn’t mind signing Bell for next season. If the Warriors cut him and another team picks him up, which is possible, the chances of the Warriors signing him back decrease. The Warriors wasn’t able to turn Raja Bell’s expiring contract into trade bait. So if he walks this offseason, the Warriors will have gotten nothing for swingman Stephen Jackson other than Vladimir Radmanovic, who has a player option for next season. Contra Costa Times

Jerry Zgoda: The 30-day moratorium on re-signing Brian Cardinal ends Sat. Expect the savvy old vet back in a #Timberwolves uniform as soon as Mon game. Twitter.com

Guard Cedric Jackson's 10-day contract expired after the game and the 6-foot-3 rookie from Cleveland State headed back to the D-League's Erie (Pa.) Bayhawks. The Spurs' roster is at 13. Guard Garrett Temple, who signed a 10-day deal March 13, has logged 33:14 the past two games. San Antonio Express-News

After a lot of rumors on his next departure from Efes Pilsen, Bostjan Nachbar decided to talk and to explain his situation with the Turkish team. "Rumors are not true. I am staying here for now. Nothing happened from last month on. I just ended my practice right now." Sportando.net

"The situation is dead. There is no secret that I want to leave the club but we can't find an agreement. The reason is my role in the team. I have no relationship with the coach - not a bad one, not a good one, I am sidelined. They don't let me go because they are afraid I'll go to some rival team. I have to respect my contract and I can't just leave the club on my own. The situation is really bad. Various clubs are still looking for additional players so I could probably easily find the club. In the summer we will see what happen. I still have contract also for next season. I will wait first to see how the club will decide about the coaching staff" said former NBA player at Zurnal24. Sportando.net

When McGrady made his return in December for Houston, coach Rick Adelman held his minutes to 7.8 per game in his seven outings. McGrady was dissatisfied and the parties parted ways while Morey worked on a trade. "I still feel he'll make it back, but we definitely didn't know how long it would take," Morey said. "He'll make it back because he's still a young guy, but we knew he was coming back from a difficult injury. He wanted more minutes than we were comfortable with early on. New York Post

"And maybe the disagreement on how to bring him back leaked over into him thinking this was a personal conflict," Morey added. "I never felt that way. He had a reasonable point but we chose a different way. We wanted to keep going with a low-minute situation until we were quite confident expanded minutes would help us win. We were still trying to win and make the playoffs." New York Post

Ejected from Friday's loss at Phoenix after making contact in the game's final second with referee Michael Smith, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said he was merely trying to defend himself. "I put my arm up to keep him from coming any farther," said Sloan, whose forearm met Smith's chest. "I've had trouble with him before. So that's why I did that." Deseret Morning News

Security stopped him because coaches and players aren't allowed to be near the refs during video reviews, but the two met after the review had concluded. Sloan said he wasn't complaining about the Hill-Price play, though. "No, I was making a case about (Suns center Amar'e) Stoudemire being in front of our bench," the Jazz coach said. "When an altercation or something comes up, and their player comes down in front of our bench — he wasn't supposed to be there. "That's what my complaint was about. Security let him come all the way down in front our bench there, so I just said that he didn't belong there." Deseret Morning News

Sloan suggested he wasn't worried about how the incident looked. "How do I worry about it? I'm worried about getting hit," he said. "That's what I was worried about, so take it from there." Deseret Morning News

Sloan had words with backup center Kyrylo Fesenko in the third quarter, after the Jazz backup center tossed a towel over some seats. "That's why I was upset him,'' the Jazz coach said. "I didn't think he should do that.'' Sloan also had words for Fesenko, who opened the second half in place of an ill Mehmet Okur, in the lockerroom at the break. "I tried to get him to, you know, settle down a little bit,'' Sloan said, "because he wasn't coming up with the basketball when I thought he should have been, and he was worried about other stuff.'' Deseret Morning News

"They pretty much just kicked our ass today," said Chris Bosh, bristling with frustration but seemingly sapped of fury, after delivering a lonely 22 points and 10 rebounds. "There's really no nice way to put it ... we didn't resist them. At all." National Post

After the game, a member of Toronto’s media asked Durant whether the Raptors are soft. Durant couldn’t help but let out a light laugh before answering (no obviously, what else is he going to say). But the Toronto media is now in all out attack mode on this team’s toughness, starting with Bosh. Not exactly the way to keep the guy in town, I don’t think. Oklahoman

Lopez’s frustration has been obvious in games and in the locker room lately and it was apparent at practice today. Lopez stormed off the court and was followed by assistant coach Roy Rogers, several players and a Nets’ security person. Lopez never returned. Bergen Record

I like Lopez as a player and a person, but he needs to grow up a little. He was short with reporters on the trip, got annoyed during one interview I had with him in OKC, snapped at someone in Philadelphia. The losing and his play – Lopez has scored under 15 in four of the last six games – are affecting him. Harris said the Nets have to focus on lifting Lopez’s play. Bergen Record

“Teams have been a little bit more aware,” Harris said. “He’s been more of the focal point of the offense. His catches aren’t as deep as they were earlier in the year. It’s probably both on myself and him - it’s kind of a partnership that way. “We need to make more of a conscious effort that when he has deep position we need to give him the ball regardless of if he has an open shot or not. He’s our focal point in the paint. We need to first and foremost try to get him going and try and get the rest of the guys going.” Bergen Record

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Nowitzki was not available for comment after Friday's practice at the AAC. When Wallace was fined in January, Nowitzki said, "We won the game up there and moved on. When they come down to Dallas, it should be another good game." Mavericks guard Jason Terry, who for the second straight game will play with a mask to protect his surgically repaired left cheekbone, doesn't seem concerned about Wallace's words or possible actions. "I'm sure everybody that's guarded Dirk has said it -- that it's been tough one way or the other," Terry said. "He's had an outstanding season. Anytime you're playing against a star player, hey, the referees are going to call it tight." Fort Worth Star-Telegram

Thabeet appeared much improved compared to the sum of his first 49 appearances. In showing up more aware and stronger with the basketball, Thabeet averaged nine points, 9.5 rebounds and three blocks on 62 percent shooting his last two games. Those outings were also the first two starts of his career with starter Marc Gasol out with a neck strain. The lightning rod of the Grizzlies' often-criticized 2009 draft has received more playing time and delivered more credible performances with every minute. "I'm getting better every day," Thabeet said. "I was on a mission, when they sent me to the D-League, to be a force in the game. I'm not worried about how many minutes I get as long as I can help the team." Memphis Commercial Appeal

The Griz had been disappointed by Thabeet's work ethic and lack of aggression before finally deciding on an initial demotion to third string at center, and then the D-League. Since his return, Thabeet continues to earn the respect of his teammates. Thabeet dunked on Boston's Rasheed Wallace as the Griz pulled away in the second half of their March 10 road victory. "He's doing a great job of running the floor and blocking some shots, altering some shots," guard O.J. Mayo said. "Down the stretch (of Tuesday's Chicago game), he caught a big-time lob and laid it in. He's going to continue to get better. "As his brothers, we really have to stay patient with him and continue to root him on, stay positive with him. He will continue to get better for us." Memphis Commercial Appeal

He couldn't escape it on Friday, flashing a grin the moment Roy's name came up. "I wouldn't change seats with him," Foye said. "I know he's had a lot of success, but I feel, if I keep playing the way I'm playing, everything is going to be alright for me. He's an unbelievable player. Me and him are friends. Take nothing away from him. We both get the job done." Washington Post

Lisa Dillman: More from Kim Hughes, on Chris Kaman: "He’s hard-headed. He thinks he’s hard headed, but I’m about 10 times more hard-headed than he is." Twitter.com

Shaquille O'Neal: Lebron has to b the unaminous mvp, this kid is pretty dam good, geeez. Twitter.com

Tyreke Evans left the game late in the fourth quarter as the Milwaukee Bucks rallied for a 114-108 double-overtime win. Evans sustained a concussion in a fall and went to the locker room with 24.4 seconds left in regulation and the Kings ahead 91-89. Evans also had lacerated gums and a chipped tooth, and doctors will check to see whether he has a broken jaw. Evans will not travel today with the team to Los Angeles for Sunday afternoon's game against the Clippers. Sacramento Bee

But that picture changed early in the third quarter Friday. Bynum suffered a strained left Achilles tendon and did not return to the game, setting back any strides he had made over the past four game. He will be re-evaluated Saturday. It began in the weight room, Jackson said, where Bynum decided to regain some of the strength he lost while nursing a bruised hip and various knee ailments. “Andrew started coming in six weeks or two months ago and really dedicated himself,” Jackson said. “… He felt he wasn’t as strong as he was earlier in the season. He got back and started working on rebuilding his strength and it’s really noticeable right now. “He’s gotten a lot stronger, and with the length he has he can take a foul and drop the ball in the hoop. It makes it much easier on the team.” Orange County Register

He has sustained relatively serious knee injuries each of the last two seasons, and the severity of his most recent injury wasn't clear Friday. "He'll probably miss a little while," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said. Los Angeles Times

"[Deng] tried to warm up a little bit against Dallas," Del Negro said. "He was feeling better every day and thought he was getting close and then he started doing some straight ahead jogging and it really swelled up on him, so it's gonna be two or three weeks. Hopefully, two, but he has more inflammation now than he had before, so that's a setback. He's definitely gonna be out for a little bit." Chicago Sun-Times

Wilson Chandler isn't giving up on playing again this season even though team doctors have told the small forward he will be sidelined a week to 10 days with a strained groin. "I want to play," Chandler said last night. "If they tell me I can play I'm going to play." Chandler missed his second straight game with an injury that has bothered him for the past six weeks. If Chandler's season is indeed over, he'll finish the year averaging 15.3 points and shooting 48%. "I think Wilson has played very well this year," said Knicks president Donnie Walsh. "He has a lot of ability." New York Daily News

Jonathan Givony: Really trying to like Greivis Vasquez, but keep coming away underwhelmed. Barely getting by athletically at NCAA level. Can't defend anyone? Twitter.com

Benson is a junior and rumors have circulated he might enter the NBA draft. Coach Greg Kampe said he and Benson agreed not to discuss this option until the season was over. "Everybody has to take some time off," Kampe said. "We'll decide what he'll do with his future. We'll do some research to see how the league looks at him." Detroit News

After a season of problems off the court and minimal production on it, Tyler, 18, quit the team and returned to the United States and an uncertain basketball future. Tyler’s decision to return came as a surprise to his family, agents and adviser; he had not informed any of them of his decision. Avriel said that Tyler booked his own flight on Thursday and informed the team around noon. Tyler played in only 10 games for Haifa, averaging 2.1 points, 1.9 rebounds and 7.6 minutes. “I’m disappointed and hurt,” said Makhtar Ndiaye, one of Tyler’s agents with the Wasserman Media Group, who was surprised by the news. “I think I did everything to make him understand what’s at stake. All I know is that I’m as shocked as anyone.” New York Times

His father, James Tyler, said he spoke to his son on Thursday, and Jeremy did not tell him that he was returning home. “Please be kind,” James Tyler said in a telephone interview. “The kid is trying to get himself together. This honestly wasn’t a guinea -pig experiment that failed. He’ll show better as the story continues. This isn’t the end of the story. It’s the beginning of it.” New York Times

Vaccaro said Tyler’s experience differed from Jennings’s because Tyler’s family did not move to Europe with him, as Jennings’s did. Jennings’s mother and younger brother were with him in Rome for his entire time there. Tyler often struggled with being on time, was visited at his apartment by police officers because he was playing music too loudly, and struggled with loneliness and adjusting to a different culture. “He was not prepared for what this was,” Vaccaro said. “Mentally, he never adjusted. I don’t know if he can. There are flaws, but there’s still people in his ear calling him and telling him he’s the greatest player in the world.” New York Times

Ron Artest: I'd be proud to represeint my country and being able to play for an Olympic or World title. But they don't want me on the U.S. team. Somebody doesn't stand me there. As

On George Karl. Anthony used to battle with his coach, who is receiving Anthony's support as Karl undergoes treatment for throat and neck cancer. "We're very sensitive to this situation. We support him, we're here with him. I don't think he really want us to be down and be thinking about it. We're here fighting it with him. "Of course we don't want to hear anybody that's close to us go through a situation like that. He's our head coach. He's been here with me for six years, so we've had a chance to grow with each other. Me, personally, I never want to see nobody go through that." SI.com

Their relationship has matured, says Anthony. "He was [new] as far as coming to the team, I was young [when I came into the NBA]. So I was still trying to learn the game, I was still thinking I can do it this way, and he's thinking I can do it another way. And, yeah, we did bump heads at certain times. I had to swallow a lot of my pride and ego, or check it at the door and say, 'If I want this to work, I'm going to have to be the bigger man." SI.com

David Stern's bombshell during All-Star weekend that NBA owners will lose $400 million this season was so stunning, it took the commissioner's normally talkative nemesis, Billy Hunter, a month to respond. Consider this his response. "Based upon our review and what we've done thus far, we dispute the $400 million figure," Hunter, the executive director of the National Basketball Players Association, told CBSSports.com Friday in his first public comments on Stern's doomsday prediction. "And we plan to present our rebuttal to David and the owners at an appropriate time. Our contention is that the number's overstated." CBSSports.com

"I would hope to submit a proposal to the owners any time between May 1 and July 1, with the idea that we would obviously be available to spend a lot of time negotiating during the summer, when the players are available," Hunter said Friday. CBSSports.com

"The basis of our objection is just when it comes to general accounting principles," Hunter said. "We think that there's been an overstatement, that some of the things that they discount should not be discounted because they relate to non-operating expenses and related parties." CBSSports.com

Aside from the fundamental argument over whether players or owners should bear the brunt of a difficult economic environment, the two sides disagree on what figures should be included in the league’s profit-loss statements. When asked for a response to Hunter disputing Stern’s number Friday, NBA spokesman Tim Frank said, “Our financials are based on GAAP accounting.” This is important because GAAP – Generally Accepted Accounting Principles – allow for non-operating expenses such as interest and depreciation to be included when depicting the health of a business. These expenses, and how they are taxed and depreciated, allow companies more leeway in reporting earnings. (The NBA is not a public company, and thus is not required by law to disclose such things.) CBSSports.com

The players believe that they shouldn’t be asked to make concessions to account for expenses such as interest associated with an owner’s purchase of his team or arena. Since no major American pro sport has ever given players an ownership stake, the players never share in the upside of rising franchise values. That’s an investment risk taken by the owners, most of whom stand to reap huge returns if they ever sell their teams. CBSSports.com

Do these issues account for all the difference between Stern and Hunter when it comes to the financial health of the NBA? According to CBSSports.com’s analysis of the NBA’s ticket sales projections for the 2009-10 season, probably not. Stern’s $400 million figure appears rooted in a doomsday projection of a double-digit league-wide decline in gate receipts – the money teams bring in from all ticket sales – during the 2009-10 season. Based on ticket sales data from July 2009 obtained by CBSSports.com, the league was looking at a 17 percent decline in revenues from full- and partial-season ticket plans this season. The figures excluded three teams – the Knicks, Lakers and Thunder – because they had not reported season-ticket sales in July 2008 for comparison purposes. CBSSports.com

But the latest data available on gate receipts showed a decline of only 7.4 percent for 2009-10, according to another league ticket sales report through Nov. 29 that was obtained by CBSSports.com. The 7.4 percent decline in revenue was associated with a 3.7 percent decline in paid attendance, the report said. No updated figures have been made public since then, but Stern said during All -Star weekend that attendance would be down about 2 percent this season. “It is doing better this season than we were actually projecting it,” he said. CBSSports.com

"Avatar" technology. James Cameron's blockbuster was filmed with the help of motion-capture suits worn by actors. The facial expressions and movements of the actors were recorded and then converted digitally into animation. That is how the actress Zoe Saldana was transformed so convincingly as the character Neytiri, an animated blue alien 10 feet tall. The NBA is hoping to apply similar technology to someday track every movement of its players during every game. "I'd like to have all of the information James Cameron was getting in 'Avatar,'" said Steve Hellmuth, the NBA's Executive Vice President of Operations and Technology. Hellmuth isn't interested in capturing the facial expressions of LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. At least, not yet. But he would love to be able to track and analyze every movement of every player during every game by attaching sensors to the uniforms and shoes. "We can track the players as blobs on the court -- where they're going and what they're doing," said Hellmuth. "So I'll be able to figure out the positions of the shoulders, the feet." SI.com

Mavericks owner Mark Cuban believes the technology can help improve players' fundamentals: "From shooting form to how they get over a pick," he said. "If we can do release-point comparisons on a shot, like they do with baseball pitchers, we may be able to improve our shooting." Another obvious application for this new data would be for video games. "It could be used for simulations," Hellmuth said. "It could be used for coaching staffs, fans, mobile applications and a definitive statistical representation of the game for analysis." SI.com

Cuban questions whether motion capture can be used to compile statistics, but he is entirely behind the idea of a database maintained by the league. "This is big," said Cuban. "Right now, every stat-oriented team spends too much money charting games. If the league would capture straight-forward things like deflections, location of fouls, reason for a foul [and if it's inside the circle], the entire league will be smarter and at a lower cost to the teams." "I would have to spend money in the middle on loggers to do it," Hellmuth said. "It's something I have to do, which is assess the value of doing it centrally." SI.com

Coaches still diagram plays in the huddle on a white board with an erasable marker. But the technology exists for them to use live video on the bench during games. "This is a matter for the competition committee," Hellmuth said. "In other sports, as well, they don't allow video on the sideline. In the NFL, [players and coaches] have to look at the Polaroids. We have looked at it and discussed it, and it's something that needs to be discussed by the competition committee. But obviously this is something better than the dry-erase board. I use one of those when I coach my kids in grade school." So why not institute sideline video for coaching staffs? "We were concerned it might set off an arms war courtside, so that the team with the best video wins, and for the wealthier teams that relay video courtside it gives them the advantage," Hellmuth said. SI.com

The Grizzlies have set franchise records for consecutive wins at home (11) and on the road (seven), and are trying to finish at .500 or above for the first time since the 2005-06 season -- all signs the team is turning around its misfortunes of the last three seasons. An indication that fans are buying into the team's turnaround is increased viewership on its primary cable outlet -- Fox Sports Tennessee. The Grizzlies are averaging a 2.3 rating on FSTN, up 53 percent from last year's 1.5, and 77 percent from two seasons ago when they averaged 1.3. Memphis Commercial Appeal

It seems like rapper Jay-Z set up his current tour around the Cavs' schedule. James, who is close friends with the icon, attended a concert Jay-Z gave earlier this month at Madison Square Garden in New York when the Cavs were in town to play the New Jersey Nets. There was another concert Thursday night that James attended with several other NBA stars, the Chicago Tribune reported, including Chicago native Dwyane Wade. According to reports, James and friends rented out a local club for a party following the concert. Cleveland Plain Dealer

Chris Douglas-Roberts: Haaa.Ok so I'm reading fan mail that people send to the practice facility. & I get a lot of mail from homies in jail sayin how much they love the Example I'm setting for kids in the hood.(mostly in Detroit/Memphis penitentiaries).I'm used to those. However, I just read some mail from a women that's incarcerated & wowwwwwwwww....this is the most....extreme letter I've ever gotten. Twitter.com

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