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Thursday, January 31

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» 08:16 PM ET Update » 05:53 PM ET Update » 05:07 PM ET Update » 02:51 PM ET Update » 10:31 AM ET Update

» Update: 08:16 PM ET

Mickael Gelabale was in the NBA a while ago, didn’t do much, then headed overseas to hoop following a stint in the D-League in 2009. If you know Mickael Gelabale at gela-all, it’s because of his glorious, glorious dreadlocks. Other than that, not a terribly notable player. Which is why it’s notable that Gelabale returned this season, both to the Olympics and more recently to the Timberwolves, sans dreadlocks. When a guy you only know for his hair doesn’t have his hair, it’s strange. As it turns out, there’s a reason for that — the dreads weighed so much they were messing with his body. The Score

Minnesota Timberwolves, Mickael Gelabale 

When LeBron James said he would consider participating in the dunk contest for $1 million, we assumed it was along the same lines as someone saying they'd sell their first-born child for a slice of cheesecake. One fan got a different impression. Chris Thomas, 28, set up an online fundraiser to get others to donate, all to see the Miami Heat star do his thing during All-Star weekend. Apparently, the actual All-Star Game doesn't feature enough dunking. He told Mashable that the idea came like so many others do, while swilling beer at a bar. He and his friends imagined what the high-flying best player in the world could do with out defenders around to harry him. Thomas apparently is the group's go-getter. USA Today Sports

Miami Heat, LeBron James 
 

» Update: 05:53 PM ET

The Suns are pursuing Josh Smith, according to multiple league sources. Phoenix will try to acquire Smith before the deadline or, if that fails, through a sign-and-trade deal next offseason. HoopsWorld

Atlanta Hawks, Phoenix Suns, Trade, Josh Smith 

The Suns are very interested in Smith and have had exploratory talks with the Atlanta Hawks about the 27-year-old forward. Phoenix views Smith as a franchise player who can be one of the cornerstones of the team for years to come. The Suns have been searching for a face of the franchise since Steve Nash’s departure last summer, and Smith could be exactly that. If the Hawks decide it’s time to part ways with Smith, the Suns will be one of the teams on the phone. HoopsWorld

Atlanta Hawks, Phoenix Suns, Trade, Josh Smith 

Smith and his agent, Wallace Prather, are expected to meet with the Hawks at some point this week to discuss the forward’s future in Atlanta. The two sides met after Smith’s one-game suspension for “conduct detrimental to the team,” but Smith’s camp didn’t demand a trade. It’s unclear if Smith and Prather will ask for a trade during this next meeting, although many people in NBA circles believe that Smith’s days in Atlanta could be numbered. In recent weeks, more teams have been calling the Hawks and inquiring about Smith, especially since his public comments about being “a max contract player.” HoopsWorld

Atlanta Hawks, Phoenix Suns, Trade, Josh Smith 

As always, in his weekly appearance on WEEI’s Big Show, Celtics president Danny Ainge spoke openly about the state of his team. He made two things clear following Rajon Rondo‘s season-ending ACL injury: 1) “It’s silly” to think they’ll be better without him and 2) Paul Pierce trades haven’t been discussed. “[Rondo] singlehandedly carries us many nights, and I don’t see how people don’t see that,” said Ainge. “When people say we’re going to be better without Rondo, it’s silly. He’s a great, great player. He’s been MVP of four or five series. He’s been the best player on the floor in a series with LeBron James. He’s been the best player on the floor in a series with Derrick Rose. He’s been the best player on the floor for three games in an NBA Finals.” WEEI.com

Boston Celtics, Trade, Rajon Rondo, Danny Ainge 

But the Wolves have been decimated by injuries this season and are 17-25, a distant 12th in the Western Conference, so making a trade for a highly paid veteran like Gasol seems like a stretch. The 32-year-old Gasol is making $19 million both this season and next, a big salary that makes it difficult to trade him. ''It's hard, when you are hearing things with the rumors that you are going to be traded, to be focused,'' Rubio said. ''Like he says, he's a professional and he's been playing for a long time and he's going to keep doing what he doing.'' Yahoo! Sports

Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Trade, Pau Gasol, Ricky Rubio 

But Griz general manager Chris Wallace said Thursday afternoon that with the NBA trade deadline still weeks away, the Grizzlies may not be finished wheeling and dealing, especially since the team received a trade exception of approximately $7.5 million in the deal with the Raptors and the Pistons. “It’s very possible (to make another deal) because we don’t have to include one of our players because of receiving trade assignments,” Wallace said at a press conference in the Grizzlies’ practice facility in FedExForum. “We now can be a team that can relieve a luxury-tax burden on another team. We can go someplace, see a player we like that’s out of a rotation and get him using this $7.5 million trade exception that’s good for the next 365 days. It’s a very valuable piece of real estate.” Memphis Commercial Appeal

Memphis Grizzlies, Trade, Chris Wallace 

Wallace also said the Grizzlies will make a decision on Friday morning whether to re-sign Chris Johnson, whose 10-day contract expires after Friday night’s game. Johnson, a 6-5 guard who had been playing in the NBA’s Development League, is shooting 58 percent from the field and 46 percent in three-pointers in his short Griz stint. Memphis Commercial Appeal

Memphis Grizzlies, Chris Johnson 

For quite awhile, Gay had told people in his inner circle that he would welcome a trade from Memphis. Last offseason, he reached out to several players on teams that were pursuing him to discuss the possibility of playing together. Gay was never too fond of Memphis. He seriously considered leaving when he became a free agent in 2010, but he couldn’t turn down a maximum extension. Gay signed for the money, not because he was attached or in love with Memphis. HoopsWorld

Memphis Grizzlies, Trade, Rudy Gay 
 

» Update: 05:07 PM ET

Brandon Roy has suffered yet another setback in his protracted attempt to return from the knee injuries that forced his retirement in 2010 and cut his comeback short after just five games this season. The shooting guard, who signed with the Timberwolves in the offseason, hasn't played since Nov. 9, when the lingering effects of a preseason collision refused to abate. He had an arthroscopic procedure on his right knee at the end of November and has allegedly been inching toward a comeback ever since, though markedly out of the public eye. Fox Sports North

Minnesota Timberwolves, Injuries, Brandon Roy 

"I am able to work out," Roy said. "But we're trying to get a new schedule where we don't pound day to day. Maybe I'll work hard on Monday, then go lighter on Tuesday, to see if that will get me closer to being able to play games and get into shape to where I can't practice as much, but I can play some games." The shooting guard spends time with the team when it's in town, and he's often spotted leaving practices and shootarounds as soon as the media are let in. He hasn't been participating, though, according to coach Rick Adelman, and any idea of a setting a timetable for his comeback would be foolish at this point. Fox Sports North

Minnesota Timberwolves, Injuries, Brandon Roy 

"There are moments when I don't know if it will happen again," Roy said of returning to the court. "And then I'll start working out, building, and I get to a place where I have a great workout." The Timberwolves' motives with Roy at this point are unclear. His salary is guaranteed only for this season, and they could very well be keeping him around to dump his expiring salary in a trade. Or they could really be waiting and hoping; it'll likely not be until the Feb. 21 trade deadline that we find out which is the case. Fox Sports North

Minnesota Timberwolves, Injuries, Brandon Roy 

Rubio spoke after practice on Thursday, one day before his Minnesota Timberwolves were scheduled to host the Lakers. Rubio says he speaks to Gasol and the other Spanish players in the NBA regularly throughout the season. He says Gasol has proven himself as a top-flight player in this league over the years. He quipped that "if they don't want him, we are more than welcome to get him." Oklahoman

Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Trade, Pau Gasol, Ricky Rubio 

A measure of an athlete is the performance when the game is most on the line. So it shouldn't be surprising that some of the top players in the NBA are the leading scorers in the fourth quarter. Topping the list is Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant, who scores 8.8 points per game in the fourth quarter: He is shooting 49.8% from the field, including 40% on threes, and gets to free throw line 3.1 times per game where he shoots 90.1%. USA Today Sports

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant 

New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony, 7.6 points: Shooting 48.3% from the floor, including 40% on threes, while taking 5.1 shots per game in the fourth. Averaging 1.7 rebounds in the fourth. Cleveland guard Kyrie Irving, 6.6 points: Shooting 84.5% from the line and 43.9% from the field – just 27.1% on threes. Los Angeles Clippers guard Jamal Crawford, 6.5 points: Logs serious minutes in the fourth quarter – 10.7 per game and is shooting 92.5% from the foul line. Shooting 43% from the field and 36.8% on threes in the final quarter. USA Today Sports

Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers, New York Knicks, Carmelo Anthony, Jamal Crawford, Kyrie Irving 

Ten days after returning to the court, he re-injured the shoulder in the second quarter against Memphis on Jan. 23 and left the game. Then he was hurt again against Phoenix. "I'm not worried about it," Kobe Bryant said. "It is going to be an all-season thing. That's how those type of injuries are with the labrum. I've had them before. Lamar [Odom], when he was here, had them before. When you get banged like that going up, you're going to get that stinging sensation. That's just how it's going to be. "You just accept it. After a while, you kind of get used to playing with it, but it's a little bit of an adjustment at first." Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Lakers, Dwight Howard, Injuries 
 

» Update: 02:51 PM ET

Toronto wouldn’t have had cap room this summer, but they could've had max-level room in the summer of 2014. That’s gone now, even if they dump Bargnani and somehow find a taker for the badly overpaid Landry Fields. Toronto has essentially spent that cap room on Gay, though Gay gave Toronto no assurances he’ll exercise his $19.3 million player option for 2014-15, multiple sources said. The Raptors are confident they’ll be able to re-sign him then, and if they can’t, it will be because he has floundered in Toronto. Grantland

Memphis Grizzlies, Toronto Raptors, Trade, Rudy Gay 

So the Grizzlies settled on a guy who can still play a little and makes about $7 million next season at Gay’s position. (Multiple league sources say all three of Randolph, Speights, and Mike Conley are on pace to hit various incentives that would have jacked up their cap numbers for next season; Randolph already nailed one such benchmark by making the All-Star team. The exact collective payroll increase at this point is unclear, but it could end up somewhere in the $1.25 million range and factored into Memphis’ taking an ultra-frugal route here.) Memphis now has the small-forward position covered, meaning their only urgent remaining need this summer will be figuring out the shooting guard spot. Tony Allen is a free agent, and he’s due a raise; Memphis will either pay him that raise or sign a replacement at a similar rate. Grantland

Memphis Grizzlies, Toronto Raptors, Trade, Rudy Gay 

On Jan. 17, a report from his home country of Brazil indicated that Barbosa had asked to be traded numerous times from the Celtics, but the nine-year veteran denied it. “It was definitely a miscommunication,” Barbosa said. “I never said that. I never said that I wanted to get traded, and if I wanted to get traded I wouldn’t be talking to the media first. I would have talked to Danny Ainge, and then after, my teammates, and then the media. “I knew my role was going to be like that and that’s why I came to the Celtics. It was a dream come true for me and I’m happy to be here.” WEEI.com

Boston Celtics, Trade, Leandro Barbosa 

With the injury to Rondo, players like Barbosa figure to receive more playing time, but he said he is simply happy to be a part of such a historic team. “Like I said, [it's a] dream come true,” Barbosa said. “It was a team that I was always watching when I was a little kid and there was a lot of good players that [have] been around this team and I just thought that it could be a good experience for me, even though I didn’t have many minutes or opportunity to play. But it was a great situation for me to learn from the older guys and the experienced guys. So, it was great.” WEEI.com

Boston Celtics, Trade, Leandro Barbosa 

As Pau Gasol whines, @Amareisreal shines. Why one star can embrace, and now thrive in, a reserve role: "It's in my DNA," Stoudemire said after yet another strong performance (14 points, 7-for-7 shooting). "I'm willing to do whatever it takes to win. "I've accomplished a lot in my career so far. The next thing to accomplish is to win a championship. Whatever that takes, whatever role I have to step into, I'm totally into it as long as we win." Sulia

Los Angeles Lakers, New York Knicks, Amare Stoudemire, Pau Gasol 

While making his third consecutive start for the 76ers on Wednesday, Young was introduced as “SwagyP” to fans at Wells Fargo Center. After each of Young’s three three-pointers, the announced yelled, “SwagyP for three!” A few fans were even spotted walking around the concourse in T-shirts with his No. 1 and “Swaggy P” written on the back. “Once coach started saying it,” Young said, referencing 76ers Coach Doug Collins, who has become a big fan of the former Wizard, “everybody started saying it, really.” Washington Post

Philadelphia 76ers, Nick Young 

Young scored 18 points in helping the 76ers defeat the Wizards, 92-84, in his first meeting against his former team, connecting on two three-pointers in the third quarter and glaring angrily at Washington’s bench after each one. He flexed and mean-mugged after his second three-pointer and Kevin Seraphin and Trevor Booker nearly fell over laughing in their seats from the bench. “I was talking trash the whole game. I can’t tell you what I was saying, though,” Young said. “I was just messing with some of the guys. Kevin, Cartier [Martin] over there. They was talking trash. The first shot I shot was almost an air ball, I was a little too hyped. But it’s good to get a win against your old team. It was cool seeing the guys.” Washington Post

Philadelphia 76ers, Nick Young 

Glen Davis will undergo surgery on Friday to repair a fractured fifth metatarsal in his left foot, and Orlando Magic officials expect him to miss eight to 12 weeks, leaving his return by the end of the season in serious doubt. Davis suffered the injury during the fourth minute of Wednesday night’s loss to the New York Knicks. As the Magic ran down the court to transition into their offense, Davis appeared to step on one of Iman Shumpert’s feet. Orlando Sentinel

Orlando Magic, Injuries, Glen Davis 

Jeff Van Gundy is finally willing to lobby for the Brooklyn Nets coaching job, though not on his own behalf. The former coach and current analyst for ESPN/ABC who is known to be on the Nets' short-list of potential candidates to replace Avery Johnson believes that interim coach P.J. Carlesimo should hold onto the job beyond this season. "(Carlesimo) has earned that opportunity to come back and be the coach for a long, long time," Van Gundy told USA TODAY Sports. "I like the way the team is playing. They play hard. It seems like (Deron) Williams and Joe Johnson are playing with a little more energy, Brook Lopez has been terrific. I think PJ has done a wonderful job." USA Today Sports

Brooklyn Nets, Coaching, Jeff Van Gundy, PJ Carlesimo 

As for Van Gundy and whether he wants to return to coaching? He's more focused at staying in Houston to see his oldest daughter graduate from high school and commentating one game a week at the moment, but admits he misses the old job and is expected to consider opportunities starting this summer. "You remember the great parts," said Van Gundy, who posted a 430-318 record for New York and Houston and famously took the Knicks to the Finals in 1999. "There's nothing like being in a locker room five minutes after a great road win. It's the best five minutes that you could ever experience. And so, yeah, I miss the heck out of that. I miss the camaraderie of the coaching staff, the competition you can't replace. So if some team thought it was the right fit and I thought it was the right fit, that's great. If not, I'm happy with what I'm doing. USA Today Sports

Coaching, Jeff Van Gundy 

"I really enjoy what I'm doing now. I miss certain aspects of coaching, but one thing you never want to do is forget the downsides of coaching as well. Because you've been away for a little bit, you don't want to forget the negatives." USA Today Sports

Coaching, Jeff Van Gundy 

Ok, ok, ok, last bit of transcription from Ted Leonsis’s Wednesday morning appearance on WTOP’s Ask the Owner segment. (Listen here.) Wednesday, I mostly concentrated on his comments about the Caps. So for all you Wizards lovers out there (I see you! Over there! Hiding in the corner!), here are Leonsis’s thoughts on this season, which has been completely ruined by that disastrous start. “You can communicate to the fans and say nobody can plan for the loss of five of eight players, especially when you’re in the midst of a rebuild,” the owner said. “We weren’t a veteran team to begin with, that had a strong foundation. But no one wants to hear that. And so, as you communicate that, really it sounds like spin and hype and justification for starting 0-12. We didn’t win a game in our first dozen games. And the fans, they’re bottom-line oriented. They want you to win. And again, I apologize. There’s nothing we can do about that one.” Washington Post

Washington Wizards, Ted Leonsis 

We may have discovered the source of Jordan Crawford’s steez. During last night’s game in Philly, an eagle-eyed Ben Swanson caught Crawford refueling with some Skittles during a break in play. John Wall says something to Crawford in passing, although it’s not clear whether he’s discussing the next play, or telling him that the Original flavors are better. Washington Post

Washington Wizards, John Wall, Jordan Crawford 

What follows is a heartbreaking allegory of the inexorable rhythms of life and how to cope with loss, all represented by a medium-sized Tayshaun Prince home jersey. A Detroit Pistons fan wearing Prince's No. 22 was shown on television Wednesday night leaning over a railing to watch his favorite team run onto the floor before a road game against the Indiana Pacers. Prince never emerged. The man waited, but seemed to know why his favorite player didn't come out of the tunnel. The former Kentucky star had been a subject of trade rumors for months. USA Today Sports

Detroit Pistons, Memphis Grizzlies, Trade, Tayshaun Prince 

This passes for news in Oklahoma: NBA player’s wife argues with a nail technician. No punches, just a lot of finger pointing. Of course, there’s video (though not of Kendrick hurling a Gatorade bottle at the nail salon’s window), via KOCO: In the video, Vanity Perkins can be seen arguing with the nail tech at a salon on Northwest 138th Street. Vanity Perkins is married to Thunder center Kendrick Perkins. According to a police report, the fight escalated, and the nail tech can be seen pushing Vanity Perkins’ hand out of her face. “I ran out there, and I was like, ‘Well, you cannot talk to me like that,’” said Trang Nguyen. “And, of course, we are pointing at each other. She pointed at my face, and I pointed at her — but I never touched a hand on her or anything.” The Big Lead

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kendrick Perkins, Law, Vanity Perkins 

Witnesses told KOCO that Perkins called her husband, who arrived at the salon before police did. “He said some bad word, yes, and he was slamming on the door. He was running his car and threw a bottle,” Nguyen said. Vanity Perkins confirmed that her husband threw a Gatorade bottle at the salon window. The Big Lead

Oklahoma City Thunder, Kendrick Perkins, Law, Vanity Perkins 
 

» Update: 10:31 AM ET

I keep being asked about deals involving Kevin Garnett going somewhere. Hard to imagine that happening if the general view among GMs mirrors the feeling that two I spoke with have: no chance KG plays the remaining two years of his contract and no chance, with him making $11.5 million and $12 million the next two years and the super luxury tax looming. Sulia

Boston Celtics, Trade, Kevin Garnett 

The execs have the ultimate respect for KG, they simply believe, no matter how he works, he can't squeeze another two seasons out of his legs and won't want to hang around just to hang around. I find it hard to imagine KG not taking, and finding, whatever means necessary to stay on the court for as long as he possibly can, but his athleticism and mobility have fallen off precipitously this season. Sulia

Boston Celtics, Trade, Kevin Garnett 

It has been obvious for some time that it is time for Bargnani to move on, for his sake and for the Raptors, and Colangelo indicated a move could happen soon, though it is not a certainty. “Andrea is a player that has definitely garnered interest. Unfortunately when he gets hurt that takes him off the market,” Colangelo explained after breaking down the Gay trade to reporters. “That’s not to say we’re going to trade Andrea … He’s a unique talent, but sometimes a change of address is not bad. I’m not saying he’s asked for a trade, but he would certainly not fight or resist a situation if it was the right situation.” Toronto Sun

Toronto Raptors, Trade, Bryan Colangelo, Andrea Bargnani 

“Right now there’s no assurances we trade Andrea. Right now, the goal and the focus is to get him back healthy on the court and let him contribute to this team and we’ll see where things go,” Colangelo said. Toronto Sun

Toronto Raptors, Trade, Bryan Colangelo, Andrea Bargnani 

Conley also said that the team's connection to the Cleveland Clinic would be another point in their favor as his client continues to rehabilitate after multiple knee injuries cut short his career after just 82 games. "I think going into this process that the teams we will look at will have to demonstrate an ability to have those types of resources and expertise available," Conley said. "If that scenario wasn't there or not up to par, we wouldn't be talking to Cleveland. Cleveland Plain Dealer

Cleveland Cavaliers, Free Agency, Greg Oden 

Keyon Dooling tweeted Wednesday afternoon that he doesn’t plan on returning to the Celtics after telling the Globe Sunday that he would consider a comeback. Dooling, who retired over the summer after some personal issues, is the Celtics’ player development director. Coach Doc Rivers told the Globe Tuesday that he told Dooling to begin training to return to basketball shape, but he decided against it. “Hey everyone thank you for all the love and support that you guys give me daily,” he tweeted. “FYI I won’t be returning this season.” Boston Globe

Boston Celtics, Free Agency, Doc Rivers, Keyon Dooling 

The 10-day contract of Jannero Pargo expires Thursday. The Hawks have not decided whether to re-sign the guard to another 10-day contract. Pargo told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that as of Wednesday morning he has yet to be contacted about another deal. Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Atlanta Hawks, Jannero Pargo 

Prince was indeed going to Memphis but it was Daye who would be accompanying him rather than Maggette. "When L. Frank walked out and told me to go into his office, I knew something was up because that hasn't happened in four years," Daye said, referring to Pistons coach Lawrence Frank, who summoned the fourth-year forward so president of basketball operations Joe Dumars could break the news over the phone. "I was kind of shocked. There's a negative and a positive. Negative is I'm moving away from a city that was always good to me and I've got a lot of friends (in Michigan). But there's a lot of positives. "Going to a team with a winning record, it will be a good experience." Booth Newspapers

Detroit Pistons, Memphis Grizzlies, Trade, Austin Daye 

These Grizzlies aren't the Lakers, and they don't get a lot of chances at making a deep playoff run. They could've hung in there for this season, but instead bailed on it. Across the NBA, front offices were incredulous with the way that Memphis unloaded Marreese Speights, Wayne Ellington and Josh Selby, along with a future first-round pick, in a salary dump to Cleveland last week. Several league executives insisted Memphis could've waited until closer to the deadline, traded the parts individually and, minimally, received returns on Speights and Ellington. "Beyond a panic move," one Eastern Conference GM said. "Cleveland would always be there with that deal." Yahoo! Sports

Cleveland Cavaliers, Memphis Grizzlies, Trade, Wayne Ellington, Marreese Speights, Josh Selby 

The Grizzlies issued a statement on the trade late Wednesday, and embarrassingly had "general manager Chris Wallace" throw out the obligatory organizational quotes on the deal. Only, Wallace had nothing to do with the trade. Nothing. He isn't making calls to teams. He isn't consulted by the new regime. He's waiting until they agree on the terms of his inevitable parting. So, Pera and new CEO Jason Levien take an unpopular trade and assign it to Wallace in the news release. Yahoo! Sports

Memphis Grizzlies, Trade, Rudy Gay, Jason Levien, Chris Wallace, John Hollinger 

Levien is making these deals based largely on the recommendations of John Hollinger, a statistician who worked for a cable sports company. The San Antonio Spurs once used him as a consultant and regretfully took his advice to sign a free agent named Jackie Butler. It was such a disaster, the Spurs had to attach Luis Scola to a trade to get Butler out of town. Yahoo! Sports

Memphis Grizzlies, Toronto Raptors, Trade, Rudy Gay, Jason Levien, Chris Wallace, John Hollinger 

Andres Nocioni, returned to Caja Laboral last season, said that in the summer two NBA Teams tried to sign him but he turned down the proposal. "Last summer, two NBA teams tried to sign me. But I have decided to stay in Baskonia. I am happy here. I don't reject the NBA but I like being here in Vitoria" said Nocioni. Sportando

Caja Laboral, Spain, Andres Nocioni 

Earlier Wednesday, Evans dismissed the Heat's championship-winning season by telling the New York Daily News: "It doesn't prove nothing. That was a lockout season." When James learned of the comments during the day, he tweeted: "Just keep throwing rocks at the throne, don't matter cause nothing can break my zone." ESPN.com

Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets, LeBron James, Reggie Evans 

"You can't just come out and say something like that versus a champion," James said after the game. "No one knows what it takes unless you've done it. You can't sit here and judge and talk about a team winning a championship unless you've done it. (Evans) hasn't done it. “I’m not going to sit here and give Reggie Evans a lot of press because that’s what’s going to happen," he continued. "I’m going to give him a lot of press and people going to talk about Reggie Evans for the next couple of days when he probably wouldn’t be talked about.” NetsDaily

Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets, LeBron James, Reggie Evans 

Then, to rub it in, he read off Evans' line on the stat sheet. "Let me look at his numbers real quick -- he had no offensive rebounds, so we did our number on him," James said. Then, there was the matter of points. Evans didn't score. James had 24. Evans didn't comment. He had escaped the Nets locker room before reporters arrived but later tweeted about the controversy. Some samples... NetsDaily

Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets, LeBron James, Reggie Evans 

Over in the Nets locker room, it was just as ugly. Gerald Wallace went off on his teammates. "They're the defending champions, but I don't think they're much better than us," Wallace said. "I don't think they're 20 points better than us. I'm not saying they can't beat us, but they're not 20 points better ... they've embarrassed us three times. What does that say for us as a team trying to be a championship team?" Then, he really got angry. "Typical Nets basketball," Wallace said of the third. "We don't play together. Careless turnovers. We don't execute offensively. And defensively, we don't do anything. We don't defend. We don't guard the ball. We don't help each other out. It's the same story as it's been all season." NetsDaily

Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets, Gerald Wallace 

In back-to-back blowout losses to Memphis and Houston last Friday and Saturday, the Nets gave up an unacceptable 122 points in the paint and 129 first-half points. On Wednesday night, they allowed Miami to shoot 51.8 percent from the field, including 11 of 19 from 3-point range. "It's disappointing, because in any sport you measure yourself against the champions, and they're the champions, and they've embarrassed us all three times," Wallace said. "What does that say for us as a team trying to be a championship team?" Wallace refused to say that there was a massive talent gap between the two teams. "We match up with them talent-wise, 1 through 5 and down the bench," Wallace said. "It just has to do with teamwork, executing offensively and defensively and helping each other out on the defensive end, making the extra pass on the offensive end and taking care of the ball, and we didn't do that tonight." ESPN.com

Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets, Gerald Wallace 

Cousins later went on to say that if there is one thing he's learned about the NBA, it's that it's a business, through and through, which is a culture shift that he says is new to him. "I'm a loyal guy," Cousins said. "I'm a family-orientated guy. But not so much in this league. You've kind of got to look out for yourself most of the time and always do what's best for you." Boston Globe

Sacramento Kings, DeMarcus Cousins, Isaiah Thomas, All Star Game 

Courtney Lee said that he’s mystified by a recent report by Grantland.com’s Zach Lowe, who said that, according to a source, the Celtics guard was not happy in Boston, and was upset with Rondo’s tendency to dribble the ball while setting up the offense. Lee tweeted a rebuttal, and expanded on his problem with the report. “Not true at all,” Lee said. “And what else did (Lowe) say? That I hated playing with Rondo because he dribbled too much, and this and that? These last two weeks I was the one going in and (relieving) Rondo. I was backing him up. So I don’t know who his source is, or if there even is a source, what he was thinking with that.” Lee added that he has never been in contact with Lowe. “I have no idea who that is,” he said. “I got a call from my brother and he said, ‘There’s an article about you bashing Rondo and not wanting to be in Boston.’ I was like, ‘That’s the first I ever heard of something like that.’ So the first thing I wanted to do was tweet it, since everyone gets their information these days by social media, and it spreads rapidly.” Boston Herald

Boston Celtics, Rajon Rondo, Media, Courtney Lee 

Not long before Colangelo spoke, Casey let loose, after the officials declined to call a foul at the end of Toronto’s one-point loss when DeMar DeRozan clearly was mauled. “I’m tired of losing games because of missed calls at the end of games. I know the league is going to come down on me, but I don’t care,” said a seething Casey, smoke practically billowing out of his ears. “These guys have fought their hearts out, played their hearts out and at the end of the game, we get cracked, (league sends out an) apology, go back to Canada. I’ve been in this league 18 years and I’ve never seen so many missed calls at the end of the game to cost us the game. We’ve got great officials in this league, and too good to miss calls and short-change young men like this. It’s not right. I watched the replay three or four times, hoping that they (somehow made the right call) but they didn’t,” he said. Toronto Sun

Toronto Raptors, Dwane Casey, Referees 

Terry said the Celtics’ goal of winning a championship has not changed, despite the absence of Rondo because of a torn right anterior cruciate ligament. Terry’s play has been uneven this season but he said the team’s current group of guards can compensate for Rondo’s absence. “The role doesn’t change,” Terry said. “No question, the goal is to win a championship. It doesn’t matter. I’ve been a point guard on a young team that went to the Finals in [2005-06]. I still think we’ve got just as good of a chance as anybody and when we’re playing the right way, moving the ball, and playing defensively like we’re capable of, we’re tough to beat.” Boston Globe

Boston Celtics, Jason Terry 

The Clippers have urged the naturally quiet Bledsoe to be more vocal. But with Chris Paul still out with a bruised right kneecap, Bledsoe is in charge of running the offense, of barking out orders. For Bledsoe, who started his eighth game this season and finished with a season-high 10 assists and 10 points, it's a work in progress for him to communicate more. "That's his personality a little bit," Del Negro said. "But he's also got to understand that guys need to hear him out there, whether it's offensively or defensively. He's working on it and it's a comfort level for him as well." Los Angeles Times

Los Angeles Clippers, Eric Bledsoe 

Asked about possibly needing surgery, Howard said, "Not right now." He made clear that he has no intention of "shutting it down," and said the pain is "nothing" compared to his back injury last season. "Two years with having injuries, it's not something that's easy to deal with," Howard said. "But I won't lose my spirit and I've just got to continue to do whatever I can to get my shoulder strong." CBSSports.com

Los Angeles Lakers, Dwight Howard, Injuries 

Davis, who was in the midst of his finest season as a pro, was likely lost for the rest of the season when he fractured his left foot early in the game. The team found out about the news of the crippling injury midway through Wednesday’s game, sapping the life out of the squad. ``Injuries are a part of it and unfortunately it happened to (Davis),’’ said Nelson, a fellow co-captain. ``I just wish him the best. I gave him a hug, but there’s really nothing you can say to a man like that. I told him I’m here for him and I just hope everything goes well for him.’’ NBA.com

Orlando Magic, Jameer Nelson, Injuries, Glen Davis 

Jason Richardson, who has battled various injuries this season, was not with the 76ers for Wednesday's game against Washington. He was in Colorado getting a second opinion on his left knee. Richardson has missed the last five games. He had fluid drained from his knee on Jan. 17. He played 27 minutes the next day in a loss to Toronto but has not played since. "He wants to make sure that everything is OK," Sixers coach Doug Collins said. "It's precautionary." Philadelphia Inquirer

Philadelphia 76ers, Jason Richardson, Injuries 

That’s because even before Hollinger’s hiring, the Grizzlies constantly used advanced statistical analysis as part of the process of assessing players and scouting opponents. It’s just that the Grizzlies didn’t receive the attention because there wasn’t a person whose full-time job dealt in the subject. From April of 2009, until he was hired full-time as director of analytics for the Philadelphia 76ers in November, Aaron Barzilai served as a consultant to Chris Wallace and the Grizzlies. Wallace said that analytics are a part of putting together a scouting report on a prospect or a team, but just a piece of the overall big puzzle. Still, he said the importance can’t be understated. “There was no transaction we made whether it was a draft choice or free agency that we didn’t consult Aaron,” Wallace said. “We didn’t go lockstep with all the numbers but at least we let him present his case.” HoopsHype

Memphis Grizzlies, Chris Wallace, Lionel Hollins 

Hollins says that he benefits most from keeping advanced stats simple when making a point to his players. “When you talk about points per possession, players don’t understand it,” he said. “People who create it understand it and sell it and people believe that it is better than old stats.” That doesn’t mean Hollins scoffs at using advanced statistical information. In fact he says that when talking to a player who has been slumping, he backs up anything he says with statistical analysis. “I don’t like going to talk to a player unless I have something to show them,” Hollins said. “You always want to quantify something when you talk to the players.” HoopsHype

Memphis Grizzlies, Lionel Hollins 

The perception that a person like Hollinger is going to do all his advising to Memphis behind his computer screen, is also off. Nothing still beats in-person player evaluation and the Grizzlies understand that. “John will go out and scout players and evaluate them based on what he sees,” Hollins said. “The statistical aspect is just part of it.” HoopsHype

Memphis Grizzlies, Lionel Hollins 

As for the Kings’ future, Thompson said he’s not getting too worked up about the proposed sale of the franchise to a Seattle investment group that plans to move the team to Washington state. In the meantime, at least one group is trying to put together an offer to keep the Kings in Sacramento, where they have called home since 1985. “Of course I want to stay in Sac,” he said. “Every year there’s talk about going somewhere — Anaheim one year, Virginia Beach another year, now Seattle. I told the media you don’t think you’re going to move until you’re told. It’s all speculation. All of us love the city of Sac.” phillyburbs.com

Sacramento Kings, Jason Thompson, Seattle SuperSonics 

Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer's participation in the group trying to move the Sacramento Kings to Seattle has riled a powerful California state lawmaker, who has hinted at retaliation against the software giant. California Senate leader Darrell Steinberg recently sent a letter to the state's procurement agency, asking for a listing and total value of all contracts the state has with Microsoft. In his letter to the director of the California Department of General Services, Steinberg said he'd been distressed by recent reports of Ballmer's involvement in the pending sale of the Kings. "If true, I am troubled that a company and a CEO that has for so long enjoyed a prosperous and beneficial working relationship with the state of California and its taxpayers would blatantly engage in activities which are clearly and measurably detrimental to our state's job and revenue base," wrote Steinberg, a Sacramento Democrat who is president pro tempore of the California State Senate. equities.com

Sacramento Kings, Seattle SuperSonics, Steve Ballmer 

Millsap laughed after @MoWilliams claimed the Jazz power forward would soon be the team's leading tweeter. "I still don't know how it works," Millsap said. "I've got to figure it out. I can't be the king if I don’t know." There are two things about Twitter that the Jazz do know. Williams shared Fact 1 about Millsap: "No, no, no, no, no. He is not going to the School of @Enes_Kanter Twitter. No way." Deseret News

Utah Jazz, Twitter, Paul Millsap 

Millsap laughed when asked if he was going to get Big Al to do Twitter. "Some people just ain't going to do it," Millsap said. "He's one of them guys." One locker over, Jefferson quickly interrupted the conversation to back that up. "I can' t spell that good," he said, laughing. Deseret News

Utah Jazz, Twitter, Paul Millsap 

Onetime pro basketball sure thing Sean Anthony Banks of Englewood is back in the Bergen County Jail following his arrest in a domestic violence incident, as he awaits trials on other charges that could send him to state prison. Englewood police arrested Banks ten days before this past Christmas on charges of criminal restraint and eluding police while risking harm to others, along with a pair of weapons offenses. Other agencies issued detainers on Banks, who turned 28 Sunday in the Bergen County Jail, where he’s been held on $95,554. Cliffview Pilot

Law, Sean Banks 
 

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