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Friday, November 20

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The Knicks put a great deal of thought into bringing Allen Iverson to New York to help rejuvenate the 2-9 team, but a source this morning suggested the team -- after coming very close to going for it -- has decided not to go through with making a contract offer for the future Hall of Fame guard. As we reported in today's Newsday, the Knicks had a lot to consider in this move, which some viewed to appear desperate. There was also the concern about the potential for more unwanted controversy, which usually follows wherever Iverson goes. Newsday

Although team officials were highly intrigued by Iverson, a four-time scoring champion, they finally decided that he posed too great a risk because of his long history of problems on and off the court. Team officials spent three days weighing the potential merits and pitfalls of signing Iverson, and alternately talked themselves into and then out of making the move. On Tuesday the team president, Donnie Walsh, called it unlikely. Two days later he seemed open to it. Coach Mike D’Antoni was one of the first to be sold on the idea. New York Times

By Thursday afternoon it appeared that the Knicks were fully committed to taking the gamble, with one person close to the team saying there was a 90 percent chance that Iverson would become a Knick. But team officials held one more discussion on the matter Thursday evening and decided to drop it, according to the person close to the deliberations. The person did not want to be identified discussing a private team matter. New York Times

The New York Knicks' pursuit of free agent Allen Iverson has gone from longshot to even money in 48 hours, with several league sources indicating they believed Iverson would agree to a deal with the Knicks no later than the weekend -- and one source with knowledge of the negotiations indicating an agreement between the team and the nine-time All-Star was a near certainty. NBA.com

If the Knicks do decide to make an offer to Iverson, it would not happen until after this weekend's games, league sources told ESPN The Magazine's Ric Bucher. ESPN.com

The Knicks immediately expressed a mild interest in signing Iverson, but that interest has heated up in the last two days. Sources indicated the team would likely not sign him until at least after this Saturday's game with the New Jersey Nets, but the team appears increasingly willing to take a chance that Iverson can provide some kind of offensive pop for a team that struggled at times to score during its 2-9 start. NBA.com

Howard Beck: Person w/close ties to Knicks says chances of Iverson deal are in "the high 90s." Twitter.com

However, sources indicate the Knicks are still weighing the relative pros and cons of bringing Iverson aboard, including the impact Iverson's arrival would have on the team. NBA.com

New York Knicks President Donnie Walsh said there was "no time frame" on a decision on whether to sign free-agent guard Allen Iverson, 34. The process was to begin at 6:01 p.m. Thursday, if Iverson cleared waivers, Walsh said. No meeting has yet been scheduled and he has not approached the Knicks' ownership group about the possible signing. USA Today

Walsh did say that he would not offer Iverson the mid-level exception. Most likely he would offer a one-year deal for the $1.31 million veteran's minimum. Walsh said he's not prepared to say yes or no to a deal, and that he had to speak with Iverson first. That meeting could go a long way in deciding Iverson's future in New York. USA Today

“It’s a big decision, so I don’t think we’ll rush,” Coach Mike D’Antoni said. “We’d rather make the right decision, and then worry about the other stuff.” New York Times

James Dolan never played in the NBA, but the chairman of Madison Square Garden has the power to do what few players ever could: Stop Allen Iverson. According to a high-ranking Knicks official, Dolan has reservations about the club signing Iverson, the multi-talented yet controversial guard who became a free agent last night after clearing waivers. New York Daily News

Dolan was furious when Robinson was arrested three months ago for driving with a suspended license. Robinson then made a mockery of the situation via his Twitter account. Robinson laughed about the arrest and complained that the police were taking up too much of his time. New York Daily News

Al Harrington, the Knicks’ leading scorer, said he had no such concerns. “I don’t think he’s the A.I. of old — I don’t know if he’d have the energy to take as many shots as he used to,” Harrington said with a chuckle. “I think if he comes to this situation, he’ll figure out a good balance, like we all do.” New York Times

Chris Colston: Just talked to Knicks play-by-play man (and ESPN's) Mike Breen. He doesn't think Knicks will sign Iverson. Twitter.com

"If you sign him, you're giving him the keys to the car," Breen says. "He's shown he doesn't want to accept any role less than that." USA Today

Iverson would almost certainly not sign a deal for longer than the rest of the season, for a prorated amount of the league's veteran minimum. The Knicks won't commit any money past this season in hopes of landing at least one marquee free agent next summer from the celebrated class of 2010 that includes LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson and other young stars. NBA.com

The Heat had luke-warm interest in guard Allen Iverson before he signed a free-agent deal with Memphis entering the start of training camp. Now that Iverson is set to be available again after the Grizzlies released him this week, don’t expect the Heat to be among his suitors. Contrary to a published report out of New York, the Heat is not in “hot” pursuit of Iverson and is not competing with the Knicks for the services of the former league MVP. Miami Herald

A report in Thursday’s editions of the New York Daily News cited a person close to Iverson saying the Heat is making a strong run at Iverson. But the Heat dismissed the report as simply a rumor, and a team spokesman said Thursday that there was nothing to the speculation. Iverson is expected to clear waivers at 6 p.m. Thursday and would be an unrestricted free agent. The Knicks appear poised to bring in Iverson as much for his box-office appeal as for anything he can do on the court to turn around the 2-9 team. Iverson’s inner circle appears to be using past interest from the Heat as leverage to land a more lucrative deal than the $1.4 million minimum contract. Miami Herald

Despite being linked to a late round of negotiations with Allen Iverson, the Miami Heat denied a report in Thursday's New York Daily News that it had made a pitch for the recently released guard. "The Iverson rumors are just that, rumors," a team spokesman said. "There's nothing to it." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

The Heat disputed reports out of New York that quoted an anonymous source as saying Miami was in ``hot'' pursuit of Allen Iverson, who cleared waivers after being cut this week by Memphis. Even amid the Heat's offensive woes during a 1-3 stretch, Spoelstra said the focus remains on improving with the players currently on the roster. ``Obviously, in this league, things can change,'' Spoelstra said. ``But it's important to keep perspective. This is a minor bump in the road.'' Miami Herald

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After months of growing discord and mistrust between the Houston Rockets and their once-franchise player, Tracy McGrady and coach Rick Adelman engaged in an emotional and sometimes loud closed-door confrontation about the star’s uncertain status on Wednesday night, sources told Yahoo! Sports. Yahoo! Sports

The argument was precipitated when McGrady arrived at the Target Center in Minneapolis so determined to have a substantive discussion with his coach that he dressed in his game uniform and undertook his pregame routine as though he hadn’t been activated after missing 41 straight games with microfracture surgery on his left knee. As McGrady walked back to the locker room after shooting with his teammates on the court, he passed Adelman in a corridor and his appearance in uniform appeared to surprise his coach. The fact McGrady had asked the equipment manager to bring out his uniform – especially on the Nov. 18 date that he had recently told Yahoo! Sports was his target for a return – clearly had his coach’s attention. Yahoo! Sports

In the discussion, McGrady challenged Adelman to tell him the coach’s plans and timetable for the seven-time All-Star’s eventual return to the roster, sources say. McGrady felt like Adelman had been uncommunicative with him for weeks, and no longer wanted to hear from Rockets general manager Daryl Morey or trainer Keith Jones about the team’s desire to make him wait until next week to take another MRI. “Tracy was just determined to make Rick talk to him,” a source close to McGrady said. “That’s why he put on the uniform and went through all that. … He wanted to get his attention. He’d like to know if he’s wanted back or not.” Yahoo! Sports

It’s believed Adelman simply repeated the Rockets’ organizational stance that they will evaluate him after an MRI that’s been long scheduled for Monday, and only then will the team start to consider the possibility of his return. It could come next week, it could come later. The Rockets have insisted McGrady hasn’t had enough practice time and is still unfit to pay, a claim that McGrady disputes. Yahoo! Sports

The confrontation had been building for weeks, sources say, and underscores a lingering uneasiness between the organization and McGrady. Adelman and McGrady had a dispute last February over the way McGrady informed the team that he had chosen to undergo season-ending knee surgery. Instead of telling them directly, McGrady released the information to the public. At the time, sources say, McGrady felt betrayed in the belief that members of the organization were publicly and privately doubting the validity of his injury. Yahoo! Sports

“The trust has broken down between them,” a source close to McGrady and Adelman said. “There’s some work to be done there.” Yahoo! Sports

Sources say McGrady has started to wonder whether the Rockets want him back with this team, or whether they’ve been motivated to let him sit and collect on insurance money. Assuming that McGrady is covered under the NBA’s Temporary Total Disability (TTD) insurance policy, Houston can start to collect up to 80 percent of his prorated per-game salary after he’s missed 41 consecutive games. McGrady sat out his 42nd straight game Wednesday in Minnesota, and the league insurance plan would reimburse the Rockets for any additional missed games. Yahoo! Sports

Beyond the possible financial repercussions, sources within and close to the team say the Rockets – especially Adelman – are unenthusiastic about McGrady returning. Yahoo! Sports

Wednesday’s incident wasn’t the first testy exchange recently between Adelman and McGrady. They also argued in a practice session last week. In the preseason, sources say McGrady asked management to let him play approximately 12 to 15 minutes total in two exhibition games to gauge where he stood in his comeback. The organization, sources say, told him he would need to pass a standardized conditioning test. McGrady did but still stayed on the sideline. Yahoo! Sports

McGrady's Nov. 18 “target date” to return to the court came and went with McGrady, 30, on the inactive list. The occasion turned out to be more of a “Target Center” date, with the Rockets facing the Minnesota Timberwolves while McGrady waited in the locker room in street clothes. “I just wanted to see what it felt like,” he said of getting dressed to play. “It's been so long.” Houston Chronicle

There is an open spot on the active list, but the Rockets seem in no hurry to change their plans. McGrady is expected to practice Monday, then have the MRI the team scheduled in September. Asked if there were a chance McGrady could be allowed to sit on the bench in uniform tonight when the Rockets face the Hawks or Saturday at Toyota Center, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey said in an e-mail, “We will get new info on Mac Monday.” Morey had no comment on McGrady choosing to dress for the game Wednesday. Houston Chronicle

McGrady's patience has seemed to have worn as thin as the cartilage that had to be replaced by the knee microfracture surgery. “I'm dying,” said McGrady, a 6-8 guard/forward. “Just sitting there is tough. Last year, I did it because I had no choice. I couldn't play. I was hurting. “Now, after putting in all the work this summer, I'm so eager to get back out there. I'm hungry. I'm so ready to play, man, it's not even funny. It's tearing me apart to sit here and watch my guys go out and playing and I can't do anything but watch.” Houston Chronicle

Tim Kawakami: I'm told no developments on Monta Ellis front today. I'm jammed w-Lincecum stuff, don't know if I'll get Ellis details tonite. Twitter.com

Assistant General Manager Neil Olshey said he received about 13 phone calls from agents the morning after guard Kareem Rush went down with a season-ending knee injury, tearing his anterior cruciate ligament. Dunleavy said they would hold off on making a move or bringing in someone for a workout until Gordon's status become more clear. Los Angeles Times

Jonathan Givony: DraftExpress superstar blogger Pooh Jeter signs with Hapoel Jerusalem. Twitter.com

Orlando Magic superstar Dwight Howard told the Sentinel on Thursday that he asked Stan Van Gundy in a private meeting to quell what he perceived as the coach's recurring negativity. The fiery, demanding Van Gundy confirmed that he met with Howard, who was speaking on behalf of the team. "I think, as a team, there was a lot of negativity and it's not like Stan's a negative guy," Howard said before the Magic left for Boston to face the Celtics on Friday night. "But it's like there's always some clashes and focusing so much on our mistakes. Instead of bringing each other down, we have to pull each other up. "That's the only thing I wanted from coach." Orlando Sentinel

Van Gundy assembled the players before that shoot-around for the heart-to-heart. He perhaps realized he could be at a coaching crossroads of sorts in Orlando, especially when his star player and co-captain becomes upset. "Dwight brought it up," Van Gundy said. "He thought there was too much negativity. A lot of times you hear things from players, it's their perspective and you understand it and sometimes you don't agree with it. "But Dwight was right in that….there's a difference between correcting and teaching and just seeing everything was bad. You've seen my press conferences. It was all negative. I think that was affecting our team, so…. "I'm making a conscious effort now to sort of change that approach. I think our team needs a great high level of enthusiasm and energy to play. I got to balance being real demanding and not being as negative. "You can be demanding, saying, 'Hey, that's not right. Let's do it again, without sort of 'What the heck are we doing? We suck!'… I get to that point." Orlando Sentinel

Wade said the struggles are part of the rhythm of a season. "The last couple of games, I've had good shots and missed 'em," he said. "And they're shots I normally make. Scorers and shooters go through shooting slumps and that's kind of what I'm in. I'm trying to get my way out of it. "I've shot a lot of shots. I've missed a lot. I've made a lot. I've scored a lot of points. So I know that shooting slumps only last for so long. But you've got to work at it and I'm not a stranger to that." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Teammate Michael Beasley said Wade has not shown any signs of frustration. Wade, who was bothered by a hangnail on his left thumb in Atlanta, said he won't allow that to enter the equation. "When you start forcing it," he said, "you start struggling." South Florida Sun-Sentinel

DeShawn Stevenson could not stop himself from grinning on Thursday, a day after he managed to sucker LeBron James into some silly quest to dominate him in the fourth quarter. Coach Flip Saunders put Stevenson on James, and the move worked out splendidly for the Wizards, as Stevenson frustrated James and the Cavaliers offense went out of whack. "What I was trying to do was make it a one-on-one thing, so that he would forget about his teammates," Stevenson said. "He's a good player and if he gets into that mode that he's shooting all the time, it's going to be hard for them to win." Washington Post

"It feels good to get a whistle," he said. "Usually, he does get those calls, it goes in his favor. Last night, we did a good job on him and played him hard. I always like playing against Cleveland. It brings out the best in the whole team." Washington Post

Shocking. My friend Bethlehem Shoals also discussed the issue at The Baseline, correctly noting that "If LeBron tried a stunt like that, there's no way he would get away with it." I was interviewing Earl Boykins Thursday afternoon when Gilbert walked by. (Smiling, for the record. Angry Gilbert really seems gone. "Where you coming from, walking around like you just doing something wrong?" Boykins asked him.) As he walked past, I asked Arenas if he thought he'd make it to a million. "Probably not, probably not," he said. "Easily you will," someone else called out. "Hmmm," Arenas said, as if he didn't really care. "It don't matter. Because if I don't get there, I won't be talking." Washington Post

"Even Earl said it when he first came here," Arenas said. "He said, 'I remember that Angry Gilbert in Golden State. All that Gilbert did was get a whole bunch of technicals and tear up the locker room.' He said, 'Nah, man, you just got to go back to being yourself. Just go out there, laugh, have fun, play silly, that's what you do. That's when you're at your best.' " Washington Post

Dan Steinberg: Earl Boykins just told me he does 500 push-ups every day. Takes him 10 minutes. Twitter.com

Mike Jones: Well, @gilbertarenas has tweeted before a mil followers. Not following will be painful. Just ask Nick Young. Twitter.com

Instead of describing how he's turned around his life since the Malice in the Palace, the always unpredictable Ron Artest had a different message on the five-year anniversary of the NBA's most infamous brawl. "I still don't believe I should have lost that much money," he said before Thursday's game. Riverside Press-Enterprise

"I would still like to have a million or something back," Artest said. "I didn't bring no controversy into the stands, the stands brought the controversy to me. So that's what is frustrating for me still to this day. I didn't start it." Riverside Press-Enterprise

Arash Markazi: Kobe told me he won't look at his records till he's old and 350 pounds. When told he'd never get fat he said, "Have you seen Eddie Jones?" Twitter.com

Arash Markazi: Lamar Odom saw Hornets coach Jeff Bower on TV and said, "Who is that? Jesse 'The Body' Ventura?" Twitter.com

Mike Trudell: "24 points was unexpected, but I'll take it," said Gasol on ESPN radio. "I know how to play the game. I made simple plays." Twitter.com

Not on this night. Rose instead opted to coast toward the basket for an easy layup, looking far more like John Stockton than Michael Jordan. The truth is Rose has yet to dunk at all this season. “The times I’ve attempted to I was barely getting up,” he said. “So I will just say it was a high layup.” Yahoo! Sports

“I really can’t run [well] unless I’m taped,” Rose said. “I depend on the tape a little bit too much. But I know it’s getting back there.” Yahoo! Sports

“Our defensive schemes…they just weren’t good enough….not for what they bring to the table,” stammered Joakim Noah, trying to sort through trailing by close to 20 virtually the entire second half. “You double team somebody, you leave someone open and…they killed us on the offensive glass. There’s nobody you really can help off. You have a guy at the two 6-6, a guy at the three 6-10, a guy 7-1 at center and another 7 footer power forward. They’re bigger at every position. Bulls.com

Miller insists there are no secrets to his durability and he does not dwell on his streak. More than anything, the accomplishment is rooted in the simple fact that he likes to play. But a series of things has aided the streak. He refuses to pick up a basketball in the offseason, which allows his battered body to heal. Miller rarely, if ever, eats unhealthy foods during the season, a discipline that is tested by the smoky scent of barbecue, his biggest weakness. And as he has gotten older, Miller slowly has cut back on the bulk and frequency of his weight-lifting sessions. He does not do yoga or Pilates, but he does "try to stretch every joint in my body" before practices and games. Miller naps habitually -- usually for two-and three-hour stretches before games -- and he never, ever, eats before games. Oregonian

"There's been a little bit of hard work and a little bit of luck," Miller said. "I just always felt like I wanted to be on the court, be involved, so I did whatever it took to prepare myself for the long season. There's no secret. I've been blessed, had a little bit of luck and been injury-free." Oregonian

Jim Taylor: BRoy on Andre Miller: "He comes to work everyday and you don't have to kiss his butt or hype him up to get him going. He's ready every day." Twitter.com

Asked if he believes the Magic are better than the Celtics, Perkins replied, “I think so. They’ve got more experience. I think we’ll see late into the season how teams are playing. It’s early right now. A lot of teams are playing well - Atlanta, Milwaukee, Chicago, Miami. So it’s hard to say right now, so you just never know.’’ Boston Globe

Durant traces the origin of his routine back to Antoine Walker. When Durant was growing up in the Washington, D.C. area, he remembers being glued to his television set as Walker, then with Boston, posted a career-high 49 points on the Wizards. At the time, Walker, a former three-time All-Star, drew attention to himself by shimmying after heating up and sinking baskets. “I always was a big Antoine Walker fan. He made it look easy,” Durant said. “Me and my Godfather used to watch him all the time and he used to do it all the time. That's why I liked it. I can't do it after I score so I tried to put in my free throws.” Oklahoman

Durant has noticed other unusual free-throw mannerisms. Two of his all-time favorites were former guards Nick Van Exel and Jerry Stackhouse. Van Exel shot free throws while standing about three feet behind the charity stripe. Before every free throw, Stackhouse would squat so low that his bottom nearly touched the floor. Other more popular rituals in recent years came from former Utah guard Jeff Hornacek, who would rub the right side of his face as a way of saying hello to his children. Jazz forward Karl Malone talked quietly to himself and took the entire allotted time of 10 seconds, or more depending on who you ask. And former center Alonzo Mourning used to pause just before shooting to kiss his left wristband and blot his brow. “It doesn't help you miss or make a free throw,” Durant said of the rituals. “But guys just like to have their own unique little deal.” Oklahoman

Lisa Dillman: Will blog about this tomorrow but Kareem Rush is planning to go back to school during his injury layoff ... and pursue a singing career. Twitter.com

Rasual Butler: I had a one on one with my big homie Jesus and told me everything is gonna be fine just have to keep orking and find my comfort zone again. Twitter.com

Rasual Butler: My coaches and teammates made me feel real good today telling my they have supreme confidence in me and to keep shooting the ball play free! Twitter.com

The basic pick-and-roll is the bread and butter of the N.B.A., with two teammates working in conjunction on offense, with one player dribbling the ball and the other standing still and trying to block the path of the ball handler’s defender. As all hoopsters know, once the pick, or screen, is carried out, the ball handler can pursue several options: pass the ball to his teammate who set the pick and is now rolling toward the basket or another space on the floor; take a shot himself; drive to the basket; or pass the ball to another teammate who may be open. “When it comes down to it, that’s what we’re going to be in when the game’s on the line,” Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy said of basketball’s most reliable play. “I say it all the time: I don’t care how good you are, you can’t take away everything.” New York Times

The pick-and-roll is the play of choice for some of the league’s best players, like New Orleans’s Chris Paul, Phoenix’s Steve Nash, Miami’s Dwyane Wade and Cleveland’s LeBron James. The league’s dependence on the play is steadily increasing, according to a five-year analysis by Synergy Sports Technology, which logs every N.B.A. game, providing analytics to nearly every team. Use of the pick-and-roll rose to 18.6 percent of the league’s total plays last season from 15.6 percent in 2004-5, when Synergy began tracking it. New York Times

The Utah Jazz and the Los Angeles Lakers used the play the least in the N.B.A. last season. Only 11 percent of their offensive plays originated with the pick-and-roll. New York Times

With Wade as the main conduit, the Miami Heat used the pick-and-roll the most in last year’s regular season. The play originated in 26 percent of its total offense. The Heat was followed by the San Antonio Spurs (25 percent) and the Nets (24 percent). The Knicks (surprisingly given Mike D’Antoni’s fondness for disrupting defenses) placed 24th over all at 16 percent. New York Times

Manu Ginobili: Good News: MRI was negative, so nothing serious. Will be back soon. Bad News: Out for a week and we lost again. Twitter.com

Andrew Bynum said he sprained his right ankle when he picked up his fourth foul against Brad Miller in the third quarter. Bynum didn't believe it was serious, but said he'd know more in the morning when he goes for treatment. He was walking on his own after the game. ``Hopefully things aren't too bad,'' Bynum said. ``I'm going to get some therapy in the morning.'' Los Angeles Daily News

Andrew Bogut: So down about the Injury. Can only control getting it stronger and better day by day. Hopefully be back on the court asap. Twitter.com

All major medical issues that would be considering life- or career-threatening have been eliminated in regard to center Erick Dampier's health, an NBA source said Thursday. The Mavericks have breathed a sigh of relief with the results but are still waiting on the returns from more tests, the source added. Dallas Morning News

Josh Howard had his third annual charity bowling event in Addison and said rehab on his left ankle is going well. "It's getting better, and I'm going to try to be out there real soon," he said. Howard said he probably rushed back too fast from off-season surgery but added "at the time, it felt like it was OK." Dallas Morning News

After having to sit out six league games due to some paperwork issues with one of my teammates (which you can read about in my previous blog), I took the court Sunday for the first time since scoring in double-figures against the Russian Euroleague team Khimki on Oct. 4. Wisely, my coach (Joan Plaza) reintroduced me to game action bit-by-bit, playing me just 12 minutes, to familiarize me with the basketball flow. Most importantly, though, is that we secured a 70-64 win over Bizkaia Bilbao, our third win in the last four games putting our league record at 3-4. So far, my experience overseas has been exclusively unique, but in a time where a lot of teams in all leagues are trimming rosters and a lot of guys are without a job, I'm blessed to be with a tremendous club and have a coach who wants me to succeed. HoopsWorld

Speaking of my coach, he happens to live on the same street as me. It's kind of interesting to catch your head coach out walking the dog at night. Also, while on the topic of interesting things, my teammate Tyreke Kirksay shot a medium-sized medicine ball from half-court the other day in practice and made it on his first try. Unbelievable. HoopsWorld

Jonathan Givony: NBA scout sitting next to me says that Wesley Johnson is a "probable lottery pick" in his opinion. If he keeps playing this way all season. Twitter.com

Jonathan Givony: Wesley Johnson is making a strong impression on the NBA people here. Hearing some Wilson Chandler, Shawn Marion comparisons. Twitter.com

Jonathan Givony: Always interesting for me to see how the scouts at these events go about evaluating guys. Some take notes w/pen & paper, some on blackberry. Twitter.com

Jonathan Givony: One guy here has a laptop he busts out at every timeout, but most don't write anything. Some don't even seem to be watching the game. Twitter.com

Clippers General Manager and Coach Mike Dunleavy, with his team looking muddled defensively and in an opening-month spiral, on Thursday addressed the issue of his job security. The Clippers (4-9) have won one of their last six games, and returned home having dropped consecutive games to struggling New Orleans and Memphis. They play Denver tonight. "When's the last time you ever saw an interim coach come in and the team be successful and make a playoff run?" Dunleavy said. "It's not happening. Nobody knows these guys better than I know them. Los Angeles Times

"Give a coach a chance to coach Eric Gordon and Blake Griffin. After that, fine. Let the chips fall where they may. Other than that, you just fall to pressure." Second-year shooting guard Gordon, who is out because of a strained groin, could return early next week, quite possibly for the game against Minnesota on Monday. Los Angeles Times

After the Hornets fired Byron Scott last week, the speculative game of the next NBA coach to be fired landed on Dunleavy. "I understand fans," he said. "I don't blame fans. They're not technically a lot of times savvy. They don't understand and they don't weigh issues the way that you weigh them. They know wins and losses. "We've had an awful run with this, but my track record is that I have not lost with my players. I have lost without my players, but I haven't lost with my players. From an ownership standpoint, I know there's always a lot of pressure. I'll live with whatever decision our owner makes. I'll live by it." Los Angeles Times

Dunleavy added: "I'm not saying my job is secure. But I'm not saying it's not. Obviously, it's up to our owner." Los Angeles Times

Coaching is what Pastner has wanted since he was a boy living in Kingwood, Texas. He started "The Josh Pastner Recruiting Book'' he sent to coaches and was coaching his father's Houston Hoops AAU teams - boys and girls - by 16. He even applied at 19 to coach the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers. SI.com

Now that Thorn has met his future boss – assuming Mikhail Prokhorov receives the requisite number of votes from the Board of Governors – has there been any discussion at all about his future? “None at all,” said the Nets president, who is in the last season of his contract. “And there won’t be until the ownership situation is settled.” Newark Star-Ledger

When will that happen? “January or February or March, and that’s the truth,” Thorn said. “And if, in fact, it happens, we still don’t know when they’ll come in. Until then, they’re just observing and formulating what they want to do. And until they take over, nothing will change” with regard to his job status. Asked whether he was at liberty to discuss his first encounter with Prokhorov last month – a dinner meeting in Manhattan – Thorn replied, “Oh, it was really just a social occasion, a getting-to-know-you thing. A social meeting, that’s all.” Newark Star-Ledger

Continuing his full-court press to build a new sports and entertainment complex in Sacramento, Mayor Kevin Johnson unveiled his "dream team" task force Thursday to review proposals. The mayor's 12-member volunteer group is made up of political consultants, finance experts, developers, a labor representative, local business people and a sports stadium architect. Sacramento restaurateur and arts advocate Lina Fat will serve as co-chair along with Christoper Lehane, a San Francisco-based political strategist who worked in the Clinton White House. Sacramento Bee

Johnson introduced his citizens group as "the best and the brightest" Thursday at a press briefing in the courtyard of the new Ten 22 restaurant in Old Sacramento. The event had a touch of pep rally. NBA basketball legend Jerry West, in town on other business, dropped by to laud the mayor and talk about how the Staples Center basketball arena and adjacent convention center helped revive a desolate section of downtown Los Angeles. Sacramento Bee

NBA players' association director Billy Hunter plans another negotiating session soon with commissioner David Stern, and here's something that might come up. The union says player salaries will fall this season, which would be only the second drop in the salary cap era. Hunter was in Brooklyn, where the union partnered with the Madison Square Boys & Girls Club to distribute 500 turkeys Thursday. The union will give out turkeys in every NBA city, totaling about 15,000 turkeys, during the holiday season. AP

An order for The Mailman's delivery into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame has officially been placed. The nomination paperwork required for Karl Malone to become a member of the Class of 2010 was recently submitted to the hoops haven, a source told the Deseret News. It arrived well ahead of the Nov. 30 deadline, setting in motion the wheels on the postal truck that will ship his basketball legacy to Springfield, Mass. Deseret News

Long-time Kings fans remember Phil Jackson's description of Sacramento - an "old cow town." That word was uttered again this week when former Kings forward Chris Webber was interviewed by Colin Cowherd on his nationally syndicated ESPN Radio morning show. "If anybody's has been in that position and made the choice to stay in a cowtown, it was me," Webber said Tuesday. The answer came in response to Cowherd's question about LeBron James' future and whether James should leave Cleveland or go to Miami or New York next season when he is a free agent. "Many times it has been brought back up to me, what if I had gone to LA. Many times it has been brought back up to me what if I had gone to a place that was bigger...", said Webber, now an NBATV analyst. Sacramento Bee

Scottie Pippen: Then there is Kobe Bryant and all of the comparisons to Michael Jordan. I think you definitely have to give Michael a little bit of a nod in most areas of the game, whether it is passing or shooting. Kobe is truly a great shooter, but he is playing in a different era of the game. It’s not as physical. He also has more freedom in going to the basket, which creates a more wide-open scoring opportunity for players like him in today’s game. We’ve never seen the amount of players scoring 30, 40 or 50 points in a game. Ten years ago, if a player scored 50 points in a game, it would be major news all week. But if someone does it now in the NBA, it’s not big news anymore and it doesn’t make the headlines. Bulls.com

Ex-NBA star Jayson Williams is willing to go to prison for at least 18 months for killing a limo driver -- but it's unlikely he'll show up in court today to accept a plea deal because he's brokenhearted over his father's death, The Post has learned. A distraught Williams last night was still in South Carolina, raising doubt that he will make it to New Jersey for a scheduled hearing. New York Post

But several sources said he wants to accept the plea offer from prosecutors. Under the offer, he would be sentenced to three years in a New Jersey state prison if he pleads guilty to aggravated assault and waives appeal of convictions for trying to cover up his killing of Costas "Gus" Christofi, sources said. New York Post

Austin "Red" Robbins, who helped the Utah Stars win the American Basketball Association championship in 1971, passed away Wednesday in Metairie, La. He was 65. Robbins, a red-headed 6-foot-8 forward out of Tennessee, made 11-of-12 shots from the field in Utah's 131-121 win over the Kentucky Colonels in Game 7 of the ABA Finals. The title, however, was not what he treasured most during his two-year stint (1970-72) in Salt Lake City. Deseret News

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