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Some jerk beat Chris Bosh to registering the domain www.chrisbosh.com. So Bosh went after the cybersquatter. All sorts of legal wrangling later, Bosh has won damages, his domain ... and a zillion other domains the same guy had been squatting.

There are nearly 800 names in the list, and Bosh and his internet consultant, Hadi Teherany of Max Deal, say they'll return them all to their rightful owners for free.

Which means a good chunk of the basketball world will be owing Bosh a favor. The list is thick with basketball players in the NBA, overseas, college and high school. There are also some football players, political sites, Britney Spears' child, singers, a site or two that sound raunchy, and the Mexican wrestler "El Octagon."

Just a few of the many NBA names on the list:

• SamCassell.com
• SteveNash.com
• AmareStoudemire.com
• AndreIguodala.com
• JJRedick.com
• EddyCurry.com
• CarmeloAnthony.com
  
• BrandonJennings.com
• DelonteWest.com 
• LuolDeng.com
• KobeStopper.com
• CaronButler.com
• DeronWilliams.com
• DariusMiles.com
  
• BryanColangelo.com

(Also on the list is AaronAfflalo.com, even though that Denver player spells his first name "Arron.") The vast list of names also includes instructions for athletes and celebrities to get their names back from Bosh, if they wish. Paging El Octagon ...

• Scott Cacciola of The Commercial-Appeal: "Allen Iverson's abilities are a gift, which even he recognizes. In the same way that musical prodigies can just pick up an instrument and create a song, so too can Iverson grab a basketball -- without hours of practice -- and control a game. He always has been at his best when he improvises. He would clash with his high school football and basketball coaches for missing practices, but they knew he would excel when it mattered. It was impossible to bench him. ... Iverson, no longer a brash rookie, said he has grown to understand the importance of taking care of his body, acknowledging that his long wait for a contract this summer meant sacrificing some of his preparation. Then again, he has coped with injuries before. He missed 34 games during the 2003-04 season because of problems with his right knee -- 'Shaq kneed me in my thigh,' he said -- and his right shoulder. He missed 17 games toward the end of last season with the Detroit Pistons because of a balky back, though he also was upset about his role with the team. He sees his latest challenge as a temporary setback. He is unwilling to concede anything to age. In his mind, it is a fluke."
• Sam Amick of The Sacramento Bee: "Most of this season was taken from Francisco Garcia when the exercise ball on which he lay while lifting two 90-pound dumbbells exploded. The accident, Garcia said, is as surreal now as it was when it happened. 'Just a regular day, lifting weights,' he said. 'I was out there, on the PhysioBall. We've got an understanding that the exercise was good. We'd been doing that, and it exploded on me. ? I didn't have time to react or anything. It's crazy, man. I keep reflecting in my head. It's crazy.' Garcia said he hopes to travel occasionally with the team and maintain a strong connection. 'I want to be here as much as I can, be on the road as much as I can,' he said. 'I just want to be there with them, as a teammate, as a friend, as a leader. I think they really need me out there, even if I'm not playing.' "
• Scott Ostler of the San Francisco Chronicle: "Stephen Jackson renounced his team captaincy Tuesday. Captain Jack is now Captive Jack. Jackson has been stewing for weeks, making it clear and public that he wants the Warriors to trade him. Nice strategy, by the way: Clamor to be traded, thereby drastically decreasing your trade value. He returned to the Warriors on Tuesday after a two-game team suspension, meeting with coach Don Nelson and general manager Larry Riley before practice. When Nelson talked to a large group of media in the early afternoon, he was happy. 'The prodigal son has returned,' said a smiling Nelson. 'It's good to have Jack back.' Nelson also said, 'He's going to be the same guy.' But when it was Jackson's turn with the media, he seemed like a very different guy, not the positive and good-humored captain many of us have grown to know and like. To say Jackson seemed bitter Tuesday is to say that the day seemed a bit moist. I'm checking with sources to see if Jackson and Nelson attended the same meeting."
• Mike Wells of The Indianapolis Star: "From a distance, Murphy comes across as a free-spirited prankster. It turns out that's not the case. 'Murph plays the Jersey goofball a lot, but he certainly knows what's going on, so we give him a hard time,' said Pacers swingman Mike Dunleavy, who has been Murphy's teammate for seven years. 'He knows all the things that are at stake.' Murphy regained his old form last season when he averaged 14.3 points and a career-high 11.8 rebounds. He's the only player in NBA history to finish in the top five in rebounding (second) and 3-point percentage (third) in the same season. He also had 48 double-doubles, a franchise record. Murphy averaged a double-double in three of the first five years of his career. 'He's always been a terrific rebounder,' Dunleavy said. 'He sort of went back to where he was in previous years and just seemed more focused and had it all together, and when he does that he's a pretty good player.' "
• Michael Lee of The Washington Post: "Gilbert Arenas came back from the shower, put on his backpack and lowered his head. He was ready for the Q&Arenas. Here is the full transcript. Enjoy. Q: Do you have any comment on the fine you received today? Arenas: 'Nope.' Q: Do you think the game tonight was a sign of progress? Arenas: 'Yeah, both teams played hard.' Q: How are you feeling out there on the court? Arenas: 'I feel fine.' Q: What are your thoughts on Will Bynum? Arenas: 'He's coming along well.' Q: Anything else about tonight's game? Arenas: 'No.' Q: Do you feel good about the way things are going right now, feel good about the way you are playing, feel comfortable about the new coaching staff? Arenas: 'Yep.' Q: What can you say about Flip and how is he different than what you've experienced here before? Arenas: 'He's just bringing something different than the last coach.' Q: What in particular is he bringing that's different? Arenas: (Six second pause) 'What was the question again?' Q: What are your impressions of Flip? What has he brought to this team so far? Arenas: 'It's too early to tell. Maybe next month, I'll have a better answer for you' Q: Do you have anything to say about the fine today? Arenas: 'Nope.' Q: No comment? Arenas: 'Nope' The end."
• Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News: "Kings forward Francisco Garcia suffered an injury when an inflatable exercise ball exploded. Garcia reportedly was lying on his back across a 'physio ball' while lifting dumbbells. When the ball exploded, the player fell backwards, fracturing the radius in his right wrist. He also suffered ligament damage. Garcia is expected to miss four months of play after surgery to repair the injuries. On Monday, the Kings sent a warning to the other 29 NBA teams advising them about the incident. Spurs strength and conditioning coach Mike Brungardt said the team has used exercise balls -- large, inflated balls on which players balance while doing assorted exercises -- for many years. 'We check them several times each season, and we've never had a problem,' Brungardt said. 'We'll continue to use them, but we immediately eliminated their use in some exercises after we got the report from the Kings.' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said he could not recall a Spurs player being injured during any sort of off-court workout. 'No,' he said, 'but it made us all think. We all have all these different contraptions we're using. Odd things can happen.' "
• Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel: "A significant decision awaits the Milwaukee Bucks by the end of the month, and it's not an easy one. Bucks general manager John Hammond faces an Oct. 31 deadline to decide whether to renew the first option year on forward Joe Alexander's cont
  ract. Alexander would be owed $2.76 million next season if the Bucks pick up the first of two option years on his rookie-scale contract. Complicating the choice is the disappointing performance turned in by Alexander during his rookie year in 2008-'09 and the injuries that plagued him in training camp a year ago and again during the current preseason. Alexander worked hard during the off-season at the Bucks' training facility and performed well in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, but on the first day of training camp, he was standing on the sideline due to a strained right hamstring. The 6-foot-8 Alexander has not been able to practice yet or play in the Bucks' first five exhibition games, a huge setback for a player trying to gain coach Scott Skiles' confidence and battle for time at the small forward position. Hammond declined to comment Tuesday on the Bucks' intentions."
• Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune: "Jonny Flynn hasn't played a real NBA game yet, but already Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis knows his rookie point guard can run successfully the two-man pick-and-roll play at the sport's highest level anytime and anywhere he so chooses. That's why he's not letting Flynn do it. At least not yet anyway. Rambis wants Flynn to concentrate on skills he hasn't mastered -- and those his team needs most -- in a preseason that's two games old. 'He's learning the importance of the point guard in this league,' Rambis said. 'I need him to orchestrate the offense and get his teammates involved. They're counting on him.' Oh, is that all? At the age of 20? At a position Rambis calls the most difficult to learn in the NBA?"
• Sekou Smith of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "Five years into his NBA career, Marvin Williams has more than established himself in the league. The proof can be found in his numbers. For his career Williams has averaged 12.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and started in 209 of the 284 games he's played since being selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2005 draft. For all that, both Williams and Hawks coach Mike Woodson are convinced that there's much more the starting small forward can do. 'Marvin's come in every year since his rookie year in great shape and he's really been consistent,' Woodson said. 'But he's the one guy over the next two years that I think can really make the jump to become more of an elite scorer, mostly because he can put the ball on the floor and draw fouls. He added the 3-point shot to his game last season and I think that pushed his game to another level. Now, he has to take another step.' Does that mean folks can expect to see a more aggressive and determined Williams this season? 'I think so,' Williams said. 'I've never been one to try and do too much. I've always felt like I know my role and I try to play the best I can. At the same time, I think this preseason I've tried to be more aggressive. And it's worked out.' "
• Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News: "As the old saying goes, there is no 'I' in team. But there is a 'me,' and Sixers forward Elton Brand has had to concentrate on the selfish part of the game a little more than usual this preseason. Besides having to absorb the new offensive and defensive schemes that have been brought in by coach Eddie Jordan, Brand has had to make sure his surgically repaired shoulder and Achilles' tendon are ready to endure what he hopes to be an 82-game regular season. He also has had to find out whether he still has what it takes to be the 20-point, 10-rebound-a-night player he has been throughout his career. Sometimes that might take away from what Jordan is trying to accomplish. But for now, the coach is OK with it. 'I like that he's aggressive,' Jordan said of the player the Sixers signed in the summer of 2008 to a 5-year, $80 million contract. 'He's putting the shoulder down, he's really looking to be assertive in the paint area.' Then came the caveat. 'I want him to execute a little better, as far as spacing for his teammates, his cutting for his teammates, not for himself,' Jordan said."
• Frank Dell'Apa of The Boston Globe: "Rasheed Wallace, who had 20 points and nine rebounds in 25 minutes, defended his prediction the Celtics are capable of winning 72 games. 'When you play with a high caliber team, whose goals are higher than other teams in the NBA, when you play with teams that want that hardware, then, yes, those records can be broken,' he said. 'But I think we can get that 72. If we overcome injuries, I think we can get it. Just imagine if guys didn't get hurt [last season], they definitely could have gotten it. That's what we're shooting for this year.' "
• Mike Ganter of the Toronto Sun: "And now for your actual 2009-2010 Raptors. Halfway through the pre-season, the Raptors are poised for the first time to play a game with all five of their projected starters in the lineup. Hedo Turkoglu joins the recently returned Chris Bosh to the lineup giving coach Jay Triano his first look at a starting five that also includes Jose Calderon, Andrea Bargnani and, for now, DeMar DeRozan. And it all goes down in Hartford with the Boston Celtics providing the opposition. Triano will waste no time in getting Turkoglu involved. 'Does he deserve to start because of the amount he has practised? No,' said Triano answering his own question. 'But we only have four more pre-season games and I need to put him on the floor with guys he is going to play with for the majority of the time. I'm planning on starting him with Jose, Chris, Andrea and probably DeMar.' "
• Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun Sentinel: "Mario Chalmers' scholarship ended Sunday. Suddenly, for the first time since Chalmers was named last season's Miami Heat opening-night starter, there is legitimate competition at point guard with the signing of free agent Carlos Arroyo. Until the Heat made the move for the eighth-year veteran, Chalmers' competition had been limited over the past year to the likes of Chris Quinn, Marcus Banks, Shaun Livingston, Luther Head and current camp longshot John Lucas III. But now there is a veteran in the mix who has started 113 NBA games, one who has served as an understudy to the likes of John Stockton, Mark Jackson and Chauncey Billups. 'I think he's landslide better than everybody,' Heat forward Michael Beasley said of Chalmers' previous competition. Beasley, in fact, said it is apparent that the signing of Arroyo has motivated Chalmers, who made the surprise jump to starter after being taken in the second round of the 2008 draft. 'I think he's taking this move and really getting competitive with it,' Beasley said of his closest friend on the team. 'Everybody knows Carlos is a great player, a vet, a scorer with court vision. He can do it all. And 'Rio now got somebody not only to go head-to-head with, but somebody to look up to, somebody to learn off of.' "
• Lisa Dillman of the Los Angeles Times: "When so little went right -- as it did for the Clippers and their fans last season -- the temptat
  ion is to go overboard when there are the slightest signs of promise. The incumbent Chris Kaman, veteran of those flickers, urged caution after back-to-back exhibition wins and a fresh air of hope in Clippers' training camp. It took one word to get that thought across: Fresno. 'Don't read into it so much,' Kaman said Tuesday after practice. 'It's basketball. See how it goes. It happened last year. We beat the Lakers in the preseason up in Fresno.' In fact, it was Oct. 9 of last year when the Clippers crushed the Lakers in Fresno, 107-80, in their exhibition opener. And you know the injury-marred rest of the story."
• Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer: "Charlotte Bobcats coach Larry Brown says the NBA game is flawed in ways that transcend whether replacement referees are making the calls. Brown will be relieved when this labor dispute is resolved and the veteran officials return. But he's seen a pattern the past few years -- too many whistles, too many contrived rules -- that rob basketball of its natural flow. 'Until we figure out a way to get more shots and have more of a flow up-and-down the court -- which is the beauty of the game -- it's gonna be tough' to entertain fans, Brown said. So if Brown were basketball czar, what would he do? 1) Standardize rules worldwide for the NBA, college and international games. 2) Move the NBA 3-point line in slightly. 3) Permit teams to play any defense they choose without violating some anti-zone rule. Brown believes those changes would both allow and compel teams to run more and shoot more, and that's what the game needs."
• Steve Politi of The Star-Ledger: "Bruce Ratner may have recruited Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov to bail him out financially, but money is not the only obstacle. You can only wonder how foreign it must seem to Prokhorov, coming from a country where the government gets what it wants, to see how one man can become a thorn to this massive project. The case is a long shot. 'The eminent domain issue is going to be very tough for them to win,' said William Ward, a Florham Park-based attorney who handles cases related to property seizure. 'The problem they have in my perspective is that the politicians are lined up against them.' Ward, who was once the lawyer for the Meadowlands sports complex, sees another legal victory for Ratner. But Goldstein and his allies, the underdogs from the start, still have hope that the Court of Appeals will see this deal for what it is -- the government taking property to line the pockets of a developer. 'The idea that the government would force me to sell to Forest City Ratner because this is some great public benefit offends me,' Goldstein said. 'It is not. If it were a benefit, I would not be doing this. I would have left.' Had he left, the Nets would have left New Jersey already, too. They are still here in part because one man dug in and decided to play some defense. Wednesday, he takes one final shot."

• Bret LaGree of Hoopinion on Larry Brown's ejection via replacement referee: "Larry got his 2nd T from Kevin Scott, who never got within 35 feet of Brown before, during, or after the call. Brown tried to engage any of the refs on the occasion of his ejection but none would speak with or possibly even look at him. Rather than deal with the issue directly, Scott walked to the opposite end of the court and appeared to attempt to enlist a befuddled police officer in asking/making Brown leave the court."
• The Knicks and Nets have both claimed to have the most cap space of any team in 2010. Who's right?
  
• The Bulls like each other.
• Dean Oliver, the Denver Nuggets' statistical consultant, and the case for drafting Ty Lawson. Also, I think Oliver is in a very small club of team stats experts: He gets to inform the front office on personnel decisions, and the coaching staff on game strategy. Also, Lawson was part of a Nugget lineup that played very well in Beijing.
• Hope in Philadelphia, where a 3-0 preseason has people feeling good. Elton Brand tells Philadunkia: "All the major injuries are totally behind me and I feel great. Plus Thaddeus Young and Andre Iguodala have gotten better over the summer as well as I so we're going to have a good formidable team."
• The Blazers -- one of those teams that has had a messed up cable deal that makes it hard for some fans to watch games -- say that by January they hope to have video of every game streaming live on their website, which would be an NBA first.
• Jermaine Taylor and Chase Budinger didn't get a lot of attention on draft day, but they're looking pretty good in preseason.
• Rasual Butler makes the Clippers better.
• Gregg Popovich has inspired winemakers, and now vegetable growers.
• Kevin Durant's one-game plus/minus in last night's OT victory over the Suns: plus-24. That's what I'm talking about!
• An old video clip of Delonte West and Paul Pierce, pre-Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett trades, talking about how good the Celtics are going to be.
• In my review of SonicsGate yesterday, I listed four goals of the movie. Producer Adam Brown adds two more: To preserve the history of the Seattle SuperSonics. Since that history is now officially owned by Clay Bennett, we needed to document some of the good times as well as the team's demise. OKC didn't celebrate in June 1979, and they didn't cry in May 1994. We did, and we deserve this document to remind us of that. Also, to get the issue back in people's mouths here in Washington with the primary goal of getting an NBA team back. Ultimately we have to convince our politicians that a 50% privately funded arena deal will create jobs and boost the economy while allowing us to regain this cultural asset."
• Malcolm Gladwell on the ethics of a gladiator mentality.
  

• Howard Beck of The New York Times: "Coach Mike D'Antoni, ever the nonconformist, is eliminating the morning shootaround for all home games this season, starting with Tuesday's exhibition against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Knicks instead will gather for an afternoon meeting and walk-through at Madison Square Garden. The change saves everyone from having to commute twice in a day, first to the team's Westchester training center (for the shootaround), then to Midtown (for the game). It also gives players a little more time to shake off the cobwebs. So rather than roust themselves for a groggy gathering at 10 a.m., the Knicks will have the morning to themselves. They must report to the Garden by 3:30 p.m. ... The morning shootaround is a time-honored N.B.A. tradition. It serves a dual function: to prepare for the game and to give party-minded players an incentive to get to bed early. Whether it works is a matter of some debate. The routine can actually be draining. Many N.B.A. players take afternoon naps to recover from the shootaround."
• Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald: "Never let it be said Kevin Garnett doesn't take requests. A day after his coach noted an aspect of his game that's been missing, KG made like a DJ and spun the tune. 'I think he's getting stronger and stronger,' said Doc Rivers. 'The only thing left is today he caught a lob and dunked. An amazing dunk. Everybody was like, oh, we haven't seen that. I made the comment yesterday that the only part lacking is that he's not as explosive yet. When he did it, he yelled out, 'Oh, I can do it.' So that was good to see.' The rejuvenated Celtic was ready when asked about it later. 'I think Doc's been waiting for me to grow wings and fly,' he said. 'I'm telling him just be patient. The wings are coming. They're coming.' That Garnett's humor is back also is a good sign things are all right with his surgically repaired right knee."
• Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News: "A little more than two weeks into his first NBA training camp, rookie forward DeJuan Blair says his knees are feeling just fine, thank you. Blair arrived from the University of Pittsburgh devoid of an anterior cruciate ligament in either knee. Though the condition was never an issue for Blair in college, the Spurs' medical staff has been compulsive about monitoring him after practices and games. 'The training staff is doing an excellent job of keeping my knees in shape and strengthened,' Blair said. 'I just need to keep (being) me, and not worry about my knees. They're going to be as healthy as possible.' ... Ehen Blair takes the floor for his fourth preseason game Wednesday against the Clippers, he is likely to see time against the most ballyhooed rookie in the NBA. Blair says he is looking forward to the potential matchup with Blake Griffin, the former Oklahoma All-American. Not because Griffin was the top pick in the June draft in which Blair fell to 37th, but because it gives the two a chance to rekindle a friendship spawned during the draft process. 'I can't wait to see him,' Blair said. 'I haven't seen him since the draft. I talked to him in the summer and told him congratulations. He's a good person, and I hope everything works out for him.' "
• Ray Ratto of the San Francisco Chronicle:"The Stephen Jackson supernova is merely the latest example of what is now the only Warriors story in the world, namely: Something Goes Wrong - Is This the Final Straw That Convinces Chris Cohan to Sell the Team? And again, we say, "It ain't got nothin' to do with it." Cohan will sell when his price, already judged exorbitant by Larry Ellison, whose wallet could eat Cohan's entire house, is met. Or when the Internal Revenue Service decides to bring the noise to his ongoing tax issues. Are there people who would love to buy the team and move it, maybe to San Jose, maybe to San Francisco? Yes, and there have been - but Cohan isn't what real-estate people call a motivated seller, even with all the horrific embarrassments he has instigated and allowed instigated in his name. Apparently, the man simply cannot be shamed."
• Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times: "Not much new in Lamar Odom's life, other than a reality-TV star wife, a $33-million contract extension and daily games of hide-and-seek with the ever-present paparazzi. A year ago, Odom was angry when Coach Phil Jackson said the Lakers forward would be a backup instead of a starter. That's the least of his concerns now. He still has reserve status, but no longer single status after marrying Khloe Kardashian about two weeks ago, a move that shifted him from the inside pages of sports magazines to the covers of supermarket tabloids across the country. It also made nights on the town a little less, uh, private. Even if it's just Odom and his wife, it can feel like a table for eight with the phalanx of photographers zooming in on them in restaurants, clubs and the like. Because of Kardashian's popularity among gossip groupies, Odom is tracked pretty much everywhere he goes. 'It's part of what they do. It's part of the world,' he said of the paparazzi. 'Once I'm in the house and a comfortable place, they can't come on private property. If we're in a restaurant and they want to sit there and take pictures, it doesn't matter.' Doesn't matter?"
• Mike Jones of The Washington Times: "In their first three preseason games, the Washington Wizards have provided a glimpse of what can be expected in the coming season should they remain healthy. The team has scored plenty of points behind Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler, averaging 103 points in its three outings. Coach Flip Saunders also has several different lineups and rotations at his disposal with four different shooting guard candidates and a versatile bench. That doesn't mean, however, the Wizards are ready for the regular season. Gilbert Arenas has displayed flashes of greatness with explosive third quarters (24 points and eight assists) in back-to-back outings. But he also has shown rust (12 turnovers this preseason, a 1-for-5 shooting performance in the opener). Saunders has encouraged Arenas to play with his old aggression, but the guard appears to be feeling his way along as he learns a new offense. And his teammates -- outside of holdovers Jamison, Butler and center Brendan Haywood -- are working to adjust not only to the returning floor general but also to their roles on a revamped team."
• Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle: "Australia slept in. Being that showdowns are not what they used to be, this one did not stir the imagination of a nation the way meetings of the Rockets and Bucks did not very long ago. Then, Yao Ming played Yi Jianlian for the first time in an NBA game, and every network in China with the option, showed the game live. The audience was believed to be the largest ever for an NBA game. When Rockets rookie center David Andersen met Andrew Bogut at To
  yota Center on Monday, they figured the audience in Australia for the first NBA meeting of the Australian centers probably consisted of Andersen's three brothers, assuming they could find a website streaming the game. ... 'It won't be anything like that,' Bogut said. 'We only have three million people in our country. Probably one or two (are interested). Basketball is not huge in Australia, probably scraping in the top eight, top 10 sports. Maybe during the season, if we both have pretty decent records more people will take notice. At the moment, compared to China, maybe five percent will watch.' "
• Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman: "In the Thunder's 110-105 overtime win over Phoenix, the second-year point guard displayed to his home fans the continued development he's shown throughout this preseason. Russell Westbrook scored 10 points, pulled down 10 rebounds and dished nine assists in 26 minutes. He again played with confidence and control, showing complete command of the offense and newfound patience that he lacked last season. Westbrook made five of eight shots, turned the ball over just three times and came away with two steals. 'It is the preseason, but that's all we have to judge Russell Westbrook on right now,' said Thunder coach Scott Brooks. 'We still have some work to do, but with Russell, like I've said many times before, he's only 20 years old and for the next 10 years you're going to see a lot of improvement.' "
• Kate Fagan of The Philadelphia Inquirer: "After yesterday's practice, 76ers coach Eddie Jordan said he asked Thaddeus Young how he felt about New York City. Young responded that all cities are 'about the same to me.' 'Really? New York isn't more special?' 'Not really, they're all about the same to me,' Young repeated. Recounting the story, Jordan laughed. 'So, yeah ... he's low-maintenance,' Jordan said. 'I don't worry about Thad.' ... Young, in his third NBA season, is averaging 9.0 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. Last season, he averaged 15.3 points per game. Still, Young seems about as low-maintenance on the court as he is off of it: snagging offensive boards, scoring in transition, picking up buckets on broken-down plays. 'I'm pretty good right now,' said Young, the team's starting small forward. 'I'm just going out there and trying to do the things I've been doing - rebounding, playing defense, getting steals. Doing the little things. My offense is going to come; I'm not worried about that too much.' "
• Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press: "Al Jefferson's Subway diet in the offseason -- which helped him lose 31 pounds -- has given him a quicker first step at the power forward position and turned him into a role model for people with weight-loss issues. Jefferson, 24, attracted interest from the local American Heart Association, which is partnering with the five-year veteran for a six-week program known as 'Get Healthy With Big Al.' Jefferson helps kick off the program, aimed at school kids in the Twin Cities, with an appearance today at Andersen Elementary School in South Minneapolis. The program stirs memories for Jefferson, who called himself a 'chubby kid' while growing up in Prentiss, Miss. 'You have to deal with people teasing you,' Jefferson said. 'Hopefully, I can inspire and motivate kids who might be overweight and let them know they can do what I did. It's hard for kids. You want to eat everything ... all the sweets you can eat and everything else.' Jefferson weighed 293 pounds when his season ended in February because of a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee. A few days after surgery, he began his diet of ham or turkey sandwiches from Subway -- complete with lettuce, tomatoes and other vegetables. For dinner, he had salads and soups. Convinced he needed to lose weight to help rehabilitate his knee, Jefferson stuck with the diet after a 'tough first couple of weeks.' He reported to the Wolves' training camp weighing 262 pounds."
• Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel: "Memphis Grizzlies Coach Lionel Hollins intimated that the replacement referees favored Magic center Dwight Howard when the opening whistles blew. Rookie Grizzlies center Hasheem Thabeet, 7 feet 3, picked up two quick fouls in the first few minutes, wrapping his arms around Howard in an attempt to stop him on the first play. 'Dwight Howard's a great player and Thabeet didn't get a fair share of the calls right from the start of the game,' Hollins said. 'It's not Dwight Howard against Thabeet --- it's us against the Orlando Magic.' Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy didn't see it that way after the Magic improved their preseason record to 4-0 by beating the Grizzlies 102-83 Monday night at FedEx Forum. 'That's absurd. I thought from the first play, all Thabeet did was try to grab him. It was obvious. Of course, I'm going to see it differently than Lionel,' Van Gundy said. Howard, who usually doesn't think he ever gets a break from the officials, said incredulously, 'Are you kidding? Somebody said I was getting calls?' "
• Jason Jones of The Sacramento Bee: "Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson and a 'prestigious group of Sacramento business leaders' will announce today at Arco Arena a plan to sell out the first two Kings home games this season. Kings co-owners Joe and Gavin Maloof, Kings president of basketball operations Geoff Petrie, Westphal and members of the business group will be at the news conference. Attendance continued to decline at Arco last season as losses piled up. The Kings had only three sellouts last season."
• A. Sherrod Blakely of MLive.com: "Will Bynum was a freshman at Arizona when Gilbert Arenas, just a few months into his NBA career with the Golden State Warriors, returned to campus. Arenas talked of the challenges he faced as a second-round pick trying to crack the rotation as a rookie with the Warriors. 'I saw the frustration in his eyes when he was talking to me,' Bynum said. 'He was telling me how hard he was working and how (not playing) just fueled him. I had kind of a similar path.' The paths of these kindred spirits crossed again this summer during workouts in Chicago with basketball strength and conditioning guru Tim Grover. 'I learned so much from (Arenas),' Bynum said. 'We talked about the game and how we could challenge ourselves in workouts everyday, trying to get better at every aspect of the game.' "
• Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald: "Some teams look good on paper. The Bulls sound as though things are shaping up for a strong season. Since training camp began, players have been emphasizing how well they've gotten along. No doubt, the locker room is louder and livelier than it's been in the past. Excessive laughter could be heard in the hallways even after a mundane Monday practice at the Berto Center. 'The practices are fun,' Joakim Noah said. 'We're having a great time together.' Maybe that's a good sign. The Detroit Pistons, which played for the conference championship six straight years from 2003-08, are probably the best recent example of a team that got along well and carried a strong chemistry onto the court. Vetera
  n guard Lindsey Hunter played on championship teams with the Pistons and Lakers. He's seen what works and gave the current Bulls a strong review. 'It's like family and that's how you want it,' Hunter said. 'It's hard to get that, too, by the way. It's really hard to get.' "
• Bob Wolfley of the Journal Sentinel: "You could say Marvin Fishman helped shape the way Milwaukee defines itself as a city. His role in bringing the Bucks to Milwaukee and later donating art to museums in Wisconsin from his impressive collection were part of his legacy, part of the diverse ways Fishman influenced the culture of Milwaukee. Fishman died on Friday. He was 84. Anyone who encountered Fishman over the years and talked to him at any length knew him to be smart, tough and funny. But above all else, he really loved talking about the Milwaukee Bucks. He particularly loved talking about the Bucks in the early years. That made sense because Fishman was a major reason the National Basketball Association ended up in Milwaukee."

It wasn't clear, when Allen Iverson made his rant about practice, just how memorable that would prove to be.

Here's Manny Ramirez from the weekend, and for the second time, and just for fun, here's the funky remix.

• Doug Smith of the Toronto Star: "It is hugely significant that Chris Bosh will make his pre-season debut for the Raptors in Minneapolis on Friday night, but another development at the Air Canada Centre on Thursday was just as welcomed by the team's brass. As Bosh went through some post-up drills with assistant coach Marc Iavaroni at one end of the practice court, Hedo Turkoglu was involved in some full-speed shooting drills at the other. And getting the high-priced free agent into action with his new teammates is of paramount importance to the Raptors. 'I'm feeling much better physically and mentally, too,' Turkoglu said after his workout. 'Hopefully next week, I'll start practising with the team and hopefully get into game shape and try to be 100 per cent on opening night.' Bothered by sore knees and a body worn down by a busy summer, the 30-year-old Turkoglu hasn't done anything of substance so far in training camp."
• Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel: "One of Mickael Pietrus' best dunks from last season lives on in an Internet video clip and in the pain he still feels in his right wrist. The highlight-reel play occurred last December against the Detroit Pistons. Pietrus dribbled across the lane, elevated off his right foot and slammed the ball home left-handed. 'Check it out on YouTube!' Pietrus said recently, grinning. 'It was nice.' Nice, yes. But costly, too. Pietrus collided with Detroit's Jason Maxiell and tumbled to the floor, bracing himself with his right hand. Pietrus fractured his shooting wrist. The wrist still hurts, though you wouldn't know it by how he's performed this preseason. Pietrus is excelling despite the pain, just as he did in last year's playoffs. 'He's shot the ball really well in training camp, so whatever the problem is, he should leave it exactly the way it is,' joked Orlando Magic Coach Stan Van Gundy."
• Kate Fagan of The Philadelphia Inquirer: "Yesterday at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, the Sixers practiced for about two hours: On multiple occasions, Dalembert dished to cutters for quick hoops. Such a display was a 180-degree turn from last season's struggles, when Dalembert requested a trade and spent much of the season frustrated with his role and playing time. 'I love Sam,' Eddie Jordan said. 'I love what Sam is doing for us. I love his approach, I love his attitude, I love his enthusiasm. ... Sometimes I have to tell him, 'Look for your shot, look for your shot.' And he's a willing passer out of the post.' This praise could come across as hollow as a basketball, but all on-court evidence supports Jordan's assertions: Dalembert's midrange shot has been consistent, as has his unselfishness in the post. 'Sam is an emotional guy and he knows this coaching group has his back,' said point guard Lou Williams. 'He's happy. Sam is happy. He's joking with guys again, he's talking; he's back to his normal self. We're going to need him to be that way.' Jordan said Dalembert has the second-best shot on the team, behind forward Jason Kapono, who is one of the best three-point shooters in the NBA."
• Michael Lee of The Washington Post: "In case you haven't noticed, Brendan Haywood has been around a while. 'Everybody is gone except me,' said Haywood, who is entering his ninth season with the Washington Wizards. 'It is weird, when I tell somebody I've been in the league, coming up on nine years, they say, 'How many teams?' I say, 'Just D.C.' They say, 'Wow, that's crazy.' Because normally you get through free agency or trade, people leave their cities, but I've always been here. It's been fun and I hope I can end my career here.' Haywood is one of just 10 active players in the NBA to spend at least eight seasons with one team. He is the only player on the Wizards roster whom President Ernie Grunfeld wasn't responsible for bringing to town. (Michael Jordan acquired him from Orlando in August 2001 after Haywood was drafted by Cleveland and traded to the Magic on draft night.) And now, Haywood is in the last year of a five-year, $25 million extension and fully plans to enter free agency for the first time next summer."
• John Jackson of the Chicago Sun-Times: "Fans don't get a chance to see a coach work with players in practice, so I can understand why most Bulls fans had a negative opinion of Vinny Del Negro. All they saw were the games and there were too many mistakes to have any other opinion. I know it's just the preseason, but I've noticed a change in Del Negro so far. The year of experience seems to have made a big difference. He's more confident and isn't as defensive. He's been very organized and the team got a lot accomplished in the first two weeks of camp. Barring any major injuries over the next three weeks, the Bulls should be prepared for a fast start in the regular season. Although the ultimate test of Del Negro's improvement will come when he's involved in a tight game in the regular season, I think Bulls fans will be pleasantly surprised this season. I'm not saying Del Negro will be the second coming of Phil Jackson, but he knows the game, has a sound philosophy and I believe he will be a good NBA coach."
• Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune: "It's not as though Hornets rookie point guard Darren Collison is normally quiet and soft-spoken when he's on the basketball court. Nonetheless, New Orleans Coach Byron Scott has been telling Collison, the team's first-round draft choice, he has to be more assertive when running the show. Problem is, while Collison was a starter in college at UCLA and ran the Bruins' offense, he never got much chance to talk. 'That's what the coaches are telling me,' he said Thursday night, after he made his NBA debut in the Hornets' 108-101 preseason loss against the Charlotte Bobcats. 'Make sure I call the plays out. Just make sure I do little things like that. At UCLA, I never called any plays out. We just called one play the whole time. As a point guard, it's something that has to be natural. But it's something I'll get accustomed to.' "
• Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee: "Omri Casspi had three tough days and what he thought were three legitimate reasons to be in a funk. He thought the coach was down on him. He thought his fans in Israel were disappointed. He thought the glut of Kings small forwards foreshadowed a season of down time, depriving him of an opportunity to establish himself in the league. He was wrong about everything except the glut of small forwards. The rookie must fight through the crowd to earn playing time, but he already projects as an intriguing, energetic wild card. He runs. He shoots. He dunks. He dives on the floor. He plays fast and physical, and wants to play faster. And unofficially, and only because the exhibition season doesn't count, he already h
  as become the first Israeli to rouse an NBA crowd in the closing minutes of a home-court debut ? which he did during the Kings' loss to Portland on Wednesday night at Arco Arena. The ebb and flow of his rookie season thus far suggests that this is a good week. So Casspi, 21, should breathe a little. You know, chill. Resume the search for quality hummus. Enjoy."
• Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe: "While the Celtics' focus in training camp has been Kevin Garnett's rehabilitation from knee surgery, Ray Allen's decline in the postseason was a cause for concern. He shot 48 percent during the regular season, his best clip since 2000-01, but with no Garnett in the playoffs, opposing defenses focused on Allen, whose shooting dipped to 40 percent, 35 percent from the 3-point line. Fatigue may have been a factor, especially with Allen approaching his 34th birthday, and the guard also said he was nursing a sore hamstring during the postseason that was diagnosed as a sore lower back. So that's why he was running sprints after practice as if he were still in high school. Shirtless, Allen ran with fluidity and precision, determined to tire himself out. 'I think about field goal percentage, I think about 3-point field goal percentage and all those things are directly related to what kind of condition I am in,' said Allen. 'I did do a lot more this summer. I never really eat too bad but a lot things, you know you go to barbecues and eat more hot dogs and cheeseburgers on the grill, I cut that back a little earlier. It was just one of those things that felt necessary.' "
• Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle: "Chuck Hayes gets it. The idea that he is - at a stocky 6-6 with few offensive skills - a starting center in the NBA, inspires the same reaction from him that he imagines others have at the sight of him in such an exalted position. 'I laugh,' he said. 'It's funny. We have the shortest point guard (Aaron Brooks) and the shortest center. But we find ways to make it happen.' The Rockets used to have the tallest center, adding to the sight gag. With Yao Ming out, they have gone from a 7-6 wealth of offensive skills and celebrity, a former first pick of the draft and seven-time All-Star, to Hayes, a relative unknown who is a foot shorter, was undrafted and worked his way back to the Rockets through the D-League. It is little wonder Hayes is amused by such a turn of events, with another reminder likely tonight in a matchup with Orlando's gifted young giant, Dwight Howard. The Rockets, however, have found that at a time things could fall apart, they need him to he hold them together. 'He's really important to have on the floor for us,' Rockets coach Rick Adelman said. 'I'm pretty sure he's going to be on the floor a lot because he's our best defender. There is nobody on our team close to him as far as defending inside.' "
• Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News: "Back when he was in the Eastern Conference, Richard Jefferson used to look forward to a game against the Spurs the way a child looks forward to a visit to the dentist. The only upside was that he had to do it only twice a year. 'They were a team that, if they weren't scoring, neither were you,' Jefferson said. 'They were consistently one of the best defensive teams in the league.' If coach Gregg Popovich gets his wish, the Spurs will soon get back to playing the kind of defense Jefferson used to know and loathe. After a decade of standard-setting when it came to the art of suffocating other teams, the Spurs slipped from "elite” to 'just pretty good' last season. They finished ninth in field-goal percentage defense at 45.3 percent, the team's lowest rank and highest number in a dozen full seasons under Popovich. For a while, the Spurs were floundering along in the low 20s, a ranking that rendered Popovich practically apoplectic. ... Popovich has spent much of his time on the pulpit this preseason preaching the need for his team to return to the glory days. 'We tried to institute some new things the past couple of years, and they didn't really work out,' Popovich said. 'So we're going back to the good old days when we tried to lead the league defensively.' "
• Mike Baldwin of The Oklahoman: "After facing him in a playoff series, Pat Riley said, 'If he gets much better, he's going to be one of the better players in this league.' And Jason Kidd called him the best big man he had ever played with. In 2006, that was the trajectory of Nenad Krstic's career. But a serious knee injury three days before Christmas altered his future, a major reason the 7-foot center from Serbia is now on the Thunder's roster. 'People in Oklahoma City probably don't know how highly thought of he was around the league,' said one Eastern Conference scout. 'He was starting to really take off. If he can be that player again, he would be a steal for them.' The looming question, the scout said, is whether Krstic can return to the form that impressed Riley, Kidd and Jefferson."
• Frank Isola of the New York Daily News: "Marcus Landry paid his own way to New York just for a tryout. As if answering a want-ad in the newspaper, he arrived without a place to stay and without much of a shot of making the Knicks. 'I don't like to think of myself as a longshot,' Landry says. 'I'll let the coaches decide that.' Undrafted, undersized but mostly undeterred, Landry is becoming the feel-good story of training camp. The 6-foot-7 rookie out of Wisconsin is making a strong push for a roster spot, having survived the first round of cuts while impressing Mike D'Antoni and Donnie Walsh with his work ethic and toughness. 'That's the kind of player we need,' Walsh said. It's been an eventful three weeks for Landry. The Knicks thought so little of him that they didn't provide a ride from the airport or pay for his $80-a-night hotel room. But after a solid training camp and in subsequent practices, let's just say Landry's accommodations have been upgraded. 'I just come out here every day, work hard and leave it up to Coach D'Antoni and Mr. Walsh to decide,' Landry said. 'We'll see what happens.' "
• Mary Schmitt Boyer of The Plain Dealer: "Shaquille O'Neal raised a few eyebrows after practice Thursday by declaring this Cavaliers team 'the best team I've ever played on. On paper, anyway.' Some might take the 1999-2000 NBA champion Lakers with Bryant, Glen Rice, Robert Horry, Ron Harper, A.C. Green and Derek Fisher, or the 2003-04 Lakers who finished 56-26 with Bryant, Karl Malone and Gary Payton. When skeptical reporters questioned O'Neal about the comment, he said: 'I've always begged management to get me the power forward I've needed and the shooters I've needed. Here you've got a guy that's been starting 10 or 11 years [Zydrunas Ilgauskas] that's backing me up, you've got Varejao who's one of the top forwards in the league and you've got D-Block [Jackson] coming off the bench. We have a lot of great shooters, so on paper, I'd say yes.' When told of the c
  omment, coach Mike Brown smiled and said: 'When the big fella talks, you've got to listen. If he says that, it's something that has to be heard.' "
• Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer: "One thing is indisputable: D.J. Augustin is back to full health. An abdominal strain robbed Augustin of his explosion and change-of-direction the second half of last season. But Thursday he drove his way to 18 free throws, making 16, in the Charlotte Bobcats' 108-101 preseason victory over the New Orleans Hornets at Greensboro Coliseum. Augustin, a second-year point guard, finished with 22 points and the Bobcats totaled 58 free-throw attempts."
• Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times: "The facility might not be entirely cooperative, but tonight could still shape up to be Fabulous. The Lakers return to the Forum in Inglewood for an exhibition game against Golden State, a blast from the past in a season that holds a promising future. The Lakers haven't played there since leaving for Staples Center in 1999, but owner Jerry Buss has wanted to return to the Forum for years. Now seemed like a good time, the franchise's 50th year in Los Angeles. ... The Lakers had to transport their basketball court from Staples Center to the Forum. There's no longer a scoreboard, so they will hang two large LED screens over the court. They will also bring their lighting trusses, basketball hoops and scorer's table from Staples Center. In fact, leaving no chance for faulty locker-room plumbing, the Lakers don't plan to shower at the Forum after the game. Players will take a team bus bound for the training facility in El Segundo, where hot water is guaranteed to await them. It might seem like a lot of extra work for an exhibition game, but, well, this is the former site of six Lakers championship teams."

• Milwaukee coach Scott Skiles has a brilliant way around the NBA's ban on criticizing replacement referees: "A huge percentage of our fouls," he says, "were legitimate."
• Kevin Arnovitz of ClipperBlog, toying with the notion of The Return of Baron Davis:  "Baron is an unquestionably better conditioned man this October. He seems genuinely mortified by his status as an accessory to last year's debacle. Although he's not surrounded by perfect complements to his game, he knows he can trust Eric Gordon, experiment with Blake Griffin, and have Rasual Butler as a viable option in the corner for a kickout 3. Contrast that to what he was offered at the outset of last season. Davis' ego is bruised -- and that's a good thing. Whatever pleasure he derives from his extracurriculars, he understands that without some corresponding gratification in the league, those accouterments aren't worth much. The documentaries, cross-cultural endeavors and clubs are all nice -- but Baron Davis can't be Baron Davis unless he's part of the league's constellation of stars and playing basketball well into May."
• John Hollinger's player ratings are posted, and Kevin Durant is the story (Insider). He's poised, says Hollinger, to lead the league in points per minute. There are a ton of reasons to be very excited about what's next from him. But there are still things he's really not good at: "There's no question about Durant's scoring; it's all the other elements of his game that raise eyebrows. He's a very poor passer and makes far too many turnovers for a jump shooter, weaknesses encapsulated by a -3.10 Pure Point Rating that was the fifth-worst among small forwards. Durant also gave a poor accounting at the defensive end, with the Thunder surrendering 8.2 points more per 40 minutes with him on the court than off it. His adjusted plus-minus was a horrid -8.62 points per 100 possessions, a stat that's even more alarming because the Thunder had a bad bench. His rating from his rookie year wasn't much better."
• Some guy says he got punched in the face. That's the what. The why? Story is it has something to do with NFL player Braylon Edwards having a real dislike for LeBron James.
• There have been some suggestions lately that Lamar Odom -- impending reality TV presence, celebrity husband -- may be craving the spotlight more than in the past. Exhibit Q, for questionable: About 85:15 into this video, he's wearing a wireless microphone in training camp. He sure appears to be headed to the bathroom. Before going, though, he looks off-camera, presumably at the tech in charge of his mic, taps the mic, and says "I'm good." As in, no need to unclip me for this.
• Byron Scott in the Shreveport Times, with potentially bad news for Chauncey Billups, who likes to post up small guards, and plays for a Hornets' rival: "A lot of times guys are trying to post [Chris Paul] up, but our guys that are six, seven inches taller than him are having a hard time in the post because he's so strong now. A lot of it comes with maturity and age. You get a little bit stronger and a little bit bigger. But the biggest thing is that he hasn't lost any of his flexibility or quickness." (Via Hornets247)
• One pre-season game in, Taj Gibson seems comfortable in the NBA.
• Hey look, it's Jamal Mashburn, Jason Kidd and that other guy who used to be famous.
• "Mad Men" fans, that's not Don Draper on the Nuggets' preseason roster. That's Donte Draper, and he made a highlight reel.
• Danny Ainge, Rick Carlisle, Mike Dunleavy, Danny Ferry, Daryl Morey, Sam Presti, Ed Stefanski ... meet your new team in charge of modernizing how the NBA uses instant replay. Change is upon us. 
• Tim Varner of 48 Minutes of Hell watching DeJuan Blair: "Will any rookie outperform DeJuan Blair on a per minute basis? I doubt it. He looks sensational. He's the exact same rebounder we saw at Pitt, plus he has soft hands, can finish around the basket, is an efficient passer and, surprise, surprise, has a little bit of a spot up game. Clippers fans, don't kill me. DeJuan Blair is Blake Griffin's biggest obstacle on his path toward the ROY. Don't get me wrong. The total minutes thing will remove Blair from the conversation, but per minute ..." Whether it happens like that or not, the fact that  a sober-minded observer like Varner says it could is reason enough to praise the Spurs for making good use of the draft's 37th pick. Also, Varner says Manu Ginobili looks tremendous.
• Michael Redd is playing like a healthy man.
• If the Nets had a lot of rubles to spend on players, what would the roster look like?
• Shaquille O'Neal once saw LeBron James pass the ball, and still thinks it's amazing.
• Nicolas Batum is called the best player in a Blazer scrimmage. Martell Webster, the guy who had Batum's starting small forward spot before his injury, says he hopes Batum is the starter.
• The Salt Lake Tribune's Ross Siler in London, where it is said the NBA would one like to have a permanent NBA team: "It should be noted that The O2 [arena], built by the same people as Staples Center, would be the most impressive NBA arena today if it housed a team."

• The NBA asks bench players to stay seated, for the sake of fans behind them, unless something really stellar happens.
• Sports Illustrated's Chris Ballard visited San Quentin to play basketball against the locals. The ending of the article is absolutely brilliant. But the start is scary: "As the inaugural opponents for San Quentin's over-40 squad, an element of the prison's outreach program, we had received the following warnings before our first visit: stay bunched together at all times, give only first names and run only when on the court because, as hoops coordinator Stephen Irwin, told us, 'Otherwise the guards will think you're a prisoner making a break for it, and trust me, you don't want that.' We knew about the three gun towers and the ratio of one armed guard for every four inmates but most of all about the 'no hostage' policy, which we were reminded of often and which was helpfully summarized by a prison employee as: 'If one of them grabs one of you, ain't s--- we can do about it.' In other words, no one made you come in here (and further, and more graphically, if a prisoner is holding both you and a weapon, the guards will shoot through you to get to the prisoner)."
• A Laker fan at The Second Coming, to Ron Artest: "Let me be absolutely clear: you absolutely cannot mess this season up. You fail here, and you will never redeem your career again. You ruin this good thing we have going in LA, and the rest of your basketball days will be tarnished by it. In LA, we fans run deep. We know our basketball, we know our history, and we have more than a passing interest in the Lake Show. We will be here longer than you. We have more influence than you. Win us over, and you will be a Hall of Famer. Lose our faith, and you will never see this level of love again."
• Renaldo Balkman has the dunk of the season, after one game.
• Halloween came early to the Suns. I think that's Earl Clark in a banana costume, but it also looks a little like a squash, or an eggplant.
• A huge roundup of everything Sixers, circa today.
• If your team gets more shots, that's good. Right?
• Was Gilbert Arenas limping?
• Jonny Flynn, talking like a point guard, to HowlinTWolf: "You have to be able to mesh with everybody on the basketball court you have to be able to know what to say to guys, know when to get on them, know when to kind of stroke their ego and baby them a little bit so one key thing I like to try and do is try and get to know everybody off the court and once you get to know everybody off the court and see their tendencies and their personalities, that's when your personality can kick in."
  
• Is it Michael Jordan's fault Chicago didn't win the 2016 Olympics? My take is that being famous does not oblige you to any particular cause. (Hopefully there's something that brings out the generous in you, but you can't fault a guy for not feeling this effort.) Jay Mariotti on AOL: "Did Jordan's absence hurt? I don't think it cost Chicago the Games, but having passed Pele three times in the media center hallway, always wearing a smile and a bounce in his step, I can say that the presence of the soccer icon helped Rio. 'It is very important to participate when your country needs you,' Pele said in one of the week's influential remarks. 'If I have to die for my country, I would die for my country. If I have to die for my sport, I would die for my sport. I feel very happy if I can help my country.' Jordan would die for a cigar or a golfing bet, but not for the city that built a statue for him." (Of course, this is not the best day for this PG-13 Jordan picture to be on Deadspin.)
  
• Rick Adelman is not yet happy with the Rockets' defense.
• Jordan Farmar, playing an FBI agent in some show.
  

• Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune: "Kevin Love's tweeter is broken, but he promises a glorious comeback. Love, a child of the computer age, embraced the Twitter social-network phenomenon as enthusiastically as any pro athlete, so much so he unintentionally broke the worldwide news that Kevin McHale wasn't coming back as Timberwolves coach and honestly offered up his comments on the team's confounding draft night. He hasn't tweeted since Aug. 14. For now, rookie Jonny Flynn is leading the Wolves, both at point guard and with the Twitter. 'I got shut down a little while from the Boss Man,' Love said. 'But be on the lookout: I'll be back. I just got tired of (Jim) Stack or (Fred) Hoiberg calling me and telling me not to tweet about this, not to tweet about that. I just said, 'What happened to the First Amendment law?' ' David Kahn, the Wolves president of basketball operations, said he wants Love to feel free to tweet and will encourage him to do so."
• Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal: "Marc Gasol insists he couldn't be more ready to patrol the paint for the Grizzlies. Why wouldn't the 7-footer be following his summer workout program? Forget for a second that Gasol played a lot of basketball this offseason, helping his national team capture the European Championship. He tackled something much bigger than tournament games in preparation for his second NBA season. 'Collseroz By Tibidabo,' Gasol said, naming the mountain in Spain that he regularly ran for eight miles to shed 25-30 pounds. 'It was great because when you get to the top you can see all of Barcelona. But it's not easy getting there.' Gasol, significantly slimmer and quicker, figures the hard work he put in to transform his body will make this season easier. Griz coach Lionel Hollins challenged Gasol to arrive at training camp able to run the court much better than he did during his rookie season. 'He's running the court really well,' Hollins said. 'That's something he labored with last year. His agility and quickness will really help at the pace we're trying to play.' Hollins wants Gasol to be a factor in the Grizzlies' up-tempo offense."
• Bob Cooney of the Philadelphia Daily News: "The Simple things like regaining his shooting touch and the feel for the game will come easily, 'like riding a bike,' the Sixers' Jason Smith said. Interesting choice of words. Smith tore the ACL in his left knee in August last year while working out, causing him to miss all of his second season. The rehab was grueling, and it was one exercise in particular that Smith recalls. 'About a week or so after the surgery, they put me on a stationary bike,' said the 7-foot forward/center. 'My knee was still swollen and very tender, but they put me on the bike and told me to pedal. When I first tried, I could only move the pedal a very little bit. It was so frustrating. Gradually I could do a little more as I worked on it, then one day - and I'll never forget it - I was able to make one full revolution with the pedal. It sounds so insignificant, but man, I'll never forget that. It was cake after that.' It was a small step in the road to recovery, but as thsoe who have ever had to rehab a serious injury know, that's what keeps you sane during all the sweat and frustration."
• Dan Duggan of the Boston Herald: "When Glen Davis walked into the Wai Kru mixed martial arts gym in Allston last month, you can forgive owner and head trainer John Allan for getting excited. Not being a basketball fan, Allan's feelings had nothing to do with training an NBA player. Instead, Allan saw a massive 6-foot-9 project with the physical tools to become an MMA star. 'Initially I was salivating because I was like, 'Oh, I have the next big heavyweight star,' ' Allan said. 'It was close to the end of the lesson that someone informed me that I was actually training Glen 'Big Baby' Davis from the Celtics.' Despite the disappointment that he hadn't uncovered a future UFC star, Allan went to work with Davis. And there was no kid-glove treatment for the professional athlete. Though Allan said his top priority always was to avoid injury, Davis was put through rigorous daily workouts. 'With a name like Big Baby, when I found out that's what he was called, I was a little surprised because he was all business,' Allan said. 'He comes in here and he knows what I want him to do. When I tell him what to do, he does it. There's no hesitation. He works hard, and he loves it, which helps.' "
• Frank Isola of the New York Daily News: "David Lee may look like the hard luck loser of the free agent market; he went searching for a $60 million contract and the Knicks got him for $7 million. Still, Lee did get a $6 million raise off a 50-loss season and he is convinced that his pot of gold - whether it's from the Knicks or another team - will be waiting for him next summer when the fifth-year forward/center becomes an unrestricted free agent. 'I want to be part of the solution here, and the solution right now is to do a one-year deal and next summer we'll talk again and we'll see what it comes to,' Lee said of his sometimes tense negotiations with the Knicks. 'I don't resent anybody. I think things ended up going great. Mr. (Donnie) Walsh was very up front with me about that. It was a compromise. 'We're going to compromise by taking care of you for one year. It won't hurt our salary cap going into the summer of 2010. We respect what you've done for our team and we want to have you happy going into this season and ready to contribute toward making the playoffs,' said Lee, recalling what Walsh told him."
• Tania Ganguli of the Orlando Sentinel: "I wondered what was up a few minutes ago when this tweet appeared on Rashard Lewis's Twitter account. 'Call me at 407-545-6592 for real & tell me what my intro should be to my Saynow #. it's my #, Ill be calling y'all back thru this # sometime' Josh Robbins and I sat around pondering what that number could actually be -- obviously Lewis wouldn't give out his personal phone number on Twitter -- for a few minutes before I made him call it and let me listen on speakerphone. Good move by me. He's now going to receive texts from SayNow.com, a phone messaging site through which celebrities communicate with their fans. The site's been mostly used by entertainers, though in a New York Times story, its founders said they wanted athletes and politicians involved, too. According to the site, Carmelo Anthony and Ray Lewis have SayNow accounts, as do Marlon Wayans, Tori Spelling, Tyrese Gibson and many musicians from T.I. to Bo Bice."
• Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic: "Mike D'Antoni tried making Amaré Stoudemire a co-captain two seasons ago. The title didn't carry over to last season. But bestowed the honor again with Nash and Gran
  t Hill, Stoudemire feels better prepared to lead. 'It feels great,' Stoudemire said. 'I definitely have been working on it and studying what it takes to be a leader. I've read books on it to figure out what it takes to be a successful leader. With Steve and Grant, watching those guys over the past few years definitely helped me a lot. I'm getting up there. I'll be 27 in November.' Stoudemire said his reading list included books about ancient Chinese commander Sun Tzu and becoming a general, as well as Wikipedia entries on leadership."
• Mike Monroe of the San Antonio Express-News: "In the 2 1/2 months that passed between his final game as a Detroit Piston and his first day as a San Antonio Spur, Antonio McDyess contemplated his future in the NBA. His conclusion, reached in the hours before the free-agent market opened on July 1: Unless he got a contract offer from the Spurs, he would retire, giving up on his quest for an NBA championship ring after 13 seasons. 'That's how strong I felt about coming here,' said McDyess, the 6-foot-9 veteran who figures to be the team's starting center on opening night. The Spurs felt strongly enough about adding McDyess to their reshaped roster to offer him a three-year contract worth about $15 million. Both sides feel fortunate to finally have connected. 'There have been years when I've been trying to come here before, but they turned me down,' McDyess said. 'I feel privileged to be here.' "
• Mike Jones of The Washington Times: "Now playing for the third coach of their short careers, Blatche and Young have decided to follow McGuire's lead and take a serious approach to basketball. And McGuire, who last season drew motivation from the offseason birth of his first child, is aiming to continue his growth in his third year. Instead of coming into training camp overweight as in the past, Blatche spent the summer working on his conditioning entering his fifth season. He even changed his jersey number from 32 to 7 to symbolize his new dedication to working hard every day. Young, in his third year, heeded coach Flip Saunders' prodding that he stop smiling so much on the court and play with a more aggressive attitude. He spent much of the summer working on eliminating extra dribbling before taking a shot and on popping jumpers off screens. 'It was time for them to grow up, and they know that,' center Brendan Haywood said. 'I think with new staff coming in, they didn't wanna be labeled a certain way, so they're taking a more professional approach.' "
• Sekou Smith of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "It's taken all of two full practices with his new teammates for Hawks guard Jamal Crawford to clear up any misconceptions who and what he is on the basketball court. Sure, they already knew he could score with the best of them. He is, after all, one of just four players in NBA history to score 50 or more points with three different teams, joining legends Wilt Chamberlain, Bernard King and Moses Malone in that elite club. But they had no idea he was such a gifted passer and tenacious defender as he's shown in the first hours of training camp. It's those two surprising traits, in addition to Crawford's ability to score in bunches from virtually anywhere on the floor, that are expected to make his transition a smooth one. 'It's the same feeling we had after our first practice when Mike [Bibby] got traded here,' Marvin Williams said. 'The previous point guards we had were guys that were more conservative and guys that were just trying to get the job done. Just like Mike, Jamal has that flash to his game that you don't really appreciate until you're out there with him.' "
• Ray Richardson of the Pioneer Press: "There's a training camp rule in the NBA that limits teams to one 'contact session' per day. Timberwolves assistant coach Bill Laimbeer is still trying to get used to the rule. After the Timberwolves completed Wednesday morning's practice at Bresnan Arena, Laimbeer sent a text message to his good friend and former Detroit Pistons teammate Joe Dumars, now the club's president of basketball operations. Laimbeer told Dumars the Wolves had a 'non-contact' practice. Laimbeer said Dumars replied: 'This is the new NBA, Billy.' For Laimbeer, a 6-foot-10 power forward who developed a notorious reputation for physical play during his 13-year NBA career, watching basketball for more than two hours with minimal contact is strange, if not absurd. 'We would scrimmage twice a day,' Laimbeer said of his training camp days with the Pistons. 'We would line up five on five, throw the ball up and play.' The rule, installed in 2005 to reduce injuries, limits teams to scrimmaging in either the morning or evening practice during camp. That leaves the other session for drills, conditioning and implementing new systems for offense and defense."
• Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press: "When Will Bynum was asked about this being a contract year, Kwame Brown leaned in and interrupted: 'He talks about it every day. 'I need to get mine. I need to get mine.' I hear him all the time saying that. I hear him. I tell him don't worry about all that, but he don't listen to me.' Bynum laughed and said: 'What's wrong with him?' Anyone who knows Bynum knows that the potential of a big payday will do little to change his approach. After kicking around the NBA, overseas and the NBA Development League for three years, he finally found stability with the Pistons. He started last season as the third point guard behind Chauncey Billups and Rodney Stuckey. But by the end of the season, the 5-foot-10 point guard finally proved he belonged in the NBA. After a summer of working out with noted fitness guru Tim Grover in Chicago -- alongside NBA stars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Gilbert Arenas -- Bynum is eager to build upon last year's success."
• K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune: "The last Bulls fans saw of Brad Miller, he was playing impact minutes down the stretch of the epic playoff series against the Celtics and getting knocked upside the head by Rajon Rondo. But don't feel sorry for the veteran center. The scam he pulled over the offseason endures. Miller got to travel the world filming footage for 'Country Boys Outdoors,' a new TV show he's co-hosting that premieres on The Sportsman's Channel this month. A self-described 'hick' from Kendallville, Ind., who long has been passionate about hunting and fishing, Miller found himself chuckling over his good fortune when he, say, hunted red stagg or rabbits in New Zealand. 'We've been filming stuff for over three years,' Miller said."
• Mike Wells of The Indianapolis Star: "Roy Hibbert may have ended last season as the Pacers starting center, but the second-year player has to continue to get better if he expects to start this season. Just as he did during the team's media day last week, coach Jim O'Brien said starting positions are up in the air (unless your last name is Granger, Ford or Murphy). If early indications mean anything, Solomon Jones is not going to just hand the starting job o
  ver to Hibbert. You can't blame Solo for thinking that way because it's not like he's playing on a team that's a lock to make the playoffs. 'I think it's wide open,' O'Brien said after practice Wednesday. 'It's not just between those two guys, Jeff (Foster) is also a possibility, too. I don't have any preconceived ideas of how that's going to play out. They're all going to get plenty of opportunities to get looks in game situations during the exhibition season.' "
• Charles F. Gardner of the Journal Sentinel : "The last time Ersan Ilyasova put on a Milwaukee Bucks uniform, he was a timid 19-year-old and still far from ready to contribute in a significant way. Now, more than two years later, the Turkish player is back with the Bucks and being counted on as an important part of coach Scott Skiles' power forward rotation. Following two seasons with Regal FC Barcelona, the 6-foot-9 Ilyasova actually looks the part of a National Basketball Association player. 'He's played competitively at a very high level,' Skiles said. 'Just look at his body; his body is filled out. He's got a nice skill set. Even when he played before here, he showed flashes of those skills. He could make threes. He can pass the ball; he's got nice length. He's been a good rebounder.' One other ingredient has been added to Ilyasova's game, a healthy helping of confidence. That comes from playing with one of the top clubs in Europe and also playing a starring role for Turkey's national team."
• Kerry Eggers of The Portland Tribune: "After missing virtually the entire 2008-09 season -- and the Trail Blazers' first sniff of the playoffs in six years -- with a stress fracture of the left foot, Martell Webster can't imagine there is a player on the Portland roster more eager for the team to return to the postseason. 'Not after experiencing what I experienced,' the fifth-year small forward says. 'It's one of the hardest things a professional athlete could go through -- to be there when a team wasn't good, and now that they've taken the turn and reached the playoffs, and you aren't a part of that? That leaves a bitter taste in your mouth. I'm hungry to get there again.' Webster has a new jersey number -- switching from 8 to 23 -- and a new lease on his career after going down with the foot injury in a preseason game a year ago. He tried to return on Dec. 7, playing five minutes against Toronto, before aggravating the injury and being forced to call it a season."

• Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News: "After missing 43 games last season -- including all of the playoffs -- with various ankle ailments, the prescription for Manu Ginobili's offseason included rest, rest and more rest. The one non-negotiable rule: No picking up a basketball. 'I guess they didn't trust my judgment,' Ginobili said. Ginobili arrived at training camp completely healed of the stress fracture in his right distal fibula that ended his season on April 5, and had transformed one of the league's most feared postseason performers into a helpless spectator for the Spurs' first-round playoff ouster against Dallas. Of all the additions the team made during the offseason, and there were many, the one they might be most excited about is a healthy Manu Ginobili. The Spurs were 36-12 with him in the lineup last season. They were 23-20 without him, including five playoff games. 'Hopefully, Manu will just be Manu,' Tony Parker said. The last time Ginobili took an entire Argentine winter off -- in 2007 -- he responded with the best season of his NBA career."
• Ramona Shelburne of the Los Angeles Daily News: "One thing about Tuesday's annual Lakers media day was downright shocking. As reporters, camera crews, radio producers and assorted other random people with handheld cameras positioned themselves to speak with the newest Laker -- Ron Artest -- and the newest Kardashian -- Lamar Odom -- the reigning Finals MVP walked onto the court with hardly anybody noticing. That would be Kobe Bryant, in case you've been too distracted watching the live feed of Odom's Sunday nuptials on TMZ's Web site. Two years ago, his entrance to the Lakers' practice facility meant the End of Days had been averted, with reporters stationed in the parking lot jotting down his exact arrival time after he spent the summer asking to play on Pluto. Last season, his was the only voice that carried much weight after the franchise recovered from a humiliating loss to the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. But this time around, Bryant looked like an extra on the set just trying to earn his SAG card. 'I love it,' he joked. 'It's cool and smooth.' Bryant, asked if he was grateful to Odom and Artest for taking the spotlight off of him, smiled and said, "I'll be thanking them all season long." He meant it as a joke, but no one will be laughing if any of the new, let's call it 'exposure,' becomes a distraction for the Lakers on the court."
• Sekou Smith of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "So much for taking it easy on his stitched-up fingers. Hawks forward Josh Smith was on the floor for all but the scrimmage portion of Tuesday's first training-camp practice. He did this after saying Monday that he would 'probably stay out of the mix' to keep the stitches between the index and middle fingers on his left hand out of harm's way. 'I've got a pad on there, and my fingers are separated with tape to keep it all safe and secure,' Smith said. 'I did some conditioning on the treadmill while they did the five-minute [scrimmage] drill, but other than that, I feel great. My body is in great shape, and nobody needs to be worried about anything. This was just a minor setback.' Smith gashed his hand two weeks ago during a pickup game at the Hawks' practice facility and needed seven stitches to close the cut."
• Mike Jones of The Washington Times: "The day before the Washington Wizards began their first training camp under Flip Saunders, Caron Butler said he was anxious to see how things would unfold. He never expected what awaited the Wizards at their team dinner Monday night. Saunders, a part-time magician, brought in John-Ivan Palmer, who calls himself 'The Fastest and Funniest Hypnotist,' to provide entertainment and a little team building. Palmer, upon whom Saunders called a few times during his days with the Minnesota Timberwolves, had several players join him on stage. He successfully hypnotized Nick Young, Mike James and Gilbert Arenas but couldn't quite get DeShawn Stevenson or Butler to fall under his spell. At one point, whenever the lights went off, Young galloped around the room on a balloon as if it were a horse. James couldn't remember his last name and barked like a dog every time he heard the word 'defeat.' Arenas couldn't open his hand and moved like he was using a hula hoop."
• Kate Fagan of The Philadelphia Inquirer: "When last season ended for the 76ers, it did so with inner turmoil that included players' claims of mismanagement. A month later, the team had a new head coach: Eddie Jordan. Yesterday at St. Joseph's University -- home of the Sixers' training camp -- Jordan began installing his standards for discipline, efficiency, and execution. 'He's very strict on things,' guard Lou Williams said. 'One of the main things, he stopped the drill and we had to tuck our shirts in, and I think that's the first time we've had a coach that's been so set in his ways. And I think the type of team that we are, we're going to need that. We're going to need our coach to be our leader, and it's going to have to transfer to the guys on the court.' The Sixers practiced twice yesterday. The morning session went three hours, and Jordan focused on defense. The night practice was dedicated to the Princeton offense, Jordan's pass-and-cut system."
• John Jackson of the Chicago Sun-Times: "Despite having offers elsewhere for more money and years, Jannero Pargo didn't hesitate to accept when the Bulls called over the summer and offered a one-year, $2 million deal. 'It's my city. I'm from here and I'm familiar with the organization,' he said. 'But most of all, I thought it was an opportunity for me to come in and help a team be a little more successful than it was last year. Things are moving in the right direction and I want to be a part of it.' Pargo, who played at Robeson, spent two-plus seasons with the Bulls from 2004 to 2006. Although he was always caught in a numbers game in a crowded backcourt then, Pargo was a valuable backup because he had the ability to come in and provide consistent scoring without consistent playing time. 'That's one of the pluses I bring to a team, just being ready at all times; not playing a game or two and being ready that third game when called upon,' he said."
• Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal: "Veteran guard Allen Iverson appeared to enjoy his new surroundings. The 34-year-old in his 14th season sang whenever there were stops in the action, yet went through every drill with high energy or in game mode. 'I still hate (training camp),' Iverson said, laughing. 'But if you can get through training camp, it makes it easier to get through the season. ... It's different because I'm the oldest one in here. I feel like one of the coaches.' The Grizzlies' first scrimmage during the morning session had Ive
  rson working with the second unit. Gay, Zach Randolph, Mike Conley, O.J. Mayo and Marc Gasol made up the first team. Hollins cautioned not to read too much into early lineup combinations. He told the team that the players who started last season begin camp in starting roles."
• Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune: "When asked if Kevin McHale's approach with him in particular benefitted him last season or if it was too conservative, Kevin Love answered simply, 'Too conservative.' He also admitted he reported to his first training camp a year ago this week in no shape for such a long professional season. 'Absolutely not,' Love said. 'I'm 20 pounds less coming into camp than I was last year. It took me a month and a half, two months to get into shape last season. Coming into training camp in shape this year really is going to help me in the long run.' Wolves new basketball boss David Kahn calls Love 'remarkably sleeker.' New coach Kurt Rambis terms Love's physical condition 'OK' and 'good enough' for what Rambis will expect from him on a team instructed to run, run, run this season."
• Howard Beck of The New York Times: "Danilo Gallinari's scouting report came to life Tuesday night, with dunks, deft passes and fluid moves. From the sideline, Mike D'Antoni could only smile and try not to get carried away. It was just one training-camp scrimmage, the Knicks' first of 2009. But watching a healthy, energetic Gallinari run the floor and make plays underlined what D'Antoni, the Knicks' coach, has been saying all along: the kid can play. 'I'm excited,' D'Antoni said. 'I'll try to tone it down. But you see that he knows how to play.' The superlatives and expectations keep growing for Gallinari, the sixth overall pick in the 2008 draft. He showed no signs of discomfort in Tuesday's two practices, or any indication that he had undergone minor back surgery five months ago. He did, however, show off his full range of skills while playing with the first unit in the evening scrimmage."
• Al Iannazzone of The Record: "The Nets opened training camp Tuesday not worried about who they lost or who might be coming next season but how they can make something of the 2009-10 campaign. To a man, the Nets talked about proving wrong the critics who picked them to be awful, and doing it with defense. It was so stressed that when coach Lawrence Frank was asked when he would put some new offensive plays in he replied, 'We're not doing offense.' So many things have to go right for the Nets to have an unexpectedly successful season, and everything starts with point guard Devin Harris. Vince Carter's trade to Orlando in June means the Nets are Harris' team. 'I like the sound of it,' Harris said after the first practice. 'You put your mark on it, your personality on it. It's not so much talking about it or voicing it but leading by example.' Who would fill the leadership void was of major concern but Harris, 26, seems ready to take the next step in his NBA development."
• Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer: "Raja Bell said the core group all being together this preseason should instill some continuity the team lacked. Bell agrees with Mohammed that there's enough talent to reach the playoffs. But he acknowledges the margin for error is small because of the absence of a superstar. 'If you have a Kobe Bryant or a LeBron James, you can get away with a little less continuity,' Bell said. 'When you have a team of guys who are all good players, but no guy who is going to the free-throw line 27 times a night, you have to play together. That's going to be the beauty of us all being in the same training camp (following a season of roster churn). And Larry Brown is the perfect guy to navigate us through those waters early.' "
• Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune: "The ice man cometh to Cajun country. And it was a good thing. After a first-day workout that lasted a little more than 3 1/2 hours, the Hornets' training and equipment staff was busy distributing more than 40 ice bags to the 17 players in training camp. 'More than a normal day,' equipment manager David Jovanovic said of the total number of swelling-reducing packs used Tuesday. All-Star forward David West sat on the sideline of Louisiana-Lafayette's Moncla Indoor Practice Facility with a bag on his back, one on each knee, and one on his left hamstring. All-Star guard Chris Paul had both knees iced. Rookie No. 1 draft pick Darren Collison walked around with ice attached to the back of each calf. Forward Julian Wright had his knees and calves iced down. 'As advertised,' Collison said of his first day in an NBA camp. 'We were cramping a little bit, but it's something you just have to push through.' "
• Michael Grange of the Globe and Mail: "Jay Triano has instituted a policy of no phones or computers for those watching practice, a ban that extends to team president Bryan Colangelo, who admitted that he was going through withdrawal after going nearly two hours without using his Blackberry. Colangelo said he's allowed to check his messages, but if he needs to respond to one, he has to leave the gym. The idea is that time in the gym should be spent on basketball; if other business needs to be done, it's less distracting if it's taken care of elsewhere, Colangelo said."
• Chris Dempsey of The Denver Post: "In the backdrop of the possibility of George Karl getting a contract extension with the Denver Nuggets this season is a milestone that would make it all worth the hassle. 1,000 wins. Friends and family have already broached the subject of Karl staying in the NBA at least until the mark is reached. 'There's some summer talk every once in a while about winning 1,000 that my kids have kind of joked with and some of my friends feel it would be a great mark,' Karl said. 'It means I'm an old (guy) that's coached a lot of games and have had some good teams.' "
• Ross Siler of The Salt Lake Tribune: "If he is at all concerned about the reception that awaits him at EnergySolutions Arena, Carlos Boozer wasn't letting on Tuesday, just two days before the Jazz will host Denver in their preseason opener. 'I haven't thought about it at all, to be honest,' Boozer said. 'I'm looking forward to playing, looking forward to proving a lot to everybody, to myself, and getting back to being an All-Star player.' Back for a sixth season in Utah, Boozer will be making his first appearance Thursday before Jazz fans since conducting a series of offseason interviews in which he pushed for a trade, even naming Chicago and Miami as preferred destinations. With the Jazz having opted to bring him back, Boozer was asked if he thought fans eventually would be supportive. 'Honestly, I don't know,' he said. 'I hope they support me. I hope the fans support me. I love our fans. I hope they know that I'm happy to be here, love being here. I'm going to bust my tail for them and give them everything I've got and prove everything on the court.' "
• Israel Gutierrez of The Miami Herald: "For those who thought the Dwyane Wade Show reached its climax last season, it's safe to say they will be pleasantly surprised. It hardly is a stretch to consider that Wade will be better than last year. In his seventh year, Bryant's scoring average jumped almost five points to 30 a game. Wade is entering his seventh season. Want to compare ages instead of experience? Fine. When Bryant was 27, he had his best statistical season, averaging a ridiculous 35.4 points. Wade begins this season at age 27. 'This is the prime of his career,' Spoelstra said. 'He's [27] years old and he'll never have times like this again when he gets older. This is what players want to play at, when they have the experience but also the athleticism and quickness. I think he can play at this level for another four, five, six years.' Now that makes sense."

• LeBron James, would you rather win five titles in other cities, or one title in Cleveland? Ask Ohio's Ron Harper, who never got the one in Cleveland, and would kill for it.
• Who's pumped up for training camp to start? Blazer assistant Monty Williams on training camp, as reported by Oregon Sports Live: "It's like digging a ditch. It's not that exciting."
• Does the reality of Twitter, and a world where players talk to fans unfiltered, increase the importance of good character? Sixer GM Ed Stefanski says yes, and he's probably largely right. Reclusive weirdos will take a hit. But I'm not sure character is exactly the thing being measured. Maybe more communication skills, or charisma. No one has had more Twitter success than Shaquille O'Neal, but teams collapse all around him, and he's famously not a hard worker. Is he a character guy? Not so much. But he's funny.
• If Marc Stein's looking glum today, it's because his most recent soccer tour of Great Britain just ended.
• A fascinating discussion of zone defense, and its effect on the NBA.
  
• Basketball fans who feel the need to learn more about Russia all of a sudden, I'd recommend that you start here, with some fascinating insight into the world of international soft drinks. (Yes, I had to work really really hard to find a way to justify linking to this on a basketball blog.)
• What is the Bulls' strength? One appears to be the bench.
• The 2007-2008 Celtics were one of the best defensive teams in NBA history.
• A while ago, I wrote a post about how Kobe Bryant was loved for his destructive qualities (mostly of opponents, but also the rim), while I think his genius is in building ... houses, and teams. Well, the destructive part makes for better video, like this monster by a TrueHoop reader.
• UPDATE: Many short videos of LeBron James being silly when he was in high school.

• Harvey Araton of The New York Times: "Legal challenges and N.B.A. vetting hurdles remain before 80 percent ownership of the Nets shifts from Bruce C. Ratner to Prokhorov. Then it would take at least two years for them to move from New Jersey and become the Brooklyn Nets. If and when, the Nets will matter in a way they have only dreamed of since they were born in 1967 as the New Jersey Americans of the American Basketball Association, cash-poor and attention-starved. Suddenly, the team that has been slumming in the shadows of the Manhattan skyline is a few notarized documents from initiating a fierce intracity rivalry with the Knicks. The franchise that has long symbolized suburban sterility could become a central player in Commissioner David Stern's global basketball crusade. In Cleveland, a make-or-break mandate to retain LeBron James seemed a prime motivation for the Cavaliers to partner up with Chinese investors, who agreed to purchase 15 percent of the team last May. In northern New Jersey, Ratner's dire team finances and inability to raise capital during the recession were jeopardizing the Brooklyn arena and vast housing development. Whatever the circumstances, Stern's march on the world appears to have developed a free-flowing reverse commute."
• Alan Hahn of Newsday: "Sure, Larry Hughes and Al Harrington are technically the elders of the locker room, but David Lee and Nate Robinson are both home-grown talents who should start taking it upon themselves to set the example for the new crop -- Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Jordan Hill and Toney Douglas -- and take greater responsibility in the culture change that still needs to take place in the Knick locker room. It is up to them to set the standard, to raise the level of play and to enforce accountability. ... It is up to them to sacrifice stats for wins, which you can expect because Donnie Walsh cleverly decided to add that $1M bonus if the team makes the playoffs. You want to see a guy hold his teammates accountable? Put a million bucks on the table and he'll make sure everyone around him is playing just as hard as he is. Cutting corners costs him money. Honestly, this is the way all contracts should be structured in the NBA. Bonuses should be a combination of player performance in relation to team performance (it seems so obvious). That way, everybody wins."
• Richard Justice of the Houston Chronicle: "I don't know about you, but when I first saw the Rockets' new jerseys, I thought back to championship celebrations and the night Rudy T. took the microphone and talked about the heart of a champion. I thought of Dream and Clyde and Kenny and all the rest. I didn't even live here at the time, but I covered the games and know it was the most special era sports fan have had in this city. To some, they were the ugliest uniforms ever created. Remember ketchup and mustard? To others, though, they represent something special in their lives. How about the night Dream took David Robinson and his MVP trophy and stuffed it in the basket? How about Mario Elie and the Kiss of Death? How about the celebration that spilled onto Richmond?"
• Mike Wells of The Indianapolis Star: "The final product -- a respected franchise in the community and a legitimate title contender on the court -- is far from finished. Larry Bird knows it. And that's why the Hall of Fame forward has no intention of stepping away until he puts on at least an All-Star performance as president of the Indiana Pacers. Bird's contract expires after this season, but team owner Herb Simon has made it clear he wants him to return. Bird, entering his second year with full control of basketball operations, is slowly rebuilding a team that has endured its toughest stretch in decades. His method isn't ordinary, either. Acquiring talent -- no team wins without it -- took a back seat to high-character players after a 2004 brawl at Detroit and subsequent off-court incidents altered the way the fans viewed some players. 'I said when I took over that we were going to change the culture, and I think we've done that,' Bird said while sitting in his office, just days before the Pacers open camp Saturday. 'Now it's putting the pieces of the puzzle together to get the type of team I want here and it ain't going to happen overnight. It's a process, and we said it's going to be three years and we feel we're still on course.' "
• John Jackson of the Chicago Sun-Times: "This season, even though Derrick Rose doesn't turn 21 until Oct. 4, there's no reason for him to defer to anyone. In fact, Rose being consistently more aggressive on the offensive end is one way the Bulls are hoping to make up for the loss of Gordon's production -- and that includes becoming the team's go-to scorer at the end of games. We certainly saw during Game 1 of the Boston series that Rose is capable of scoring in bunches and dominating a game when he puts his mind to it. Frankly, he was unstoppable, and the Celtics didn't know what to do as the Bulls pulled off the 105-103 shocker. While I wouldn't expect Rose to match his gaudy numbers from that night (36 points and 11 assists) on a regular basis, I believe he can bounce back from a couple of off-the-court controversies in the spring and summer to average better than 20 points and seven assists -- and make a serious push at becoming the Bulls' first All-Star since the Jordan era. Losing Gordon actually could accelerate Rose's development because he won't be worried about getting Gordon shots. For the Bulls to take a step up, Rose has to grab the reins and become the on-court leader, but this is far from a one-man team, and there's plenty of talent around."
• Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post: "With the exception of 'The Godfather, Part II' and Frank Fox's second daughter Megan, sequels are seldom scintillating. But your hometown Nuggets hope they are en route to an encore, beginning training camp this weekend following their best season since the Reagan administration. Naturally there have been whispers about the Nuggets all summer, some from doubters -- the Lakers, Spurs, Mavericks and Trail Blazers all got better -- and believers -- Denver was the No. 2 playoff seed in the West last year, so teams are simply trying to catch up with them. Indeed, the Nuggets didn't make any roster overhauls or sign any marquee names, Chris "The Birdman" Andersen notwithstanding. Instead, Denver has tried to keep its payroll, again, around the luxury-tax line, and hope that will be sufficient in the ever-wild West."
• Michael Wallace of The Miami Herald: "Seven months ago, he was widely viewed as the low-post presence who would balance the roster and get the Heat back into deep playoff contention. And if it didn't work out, he would simply be reduced to another O'Neal with a bloated contract the Heat would look forward to dumping for financial relief and roster revitalization. Today, with the start of training camp approaching in mere hours, Jermaine O'Neal is a
  man who finds himself in the middle of those two distinction. The Heat's success largely depends on Dwyane Wade's health and hunger. Miami's improvement from last season will be based mainly on the second-year growth of Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers. But the team's ultimate finish in the playoffs - assuming things work out as expected and the Heat falls somewhere between the 5th and 7th seeds -- could hinge on the joints in O'Neal's troublesome knees and his ability provide a productive and proficient anchor in the middle of the starting lineup."
• Ross Siler of The Salt Lake Tribune: "With apologies to the Ringling Bros.' clowns, tigers and elephants at EnergySolutions Arena this weekend, Carlos Boozer will be the ringmaster of a circus all his own today when the Jazz open training camp. Against all odds, Boozer will return for a sixth season in Utah, after the former All-Star forward decided on June 30 against opting for free agency only to campaign weeks later for a trade. Instead of heading to training camp with Chicago, Miami or any of the other teams to which he was linked, Boozer finds himself back with the Jazz, returning to familiar if not necessarily friendly surroundings. Along with Boozer, the Jazz will bring back 11 players from last season's 48-34 team that stumbled to an eighth-place finish in the Western Conference and was eliminated by the L.A. Lakers from the first round of the playoffs in five games."
• Martin Frank of The News Journal: "New coach Eddie Jordan admitted that the players might not feel comfortable in the offense until 'late in the season.' So Jordan's course on Princeton Offense 101 can't begin soon enough for him or the players. The main lesson, according to Jordan, is simply: 'To see. We have to see what's available on the floor. It's a read and deliver offense. We try to train our players, 'What do you see when you have the ball? What do you see when you don't have the ball? There is a reaction to an action. When that action takes place, what do you see? Do you see a handoff or a jump shot? Or do you see a backdoor cut for a layup? Do you see a man open in the post? And if you do, what kind of cut will you use when you feed him? Repetition is the mother of all learning. We will do it every day. We'll teach them how to see.' That's why Jordan insists the Sixers don't need a true point guard, that Lou Williams can succeed there even though he has never started a game in his previous four seasons. Jordan said guard/forward Andre Iguodala could start the offense as well. 'We'll have guards doing forward things and forwards doing guard things,' Jordan said."
• Dave Sheinin of The Washington Post: "From the comfort of his home, Kenny Anderson, who didn't know his own father until his early 30s, contemplated the blessings of fatherhood and beamed. In the faces of his kids, he could see the evidence of his own past mistakes -- the womanizing, the failed marriages, the hollow attempts at fatherhood he made during a 14-year NBA career that ended in 2005. But over the course of those few amazing, late-summer weeks, he could also see the seeds of his new beginning, a new chapter for Kenny Anderson -- now a 38-year-old, full-time, stay-at-home father to Kenny Jr. and Tiana, and an aspiring college basketball coach who wants nothing more than to distance himself from those past failures as a father, as a husband, as a man. The magnitude of the moment absolutely blew him away. 'It was awesome,' Anderson says. 'Now they could all see how their daddy really is. They can see for themselves. . . . I'm involved in their lives, all of them, but this was the first time I got all of them together. My mother, she'd be rolling over in her grave, she'd be so happy.' "

• Joe Fingerhut, a young man from St. Louis, whose dad raised him on loving the Celtics, decided to take his dad to a Celtics/Pacers game for Christmas. As a special treat, Joe wrote all kinds of letters, e-mails and faxes basically begging to be able to have a minute of Larry Bird's time; the game would be a dream come true if they could meet the Legend while there. Eventually, Fingerhut writes in a great retelling of the whole happy tale on his blog, the phone rang: "Hello, this is Joe. Hi Joe, this is Larry Bird of the Indiana Pacers. (Silence--breathless, out of breath, unable to speak, not thinking. . .) Hello? YES! I am here, hi! Are you serious?)
• This fall, the Supreme Court will hear a court case called American Needle vs. the NFL. I read a lot of stuff about it, so you don't have to! The skinny: It could affect the NBA in various profound ways. At issue is whether a major sports league like the NFL or the NBA is one entity, or a collection of individual entities. If it's one thing, then that entity enjoys exemption from anti-trust law, which empowers the NBA to impose things like age limits without fearing certain kinds of lawsuits. Michael McCann makes a fascinating point, however ... if the NBA is one entity, then NBA players may be entitled to a percentage of revenues from ventures like NBA China.
• What we learned about NBA prospects from watching Eurobasket.
• Ben from BlazersEdge: "When asked about his team's offensive efficiency, Pritchard smiled and pointed at ESPN's John Hollinger, stating that Hollinger was 'the expert in the world' when it came to efficiency. In my opinion, not enough reporters chuckled knowingly in appreciation at this insider hat tip."
• Thanks to that old shin injury, Tyler Hansbrough won't be 100% for training camp.
  
• Vlade Divac, quoted by Marc Stein: "People here [in America] are making a big deal about ring or no ring. I was playing against the Lakers and I remember someone [in the crowd] shouted, 'How many rings you got?' I told him one. He looked at me [funny], so I said, 'I got one in '89 when I got married, I got a ring from my wife.' That's the most important thing."
• James White, dunk machine bench-warmer, is a Nugget.
• Oklahoma City Thunder, the hedge maze.
  
• Everyone is very excited about the Nets' new potential owner. Me too! While I am against a lot of the shenanigans involving eminent domain and the arena, I'm fired up to see the Nets create a lot of excitement. Just one little consideration, for NBA owners, 23 of whom must approve the sale: In welcoming the richest "oligarch" to the NBA ranks, kindly reassure me that Mikhail Prokhorov is not one of those Russian power brokers whose enemies in the press seem to get murdered? I'm kidding. Mostly. And, some are worried about all the public subsidies in that stadium project potentially paying off to a foreign corporation.
  
• High hopes for Jrue Holiday.
• Is that Gilbert Arenas in that photograph? My answer: No. Certainly not. That's no NBA physique.
• What do stromtroopers do on their days off? A photo essay. Looks to me like they're rehearsing to be an NBA halftime show. (Via Kottke)

Posted by Kevin Arnovitz

• Howard Beck revisits 1995, when replacement refs took to the hardwood and the grass was vividly greener for the players: "The games got messy. The players got antsy. They wanted their old referees back - the same ones who, in any other season, would be the targets of their fury."
• Kurt Helin of Forum Blue & Gold tries to answer a pertinent question: "How do you fit Artest into the Triangle?"
• Brandt Andersen, dynamic owner of the D-League's Utah Flash, wants to see a Michael Jordan-Byron Russell charity game. (Hat Tip: McHale)
• The 76ers unveil their new (old) jerseys with Elton Brand on the podium showing off the gear. With today's event, Brand has now officially logged more minutes as human mannequin than power forward for Philadelphia. 
  
• Using a win shares-based system, Basketball Reference projects win totals for the 2009-10 season. The system is relatively bullish on Utah, Dallas and Toronto, and frowns on Miami, Washington and the Clips.
• Bret LaGree of Hoopinion poses a direct question to Hawks fans: "What is the argument to support the opinion that the Hawks will win more games than last year?"
  
• Everything you could ever want to know about Lawrence Funderburke. Among the curisoties, Funderburke wrote a book titled "Hook Me Up, Playa!" Even more curious is the author of the book's foreword -- Cubs manager Lou Piniella.
  
• Basketbawful's Idiom of the Day: Pickup Revisionism (pik'-up ri-vizh'-uhn-iz'-uhm) noun. The conscious or unconscious distortion of specific events that occurred during a pickup basketball game such that certain elements of a player's performance appear in a more or less favorable light. Pickup Revisionism appeals to the intellect using a number of techniques to advance a view. These techniques include presenting false memories as genuine, inventing reasons for distrusting accurate accounts of the game, attributing their own conclusions to other players, manipulating statistics to support their views, and deliberately misinterpreting other players' statements.

• Brett at Queen City Hoops blogger has built, from scratch, a trade machinish thing that analyzes a players' offensive and defensive efficiency, and then lets you see how a team's performance would change with different player in his place. It's like the trade machine, without the salary concerns, but loaded up with stat geekery. Give it a whirl -- he's looking for feedback.
• I always love it when Chris Douglas-Roberts talks about basketball. He talks a beautiful game. Hope it proves to be that he plays one in the NBA too. He says that he had nice tickets to the Jay-Z concert, but passed it up to go to the gym. Of course, however, what really caught my attention in his blog post was word that he has bengal kittens who have already destroyed part of his house. My first thought: BENGAL TIGERS! IS HE NUTS? But YouTube has the answers: Bengal cats are house-sized, crazy strong cats.
• Sean May says he took six days off at the beginning of the summer, but he has been "grinding ever since." Some video of the Kings' optional workouts going on now.
• Brian Scalabrine spent much of the off-season avoiding basketball, for fear of another concussion.
• Delonte West is in Cleveland, and has met with the Cavs. Worth noting, however, that he is facing two gun charges, despite his three guns. Turns out the shotgun in the guitar case is A-OK.
• Weird staged hype-machine basketball event, starring LeBron James, in France.
• Last week I linked to this and wondered aloud if any NBA teams would adopt "value pricing." Bingo.
• A basketball blog with its own preview magazine. Hmm ...
• Andre Iguodala says his cable bill is now paid, and he's tweeting from a three-hour physical.