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Tim Hardaway Jr. experienced the less glamorous side of the N.B.A. this month when the Knicks went on a barnstorming tour of New England and beyond. The team played three games in four nights, starting in Providence, R.I., where the visitors’ locker room seemed to be the size of a cubicle. It continued to Toronto, where a video of a Hardaway dunk went viral. It wrapped up in Manchester, N.H., where the road took its toll and the team looked sluggish.

“It was a learning experience,” said Hardaway, a first-year shooting guard.

With renovations continuing at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks have become vagabonds once again this preseason. On Monday, the team will make its second trip to Toronto for an exhibition against the Raptors before heading to Green Bay, Wis., for a game on Wednesday against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Knicks’ lone preseason appearance at the Garden will not come until Friday, when they host the Charlotte Bobcats.

It might not be an ideal situation — “It’s O.K.,” Coach Mike Woodson said — but at least the Knicks have company. In fact, N.B.A. teams are collectively logging more than 200,000 miles of preseason travel to destinations as diverse as Biloxi, Miss., and Istanbul.

All that traveling can create challenges for coaching staffs that would prefer to focus on evaluating personnel and devising offenses. But the league increasingly sees the preseason as vital for spreading the N.B.A. gospel at home and abroad.

Consider that 28 percent of the N.B.A.’s games this preseason are being played at nonleague locations. For example, the Knicks’ appearances in New Hampshire and in Rhode Island were home games for the Boston Celtics. Just two of the Celtics’ eight preseason games are being staged at TD Garden.

At the same time, the Knicks’ peripatetic schedule, covering about 3,070 miles, has been a breeze compared with the globe-trotting of other teams. The Oklahoma City Thunder played two games in Europe this month. The Houston Rockets and the Indiana Pacers faced each other in the Philippines and in Taiwan. Most recently, the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers had a two-game swing through China.

Those exhibitions were all part of what the league has branded the N.B.A. Global Games: eight preseason and two regular-season games featuring 12 teams in seven countries. Commissioner David Stern said the league’s overseas adventures required an extraordinary amount of planning.

“But they’re our attempt to grow the game,” said Stern, who added that the league was “serious about bringing this sport to the greatest number of people.”

League officials seem well aware that the travel can be a drain. Upon arriving in China last week, Adam Silver, the league’s deputy commissioner and chief operating officer, reflected on his 24-hour trip from Rio de Janeiro, where the Washington Wizards played the Chicago Bulls on Oct. 12. “I look forward to the next generation of airplanes,” he said.

Wizards Coach Randy Wittman said his team enjoyed its trip to Brazil. Many of the players took their families along.

“We were basically together 24/7,” Wittman said. “It was a good time to sit down and get to know families, which we don’t have an opportunity to do that often.”

No team will wind up traveling more during the preseason than the Pacers: roughly 19,770 miles, based on an analysis of their schedule. The Celtics (2,060) and the Nets (2,310) have the lightest schedules. It is all relative, of course.

As for the Knicks, they dealt with the same issue last year, playing all six of their preseason games on the road, though it did not seem to have an adverse effect on their preparation for the regular season. They won 54 games and advanced past the opening round of the playoffs for the first time since 2000.

Their preseason excursions have also been a boon for arenas — and secondary markets — that seldom have the opportunity to host N.B.A. games. The Knicks’ game on Thursday against the Wizards had an announced attendance of 12,376, a sellout, at Baltimore Arena, a 51-year-old building that has seen brighter days.

The game required substantial preparations by the arena’s staff. Frank Remesch, the arena’s general manager, said his crew had refurbished the court, installed new backboards and replaced both 45-second clocks. On game day, Remesch approached Woodson after the Knicks’ morning shootaround and asked if the accommodations were suitable.

“He said it was perfect, so that meant a lot,” Remesch said.

Many of the improvements were necessary because the arena had not staged an N.B.A. game since the Washington Bullets played several home games there in the 1990s. Remesch also recalled an exhibition appearance by the Chicago Bulls when Michael Jordan was in his prime. At the time, Remesch was concerned because the court sat on a sheet of hockey ice. Sure enough, there was condensation on the court the morning of the game.

“I was thinking, Oh, my God. I don’t want to be part of the facility that rips Michael Jordan’s A.C.L. out,” Remesch said.

By afternoon, the weather had cooled and the game was uneventful. Jordan’s knees remained intact.

The Knicks’ visit was similarly drama-free. Carmelo Anthony, who grew up in Baltimore, was treated like royalty, and the Knicks won. And it was another win for the N.B.A. in its October push to markets big and small.

“Everybody and his brother came out for the game,” Remesch said. “It was more than just basketball. It was an event.”



www-nytimes-com/2013/10/21/sports/basketball/from-biloxi-to-istanbul-in-global-nba-html?_r=0

Both the NFL and the NBA want to grow their customer base and increase profits by generating additional exploding revenue streams. But while the NFL is playing games in Europe, with high costs of players and venues, the NBA growth international model is more focused on a sleek social media plan - and it is executing at a prolific rate.

The NFL has two games in Europe this season. The first was in Week 4. It next promotes its brand with a game where the Jacksonville Jaguars host the San Francisco 49ers. Making the Jaguars the host team is not exactly model branding. The Jaguars are the worst team in the NFL right now. They were not much better last year. It's not just that they are 0-7 this season. It's also that they are the most inept offensive team in the NFL. They have scored 76 points the entire season, while giving up 222 points. On their home field, they have scored but 3 touchdowns. That does not bode well for how they will play in Europe. Unfortunately for the League, the most exciting brand promotion here and abroad is offense- the one commodity the Jaguars have yet to dsicover this season. As one local sports show host put it, "we have an offense without the "o".

Then there are other cost and slow growth factors. The NFL has strengthened its commitment and cost by announcing a third game for 2014. The very same sad Jaguars will have a home game at Wembley Stadium next year. They are so sad this year I dare say it will take more than next year for them to dig out of the talent deficit they now face. So that is yet another potential lopsided game and un-branding occasion for the NFL in Europe. Next year's other two teams are the Atlanta Falcons and Oakland Raiders, both of whom should be able to hold a respectable banner. But they still represent significant costs without immediate returns.

On the one hand there are encouraging signs of an NFL future in Europe. This season's Week 4 game with the Minnesota Vikings' qualitative 34-27 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers attracted more than 83,000 fans to Wembley.

But I am underwhelmed by the NFL's optimism. The NFL's website made its case for European connectivity with the NFL. It said: "Evidence of the NFL's growing popularity can be seen in British-born Menelik Watson, Jack Crawford and Lawrence Okoye all entered the league in the past two years." Hmm: 3 players in 2 years. There are as many as 1,900 players at a given time on NFL rosters. That is not much of a matriculation, especially since we have had this Wembley Stadium experiment now since 2007. Better evidence is what the NBA can reveal about international interest. NBA fans proliferate in foreign countries when their self-identified countrymen are playing. The NFL has a long way to go to get that critical mass of foreign players. Yet it will have continually higher costs during the holding period.

The NBA on the other hand has a less costly and potentially far more dynamic way of getting its product to foreign markets. Keep the games where it is cost effective here in the states, and just execute on a social media blitz internationally. You can do that when you have a critical mass of foreign players in the league. There was record high number of international players on opening-night rosters of the NBA teams last season. Thirty seven different countries and territories were represented.

China is one such country, with former and current big name NBA players. To capitalize on that China fandom, the NBA has expanded its social media joint ventures. Just last week, the NBA contracted with the internet media company SINA Corp. for what has been described as an "unprecedented access to NBA content on multiple SINA platforms."

The NBA had already connected in more meaningful ways with China than the NFL has accomplished in Europe. Former All Star player Yao Ming has announced his first NBA Yao School in Beijing. The goodwill of offering its after-school basketball training and fitness programs for kids up to the age of 16 is beyond attendance of a game a few times a year at Wembley stadium. And that Ming - NBA program starts in February 2014.

The real point of contrasting the NBA and NFL circles back around to money. The NBA's social media explosion is already here. The NBA asserts that it is the first US pro league to offer specific destinations for all of its teams online and via mobile. The NBA already can claim that last three NBA seasons have brought a record 16 billion page views and 9 billion video views on NBA.com/China. In just the 2012 season alone, page views increased by more than 40% and videos nearly 180% on the site from the prior year. The NFL is not as successful in the social platforms internationally. Without a critical mass of foreign players, it will be hard to match the NBA.

And then there is expanded live streaming from our own domestic enterprises. They too are a source for international growth. The NBA is likely to be the first of the major professional leagues to have live streaming in local team markets. The NBA has deals in the works with TV Everywhere. That entity has arrangements with Fox Media Group and NBC Sports, which are the two largest owners of regional sports networks. Fox already has contractual relationships with 16 NBA teams. Importantly, these deals incorporate game viewing through broadband or mobile. It is only a matter of time before those ventures blossom overseas. Those fans of the NBA in China who are already familiar by the millions with mobile may be watching the NBA in the millions. That will generate billions in license TV rights, all while the NFL is playing football in Europe with 3 Europeans over 2 years and my beloved Jaguars playing in a touchdown-free zone.

The NFL is surely the most successful professional league in the United States. It is quite saturated here. So its growth is internationally. The profits will follow the growth. From what I can tell, the NBA is ahead on points and likely

Smell that? It's the scent of NBA general manager surveys. They're in the air, and they're better than love.

As it has done for the past 11 years, NBA-com polled all 30 of the league's general managers. I must say, lucky No. 12 was a doozy.

General managers were asked to answer an array of forward-thinking questions related to teams, players, coaches and so much more. There still aren't any questions on tanking, which needs to change, but overall, these surveys are a breath of fresh air.

Which team will win the championship in 2014? Who's the best at their position? Which offseason moves were the most productive?

Perspectives from the suits above are invaluable. They're paid to build the rosters, to shape the answers of these questions every year. What they have to say, or in this case write, is worth far more than your average bar-stool conversation.


Pictures: Biggest Takeaways from Annual NBA General Manager Survey | Bleacher Report

NBA owners unanimously voted to restore the NBA Finals format to 2-2-1-1-1, starting this season, and replacing the 2-3-2 format which had been used since 1985.

Instead of the team with home-court court advantage getting the first two games of the Finals at home and possibly the last two at home and the opposing team playing the three middle games at home, the team with home-court advantage now will get the first two at home, the opponent the next two at home and the teams will alternate cities for Games 5, 6 and 7 if necessary.

NBA Commissioner David Stern — in his final meeting with owners as commissioner before he steps aside on Feb. 1 after 30 years — announced the move Wednesday at the conclusion of the league's two-day Board of Governors meetings. "There has been," Stern said, "an abiding sense amongst our teams, and they've stated two things: One, in a 2-2 series, it's sort of not fair for the team with the better record to be away. And two, it's difficult for the team — the better team in terms of record to spend as many as eight days on the road away from home.

"So for all those considerations and many others, the Competition Committee voted, it was explained to the owners, and they voted to make the change."

The first three rounds of the playoffs follow the 2-2-1-1-1 format.

NBA president of basketball operations Rod Thorn made the presentation to owners, and the plan had the strong support of Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver who will take over for Stern in February.

If the Finals goes seven games, there will be an extra day between Games 6 and 7. For example, if Game 6 is on a Tuesday, Game 7 will be on Friday.

Concern about the team with home-court advantage playing Game 5 on the road was one of the stronger points the competition committee made to owners. Since 1985, the Finals have been tied 2-2 11 times, and the winner of Game 5 has won the championship eight times.

"There was certainly a sense from the basketball people that it was unfair that you didn't have home-court advantage for a pivotal Game 5," Silver said.

Several cross-country Finals in the 1970s and early 1980s gave Stern and owners reason to consider changing the format. Remember, that was at a time when teams flew on commercial airlines rather than the team charter planes used today.

After Stern became commissioner in 1984, owners decided to implement the 2-3-2 format, easing the travel grind for players, NBA staffers, news reporters and TV crews. Stern recalled then-Boston Celtics general manager Red Auerbach complaining about the travel to and from Los Angeles for the Finals.

Though the team with home-court advantage is 21-8 since 1985, there was concern that home-court advantage isn't much of a home-court advantage in the 2-3-2 format if the teams split the first two games and the team without home-court advantage gets the next three games on its home court.

In 2011, the Miami Heat had home-court advantage in the Finals but lost to the Dallas Mavericks in six games, and in 2012, the Oklahoma City Thunder had home-court advantage and lost to the Heat in five games.

Silver said the format change won't likely change the outcome — the team with home court still has a significant edge — but it could possibly extend the length of series. The NBA looked at the length of series in 2-2-1-1-1 formats and 2-3-2 formats and found that "you're more likely in a 2-2-1-1-1 format to get a Game 7," Silver said, "but you're not more likely to get a different outcome."

A longer series is good for NBA business.




NBA Finals schedule format change approved

Five players to watch for during the 2013-14 National Basketball Association (NBA) season that begins on Oct. 29.

1. DERRICK ROSE (CHICAGO BULLS)

After missing last season while rehabilitating an ACL that was torn in the previous campaign, Rose returns with question marks over how quickly he can get back to his best. There are no question marks, however, over the 25-year-old guard’s talent.

The NBA’s Rookie of the Year in 2009 and Most Valuable Player in 2011, Rose quickly established himself as one of the league’s most exciting point guards before his ACL injury. A thrilling sight when in full flow, the Bulls are not the only ones hoping to see a fully fit Rose thrive again.

2. BLAKE GRIFFIN (LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS)

An All-Star in each of his three NBA seasons, the former first overall draft pick noted for his spectacular dunks is a brilliant, athletic power forward who has been a large part of the Clippers rise in fortunes the past two seasons.

Griffin averaged 18 points per game along with 8.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists last season while helping the Clippers to a franchise-high 56-win regular season.

With a wide range of skills and superb physical ability, it will be fascinating to see how Griffin further develops under new Clippers coach Doc Rivers, a veteran who led the Boston Celtics to a pair of Eastern Conference championships and the 2008 NBA title.

3. ANDREI KIRILENKO (BROOKLYN NETS)

The veteran Russian forward took a massive pay cut when he opted out of his contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves to join the Nets during the offseason, bolstering a team that was already considered one of the best and deepest in the NBA.

The 32-year-old versatile forward has been to the playoffs six times and will be a massive boost to the Nets bench as he gives the team the luxury of keeping veterans and Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce from playing heavy minutes.

Kirilenko is a lockdown defender coming off a rejuvenating campaign in which he averaged 12.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game for the Minnesota Timberwolves, his best NBA season since 2005-06.

4. DWIGHT HOWARD (HOUSTON ROCKETS)

A messy departure from the Orlando Magic in 2012 followed by an unhappy stay with the Los Angeles Lakers made Howard an easy target for boo-birds in many NBA arenas but he has a chance for a fresh start alongside James Harden in Houston.

Few can match Howard’s defensive prowess. The 27-year-old led the league in rebounds for five consecutive seasons from 2005-06 and was named the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year for three straight seasons from 2008-09.

Howard, however, does have his critics given his sub-par free-throw shooting while some question his smartness on the court. But his arrival in Houston has turned the Rockets into a Western Conference contender.

5. DWYANE WADE (MIAMI HEAT)

Perhaps the biggest question mark facing the Miami Heat’s chances of winning a third consecutive NBA championship is the state of Wade’s knees, which have been an issue throughout the guard’s career, dating back to college.

Wade, 31, enjoys solid numbers during the regular season but has been hampered during the playoffs the last two years, most notably in 2013 when he averaged just 15.9 points, 4.6 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game during Miami’s title run.

The Heat will need everything they can get from Wade if they are to become the first team to capture three consecutive NBA championships since the Los Angeles Lakers in 2002. Any further drop in form by Wade come playoff time could prove too much a burden for teammate LeBron James to shoulder.


Five Players to Watch in The 2013-14 NBA Season - The Jakarta Globe

The weekend before the 2012-13 NBA season kicked off, James Harden was shockingly traded to the Houston Rockets in a move that shook up the Western Conference.

This year, it's the Eastern Conference that could undergo a significant shift after Marcin Gortat was traded from the Phoenix Suns to the Washington Wizards. ESPN's Marc Stein first reported the news, and it's a doozy, as the Wiz Kids replace an injured big man with a quality 5 who could push them firmly into playoff contention.

But how high can they rise? Will they make the playoffs now? Are they postseason locks?

Have they—GASP—cracked the top five teams in the East, a group that previously seemed set in stone?

That's certainly a compelling storyline, but it's by no means the only one addressed here as we run through record projections for all 30 teams in the NBA.

I'll be starting with the Eastern Conference, going over each team from No. 15 through No. 1, then proceeding in similar fashion with the Western Conference.

So, you can see who I'm predicting to make the playoffs. Who do you have?


Pictures: Win-Loss Projections for Every NBA Team Heading into 2013-14 Opening Week | Bleacher Report

It's looking like January for Jason Collins, if at all, as the NBA's wheels of social progress slow to a crawl.

When Collins publicly proclaimed his sexuality in April, it was assumed he could stay in the league, thus becoming the first active gay male player in American professional team sports. There would be months for the process to germinate, and David Stern's legacy would take a conspicuous upturn in his final season as commissioner.

As it turned out, no team was willing to place Collins on its Opening Night roster. He remains in Southern California, working out to stay in shape. As the season's first two months play out, teams are likely to find themselves lacking healthy or reliable big men off the bench. The turn of the year inevitably brings a spate of 10-day contracts, and after Jan. 10, all partially guaranteed contracts become fully guaranteed for the season. That's when players get cut and coaches reshape their bench for a fresh look.

Teams had perfectly good reasons to bypass an aging center (35 in December) who is past his prime, valuable for defense and rebounding but offering little on the offensive end. Judging from some general managers' off-the-record comments to NBA sources, however, there's a bigger reason: too much bother.

Collins' arrival in the league would bring heavy media coverage, and "some teams might not want to deal with that," one GM told the New York Times. Before each game, there would be reporters seeking out Collins' teammates, wondering if any are troubled by his presence in the locker room. Collins has said the media scrutiny "would last about a week, maybe two," but that's wishful thinking. There would be a fresh wave of reporters and TV crews in every city he visits, causing distractions many teams feel would not be worth the trouble.

It all sounds terribly inappropriate, like something from some other century, but such is the nature of radical change in sports. It took years for a number of baseball teams to follow the Dodgers' lead after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier. Women reporters endured several difficult, harrowing years before they were fully accepted in men's locker rooms. Here in the early stages of the NBA's cultural revolution, we find it decidedly short on fortitude.
Around the NBA

-- It's no secret that Kobe Bryant won't be playing when the Warriors open their season against the Lakers on Wednesday night at Oracle Arena. Nobody, not even Kobe, recovers from a torn Achilles tendon that quickly. And it seems a bit of reality has set in. "I know he's Superman, but my God," coach Mike D'Antoni told reporters Friday. "He hasn't run yet."

-- Everyone's wondering about the Warriors' crunch-time capability without Jarrett Jack. In the meantime, Cleveland could be one of the league's most intriguing teams with Jack, Kyrie Irving (most spectacular moves in the league), Dion Waiters, No. 1 draft pick Anthony Bennett, Andrew Bynum (wow, look at him not play) and Tristan Thompson undergoing the radical experiment of shooting with his right hand - for the first time in his life - instead of his left.

-- For years, as they shared Staples Center with the Lakers, the Clippers felt intimidated by the sight of 12 championship banners and 10 retired jerseys from the Lakers' glorious history. New coach Doc Rivers won't stand for it, ordering the tributes covered up by huge banners of the Clippers' players (yes, even Matt Barnes is up there) for their home games. "I love it! It's about time," said L.A.-raised TNT analyst Reggie Miller. "You're telling your team, 'We're taking over L.A. We respect the banners, but this is our time.' "

-- Rebuttal from the Lakers' Nick Young: "For real? That's disrespectful. We've got to talk to Doc. He can't have that."

-- Hilarious headline in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram: "Playmaking Guard Ellis Gives Mavericks Hope for the Future." Hey, we love Monta Ellis. Unbelievable talent. But a playmaker? Not quite.

-- ESPN's Bill Simmons is fond of Vivek Ranadive, who left the Warriors' ownership group to spearhead the movement to keep the Kings in Sacramento, but he couldn't help taking a shot in his Grantland-com column: "I'm excited for lots of Vivek 'I'm pretending I don't know the camera is on me even though I told my TV guys to show me 15 times a game' camera shots."

-- Ranadive, GM Pete D'Alessandro, coach Mike Malone, adviser Chris Mullin - no wonder the Kings are becoming known as Golden State North. But there remains the matter of the roster. No shock that when Mullin took on some of the players in a three-point shooting contest, he won with ease. Even at 50, Mullin might be the franchise's best player.

-- For anyone who disputes the timing of the Warriors' contract extension for Andrew Bogut, try to imagine the team without him. "When it comes to centers," said one NBA insider, "next year's free-agent crop starts with Andris Biedrins."



Is NBA still not ready for gay player? - SFGate

With another NBA season upon us, I recently texted outgoing NBA monarch David Stern — maybe the most fan-friendly despot in despotic history — and suggested the league require all head coaches to wear name tags, at least until the all-star break.

Because of the NBA’s 30 teams, 13 have new head coaches.

Erik Spoelstra, with consecutive NBA titles, enters his sixth season in Miami, giving the Rogaine-free Heat coach the second-longest same-team tenure in the league.

Everyone else, other than Gregg Popovich, pretty much just started last week.

If NBA coaches worked for the government, they’d be non-essential employees. They’re the world’s most expensive temps.

The Obamacare webmaster has greater job security than most NBA coaches.

Now, I’m about to tell you some stuff that you’re not going to believe, but you’re going to have to believe it because it’s all true.

● Vinny Del Negro got fired by the Los Angeles Clippers after leading the team to a franchise record for victories.*

● Lionel Hollins got fired by the Memphis Grizzlies after leading the team to a franchise record for victories and the Western Conference finals.

● George Karl got fired by the Denver Nuggets after leading the team to a franchise record for victories and ninth straight playoff appearance.

* — I must defend the Clippers’ personnel move because, frankly, every time Del Negro called a timeout, he looked as if he were about to order a pizza from Domino’s. I mean, come on, Del Negro vs. Popovich is like Gomer Pyle vs. General Patton.

Meanwhile, since December 2010, the Charlotte Bobcats have had four coaches.

And in 2010, the Cleveland Cavaliers replaced Mike Brown with Byron Scott, then, in 2013, they replaced Scott with Brown.

(You might have to read that previous sentence again to realize they fired Coach A and hired Coach B, then fired Coach B and rehired Coach A. As a one-time courtesy, I will not name the team owner responsible for this, but he makes Daniel Snyder look like Conn Smythe.)

Six of the 12 teams that changed coaches after the 2012-13 season made the playoffs. The 13th change occurred when Doc Rivers suddenly realized he preferred L.A. weather and traffic to Boston weather and traffic, and was traded to the Clippers from the Celtics.

If I had my own sports-talk radio show or cable talking-head hour, I would pose the following question at this point:

How come the NBA is in the throes of so much coaching upheaval?

(When you have your own show, you have to use expressions like “in the throes” that you would never say in everyday conversation.)

And my answer would be:

I don’t know.

(Note to aspiring radio and TV talkers: If you say, “I don’t know,” too often, they take away your microphone very, very quickly.)

I tried to contact Rick Adelman — who has coached more than 1,700 games over 22 seasons — to get his take on the matter, but I have no idea what NBA city he currently resides in.

I can offer one historical tidbit, to provide some perspective on the NBA culture — in 1977-78, the 76ers fired Gene Shue at 2-4 one season after he led the team to the NBA Finals.

Anyway, to celebrate the NBA’s unprecedented not-so-merry-go-around, Couch Slouch now will reprise one of our favorite parlor games. The following paragraph contains the names of five incoming NBA coaches and five U.S. senators. Get ’em all right and you can be a guest cohost on ESPN’s “First Take” (pending my ability to contact producers there; FYI: They have no idea who I am):

Brett Brown, Sherrod Brown, Steve Clifford, Jeff Sessions, Mike Budenholzer, Mike Crapo, Michael Bennet, Michael Malone, Tim Scott, David Joerger.

For those of you struggling with the name puzzle, I’d like to pick up your spirits by telling you that Joey Crawford will be returning for his 37th season as an NBA referee.

Ask The Slouch

Q. Cleveland Cavaliers forward Tristan Thompson has changed his shooting hand. You appear to be in a slump — ever consider changing your writing hand? (Ben Jacobs; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)

A. Slump or not, pal, I am literarily ambidextrous — I actually dictate all my columns while luxuriating in a bubble bath, with PBR-in-a-can on ice.

Q. Overall, who is the better strategist, Rams offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer or Texas Sen. Ted Cruz? (Michael A. Becker; Clayton, Mo.)

A. Schottenheimer — Cruz never had to work with Kellen Clemens or Brady Quinn.

Q. How do you explain Tim McCarver’s inclusion in the broadcasters’ wing of the Baseball Hall of Fame — blackmail or bribery? (Perry Beider; Silver Spring)

A. It’s possible Hall of Fame electors had the sound down during most of McCarver’s 34-year broadcasting career.

Q. Is it just me, or does Mike Shanahan always look like he just swallowed a nasty-tasting bug? (Dan Johnson; Cross Junction, Va.)

A. Pay the man, Shirley.



NBA coaches step up to the firing line - The Washington Post

In the cold, dark recesses of the Wells Fargo Center on Wednesday, something just didn't feel right. One by one, friends and family of Allen Iverson filtered into the arena's lower bowl, exchanging knowing smiles and quiet laughs. From Dr. J to John Thompson, Theo Ratliff to Pat Croce, so many of those close to Iverson had come out for this: Three years after last wearing an NBA uniform, Iverson was finally ready to say goodbye.

This wasn't how it was supposed to end for Iverson, an 11-time All-Star, an MVP, a man who over 14 seasons squeezed more out of a (listed) 6-foot, 165-pound frame than anyone possibly could. He attacked the basket relentlessly, fearlessly, refusing to back down, refusing to succumb to injury. LeBron James called Iverson the best pound-for-pound player to ever play the game, and you would be hard pressed to find anyone to dispute it. He captured four scoring titles, memorably traded 50-point games with Vince Carter in the 2001 playoffs and famously stepped over the Lakers' Tyronn Lue after burying a 20-footer in the closing seconds of a Game 1 win in the '01 Finals.

That '01 team is widely regarded as one of the worst Finals teams in NBA history. It was Iverson and a bunch of guys playing defense, or so the storyline goes, but amazingly that was enough. Sixers officials fondly remember the last preseason game that year, when Iverson insisted Larry Brown leave the starters in for the fourth quarter because he believed it was important to win. Philadelphia started the season 10-0, with Iverson setting the tone.

Often lost in the controversy that enveloped Iverson was a man desperate to win. In 1999, Iverson broke his thumb. He missed 10 games, a stretch that may have been longer had Iverson not removed the cast himself. Once, in New York, Iverson was told by Philadelphia's medical staff to sit a game out with a nagging injury. Iverson declined. An equipment manager hid his jersey. Iverson said he would go to the NBA Store and buy a new one.

GOLLIVER: Remembering highs and lows of Allen Iverson's career

Iverson's aversion to practice -- practice?-- was well documented, but he did have his moments. During a late season practice in '01, Matt Geiger, who played just 35 games due to knee injuries that season -- injuries, team sources say, Iverson believed Geiger could have come back from sooner -- returned after a lengthy absence. Throughout practice, Iverson refused to pass him the ball. When he saw Geiger roll his eyes after one attempt, Iverson stopped the scrimmage. He asked Geiger if he was frustrated. Geiger said yes. Good, Iverson told him, because I've been frustrated with you not playing all year.

There was so much more to Iverson than the defiance, so much more depth than the cornrowed, tattooed thug image with which he was branded, the image the NBA despised. Team officials talk about the kindness Iverson showed their children. They laugh at the caricatures that Iverson would draw of teammates and staffers while taking a bus to an arena. One team executive recalled telling Iverson about how he planned to drive several hours to his daughter's high school graduation. Iverson offered to let him drive his Bentley.

Graceful endings aren't granted all of sports stars -- Michael Jordan is proof of that -- but Iverson should have had one better than this. When his skills diminished, Iverson could have adapted, checked his ego and tailored his game. Even a reduced version of Iverson would have been good enough to average double digits off the bench for some teams and may have kept him in the game today. But he couldn't do it -- wouldn't do it. As Iverson sat on a makeshift dais on Wednesday, a black hat twisted sideways on his head, a gold chain wrapped around his neck, a vacant look on his face, he sat there a man forced out of the game.

"Could he still play [in 2010]? Of course," said an Eastern Conference executive. "But what he pulled in Detroit finished him."

In 2008, the Pistons shipped franchise cornerstone Chauncey Billups to Denver for Iverson with the hope that Iverson would have enough left to help Detroit challenge Boston and Cleveland and that his expiring $21.9 million contract would enable the team to rebuild on the fly. But the ball-dominating Iverson clashed with the Pistons' style, and when Detroit shifted him to the bench late in the season, Iverson declared that he would rather retire than continue in the role. Two days later, he was banished, officially because of a back injury, unofficially because the Pistons could tolerate no more.

Iverson is far from alone on the list of players unwilling to accept the unstoppable effects of time. But his inglorious end was perhaps the most public, most abrupt. He was bounced out of Memphis after just three games in '09 and finished his career playing 25 games for the publicity-starved Sixers in '10.

"It's not easy to accept a lesser role when you feel you have more to give," Dwyane Wade said. "It's got to be something inside that you want to do. No one can make you do it. No one can write an article that will make you do it. You have to be OK with it. Obviously, he didn't want that."

Iverson admits he made mistakes in his career, but refuses to say he would do anything differently. "No," Iverson said. "Not a thing." His flaws define him, Iverson says; they are what make him human. "Obviously, if I could go back and change anything I would be a perfect man," Iverson said. "And I know there's no perfect man and there's no perfect basketball player. So no, I wouldn't change anything. My career was up and down at times. I made a lot of mistakes, a lot of things I'm not proud of. But it's only for other people to learn from."

At 38, Iverson's future is uncertain, his life problematic. Rumors have swirled about financial problems, which Iverson declined to directly address. He says he is happy being a stay at home dad, giving his kids the father he cheated them out of during hi

Perhaps his decision to delay a shot at the pros and a multimillion-dollar deal was the wrong one.

The 19-year-old leans back and stares at a beige wall in one of the Sprint Center's few vacant rooms.

Then, Oklahoma State star Marcus Smart confesses that he's still uncertain about returning for his sophomore season.

"I'm still not 100 percent right now," he told ESPN.com. "I don't regret it. But I'm not 100 percent sure that was the right decision. But I don't regret making it because you can never come back to college and be a student-athlete. The NBA? You can have chances to go."

His reasoning for returning was sound. He believed he had more work to do before he could thrive as an NBA point guard. And he couldn't shake the sickening thought of his messy performance in Oklahoma State's second-round loss to Oregon in last season's NCAA tournament.

But the top rookies in this summer's draft signed deals that included nearly $10 million in guaranteed money.

That could have been Smart's money.

"It was definitely the money," he said. "That was a lot of money that was put to the side for another year. It wasn't turned down. It's not like I'm not going to be there, but it was just put to the side for another year. As an 18-year-old kid, you're looking like I can make more money than 95 percent of America can ever dream of making their whole life. So definitely, it was the money that had a [great] deal to do with it." The critics of early draft entries worry that Smart and other young athletes will squander their newfound wealth on spinning rims, platinum watches and expensive cars.

But Smart just wants to buy an organ.

"How much does a kidney cost?" he asked his mother, Camellia Smart, after he took a trip home to Flower Mound, Texas, to discuss his future with her weeks prior to the draft.

She could use one after more than 20 years of life with one kidney and subsequent health problems. Camellia Smart endures dialysis treatment three days per week, four hours each day. Per the United Network for Organ Sharing, more than 120,000 Americans are awaiting kidney transplants right now. The average cost of the procedure is $262,000, according to the organization.

Smart could make that in a handful of games as a highly paid NBA rookie who'd probably attract lucrative endorsement deals.

But Camellia Smart, who intends to put her name on another waiting list for a new kidney soon, immediately objected. She and husband Billy Frank Smart raised their boys -- Todd and Jeff Westbrook, Marcus and Michael Smart -- to pray, work hard and commit to their personal pursuits.

She would not allow her youngest son to base his decision on anything other than his own desires and dreams.

"I said 'You just turned 19, you've just begun to live. … Whichever way you go, I'm behind you 100 percent,'" Camellia Smart said. "I know a lot of people who said, 'Are you crazy to let him turn down that money?' I wasn't brought up with money. When the good Lord blesses you, the money is going to be there. I have a lot of friends that I know who have money and they're not happy. I want [Marcus] to be happy."

The roots of Smart's conflicted conscience about turning pro to help his family were formed the day he felt his brother Todd's cold, lifeless body in a hospital bed.

Cancer took Todd's life when he was just 33 -- Smart's number at Oklahoma State. He reconciled the death by telling family members that God had turned him into a butterfly that had simply flown away. Moments later, a 9-year-old boy became a man as his older brothers, Michael Smart and Jeff Westbrook, issued a charge while they all sobbed together.

So years before he'd even entered high school, he'd accepted the call to make it. For himself. For his family. For Todd.

"His family has been put through a lot," said Phil Forte, Smart's teammate and best friend since third grade. "All that stuff he went through as a kid helped make that toughness that you see in him today."

By the time Smart had reached high school, he was a fiery, competitive young talent.

He led Marcus High School in Flower Mound, Texas, to a 115-6 overall record and earned McDonald's All-America honors as a senior.

He was also recognized for his character. He was the kind of young man who'd give a stranger $20 or point relatives to the cheapest section of the store when they asked if they could buy him a pair of shoes.

While the other upperclassmen celebrated a big road victory in the back of the bus, Smart moved up front to sit next to the junior varsity's team manager and make him feel like an all-star.

Yes, he's a nice guy.

But he's edgy on the court.

During the high school state playoffs one year, an opposing team directed an intimidating chant toward Smart's team as the two squads stood in the arena's tunnel together. Smart's teammates were startled, but he was ready to go.

"He got about 5 feet away from the other team, clenched his fists and stared and got in kind of a stance and his eyes got big as saucers and he was just glaring them down," said Danny Henderson, his high school coach and an assistant at Boise State. "Without saying a word, he let them know that 'Hey, I'm the baddest guy in this place.' … He's not afraid of anyone. In fact, he lives for that kind of challenge."

Smart led his high school team to state titles his junior and senior seasons.

And then, he racked up accolades in his first season with Oklahoma State, including Big 12 player of the year, after averaging 15.4 points per game, 5.8 rebounds per game and 3.0 steals per game. He was also a member of the 19-and-under national squad that won a gold medal in FIBA's under-19 world championships in the Czech Republic this summer.

The NBA seemed like an obvious destination for the freshman star, especially since he probably would have cracked the top five.

So most were shocked when he announced his decision to return.

When Smart told Travi

A year ago, Miami Heat-Brooklyn Nets wasn't much of a thing.

In fact, the Heat's big game in New York a year ago this weekend was against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. But overnight — when the Nets acquired Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett from the Boston Celtics — Brooklyn-Miami turned into an intriguing rivalry.

The palpable dislike and respect Boston and Miami had for each other transferred to the Nets, and an Eastern Conference rivalry sprouted.

"They might have on different color jerseys but you might see green when you see those guys. So that dislike, yeah," Heat guard Dwyane Wade said.

Don't forget the Ray Allen component, which is still a sore spot for both teams. Garnett and Pierce didn't like the way Allen left the Celtics. LeBron James pointed out Garnett and Pierce are no longer Celtics, and Garnett told James to mind his own business.

Rivalries in the NBA are alive and kicking, and the schedule-maker wasted no time delving into rivalry games.

Just look at how the season started: Bulls-Heat and Clippers-Lakers in the two premier games on opening night, and tonight, it's the first of four games between the Nets and Heat. All four games are on national TV, and ESPN will carry tonight's game.

"We absolutely believe we're capable of competing with them and that's something we're going to want to be doing down the line, obviously, in the playoffs," Nets center Brook Lopez told news reporters Thursday. "So we're definitely anticipating a high-energy, important game."

The NBA is loaded with rivalries, and it's good for teams and the league, as long as there's a proper — but not necessarily an even — mix of animosity and respect.

Rivalries have been good for the NBA — an important piece of the NBA's fabric for decades: Lakers-Celtics. Wilt Chamberlain-Bill Russell. Celtics-Pistons. Lakers-Pistons. Bulls-Pistons. Bulls-Celtics. Knicks-Celtics. Knicks-Bulls. Bulls-Pacers. Lakers-Spurs. Lakers-Rockets. Rockets-Spurs. Lakers-Suns. Jazz- Bulls. Kings-Lakers. Bulls point guard Derrick Rosewas right about sitting out last season. However, is wrong when he says Pacers-Bulls is not a rivalry. It is.

The Bulls won the Central Division in 2011-12, and the Pacers took it last season. Both have stars (Rose and the Pacers' Paul George) and great coaches (Tom Thibodeau and Frank Vogel) and both want to win the division this season, take out the Heat and win the NBA championship.

Their first meeting this season on Nov. 6 will be televised by ESPN and by the time the play for fourth and final time this season on March 24, there's a great chance the game will have meaning in the Central standings and playoff race.

Rose said he views the Heat as Chicago's only rivalry, and that's a good one, considering the two teams played in the playoffs in 2011 and 2013, and there's a fine amount of dislike and respect, depending on whom is talking. Preferably, listen to Joakim Noah who can't hide his disdain for the Heat no matter how hard he tries.

Now, the Heat have rivalries in all directions: Chicago, Brooklyn, Indiana, San Antonio, Oklahoma City.

"There's a lot of teams that want to knock us off — a couple of teams in the Eastern Conference who hates us and we know who they are," James said. "We're not going to hide behind that." Lakers fans are acting as if Doc Rivers draped Clipper Darrell's garish blue and red jacket over Chick Hearn statue outside of Staples Center.

It's good tension exists at Staples Center between the Lakers and Clippers. The city and region deserve it.

The Knicks and Nets have a nice borough feud going. The franchises have tweaked each other both aggressively and passive-aggressively.

The Southwest Division has a number of rivalries that will only grow bigger this season. Any combination of Houston, Dallas, San Antonio and Memphis includes history, and New Orleans is trying to wedge in there.

Oklahoma City-San Antonio is pretty good, and just because of Dwight Howard, Rockets-Lakers will be worth watching.

The Clippers and Grizzlies have an intense dislike for each other after meeting in the 2012 and 2013 playoffs. Zach Randolph and Blake Griffin, presumably, don't see each other birthday gifts.

Golden State is playing with attitude, trying to become the King of California and will have established a strong rivalry or two by the end of the season.

Rivalries develop in many ways. Through season after season of heated regular-season and playoff games. Division foes. Trash talking. Dislike for players on the other team.


Read more: NBA A to Z: Nets-Heat 'dislike' leads NBA rivalries

Walt Bellamy, the Hall of Fame center who averaged 20.1 points and 13.7 rebounds in 14 seasons in the NBA, died Saturday. He was 74.

The Atlanta Hawks confirmed the death, but didn't provide details. The Hawks said Bellamy attended the team's home opener Friday night.

''Walt Bellamy was an enormously gifted Hall of Fame player who had a tremendous impact on our game,'' NBA Commissioner David Stern said in a statement released by the league. ''Off the court, he was an even more extraordinary person. Walt is going to be missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him. On behalf of the entire NBA family, our condolences and thoughts go out to Walt's family.''

The former Indiana University star won an Olympic gold medal in 1960 and was the first overall pick by the Chicago Packers in 1961. He was the rookie of the year with Chicago, averaging 31.6 points and 19.0 rebounds, and also played for the Baltimore Bullets, New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta and New Orleans Jazz. He played in four All-Star games and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993.

'The Atlanta Hawks family is saddened to learn of the death of Walt Bellamy at the age of 74 earlier today,'' the Hawks said in a statement. ''The Hawks and the National Basketball Association have lost a giant. As an Olympic gold medalist, the first overall pick in 1961, Rookie of the Year in 1962, a four-time All-Star and a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, his on-court accomplishments were overwhelming. Off the court, he was equally impactful as a family man, leader in the community, mentor and friend to many.''

Bellamy was traded three times, going from the Bullets to the Knicks in November 1965 for Jim Barnes, Johnny Egan, Johnny Green and cash, then to Detroit along with Howard Komives in December 1968 in the deal that brought star forward Dave DeBusschere to New York. Detroit sent Bellamy to Atlanta in February 1970 for John Arthurs.

In three seasons at Indiana, the 6-foot-11 former New Bern, N.C., high school star averaged 20.6 points and 15.5 rebounds.



Hall of Fame center Walt Bellamy dies at 74 - NBA News | FOX Sports on MSN

Russell Westbrook's comeback came far sooner than expected, and it put the other top teams in the West on notice that the Oklahoma City Thunder are ready to reclaim their position as the conference's scariest squad.

Maybe it seems like we're getting a little carried away. After all, OKC only managed to notch a 103-96 win over the respectable but still lottery-bound Phoenix Suns.

But that unremarkable win—in isolation—isn't what's important.



Without Skipping a Beat

What matters is that Westbrook looked very much like himself in his first game back, which is to say he took some bad shots and turned the ball over a bit too often. But he shared the offensive load with Kevin Durant in a way that turned OKC back into the league's most dangerous two-pronged attack.

He shot 5-of-16 from the field, but he flung himself into traffic often enough to shoot 14 free throws in just 33 minutes. He also showed the explosion that made him so dangerous before his injury.

Critically, Westbrook forced the Suns defense to cover Durant a bit more honestly. And as everyone knows, when defenses have to cover KD honestly, he's liable to go off for 33 points on 10-of-19 shooting (as he did against Phoenix).

In last year's playoffs—and in this season's early going—we watched opposing defenses bury KD with extra help and overloaded schemes designed to stop him and him alone. Every opponent essentially piled onto Durant while saying to the rest of OKC's Westbrook-less lineup: "Go ahead, fellas. Try to beat us. We dare you."

The Memphis Grizzlies knocked the Thunder out of the postseason by smothering Durant, holding him to 42 percent shooting and harassing KD into 4.4 turnovers per game.

Any doubt about Westbrook's ability to take pressure off of Durant should go by the wayside with a glance at KD's uncharacteristically pedestrian shot chart from last year's conference semifinals.


Waiting on an Alpha Dog

Last year's playoff demise has somehow obscured the fact that Oklahoma City posted the best regular-season point differential in the league, per ESPN. Even the Miami Heat and their 66 wins didn't measure up to OKC's massive average margin of victory.

Let's also not forget that the Thunder finished just a hair behind the Heat in offensive rating, posting an elite mark of 110.2 points per 100 possessions to Miami's 110.3, per NBA-com. Everyone knows the Thunder score at an absurd rate when they're fully healthy, but what so many have forgotten is that they were also the league's third-best defensive team in 2012-13.

Westbrook's presence should make both of those rankings possible again this year. The other powers in the West haven't looked like world-beaters just yet, with only the Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves boasting unblemished records. The San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors have all dropped contests in the season's opening week.

The conference is still looking for an alpha dog to distinguish itself.

The common knock on OKC is that the loss of guard Kevin Martin would have a substantial impact on the team's offense. But let's all take a second to note that Martin, while a capable generator of points, was a detriment on defense. The Thunder couldn't always count on him because he was such a liability on D, and it's entirely possible that some combination of Jeremy Lamb and Reggie Jackson will replace Martin's scoring.

Losing him wasn't nearly as big of a deal as some have suggested.


Opportunity Seized

Plus, Durant seems to have spent the summer preparing for life without his star point guard. The results are impressive. KD remains a deadly scorer, but he now poses a major threat as a facilitator as well. Coming off a season in which he averaged a career-high 4.6 assists, Durant is now primed to blow that number away.

Head coach Scott Brooks also used the offseason to equip his team for a prolonged period of Westbrook-lessness (a term I've just invented). He implemented a slightly less predictable, more motion-based offense that was designed to keep the ball moving with one star on the court.

What happens if the Thunder feature a more sophisticated offense that involves both of their best players?

The Heat should be very concerned about retaining their No. 1 offensive rating, that's what.

Individually, there's also potential for Serge Ibaka to get better, and Steven Adams' mix of aggression and activity should make the young seven-footer a dark-horse candidate for Rookie of the Year.

The key, though, is that Westbrook's return puts everything back in order for OKC. There's less pressure on Durant to do absolutely everything on offense, Ibaka re-assumes his position as the third option, and Jackson goes from being a potentially overmatched starter to a more suitable role as a bench assassin.

Plus, Brooks gets a little room to breathe. It's still incredibly early, and maybe Westbrook will suffer some kind of setback in the coming weeks. But we know from recent history that Oklahoma City is the best of the bunch by a wide margin when healthy.

Here's the thing, though: The Thunder might be more than just "healthy" now.

OKC has had a taste of mortality in the months without Westbrook. Durant used that time to get better, and everyone on the roster had an opportunity to appreciate just how tenuous their position as an elite team truly was.

That kind of reality check is going to inspire a new hunger throughout the roster.

Russell Westbrook's return was a surprise. What the Thunder are about to do to the Western Conference shouldn't be.


Russell Westbrook Returns, NBA's Western Conference Shudders | Bleacher Report

Through four games, the No. 1 pick in the 2013 NBA draft has yet to score a basket. Anthony Bennett has scored two points for the Cleveland Cavaliers, but coming on free throws.

Here’s Bennett’s shot chart, showing what the Cavs have gotten out of their No. 1 pick so far this year: It’s far too early to write off Bennett’s career — he’s played four whole games, and the Cavs have the talent to be able to bring him along slowly and hope his luck changes. But he couldn’t be off to a much worse start.



The No. 1 NBA draft pick has yet to make a basket | For The Win

It's no coincidence that some of the world's most prolific writers have Bovada Sportsbook in there list of what I feel to be the Nr: 1 greatest sports books ever.




Welcome!!

LeBron James scored a season-high 35 points, Dwyane Wade added 20 points and the Miami Heat defeated the Toronto Raptors 104-95 on Tuesday for their first road victory in three tries.

James became the fifth player in NBA history to score 10 points or more in 500 consecutive games. James joined Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (with streaks of 787 and 508 games), Michael Jordan (866), Karl Malone (575) and Moses Malone (526) as the only players to accomplish the feat.
Rockets 116, Trail Blazers 101:

James Harden scored 33 points, and Dwight Howard added 29 points and 13 rebounds to lift visiting Houston, which was playing for the fourth time in five nights. ... Damian Lillard led the Blazers with 22 points.
Hawks 105, Kings 100:

Al Horford had 27 points and 10 rebounds, Paul Millsap had 25 points and 11 rebounds, and visiting Atlanta held on despite blowing most of a 17-point lead in the fourth quarter. ... Sacramento's Isaiah Thomas had 18 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter and missed a three-pointer with three seconds left that would have tied it.
Spurs 102, Nuggets 94:

Tony Parker scored 24 points and Tim Duncan had 17 for visiting San Antonio, which outscored winless Denver 30-16 in the fourth quarter.
Mavericks 123, Lakers 104:

Monta Ellis scored 30 points to lead seven players in double figures for host Dallas.

Pacers 99, Pistons 91:

Paul George scored 31 points as visiting Indiana remained the only unbeaten team.
Bobcats 102, Knicks 97:

Kemba Walker led the way with 25 points as visiting Charlotte held off a late run.
Nets 104, Jazz 88:

Brook Lopez had a game-high 27 points, and Deron Williams had 10 points and eight assists to lead host Brooklyn.
Suns 104, Pelicans 98:

Eric Bledsoe had 25 points, Gerald Green tied a career high with six three-pointers, and visiting Phoenix rallied to victory.



NBA basketball game results, Nov. 5 - SFGate

For the last two games Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose has worn Kinesio Tape strips on the back of his neck, ostensibly to help ward off the pains that stem from a strained neck. The strips are a little off-putting, but nothing too attention-grabbing; and after Rose mused aloud about wearing the strips all season last Friday, they didn’t seem like anything that would be too tough to get used to seeing on Derrick.

For an afternoon, at least, we thought we were going to have to get used to seeing him without them, because the NBA apparently asked Rose to stop wearing the strips. Then, just two and a half hours before Rose's Bulls were set to tip off against the Indiana Pacers, the NBA released a statement confirming that they would be allowing Rose and other players to wearing the strips "on an experimental basis." Which makes sense, because you can be covered with prominent tattoos from head to toe, or gel your spiky Mohawk sky-high, but little strips that provide comfort to a one-time league MVP would be verboten?

From Aggrey Sam at CSN Chicago:

"I think the NBA told me I got to stop," the point guard said before the Bulls' morning shootaround at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. "So I probably won't be able to wear it tonight."

When asked why the league, known for strict protocol on non-uniform accessories, decreed that he couldn't wear the black Kinesio-Tape strips, which resembled a chin strap, Rose answered with a smirk, "I don't know. I don't even want to get into that. I don't know. I swear I don't know."

Rose went on to tell the media that “other than my neck, I’ve been good.” Which is OK, I reckon.

The tape came into national prominence over a year ago, during the London Olympics. Designed to somehow separate layers of skin on athletes in order to limit pain, the strips were used across the board by several athletes, and in the description Yahoo Sports' Martin Rogers documented in 2012, you can understand why Rose wants to give the things a try:

However, Dr. Kenzo Kase, the Japanese inventor who developed the tape more than 30 years ago, has admitted that although he believes in its healing powers, no scientific evidence supports his claims.

"Your pain sensors are located between the epidermis and the dermis, the first and second layers of your skin," Kase told the Guardian. "I thought that if I applied tape to the pain it would lift the epidermis slightly up and make a space between the two layers. This would in turn allow blood to flow more easily to the injured area. But you can use the tape in lots of ways, depending on the width and the amount of stretch.

So, we're basically stretching layers of skin in different places in order to encourage blood flow and pain relief. Seems valid enough, righto? Again, we think the initial ruling was pretty daft on the NBA’s part, but the actual use of the strips might be a little daft on Rose’s part as well.

There is considerable evidence that paints this tape as nothing more than a placebo for those that use them. Via ClutchFans-net, here’s a study that was quoted on the tape’s Wikipedia page:

(Hey, I’m not a doctor. Dummies like me use Wikipedia.)

In conclusion, there was little quality evidence to support the use of KT over other types of elastic taping in the management or prevention of sports injuries. KT may have a small beneficial role in improving strength, range of motion in certain injured cohorts and force sense error compared with other tapes, but further studies are needed to confirm these findings.

A Web MD study (again, not a doctor … stop judging me) goes into further detail:

There has not been conclusive scientific or medical evidence to confirm the effectiveness of the tape. A review of evidence from 10 research papers for Kinesio tape to treat and prevent sports injuries was published in the journal Sports Medicine in February.

[…]

The study concluded there was little quality evidence to support the use of Kinesio tape over other types of elastic taping to manage or prevent sports injuries.

Some experts have suggested there may be a placebo effect in using the tape, with athletes believing it will be helpful.

"The jury is still out on the hard and fast science of it," says John Brewer, head of sport and exercise sciences and director of sport at the University of Bedfordshire in the U.K.

He finds it difficult to understand how the tape can help: "When we exercise, it is muscles that are deep down in the body that are as much part of the energy-generating process as muscles near the skin.

"I'm still struggling to come to terms with how tape that is placed on skin can have any real, major effect on performance, other than potentially, a psychological effect."

The “psychological effect,” however, is huge. It’s why athletes eat the same meals before every game, or tie their shoes a certain way, or wear all manner of sometimes-needed pads or sleeves. Players are looking to feel comfortable and confident, and a lucky team handshake or pregame iPod playlist can work just as well as a placebo effect as “medical” tape like this.

Even if the tape’s “effects” truly are bogus.

Which is why, for a player that needed 18 months to feel confident in his return from an ACL tear, we would prefer that the NBA just leave Derrick Rose alone. Sure, the Kinesio Tape probably has just as much medical substance as a player’s headband, but the league allows those to be worn every night, with the NBA’s logo prominently displayed.

Oh, wait. I think I’ve figured this out now. Just draw a little Jerry West silhouette on your tape, Derrick. Everybody wins, that way.




Y! SPORTS

Every week, a selection of USA TODAY Sports NBA experts from various sites are asked a few questions about the NBA season. This week's topic is the Philadelphia 76ers, both the effect of their surprise start and their elite-level rookie.

Judging by the first week of the season, which team will have the best odds in the 2014 NBA draft lottery?

Ian Levy, Hickory High: The Milwaukee Bucks. They were widely criticized in the offseason for spending money on limited, aging and flawed talent like Gary Neal, Zaza Pachulia and O.J. Mayo. It appeared that they were once again going to forgo a full-fledged rebuild in favor of protecting their small but passionate fan base by scraping for every win. But a funny thing happened on the way to the eighth seed: They may be much, much worse than everyone thought.

Larry Sanders has seen his minutes slashed because of his offensive limitations, and there seems to be a dramatic blow-up looming for him and new coach Larry Drew. Mayo and Neal are being asked to carry the offensive load but, unsurprisingly, neither looks quite capable of scaffolding an efficient system for the entire team with their somewhat limited skill sets. None of the pieces quite fit together, and it's really hard to see how time and repetition solves many of their biggest issues.

Sam Amick, USA TODAY Sports: Your 0-4 Boston Celtics. Kevin McHale isn't walking through that door, nor is Robert Parish or even Kendrick Perkins. Boston is bad, and there's not much new coach Brad Stevens can do to change that.

If it all leads to the addition of projected No. 1 pick Andrew Wiggins of Kansas by way of the June draft, then it may all be worth it. But when a workmanlike big man — rookie center Vitor Faverani — is the highlight of your early season then you know that times are tough.

Moke Hamilton, HoopsWorld: By the time March rolls around, there will be tons of teams competing for the worst record in the league and NBA fans can thank the loaded draft class of 2014 for that. That alone makes this difficult to predict with certainty but despite their good start, the 76ers are still a good bet. Last season, the Charlotte Bobcats began the season 7-5 before losing 18 straight games, so nothing is promised. With Nerlens Noel potentially shut down for the entire season, the franchise is already thinking about next year. Spencer Hawes is in the final year of his contract, while Evan Turner will become a restricted free agent next summer. Both may emerge on the trade market and be dealt for draft picks.

Additionally, as the season rolls along, the Sixers will be figured out and their porous defense will be exposed. The Celtics, Utah Jazz and Sacramento Kings deserve honorable mention here, but last season's Bobcats taught the NBA universe a good lesson, and a positive three-game start does not warrant picking against the 76ers yet.

Sean Highkin, USA TODAY Sports: Still the Sixers. Their talent level is by far the lowest in the NBA, and you can bet team President Sam Hinkie will do everything in his power to move Hawes, Turner and Thaddeus Young before the deadline. The 3-0 start is a fun surprise, but it doesn't have any long-term implications.

Levy: Absolutely. His performance in the Sixers' first three games was incredible, providing incredibly disruptive ball pressure, consistently pushing the pace on offense, finding open shooters and making the most of his own scoring opportunities. But of all the things he's shown so far, the most impressive is his confidence. Coming out of Syracuse, he often looked hesitant and indecisive when running the pick-and-roll and attacking the basket. But he appears to have shed nearly all of that hesitancy in transitioning to the NBA.

However, as good as he's looked thus far, being the prohibitive favorite for rookie of the year after the first week of the season doesn't mean he'll be there at the end. Inconsistency is one of the hallmarks of rookie seasons and Carter-Williams will certainly struggle for stretches this season. There's plenty of time for any number of his rookie colleagues to catch him.

Amick: I'm still going with the Orlando Magic's Victor Oladipo. While Carter-Williams has been sensation at the start, the scouting reports will start catching up to him soon and — as we saw in the 76ers' first loss against the Golden State Warriors on Monday — he won't always look like the runaway Rookie of the Year winner.

The Warriors forced Carter-Williams in to a 4-of-17 shooting night, and his assist-to-turnover ratio (four to six) was hardly at an award-winning level. Oladipo has been more consistent and almost as versatile during the Magic's 2-2 start, though a big test looms as they face the Clippers on Wednesday at home. Philadelphia has a huge test of its own on Wednesday at home, as the 76ers host a Washington Wizards team that is already facing significant pressure to fix its broken start and look like the playoff team it's supposed to be.

Hamilton: Yes. Two things that rookies need in order to win this award are playing time and opportunities to make plays. Carter-Williams will have both for the rebuilding 76ers. The one obvious point to make as it relates to him is that other teams have not yet had an opportunity to fully scout his game or his tendencies, but he is now number one on the opposition's scouting report.

Oladipo has shown an ability to impact games on both ends of the floor and confidence in his jumper — one of his known weaknesses. If the Magic finish the season with a better record than the Sixers, Oladipo may walk away with the honor.

Finally, Trey Burke of the Utah Jazz will have a very similar opportunity as Carter-Williams once Burke returns from injury. With Enes Kanter and Derrick Favors up front for the Jazz, Burke will have an opportunity to play with two promising big men and win some games.

But for now, after one week, Carter-Williams has captured the attention of the league and has to

For a half, Rudy Gay dominated Paul George. The way George had started the season, Gay knew better than to think it would last.

George scored 17 of his 23 points in the third quarter and the Indiana Pacers beat the Toronto Raptors 91-84 Friday night (Saturday, PHL time) to improve to 6-0 and match the best start in franchise history. George, who entered the day fourth in the league in scoring at 25.8 points per game, is a big reason.

"He's Paul," Gay said. "Paul George is a great defender. He's not just going to sit down and let people score on him. Everybody on our team expected him to warm up."

Gay scored a season-high 30 points on 12-of-26 shooting for the Raptors, but was held to 3-of-13 shooting after halftime. George bounced back from a five-point, 2-of-10 first half to completely change the tenor of the small forward matchup on both ends of the floor. Gay's 22 points had carried Toronto to a 46-44 lead at intermission.

"Thank God he just stopped making those contested shots," George said. "It was frustrating because he was hitting some tough ones, but in this league, jump shots don't always last. So I was just trying to pressure up and contest all his shots." Toronto lost its third straight to fall to 2-4. Amir Johnson added 12 points and 10 rebounds. The Raptors shot 39.5 percent from the field, becoming the sixth consecutive opponent Indiana has held to 40 percent shooting or worse.

Roy Hibbert added a season-high 20 points and seven rebounds as the Pacers remained the NBA's lone undefeated team.

"Everybody has to sacrifice something," Hibbert said. "It's somebody different every night. I don't expect to have 20-point nights all the time."

The Pacers improved to 6-0 for the first time since the 1970-71, when the club played in the ABA. They rallied from a halftime deficit for the fifth time this season and overcame 16 turnovers to shoot 46.2 percent.

George made an arcing three over a leaping Landry Fields at the third-quarter buzzer and clinched his fists in celebration before sprinting to Indiana's bench and slapping hands with teammates. George outscored the Raptors 17-13 in the period while shooting 5-of-9 from the field and making all five free throws. The Pacers led 72-59 entering the fourth quarter.

While George had Hibbert's scoring and 14 points from George Hill, Gay never received much support. His usual wingman, DeMar DeRozan, entered averaging 19.2 points per game but scored just six and missed 13-of-15 shots.

"It's tough on the whole team when DeMar struggles," Gay said. "I have to figure out how we can make us both comfortable at the same time."

George added eight rebounds, six assists and two steals. His sensational start to his fourth season had fans at Bankers Life Fieldhouse peppering him with the occasional "M-V-P" chant.

Toronto used a 19-7 run over the final 5:17 of the first quarter to lead 32-22. The Raptors had success running with nine fast-break points in the period but produced just two more the rest of the game.

"They stopped sending guys to the [offensive] boards," said Raptors guard Kyle Lowry, who had 12 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. "They just let Roy and David [West] go to the boards so other guys could get back."

The Pacers limited transition opportunities and kept Toronto off the three-point line in the second quarter to get back in the game. Orlando Johnson had five points and an assist in a 12-0 Pacers run early in the second quarter that tied it at 34. Hibbert's fallaway 18-footer at the halftime buzzer completed a 5-2 spurt.

Indiana started the second half on a 10-0 run and led by as many as 16 in the fourth quarter before finishing off its fourth home victory. — AP


The scores:

Indiana (91) - George 23, Hibbert 20, Hill 14, West 9, Scola 8, Johnson 7, Watson 6, Stephenson 4, Mahinmi 0, Hill 0, Butler 0

Toronto (84) - Gay 30, Johnson 12, Lowry 12, DeRozan 6, Fields 5, Ross 5, Valanciunas 4, Hansbrough 4, Stone 3, Buycks 3, Gray 0, Augustin 0, Novak 0

Indiana 22-22-28-19
Toronto 32-14-13-25









NBA: George leads undefeated Pacers to 91-84 win over Raptors | Sports | GMA News Online

With the Miami Dolphins hazing/bullying saga grabbing so much of the sporting world's attention right now, the NBA is making sure it stays out of the spotlight.

The NBA's typical rookie hazing includes things like forcing a player to get food, carry a Dora the Explorer backpack, or a giant teddy bear. There really haven't ever been reports of anything more significant.

Still, the league is getting out in front of anything sending out a memo to all teams reminding them of the NBA's anti-hazing policies, according to ESPN-com.

The lengthy list of violations, sources said, includes: any physical abuse or threats of violence; verbal abuse focused on an individual's race, nationality, color, gender, age, religion, sexuality, etc.; destruction, defacement or theft of a fellow player's personal property; engaging in any activity that intimidates or threatens fellow players with ostracism or inflicts extreme mental stress, embarrassment, humiliation or shame; and forcing an individual to engage in any activity or perform any task that violates federal, state or local law or NBA rules and regulations.

Also prohibited, sources said, is requiring an individual to unreasonably pay for meals, travel, entertainment expenses, goods or services that are being solely enjoyed by others as well as imposing physical activities on a fellow player — such as exposure to weather, confinement in a restricted area, or consumption of food, liquid or substance — that leads to unreasonable risk for the individual or adversely affects their mental or physical health or safety. …

Added another team official from the West: “I've been around for a while and I've never really heard any crazy stories.”

The NBA and NFL are very different in terms of locker room culture, but with what's happened with the Dolphins drawing so much attention to locker room etiquette, it's worth paying attention to.



Report: NBA sends memo to teams about hazing and bullying - CBSSports-com