Monday Insider

[Guest]

The Clippers Shopping Network

by Chad Ford

Send an Email to Chad Ford

Also Below: Riley force fed humble pie | Cartwright goes old school | Random Game Notes | Peep Show

NBA Insider Chad Ford will be chatting live on ESPN.com today at 12 p.m. ET. Click here to submit your questions.

The Clippers of last season were considered the NBA's future. The Clipps were the hippest, most exciting and athletic young team in the NBA. One year later, that image is quickly eroding.

Yes, they're still hip, exciting, athletic and young. But instead of playing for the future, they resemble lame ducks.

After a summer of stonewalling and tight-fisted contract negotiations, the future of the Clipps has never looked so grim. To other teams around the league, the Clipps have become the NBA's equivalent of the Home Shopping Network.

They'll come to an arena near you, audition right in front of your coaches' eyes, and they can be yours for as little as a seven-year, $80 million contract. There's only one catch. You have to wait until July 2003 for delivery.

Michael Olowokandi

Center

Los Angeles Clippers

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

8 17.1 10.2 1.2 .518 .655

You know by now that the Clippers will have a whopping seven free agents on the market this summer. Three, Michael Olowokandi, Eric Piatkowski and Sean Rooks, are unrestricted. Four others, Elton Brand, Andre Miller, Lamar Odom and Corey Maggette, will be restricted free agents. And did we mention that Quentin Richardson and Keyon Dooling become eligible for rookie extensions?

"I think a lot of GMs — I know I do — look at their roster and it's just loaded with talent, young talent," Heat coach Pat Riley said earlier this week when the Clippers showed up in Miami.

Young, available talent. In a league that has changed the rules to limit free-agent defections, young, available talent is in short supply these days. The free-agent market this summer was virtually devoid of proven young players worthy of big contracts. Next summer, it will be a little better, in large part thanks to Clipps owner Donald Sterling.

Sterling missed an opportunity to work things out when he had the chance. Somehow, the Pacers managed to lock up all of their young players without breaking the bank. By most accounts, the Clippers didn't even try. Olowokandi's negotiations dragged into September before agent Bill Duffy pulled the plug and took the Clipps' one-year tender offer. Brand was reportedly ready to settle for less than the max to remain in L.A., but his agent, David Falk, terminated the discussions when GM Elgin Baylor couldn't bring a credible offer to the table.

Elton Brand

Forward-Center

Los Angeles Clippers

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

8 16.0 12.8 2.4 .510 .638

In the end, Sterling surprised no one by keeping his wallet shut and his players searching the want ads.

As you would expect, the move caused chaos in the Clippers' locker room. Players, uncertain of their future, have been downright surly this year and the Clipps are off to a disappointing 3-5 start.

Coach Alvin Gentry feels their pain.

"We can't do one thing as far as contracts until the season is over," he said of the rule banning negotiations until July 1. "I think what we have to do is we have to set goals to accomplish on the court and then, after that, whatever is going to happen is going to happen.

"I think it's a distraction, but obviously it's just kind of the way it is. I think our guys have handled it well. I don't see any selfish plays on the court for us. I understand, as a coach, I've got to be a little sympathetic with their situations, so there might be times when a guy plays a few extra minutes, because I understand how important stats are when you're a player and you're in a contract year."

With no one expecting to Sterling to match a big offer, teams are already getting in line for the Clipps' free-agent fire sale eight games into the season. On every road trip, players and Gentry are asked the same thing. Does this Clippers team have a future?

If you listen to the players, it sure doesn't sound like it.

In Miami, Olowokandi told the Sun Sentinel he's getting tired of being neglected.

"It would be nice if management did [take care of its players], but I very much doubt it."

Olowokandi told the Sun Sentinel that the Heat would be near the top of his free-agent shopping list. "Pat Riley is the kind of coach any player should definitely be honored to play for. He runs a first-class caliber type of system that gets the best out of players. Take how Ike Austin played with the Clippers than he did with Miami. . . I want to experience what it takes to win, to be in the front line where I'm exposed to what I have to do to win. So when I get on a team that does take care of its players, you know what it takes to be a good team player."

A day later, the Sun Sentinel did its second major Clipps feature, this time on Odom. Odom had a secret workout with the Heat just before the draft and reportedly bonded with Riley. "I feel like in those couple of days I built a little relationship with Coach," Odom said. "Maybe we'll meet up again one day. I hope so. . .If it was another place besides L.A., I'd say Miami would probably be my first choice. When your contract is up, even when you love a city, love the guys on your team, one day you might be somewhere else."

Andre Miller

Point Guard

Los Angeles Clippers

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

8 17.4 4.4 8.9 .400 .824

Today, the Rocky Mountain News ran a full story about the Nuggets' potential salary-cap room next summer (close to $18 million) and the Clippers' top two targets — Olowokandi and Maggette. It's no coincidence that the Clippers are in town tonight.

Although NBA rules don't permit GM Kiki Vandeweghe to discuss players under contract to another team, you get the feeling he is looking west toward the Clippers like everyone else.

Vandeweghe had dinner this summer with Olowokandi, then a restricted free agent. Vandeweghe no doubt told Olowokandi, who is setting himself up for big bucks by averaging 17.3 points and 10.9 rebounds, to keep the Nuggets in mind next summer. Teams like Denver may have an advantage. Because of their cap space, they'll have the ability to go after two top-tier free agents. Since the Clippers are so tight, you can envision how the scenario might unfold.

"Because we can go after two guys, we can go after a free agent and say, 'Who do you want to play with? Pick a guy.' " Vandeweghe said. "Then we can go after him."

The speculation won't stop here.

Olowokandi's name will come up again when the Clipps hit San Antonio. The Jazz will have $21 million in cap room next summer and are already rumored to have recruitment plans for Miller and Brand, two good guys who fit into Jerry Sloan's blue collar work ethic. The Sonics are said to have Brand just a tick below Jason Kidd on their free-agent radar. The Wizards still have their eyes on Miller.

That about does it for team with max cap space. But a handful of other teams like the Knicks, Grizzlies, Mavs and T-Wolves will be willing to throw their full mid-level exceptions at anyone else who falls off the map.

It's conceivable that the Clippers' entire starting lineup won't be in L.A. next season. If that happens, it will be time for David Stern and the rest of the NBA owners to step in and do what they should've done a long time ago. Put the Clipps in the NBDL and deem them the NBA's feeder franchise. If things keep going at this pace, that's all they are.

Clippers free agents attractive targets

Chris Tomasson / Rocky Mountain News

It all centers on Olowokandi

Harvey Fialkov / South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Odom wouldn't mind playing for Riley

Ira Winderman / South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Riley force fed humble pie

Pat Riley's reign on top of the NBA coaching world is over. His new role as a mortal is taking its toll. Life for a good coach on a good team is glamourous and exhilarating. Life for a good coach on a bad team is purgatory. No matter how well Riley coaches this season, the losses will keep coming and coming and coming.

"I'm just another coach now," Riley tells the Miami Herald. "Take my name off the marquee.

"I'm humbled. I've always had players who knew how to do it. In fact, they probably knew more about their positions than I did."

Now Riley is playing two overworked veterans, an upstart rookie and a bunch of young players you've never heard of. The loss of Alonzo Mourning to an unexpected kidney illness has devastated the franchise and has left Riley groping for answers and solace in the wake of another miserable season.

"It started with Alonzo and ended with him," Riley says. "That's why we're starting again. We need to get the anchor. . .I can't be it. I'm a good leader, but we need to get a player, an anchor, and create a hope again with the people because a lot of our fans have probably lost hope."

"This is not something we're trying to run away from," Riley told Newsday. "Last year, we tried to plant a lot of Band-Aids on the team with one-year contracts. This year, we're committed to developing players and rebuilding the team. I don't like the word rebuilding, because it allows you an excuse to lose, and the players hang their hat on that. I'm still coaching to win. I still want the players to play to win, not play to lose."

It probably isn't time to lose hope just yet. The Heat will have around $12 million in cap room to throw at a major free agents next summer. At the top of their list is Tim Duncan and Jason Kidd. After that the list includes Michael Olowokandi, Jermaine O'Neal, Lamar Odom, you name it.

Heat's Riley: Take my name off the marquee

Dan Le Batard / Miami Herald

Riley Forced To Look Far Down Road

Barbara Barker / Newsday

Future free agents would be just the thing for the Heat

Harvey Fialkov / South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Cartwright goes old school

Hubie Brown's edict on Wednesday — "You either play or you sit" — seems to be catching on.

Bulls coach Bill Cartwright brushed off complaints by several Bulls players, mainly Eddie Robinson, about roles and playing time Thursday in an unusual Hubie-esque manner.

"Playing time is really simple," Cartwright told the Chicago Tribune. "I'm going to give 10 guys an opportunity to play. If you want more playing time, you work hard in practice and play your [butt] off in games. And you play well. If you're doing that, you'll stay. If you don't, the guys who are playing better than you will stay.

"We [coaches] reevaluate ourselves and our decisions every game. I didn't see anything in looking at the tape [Thursday] morning to tell me that I was wrong in what I did." Cartwright has been upset with Robinson's defense and shot selection. Robinson has played six minutes in each of the last two games.

"He's going to have to guard better," Cartwright said. "He's going to have to make a shot; that'd be pretty good. When that happens, he'll stay."

Robinson is still livid over the apparent snub. "They were telling me all summer when they were wanting me as a free agent [in 2001] that I was going to play major minutes," Robinson said. "What happened to that? I went through sitting out last year [because of injury]. Now that I'm healthy, I should have the opportunity to play basketball.

"OK, I'm not starting and I didn't complain about that. But now I come off the bench and it's like one mistake and come sit down. That's frustrating as [censored]."

Robinson's complaints come on the heels of disgruntled comments by Jamal Crawford, Marcus Fizer and, at times, even rookie Jay Williams. Factor in that the Bulls' best player, Jalen Rose, is reportedly trade bait and things seem to be headed down a familiar, dysfunctional path in Chicago.

GM Jerry Krause isn't worried. "That's just a young man who's frustrated. He wants to do better and help the organization. I don't mind a player doing that. It's the guys who don't want to play that I don't like."

Play hard or sit

K.C. Johnson / Chicago Tribune

Robinson doesn't like sitting Bull role

Lacy Banks / Chicago Sun-Times

Let Bulls bloom with Rose

Jay Mariotti / Chicago Sun-Times

Random Game Notes

You knew, eventually, it was going to come to this in Washington. The old guys are starting to take over and the young kids, once again, are getting pushed to the back of the bus. Winning is still king whenever Michael Jordan is on the floor. Development can happen later when he's watching the team from the owner's box.

Thursday night, against a veteran Jazz squad, the Wizards' young guns -- Kwame Brown, Larry Hughes and Jared Jeffries — played 21, 19 and 14 minutes, respectively. My, how things have changed. On opening night, Brown logged 40 minutes, Hughes played for 39 and Jeffries got 16. Since then, Hughes' and Jeffries' minutes have been all over the board, 30 minutes one night, 16 the next. But Brown's have been steadily declining. Brown has slipped from 40 minutes, to 30 minutes, down to the low 20s over the last few games.

Meanwhile, Jordan's numbers are slowly creeping up from the 30-minute cap coach Doug Collins said he was going to adhere to. Thursday night Jordan logged 34 minutes. Jordan averaged about 25 mpg in his first four games. In his last four, he's averaging 31 mpg.

The surprise emergence of Charles Oakley in the fourth quarter Thursday night fuels the speculation. Oakley used his toughness and veteran savvy to shut down Karl Malone.

Maybe Collins was inspired by the Jazz's collection of antiques. "It's a generation of players that absolutely loves competition, loves to play and can't get enough of it," Collins told the Washington Post. "I saw Michael out there and I saw Stockton and Malone and it was like a flashback when I was broadcasting for NBC. I watched them just go at each other and then Oak stepped into the fray."

After a couple of miserable defensive performances, the Magic turned up the heat on the Clippers Thursday night and waltzed away with a 20-point victory. Orlando held the Clippers to 39.7 percent shooting. The Magic outrebounded them 52-33 and forced the Clipps into 19 turnovers. It may have taken nine games for Doc Rivers to unveil the team's defense, but it was a thing of beauty.

At one point, Shawn Kemp dove to the floor a steal. I haven't seen Kemp dive for anything that didn't have the words "all-you-can-eat" on it in years. Tracy McGrady and Grant Hill, two excellent defenders, decided to put more energy on that end as well and the Clippers simply couldn't match their physicalness.

With a dearth of decent NBA games going on Thursday night, I must admit that I flipped over to ESPN's telecast of the Syracuse-Memphis game to check out freshman Carmelo Anthony. Anthony, if you remember, was on the verge of declaring for the NBA draft because of uncertainty surrounding his test scores. Had he declared, he would have likely been a mid first-round pick.

With Amare Stoudemire blocking shots for the Suns, Anthony is without question the top freshman product in the NCAA right now. He didn't disappoint Thursday. Anthony scored 21 points in the first half, sometimes in spectacular fashion. He had a beautiful one-handed dunk early in the game and on another possession faked out two defenders and then stepped back and calmly hit a three. The key word for Anthony, in his NCAA debut, was calm. He not only looked like he belonged, he played like he owned the place.

Admittedly, things got tougher in the second half. He was held scoreless over the last eight minutes and missed several key free throws. But as far as freshman debuts go, he'll have NBA scouts all hot and sweaty. If he keeps it up, it will be one and done for Anthony with a probable lottery slot awaiting him.

A Veteran Presence For Wizards

Steve Wyche / Washington Post

Magic resort to some hard ball

Jerry Brewer / Orlando Sentinel

Syracuse's Anthony, Memphis' Hunt draw kudos in first action

Bob Herzog / Newsday

Peep Show

Knicks: Latrell Sprewell is practicing again and Don Chaney couldn't be happier. "Naturally he's going to try to prove 'I'm back and I can help this team win,' which is what I want, but I don't expect any other difference," Chaney told the N.Y. Times. "He's a leader. He's our best defender in the backcourt. He gives us another option to go to offensively, and he gives us another athletic body. He brought a lot of energy to practice. He was very vocal. He's very explosive. We're very happy that he's back, and it showed."

Rockets, Lakers: It looks like the anticipated showdown between Shaquille O'Neal and Yao Ming won't take place after all, the Houston Chronicle reported. O'Neal isn't expected to return from his toe injury until Nov. 22, when the Lakers play the Bulls. That means O'Neal, who stirred up controversy this week by referring to the Rockets' 7-foot-5 center as "Yao Who?" will miss his chance to "welcome" Yao to the NBA. The Rockets travel to Los Angeles on Sunday.

Bucks: It looks like veteran Toni Kukoc has played his way into George Karl's starting lineup. Karl said he plans to play Kukoc in place of rookie center Dan Gadzuric. "I don't know," Karl told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "I've got 10 guys who want to play and deserve to play. I'm open to see where it goes. You might see Toni for Danny in some instances. Toni makes us go. Our bench is playing better than our starters now."

Sonics: Desmond Mason claims he's not going to be unrealistic when he heads into extension negotiations with the Sonics this summer. "I'm realistic," Mason told the Tacoma Tribune. "Agents are going to be agents. But I am realistic. When it comes down to when we need to start talking about renegotiating contracts, my voice will be heard and I am not going to be unrealistic with myself or my organization or my teammates. That is the way I am going to approach it. When it is time to talk about that we will, and we will look at numbers and other contracts and other salaries and we will go about it that way."

Cavs: The good news for the Cavs is that Zydrunas Ilgauskas is averaging 19.4 points, 10.5 rebounds and 1.88 blocked shots. The better news is that health-wise, he's holding up well. "It's almost been two years since the surgery," he told the Morning Journal. "It's always in the back of my mind. Whatever happens is fine with me. If I'm done tomorrow, I know I did everything I could. Obviously, I hope that doesn't happen, but I'd be OK moving on."

Raptors: Antonio Davis, almost 100 percent sure to return from a sprained rib to face the Nuggets, wants to ease himself back into the offense and not dominate it because things have been working pretty well since he's been on the sidelines. "My only [concern] is that they try to change everything because I'm back," Davis told the Toronto Star. "That's not what I want to happen. They've been getting up and down the floor really well, they've had a lot of movement in their offence, they're helping each other on defence so I want that to continue."

Pacers: Reggie Miller (ankle) and Austin Croshere (foot) went through an entire practice for the first time Thursday. The veterans opened the regular season on the injured list. Pacers coach Isiah Thomas said there is no date set for the return of either player. "They've got a little rust on them, but it's good to have them back," Thomas told the Indianapolis Star. "They'll let the medical staff know when they're ready to play."

Nuggets: Chris Whitney is listed as probable for Denver's game tonight at Toronto. But there's little doubt in his mind about whether he'll be in uniform. "I'm going to make it happen," Whitney told the Rocky Mountain News. "I'm going to say that I'm going to play." Whitney injured his ankle a week ago, but he's ready to play through the pain. "I'm sure it's an injury that's going to linger. It's not going to heal until you have complete rest, and that won't happen."

Heat: Sean Marks underwent surgery Thursday to alleviate pain in the plantar fascia of his right foot. Marks is expected to be out 4-6 weeks. "He's been playing hurt all year, so we just hope this cleans it up a bit," coach Pat Riley told the Sun Sentinel. "Maybe in four weeks he'll be ready to roll again and we'll have him when it counts."

Mavs, Celtics: Great story today in the Fort Worth Star Telegram about Dallas' agonizing draft day decision in 1998 between Dirk Nowitzki and Paul Pierce. "We saw both players as being future All-Stars, we saw them as having the ability to be very, very special for a long period of time, and we saw them as cornerstones for franchises," coach Don Nelson said. "But our feeling was with Dirk we had a guy that had the ability to play center, power forward and small forward, so versatility was the thing that tipped the scales for us."

Knicks Welcome Sprewell's Return

Steve Popper / New York Times

Rockets summary

Janny Hu / Houston Chronicle

Shaq Starting to Feel Bullish About Return

Tim Brown / Los Angeles Times

Spark plug Kukoc on Karl's mind

Tom Enlund / Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

More than money

Frank Hughes / Tacoma News Tribune

Z the man in the middle for Cavs

Bob Finnan / Lorain Morning Journal

Davis wary return may spoil mix

Doug Smith / Toronto Star

U.S. team's failure out of coach's mind

Sekou Smith / Indianapolis Star

Dedicated to his point

Chris Tomasson / Rocky Mountain News

Marks is sidelined 4-6 weeks

Harvey Fialkov / South Florida Sun-Sentinel

A draft that couldn't fail

Dwain Price / Fort Worth Star-Telegram

[jerrywest]

Thanks dude. We appreciate your insider postings. But, didn't you post this friday too.

[Guest]

hmmm - think you're right - was up early this morning and the date had been changed so I posted it (didn't have time to read it, so didnt realize it). will post the actual one now...

[Guest]

Breaking down Week 3

by Chad Ford

Send an Email to Chad Ford

Also Below: Small-tall ball taking over the NBA? | One giant step for Yao Ming | Knicks fans fleeing the scene | Nuggets sink to new lows | Team USA taps Brown | Peep Show

It's too early to get excited, but the red hot starts by the Mavs, Pacers and Sonics could be a sign of things to come in the NBA. Speaking of things to come, Yao Ming showed up for his showdown with the Lakers on Sunday. But where was King Kong? No one is showing up for the Knicks' stink show these days. And no one in the history of the NBA has stunk as bad as the Nuggets did on Saturday. And we have the stats to prove it.

Small-tall ball taking over the NBA?

Dirk Nowitzki

Forward-Center

Dallas Mavericks

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

10 22.2 11.1 3.2 .475 .859

Mavs coach Don Nelson pioneered small ball, the art of getting five undersized guys to go out and run circles. Now Nelson, in his 25th year of coaching, is on the verge of revolutionizing the game again. This time he's doing it with a bunch of tall guys who play like they're 5-foot-10 point guards.

Call it "small-tall" ball.

You can attribute the Mavs' 10-0 start to a lot of things. Improved defense (they ranked 28th last season in points allowed, 10th this season) and the resurrection of Shawn Bradley (9.5 ppg, 8.3 rpg) quickly come to mind. But there's more to the Mavs' quick start than meets the eye. Nelson has assembled a team of versatile shooters who can play multiple positions, spread the floor and wreak havoc on zone defenses.

"They're 10-0 for a reason," Jason Kidd, who saw the Nets' six-game winning streak extinguished by the Mavericks on Saturday night, told the Dallas Morning News. "They play together, and they have guys who can get off the bus and shoot it from there."

Adds Nets coach Byron Scott: "They're serious challengers to the Lakers. They are the best team in the NBA right now."

The Mavs are ranked second in the league in scoring, averaging 103.5 ppg. They're shooting 47 percent from the field (second in the NBA), 40 percent from beyond the arc (third), 81 percent from the charity stripe (second) and they average 22.2 dimes per game (seventh).

"When you look at the nucleus," Nelson said, "you have the quarterback [steve Nash], you have one of the most versatile players at a front-line position in the game [Dirk Nowitzki] and you have one of the best (shooting) guards in the league [Michael Finley]."

The Mavs aren't the only ones getting big results from small-tall ball. The Pacers (8-1) and Sonics (8-2) are playing the same way.

Both teams lack a dominant center (though Brad Miller is making a case), have a plethora of guys who can play multiple positions, shoot and pass the ball and get up and down the court. They're shooting over 45 percent from the field, hitting 40 percent of the threes, and are bunched near the top in assists. Right now, small-tall ball seems to be the formula for success.

"There's a lack of big men out there, your Tim Duncan and Shaquille O'Neal types," Sonics coach Nate McMillan told Seattle reporters this week. "The traditional power forward is really a small forward. The center is more a power forward. It's not just us and Dallas. The league has gone to the [Dirk] Nowitzki-type player. Plus, the rules changes [allowing zone defenses] make it difficult to play with your back to the basket. Now you're finding guys who face up."

Both McMillan and Pacers coach Isiah Thomas have instituted motion offenses this season that take advantage of their players' strengths. The Sonics field one of the most versatile teams in the league. Vladimir Radmanovic (6-foot-10) is playing center, power forward and small forward. Rashard Lewis (6-10) is playing power forward and small forward. Brent Barry (6-6) is playing small forward, shooting guard and point guard. Ditto for the 6-5 Desmond Mason. And Gary Payton may be the team's point guard, but lately he's spending more and more time in the paint, posting up smaller point guards. All five players have dangerous range from beyond the arc.

"We've been successful with four smalls and a big," McMillian told the Seattle Times. "Basically I've been coaching the team by feel and flow of the game, doing what's needed at the time."

Only in the NBA can you get away with referring to two 6-foot-10 players as "smalls."

The Pacers are getting by with a similar system. Jermaine O'Neal (6-10) starts the game at power forward, but moves over to center and small forward when the matchup warrants it. Al Harrington (6-9) plays the four and the three. Jonathan Bender (7-1) is seeing time at the power forward, small forward and shooting guard. Ron Artest (6-7) plays the three and the two. So does the 6-7 Ron Mercer.

Whether it's the versatility of the teams, or the lack of traditional big men to do the dirty work down low, Nelson, McMillan and Thomas have created offenses that spread the floor and take advantage of their players' ability to multi-task. Right now teams running more conventional offenses are having a hard time keeping up.

It's a small-tall ball world after all.

Spread floor - and win

Sam Smith / Chicago Tribune

It's only November, but for Mavs, 10-0 is 10-0

Eddie Sefko / Dallas Morning News

Surprising Sonics coy about their strong play

Frank Hughes / Tacoma News Tribune

One giant step for Yao Ming

Shaquille O'Neal may be King Kong. But Yao Ming's 20-point, 9-for-9 performance Sunday night proved that the 7-foot-5 walking wall of China can do plenty of damage on his own.

Yao played aggressively for the first time this season, taking his game to the defenseless Lakers. Shaq, who's threatened to break Yao in half all summer, sat out the game with a sore toe. That freed up Yao to do his first real damage of his NBA career against Slava Medvedenko.

"For me," Yao said through an interpreter, "this was a breakthrough."

Come Jan. 17th, when the Rockets travel back to L.A., it will be Shaq's turn to break through the Great Wall of China.

"I feel sorry for the kid," Lakers coach Phil Jackson told the L.A. Daily News before the game. "I was hoping it wouldn't be Shaq's first game back, actually. I don't know, [O'Neal] would break him in two. It wouldn't be fair for the kid to go against Shaquille, such a dominant force, such a dynamic amount of energy."

"Would I break him in two?" O'Neal said. "Congratulations to Mr. Ming, first of all. He's done a lot for his country. Whenever you have a guy that comes in like that, you must take it to him before he takes it to you. He has all the tools. He can shoot. He can dribble. He's no slouch."

"We knew it," Maurice Taylor told the Houston Chronicle "There never was a doubt in our minds that he can play. The reason we won was the buckets he had down the stretch. He was a presence tonight."

"You couldn't ask for anything more from him," said Steve Francis, who had 27 points, nine rebounds and six assists. "He gave us a heck of a boost. I was surprised he caught some of the passes. Some of the passes were bad and he caught them and finished. I've seen him in practices. I knew he had soft hands. I was just glad he was aggressive and dunking the ball. In his culture, you don't dunk the ball. But we've been on him from Day 1, 'if you don't dunk the ball, you won't score.' "

"He's been doing those things in practice," Tomjanovich said.

It may have been one small step for the Rockets. But it was one giant step for Yao Ming.

Yao delivers message in Shaq, champs' den

Jonathan Feigen / Houston Chronicle

Missing Shaq all the more

Howard Beck / Los Angeles Daily News

Knicks fans fleeing the scene

Latrell Sprewell

Guard-Forward

New York Knicks

Profile

2002-2003 SEASON STATISTICS

GM PPG RPG APG FG% FT%

1 16.0 4.0 1.0 .400 .667

Who says it's tough to take your eyes off of an ugly accident? Knicks fans, and the high-profile celebrities who patrol the MSG sidelines, are fleeing the scene before things get any worse. Gone already are New York's "A" list — Spike Lee, Sean "Puffy" Combs and Tom Brokaw. In are New York's "C" list — Lou Gossett Jr., and Matthew Modine.

Isn't it only a matter of team before Gary Coleman, Kato Kaelin and Vanilla Ice will be high fiving Spree on the bench?

This just in, Shandon Anderson, Lee Nailon and Scott Layden have just signed on for the next edition of Fox's Celebrity Boot Camp.

Latrell Sprewell returned, in all of his glory, to Madison Square Garden on Saturday. His honeymoon lasted about 45 minutes. The Knicks blew another big lead down the stretch as the Knicks fell to just 1-8 on the season.

"Sprewell is a tease, a luscious distraction from the reality of a nightmarish season," wrote New York Times columnist Mike Freeman. "Sprewell's return was about as riveting as 'Caddyshack II.' Or Patrick Ewing's guaranteeing a postseason victory for the 17th time. There is no question Sprewell's gutsy, at times breathtaking, style of play is fun to watch, especially for fans thirsting for anything positive to grab hold of. But Sprewell's march back into the N.B.A. cannot overshadow a significant fact. The Knicks stink. Out loud."

No one can agree on how to fix New York's problems. Nailon, who claims he's on the verge of becoming an all-star, saw just four minutes of action. After the game, he pleaded with coach Don Chaney to give him more minutes. Nailon was waived by the Hornets earlier this summer after he became vocal about his minutes with coach Paul Silas.

"He said he's going to find a way to get me my minutes back," Nailon told the Times. "I feel good now because he came to me, he brought it to my attention. He just said, 'Stay focused and stay happy and keep doing the things you're doing and trust me, it's going to work out.' ''

Once again, the Knicks have too many swingmen and no point guard or center to speak of.

"Right now, we've got an overload in the three spot," Chaney said. "I'd like to give him decent minutes, but I really don't have them. It's hard. When Shandon's playing decent defense and doing his thing and Sprewell's doing his, there's not enough minutes to go around. I've got to somehow get enough minutes. What he has to do is take advantage of whatever he gets."

Nailon's solution? Put him on the court with Spree and Allan Houston. "If all three of us are on the court at the same time we shouldn't lose," Nailon said. "That's three scorers and you can't really double either one of us."

Right. The truth is that with a loss tonight against the Pistons, the Knicks will accomplish what no Knick team has done before since its 1946 inception: start a season 1-9.

"I'm tired of losing," Chaney told the Post. "We all know the first 10, 15 games doesn't make a season. I'm not panicking."

Chaney is realistic Sprewell's impact can help an undersized team only so much.

"I don't expect Spree to come back and win games as the savior," Chaney said. "He's not coming back like Shaq as the cavalry to the Lakers."

It's becoming more and more apparent that the only savior for the Knicks at this point is Jesus.

"A team can sell one of two things: wins or hope," said a Western Conference GM told the Times. "If you have a veteran team with a high payroll, you're selling wins. And if you're playing young guys, you're selling hope."

The Knicks have neither.

Losing Knocks Knicks Off New York's A-List

Alan Feuer / New York Times

Listen Up: This Is Still a Bad Team

Mike Freeman / New York Times

With Sprewell Back, Nailon Is Odd Man Out

Chris Broussard / New York Times

Nailon: I Can Be All-Star

Marc Berman / New York Post

Knicks On Verge Of Worst Start

Marc Berman / New York Post

Nuggets sink to new lows

We knew the Nuggets would be bad. But this bad? Saturday's 74-53 debacle stands out as the second-lowest point total by a team in NBA history.

"When you're not able to score points, it's kind of funny at first," center Mark Blount, whose team scored 63 points nine days earlier against the Pistons, told the Rocky Mountain News. "But then you start piling up 'L's', and it's not that funny afterward."

How ugly was the game? The Nuggets actually led 29-28 at the half.

"I knew it would it difficult to score tonight," coach Jeff Bzdelik said. "I also thought it would be very difficult for them to score tonight, too, because we are a good defensive team. The disappointment comes more so not from the offensive standpoint but from the end of the game where I thought we fell prey to whatever it is. We just kind of cracked."

The Nuggets are averaging just 76.1 ppg. They are shooting 38 percent from the field, 25 percent from beyond the arc and 69 percent from the free-throw line. According to Blount, the Nuggets are shooting themselves in the foot 100 percent of the time.

"Right now, we're not out there on the same page," Blount said. "We're just shooting ourselves in the foot by coming out and not being able to score points. . . . We need more discipline. We've got to run our stuff and get on the same page and get everybody in the right spot. We can't have people dancing around out there when the shot clock is running down."

The good news is that help may be on the way for the Nuggets. Marcus Camby began practicing for the Nuggets this weekend.

"He's coming along as scheduled," Nuggets trainer Jim Gillen told the Denver Post. "He's getting stronger. It won't be too much longer that he will be doing more things ... It will be six weeks on Thursday and he can get on the court in eight weeks. He could probably do some shooting and some jogging."

"It would be a big lift for all of us," Bzdelik said. "The sooner we can get him back, the better."

Dwelling on debacle is pointless

Chris Tomasson / Rocky Mountain News

Nuggets struggle to score

Marc J. Spears / Denver Post

Camby nearing return to court

Marc J. Spears / Denver Post

Team USA taps Brown

It didn't take long for USA Basketball to begin gearing up for this summer's qualifying tournament and the 2004 Olympic Games. The committee met over the weekend and the word around the leagues is that Sixers head coach Larry Brown will have the responsibility of directing Team USA back to a gold medal.

Craig Miller, USA Basketball's assistant executive director for media and public relations, said it was "too early in the process to make any announcements concerning coaches or personnel." However, numerous reports claim the Brown has the job if he wants it.

Several high-profile coaches, including the Lakers' Phil Jackson and the Heat's Pat Riley, have said publicly that they were interested in the job. However, Brown is the only man to have both played and coached for the U.S. in the Olympics. He played in 1964, and was an assistant coach in 1980 and 2000. He served as the interim head coach of the U.S. team that won the Tournament of the Americas — the Olympic qualifying tournament — in 1998.

Brown declined to confirm anything Sunday night. Sixers general manager Billy King, a member of USA Basketball's senior men's committee, declined comment.

"I'm not going to politick for it, but I've been involved with USA Basketball and I love it," Brown told the Philadelphia Daily News. "I'd be happy to do anything. If they ask me to be the coach, it'd be the greatest honor going. If they had somebody else in mind, I'd respect that as well. There are a lot of great coaches out there, but I would do anything they ask. If it happened, I'd be thrilled."

Shaquille O'Neal, who claims he'd play for Team USA if Jackson was the coach, didn't seem thrilled with the latest news.

"There's a pain on the outside part of my knee in 2004," O'Neal said with a crooked smile Sunday afternoon. "If Phil's not the coach, I probably would not play through the pain. It's too far ahead to think about. However, my knee will be hurting in 2004. Larry Brown's a good guy. I love Larry Brown to death. So, I really can't answer that right now."

Shaq's teammate, Kobe Bryant, has also indicated that he'd be willing to win back the gold for the USA. It's unclear whether he'd agree to play if Jackson wasn't the coach.

"There's plenty of guys who have served over a period of time as assistant coaches that probably deserve a chance," he told the L.A. Times. "Those guys obviously spent some time building credentials with the committee."

Jackson told reporters Sunday that if he wasn't selected he would not serve as an assistant to curry the same favor with USA Basketball for the 2008 Games, because he would not be an NBA coach in six-plus years

"Once you leave active coaching, you lose touch with some of the players that are going to be there and be an important part of the team, and their style of play and how they relate to the team," Jackson said. "You've got to be on top of that."

Brown likely next Olympic coach

Phil Jasner / Philadelphia Daily News

One Big Vote for Jackson

Tim Brown / Los Angeles Times

Riley willing to coach U.S. team

Ira Winderman / South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Peep Show

Magic: Grant Hill's ankle is sore again. Hill missed Sunday's game versus the Kings. The Magic continue to maintain that the soreness in his ankle is normal. "Hopefully, there won't be too many nights more like this," Hill told the Orlando Sentinel. "It was the safe thing to do." . . . If Darrell Armstrong's strained right shoulder doesn't get better soon, coach Doc Rivers said he would consider having his point guard sit out a game. "I think that's coming," Rivers said. "If Mike Miller had been healthy, we'd probably have already sat him down."

Blazers: The point guard controversy continues to grow in Portland after Damon Stoudamire was benched for the entire game on Friday. Coach Maurice Cheeks said on Sunday that Stoudamire would not start Wednesday night against the Magic, but he certainly would get off the bench. "I really don't know when I'm going to use him or how I'm going to use him," Cheeks said. "He's going to play. Once I figure out the best team that should be out on that basketball floor, that is the team that will play." Ironically, the two other point guards Portland added this summer, Jeff McInnis and Antonio Daniels, aren't starting either. Cheeks plans to stick with Derek Anderson and Scottie Pippen in his starting backcourt, with Dale Davis, Rasheed Wallace and Bonzi Wells on the front line.

Grizzlies: Hubie Brown is already beginning to figure out where the Grizzlies' biggest weakness is. "We were not happy with our frontcourt people," Brown told the Memphis Commercial Appeal. "Give [the Bulls] a lot of credit. They played us physical. All of them did an excellent job banging us around. . . . In this league, you can't win unless your frontcourt guys play. That was disheartening. We had guys play well. Unfortunately they were on the perimeter." Maybe Stromile Swift will find the highway sooner than we all think.

Heat: Pat Riley is vowing to shake things up in Miami. "I'll have something for them probably [today] to get them going again," Riley told the Palm Beach Post. "I need a day to think about it. . .I think in the last week they've gotten away from the covenant we made in training camp," Riley said. That so-called covenant called for playing with energy, running and attacking on offense and playing aggressive defense. "That's what I want to see," Riley said. "That's what I'm going to demand from them. We've got to get back to what we promised each other we're going to be."

Clippers: The team continues its death spiral in the fourth quarter. The Clippers squandered a 15-point third-quarter lead and dropped an 84-78 victory to the Sonics to fall to 3-7. "We've got to right the ship soon," Elton Brand told the L.A. Times. "It's still early, but the Western Conference is so tough and the Pacific Division is so tough. We can't fall behind." "For some reason, we're not playing with a lot of confidence down the stretch," Gentry said. "Maybe we're feeling the pressure and the expectations. I just have to believe we're a good enough team to win games like this. This is not a good time to be struggling."

Pacers: Austin Croshere was hoping to get off the injured list as early as this week, perhaps in time for Wednesday's game at Toronto. Croshere made it clear he was being optimistic and not repeating something he'd been told by anyone on the medical staff. Croshere said his surgically repaired foot is pain-free. "I feel real good and I've been doing everything the doctors and trainer have asked me to do," Croshere said.

Without Hill, Magic come up short against Kings

Jerry Brewer / Orlando Sentinel

Armstrong's injury not getting better

Jerry Brewer / Orlando Sentinel

Stoudamire will play, not start

Jim Beseda / The Oregonian

Much rides on how demotion sits with Stoudamire

Jason Quick / The Oregonian

Grizzlies losing streak reaches double figures

Ronald Tillery / Memphis Commercial-Appeal

Riley vows changes coming for Heat

Chris Perkins / Palm Beach Post

Clippers in a Funk

Elliott Teaford / Los Angeles Times

Thomas lauds Mercer for his unselfish play

Sekou Smith / Indianapolis Star