Russell-Jordan showdown rolling along as planned

• Calling all marketing opportunities. The Michael Jordan-Bryon Russell one-on-one is still set for Dec. 7 in Provo, Utah, whether Jordan shows or not. Utah Flash owner Brandt Andersen said Russell will participate in some event as part of the home opener for the NBA Development League team, perhaps at MJ's expense, but that the Jordan camp has signaled it may not RSVP until the day before. "We've got something in store," Andersen said, "but we're keeping it close to the vest just in case" Jordan shows.

• He's not the Derrick Rose of last season yet because the reigning Rookie of the Year is still working his way back from an ankle injury that sidelined him most of the exhibition schedule. "I think his conditioning is getting better," Bulls coach Vinny Del Negro said, "but it's not at the level it needs to be, where he can pick up defensively and push the tempo the way we would like ... He doesn't have that burst or that explosion that he had, but that will come. That'll just take time." Rose has played in all 10 games, but his 32.7 minutes per is down from the 37 of 2008-09, contributing to drops in scoring (16.8 to 13.4) and assists (6.3 to 5.5), though there's also the slight increase in turnovers (2.5 to 2.9).

• One personnel boss, on the Bobcats acquisition of unsteady Stephen Jackson: "It's a terrific trade for this season, a good trade for next year and a disaster the third year." Because? "Because of him." So goes the betting line, based on history, of Jackson staying grounded for long. Getting the expiring contract of Raja Bell and Vladimir Radmanovic for the talented wing was probably as good as the Warriors were going to do. Unless, of course, they wanted to sweat it out in hopes that a potential trade partner would feel forced by a slow start into a panic purchase.

• One more Jackson tidbit: Try finding a non-superstar, or many players at any level, that pushed around an organization more. He pretended to cozy up to president Robert Rowell to get a three-year, $28-million extension two seasons before becoming a free agent. Then he all but laughed in Rowell's face by asking for a trade nine months later and ultimately dictated the timing of his departure by using a steady stream of public discontent to force Golden State into a move. Jackson schooled the Warriors.

• That's not just a 9-3 start for the Mavericks with victories over the Lakers, Jazz, Rockets and Spurs and a Dirk Nowitzki buzzer-beater at Milwaukee in the fourth game in six days in four different cities. That's a continuation for the team that had a quality finish to the 2008-09 regular season and a good playoff showing. The Mavs tipped over the ailing Spurs in the first round and played the superior Nuggets close in the West semifinals. Dallas is defending, can play big or small and has depth to withstand the loss of Josh Howard to ankle surgery.

• Byron Scott getting pink-slipped in New Orleans makes it four of the last five, uh, winners of Coach of the Year to be fired soon after or, in the case of Mike D'Antoni, had the door held open to expedite the exit: Scott (award in 2008/gone in '09), Sam Mitchell in Toronto (2007/'08), Avery Johnson in Dallas (2006/'08) and D'Antoni in Phoenix (2005/'08). Godspeed, 2009 recipient Mike Brown.

• Lost among the Nets ruins -- injuries and defeats, defeats and injuries -- is the encouraging start for Terrence Williams. The lottery pick is performing to expectations, even if it is hard to notice through that 0-12 haze. He's every bit the bad shooter projected, at 35.2 percent, but also arguably the best perimeter defender from the draft. He's athletic, a factor on the boards at 6-foot-6 and good enough handling the ball to get time at the point in addition to his primary role at small forward and power forward. If Williams gets a shot, and maintains his focus to the surprise of some GMs scared off in June by his approach, he becomes one of the most versatile players in the league.

• Getting six weeks of forced rest is not all bad news for Pau Gasol and the Lakers. Gasol plans to return Thursday night after missing six exhibition contests and the first 11 games of the regular season with a hamstring injury. No one in the league has kept the same never-ending schedule as Gasol, from playing into The Finals in 2008 to the Beijing Olympics with Spain to another trip to the championship series with the Lakers in '09 to EuroBasket in the summer with Spain. He played 191 games, regular season and playoffs, in the NBA alone the last two seasons.

• Isiah Thomas can't get away from the NBA. He went to North Carolina for his debut as Florida International coach and was serenaded by fans in the Dean Dome with chants of "Ma-gic, Ma-gic," in reference to Magic Johnson going public with their breakup. In Thomas' second game, at Monmouth, about 60 miles from Madison Square Garden and his former life, boos and calls of "sexual harassment" and "Magic hates you" came from the stands, plus that most familiar of Thomas taunts from the Knicks days: "Fire Isiah!" Ah, memories.

Scott Howard-Cooper has covered the NBA since 1988. You can e-mail him here.

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