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Friday, Oct. 19

Ah, the weekend. Time for Click and Roll to take a little break, do some laundry, clean up the apartment and watch the leaves change colors. (Is there a season better than Fall?)

M E D I A W A T C H Sports Illustrated for Kids doesn't think Kidd and the Nets are a passing fancy. (Jesse D. Garrabrant, NBAE/Getty Images) TAKE IT TO THE (MAGAZINE) RACK The November issue of SI for Kids has an NBA Preview and, appropriately, the biggest Kidd of them all on the cover. Jason Kidd is the cover guy and they do a neat feature on him, complete with a post on the other side. They pick the Nets to win the Atlantic, the new-home New Orleans Hornets to take the Central, the Mavs to triumph in the Midwest and the ... Kings to ascend to the Pacific throne. While their picks for division winners aren't surprising, their pick for MVP may be. We won't reveal it, but we won't Dirk, er, duck any questions you may send our way. (www.sikids.com) Sports Illustrated (for adults) will publish its NBA preview in the coming issue. And while we're in the Time Inc. neighborhood, this week's SI has an excellent excerpt from John Feinstein's new book "The Punch: One Night, Two Lives and the Fight that Changed Basketball Forever." about the Rudy Tomjanovich-Kermit Washington altercation, one of the ugliest incidents in NBA history.

Alas, we won't send you into Saturday and Sunday unprepared or bored. We've added a new Click and Roll feature: e-mail.

We know, how 1996 of us, but now you have a chance to be heard (you can disagree, but please, be kind) and we have a chance to respond.

We hope to do more lists in the future like The Greatest Shots in NBA History list we did on Monday. And by doing so, we hope to encourage debate and discussion among NBA fans, because (prepare yourselves): We love this game. (Now, that's old-skool.)

Meanwhile, as we're cleaning away, the NBA will still play. Here are some games to watch this weekend.

Saturday, Oct. 19
Milwaukee at Dallas, 8:30 p.m. ET: Boos in the preseason? Could be when Michael Redd shows up in Big D with his original team.

Phoenix at L.A. Lakers, 10:30 p.m. ET: Shaq has had some choice words for the Suns in the past. Maybe he'll heckle them from the bench this time.

Sunday, Oct. 20
Sacramento at Seattle, 9 p.m. ET: Two of the better teams in the West knock heads. It's either that or mope about the Seahawks and Lou Piniella.

And to show you we're not the only people looking forward to the weekend, the Raptors are eager to get to the real stuff, while John Lucas is still pushing the Cavaliers through two-a-days. (Toronto Star, Akron Beacon Journal)

At Click and Roll, we dig deep for the news.

Although Karl Malone may be thinking about retirement, some people are skeptical. (Salt Lake Tribune, ESPN.com)

But, Malone retire? Are you kidding me? Not when the Jazz measured him with 2.6 percent body fat. And the guy is 39! People, 2.6 percent! You know what that means? Malone has less fat than celery. (USA Today)

Then again, the 6-foot-9, 256-pound power forward could be classified as overweight by some. (Plug in the numbers.)

And in Chicago, word has it Bulls rookie Jay Williams has taken (leave of his senses, some would say) Michael Jordan's old locker.

While some may see this as blaspheming a basketball god and Chicago legend, others see it as a necessary break with the past.

But can't you see what's happening here? It's Duke vs. North Carolina at another level. It's not just bragging rights, it's invading a guy's private space. We can't wait to see what happens the first time Williams has to guard Jordan on a switch.

(An aside: the columnist makes a good point, but the headline, which she probably didn't write, "Bulls, Jordan linked forever" is a tad obvious, don't you think? Vince Lombardi coached the Washington Redskins for a season, but he'll always be a Packer. Babe Ruth played for the Boston Red Sox and Boston Braves, but no one thinks of him as anything but a Yankee. Chucky Brown ... never mind.)

From Sports Illustrated's Phil Taylor, we have an early entrant for the best line of the season: "Since when did one of the hippest, baddest men in professional sports become Thurston B. Howell III?" (CNNSI.com)

Meanwhile, in the city of bling-bling, Andre Miller keeps it really real by driving a ... Honda Civic. And we'd be remiss if we didn't remind Andre to avoid parking near jet engines. (Los Angeles Times, CNNSI.com).

It's time to remember the Alamodome, because the Spurs will try to create new memories when they move into a new arena this season. (San Antonio Express-News)

In New Orleans, they welcomed the Hornets home on Thursday. (New Orleans Times Picayune)

Rob Peterson, NBA.com

Wednesday, Oct. 16

Some old-school players lament the passing of the days when some opponents nurtured a healthy dislike for each other.

Well, seems the old-school is back in session because many players have shown that they're in mid-season form when it comes to posting up verbally.

WE GOT THE POWER As another service, we would like to direct you to some power rankings across the web. Power rankings are like stocks, teams are given a subjective value by writers (analysts), whereas the standings are the cold, hard facts. Still, you can use power rankings as your argument as to why your team, though in last place, isn't really a last-place team: "See, if so-and-so wasn't injured, they'd be in first place. At least that's what these power rankings say. See?" Here they are. Argue amongst yourselves: ESPN.com CNNSI.com CBS Sportsline Sporting News InsideHoops.com These are not the opinions of Click and Roll. If you don't like the rankings and want to complain, write to the guys who compile them.

As long as it doesn't come to blows, a little woofing has never hurt. Though, lately, even the Big Dog has become catty.

It all started on Oct. 1, when Ray Allen mentioned, on the record, that he and Glenn Robinson didn't exactly get along. (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

Nine days later on Oct. 10, Robinson said, in not so many words, that Allen didn't deserve much attention.(Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)

The national media didn't catch up until Oct. 15, but that's OK, because there is plenty of grumbling going on.

Other smaller verbal volleys have been made, including one by Utah's Mark Jackson, who in the irony of all ironies, is the last remaining healthy player from the Knicks-Nuggets trade. (New York Post)

And then there's the budding competition between the Bulls' Tyson Chandler and the Suns' Amare Stoudamire. It dates back two summers and they seem intent on it continuing. (Chicago Sun-Times)

Then, we have the grandaddy of all recent feuds the Lakers and the Kings. While they haven't said anything about each other in the past few days, we'll keep track of them and their quotes all season. (That's if I'm not fired first.)

In these lean sports times, one New York paper suggests that, maybe just this once, New York sports fans should cast their lonely eyes across the river Hudson and root for the -- Yikes! -- New Jersey Nets.

DOUBLE DRIBBLE:

"We gave him the day off. He's got pretty expensive feet." --Cavs coach John Lucas, on giving Zydrunas Ilguaskas a day off from practice (Akron Beacon Journal)

While it properly notes the difference between so-hip-it-hurts Jersey and loser-ville New York, the paper fails to provide the proper manner in which to jump on the Jersey bandwagon.

Here at Click and Roll, we like to think we provide a public service. So, for all those New York sports fans who know "the ship be sinkin'," skip the ferry and hop on the bus to support your new favorite team. (It's a PDF file).

And to make sure we don't shutout the rest of the country from such frontrunning, you can fly in to support Kidd and Co. (New York Times)

Greenpeace isn't taking up the cause against the vanishing Georgetown centers of the East, but Dikembe Mutombo looks to be the last in a line of long Hoya centers. (Washington Post)

With point guard Mike Bibby out up to two months with a broken right foot, the Kings are thinking of running the 6-foot-10 Hedo Turkoglu at the point for spells. (Sacramento Bee)

Seems as if Brent Barry likes to surf, and not just the Web. He also likes Pez: 56k | 300k

Who knew Dean Smith's nickname was "Smitty"?

Rob Peterson, NBA.com

Monday, Oct. 14

Yes, you read that correctly. Magic Johnson, who owns a couple of Starbucks franchises, is reportedly having discussions with Sonics owner Howard Schulz, and founder of -- Ta da! -- Starbucks, about becoming part owner of the Sonics. (Seattle Times)

M E D I A W A T C H Root for rookie Juan Dixon? Without a shadow of a doubt. (Fernando Medina, NBAE/Getty Images) TAKE IT TO THE (MAGAZINE) RACK Should you root for Juan Dixon? According to the November issue of Esquire magazine, you should. In "Be Happy for This Man," author Chris Jones chronicles the numerous obstacles Dixon has overcome to become an NBA first-round draft pick with a three-year guaranteed contract. Not so much raised as guided by his older brother Phil after both of their parents died of AIDS, Dixon's success, Jones says, should have been improbable. And now, Dixon is playing on the same team as Michael Jordan. Also, the Baltimore Sun takes a look at Dixon in training camp.

Sounds like Schulz and Johnson have had some serious coffee talks lately, and the deal, according to Johnson is "65 to 70" percent of the way to officially making him a part owner. (News Tribune, Tacoma, Wash.)

Spike Lee was right. Who knew?

When it was announced that the Knicks had traded for Antonio McDyess on Draft Night 2002, Lee, with his orange Knicks towel and his Knicks hat in the front row of The Theatre at Madison Square Garden, asked the question many Knicks fans wanted to ask: But can [McDyess] stay healthy?"

The final answer came Saturday night. No, McDyess could not stay healthy. His left kneecap cracked like a dry pizza crust on a putback dunk. His season is likely over. (New York Daily News)

Meanwhile, just east of the Rockies, Camby will be out until at least January after having surgery on his right hip. (Denver Post)

Playing with Bill Russell and against Wilt Chamberlain, Celtics legend Tommy Heinsohn knows a good center when he sees one.

He thinks the Bulls' second-year center Eddy Curry could be a good one (Chicago Tribune).

The great thing about the preseason is interesting stories are everywhere. Here's one about a man keeping his NBA dream alive, no matter how painful it may be. (Minneapolis Star Tribune)

In Philly, where injuries (you don't say) have decimated the Sixers, 6-10, 295-pound Ron Rollerson is getting a chance to make some space for himself on the roster. (Philadelphia Daily News)

PARTY OF FIVE In a recent ESPN.com column, Charley Rosen talks about the greatest shot you've never seen. That's nice and all, but what about the greatest shots we HAVE seen? Well, here's our list in double-pump, reverse order: 5) Jeff Malone, Washington Bullets: Malone saves the ball with his left hand, switches to his right, and shoots while tumbling out of bounds. Malone's miracle: 56k | 300k 4) Rex Chapman, Phoenix Suns, 5/1/97: In one motion, Chapman leaps, grabs a cross-court pass, and flings a prayer toward the bucket. Rex rocks America West: 56k | 300k 3) Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls, 6/2/91: You know this one. Jordan goes up with his right hand, switches to his left and lays it in. Soooooo smooth. Jordan goes right to left: 56k | 300k 2) Larry Bird, Boston Celtics, 5/5/81: Bird misses a jumper from the right, grabs the ball in his right hand, switches to his left and hits the shot? Only Larry ... Bird takes wing from the wing: 56k | 300k 1) Julius Erving, 5/11/80: The famous up, under, and in. "It's still the greatest move I've ever seen in a basketball game, the all-time greatest." (Magic Johnson) The Doctor operates: 715k avi | QuickTime

Hey, ladies, Derek Fisher is available. Better act fast. He's becoming more famous as you read this. (Orange County Register)

The Kings unveiled their new uniforms for this season. We must applaud, and not because we work for the NBA. Though the font may be a bit funky, we put our hands together for the Kings continuing the recent trend of having the city name on the road jersey. Helped along by the Pistons' and Sonics' redesigns last season, this retro trend of representing the city for which you play is way overdue.

For years, home uniforms were white with the team's nickname on the front. (The Celtics, and more recently, the Lakers, being the exception. Traditionally, the Celtics had their nicknames on both the home and road jerseys).

This season, only four teams -- Seattle, Cleveland, Detroit and now Sacramento -- will have the nicknames on the home jerseys and the cities on the away threads. We can understand some names get a little long such as when the Lakers were in Minneapolis, the front of the shirt read "MPLS." and the old Philadelphia Warriors had "PHILA."

Still, we hope that when the Cavs change their colors to wine and gold next season, they will keep the Cleveland on their away uniforms.

Rob Peterson, NBA.com

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