Stephanie Kang of THE WALL STREET JOURNAL writes, “Some of the fiercest competition in the National Basketball Association this season is happening off the court. A crowd of expensive signature shoes linked to pro players is challenging the market for high-performance, high-profile sneakers. The shootout features some of the biggest names in basketball. Nike Inc. has new shoes from the Cleveland Cavaliers' LeBron James, the Denver Nuggets' Carmelo Anthony, the Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant and (from its Converse unit) the Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade. That's in addition to a new model from the all-time champion of basketball shoes, Michael Jordan. Germany's Adidas-Salomon AG is countering with shoes from Houston Rockets star Tracy McGrady and the Minnesota Timberwolves' Kevin Garnett. Reebok International Ltd. is in the game with star guard Allen Iverson of the Philadelphia 76ers.”

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB113625643334136130.html?mod=mm_hs_marketing_strategy

Steve Bulpett of THE BOSTON HERALD writes, “In appreciation of the improvements Paul Pierce has made in his game and his attitude, Doc Rivers is looking to add to his 5,360 regular-season and playoff career assists. The Celtics coach said yesterday he will work the phones to promote Pierce’s candidacy for the U.S. national team. Meanwhile, George Karl, the U.S. coach in the 2002 World Championships, has turned a corner with Pierce after some strained relations during and after that sixth-place finish — a situation Karl called “a nightmare for everybody involved. I believe that with things from the past you learn from them and forget them,” the Nuggets coach said. “I think Paul is one of the top 20 players in the game of basketball. He’s having his best year. I think Doc has done a great job in helping Paul understand that he is a great, skilled player, and now he is so effective and efficient.”

http://celtics.bostonherald.com/celtics/view.bg?articleid=119699

In the SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE, Janny Hu writes that Warriors coach Mike Montgomery "was in search of a leader, maybe two. On the tail end of a five-game losing streak last week, he wondered which of his players would step up and stop an ugly Warriors skid from reaching the six- and nine-game depths of a season ago."

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/01/03/SPGF9GGEC51.DTL

In BOOTH NEWSPAPERS, A. Sherrod Blakely writes that Richard Hamilton's "having his best season ever, with career-bests in scoring (21.7 points per game) and shooting (50 percent from the field, 47.2 percent from 3-point range)."

http://www.mlive.com/pistons/stories/index.ssf?/base/sports-1/113628660614880.xml&coll=1

Frank Hughes of THE TACOMA NEWS TRIBUNE writes, " 'Gangsterism.' That’s how Seattle SuperSonics forward Danny Fortson defined Stu Jackson’s decision to suspend him two games for verbally abusing an official."

http://www.thenewstribune.com/sports/sonics/story/5434616p-4908031c.html

Ivan Carter of THE WASHINGTON POST writes, "Blatche, who was recalled from Roanoke of the NBA Development League over the weekend, quickly found himself re-immersed in NBA life."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/02/AR2006010201385.html

Brian Schmitz of THE ORLANDO SENTINEL writes, "Returning to his old haunt tonight -- the home of the Detroit Pistons -- Orlando Magic forward Grant Hill is playing almost like vintage Grant Hill. It might come as a shock then when Hill says he's given serious thought to retiring after next season."

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/basketball/magic/orl-magic0306jan03,0,255516.story?coll=orl-magic

Mike Wells of the INDIANAPOLIS STAR reports, “Jermaine O'Neal joined Jamaal Tinsley and Ron Artest as starters out for the Indiana Pacers. O'Neal missed Monday's game against the Seattle SuperSonics with pneumonia. O'Neal has been ill since late last week. The illness, as well as an ailing back, caused him to come off the bench in Friday's game against Toronto."He showed up and it was clear he couldn't play 40 minutes," Pacers coach Rick Carlisle said about O'Neal on Friday. "Down the stretch he was pretty spent. It was tough.”

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060103/SPORTS04/601030402

Joe Juliano of THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER reports, “In his excitement over returning to Philadelphia as a head coach, Maurice Cheeks also was thrilled to have Jim Lynam, his longtime coach, mentor and friend, as his right-hand man on the bench once again. But the exhilaration gave way to concern. Citing health problems, Lynam took a leave of absence from the 76ers in training camp, figuring he could have his medical questions answered, get well, and return to the team before too long. That hasn't happened, however. Doctors have not been able to pinpoint what is wrong, and Lynam, who has served the Sixers as a head coach and a general manager, said yesterday that he was stepping down as the team's assistant.”

http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/sports/13536024.htm

Peter Vecsey of THE NEW YORK POST writes, “me you're not stunned this is only the first time Isiah Thomas felt Jerome James deserved to be suspended for conduct detrimental to the team! We already know the Knick president must not have seen the 7-footer play in Seattle, or talked to anybody mildly associated with the Sonics about his attitude and aptitude for putting on weight. But evidently Thomas also must not have been paying much attention when his $30 million summer fling (minus a weight clause, mind you) showed up at camp shapeless and indifferent. Larry Brown's reputation as a gifted Phys Ed. teacher is secure.”

http://www.nypost.com/sports/58943.htm

Jason Reid of THE LOS ANGELES TIMES writes, "Maintaining confidence is important for the Clippers, who acknowledged they have reason for concern. They were riding high during a 14-5 start, but injuries and poor play have tempered enthusiasm at Staples Center."

http://www.latimes.com/sports/printedition/la-sp-cliprep2jan02,1,6449359.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-sports

Isiah Thomas, President of Basketball Operations for THE NEW YORK KNICKERBOCKERS, announced today that center Jerome James has been suspended due to conduct detrimental to the team for an indefinite period.

http://www.nba.com/knicks/news/james_060102.html

Steve Aschburner of THE MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE writes, "Larry Bird appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated two months ago, literally standing behind Ron Artest in the troubled Indiana Pacers forward's comeback to the game. But last week, Bird -- a basketball savant, as well as a Hall of Famer and a dedicated team-first professional -- said he felt betrayed by Artest's most recent episode (demanding a trade, then recanting a week later -- too late -- after the locker room finally had soured against him).

http://www.startribune.com/511/story/155663.html

Ronald Tillery of the COMMERCIAL APPEAL writes, "Any fan that arrived early to Seattle's KeyArena on Saturday was treated to an inspiring sight, and no hometown player stood in the picture. Grizzlies point guard Damon Stoudamire appeared courtside, casually leaning against a press table while engaged in conversation. He'd already dragged his right leg -- with the knee that had its patellar tendon ruptured less than 24 hours earlier at Portland -- from the team bus and through the arena."

http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/grizzlies/article/0,1426,MCA_475_4357101,00.html

Fred Kerber of THE NEW YORK POST writes, "The numbers don't overwhelm. Most of them, anyway. For example, in the Nets' last eight games, their bench players have seen their average rise from 21 points (through the first 21 games) to 23.3. Yawn. The only number that matters is eight — as in eight straight wins. And the bench has been massive during that winning streak."

http://www.nypost.com/sports/nets/59785.htm

John Jackson of the CHICAGO SUN-TIMES writes, "After starting the previous 21 games, Bulls forward/center Michael Sweetney found himself out of the starting lineup Saturday night against the Phoenix Suns. That much was somewhat expected. Coach Scott Skiles had said he was going to shuffle the lineup, and Sweetney had a feeling he might be one of the odd men out after a couple of so-so practices."

http://www.suntimes.com/output/bulls/cst-spt-bullnt02.html

Liz Robbins of THE NEW YORK TIMES writes, "Even if they fall short of the Bulls' 72 victories, the Pistons are still on pace to join the elite group of five teams that have won 68 or more."

http://www.nytimes.com/glogin?URI=http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/01/sports/basketball/01hoops1.ready.html

Rick Bonnell of THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER writes, "I wondered why the Charlotte Bobcats haven't dabbled more in the Ron Artest auction. I'm not saying they'd want Artest, but I thought they might be a player in a three-way deal, using their salary cap room to finagle a draft pick out of someone. Then I heard something I hadn't previously considered: Though the Bobcats have the lowest payroll in the league, they don't have all that much cap room."

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/sports/basketball/nba/charlotte_bobcats/13527072.htm

Marek Fuchs of THE NEW YORK TIMES writes, "Because of a back injury that has regressed rather than healed, Quentin Richardson is not expected to face the Phoenix Suns on Monday."

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/02/sports/basketball/02knicks.html

"It's been a season of hope and resurrection for the Hornets -- who are host to the Charlotte Bobcats tonight in Oklahoma City's Ford Center -- with much of it being supplied by Paul, their rookie from Wake Forest," writes David Scott of THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER. "Paul, a point guard who left school last spring after his sophomore season and was the fourth player taken in the draft, has directed the Hornets to a better-than-expected 12-17 record, a victory total they didn't reach last season until March."

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/sports/13532455.htm  

"Life is never easy in the NBA, but it's even tougher for the young and inexperienced," writes Janny Hu of the SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE. "Ike Diogu, Andris Biedrins and Chris Taft have just 86 games and four starts among them, and yet they were all the Warriors had in the middle Saturday with Adonal Foyle sidelined by injury."

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/01/02/SPGF7GG5AH1.DTL

"The schedule for the next four weeks should look pleasing to the Bulls," writes Marlen Garcia of the CHICAGO TRIBUNE. "They will play 10 of the next 14 games at the United Center before starting a taxing Western Conference road swing at the end of the month. On second thought, this could be brutal."

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/chi-0601020164jan02,1,5183049.story?coll=chi-sportsnew-hed

"Earl Watson would have no problem with a homecoming," writes Chris Tomasson of the ROCKY MOUNTAIN NEWS. "Seattle has talked to the Denver Nuggets about acquiring Watson, who played his rookie season of 2001-02 with the SuperSonics. And Memphis, where Watson played from 2002-05, is looking for a point guard after losing Damon Stoudamire to a season-ending knee injury."

http://www.rockymountainnews.com/drmn/nba/article/0,2777,DRMN_23922_4357323,00.html

"In the dead of night at a hospital where miracles are performed with no guarantee against tears, a basketball coach discovered a new way to keep score," writes Mark Kiszla of the DENVER POST. "Jeff Bzdelik walked into Children's Hospital in Denver to save his daughter.He walked out a better coach, a better father, a better man."

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060102/SPORTS0403/601020414/1088/SPORTS04

"The "wild horse" didn't run free," writes Mike Bresnahan of the LOS ANGELES TIMES. "Laker Coach Phil Jackson suggested he might start rookie Von Wafer in Kobe Bryant's place Sunday against the Utah Jazz, but he went with a safer choice, Luke Walton."

http://www.latimes.com/sports/printedition/la-sp-lakerep2jan02,1,7699133.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-sports

"They've talked about their recent discouraging play. They've tried to rally around each other. They've tried to pick up each other," writes Mike Wells of the INDIANAPOLIS STAR. "None of that has worked for the Indiana Pacers in a four-game losing streak."

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060102/SPORTS04/601020395/1088

"No Americans took more criticism for the disappointing USA basketball team that did not win a medal at the 2002 World Championships than Paul Pierce and George Karl," writes Marc J. Spears of the DENVER POST. "Pierce was viewed as a selfish player, while Karl coached the first U.S. team that lost with NBA players. Pierce and Karl didn't always see eye to eye during the embarrassment on American soil in Indianapolis and haven't talked since."

http://www.denverpost.com/nuggets/ci_3363452

"The Cavaliers didn't just beat the Detroit Pistons on Saturday, they impressed them," writes Brian Windhorst of the AKRON BEACON JOURNAL. "It's a two-way street. After all, just 24 hours before tipoff, Cavs coach Mike Brown was extolling the Pistons' starting five as the `best-ever.'''

http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/sports/basketball/nba/cleveland_cavaliers/13533189.htm

"The Charlotte Bobcats will have no true power forward tonight against the New Orleans Hornets, after Melvin Ely sprained his right ankle Sunday," writes Rick Bonnell of the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER. "Ely came down hard on the ankle and crumpled to the floor, effectively ending practice. He didn't fly with the team Sunday night to Oklahoma City, the Hornets' temporary home."

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/sports/basketball/nba/charlotte_bobcats/13530816.htm

Rick Alonzo of the PIONEER PRESS writes, “Looking back at the picture now, Dwane Casey didn't see anything funny about the short shorts. That was part of the standard uniform back when Casey was playing during the late 1970s at the University of Kentucky. "They would have laughed if you walked in with long shorts," said Casey, the first-year Timberwolves coach. One of the hottest topics in the NBA this season has been the dress code, and not just off the court. The Wolves acknowledged earlier this season that they were warned about the length of some game shorts being too long. Former Wolf Stephon Marbury, now with the New York Knicks, was reportedly among a handful of players fined $10,000 for shorts that were too long. The NBA players' union filed a grievance. Fines aside, it's really a silly topic — isn't it? — this business about the length of shorts.”

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/sports/basketball/13532063.htm

Greg Logan of NEWSDAY reports, “They might not be reading from the same script just yet, but Knicks coach Larry Brown and point guard Stephon Marbury had a talk Saturday during an optional practice from which the media were barred. They smoothed over the differences that flared up when Marbury took only seven shots and seemed uninvolved in a loss Wednesday at Orlando.”

http://www.newsday.com/sports/printedition/ny-spkside024572644jan02,0,7954097.story?coll=ny-sports-print

Ira Winderman of the SUN-SENTINEL reports, “The Heat confirmed Sunday that Pat Riley has extended his 10-year agreement with the franchise. Owner Micky Arison declined to discuss its terms, but he said before the game against the Timberwolves that the agreement was reached well in advance of Riley returning Dec. 12 as coach, following his two years away from the sidelines. "It was a contract for president," Arison said. "I hadn't contemplated he would be coach when we did it."

http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/sfl-heatnote02jan02,0,7728660.story?coll=sfla-sports-headlines

Branson Wright of the PLAIN DEALER writes, "Point guard Chauncey Billups remains a Most Valuable Player candidate despite playing his worst game of the season (2-of-11 shooting, six turnovers) on Saturday against the Cavaliers."

http://www.cleveland.com/nba/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/sports/113610794079670.xml&coll=2

Janny Hu of the SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE writes, "Boston's Al Jefferson heard a lot about Moses Malone while growing up, but it wasn't until someone sent him a DVD of the Hall of Fame center that Jefferson says he truly began appreciating Malone's game."

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/01/01/SPG3GGFVKI1.DTL

Rick Bonnell of THE CHARLOTTE OBSERVER writes, "Charlotte Bobcats coach-general manager Bernie Bickerstaff was discussing something recently, when this popped out of his mouth: "I tell the truth," he said. "I don't really care what people think about it." That sums up the man quite well. Given a choice between doing what he thinks is right, and doing what he thinks is popular, Bickerstaff will always choose his definition of right."

http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/sports/13527418.htm

Jason Reid of THE LOS ANGELES TIMES writes, "The Clippers are in trouble and help isn't on the horizon. They're playing short-handed because of injuries, are laboring on offense and seem confused on defense, all of which was evident again Saturday night in a 111-92 loss to the Boston Celtics at Staples Center."

http://www.latimes.com/sports/printedition/la-sp-clippers1jan01,1,2258534.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-sports

Don Wade of the MEMPHIS COMMERCIAL APPEAL writes, "LeBron James was part of the U.S. Olympic Basketball Team that came home with a humiliating bronze consolation prize. But he was only barely a part of that team. Team USA coach Larry Brown used James sparingly in the Athens games, which naturally opened the door to speculation over how much interest James would have in playing on the next Olympic team."

http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/basketball/article/0,1426,MCA_466_4355744,00.html

"His career is not going to end this way," writes Tim Potvak of the ORLANDO SENTINEL. "Penny Hardaway, who was once so good but has fallen so far, might finish this season on the sideline with the New York Knicks. But he sure won't be re-signing this summer when he becomes a free agent. "I don't want to go out like this,'' Hardaway said before the Knicks played the Magic last week. "This is not how I want to finish, not how I want to be remembered.''"

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/basketball/magic/orl-nbainsider0106jan01,0,4265874.column?coll=orl-magic

"The main things Indiana seems to want to get out of moving Ron Artest are some combination of an up-and-coming player, draft picks and salary-cap relief," writes Paul Coro of THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC. "The Los Angeles Clippers, Denver, Minnesota and Golden State are the top candidates because he probably will be dealt to a Western Conference team."

http://www.azcentral.com/sports/suns/articles/0101nbanotes0101.html  

"The Clippers have struggled on offense without starting small forward Corey Maggette and backup center Zeljko Rebraca, who are injured and not expected to return until the end of January, and they've also experienced some matchup problems on defense," writes Jason Reid of the LOS ANGELES TIMES. "Shooting guard Cuttino Mobley and backup point guard Shaun Livingston have faced bigger players during Maggette's absence, and their workload has increased recently because backup small forward Quinton Ross (sore back) is sidelined indefinitely."

http://www.latimes.com/sports/printedition/la-sp-cliprep1jan01,1,5990605.story?coll=la-headlines-pe-sports

"Houston Rockets forward Tracy McGrady was staring into space at the Pepsi Center two days before Christmas as the Nuggets were hammering his injury-decimated team," writes Marc J. Spears of the DENVER POST. "As he sat on the bench shaking his head, the frustration was evident in the two-time all-NBA first-teamer's frozen eyes."

http://www.denverpost.com/nuggets/ci_3360972

"For the Nets, today doesn't just mark the start of a new calendar year. It also is the beginning of what will be a grueling month of basketball, played mostly on the road," writes Julian Garcia of the NEW YORK DAILY NEWS. "Of the Nets' 14 games in January, 10 will be played in other teams' arenas. During that stretch the Nets will make two four-game road trips, including one to the West Coast. Both of those trips include games on back-to-back nights."

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/story/379163p-322036c.html

"Come on, admit it. When Flip Saunders got hired by Detroit, it seemed like a swell break for him and a solid fit for the Pistons," writes Steve Aschburner of the MINNEAPOLIS STAR TRIBUNE. "Fired in February after nearly 10 seasons with the Wolves, Saunders was resuming his career with a renewed, improved, chance to chase an NBA title."

http://www.startribune.com/511/story/155786.html

"The beauty of it all hit him on Nov. 19 as he pointed his car northward on I-65, heading toward his home in Lafayette from the airport in Indianapolis," writes Mark Montieth of the INDIANAPOLIS STAR. "Gene Keady had just accompanied the Toronto Raptors to a game in Boston the previous night for a test run of the assistant coaching position they had offered. After 27 seasons as a college head coach, including a 25-year roller-coaster ride at Purdue, the purity of his new opportunity was exciting."

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060101/SPORTS0403/601010492/1004/SPORTS

"While the Nuggets and several other teams have interest, Pacers forward Ron Artest said Saturday he wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't traded this season, and he doesn't consider himself an elite player," write Marc J. Spears and Adam Thompson of the DENVER POST.

http://www.denverpost.com/nuggets/ci_3361278

"Even the president of the Indiana Pacers was skeptical when he heard about the upcoming line of National Basketball Association furniture," writes Ellen Miller of THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR. "Pacers-themed home goods already available include a hoop-style end table, lamps, clocks, wall decor, throws, bar stools, beanbag chairs, pillows, sheet sets and wastebaskets."

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060101/FEATURES08/601010304/1010/FEATURES

"Grizzlies president Jerry West spoke with a somber tone," writes Ronald Tillery of the MEMPHIS COMMERCIAL APPEAL. "He's usually a deal maker by choice. But West acknowledged Saturday that Damon Stoudamire's season-ending knee injury has forced his hand."

http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/grizzlies/article/0,1426,MCA_475_4355717,00.html

Shira Springer of THE BOSTON GLOBE reports, “Celtics executive director of basketball operations Danny Ainge flew here from Phoenix yesterday morning, arriving in plenty of time to watch his team play the Clippers last night at Staples Center. Ainge will travel with the team to Denver for tomorrow night's game against the Nuggets. He said this scouting trip was planned long ago, but with the Celtics in disarray, the timing naturally raises suspicion. As the Celtics continue to slump -- they had lost the first three games on the five-game trip -- a major change appears necessary. Forget all the talk of taking a step back to move forward. They are fundamentally flawed. They do not work well together on the court, no matter how many combinations coach Doc Rivers tries. Anyone who has watched Boston fail to play defense on the trip and commit turnover after turnover can see that. Ainge certainly does.”

http://www.boston.com/sports/basketball/celtics/articles/2006/01/01/ainge_talks_of_need_for_change/

Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle writes, “More than three weeks have passed since the Pacers put a for sale sign on Ron Artest. But there he sits in the window, banished from the court with no takers willing to pay the price. Pacers president Donnie Walsh has refused to lower his asking price and though a deal could come Monday, Walsh seems perfectly content to let Artest and the Pacers wait until the deals start flowing in February.”

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/feigen/3558629.html

Frank Isola of the NEW YORK DAILY NEWS writes, “James Dolan's resolution for 2006 should be to not believe anything Steve Mills, Isiah Thomas and Larry Brown say or do. At least until the Knicks are a .500 team again. Sooner or later, Dolan, the Garden chairman, is going to blame someone for the Knicks' disastrous season and he doesn't need to look any further than the three men responsible for this mess. If Mills, the Garden president, can magically appear for every press conference photo op, he should have to answer for the Knicks' worst start in 20 years. Or does anyone believe that Dave Checketts wouldn't be held accountable for a 7-21 record?”

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/col/story/379169p-322037c.html

Peter Vecsey of THE NEW YORK POST reports, “Real sources reveal Boston is attempting to trade as many of its major money players as possible in an effort to get younger than young — underage, actually. I'm not saying Danny Ainge is about to give away Paul Pierce and Ricky Davis (Mark Blount is another story; Ainge will take expiring contracts of mediocre talent to move that contract), but I am shattering the illusion Pierce will remain a Celtic for the shelf life of this season, much less his career.”

http://www.nypost.com/sports/60738.htm

Peter Vecsey of THE NEW YORK POST writes, “One thing's for damn sure; nobody can say they're remotely shocked that Kobe Bryant says he was shocked by his two-game suspension for treating Mike Miller's gullet to some elbow macaroni. The NBA, the Lakers, their fans, the L.A. media and national suppositories, his wife and apparently the Colorado judicial system has allowed him get away with uncivilized behavior for so long we all figured Bryant was immune to punishment. Of course, Kobe was "very surprised," in fact, "very, very surprised" when informed the league was lifting almost 290G from his pay envelope and had no intention of dropping the charges.”

http://www.nypost.com/sports/60740.htm

Marc Stein of ESPN.COM writes, "Sometimes you have to make room for two one-on-ones in a single Weekend Dime. This would be one of those times: Jermaine O'Neal granting us a State Of The Pacers address as Indiana inches closer to a Ron Artest trade that will formally end a relationship that O'Neal says 'we both know has ended.'"

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?page=dailydime-051230-060101

Sam Smith of THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE writes, "It's New Year's Eve, and everyone knows what that means, a night of wide-open thrills, shots for everyone and a good time. That's right, the Phoenix Suns are here to play the Bulls. 'All we do is play to our players' strengths,' Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. And those are better than many believed. Even without Amare Stoudemire, who now is traveling with the team after preseason cartilage surgery on his left knee, the Suns continue to lead the league in scoring, lead their division and, significantly, are second in point differential."

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/cs-051230smith,1,1722621.column?coll=cs-bulls-headlines

Marlen Garcia of THE CHICAGO TRIBUNE writes, "In an attempt to breathe life back into the Bulls for Saturday night's game against Phoenix, coach Scott Skiles will shake up his starting lineup, he said Friday. Skiles did not reveal the changes but said they could be drastic. Considering the Bulls have a young starting corps—the average age of the current starters is 23.2—there aren't many changes that could be viewed as radical. The most major would be pulling guard Kirk Hinrich."

http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/basketball/bulls/cs-051230bulls,1,6511347.story?coll=cs-bulls-headlines

"Young Dwight Howard dunked and stared down decorated veteran Kevin Garnett. Shooting specialist Hedo Turkoglu stole the ball and threw a nifty behind-the-back pass. A rebuilt Grant Hill rose for a (circa 1997) slam-dunk. Who are these guys, anyway?" asks Brian Schmitz of the ORLANDO SENTINEL.

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/basketball/magic/orl-magic3105dec31,0,5765129.story?coll=orl-magic

"This much is certain: (Luke) Ridnour won't start today against Memphis at KeyArena, partly because he's still recovering and partly because his replacement, Damien Wilkins, has intrigued the coaching staff," writes Percy Allen of THE SEATTLE TIMES. "Wilkins will be given a chance to duplicate his 12-point, eight-assist, seven-rebound performance from Thursday, which was the catalyst to a 112-105 victory at Denver. Weiss gave no indication when Ridnour will return to the starting lineup."

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/sonics/2002713018_soni31.html

"Would there be enough green to go around?," writes Jenni Carlson of THE OKLAHOMAN. "Three months into Oklahoma City's NBA adventure, on a day when the Cowboys, Sooners, Hornets and Blazers all have home games, the answer seems to be yes."

http://newsok.com/article/1720255/

"The news on the medical front for the Magic is not encouraging," writes Brian Schmitz of the ORLANDO SENTINEL. "C Kelvin Cato is nursing a bruised left shoulder -- his third significant injury this season. The Magic also have pushed back G Keyon Dooling's return from a right foot injury."

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/sports/basketball/magic/orl-mnotes3105dec31,0,4677432.story?coll=orl-magic

"Timberwolves forward Wally Szczerbiak hears the trade talk," writes Rick Alonzo of the ST. PAUL PIONEER PRESS. "Wolves vice president of basketball operations Kevin McHale has acknowledged that the organization has called the Indiana Pacers regarding Ron Artest. So it's open season on trade speculation on sports talk radio and around office water coolers. Artest is the hottest name on the market until the Pacers decide where to ship the former all-star. Szczerbiak is aware of the speculation."

http://www.twincities.com/mld/twincities/sports/basketball/13520612.htm

"When Damon Stoudamire lifted his head off the Rose Garden floor on Friday night and looked at his right knee, he couldn't stand the sight," writes Jason Quick of THE OREGONIAN. "His right kneecap was going one way, his leg the other. He knew it then: His season, and possibly his career, was over."

http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/sports/1136015783166970.xml&coll=7

"Indiana Pacers point guard Jamaal Tinsley missed Friday night's game against the Toronto Raptors with an elbow injury," writes Mike Wells of the INDIANAPOLIS STAR. "Tinsley, who hurt his right elbow in Tuesday's game at San Antonio, worked out before the game at Conseco Fieldhouse but decided he couldn't play."

http://www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20051231/SPORTS04/512310443

"When we see him, he is T-Mac," writes Jonathan Feigen of the HOUSTON CHRONICLE. "He plays the part in the commercials and on the court with the power to perform such wonders, to astonish."

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/3557403.html

"It became obvious in the second quarter Friday night that the only thing stopping Jerry Stackhouse in his return from injury is coach Avery Johnson," writes Eddie Sefko of the DALLAS MORNING NEWS. "The Golden State Warriors had no clue, obviously. Stackhouse triggered the Mavs' getaway with 11 points in 11 minutes. During that stretch, the Mavericks' lead went from two points to 53-39 before dropping to 55-46 when Stackhouse departed."

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/basketball/mavs/stories/123105dnspomavsbriefs.22276f6f.html

Burt Graeff of the CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER writes, “The current hottest topic in the NBA does not involve the length of the players' shorts, where Ron Artest will be traded or how much Shaquille O'Neal really weighs. The topic being discussed most often on and off courts from Boston to Seattle is this: Can the Detroit Pistons become the second team in the 60-year history of the league to win 70 regular-season games? The Cavaliers (17-10) get an up-close-and-personal look at the Pistons (24-3) today at The Q. Tipoff is at 1:30 p.m. What the Cavaliers will see is a team off to the NBA's fastest start since 1995-96, when the Chicago Bulls also won 24-of-27 en route to an all-time-best 72-10 record.”

http://www.cleveland.com/cavs/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/sports/1136021806220100.xml&coll=2

Andrew Gilman of THE OKLAHOMAN writes, “A couple times a year, Cuban will climb to the top row of American Airlines Center and take in a Mavericks game. Hang out with the folks up top and just kick back and have some fun. That’s what fans do. That’s who Cuban is.”

http://newsok.com/article/1720254/

Mike Bresnahan of the LOS ANGELES TIMES reports, “Kobe Bryant was suspended by the NBA without pay for two games for flagrantly fouling Memphis guard Mike Miller on Wednesday, an action that cost him $289,943 in lost salary and continued an already arduous week for Bryant and the Lakers. Bryant, who disagreed with the league's decision, was called for the foul after elbowing Miller in the chin in the fourth quarter of the Lakers' 100-99 overtime loss. "I'm very surprised," Bryant said Friday. "Shocked, actually. Very, very surprised. Angry and frustrated. I've been hit with a couple of flagrant fouls already this year, hit with a clothesline and no suspensions come of that. And I get two games for this."

http://www.latimes.com/sports/basketball/nba/lakers/la-sp-lakers31dec31,1,2864333.story?coll=la-headlines-sports

Mike McGraw of the DAILY HERALD writes, “Earlier this season, a rumor appeared in an out-of-town newspaper suggesting Bulls guard Ben Gordon wanted to be traded to a team for which he could start. No one knows where the idea came from, least of all Gordon. “Those words never came out of my mouth to anybody in private or public,” he said after Friday’s practice. “I never said, ‘I want to be traded.’ I’ve always been a very persistent person through my hard times. I’m just going to fight it out and I’ll prevail in the end.”

http://www.dailyherald.com/sports/bulls.asp?id=137681

Frank Isola of the NEW YORK DAILY NEWS writes, “Stephon Marbury's body language sometimes looks so bad that it should come with a seven-second delay. In fact, Larry Brown has spoken to Marbury about his on-court demeanor - back when they were still on speaking terms, of course - and the head coach told his ornery point guard that he wants Marbury to create more positive energy for himself and his teammates.”

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/story/379075p-321977c.html

"Damon Stoudamire's return to the Pacific Northwest was painful," writes Ronald Tillery in the Memphis COMMERCIAL APPEAL. "The veteran point guard suffered a ruptured patellar tendon in his right knee after a nasty fall Friday night during the Grizzlies' 93-90 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers in the Rose Garden. ... The early prognosis is that he’ll miss the rest of the season, require surgery and need 4-6 months of rehabilitation."

http://www.commercialappeal.com/mca/grizzlies/article/0,1426,MCA_475_4354343,00.html

"Eddie Griffin had just played one of the best games of his young life," writes Kent Youngblood of the Indianapolis STAR TRIBUNE. "And yet, minutes after the game was over, before the majority of what would have been an adoring media could get into the locker room to talk with him about it, Griffin was gone."

http://www.startribune.com/511/story/153608.html