This Picture of Arvydas Macijauskas is too funny...come on look at the guy, he can't be a ball player...this has got to be a picture of Rik Emmet of Triumph or Martina Navratilova maybe...

Shaq is so funny…you know how O'Neal calls himself Big Diesel? Last week, Magic PF Dwight Howard started calling himself Lil' Diesel. "Because I'm trying to get diesel," he told reporters. Then he flexed. Shaq’s response when told about it is too funny: "I'm a shogun. In order to get to the shogun, you have to go through a lot of ninjas…He's got the potential to be a good player, but there are a lot of ninjas out there: Stoudemire, Garnett, Ming ... Once you go through all the ninjas, then you will be able to face the shogun."

Bab Robcock watch: Not a bad night to be a recent Raptors draft choice as Charlie V goes for 11 points and 6 boards, Joey Graham goes for 7 points and 5 boards, and Jose Calderon ends up with 5 points and 3 assists and one big energy boost whenever he came in…however, the big Brazilian got 2 points, 2 boards and 2 fouls in 5 minutes…Raptors didn’t look that bad actually…if you take away the 5 turnovers by Jalen Rose, they probably win going away…great rebounding night for Chris Bosh with 14 boards including 5 offensive…

Wow…Michael Redd with 41 points (all over Vince Carter) and Andrew Bogut with 17 rebounds in a win over the Nets…

You have to watch Court Cuts on the Score to see the statue of liberty dunk Darko Milicic puts down…it’s ridiculous…

Our very own Raptor has the Most Consecutive Games Played, Active Streak in the NBA…here’s the top 5:

278 - Morris Peterson
276 - Joe Johnson
275 - Kevin Garnett
272 - Bruce Bowen
244 - Stephon Marbury

LeBron went loco last night…he hit six 3’s in a row basically treating his “defender” Bostchan Nachbar, like an annoying child…then after the last three, LeBron pretended to light his shooting hand with a lighter and then shake it like he was on fire…

Antoine Walker with 25 points and 15 rebounds last night in the Heat’s thrashing of the Grizz…

Nene has torn his ACL and is out for the season….tough luck in a contract year…

Latrell Sprewell is about to sign a 1 year deal with the Heat for $1 million, or 2 years and 27 million less than what he refused from the T-Wolves last year in that whole feed my family thing…

1) Mike Kahn of Foxsports.com thinks the Bucks are legit:

Perhaps we've already found our surprise team of the NBA season. OK, it's only two games, they're very young and we all know life can go south in a hurry, but with wins at Philadelphia and New Jersey, the young and fearless Milwaukee Bucks are getting a certain glow about them.
All-Star Michael Redd has wasted no time proving he was worthy of the six-year, $90 million deal he signed over the summer. He tied the game Tuesday night against the Sixers with a 3-pointer with 1.6 seconds left to force overtime and forged the Bucks' ultimate 117-108 victory with 30 points. Then Wednesday night after falling behind 21-5 to the Nets, the Bucks came storming back and Redd had 33 of his 41 points in the second half Wednesday night in a 110-96 victory. And this is only the beginning. "I like our future. I like the potential. It's going to be great," Redd said. "I want to stay humble, continue to work hard at practice ... staying together in tough times and tonight was the test of tough times, and we passed the test tonight." That was just after the first win, in which the Bucks overcame a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter at Philadelphia. Even more impressive under the circumstances were the numbers compiled by point guard T.J. Ford, returning after missing 18 months due to spinal surgery. Ford, the eighth pick overall in the 2003 draft, averaged 18.5 points, 10.0 assists and 6.5 rebounds in the two games, while Andrew Bogut — the first pick overall in the 2005 draft — averaged 11.5 points and 13.0 rebounds. "I think I have a lot of room for improvement," Bogut said. "I just got to keep striving to work hard everyday and I think good things will happen. As long as we get the win it doesn't matter what I did." And that's not to mention Bobby Simmons, their free agent acquisition over the summer, who contributed 22 points and 12 rebounds in the win at Philadelphia. It's clearly a team built for the future that seems to be finding its legs a little prematurely for first-year coach Terry Stotts. "This is a better team," he said. "Last year there was a lot of pressure on me to put 20 or 30 points every night. This year I'm learning to let the game come to me." ***Shots from the perimeter: It was a rough opening game for the Denver Nuggets just like last season, when they lost Voshon Lenard to a torn Achilles tendon in the first half. Tuesday night, it was Nene crashing to the floor with a torn anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus cartilage in his right knee — quite possibly out for the entire season. And while third-year forward Carmelo Anthony looked superb for the better part of both games, the Nuggets started off the season 0-2 — losing to the defending champion San Antonio Spurs and the Los Angeles Lakers. Coach George Karl was out for both games due to a suspension for unwittingly watching players before the draft at an organized workout. Up nine in the fourth quarter over the Bucks with both Allen Iverson and Chris Webber cruising with more than 30 points, the Bucks found themselves 0-2 less than 24 hours later after getting crushed by 20 in the Palace of Auburn Hills by the Detroit Pistons. It was the debut of Flip Saunders as the Pistons coach, and he didn't disappoint all those who expected the Pistons to become more of an up-tempo team with a 108-88 victory. It was almost as if guard Rip Hamilton was set free, scoring 37 points on 16-of-24 shots from the field. Meanwhile, Allen Iverson and Chris Webber have scored more than 58 percent of the Sixers' points in the first two games. Only John Salmons (twice) and Steve Hunter (once) reached double figures as well in the games. All the high expectations for the revamped Sacramento Kings took an early hit the first two nights, beginning with the nightmarish 93-67 loss at Oklahoma City to the Hornets in the debut in their new digs. It didn't get much better one night later in Houston with a nine-point loss. But in Tuesday's game, Mike Bibby, Bonzi Wells and Peja Stojakovic were a combined 10-of-36 from the field as the Kings as a whole made just 31 percent of their shots from the field. Wednesday night, they at least shot 41 percent. But Bibby, 3-for-11 on Tuesday, was 2-for-11 on Wednesday. One of the better pure shooters in the game, 5-of-22 shooting easily adds up to an 0-2 start for the Kings. That doesn't diminish the raucous sellout crowd in Oklahoma City as rookie Chris Paul had 14 points, eight rebounds and four assists, while young guard J.R. Smith added 19 points, five rebounds and three assists. The Hornets received a strong dose of reality on Wednesday night, however, as they rolled to Cleveland and fell prey to the 31 points from LeBron James (6-of-7 from 3-point range) in a 22-point loss. The Cavs shot a sizzling .539 from the field, with all three of their free agent signings — Damon Jones, Donyell Marshall and Larry Hughes reaching double figures. It was a spectacular come-from-behind victory for the Dallas Mavericks in double-overtime on Tuesday night in Phoenix after trailing by 17 in the fourth quarter. Dirk Nowitzki sank three consecutive 3-pointers in the final period to alter the flow of the game and finish with 28 points and 15 rebounds. Point guard Jason Terry was also instrumental with 23 points. But it took everything out of the Mavericks, who went to Utah Wednesday night and fell to the Jazz by nine. The Suns, without Amare Stoudemire, who is out at least until mid-season following knee surgery, could not get to the free throw line or score inside without their All-Star big man. Other than defending MVP Steve Nash, their offense never had much of a flow. And in case anyone was wondering about how the San Antonio Spurs will play in defense of their third title in seven seasons, just consider free agent signee Michael Finley fit in seamlessly with 16 points. That was just frosting for point guard Tony Parker's 26 points in the Spurs 102-91 win over the Nuggets. Coach Larry Brown's debut with the Knicks ended badly in Boston, as the Celtics came from behind in the fourth quarter and blew out the Knicks in overtime behind the 30 points from Paul Pierce, and Ricky Davis added nine of his 27 points in overtime. But it may not have come to that had Stephon Marbury not finished 5-of-12 from the free throw line and Eddy Curry missed half of his 14 attempts. The Miami Heat wasted no time showing the Memphis Grizzlies why they remain one of the favorites to reach the Finals this season, crushing the Grizz in Memphis by 19. Antoine Walker had a brilliant debut with 25 points and 16 rebounds to pace the Heat, with Dwyane Wade adding 23 points, 10 rebounds and six assists. The Chicago Bulls hung on for a four-point overtime win in their home opener over the rugged Charlotte Bobcats with second-year guard Chris Duhon recording his first career triple-double with 18 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds. The Golden State Warriors picked up where they left off with their 18-8 finish a year ago by blowing out the Atlanta Hawks 122-97, as Mickeal Pietrus came off the bench with 20 points and Troy Murphy sank all nine of his field goal attempts for 19 points, and added nine rebounds. In his debut with the Hawks after the controversial sign-and-trade this summer, Joe Johnson had 17 points, but just one rebound and one assist. And in the debut of Phil Jackson, in his second go-round as coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, it required overtime in Denver before Kobe Bryant buried a 22-footer with .6 seconds left over three defenders to pull out a 99-97 victory. Bryant led all scorers with 33 points, five rebounds and four assists, while young point guard Smush Parker had 20 points and six assists.

2) Marc J. Spears of the Denver Post reports that George Karl is calling out his players already:

Karl wants Martin, Camby to run more

Nuggets coach George Karl has a challenge for Kenyon Martin and Marcus Camby. Karl said Wednesday he didn't think Martin and Camby were in the best shape possible. Karl said Martin and Camby "were walking a lot" Tuesday night during the Nuggets' 102-91, season-opening loss at San Antonio. Martin played 32 minutes. Camby played 31. The veteran coach said he has mentioned his concerns to each player. "Marcus and Kenyon have to give us between (2,200) and 2,500 minutes this (season)," Karl said. "How do we get them? "We've had injuries in training camp. Right now, we're a little bit underconditioned in the front line. So you get a Catch-22: They want to rest for the games, and I want to push them to get in shape. "I don't think you get in great shape by playing the game. Players think you can play yourself into shape. Usually when you play yourself into shape, it costs you some losses around the way." When told about Karl's assessment, Martin said: "That's the way he feels, man. I thought we were in shape during training camp. It wasn't an issue then, so it shouldn't be an issue now. Nobody's tired." Martin is coming off offseason surgery on his left knee. He missed three preseason games because of it and still is bothered by soreness in the knee. "He suits up every day in a lot of pain," Nuggets general manager Kiki Vandeweghe said. "Never complains about it. Every time we need him, he shows up. "That's the ultimate warrior." Watching from afar…Karl completed his two-game suspension for violating league rules prohibiting contact between NBA teams and players not eligible for the draft. He was reduced to spectator status for Wednesday's home opener against the Los Angeles Lakers. Karl watched the Spurs game at a friend's house in San Antonio and planned to watch the Lakers game from his Denver home. "I was yelling a little bit," Karl said about the Spurs game. "I never sat down. I was pacing and yelling. Angry. Most of it because we had a chance to win, and we didn't have the opportunity to pull some triggers. (Assistant coach) Scottie (Brooks) did a great job with the situation he was dealt." Karl said he felt a little guilty he wasn't available to help the Nuggets in a tight game against San Antonio. Brooks coached in Karl's absence. "There was a little disappointment because he had a bit of a coaching game to it," Karl said. "The fourth quarter, could I have helped get better shots? Could I have helped get (Carmelo Anthony) the ball more than he got it? Because he was having a great game going. "But that's early season stuff, too. But I could have been there where I could have had the same difficulty as Scottie." Footnotes…Nuggets swingman Bryon Russell is scheduled to have surgery on his right knee Friday in Denver. "I'm ready to get it done," he said. ... Because of knee injuries to Russell and Nene, the Nuggets aren't expected to send rookie Linas Kleiza or rookie Julius Hodge to the Austin, Texas, team in the NBDL anytime soon. The injuries have limited Denver to 13 players available for practice, and Kleiza has been added to the active roster. "Our plan is to support the NBDL and to send our guys down there," Vandeweghe said. "All rookies I want to go down there. Now, if we need them we are not going to hurt our team to do it." ... While Vandeweghe is concerned about Hodge's recovery from offseason knee surgery, Hodge says the knee is fine.

3) Marty Burns of Si.com thinks Larry and Phil have got tough tasks on their hands:

Laying it on the line - Jackson, Brown face similar challenges this season

Phil Jackson and Larry Brown. They are two of the biggest names in NBA coaching history. They have championship rings and more money than they could possibly spend. Some even call them "geniuses" at their profession. The NBA might be a players' league, but Shaq, LeBron, KG and T-Mac will have to share center stage Wednesday night. In the first chapter of what's sure to be one the more intriguing storylines of this 2005-06 season, Brown and Jackson each makes his debut with his "new" team. Brown will lead his Knicks into Boston for their opener against the Celtics. A couple hours later and half a continent away, Jackson will lead his Lakers into Denver for a showdown with the Nuggets. Jackson, who actually is returning to the Lakers bench after being let go following the '03-04 season, and Brown share much in common these days. They are the highest-paid coaches in the game (a reported $10 million per). They are in the two biggest markets (L.A. and New York). They take over teams that didn't make the playoffs a year ago. And each easily could have wound up in the other's position. Jackson is a former Knick who was wooed for the New York job by team president Isiah Thomas last year before deciding he wasn't interested. Brown, who spent last season deflecting rumors he was looking to leave Detroit, keeps a home in L.A. and was said to be on the Lakers' short list of candidates before Jackson opted to return. What's at stake this season for the two legendary coaches? In terms of their reputations, a whole lot. Jackson is the NBA's all-time leader in win percentage (.725). He has nine championship rings, tied for most all-time with Red Auerbach. He is 9-1 all-time in the Finals. Yet some folks still insist he's been more lucky than good. They say that without Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen in Chicago, or Shaquille O'Neal & Kobe Bryant in L.A., he'd be just another guy with a clipboard. Never mind that Jackson led the Jordan-less Bulls to a 50-win season in 1993-94. It's the perception that matters. The Zen Master, however, could refute his critics with this current Lakers group. Though he has an MVP candidate in Bryant and a versatile second banana in Lamar Odom, he doesn't have anyone nearly as good as Shaq in the middle. The Lakers are going to try to make do with Chris Mihm, Kwame Brown, Slava Medvedenko and rookie Andrew Bynum. As more than one TV talking head has said about Jackson: "We'll see how good of a coach he is now ..." Brown is facing a similar uphill challenge. Despite ranking fourth in NBA history all-time in wins (987) and being the only coach to win an NBA and NCAA title, he has become as famous lately for his wanderlust as for his Xs and Os. After Brown's controversial departure from the Pistons, his legacy could take a hit if things don't go smoothly in Gotham. Unfortunately for Brown, the Knicks' present roster doesn't fit his preferred style of play. Stephon Marbury is a shoot-first point guard. Jamal Crawford too often exhibits poor shot selection and doesn't play much defense. Centers Eddy Curry and Jerome James have been known to struggle with conditioning. Channing Frye, David Lee and Nate Robinson are rookies. Given the questionable state of Brown's and Jackson's clubs, it almost makes one wonder why Jackson and Brown would want to risk marring their sterling legacies like this. Then again, $10 million per season is a lot of money. Running on empty? Not this Jackson/Brown. Win or lose, they will have no problem filling the gas tanks on their cars. Whatever the case, the two NBA coaching titans face situations in their new jobs that are eerily similar. Here's a breakdown of three such areas, with our take on who rates the edge:

Expectations

Jackson: Lakers fans are used to winning championships. After seeing Jackson and Bryant join forces to reach three Finals from '00 to '04, they will expect similar results even without the massive presence of You Know Who. They might be satisfied with a playoff berth this season, but the beautiful people at Staples will be looking for a parade by '07.

Brown: Knicks fans are more realistic. After coming up short all those years during the Patrick Ewing Era, they know how tough it is to go all the way. After several years of rebuilding, they will be patient if Brown can get them back to being competitive. Eventually the heat will rise on Brown too in New York, but not as quickly as it will for Jackson in Hollywood.

Edge: Brown

Star relationship

Jackson: After having ripped Bryant in his book, Jackson has had to moonwalk like Michael Jackson to repair their relationship. The Zen Master is an expert at dealing with superstars (Jordan, Pippen, Shaq) and unique personalities (Dennis Rodman), but the sensitive and fiercely independent Bryant is not likely to forgive and forget easily. However, Bryant wants desperately to repair his image and regain the NBA throne. If playing nice with Jackson helps him accomplish those goals, he will go along.

Brown: It's no secret he clashed with Marbury at the '04 Olympics. While both sides downplay it now, the reality is that the headstrong Marbury is not Brown's kind of player. Given Brown's reputation for being tough on point guards, the situation could be a powder keg. So far Marbury is saying all the right things, and it could work out like it did with Brown and Chauncey Billups in Detroit. Or Brown's grating style could wear on Marbury and produce an Allen Iverson-like rupture.

Edge: Jackson

Front office issues

Jackson: The Lakers coach has not only had to mend fences with Bryant, but also with GM Mitch Kupchak. Jackson's book, after all, revealed details of private conversations between the two. Still, Kupchak appeared to be on board with Jackson's hiring and the two claim to be working together as well as ever. Then again, what choice does Kupchak really have? Not only does Jackson make a lot more money, he's also dating the boss' daughter.

Brown: So far everything is hunky-dory between Brown and Isiah Thomas. They even share an affinity for nice suits. Of course, few expect the love-fest to last. Brown is famous for wanting to trade half his roster on any given day. Thomas, is known for almost literally standing over his coach's shoulder. It seems almost inevitable that these two huge egos will clash at some point. Knicks fans just hope Brown can turn around the team first before deciding to pack his bags again.

Edge: Jackson

So there you have it. Jackson has a 2-1 edge over Brown in three key categories that will determine success or failure for each. The last time they went head-to-head, Brown's Pistons defeated Jackson's Lakers in the '04 NBA Finals. Maybe Jackson will get his revenge by having a more successful '05-06 season. We get our first look Wednesday night.

4) Chris Sheridan of ESPN.com with a review of the not so famous rooks:

Getting to know the NBA newbies

Rosters were finalized late Monday, and quite a few unfamiliar players ended up making NBA teams. Under the new collective bargaining agreement, the injured list has been scrapped in favor of an inactive list, which can change from game to game. Teams can keep up to three players on the inactive list, carrying a maximum of 15 on their roster. San Antonio, Sacramento and Atlanta open the season with only 13 slots filled, while Toronto and Golden State have 14. Everyone else is carrying 15. A look at a few of the NBA's lesser-known newcomers:

Boniface N'dong, Clippers (inactive list) - This gangly 7-footer from Senegal by way of Germany, France and the Nuggets' summer league team earned a spot backing up Chris Kaman and Chris Wilcox by averaging 7.2 points and 3.0 rebounds in five exhibition games. The 27-year-old, who didn't begin playing basketball until he was 18, speaks five languages. He is one of four rookies on the Clips' roster, joining first-rounder Yaroslav Korolev, Murray State forward James Singleton and Duke point guard Daniel Ewing, who shot 10-for-15 on 3-pointers in the preseason.

Orien Greene, Celtics: The 6-foot-4 rookie from Louisiana-Lafayette, the No. 53 pick in June's draft, outplayed both Delonte West and Dan Dickau in the preseason and could be close to earning the nod as the starting point guard for the Celts. The former Sun Belt Conference defensive player of the year had 11 steals in the Celtics' eight exhibition games. His favorite movie is "Scarface," which qualifies him as an old-school rookie.

Devin Green, Lakers (inactive list) - The undrafted rookie from Hampton (Rick Mahorn's school) might have won his roster spot with a gritty performance toward the end of the final exhibition game Friday against Sacramento, getting a key bucket, steal and rebound. After telling reporters it was "surreal" to make the Lakers, Green predicted he's in the NBA to stay.

Alex Acker, Pistons (inactive list) - Detroit's decision to trade Ronald Dupree to Minnesota on Monday for a future second-round draft pick cleared room for Acker, a 6-5 guard from Pepperdine by way of Compton, Calif. Acker, who lists painting as a hobby, will help fill the role previously held by Lindsey Hunter, who is recovering from ankle surgery.

Aaron Miles, Warriors - Undrafted after playing four years at Kansas and becoming the school's all-time leader in assists, Miles becomes the latest point guard out of Portland (he also was quarterback at Thomas Jefferson H.S.) to make it to the NBA. Finding playing time might be tough, though, as the third-string point guard behind Baron Davis (signed through '08-09) and Derek Fisher (signed through '09-10).

Lawrence Roberts, Grizzlies - Jerry West liked Roberts, who averaged a double-double his final three years at Baylor and Mississippi State, so much he dealt two future second-rounders and cash to Seattle, which selected Roberts 55th, to acquire his rights. A bruised left knee limited him to three exhibition appearances, but he averaged 6.0 rebounds and 1.3 steals in just 17.7 minutes. He is the nephew of ABC's Robin Roberts.

Matt Walsh, Heat - Shot 4-for-10 on 3s in seven exhibitions, but didn't do much else. Shot nearly 43 percent on 3s last season as a junior at Florida, then declared for the NBA and went undrafted. Thanks to the diligence of the Heat's PR staff, the Miami media guide tells us the following about Walsh: His nickname is Matty, he's the brother to Mike and Maxie and the son of Mary Anne and Mike. His favorite restaurant is Geno's Steaks in Philadelphia (it's a cheesesteak joint), and he has 12 Chinese characters tattooed on his body, one on each wrist and 10 on his stomach, and he doesn't tell anyone what they mean.

Ronnie Price, Kings - The pride of Friendswood, Texas, and Utah Valley State, the 6-2 guard averaged 3.9 points in seven preseason games and went 5-for-11 on 3s. Surprisingly, Price is not the first player from Utah Valley State to make it to the NBA. The other was Travis Hansen. Price's collegiate career included 37-point performances against Western Montana, Northern Colorado and Southern Idaho. The Kings' media guide says he "enjoys watching TV and talking on the phone with family and friends."

Robert Whaley, Jazz - Whaley was the NAIA Division II player of the year at Walsh College, where he averaged 19.9 points and 7.5 rebounds. The 6-10 center was a top prep player in 2001 and committed to Missouri but ended up at Barton Community College in Kansas. He transferred to Cincinnati and had a bad year, playing one season under Bob Huggins, then opted for the NAIA so he wouldn't have to sit out a season. Whaley will be on the Jazz's inactive list for the first two games, but he won't be in uniform. The NBA suspended him two games for throwing a punch at Lakers rookie Adam Parada during a preseason game. Utah will have only 11 players available for its first two games against Dallas and Golden State.