Andre Iguodala or as I call him, the anti-Araujo, matched his career high with 26 points yesterday as Philadelphia creamed the Raps 107-80 leaving the 4-20 Craptors (1-12 at home) with the worst record in the NBA. ''I feel comfortable in this gym,'' Iguodala said. ''The crowd really embraces me when I come here. It's kind of funny being on the road. I was pretty sure I wasn't coming to Toronto. I worked out for a lot of teams except Toronto,'' Iguodala said. ''I'm happy to be in my position.'' ' The Raptors selected center Rafael Araujo as the No. 8 pick, one spot ahead of Iguodala, two years ago. For posterity…Araujo had no points and seven rebounds. In fact, Iguodala has outscored Araujo 52-0 in two games in Toronto this season. Iguodala had five assists and was 9-for-10 from the field. He had 13 points as Philadelphia outscored Toronto 28-14 in the decisive third quarter. Toronto committed seven turnovers in the quarter, leading to fast-break dunks. ''It was the second game in row he had a magnificent game up here,'' Philadelphia coach Maurice Cheeks said. ''He, again, was instrumental in getting into the open court and getting easy baskets.'' Iguodala had five dunks in the game…''We made him look like an All-Star. He's not that caliber of player right now,'' Toronto's Morris Peterson said. ''It's definitely embarrassing.'' Even Philadelphia pine-rider Shavlik Randolph got into the dunkathon, throwing down a reverse jam on a fast break in the fourth quarter. Chris Bosh had 22 points for the Raptors, who dropped to 0-3 against Philadelphia this year. Jalen Rose had two points in 12 minutes off the bench. ''We are 4-20. We are not getting it down. It's an embarrassment. We lost by 30 points at home,'' Rose said.

NCAA Triple-double: 6’8” SF Corey Brewer of Florida had 15 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds in Florida’s 101-58 pasting of Jacksonville…

Almost: Hornets PG Chris Paul had 17 points, 9 assists ands 12 rebounds in a 89-76 win over the Spurs…with Duncan held to 11 points…

MVP: At age 29 Chauncey Billups, in his ninth NBA season, is the best player on the best team, with the Pistons at 18-3…"I'm playing the best I've ever played right now," Billups said after the Pistons blew out the Bobcats on Saturday. "I have that freedom to run the show. I know the offense inside and out, I know where people are going to be. Things are really good right now." His career-best numbers include: 18.4 ppg and 8.8 apg, all while sinking 92 percent of his free throws and 46 percent of his 3-point attempts

Too Funny…Mavs PG Darrell Armstrong, an huge Washington Redskins fan, had some fun with the crowd in a pregame address. After wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season, he added, "How 'bout them Redskins!" Considering the Redskins had just beaten the Dallas Cowboys 35-7, there was a loud mixture of laughs and boos, even from German import Dirk Nowitzki. Avery Johnson and Mavs owner Mark Cuban said Armstrong was fined $1,000 for the stunt.

Trade Rumour: Nuggets send C Nene and PG Earl Watson to Atlanta for PF Al Harrington…Minny sends SF Wally Szerbiaksjhdjkf to Indiana for SF Ron Artest…

Only Charles: Charles Oakley, who has been seen partying with Michael Jordan on South Beach over the last week lashed out at security in a club who asked him, for the second time, to put on a shirt while dancing….could there be anyting more terrifying than the sight of the 6’9” 260 lb and very hairy Oakley shimmying shirtless on the dance floor?

Ouch: Backup point guard Dan Dickau suffered a ruptured right Achilles tendon Saturday against the Bulls and is likely done for the season.

Larry up to his old tricks: Nate Robinson went from starting regularly to playing seven minutes against Atlanta the other night to getting a DNP against Indy. ...

1) From the AP, Ron-Ron can’t make up his mind:

Ron Artest doesn't want to be traded by the Indiana Pacers after all. "I should have been a man and spoken with coach [Rick Carlisle] about my differences with him," Artest told the Indianapolis Star. "Yes, I would like to return to the team." Artest said last weekend that his past in Indiana haunts him, and he is interested in being traded to the New York Knicks or Cleveland Cavaliers. Mark Stevens, Artest's agent, told The Associated Press on Saturday that Artest holds out hope he can remain with the Pacers. "At this moment, we're not going to put the buggy before the horse," Stevens said. "We're waiting to hear from [Pacers president] Donnie Walsh, the gentleman and scholar that he is, and hope this can be resolved to where there won't have to be a trade." Teammate Stephen Jackson said Artest called him Friday night, and hopes his teammate will return. "He wants to play basketball, that's all he wants to do," Jackson said before the Pacers played the New York Knicks. "He wants to play basketball, he wants to win. "I think he wants to play basketball with us. He loves his teammates, he has no problems with his teammates." It might be too late. ESPN.com's Chris Sheridan reported Friday that Walsh is "encouraged" by the quality of the offers he has received for Artest, including what he said were at least two proposals involving All-Star caliber players. Without being specific about any of the 12-15 offers he said he had received, Walsh told ESPN.com he had heard from 20 teams, some of which merely called to ask what Walsh was looking for. Walsh said he was planning to get back to three of those teams to make specific requests. "I've talked to a lot of teams, discussed myriad types of offers. Some are player for player, some involve first-round draft picks, some involve savings, some involve a combination of those things," Walsh said. "I'm encouraged by some of the things we were offered." He would not set a timetable for trading Artest, though he did concede: "I'd like to get it behind us, but I don't feel any [time] pressure to do it. I'd like to winnow it down to two or three deals I'd like to do." Artest triggered a brawl with Detroit Pistons fans in November 2004 and was suspended for 73 games and the playoffs. Walsh said the latest incident was "the last straw of a lot of issues." Jackson also was suspended for the brawl. "I almost lost my job for him last year, so that's my friend," Jackson said. "So I respect his decision, whatever he feels, he feels." Stevens said Walsh told him he is prepared to make Artest inactive with pay for the rest of the season if he can't find a suitable trade. "I understand the frustration as a general manager, dealing with the past incidents with Ron, and I can understand if he sees fit to do that," Stevens said. The NBA fined Artest $10,000 Thursday for making public statements detrimental to the NBA. Artest was a key component on a team expected to challenge for the Eastern Conference crown. He leads the league in steals and is the Pacers' second-leading scorer at 19.4 points a game. He said he was unhappy playing in coach Rick Carlisle's system. Carlisle said any decision regarding Artest's return would be left up to Walsh and Larry Bird. "Right now, this is a franchise decision and fortunately for us it's in the hands of Donnie Walsh and Larry Bird, who are two of the best basketball people that there's ever been in this league," Carlisle said. "So they'll decide which is the best way to go. "We built an entire system around him and Jermaine O'Neal and I'm disappointed because I've been one of his biggest supporters. But this situation has gotten to where it is."

2) Greg Anthony of ESPN.com with his rookie rankings:

Paul's got it all

In the Rookie of the Year race, we've got a clear-cut leader rejuvenating a Hornets team given little shot to challenge many teams this year. Here's how I rank the top five rookies so far this season:

1. Chris Paul, Hornets guard. Watch this guy. When some young guys get bumped in traffic, they don't have the ability to finish. Paul finishes. He's a prototype 6-1, 6-2 point guard. He has really taken basically the same team they had a year ago, and made them better. He leads all rookies in scoring (16.7 ppg) and assists (7.0 ppg). Those are numbers, along with his ranking near the top 10 in assist-turnover ratio, that are comparable with those of the best point men in the league. It's one thing to be a good player as a rookie. It's another thing entirely to be a superstar in the making. That's Paul.

2. Channing Frye, Knicks forward. He's more of a power forward than a center, and he can stretch the defense with his range. An excellent shooter. I'd like to see him do better rebounding with his size, put more power in his game. He's been hurt because his team is in disarray. He's one of the few bright spots.

3. Charlie Villanueva, Raptors forward. His preparedness says a lot about UConn players -- one of a long line of guys who've come out and had an impact. With him and Chris Bosh, they can be pretty potent at forward. He's been a better shooter (46 percent FG, 12.6 ppg) than he was given credit for coming into the season. I never questioned his talent, but I did question the Raptors picking another power forward.

4. Deron Wiliams, Jazz guard -- Pretty solid. Big, physical. Not as quick as some others. He's got to improve on his shooting (40 percent FG). I think he'll be better when his team plays better.

5. Andrew Bogut, Bucks forward. His numbers (8.1 ppg, 7.1 rpg) are very mediocre, but he plays on a pretty complete team, so they're not asking a lot out of him. Playing alongside Jamaal Magliore helps. He's learning how to win without the pressure of carrying the load; that's a huge advantage for a young guy.

ON THE FIVE FRINGE: Rockets guard Luther Head has come on of late, when they needed it. He's got a lot of game, he can shoot the basketball, and can play the 1 and the 2. The Hawks' Salim Stoudamire is a combo guard who can flat-out shoot. If he works at it, he has a chance to be a very good player. The best shooter in the draft.

THE DISAPPOINTMENTS: Marvin Williams, the No. 2 pick in the draft, has definitely struggled . He hasn't figured out who he is for that team. The one positive is they're playing better. Bobcats guard Raymond Felton has struggled to shoot (30 percent FG). Defensively he's fine, offensively not the decision-maker you'd like to see. His fellow Tar Heel in Charlotte, Sean May, is going to have to overcome an overall lack of quickness and athleticism. There's going to be a period of adjustment, but I think he has the tools to be a solid NBA player. He's really going to have to work at creating space for himself. The sixth overall pick, Blazers forward Martell Webster, hasn't been able to do much of what he does best -- shoot.

2) Brad Weinstein of Si.com thinks the Camby man could be an MVP:

Worth the price of admission - A healthy Camby is producing an MVP-like season

Marcus Camby has a simple explanation for his blazing start. "Thirty-one," Camby said, "is the new 21." The Denver center won't get much of an argument from the rest of the league. Over the hill? More like on top of it. The 10-year veteran is pushing to become a first-time All-Star in Houston in February -- one month shy of his 32nd birthday. Known more at times for filling a medical chart than a box score, Camby is performing at such a high level that Nuggets coach George Karl recently told reporters, "Is Marcus Camby not fun to watch? He's one of the few players in basketball right now I'd pay money to watch." Much to Karl's viewing pleasure, Camby entered Thursday's game at Cleveland ranked first in the NBA in rebounding (13.3 a game), second in double-doubles (16 in 21 games) and third in blocks (3.19). His consistency has helped the Nuggets stay afloat despite forward-center Nenê's absence, Kenyon Martin's sluggish return from offseason knee surgery and meager production at shooting guard. Why is the second pick in the 1996 draft seemingly peaking now? The aging process, of course. While with the Knicks from 1998-2002, "I was surrounded by so many great players. I sort of played a back role to guys like Patrick Ewing, Latrell [Sprewell] and Allan Houston," Camby said in a telephone interview this week. "Now, I've been [in Denver] a few years, I'm an elder statesmen here and guys are looking to me as one of the captains of the team. It's a natural progression in my career. I've always felt like I could compete at a high level in this league on a night-in, night-out basis. Right now I'm in a situation where I'm getting an opportunity to showcase that." Camby always has rebounded, swatted shots and energized teams with his frenetic activity; his career-high 16.8 points a game on 51.9 percent shooting from the field stand out this season. Logging more minutes than ever accounts for some of the scoring spike, but Camby also credits teammates for finding him on lobs for dunks and in good spots to attempt his increasingly steady mid-range jumper. In addition, Camby relishes playing for Karl, who guided the Nuggets to a 32-8 finish last season after replacing Jeff Bzdelik as coach in late January with the team languishing at 17-25. "I respect him because of how he turned this franchise around," Camby said. "When he first got the job, I heard all the stories about how George can wear on his players. But I haven't seen any of that. He's always had an open-door policy, and he's given me a lot of freedom on the court." Karl, in fact, is having trouble keeping Camby off the court (his 35 minutes a game are a career high and 4.5 more than last season). And how often has that been a problem for Camby's coach? A cynic would be surprised that Camby did not injure himself reaching to turn back the clock this season. Camby missed 216 out of a possible 706 regular-season games his first nine seasons, including back-to-back seasons in which he appeared in only 29 games. The Knicks cited his lack of durability as a major reason for including him in a 2002 draft-night trade that also involved Mark Jackson and Nene going to Denver for Antonio McDyess, Frank Williams and a 2003 second-round pick. By the time he joined the Nuggets, the slender big man had ceased being Marcus Camby. He was injury-prone Marcus Camby. "People are always going to have negative things to say about me," Camby said. "Sometimes you get injuries when you play with reckless abandon. But I've lasted 10 years in this league, so obviously I've done something right." Camby has sat out only one game this season despite a heavy workload brought on in part by the Nuggets' frontcourt injuries (Nene sustained a season-ending torn ACL on opening night and Martin has been sidelined seven games with knee tendinitis). He said putting together a third consecutive relatively healthy season -- he played a career-high 72 games in '03-04 and 66 last season -- is no coincidence. "I'm a whole lot smarter player than I was early in my career," Camby said. "I used to run around all crazy, diving all over the place trying to make a big play all the time. I still try to do some of the same things, but I'm just a lot more relaxed now. I know how to conserve my energy and pick my spots a lot better."

3) Marc Stein of ESPN.com reports that the Clips feel good about themselves:

Confident Clippers take cue from Cassell, coach

LOS ANGELES -- The surprises have been dribbling in faster than most folks can scribble them down. Example: It went almost unnoticed last weekend that Hugh Hefner gave up some of his Saturday night at the Playboy Mansion to visit Staples Center instead. Hef was in the house for a celebrity gathering sponsored by the home team, flanked by a few of the requisite lovely companions, and it didn't matter. The focus never left the floor, where the first-place Los Angeles Clippers clamped down on the Phoenix Suns in the second half to retain their Pacific Division lead and remind you that they're also perched atop the whole league, one spot above San Antonio, in field-goal defense. The surprises continue. If it's not Ron Harper coming back to Hollywood and professing how proud he is now of a franchise he once likened to jail, which happened the next night, it's finding out that Sam Cassell is even cockier than you imagined. Or it's the realization that Mike Dunleavy is right there with Sam I Am. No joke. The coach and the coach on the floor are so confident that they believe, no matter what history tells us, that they can impose their ambitious mantra on everyone else in Clipperland until the culture changes. That mantra? This place is good because I'm here now. "No doubt," Cassell says. "No doubt about it. That's how we feel." The goal? "Change the whole thing," Sam says. It's too soon to attach any permanence to their efforts, but this much is certain: L.A.'s other team has never come close to a start like this in the club's 24 years of Donald T. Sterling ownership. It's likewise safe to surmise that the Clippers have never had a pair like Cassell and Dunleavy, claiming that their mere presence could alter long-held perceptions about this franchise. The tributes flowing in from all over the NBA go on to suggest that the Clips, in spite of their current three-game blip, have never been more legit. Premature as that sounds just over a quarter into the season, especially for a franchise that did have Larry Brown in charge for 18 months in the early 1990s, it's not tough to back up the argument. Even in Brown's heyday, there was always a sense that the star players -- and the coach, of course -- would be leaving eventually for teams that were willing to spend and really wanted to win. With three players already signed long-term from the current core, this is different. This is progress even if the Clippers' stay atop a division accustomed to Laker rule, and the rare privilege of looking down at their famed Staples co-tenants, is only temporary. Dunleavy's arrival didn't merely bring credibility to the Clippers' bench. He's the first of Sterling's 15 coaches, in a quarter-century, who has been able to get the famously tight owner to keep his promises about spending. Shortly after Dunleavy was hired in the summer of 2003, Sterling matched lucrative offer sheets to Elton Brand ($82 million from Miami) and Corey Maggette ($45 million from Utah). The Clippers declined to match Miami's $65 million offer to Lamar Odom, but went on to make three sincere free-agent runs at three unquestionable mega-talents: Gilbert Arenas in '03, Ray Allen last summer and Kobe Bryant in between. "Everybody was saying we couldn't get him," Dunleavy said of the Bryant chase in July 2004. "But I'm telling you, it was closer than people think." No matter how much Bryant later insisted he was really prepared to defect to Clipperland, skeptics scoffed at the whole concept by suggesting Sterling was merely throwing money at free agents he knew weren't going to take it. Prodded by Dunleavy and general manager Elgin Baylor, who had quickly formed an effective alliance, Sterling responded to the skeptics and the Allen snub by committing $42 million over five years to Cuttino Mobley. The Clippers had never spent more on an outside free agent. Better still, they weren't done. Unwilling to extend a long-term deal to combo guard Marko Jaric, after earlier declining to compete with Milwaukee's $47 million pitch to Most Improved Player winner Bobby Simmons, Baylor struck a sign-and-trade with Minnesota instead of just letting Jaric go. That deal brought back Cassell, whose contract expires at season's end. The trade was dismissed initially, similar to the free-agent pursuits of the big names, as a move Sterling sanctioned only because it only meant paying Cassell for one season. Dunleavy wasn't listening, convinced that Cassell -- especially in a contract year and after he was widely blamed for the Wolves' collapse -- would be eager to supply the Clippers with the backcourt stability and swagger they lacked. Dunleavy's only hesitation was Cassell's health, after a back/hip/hamstring issue lingering from Minnesota's 2004 run to the West finals limited the 36-year-old to 59 games last season. Yet after they huddled for two days, there was even less hesitation. Dunleavy and Cassell quickly discovered that their personalities were a closer match than anyone knew. Everybody thought Mike Dunleavy and Sam Cassell would butt heads. Not even close. “Beyond my wildest dreams," Dunleavy said. "I'm him on the court," Cassell adds. The trickle-down effect of their shared self-belief has lifted the whole organization. That is why the Clippers' ability to maintain their darling status depends as much on Cassell's durability as the guy (Brand) who's having a career year. "Sam wasn't happy when the trade first happened," Brand acknowledged. "But he turned around real quick. You hear all the rumors that he's tough to be around or whatever, but you can't believe what you hear or read. After [Dunleavy] talked to him and Cuttino [Mobley] talked to him and I started talking to him, it wasn't long before he was telling me how good we could be." There were more surprises. Brand doesn't like to talk much about this part, but he showed up for training camp freshly sculpted after dropping 20 pounds. He also showed up with a new mid-range jumper that, combined with his quicker feet, has enabled Dunleavy to move Brand out on the floor when he's guarded by bigger players. Brand can now counter bulk with pick-and-rolls and floor isolations that make him harder than ever to guard. Third-year center Chris Kaman, meanwhile, has developed into a serviceable starter, easing some of the disappointment from the 2003 draft when Dwyane Wade came within one spot of slipping to the Clips. Dunleavy also has an unheralded defensive specialist to mix in with all the scorers: Second-year swingman Quinton Ross has been checking perimeter players of all sizes, from Steve Nash and Wade to Bryant and LeBron James. The hoopla has receded a bit with the Clippers' losing three straight after the Phoenix win, which came with the Suns playing their fourth game in five nights. Yet L.A. can do some rationalizing of its own lately, with Maggette -- its most dynamic scorer -- out for the past five games with a nagging foot ailment. And Dunleavy is finally getting his first look in a long time at the club's point guard of the future, Shaun Livingston, after a scary back injury that followed Livingston's knee and shoulder ailments as a rookie. Livingston's return carries a double benefit, provided the 20-year-old proves his body can hold up. His lanky presence should enable Dunleavy to limit the nightly toll on Cassell and cut his minutes slightly, but also play them together occasionally so Cassell can shift to shooting guard. Dunleavy, you see, welcomes an overload of options. He has so far dodged the expected problems with on-court chemistry and refuses to even acknowledge the possibility, even though doubts about Cassell, Mobley and Maggette's sharing the ball could have grown by now given how Brand's game keeps expanding. "I was in Portland," Dunleavy said. "Not enough basketballs? I've been dealing with not enough basketballs forever. Are you kidding me? Give me talent, I'll figure out how to make 'em happy." It's easier when the talent isn't divided by free agency, as seen during the Clippers' last false dawn. They were national darlings back in 2001-02, so cutting edge at the time that you could find Darius Miles jerseys almost anywhere. "People forget that we had our own show on ESPN," said Brand, referring to a reality series ("Sidelines: LA Hoops") that followed the club all season. "I made the All-Star team and we were winning [at 34-31 in mid-March], but then we imploded at the end. "We had nine or 10 free agents and guys had never been paid before. It turned into a tryout for other teams. You had guys saying, 'I need to get a deal and I'm not going to get it from the Clippers.' We let outside influences hurt our team and a veteran Utah team took our [playoff] spot. "I think it's a totally different scenario now. I'm mean, Cuttino is signed longer than Corey and myself." The franchise with exactly one winning season since moving to Los Angeles in 1984 is starting to look like -- gasp -- a standard NBA operation. With profits said to be flowing in the multimillions at Staples, and Sterling apparently starting to enjoy the idea that he can battle the Lakers for the city championship if he takes better care of the product, he is at last building a new headquarters in Playa del Rey that will take the Clippers off a dubious list. At present, they're the only team in the league without its own practice facility. "This is a great place to play now," said Harper, a rookie assistant coach with the Detroit Pistons. "I'm proud of them. I'm proud to be an ex-Clipper. I always say that if I would have been a Hall of Famer, I'd want to go in [wearing] a Clippers jersey." That's the same Harper who, after leaving the Clippers in acrimony in the summer of 1994, went on to win three championship rings with Chicago and two more with the cross-town Lakers. The same Harper who, angry for months before he left because he knew Sterling had no intent to re-sign him, unforgettably said, "I'm just doing my jail time. In about 65 or 70 more days, my time is up and I'll be out on GB. Good behavior." NBA commissioner David Stern also acknowledged that things have changed, saying, "Actually, I don't think they're so surprising because they had a good nucleus of players. They signed veterans. They have a good coach . . . and actually a committed ownership now to doing well." The next step for Sterling? Deciding what to do with Dunleavy and Cassell. Dunleavy has a team option for next season that hasn't been picked up yet. Cassell becomes a free agent in July and has made it clear he wants to stay. Kaman and Livingston will likewise be eligible for extensions in the near future. How Sterling treats these four -- the rest of the team's core -- will tell us whether he's made a lasting change. Yet you haven't heard any carping from the coach or his coach on the floor. Dunleavy is nonchalant about his situation, insisting it's a non-issue even though an extension should be automatic. It remains to be seen how long Cassell will follow that lead without getting antsy, but he says he believes in Dunleavy's influence with the boss. Not that he has gone Silent Sam on us. No chance of that. He'd simply rather talk about turning this sterling start into something that lasts long enough to graduate from surprising. "We've got to make the playoffs first," Cassell said. "We've got to crawl before we can walk. But the year Seattle had last year? I think we can do the same." That's a 52-30 season and a trip to the second round of the playoffs. "I try to temper [those expectations]," Dunleavy said. "It's too early. But I've said all along I think we're a playoff team. If we stay healthy, we can be better than a playoff team. The only thing that worries me about our team is injuries. If we can sustain that part of it, then we can be pretty good. "This is what I expected to do. I came here with my own expectations. I gave [management] a vision and I told them, 'I can do my part as long as you do your part.' They've done their part." "From Year 1 to Year 2 to Year 3, every press guy has been in here [saying], 'It ain't gonna happen.' I really believe it's gonna happen."

4) Mike Kahn of FOXSports.com reports on the Artest trade possibilities:

Pacers, Artest front and center in trade talks

It would be redundant to call the latest off-the-court issue revolving around Ron Artest a news flash. And maybe it's just a coincidence that it happened Thursday, the first day that the players acquired over the summer via trade and free agency can be traded. Nonetheless, it fits quite well. Just four days after Artest shot off his mouth about his inability to fit into the Indiana Pacers' offense and wanting to be traded, he was fined $10,000 by the NBA per an element in the new collective bargaining agreement forbidding such public commentary. "Public trade demands by players was a subject discussed at length during collective bargaining negotiations this summer," said Rick Buchanan, NBA senior vice president and general counsel in a statement. "The damage caused by these kinds of statements was commonly understood, as was the NBA's intention to hold players accountable for such statements going forward." Having said that, the trading post is officially open, and deals are expected to be made on several fronts. It is highly unusual to have players like Artest, Chicago's Tim Thomas and New Jersey's Marc Jackson inactive at this point of the season. All three are expected to be dealt. In Portland, forward Ruben Patterson suffered the same fate after an insubordination incident on the bench, and the Blazers have actively been trying to trade him for months. They are obviously showcasing him now with hopes of creating some action. And then there were other acquisitions that haven't worked out very well. Jerome James in New York, Houston's Stromile Swift and Earl Watson in Denver could all be traded — although Watson's odd status as a third point guard has changed this week with Earl Boykins injuring his hamstring. There are plenty more possible trades. So let's take a look at the teams most likely to make a deal between now and the Feb. 23 trade deadline. Indiana Pacers: The Pacers have to trade Artest. They stood by him through all of his fits before last season, then when he instigated the brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills that decimated the team and the season. The preference is to move him out West, with the most likely candidates for trade being the Sacramento Kings (Bonzi Wells or Peja Stojakovic), Los Angeles Lakers (Kwame Brown or Devean George and Andrew Bynum), Golden State Warriors (Mike Dunleavy-plus) and the Seattle SuperSonics (Vladimir Radmanovic-plus). The best possibility on the East Coast is Atlanta, where the Hawks could trade back Al Harrington to Indiana. New York Knicks: It's been six weeks, and, as expected, coach Larry Brown has discovered he doesn't have a point guard. Stephon Marbury never has and never will fit his mold; Jerome James, as expected, has been a total bust — getting out of shape; and they've been trying to move the contracts of Penny Hardaway and Malik Rose. The only happiness can be found with rookies Channing Frye, David Lee and Nate Robinson, plus second-year forward Trevor Ariza. They may acquire Ruben Patterson from Portland. New Jersey Nets: The Nets are the most disappointing team in the East. Marc Jackson has been a bust, but there's something else wrong, and something has got to give. Neither Jason Kidd, nor Vince Carter appear as healthy or effective as last season, but Richard Jefferson looks fine. Nenad Krstic still looks promising, but they have been reportedly already making overtures to Houston for Stromile Swift, whom they had targeted last summer only to be outbid by the Rockets. President Rod Thorn will not stand pat through the trade deadline. Sacramento Kings: The Kings are the West Coast version of the Nets. They have all the parts in place — they just aren't working. They're trying to run the same Princeton offense that worked so well off of Vlade Divac and Chris Webber off the post, but those guys aren't there anymore. Bonzi Wells has been so-so, but the problem has been trying to build around Peja Stojakovic, who just hasn't been up to All-Star form the past couple of years. He's the guy they need to move, and even if it isn't for Artest. Al Harrington in Atlanta, soon to be a free agent, would actually be a better fit. Denver Nuggets: Once Earl Boykins' hamstring heals (he's a remarkable physical specimen), they'll move Watson. How can a third-string point guard be worth a four-year, $29 million contract? And there are plenty of teams that need a tough on-the-ball defending point guard, namely the Knicks, who have been offering Malik Rose. The Nuggets will trade Voshon Lenard — even for a second round draft choice. Seattle Supersonics: The Sonics need to move forward Vladimir Radmanovic. He isn't playing as many minutes for Bob Weiss as he did for Nate McMillan, and he'll be a free agent next summer. He'll fit on any number of teams, particularly Indiana and Chicago. Flip Murray is also available and could be moved to a team that needs a scorer. Portland Trail Blazers: They're so young and lost; you have to wonder what kind of players coach Nate McMillan thought he had before training camp and how he feels about them now. Zach Randolph is problematic for any number of reasons, including recovery from micro-fracture surgery. Darius Miles is still awaiting opinions on whether or not to have knee surgery — but he hasn't played in a couple of weeks in the process. Washington Wizards: The Wizards are a sleeper team to make a deal. They're playing far below the level they were last season and need to get more quality depth up front. Etan Thomas is a nice player, but he is erratic and can't be counted on to get the job done — same with Brendan Haywood. At some point they will decide whether it's Jared Jeffries or Jarvis Hayes they like the most and move the other. This could be the time, because the Wizards could move prominently into the playoff picture in a hurry if they had an Artest or any kind of impact power player. Miami Heat: With Pat Riley now coaching the team, the moves he wants to make now are even more unfettered than when he was just president. Now he doesn't have to worry about how the coach will coordinate the players. With Michael Doleac and young Dorell Wright as bait, Riley wants another point guard (Watson?) and a solid player up front. Los Angeles Lakers: The Lakers still seem like the best prospect for Artest. The concept of Artest and Lamar Odom at forward, with Kobe Bryant on the wing makes Phil Jackson excited. Whether or not the Pacers can get excited about Kwame Brown or Devean George is a bigger question — because anyone can get excited about 7-foot-1 teenager Andrew Bynum, who is loaded with talent and a great attitude that Brown still has not reached. Chicago Bulls: The Bulls badly need some power players and maybe a better small forward than Luol Deng. The key could be if and when they move Tim Thomas — maybe they can find a team that will take him just for the salary cap relief in the summer. But what players will they get? This is a huge test for general manager John Paxson, who's trying to figure out what went wrong beyond the dealing of Eddy Curry. Regardless of who is thinking what — and Pacers CEO Donnie Walsh claims he's already heard from more than 20 other general managers regarding Artest, he's the kind of player who could help a very good team take the next step. But teams are just asking for trouble with Artest as he could stunt the growth of an average squad or worse.

5) Peter Vescey of the New York Post is a little critical:

COMBO SPLATTER

December 18, 2005 -- UNLIKE the majority of coaches, Larry Brown doesn't feel as if he has to start any of his players except for Stephon Marbury. Therefore the Knicks' mad scientist plays 'em all in a nutty season made even crazier by a new Collective Bargaining Agreement that instituted the use of a trigger-turnstile 15-man inventory. Let's start with some simple multiplication: 15 x 14 x 13 x 12 x 11. All right, I cheated. I relocated my abacus and came up with 360,360. That's the number of possible starting fives Home Town Brown can concoct, working from a swiveling cacophonous group of band members. Of course, that's assuming none of the 15 gets interchanged down the interstate. 360,360. Put another way, based on the 82-game season, Brown would have to grace the Garden for nearly 4,400 years to try 'em all. When placed in that light quilting 20 or 30 different quintets this season (16 and counting of a possible 26) is downright stable. The method to Brown's amplified madness is clear. He's covering his posterior by fiddling with a multitude of combinations to make it seem as if his players' ineptness and inexperience give him no other choice but to group grope. This from a guy who, while in Detroit, didn't go nine-deep on the layup line. So what, you might say, if Brown plays with the hearts and minds of the active and inactive. What's wrong with leaving no Oliver Stone unturned? Well, for one thing, save for the plebes and shapeless Eddy Curry - and we can only guess how Brown's tire rotation is getting into those fragile young minds - the New York Knicks have as many valuable assets as the New York Democrats. John Wooden used to say, if a team's talent is even (read: evenly defective), then there should be no problem settling on an unwavering lineup. In other words, Brown is long overdue to make that command decision, if for no other reason than to establish a false sense of stability. One of Isiah Thomas' countless mistakes, if not the most glaring, was not hiring Rick Carlisle for a couple years to facilitate Larry Brown's transition. Pacers' CEO Donnie Walsh has never been fond of making disruptive in-season trades or radically changing the roster for any other grounds. Though any time major alternations occur it seems as if Ron Artest is the core of the cause. In mid-February 2002, Tru Warier and Brad Miller were the primary components acquired by Indiana from Chicago for Jalen Rose. Last season, Artest got sentenced to 73 games on the shelf for breaking and entering the Palace stands, and dragged Jermaine O'Neal, Stephen Jackson and others onto the suspended list with him. And now Artest's trashing of Carlisle and trade demand has given Walsh no alternative but to comply; the smoother the conversion the better. Nobody is more qualified to help the Pacers realize that objective than former Pacer Al Harrington. The Knicks can pump out all the propaganda they want their pursuit of the New Jersey native but they've got no ammo to get him this season from the Hawks (unless they're prepared to part with precious Channing Frye), and Harrington would be foolish twice over to join another loser next season as New York's mid-level exception. In the meantime, the Pacers have their sights set on reclaiming Harrington, who would fit in seamlessly with O'Neal and his other ex-teammates, who he stays in touch with and remains tight. This is the player Walsh and Larry Bird and Carlisle want. Problem is, the Hawks don't want Artest. So a third team must be included, a team that wants Artest and is able to satisfy Atlanta. Easier desired than done. Sources identify Artest's most ardent suitors: Clippers (Chris Wilcox, not Corey Maggette, as reported, plus someone else and a No. 1 pick); Nuggets (Nene has yet to be offered but how else can they accomplish it?); Wizards (Caron Butler or Jarred Jeffries and Chucky Atkins match contractually); Sonics (Vladimir Radmanovic, Reggie Evans and Flip Murray all have the power to void trades, and that's still not enough salary to get it done); Timberwolves (neither Atlanta nor Indiana is intrigued by Wally Szczerbiak); and the Warriors (they were willing to give up Jay Murphy for Kwame Brown, so why wouldn't they be open to it now?). Isn't the Washington Post held in the highest esteem? Aren't its reporters renowned fact checkers? Aren't they supposed to have the most reputable sources? Well, its Wizards beat writer definitely was led astray the other day when he alleged Washington and New York were chatting up Jeffries/Atkins for Quentin Richardson swap. Never happened! Never will! Sheer nonsense! Why would the Wiz entertain a deal for someone with five years left on his contract ($40M) whose back is uninsurable for two contributors with expiring deals? The Washington Post must have Ernie Grunfeld, Wiz president of basketball operations/former Knicks executive, confused with the current one. Naturally, Thomas is especially eager to renounce Richardson, particularly if a small forward or point guard can be obtained in the process. Let the record show, discloses a source, that Q's reintroduction into the starting lineup last week, only this time at the guard position, occurred immediately after the Nuggets inquired about his health. As much as Denver needs a licensed off shore driller, it's highly doubtful GM Kiki Vandeweghe will sign off on such an assigned risk, even if means dumping the distinctively unimpressive Julius Hodge's 3-year, $3.7M guarantee as part payment. Earl Watson, not available in a trade until Dec. 29, is the Knicks' focal "point" in these discussions. If Brown ever had any sincere interest in reuniting with Eric Snow, now's the chance to prove it. The Cavaliers, I'm informed, are on the prowl for someone more capable to run the team. The feeling within the franchise, as well as from afar, is the 32-year-old Snow ($20M more on the books following this season) has stalled to a crawl, and 3-point chucking, showboating Damon Jones ($12M more over the next three) is purely one-dimensional. ... Contrary to reports, the Nuggets' Kenyon Martin is not being shopped in any shape or form. ... Kings exec Geoff Petrie let it be known he has no intention of trading Peja Stojakovic and never spoke to the Pacers about any such trade for Artest. ... Houston wouldn't so much as entertain an offer from the Nets for Stromile Swift. The Rockets are looking to procure a backup shooting guard. ... Of all continuously fabricated drivel churned out by ESPN.com (except for the real stuff it commandeers from other media outlets) its speculation regarding the Sonics and Knicks (Rashard Lewis and Danielle Pig Tails for Penny Hardaway and Nate "The Gadget" Robinson has to be most outlandish and least educated. Even Stephen Anal Smith doesn't want his stained name attached to it. ... In case you missed it, Phil Jackson was fined 25G by the NBA for expressing interest (while in Toronto, no less) in Chris Bosh two seasons from now. The league returned the money yesterday when Jackson articulated he had no interest whatsoever in any Knick.

6) Bruce Plaschke of the LA Times with a great article on Clippers Wildman Chris Kaman:

As Strange as It Seems, Kaman's the Real Deal

Welcome to Christmas with the Kamans. There is no tree, no lights, no carols. "That's because there's no snow," said Chris Kaman, the jolly Clipper center from western Michigan. "It's like, a rule. You can't have Christmas without snow." Staring outside the window of his stately Redondo Beach home overlooking boats gently slicing through the Pacific, he shrugs. "I don't even own a suit," he says. Welcome to Christmas with the Kamans where, at least, there are toys. On the second-floor balcony, there is a collapsed pingpong table. "We lost all the balls," he said, peering down to the winding street. In a narrow side yard, there is an archery range. A Styrofoam target and plastic deer are at one end. Kaman, with a John Deere cap on backward, is standing 20 yards away and shooting from the other end. "This is how I relax after games," he says between shots that zing past my quivering frame as I stand pressed against the outside wall. "Don't worry. I don't miss." Welcome to Christmas with the Kamans, where there are pets (a dog and a python), a piano (inherited from the previous owner, nobody can play) and, yes, a posse. Three of Kaman's buddies from his hometown of Grand Rapids, Mich., keep the common areas meticulously clean, cook healthy food and, like their leader, don't drink or party and rarely curse. "A weirdo posse," Kaman says. Ah, that every NBA player and his gang should be so strange. What the Clippers have done to the NBA this winter, Kaman has done to the public perception of scruffy-faced 7-footers with shoulder-length blond hair.Just as the terminally unhip Clips are now cool, so is their center, a 23-year-old lug who is eccentric enough to be known to teammates as K-Pax, but delightful enough to laugh about it. Says Sam Cassell: "Kaman is like a far-away island, farther than Hawaii, way, way out there." Says Kaman: "I'm just trying to be myself, you know? Doesn't everybody try to be themselves?" In a town built on phony, in a league that sweats perception, Kaman is as refreshingly delightful as a regulation national anthem. He is one of the few NBA players who openly despises rap music — "I hate rap! (pause) Can I say that?" He is also one of the few who has little concern with how he looks on the floor, refusing to cut his dangling locks in nearly two years — "I kind of want to cut it, but I'm scared to cut it, because it's, like, me." Most local athletes love the Hollywood scene. Yet in his three years here, Kaman has yet to attend one of those parties. "That's not me. You drive two hours, you stand around, you drive home, why do that?" he says. Many local athletes are reluctant to venture out of their county for charity events. Yet this summer Kaman left the country to hold a three-day free camp for 2,000 children in Saltillo, Mexico. He drove there in a rented minivan with his posse. It took them 31 hours. He was stopped twice in Mexico by police and bribed his way out of trouble for a grand total of $60. "But you should have seen the kids," he says, "all the smiles on those kids." Kaman is that rare kid millionaire unafraid to still be a kid. During a recent afternoon at his home, he shot arrows, put a rat into a cage for his python's dinner (she wasn't biting), and watched replays of one of his favorite TV shows, an early morning ESPN2 thing called "Get Wild with Cindy Garrison." No, it's not that kind of wild. It's outdoors wild, the focus being a woman who dresses in camouflage and hunts wild animals. "Tremendous television," Kaman says. His biggest vice is speeding — he was ticketed and briefly lost his license for doing 110 mph while driving home from Las Vegas this summer — but mostly he doesn't do anything. We spent most of the afternoon chatting in huge recliners facing a huge TV screen at the foot of his bed. This is where Kaman says he lives, playing video games online with friends back home and watching something from his collection of 1,600 movies. "A wild night?" says friend Caleb Chamberlain. "Two movies." Kaman's small-town sensibilities are a perfect complement to his big-city Clipper coaches and teammates, who are watching him slowly reach the potential that General Manager Elgin Baylor predicted when he made the Central Michigan junior the sixth overall pick in the 2003 draft. Despite disappearing in the shadow of Yao Ming in Saturday's victory over the Houston Rockets, Kaman is on a pace for career-best numbers in rebounds, blocked shots and minutes, and has shown stretches of consistency. Better than all that, he heeds all criticism, from Coach Mike Dunleavy to Cassell, surprising folks with his willingness to admit faults. "He takes our criticism very well, all of it. I'm very impressed," says Dunleavy. Kaman knows he has to listen more closely than others because, unlike many athletes, he openly says he suffers from attention deficit disorder. He took medication throughout high school, then thought he could handle his lack of focus without it. "I didn't want to feel like I needed a pill to make me normal," he said. Now, though, he admits to sometimes questioning that decision. "I've thought about it, because my mind does wander sometimes out there," he says. "I've thought maybe if my focus is taken care of, the rest of my game will be more free." But, for now, constant coaching keeps him in line, with Dunleavy reminding him of things during breaks in the action, and with Cassell just hollering at him whenever. "Kaman is the kind of guy, he's like a giant bass, you give him slack, and give him slack, then you reel him in," Cassell said. "I yell at him because I believe in him." It's hard not to believe in Kaman, his genuine smile, his genuine sweat, an innocence that led him to laugh when he talked about a recent visit from eight family members. Instead of sleeping in a fancy hotel, they stayed with him for 10 days, littering air mattresses across the floor and playing Monopoly all night. "Monopoly, the Grand Rapids version," Kaman says, with a grin, as if he couldn't imagine any other kind.