Horrible call...just horrible...

Well…I’m back and let me tell you…Costa Rica could not be more beautiful…you have to go there. Really great country…anyways back to hoops…

Break up the Raptors with the 5 game winning streak…I should go away more often…

Speaking of the Raptors, was that not the most bizarre ejection you’ve ever seen? Of course, it’s Steve Javie, well known for his quick trigger who ran Mo Pete when Vince Carter playfully slapped his pal Peterson, who gave him a little slap back...Peterson barely touched Carter or looked at him, just flinging a backhand in Carter's direction in a friendly gesture. Javie immediately ejected him and would not even look in the direction of the Raps after he’d done it…Carter even tried to persuade Javie that Peterson didn't deserve the technical. After the game, Carter said he would pay any fine that resulted from the technical foul. Why couldn't Javie go to the other 2 officials for a 2nd opinion and then maybe rescind the technical foul? Refs reverse calls all the time after some consultation…of course, the ejection might have cost the Raptors the game, because Peterson had had success against the Nets and also was guarding Carter and Carter score most of his 42 points after Peterson was ejected…

Speaking of Vince Carter, since Vince joined the Nets last season the team is 27-6 when he scores 30 or more points a game. This season they are 8-1. The one loss was the fourth game of the season (90-89 to the Heat). When Vince scores 30 or more he does so by shooting 53% (111-210) from the floor, 51% from 3 (22-43) and 89% (89-99) from the line. During this 10-game win streak, Vince is averaging 33.5 ppg. His season average is 24.9.

Trade Rumour: Pacers send SF Ron Artest to Boston for SG Ricky Davis and C Mark Blount…Bulls Trade PG Ben Gordon to the Nuggets for PF/C Nene…

Somehow, SF Qyntel Woods ahas been placed ahead of SF Trevor Ariza in New York, with Larry Brown calling Ariza “delusional”…the Raptors should make a trade pitch for Ariza right now…Ariza has been upset since before Monday's game against Phoenix, when the media informed him that David Lee and Qyntel Woods had moved ahead of him on Brown's depth chart. Ariza told reporters that Brown's ever-changing lineups led to confusion in the locker room. He accused Brown of communication problems. "To say that he doesn't know what's going on, he's delusional," Brown said yesterday. "So I don't worry about it." Brown said he was "pretty specific" with Ariza in a talk before Monday's game and that his assistant coaches have been giving him regular feedback. He added that Ariza's problems boil down to attitude. Said Brown, "In my mind, it has nothing to do with basketball ... He's just got to grow up a little bit and understand this is a team, and he's got to act like a good teammate."

Allen Iverson has been around for 10 years…just doesn’t seem possible does it? At 30, he has won an MVP, is a 6 time All-Star, won 4 scoring titles, made fun of practice, has a body that is beat up with great regularity and yet he still leads the NBA in minutes. So has he lost anything? Well, apparently not…when former teammate Speedy Claxton, who played alongside Tony Parker in San Antonio and is now with Chris Paul and the Hornets in Oklahoma City, was asked recently who's the fastest, he said, "A.I., by far."

Speaking of Iverson, did you know he’s considered to be the greatest quarterback to come out of the Hampton News Virginia area ever? That includes Aaron Brooks, whom he played against, Michael Vick and now Marcus Vick and North Carolina QB and now Raiders WR Ronald Curry, who came later…Iverson was a local legend. NFL Films even did a feature on him, complete with footage in which he looked like a right-handed Vick, with Vick gushing about him…

Nuggets guard Earl Watson could join teammate Eduardo Najera in representing Mexico next year. Mexican Basketball Alliance president Arturo Guerrero Moreno approached Watson, who is half Mexican, half African-American, on Friday in Denver about playing for the Mexican national team. Watson is eligible to play for Mexico because his maternal grandparents were born there. Although Mexico won't play again until the 2007 FIBA Americas Olympic qualifying tournament.' I want to see what the whole process is,' Watson said."

NBA PG and master Scrub Rick Brunson doubts whether Latrell Sprewell will play again. Brunson spoke to his former Knicks teammate last week and said that Sprewell is enjoying retirement. "He was never a guy that grew up loving basketball the way a lot of guys do," said Brunson, who is on the SuperSonics' inactive list. "If he has a chance to play for a contender he might come back, but I don't think that will happen until late February or early March."

1) Dan Bickley of the Arizona Republic thinks The Matrix could be the MVP:

Marion embraces bigger role, earns inclusion in MVP debate

Like oxygen, peanut butter and indoor plumbing, a certain member of the Suns is often taken for granted. In national circles, his name may as well be Shhhhawn Marion. Yet nearing the halfway point of a new season, the versatile forward is suddenly making a lot of noise. He's the best player on a winning team, and these days, the usually ignored Marion is starting to show up on another kind of list: the one reserved for NBA MVP candidates. "I think you can definitely make a case," Suns coach Mike D'Antoni said. "I don't know where we'd be without him, and we're pretty good. Shawn is already with two other legitimate MVP candidates when (Amaré Stoudemire) is playing, and you can make the case that what he does is more important than what the other guys do." In his seventh year, Marion is certainly giving the Suns another All-Star season. He still runs faster, jumps higher and defends better than most everyone in the league. And he'll play all night if you ask him, and D'Antoni usually does. "I live in Phoenix, so I get to see him play a lot," TNT analyst Doug Collins said. "I love guys with great energy, and Shawn just works himself into good games every night." Yet there is also something different about Marion. He's scowling a little more. He's playing with an aggressive fury normally associated with the injured Stoudemire. And just the other day, with his team exceeding all expectations, Marion ripped into some unnamed teammates, the ones who don't want to run the court with reckless abandon. It was the absolute truth and a nifty show of leadership. The kind of stuff normally reserved for team leaders and MVP candidates. "I ain't even thinking about that, man," Marion said. "You can't control what people think of you, and most (MVP candidates) are forced on people. You know me. I'm just doing what I do, playing ball, having fun, doing whatever I can to help the team win." Still, there are other noticeable differences, and Marion is clearly taking advantage of a bittersweet opportunity. With Joe Johnson and Quentin Richardson traded, many more shots are available. For the first time in a while, the Suns are actually running plays for Marion. And with Stoudemire rehabilitating from knee surgery, the role of leading man is wide open. Surely it is but a temporary part, and only a matter of time before Marion heads back to the trailer for best supporting actors. But for now, he is making an unprecedented splash. Marion leads the Suns in scoring (20.6 points per game). He is one of only five players to average more than 20 points and 10 rebounds a game. His rebounding average (11.9) and his field goal percentage (.516) are career highs. One statistical analysis on NBA.com listed Marion as the most effective player in the NBA, ahead of LeBron James, Kevin Garnett, Elton Brand and Allen Iverson. And best of all, he picked a great time for a blow-up game. When Marion scored a career-high 39 points Monday, playing 60 of 63 possible minutes, he did so in New York, on the floor of Madison Square Garden, and if you can make it there . . . "He is the Matrix," Stoudemire said. "Any lob you throw to him, he's going to throw it down. He's blocking shots. He's defending. He's scoring the ball. I don't think you can ask for too much more from Shawn." Thing is, D'Antoni always does. And here in 2005-06, in a dicey time for the entire organization, Marion has been a rock of stability. His 23 double-doubles - accomplished when a player has 10 or more in two statistical categories in a game - rank second in the NBA. His recent string of performances was done on the other side of the country, where the West Coast bias breeds and players from the Pacific Division usually attract a scoff. "If I'm guilty of it, then I know everyone else who watches him part time is guilty of it," D'Antoni said. "I'll get upset with him during a game, and then I'll look at the statistics. I'll wonder what I was thinking about, and I'll feel like an idiot because he's already doing so many things. "I'm telling you, the guy is amazing. He allows us to be little, he allows us to run. Shawn usually guards guys that can't guard him, and that creates instant mismatches. So sometimes, you feel like a hypocrite because you're asking him to do so much more. But you can mess up (coaching) Shawn and it's OK because he's such a good person." And in a season in which there are no clear-cut MVP candidates - Kobe Bryant? Chauncey Billups? Dirk Nowitzki? Steve Nash? - it is nice to see the forgotten Sun finally getting his due.

2) From the AP, Rafer is an idiot:

Houston guard Rafer Alston was critical of Raptors coach Sam Mitchell before his first game back in Toronto, saying he didn't prepare his players for games. Alston was traded to the Rockets during training camp. He repeatedly clashed with Mitchell last year and arrived about an hour and 15 minutes before the game Friday. "I loved to be prepared," Alston said. "I love to go in there and understand what we are doing defensively, offensively. I like to know what the other teams have been doing the last five or six games. Going into games I didn't know." Alston said there was no comparison between Mitchell and his current coach, Jeff Van Gundy. "I enjoy playing for Jeff," he said. When asked what Mitchell didn't do, Alston said: "I don't have an example of it. Like I say, preparation is everything, life, sports. No matter what you do, you got to prepare." Alston was involved in several scrapes last season. He threatened to quit the team and the NBA after a Dec. 3 game in Boston and was suspended by the Raptors for two games for conduct detrimental to the club after he walked out during practice. Mitchell said Friday he's not going to dignify Alston's comments. "We wish Rafer well," he said. "I don't feel like I was slapped in the face." The Raptors signed Alston to a six-year contract worth between $27 million and $30 million before last season, but sent him to Houston in a trade for Mike James in October. James entered Friday's game averaging 15.9 points and 4.6 assist, while Alston was averaging 9.2 points and 4.6 assists. Alston was a second-round draft pick of the Milwaukee Bucks in 1998 out of Fresno State.

3) Fred Kerber of the New York Post thinks Uncle Cliffy is amazing:

OL' ROBBY IS 'D' MAN

One game, he's banging with Shaquille O'Neal inside; the next, he's chasing the likes of Al Harrington or Donyell Marshall around the perimeter. Now consider, not only does Cliff Robinson do those tasks for the Nets, but he does them well — as the oldest, most experienced player in the NBA. And there aren't many who could. "Effectively? Not many. But he's played against Jordan, against Bird. He's seen it all. He knows so many tricks, so many things, whether it's baiting the officials, helping himself out or positioning," noted teammate Richard Jefferson of Robinson, 39, a major contributor to the Nets' win streak they hope to extend to nine games tonight against Orlando in the Meadowlands. "He's a big strong body, but he moves extremely well. He's a power forward but moves like a small forward," Jefferson added. Robinson, 6-10, is playing in the 17th NBA season of a career that failed to make the playoffs only once. He's left his mark — and not just for longevity. He's scored 50 points in a game. He was an All-Star. He won a Sixth Man of the Year Award. But where does he take the most pride? "Being a good defender," said the UConn product who rated the toughest 1-on-1 guys to guard as Kevin Garnett among "the new age guys" but Hakeem Olajuwon and Charles Barkley over the course of his career. "I've scored a lot of points in this league, but your points are going to go down as you get older. But I've always tried to be consistent and playing defense from the time I came into the league until now."

3) Chris Sheridan of ESPN.com gives us the straight goods on Artest trade destinations:

Sorting through the Artest rumors

The latest Ron Artest rumor, a report by Sacramento Kings flagship station KHTK that Denver, Golden State and Indiana had agreed to a three-team deal, was shot down by Pacers president Donnie Walsh even before it hit the airwaves Thursday night. So ended Day 26 of the Artest Watch, which will move into its second month if the Pacers don't get a deal done by the end of the upcoming weekend. If the Pacers have a timetable, they're keeping it to themselves. "I'm not going to box myself in by saying something like that," Walsh said, adding the passage of time since Artest's initial trade request has brought an improvement in the offers the Pacers are discussing. "Things are starting to clarify. The number of teams is down to three or four, and I'm dealing with one or two a day in a serious way. The players [being offered] are better, and I think teams realize if they're going to do it they have to offer good players. Draft choices and cap space don't equal a good player," Walsh told ESPN.com. The main suitors for Artest continue to be the Nuggets, Timberwolves, Lakers, Clippers, Grizzlies and Warriors, and reports in recent days have suggested the Seattle SuperSonics could be getting into the mix. The Pacers have expressed a preference to deal Artest to a team in the Western Conference, and Indiana's dialogue with Eastern Conference teams has quieted considerably. Of course, word is if one Eastern Conference team -- the Atlanta Hawks -- had been willing to take on Earl Watson, this entire exercise might have been completed weeks ago. That proposed deal is the first of several rumored trade proposals over the past four weeks that are worth taking a look at:

Rumor: Three-way deal sending Artest to Denver, Watson and Nene to Atlanta and Al Harrington to Indiana. Veracity: This one was real, and the reason why it didn't happen depends on whom you talk to. Some say Atlanta balked at taking on Watson's contract; others maintain Indiana wouldn't pull the trigger. The Nuggets are still talking to several teams about Watson -- Memphis, Seattle and New York are three of the pursuers -- but seem disinclined to pull the trigger on anything until they know how the Artest situation will be resolved. The latest: Denver coach George Karl has been effusive in his praise of Watson's work ethic and has been using him in a four-guard alignment along with Andre Miller, Earl Boykins and Greg Buckner.

Rumor: Anyone on Minnesota's roster, excluding Kevin Garnett, for Artest. Veracity: The St. Paul Pioneer-Press cast doubt on this one Thursday, although several sources have indicated the Timberwolves are open to almost anything. Wally Szczerbiak's agent laughed off his client's inclusion in Artest rumors, noting they were about the 100th trade rumor he had heard involving Szczerbiak over the past few seasons. A three-way deal between Minnesota, Indiana and Atlanta sending Michael Olowokandi's expiring contract, a draft pick and a third player from the Wolves to the Hawks, with Harrington going to Indiana, would make sense. The latest: Minnesota owner Glen Taylor gave a strong hint Thursday a three-way deal is still being discussed.

Rumor: Artest and another player to the Lakers for Lamar Odom. Veracity: The Lakers have not offered Odom -- at least that's what they're telling Odom. Los Angeles would be willing to part with Devean George, a young player and a draft pick, but Indiana is not biting. Efforts by the Lakers to find a third team to broker a trade have been fruitless. The latest: Lakers coach Phil Jackson, on the verge of the first six-game losing streak of his NBA coaching career, told reporters: "Right now it looks like no one's in it. I don't know what's happening. It's been a month-long saga.

Rumor: Artest to Golden State for Mickael Pietrus, Calbert Cheaney, a third player and a No. 1 draft pick. Veracity: Makes sense from Golden State's point of view in terms of getting Artest at a reasonable price, but would Artest be a good fit for an offense dominated by guards Baron Davis and Jason Richardson? There also has been talk that forward Mike Dunleavy could be moved, but he signed a contract extension on the eve of the season, which turns his deal into what is known as a "poison pill" contract (his cap value no longer equals his salary), making him much harder to deal. Troy Murphy's name was thrown out earlier this week, too, but agent Dan Fegan was reportedly told by general manager Chris Mullin that Murphy had not been offered. The Warriors also do not want to trade Ike Diogu. The latest: Murphy sprained his ankle in the Warriors' 99-89 loss to Indiana on Thursday night. Quote of the night on Artest came from coach Mike Montgomery: "Picture me as Sgt. Schultz. I know nothing."

Rumor: Artest to the Los Angeles Clippers for Corey Maggette. Veracity: When the teams first spoke in mid-December, the Clippers said no to any deal that included Maggette. But that was back when they were 14-5 and leading the Pacific Division. Losses in seven of their past 10 games as well as an injury to Maggette may have changed their thinking. Coach Mike Dunleavy has said he'd welcome the opportunity to coach Artest, but general manager Elgin Baylor has sounded less enamored of the idea. Indiana is believed to have asked for Maggette and Chris Wilcox, offering another player along with Artest. The latest: Maggette's left foot is weeks from being healed. A cast will be removed from his foot next week.

Rumor: Artest to Sacramento for Peja Stojakovic. Veracity: The Kings shot this one down early, and it has not been rekindled. Stojakovic's sights seem set on being one of the top two or three free agents available in the summer of 2006, and sources around the league maintain there's a strong possibility he'll end up in Chicago playing for Scott Skiles, who coached him in Greece nearly a decade ago. Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal has endorsed the idea of trading Artest for Bonzi Wells. The latest: Stojakovic is averaging only 17.1 points -- down nearly seven points from his All-Star numbers of two years ago.

Rumor: Artest to Toronto in a three-way trade in which Jalen Rose would go to Los Angeles. Veracity: This one was dismissed as fiction when it came out last week. The Raptors also were rumored back in mid-December to be offering Morris Peterson, Matt Bonner and a first-round pick. The latest: If there's an Eastern Conference team making a strong bid, it's being done well below the radar.

4) Jack MacCallum of SI.com predicts the future:

Future world - Good times ahead for Pacers, Clippers and Billups

It's a little early to pull out the big predictions, like who's going to win the championship, how many NBA coaches will be fired over the next six months or what postseason avocation Ron Artest will choose to pursue. (I'm thinking roller derby.) But to kick off the New Year, here is a five-pack of more modest predictions. Keep in mind that I loved USC over Texas on Wednesday night.

1. The Indiana Pacers will re-bond after Artest finally lands somewhere, be it Denver or Los Angeles (Clippers, Lakers or Hollywood and Vine). Rick Carlisle is a grind-it-out coach and that's what the Pacers, who will breathe a collective sigh of relief when Artest is finally gone, are going to do. Which, if you recall, is what they did last year, when Artest was out via suspension. What does re-bond mean in terms of wins or losses? That's another question. Indiana is stuck in the Eastern Conference Central, perhaps the league's toughest division top to bottom, and will not get by the Detroit Pistons and the Cleveland Cavaliers. But the Pacers should make the playoffs and, once again, establish themselves as a notch behind Detroit and Miami. Will that make everyone happy in Indiana? No. But without Artest, they will be able to move on in 2006-07.

2. The April 9 game between the Clippers and the Lakers (who play this Friday night) will have -- drum roll, please -- playoff implications. San Antonio, Dallas, Memphis, Phoenix and Golden State are postseason givens in the West in my book. Denver will make it, too, as long as the fragile Marcus Camby comes back from his pinkie break and doesn't get injured again. That leaves Utah (undermanned and underappreciated), Minnesota and the two L.A.'s fighting for the final two spots. Here's hoping someone can egg Lakers' coach Phil Jackson and Clippers point guard Sam Cassell into a good lip-flapping battle before that April showdown.

3. By the end of the season, Kevin Garnett will be the league's MDS -- Most Disgruntled Superstar. His competition will be fierce if players such as the Lakers' Kobe Bryant, Philadelphia's Allen Iverson and Houston's Tracy McGrady don't make the playoffs. But Garnett is the clear choice. He took a pay cut (I hate to write those words because I am not suggesting we should take up a collection for him) so that the Timberwolves could strengthen their team; instead, they're going to finish the season with a worse record than last season's 44-38. Further, Garnett will be watching as his old coach, Flip Saunders, leads his new team, the Detroit Pistons, into the Finals.

4. This postseason will be the test for New Jersey's Vince Carter. We've said that before. But this time we mean it. The Nets, who have quietly been the NBA's hottest team over the last two weeks, will go into the playoffs with the East's third seed, and I'm not sure they won't beat out the Heat for second. But in his eight-year career Carter has yet to prove himself in May. He has scored well (25.9-point average) in his 19 playoff games, but has shot poorly (40 percent) from the floor. And last season he couldn't prevent a four-and-out against the Heat in the first round. Sure, playoff advancement falls upon Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson, too, but Carter will be the lightning rod.

5. After four dozen stories about how Chauncey Billups won't be named MVP even though he is deserving, the Pistons point guard will, in fact, get the award. Why? For the best of reasons: he deserves it. The media screws up a lot of things, but, in general, they do well on the MVP vote. By the end of the season, Cleveland's LeBron James, Dallas's Dirk Nowitzki, Iverson, Miami's Dwyane Wade, San Antonio's Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, the Clippers' Elton Brand and '05 winner Steve Nash of Phoenix will all be worthy candidates. But Mr. Big Shot will be the best player and leader of a 68-win team, and he will get the nod.

5) From Andy Katz of ESPN.com, Villanova got Pittsnoggled:

Mountaineers compose another masterpiece

VILLANOVA, Pa. -- There really should be music when West Virginia plays, something classical with the rest of the natural sound blocked out. Watching the Mountaineers run their offense to near-perfection is like taking in an afternoon concert. The maestro, conductor, whatever you want to call him, is West Virginia coach John Beilein. Throughout the course of a game, Beilein remains composed, sometimes standing, but mostly sitting. His arms move in a fluid motion, sometimes one, other times both, but always with a purpose. Sunday afternoon, the performance hall was the Pavilion on Villanova's campus. A sold-out arena provided the atmosphere. When it was over, you almost felt like standing up and yelling, "Encore! Encore!" West Virginia came back from 12 points down in the second half to top previously undefeated Villanova, 91-87. Call it an upset if you must, but this was more of a clinic than anything else. Beilein could sell the tape of this game and make a good profit from other coaches who would dare to emulate his style. Clearly, you need players who are intelligent, crisp with their passes, can shoot and are about as poised as any five. "Our kids work so hard in practice at things like (passing and catching)," Beilein said after the Mountaineers (10-3, 2-0 in the Big East after two straight road wins) had only two second-half turnovers (nine overall) against the quick-handed Wildcats. They also had 27 assists on 33 baskets. "It lends credence as to why we do these stupid drills of catching the ball with two hands and pivoting correctly, because even if you're going against a great defensive team you can still execute, even if you're not as athletic," Beilein said. The Mountaineers won this game despite Villanova shooting 71 percent in the first half (15-of-21) and 48 percent in the second (14-of-29). The difference was a 1-3-1 zone that helped force 22 Villanova turnovers. Beilein said the Mountaineers can't be successful without forcing turnovers and converting them on the other end. Simply running their offense of a myriad of cuts, curls and backdoors won't be enough. Still, the movements by the Mountaineers Sunday, and this goes for whenever they're on, are almost like dance steps. Villanova's Randy Foye said the Wildcats' plan was to give up the backdoor cut as the expense of limiting the 3-pointers. The Mountaineers are known for their raining of treys (and had 11 on Sunday, with Mike Gansey and Kevin Pittsnogle each knocking down four), but the backdoor burned the Cats on numerous occasions. "It's real difficult (to guard) because everybody can pass and shoot," Foye said. "It's a great feeling," said Gansey of the wide-open lane on a backdoor cut. Gansey had a few and fed a couple of passes for backdoors as well. "They're pressuring you and trying to not let you catch the ball and then you back cut. You know you've got a layup or a dish to a teammate. Coach Beilein has an offense for every team, pressing teams, everyone." The Mountaineers are well-versed and have the experience to run their sets to perfection. Gansey (who might be the most intelligent player in the country with the way he reads the passing lanes on both offense and defense), point guard J.D. Collins, underrated wing Joe Herber (who posted 23 on this day) and a more versatile Pittsnogle (complete with post-up game) all are seniors. So is the coach's son, guard Patrick Beilein. Junior forward Frank Young, who split time with the younger Beilein down the stretch, was just as deft as anyone with his backcut entry passes. Beilein the elder said the Mountaineers probably were relying too much on 3s earlier in the season, when West Virginia lost to Texas and Kentucky in Kansas City. The loss to the Longhorns was the direct result of some missed one-and-one situations down the stretch. The Mountaineers said the Kentucky loss the next night was, in part, a result of a hangover from the Texas defeat. Losing to LSU at home -- West Virginia's third loss in a row -- wasn't as explainable, although after seeing the Tigers Saturday in Hartford, it's easy to see how the Mountaineers could get beat. Since then, the Mountaineers have reeled off eight straight wins, including a 92-68 shredding of Oklahoma in Oklahoma City. The schedule is favorable from here on out, with the Mountaineers playing three straight at home before a three-game road swing through UCLA (OK, very tough), Marshall and St. John's. While West Virginia still has to go to Syracuse, Pitt and Georgetown, the Mountaineers get Connecticut and Louisville at home and don't mess with Villanova again. The run to the Elite Eight is hardly looking like a fluke. "Our chemistry is really starting to come together," Pittsnogle said. "Everything we did out there was just like March and the Big East tournament." Believe it or not, the way West Virginia ran its offense, Sunday actually was better.

6) Sam Smith of The Chicago Tribune examines the newest Raptor coach:

Keady a dinosaur? No, he's a Raptor!

So Gene Keady had his "This is the First Day of the Rest of Your Life" coffee mug, but he still was in West Lafayette, Ind., and it was November. "It had been cold a few days and I wasn't playing golf," recalled the retired 25-year Purdue basketball coach, "and my wife said, 'Are you going to do something?'" That's why Keady, 69, will be on the visitors' bench charting deflections for the Toronto Raptors when they play the Bulls Monday at the United Center. "Shooting threes," Keady said about what has surprised him most about NBA play. "I can't believe how they shoot threes. And how we don't guard them; other teams the same way." Same ol' Gene Keady. Still as quick with a quip as his Purdue players were to cut off dribble penetration. It's not like Keady is in the NBA because he was a midwife for a generation of NBA players. There are a few of them around, but they're more the Brian Cardinal, Brad Miller-type, a reflection of Keady. A guy who had less publicity but more wins head-to-head in a generation of competition with Bob Knight at Indiana. Less flash than effort. That's the trait Wayne Embry, a personnel vice president, hoped to bring to the young Raptors when he recommended Keady. The move was in keeping with the trend of adding veteran college coaches to NBA staffs. Phil Jackson long has relied on Tex Winter, and former Princeton coach Pete Carril now works in Sacramento, where one of his former players, Geoff Petrie, is the GM. "Wayne saved me," Keady said. And while no one is attributing the resurrection of the Raptors to Keady, Toronto is 11-23 after a 1-15 start and is yielding almost five points per game fewer since his arrival. "We thought adding a veteran coach with experience was a sound decision," said Embry, a longtime friend of Keady's. "And a guy who had no desire to be a head coach, who just wants to help. I said I'd give him a call. He was surprised when I called him. I said, 'Gene, what are you doing?' He said, 'I'm on my way to the laundry.' I said, 'No, Gene, career-wise.'" Coaching in the NBA actually was an idea Keady had filed away in his mental playbook. "Ten years ago, it would have surprised me," said Illinois coach Bruce Weber, a longtime assistant of Keady's at Purdue. "On the outside, it sure didn't seem like he fit for the NBA. But Tex was one of his mentors and had unbelievable success. "[Keady] also got involved in the (2000) Olympics with Larry Brown and Rudy Tomjanovich. He kind of brought it up in conversation, like, 'When I get on, maybe I'll hook up with one of those guys. He didn't want to retire.' Now he doesn't have to recruit or worry if a kid's going to class. He can coach basketball, teach. "But it has to be tough for him," Weber added, with a laugh. "It's good he's sitting there keeping a chart so he doesn't get too carried away and say something." A week after Keady joined the Raptors as an assistant coach in early December, the NBA sent one of its typical e-mail messages to teams, warning them that assistant coaches should not be too verbal with referees. "Was it me?" Keady asked with a laugh. "Why did they send it as soon as I started working?"Accustomed to prowling the sidelines, shouting directions, scowling and debating referees, Keady admitted he has had to restrain his urge to be more vocal. But he said he's having a ball. "In the college game, there's more emotion from fans, from players," Keady said. "The NBA game is more athletic, played at a higher level, better dunks, longer shots, better passes. I won't say better defense, but some teams are very good. "These players are very talented and they're very coachable. There's an old saying that they're not coachable, which is not true. (Raptors coach) Sam (Mitchell) listens to his assistants, takes input. I just want to be one of the guys to help him out, another set of eyes. And everything is first class, the plane, hotels. The kids seem to appreciate what they have. I'm not sure they do, but they act like they do." Keady does. He never really wanted to leave Purdue, but the fast break to youth in the coaching ranks crushed him. There was no national championship, no Final Four. There was an overall losing record his last five years, they whispered. What didn't come up as much were the six national-coach-of-the-year awards, a winning record against Knight in his prime at Indiana. Keady epitomized the ideal of what colleges are supposed to stand for and rarely do: integrity, hard work and competition. "I was looking back on my 2000 calendar when we almost went to the Final Four in Albuquerque. (Keady calls that Elite Eight loss his toughest.) I was gone 40 days for the Olympics, the alumni outings, the Big Ten meetings, the boards, Hall of Fame board, coaching, recruiting. How the hell did I do that!" Keady boomed. "In college, you do so much you don't even realize it, the flights, the speeches. "My wife always wondered how I had the energy to do all that stuff. I was fortunate to have good health and I did enjoy it. I was stupid. I did a lot of those speeches for free. Now everything is paid." Yes, Gene Keady has joined the NBA.

7) Marc Stein of ESPN.com with a terrific Q & A with Jermaine O’Neal about Ron Ron:

Jermaine explains Indy state

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."

Stein: It has been three weeks since Ron publicly demanded a trade. Do you and your teammates need a trade to happen soon to really move on?

O'Neal: He doesn't practice with us. We don't see him at all. We talked about it when this first came up, but nobody's worried about that. On Ron's behalf, I would hope that they move pretty fast so he can move on and start playing again. I don't wish anything bad for him. At the same time, I know Donnie [Walsh] is the best CEO in sports. He's going to take his time to do the best thing for this franchise.

Stein: Artest later rescinded his request and asked the Pacers to keep him. You responded by saying "we can never play together again" and management agreed. Can you elaborate?

O'Neal: I like Ron as a person. I care about him as a person. I don't think there's any bad feelings between us, but he understands my position. I went to bat for him [last season] just like I'm going to bat for this team now. We took a vote and every player said they prefer to move on. I've got to back the team and that's something I told him. It's not just me. That's a bridge you cannot cross, when you start talking about playing with other players and playing for other teams.

Stein: No Pacer was willing to let him come back and try again one more time?

O'Neal: No.

Stein: How awkward was it when you finally did speak with Ron after his trade request?

O'Neal: I've only had one chance to talk to him this whole time, but it wasn't awkward. We sat down for at least three, four hours. At first I thought, "We've been through all this and you haven't called me or anything?" But that meeting wasn't anything to do with basketball [or reconciling]. I wanted to try to understand what was bothering him. He had some issues that he never really addressed. That's the big problem with Ron. He has issues and he doesn't tell anybody what his issues are, and then he [eventually] gets so frustrated that he does things and says things that he regrets after.

Stein: First he said he's frustrated with his role and coach Rick Carlisle's system and wants to be traded so he can leave all his baggage behind. Now he says he wants to stay. Do you think, deep down, that he really never wanted to be traded?

O'Neal: I really don't think so. I don't think it was even really [frustration with] his role. Every player is going to be talked about in trades. That doesn't mean they're going to trade you, but I think he heard that the Pacers might have been talking about trading him. I don't know if they were or not, but he took it a little personal and he ended up saying something and really overdoing it. I don't think he realized how deep he was putting himself in it until he did it. Coming off last year, it wasn't the best thing to do. The city didn't take to it too well, obviously, and the organization didn't take to it very well, and definitely the players didn't take to it very well. Especially coming off a season where the city and organization and your teammates totally backed you.

Stein: Do you feel now like all that support went to waste?

O'Neal: I went through a lot personally but I don't regret any of that. That's what I do -- my loyalty is for the guys that are here.

Stein: There have been rumblings that Indiana explored trading you to Toronto for Chris Bosh in the off-season. Why hasn't that unsettled you more?

O'Neal: You should only worry about what you can control. If I am [traded], I am. But you'd have to be an absolute fool to feel that you're untouchable. Look at Shaq, the most dominant player ever. Moved. My thing is that I want to get better every single day and lead the Pacers to a championship. That's my focus. If there comes a time where the Pacers feel they can get something younger or better for me, I've got to go with it and try to make another team better.

Stein: What happens to the Pacers now?

O'Neal: We feel like we can hold the fort. We feel like we can still make things happen, still be very competitive, still compete for a championship. I know the rest of the world doesn't see it that way, but we're going to give ourselves a chance every single night with our team defense. People forget that we took Detroit to Game 6 [last spring] with almost no team. We almost won 50 games in spite of everything that happened, and I think Rick should have been Coach of the Year for that. We want to prove again we can win without Ron.