Love this picture of Bob Hill getting a T…

It’s Guaranteed Win night for the Raptors…the Bobcats had to play through two overtimes - losing C Emeka Okafor and PG Brevin Knight, both starters to injuries in a 111-106 win over Houston on last night….

Sideshow Bob look-alike PF Anderson Varejao should be back any day now, if not already to the Cavs…meaning that the Drew Gooden Trade rumours will heat up…

NCAA draft note: Has any senior helped his NBA stock more than UConn’s 6’11” C Hilton Armstrong? Armstring had 14 points, 10 rebounds and six blocked shots in a 67-66 win over LSU on Monday night…

Triple Dip: Mike Miller had 21 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists to lead Memphis to a 99-85 victory over the Sacramento Kings last night…Miller came off the bench to go 8-of-16 from the field, including 4-of-9 from three…It marked the first time a reserve has recorded a triple-double since Shawn Bradley accomplished the feat in April 1998, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

Duh…Cavs guard Damon Jones is just 6-for-37 on 3s in his last seven games…."I'm officially in a slump," Jones said. Yeah, no kidding…

Reason number #4564 I love Greg Popovich…Tim Duncan scores 27 points, going 13-for-15 from the free throw line, and the Spurs snapped the New Jersey Nets' 10-game winning streak with a 96-91 victory Tuesday night….yet here’s what Coach Pop had to say after the game: "Total lack of concentration, lack of effort, lack of cohesiveness, lack of leadership -- both on the court and from me as a head coach," Gregg Popovich said in his only postgame statement. "It was a disgusting performance."

Terrific game in triple overtime in Denver last night with Carmelo Anthony, who scored 43 points, nailing the game-winner with 2.9 seconds left for a 139-137 win. Anthony played the final 2½ minutes with watery eyes and tissue paper in his left nostril to keep blood from gushing out after he was inadvertently kicked in the face by teammate Eduardo Najera. It was the Suns' second triple-overtime game this month alone: They lost at New York on Jan. 2.

1) Marc Stein of ESPN.com ruminates on Ron Artest:

Quaint idea my pal Professor Hollinger tossed out in a chat the other day, informing his audience that he would happily answer their questions so long as no one asked about Ron Artest. Maybe it's different in the numbers game, but there's really no such thing as an Artest-free zone on the NBA map. These days? Every conversation with every executive or coach or scout or agent starts the same. The only uncertainty lies with who asks the question first. When's this Artest thing going to happen? Exactly a month has elapsed since Artest decided to tell the local newspaper instead of his Pacer bosses that he wanted to be traded and still we don't know for sure. All I can share, as the calendar flips to Day 32 of the Artest Watch, is the latest info as of Tuesday evening. In three parts: A) How can the Pacers be so patient? You are hardly alone in your wonderment, but it really isn't a mystery. Quite simply, there is no move Indy can make this season that will restore its contender status. This season is already ruined, folks, as far as the Pacers' aspirations to win an Eastern Conference that also houses Detroit, Miami and New Jersey. They're not the same team without Artest and can't acquire anyone who replicates what he did in his lucid moments. The prudent course, then, is patience. Right up to the Feb. 23 trading deadline if necessary. The Pacers aren't delusional enough to believe that waiting will eventually bring them equal value for Artest's talents. That's not going to happen under any circumstances, because of his wild side. The goal, though, should be (and is) to make a deal that works best for the reshaping of Indy's future. That translates to an avoidance of long-term contracts, like Wally Szczerbiak's in Minnesota, and free agents who would be costly to re-sign, such as Denver's Nene and Atlanta's Al Harrington. B) The frontrunners for actually landing Artest, according to NBA front-office sources, continue to be Golden State and the back-in-it L.A. Clippers. Indy's Larry Bird has made it clear he prefers a one-to-one trade and the Warriors and Clips are the teams best stocked to complete such a deal…unless Memphis, as mentioned many times before, unexpectedly consents to part with Shane Battier. However, as stated in this cyberspace back in 2005 -- and as the Warriors have re-iterated to the Pacers more than once -- rookie power forward Ike Diogu is an untouchable. Troy Murphy remains a possibility, but both Golden State and Indy would have some reluctance to build a deal around the power forward because the Warriors still like him and because Murphy's five remaining years at $51 million is worrisome for the tax-fearing Pacers. Which brings us to a package headlined by Mike Dunleavy and Mickael Pietrus. Enough for the Pacers? You wouldn't think so, especially since Dunleavy has a new long-term deal of his own and doesn't fill the Pacers' on-court needs nearly as well as Murphy. Sources close to the situation, furthermore, suggest that Mullin -- a proven gambler (see Baron Davis) and known Artest fan (who shares St. John's as an alma mater) -- is equally intrigued by the idea of keeping his young core together now that Pietrus is finally healthy enough to rejoin this teetering club. That must be why multiple suitors who've chased Artest from the start are suddenly calling L.A. "the team." Yet that would almost certainly require the inclusion of Corey Maggette, which the Clippers have steadfastly resisted. Have they reconsidered? There is a growing belief around the league that they have, with the Clips' 14-5 start a memory and Mike Dunleavy Sr. perfectly willing to coach the game's foremost problem child. Remember what Dunleavy said in our recent package on the Clippers, before Artest's trade demand was issued: "Give me talent, I'll figure out how to make 'em happy." Of course, if Maggette were on the table, you'd think we'd be busy breaking down a trade instead of waiting breathlessly for something to dissect. Maggette's left foot, instead, is in a cast with a ligament problem that could keep him sidelined another month. An uncertain recovery timetable, with an injury originally believed to be minor, would figure to give the Pacers some pause even if Donald Sterling is ready to part with one of the only three Clippers he has ever guaranteed long-term millions. C) Minnesota, Denver and the L.A. Lakers haven't lost interest in Artest but still share the same shortcoming. None of those clubs appears to have the pieces to tempt the Pacers without pulling in a third or fourth team, which Bird, as stated, hopes to avoid. None of those teams have pulled out of the derby. Yet the Nuggets, for example, have begun to explore their non-Artest trade possibilities, much as they'd love to get a call back from the Pacers and encouragement to refresh their bid. Not that there is much of an Artest-free world out there, apart from certain chat rooms. The theory that every other trade in this league is being held up by a Ron-Ron deal looks more scientific with each passing day.

2) Joanne C. Gerstner of the Detroit News with an interesting piece on Big Ben Wallace:

Ben's beginnings - Alma mater in Virginia becomes his haven

There's a special place Ben Wallace goes to be a normal guy. No screaming fans, no demands on his time, or the other things that are involved with being a very recognizable Piston and NBA All-Star. Virginia Union, a small, private Division II university in Richmond, is Wallace's alma mater and his retreat. He kicks back, enjoys life and becomes just a guy named Ben who hangs around the gym for summer league games. "I like that because it lets me be me," said Wallace, who finished his career at Virginia Union in 1996. "Those people know me, and my friends are there. Virginia Union is a very special place to me. I learned a lot there, and I take a lot of that with me today. No doubt, there's no place like it." Wallace and Virginia Union share an ongoing mutual love. He's one of the historically black school's highest-profile graduates, along with former NBA star Charles Oakley. Wallace is prominently featured on the school's Web site; he is pictured standing next to university president Dr. Belinda C. Anderson. He's kept Virginia Union as a priority too, sponsoring an annual scholarship for a member of the men's basketball team. Wallace's contributions also have allowed the school to purchase new equipment, and he helps in other unsung ways. He stays in close touch with the basketball program, through friend and coach Dave Robbins. "Ben's never forgotten us, and we'll never forget him," said Robbins, who has won three Division II national titles with the Panthers. "This is a special place, because we're small, and we do the best we can with what we have. And I think that makes our players different; they have to work harder. "And obviously, that's what Ben's all about -- hard work." Wallace's college experience was very different from teammates such as Rasheed Wallace (North Carolina), Tayshaun Prince (Kentucky) and Rip Hamilton (Connecticut). They went to high-profile, cash-rich programs that come close to providing an NBA atmosphere. Wallace's life at Virginia Union was quite different. And not much has changed for today's Panthers players. He rode buses for hundreds of miles to get to road games. The Panthers try not to stay overnight, to save money, even if it means a 10-hour, round-trip bus ride. They play at Barco-Stevens Hall, a building once famous -- or infamous -- for not having adequate heating or air conditioning. Barco has the character of an old-school "barn." The weight room, nicknamed "The Cage," was cramped and musty. Barco has received some recent renovations but still retains its charm. "I think it's good not to have much, like we did," Wallace said. "You're grateful for everything you've got. You don't expect anybody to give you anything. "You know that being there means you've got to work for everything you get, with no special treatment. And that's good. That teaches you to be independent, grow up and be a man." Robbins said Wallace was different from the start. He was a transfer from Cuyahoga (Ohio) Community College, coming to Virginia Union for his junior and senior seasons. He wasn't the Wallace of today, with big-muscled and a sky-high Afro. "He would be in the gym or The Cage all the time, and it didn't matter if it was 100, 110 degrees," Robbins remembered. "And I never heard him complain about anything." Robbins laughs, remembering a time when Wallace's unassuming nature went a bit too far. "We don't have a lot of money, but we want the kids to have nice practice shoes. So we make sure they get like two, three pairs a year," Robbins said. "One day, I look down in practice and I see Ben, with his soles flapping on his worn-out shoes. "I said, 'Young man, I think you need some new shoes. Why didn't you say something?'  "Ben just replied, 'Yeah, I guess I could use some.' He never ever asked me for a thing. He just kept quiet and played." Wallace finished his career with a strong senior season. He averaged 10.5 rebounds, 12.5 points and 3.6 blocks. The Panthers made it to the Division II Final Four with a 28-3 record. And though Wallace is now a big NBA star, Virginia Union still feels like home. Said Robbins: "I tell Ben he's part of two families -- his and ours -- for the rest of his life."

3) Steve Aschburner of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports on the NBDL:

NBA Development League: Big dreams, little hoopla

Blame, on this night, was getting dumped on the Orange Bowl, a national telecast pitting Florida State against Penn State that allegedly had most of southwest Florida's sports fans planted in front of a TV screen somewhere. That's why the number of fans in the stands at the Germain Arena last Tuesday was matched by the players, coaches, media, staff and security workers in the building, and why tipoff of the Austin Toros-Florida Flame game had a "what time can you get here?" feel to it. But in the NBA Development League, in its new affiliation system this season, attendance is only a tiny part of the story anyway. The prospects…It's doubtful that the Timberwolves told Bracey Wright and Dwayne Jones, flat out, that they were sized up for the D League before they even had laced up a sneaker for a Minnesota practice. But that's what Kevin McHale, the team's vice president of basketball operations, and upper management had in mind when they signed the two youngsters last summer. "Our goal was to get two guys and put 'em down there -- a big and a little -- to see if it was going to work for us," McHale said Monday. "If it works, it can be a great tool." The Wolves drafted Wright in the second round, signed Jones after he went undrafted and gave them a taste of NBA ball in summer league and training camp. As October ended, though, both were sent packing for Fort Myers. A longtime proponent of some sort of farm system, McHale was so gung-ho that he petitioned the NBA for an exception that would allow third-year forward Ndudi Ebi to play there, too. Ebi balked at the idea, even before the NBA declined the request. Frankly, Wright and Jones weren't happy, either. But they have put the time to good use; Wright, a three-year college player at Indiana, led the D League in scoring for most of the season until slipping to third (21.1) over the weekend. Jones, the former St. Joseph's center, ranks third in rebounding (10.8) after leading through the first two months. Gone hasn't meant forgotten. Wolves scouts have checked in with each player, and the Flame -- which works with Minnesota, Boston, Orlando and Miami -- sends video to the boss teams after each game. Jones was called up by the Wolves on Dec. 28 as injury insurance, but he was sent back six days and three games later without playing a minute. In fact, while stretching before last week's game, Jones looked a little glum. "All I know is, I don't want to be in this position at all next year," Jones said. "When training camp comes around and you guys ask, 'Is Dwayne going back to the D League?' How much did it help him?' I want everyone to know the answer. "Bracey and I have a perfect example of what can happen with Ebi, if you don't get better." The lifer…Terry Thimlar wears as many different hats as the mayor/sheriff/justice of the peace in a one-stoplight town. He is the Flame's assistant coach, its director of basketball operations and one of 13 members in the ownership group. Which means that Thimlar, a basketball lifer, isn't missing a moment of this, at any level. Perhaps more than most in the D League, Thimlar see this as more than a feeder system of future NBA players. He squints and thinks about where baseball's minor leagues were 50 or 60 years ago. "Until the NBA got involved, I thought minor league basketball was a hit-and-miss," Thimlar said. "Now it's here to stay." When Thimlar's group purchased the Charleston franchise after the 2003-04 season, it moved the club to Fort Myers and became the first independently owned operation in the league; now six of the eight teams are run that way. Developing the affiliation system was the next big step; currently, three or four NBA teams share each D League club, but in time, NBA Commissioner David Stern would like to see a 1-1 ratio. "Affiliation is a huge piece," Thimlar said. "When it was announced that Bracey and Dwayne were coming, it was all over town. It elevates the level of play in our league, too. We knew then it was a matter of building relationships." Thimlar is positioned well for that. The son of high school coach in Indiana and Florida, Thimlar played at Indiana State and then was an assistant at ISU when Larry Bird played there. Through Bird, he got to know McHale, Celtics boss Danny Ainge, current Austin Toros coach Dennis Johnson and others. One of the club's investors is TNT sideline reporter Craig Sager. The coaches…Dennis Johnson vs. Jeff Malone, for the half-dozen seasons that their NBA careers overlapped, was a dynamite matchup. It wasn't bad the other night, either, on the sideline at the Germain Arena for Austin's 94-88 victory over the Flame. Johnson and Malone, both listed in the 2005-06 NBA Guide under "All-Time Greatest Players," scored nearly 33,000 points in 2,000 games, with seven All-Star appearances and three NBA titles between them. Now they're built more like blocking backs than shooting guards, but they still love to compete. They, too, would like to get back to the NBA someday. "Sure, we're always on the lookout," Johnson said. "But our first priority is to take care of the group of guys." Said Malone: "The reason I like it, a lot of those young guys need to play. ... I tell these guys, if you're sitting and watching, you're just a season-ticket holder." The project…Through Austin's first 14 games, Jeff Hagen has been a bit player, averaging 2.8 points and 3.1 rebounds in about 14 minutes. The 7-footer and former Gophers center did block four shots in a two-point victory over Tulsa, but mostly he is learning, little by little. "I'm trying to get comfortable with my game and add strength," Hagen said in the visitor's locker room, where he jousted with a toilet stall door that wouldn't stay closed. "I've met guys who didn't want to come here, and they've gone overseas. I was overseas for two weeks but I didn't like it." Hagen, 23, signed a contract for nearly $100,000 to play in Turkey but almost immediately ran into problems getting paid. Now he's back, competing in a league in which salaries range from $12,000 to $25,000. "I wanted to enjoy the game," Hagen said. "If I get to be 27, 28, I've got that [Europe] as an option." The veteran…Wide body Marcus Fizer was drafted fifth overall in the 2000 NBA draft. In four seasons with Chicago and one with Milwaukee, he scored 2,762 points and grabbed 1,333 rebounds -- 2,722 and 1,314 more than Ndudi Ebi. Playing in the D League was beneath Ebi, the Wolves' first-round pick in 2003 who got cut this fall and reportedly is just working out in the Houston area. But it has not been beneath Fizer, not one bit. "Quite honestly, besides me wanting to get back to the top league and the pay and all that, I'm having the best time of my life," the Austin power forward said after scoring 29 points with nine boards against Florida. Fizer's agent, Mark Bartelstein, floated the idea to him, and the former Iowa State player did not hesitate. "I didn't want to come in here as 'a top five pick' and act like I'm better than these guys," he said. "This is a humbling experience. But I'm playing for one of the best ever and can learn a lot from him. "The guy from Minnesota, if he reads this or hears this, he's making a mistake. No one person is bigger than this game, and you can't play this game without playing."

4) Tony Mejia of CBS SportsLine.com thinks the Raptors are getting better:

Raptors claw way back to respectability

One-tenth of a second; one deflating shot. Vince Carter's memorable game-winning 3-pointer last Sunday has to be considered the most utterly devastating basket of the season. It registered as a resounding slap to the entire Raptor nation, not only because of who delivered it, but because it snapped a five-game winning streak that had Toronto daydreaming about the playoffs. Carter called the shot the highlight of his career. Way to go, Vince, you made a host of Canadian kids cry again. Despite what many of you e-mailers may think, we're not out to pile on the Raptors' steadily developing rebuilding project, but rather offer encouragement. Many speculated that there will be a hangover from that demoralizing shot, and indeed, the Raptors did lose Monday night in Chicago. However, that may have just been a case of running out of legs on the second night of a back-to-back, which means the team must simply regroup and remember what has fostered success. Over the past few weeks, there have been marked improvements in the team's caliber of play, lifting a great deal of the burden from Chris Bosh's shoulders. Sam Mitchell has his team hustling and playing with visible desire, whether it's Matt Bonner hunting down loose balls or Morris Peterson hassling an opponent on the perimeter. And the team's three rookies, the backbone of the future, have each had their moments. Best of all, there appears to be leadership developing. Mitchell had his growing pains in his first season at the helm, and it didn't help matters that he and his point guard, Rafer Alston, didn't see eye to eye. A point guard is supposed to be the extension of a coach on the floor, yet Alston was unplugged. The communication broke down worse than cellular reception in an elevator, and the results were downright painful to watch. Swapping Alston for Mike James just before the season didn't seem like such a big deal, but it was obviously a terrific move. James' career is all about grit and resilience, having bounced around with six teams since making the league as an undrafted free agent in 2001. He brings that toughness to the court, commands the respect of teammates and isn't afraid to get in anyone's face. Toronto desperately needed that. Lately, James has also become a dependable big-time scorer, leading to the honor of reigning Eastern Conference player of the week. Over the past seven games, five of them Raptors wins, he's averaging 23.1 points and nearly nine assists while shooting 53 percent from the field. Bottom line: Toronto has become a pretty fun team to watch. The Raptors make the extra pass more often than not, are developing weapons to keep Bosh from being trampled by triple-teams in the post, and are learning to win. One game shouldn't stunt that growth. One play, as painful as it may have been, needs to be put behind them.