T-Wolves question: how long before Mike James and rookie Randy Foye realize that there’s only one basketball?

The Rockets still put up points without T-Mac, getting 111 in a win over Milwaukee. Yao Ming scored 22 and Steve Novak had 17 on five treys. If you saw Novak play at Marquette last year – especially if you saw him hang 41 on UConn – you know he can light it up from deep. T-Mac has already said Steve was the best shooter he’s ever seen,

Apparenlty the Clippers have offered C Chris Kaman 5 yrs and $50 million, which he rejected of course…why do I say “of course”? Because noted pylons Samuel Delambert and Tyson Chandler signed for 6 yrs and $64 million each…look at the numbers:

Chris Kaman: 11.9 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 1.4 BPG, 1.0 APG, 52.3 FG%, 77.0 FT%
Tyson Chandler: 5.3 PPG, 9.0 RPG, 1.3 BPG, 1.0 APG, 56.5 FG%, 50.3 FT%
Samuel Delambert 7.3 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 2.4 BPG, 0.4 APG, 53.1 FG%, 70.5 FT%

Kaman is a better scorer and rebounder, despite having one of the leagues best post up players on his team in Elton Brand…Kaman should be getting 6 yrs and around $70 million, if these other 2 players are comparable…

This from Frank Hughes of the Tacoma Tribune: “I saw something at practice today that I have never seen in 12 years covering the NBA. At the end of practice. Mickael Gelabale ran toward the basket, jumped up and head-butted the backboard. And not the bottom of the backboard. Like, about a foot up. I had to do a double-take at the time.”

Free Agent watch: The Heat are leaning towards signing 34 year old Nick Van Exel…

OK…watch this YouTube of Sherron Collins, the soon to be Kansas PG, throwing himself a left-handed pass off the backboard at the McDonald's All-American Game, catching it in mid-air and finishing with a lefty slam….while you’re doing this, keep these 2 things in mind:
1. Collins is 5-10.
2. Collins is right-handed.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSicFi6r0BU

WOW…

Speaking of short guys, did you know that Mavs coach Avery Johnson and former Houston PG Calvin Murphy are the only players under 6 feet to have played more than 1,000 games…

Fantasy notes…Knicks forward Jared Jeffries has a broken wrist that will keep him out for 6-8 weeks…Warrior centre/forward Troy Murphy broke his nose (again) and is out for a bit…

Raptors thoughts:

Somebody asked be the other day if I thought TJ Ford was comparable to any other player…here’s a comparison for you: Kenny Anderson…both small, fast, pass first PG’s with iffy jumpers…

Why isn’t Joey Graham better? Because he’s really just Darvin Ham…

Speaking of ham, have you seen Kris Humphries hands? Watching him catch a rebound in traffic looks more like he’s catching a beach ball in a wind tunnel…

1) Marty burns of Si.com thinks PP should have left the C’s:

Ringless in Boston - Pierce carries the load but will he ever win an title?

His uniform drenched in sweat, Celtics star Paul Pierce sat at his locker before Tuesday night's exhibition loss at New York. The veteran swingman, nursing a sore hip, had just gone through a vigorous workout on the court, but he wasn't going to take any chances by suiting up for a meaningless game in October. "If this were a real game, I'd play," he said with a chuckle. "But this is my ninth season ..." Pierce was just being prudent, of course. The four-time All-Star is the Celtics' franchise player. It makes no sense to risk injury in the preseason. If anybody in the Boston locker room needed a reminder of that, he had only to look down the hall at the sight of Knicks forward Jared Jeffries walking around in a hand cast. But will Pierce ever be rewarded with a championship for his sweat and toil with the Celtics? After watching Tuesday game, I have to wonder. Boston appears as far from an NBA title right now as the distance between South Beach and Faneuil Hall. The Celtics have Wally Szczerbiak and some good young talent to be sure, but youth doesn't win in the NBA. Al Jefferson, Sebastian Telfair, Kendrick Perkins, Ryan Gomes, Delonte West, Tony Allen and Rajon Rondo (see below) are all nice prospects. But they are still learning. Some of them were on the court Tuesday night getting picked apart defensively by New York late in the game. Pierce would never say it, but it must be hard for him to get excited about another season without championship promise. Like Allen Iverson and Kevin Garnett, he seems no closer to winning an NBA title than he was his rookie season. All that sweat, and no bling to show for it. Pierce never should have signed that three-year $59 million contract extension this summer. Not if he really wanted to win an NBA ring. The Celtics are just too far away. Pierce, who just turned 29, has been carrying the load for so long one has to wonder if he'll have enough left in the tank by the time Boston puts the right pieces around him. Even with a youth movement and a new up-tempo offense designed to free Pierce of some of the scoring burden, the Celtics know that the 6-6 wing player is still going to do the heavy lifting this season and beyond. "Paul's going to be Paul," Szczerbiak says. "He's going to be our go-to guy down the stretch. We're going to look for him to make plays." In other words, this year's Celtics will probably look a lot like previous Boston teams come the dog days of January and February. Pierce will have the ball in his hands, trying to single-handedly carry his team to the playoffs. And he'll get for his effort is a sore body -- and, of course, that nice paycheck. But some around the NBA believe Pierce might have made more money if he'd opted out of the final year of his contract next summer and become a free agent. At the very least he would have been able to go some place where he had a chance to win a title. His agent advised him to consider it. So did his friend, Antoine Walker. But Pierce likes it in Boston. "Like I've been saying all year," Pierce said when he signed his extension, "I've been telling everybody that I wanted to be a Celtic for the rest of my career, and that's something I really meant." Pierce's loyalty is admirable. He has a chance to carve out his part in the great Celtics tradition. He has led Boston in scoring seven of the past eight years. If he remains in Boston for the duration of his contract, he will have been a Celtic for 13 seasons, behind only John Havlicek (16) and Robert Parish (14) -- and tied with Larry Bird as well as several other greats. But Havlicek won eight NBA titles. Parish won four (one with Chicago in '97). Bird won three. Pierce has never even reached the NBA Finals and has missed the playoffs in four of his eight seasons. His numbers may scream greatness, but will he be held in the same regard as those legends if he doesn't win a championship? Outside the visitor's locker room, Celtics boss Danny Ainge said the days of hearing Pierce's name in trade rumors are in the past. "Paul's here to stay," Ainge said. "We love Paul. And Paul loves our young guys. He loves being a Celtic. He's looking forward to [playing with] this team." One can only wonder if that will remain the case, and whether Pierce will continue to want it that way. One bright spot for the Celtics in the preseason has been the play of rookie point guard Rajon Rondo. The 6-2 former Kentucky standout, drafted No. 21 overall by the Suns and traded to the Celtics for a future first-round pick, has been an energizer with his ability to get in the paint and set up teammates. He is not a good outside shooter (at least not yet), and his defense needs work (like most rookies), but during his first three preseason games, he has been a skinny little jolt of caffeine in a green headband. "I'm not surprised," said Rondo, who was drafted behind several other point guards. "I wasn't too cocky but I was confident in the type of style I play. I just try to come in every night and play hard. I think I'm doing a good job running the team, trying not to force things." Rondo already has made the top spot on ESPN's top 10 list. Against the Knicks, he soared high in the air to grab a missed shot by Gerald Green and threw down a one-handed dunk. He then turned and intercepted the inbounds pass by David Lee, scored and drew a foul for a three-point play. Pierce even got up off his seat on the bench to hoot and holler.

2) Mike Kahn of Foxsports.com ranks the centres:

Yao could soon pass Shaq as NBA's top center

It's nearly impossible to decide between the two centers. There is no escaping Shaquille O'Neal as the dominant center of this era and one of the best of all time, coming off his fourth championship even if his skills are diminishing each year as his body breaks down at the age of 34. As for all those cynics about the development of Yao Ming, well, last season he proved that he is indeed moving to the star level and this very well could be when he surpasses O'Neal as the top center in the NBA. Ostensibly, all the 26-year-old native of China has to do is get his troublesome left big toe healed, get some help from Tracy McGrady and win a playoff series for the Houston Rockets in the tough Western Conference. That's all. "He is a remarkable young man — that's first and foremost," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "He's a great person and a very diligent worker at his game. He's made incremental progress throughout his time in the NBA. We don't expect any major growth in any one area, but a little growth in a lot of areas, which will continue to make him progress from a very good player, which he is now, to a great player." Nonetheless, winning is always the primary barometer of success in this league, and getting beyond the first round of the playoffs is mandatory for him to actually surpass O'Neal. With O'Neal and the Miami Heat defending champs and expected to compete for the Eastern Conference title again, the Rockets must show some major progress. That's presuming that O'Neal doesn't completely fall into a state of decline this season, and that appears to be a couple of years premature unless his body completely falls apart this season. But if that is the case, then it will clearly be an official passing of the sword to Yao as the supreme of all centers. "Yao's a great center," O'Neal said "Whenever you want to become the best you have to go up against the best. I guess going against me is one of his biggest challenges, along with Mr. (Tim) Duncan in his conference. He's a great competitor who wants to go up against another great competitor." Beyond those two, it's a tough call unless young Amare Stoudemire bounces back to 90-95 percent productivity from surgery to both knees over the past year — the first one the distressing microfracture surgery. The other wild card is young Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard, still only 21 and developing physically and mentally in the post — and yet amazingly gifted. Young Los Angeles Clippers center Chris Kaman is also coming on strong from that endlessly talented 2003 draft, and veteran standbys Brad Miller, Zydrunas Ilgauskas, hybrid Ben Wallace and Jamaal Magloire are worthy of recognition. Marcus Camby has proven in recent years to be the most productive and least appreciated center, keeping the injury-riddled Denver Nuggets competitive in the West and then there are a slew of younger players still trying to receive validation. But when it comes down to it for now, the battle for supremacy at the center position in the subjective FOXSports.com ranking of the NBA centers begins and ends with Shaq and Yao.

1. Shaquille O'Neal, Miami Heat, 34, 7-1, 325: The "Dominant One" missed 23 games, an annual occurrence, nonetheless there were the 20.0 pts., 9.2 reb., 1.76 blk., 1.9 ast., .39 stl. and his 60 percent field goal shooting. Oh yeah, and there was the little matter of his fourth championship — the first for the Heat. Indeed, Dwyane Wade was the MVP and star of the show, but they need each other and Shaq — however badly his body is breaking down — can still take over a game at any time as the most powerful force in the game.

2. Yao Ming, Houston Rockets, 26, 7-5, 295: Yao made huge strides — so to speak — with his best season statistically: 22.3 pts., 10.2 reb., 1.65 blk., 1.5 ast., .53 stl., .519 from the field and .853 from the free throw line. But the Rockets were back in the lottery, and without a healthy Tracy McGrady it's tough to say how far they can go. Still, Yao's critics have been much too harsh and he already is the best all-around center in the game. Now he has to learn how to win in the NBA to solidify his status.

3. Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic, 20, 6-11, 265: It was only two years ago that people thought the Magic were nuts for taking Howard with the first overall pick instead of Emeka Okafor. Nobody is thinking that now. The 15.8 pts, 12.5 reb., 1.5 ast., .79 stl., 1.40 blk. and .531 field goal percentage don't even begin to tell the story of the way this guy plays the floor. He's the ideal package for the new-age center. He's got a long way to go fundamentally, but he's very bright, confident and aggressive — and his skill level is off the charts.

4. Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix Suns, 24, 6-10, 250: It is difficult to gauge his status after Stoudemire played just three games last spring following microfracture surgery on his left knee last October, then underwent arthroscopic surgery on his right knee in the spring. Training camp 2006 has featured stiffness in both knees, but the *26.0 pts., 8.9 reb., 1.63 blk., 1.6 ast., .96 stl. and .559 field goal percentage, plus the fabulous postseason of 2005, were very real. His prospects for this season are all over the map in both directions — but chances are very strong he will be an impact player at some level.

(*Stoudemire's 2004-05 statistics. He played just three regular-season games in 2005-06.)

5. Ben Wallace, Chicago Bulls, 32, 6-9, 240: This will be a curious season as he was the biggest free agent of the off-season, despite his down year with the Pistons featuring 7.3 pts., 11.3 reb., 2.21 blk., 1.9 ast., 1.78 stl. and .510 field goal percentage. Plus he was a drain on coach Flip Saunders' transition toward an offensive team. He walked out the door screaming. Nobody questions his heart, but to pay him $60M over the next four years for his deteriorating skills? He'd better be a huge performer as opposed to just a defensive advocate for coach Scott Skiles and a tutor for the youngsters. That means returning to the impact defensive player he was in the lane and on the boards 2-3 years ago.

6. Brad Miller, Sacramento Kings, 30, 7-0, 260: For the first time in five years, Miller played virtually the entire season and responded with 15.0 pts., 7.8 reb., .78 blk., 4.7 ast., .77 stl., and made .495 of his field-goal attempts. He's still one of the slickest passing and shooting big men around, if not the quickest or best defender. But he's a nice fit on his team and if he can stay healthy, with the weapons around him, Miller and the Kings should thrive this season with new coach Eric Musselman.

7. Marcus Camby, Denver Nuggets, 32, 6-11, 230: Although skinny and injury- prone, Camby remains one of the most underrated players in the game because his 12.8 pts., 11.9 reb., 3.29 blk, 2.1 ast., 1.41 stl. and .465 field-goal percentage consistently make the Nuggets a better team. While Carmelo Anthony went through all of his growing pains, Nene his injuries and Kenyon Martin his temper tantrums, Camby was there with leadership, stability and performance. Now they're loaded up front and that should help Camby as the shot-blocker in the middle.

8. Chris Kaman, Los Angeles Clippers, 24, 7-0, 265: Amid the fabulous play of Elton Brand and the crucial addition of Sam Cassell, the growth of Kaman — 11.9 pts., 9.6 reb., 1.38 blk., 1.0 ast., .58 stl., .523 field-goal percentage and .770 from the free-throw line — often was lost. Sure, he was much better at home than on the road, but he's still young. The key is his skills are superb and with coach Mike Dunleavy and the cast around him, he should only improve. Already he has produced at a much higher level than other higher-paid centers in his age bracket.

9. Zydrunas Ilgauskas, Cleveland Cavaliers, 31, 7-3, 260: No center in the league has better hands and touch than Z, as his 15.6 pts., .506 field-goal percentage and .834 free-throw shooting indicate. The problem is the inconsistency of his 7.6 reb., 1.74 blk., 1.2 ast. and .49 stl. When the rest of the team is so athletic, where does he fit? Sometimes he's a huge asset because he can score in so many ways, but he doesn't block or alter as many shots as they need, and he too often looks awkward trying to fit in to the LeBron James-charged offense. This will be an interesting season.

10. Mehmet Okur, Utah Jazz, 27, 6-11, 250: Okur thrived in his second season on the Jazz, averaging a career-high 18.0 pts., 9.1 reb., .89 blk., 2.4 ast. and .49 stl., with a .460 field-goal percentage. As a bonus, he's a terrific 3-point shooter — making .342 from long range — and nailing .780 of his free throws. Considering he was drafted and began his career in Detroit, it's tough not to compare his skills to Bill Laimbeer. Now if coach Jerry Sloan can toughen Okur's mind to being even close to Laimbeer's, Okur has a chance to be one of the most productive big men in the game.

Also receiving consideration were: Samuel Dalembert, Philadelphia 76ers; Tyson Chandler, New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets; Joel Przybilla and Jamaal Magloire, Portland Trail Blazers; Nazr Mohammed, Detroit Pistons; Zaza Pachulia, Atlanta Hawks; Erick Dampier, Dallas Mavericks; Primoz Brezec, Charlotte Bobcats; and Kwame Brown, Los Angeles Lakers.