I'm not a particularly religious man, but to see Sam Ashoalu smiling at a press conference sure makes you believe in something...see the article later in the blog...

Crazy-ass trade rumour: Bulls send PF PJ Brown, PF Michael Sweetney, SG Ben Gordon and PF Tyrus Thomas to the T-Wolves for PF Kevin Garnett…the T-Wolves save $11 million under the cap because the contracts of Brown and Sweetney are both expiring…

Oh Boy…Did you see the Cavs-Knicks game last night? The MSG crowd booed Stephon Marbury (0-for-6, 2 pts) and Eddy Curry during introductions…

Tick, tick, tick…That ticking sound you hear is the NBA coaching clock ticking on Doc Rivers in Boston and Mike Fratello in Memphis…with Sam Mitchell in Toronto soon to be on the clock…

Speaking of Mitchell, demoting Mo-Pete to the 2nd unit and putting Fred Jones in his place as a starter was a good idea…Mo’s shooting percentage is down (43.6% to 40.3%) and his defence is a little lacking…

Did you see Yao destroy Shaq this weekend? The Rockets beat the Heat 94-72 with Yao going for 34 points on 11-19 from the floor and 12-13 from the line with 14 rebounds and 2 assists...while Shaq had 15 points going 6-14 from the field and 3-9 from the line with 10 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block…Yao is becoming the best centre in the world, while Shaq-Fu is looking old…

With all the whining about the zero tolerance policy for player-whining here’s a comparison of the number of league-wide technical fouls and resulting ejections in the first 10 days of this season and last:

2005-06 - 26 technical fouls, 1 ejection

2006-07 - 70 technical fouls, 5 ejections

Wow…a 269% increase in techs and a 500% increase in ejections...

Here’s the inside scoop on what went out in a memo to league offices with respect to the policy:

While players are permitted to approach game officials with professional inquiries about foul calls or other issues, NBA referees have been instructed this season to issue technical fouls to players and teams when they engage in excessive complaining or other inappropriate conduct regarding officiating. Some examples of such complaining and conduct include: 1. Profanity aimed at an official, about an official, the officiating crew and/or calls/non-calls. 2. Inappropriate, disrespectful, or unprofessional overt action in response to a call or non-call. 3. Disrespectfully addressing an official by making statements that personally attack an official's ability or integrity. 4. Continuous criticisms and/or griping over a call/non-call. …hmmm…sounds rerasonable…

Ouch…Houston Rockets forward Chuck Hayes is expected to miss up to two weeks after injuring his left knee in a collision with Shaquille O'Neal.
The Rockets said Hayes bruised and hyperextended his knee when he collided with O'Neal in the third quarter of Houston's 94-72 win over Miami on Sunday night. Funniest part? After the game a reporter asked Shaq about the play where he clearly collided with the 6’6” 250 lb. Hayes, and Shaq said he didn’t even notice…

NCAA note: I watched Indiana beat Lafayette 91-66 last night in the NIT…some thoughts:

- wow Indiana sucks…without the late 28-5 run, due to overwhelming foul trouble for Lafayette and Indiana’s superior depth (more on that in a minute) the Hoosiers barely win
- Lafayette is fun to watch…they run around the court like their pants are in fire and then boom…backdoor layup and one…
- 44 turnovers and 52 fouls…it was like a YMCA game out there…
- fouls limited Indiana guard AJ Ratliff to only 16 minutes, but dude has crazy hops…he’ll be a highlight staple for years
- fouls also limited Hoosier low post threat DJ White to 8 minutes…
- eventually Indiana’s superior depth overwhelmed Lafayette, who had to play some serious minutes with serious scrubs due to foul trouble…

Self Proclaimed greatest shooter in the world: Damon Jones laid 29 on the Knicks, including 24 in the first half…mostly on threes, on which he hit 7…

1) Andy Katz of ESPN.com reports that Canadian Sam Ashoalu watched Duquesne win their home opener, which is a miracle in itself:

On Monday, all was good again for Duquesne

PITTSBURGH -- This was a day of images. Sam Ashaolu walked into his own news conference Monday afternoon, wearing a Duquesne sweatshirt, showing no signs of still having fragments of bullets in his head from a senseless shooting nearly two months ago. Seven hours later, even after his brother John said at the afternoon news conference that Sam was advised not to go to Duquesne's season-opener against Youngstown State, Ashaolu walked into the Dukes' locker room. He was trailed by friend Jason Campbell, who dropped everything in his life in their native Toronto to be with Sam during his rehab. They sat together in an observation box at the Palumbo Center. "He was really into the game," Campbell said. "He said to me, if he was in there, it wouldn't be as close." When you stop to think what this school, this program, this team, these players and staff have gone through over the past two months, it's amazing that they got to this day at all. "What did we have, 10-14 bullets, five players shot and no one died?" asked Duquesne athletic director Greg Amodio, still in awe of how fortunate this university and these players were after a disagreement with a few local youths after a campus party on Sept. 17 turned violent -- and nearly deadly. "[Sam] has made remarkable progress, an inspiration to us all," Duquesne president Charles Dougherty said. Ashaolu was the most serious of the five shot. Teammates Stuard Baldonado, who lost a piece of one vertebrae, was the next worst, followed by Kojo Mensah (shot twice in the arm and shoulder), Shawn James (foot) and Aaron Jackson (grazed hand). Ashaolu was in a pool of blood after he was shot. He was rushed to Mercy Hospital, where he was near death. "There wasn't a medical professional or EMT or policeman who thought he would [make it], and that's a fact," first-year Duquesne coach Ron Everhart said in the locker room about 30 minutes before tipoff. "I remember, it was Wednesday morning, three days after he was shot, and after he had a bad night, there was a nurse who came out of the ICU, and she was crying," Everhart said. "She said to me, 'Have everyone at Duquesne offer their prayers."' From that point on, though, Ashaolu started to improve. He hasn't gone back since, going from a medically induced state to surgery to remove a bullet to, amazingly, where he appears to be on his way toward the potential of a normal life. At one point during the news conference, Sam Ashaolu spoke, slowly and quietly. He thanked his family, friends, doctors and the Duquesne community. He then said he "hoped [his teammates] played hard and win the game [tonight]." The doctors said Monday there were no promises for Ashaolu and that he had a lot of work left to do, both physical and cognitive. Dr. Daniel Bursick, the chief of neurosurgery, said that Ashaolu's skull took the brunt of the bullet fragments, but that some did enter the brain. He did say that there are no plans to remove the remaining fragments and that scar tissue will form around them. He wouldn't rule out Sam one day playing basketball again. However, Dr. Hilly Rubinksy, a neuropsychologist, said there are still some visual and special deficiencies. Dr. Rubinsky stressed that it is still only six to eight weeks from the shooting and that from this point forward, things start to slow down as he goes through outpatient recovery. Ashaolu wasn't around before the game. His brother John, a graduate member of the coaching staff, was with the team in the locker room as Everhart gathered the players together about 50 minutes prior to the tip. "We've got to play hard, and make sure no one comes into our house and plays harder," Everhart implored. He went over the scouting report on Youngstown State. Sitting in the locker room was Kieron Achara. He was on crutches after suffering a stress fracture in his left foot; as if this team needed more drama, Achara, one of only two returning players, is out for at least two weeks. Before the team went out for a final warmup, they huddled together and chanted, "OK, Sam on 3 ... 1-2-3, Sam!" Everhart then went back into a side room for a quick pre-game ritual -- some chew. He doesn't let the players see him with the tobacco, but it's a nervous habit he goes through prior to tip-off. Everhart sat down to reflect on his first game at Duquesne after rebuilding McNeese State and Northeastern. None of those openers can compare to this one after going through a shooting that could have killed five of his players. "My whole life changed with this thing," Everhart said. "I used to get nervous butterflies and stuff like that but that's not the case. It's just different. I don't take anything for granted. I realized how quickly things can change. I've got a whole different mindset. I'm just glad this game is here. It's another step in the whole tragic part of this." Everhart said it was "great for all of us" to see Ashaolu come to practice twice. He said Ashaolu was expected to be an undersized power forward who could make 3s. "There's no question that we were looking at him coming in here and making a major contribution," said Everhart, who took over a team that went 3-24 last season under Danny Nee. The injury to Achara was brought up, too, since he said that made him sit and wonder, "What are we going to do now?" But it was the words from his new crosstown rival, Jamie Dixon of Pittsburgh, that still ring true. Dixon has gone through hell and is still standing after he tragically lost his sister, 28-year-old Maggie, when the former Army women's coach was fatally stricken on April 6 with a heart ailment. Standing outside the locker room of an NBA exhibition game last month here in Pittsburgh, Everhart said Dixon told him, "You have to hunker down and wrap yourself around your work and keep going." "That's the best advice I've had," Everhart said. "I can't look ahead or back or it will drive you nuts. He understands that you've got to stay focused." And with that, Everhart went for a quick meet-and-greet with actual Duquesne boosters who have gobbled up new courtside seats and a pregame meal set up in new Palumbo digs that were finished around the time Nee was forced out. Prior to the tip, James limped into the locker room with his crutches, too. Combine him with Achara, and the two players (both of whom are 6-10) had about 20 feet of crutches. Baldonado was there, too. He said that he's improving and getting more movement in his arm but he isn't opposed to redshirting the season. Mensah said he's about two weeks from practicing. He, after transferring from Siena, and James, a transfer from Northeastern who led the country in shot-blocking last season, both had to sit out this season anyway. "We're like a M*A*S*H unit out here, aren't we?" Everhart said. There were no names on the Duquesne uniforms. They just arrived Monday morning, so there was no time to stitch anything on the back. The Dukes' crowd offered up a decent college hoops atmosphere. The student section was three-quarters packed and sports information director Dave Saba said that you could have put the students from every game last season and still not filled it as well as it was Monday. The announced attendance was 1,830, but that supposedly was a true number, as opposed to the 1,411 claimed for last season's season-opening loss to Arkansas-Pine Bluff -- a game for which the Dukes paid a $65,000 guarantee. They averaged 1,529 a game last season, but that, too, could be an inflated number. Head coach Ron Everhart was proud of his team's comeback victory."It was like a new atmosphere. It's like I'm at a new school," Jackson said. "Coach Everhart has energized the campus." "I think we had 200 people at my first game at Northeastern," Everhart said. The Dukes squeaked out to a 40-39 lead at the half. "OK, take care of the ball, rebound and get back in transition," Everhart told the team in the locker room. "We're fine." The Dukes got off to a slow start in the second half and were down by eight with 11:41 remaining, but didn't quit. Duquesne started three freshmen on this night, with the grittiest of the bunch being Scott Grote, a tough, hard-nosed player from Centerville, Ohio, who was recruited by Bowling Green and East Carolina. Grote finished with a team-high 23 points, finding his way to the basket when need be and making big shots to lead the Dukes to a comeback 81-75 victory. Grote's father, Bob, a radio analyst on Wright State basketball games, said he was at Duquesne the day of the shooting. He drove home that night and got a phone call from Scott at 3 a.m., telling him of the shootings. "The best thing is that they're playing again," Bob Grote said. "If they win, that's second. I just told Scott to take care of the fellas." "Coach, here is the game ball!" Amodio said as he handed it to Everhart in the locker room. Everhart passed it over to Robert Mitchell, who in turn passed it to Baldonado. "We're supposed to win," Everhart said of the opener. "I'm proud of you guys. You toughed it out, especially on the defensive end. It's the first time out of the box. It's not bad. We'll take it." And then, appropriately, they all gathered together and said, "1-2-3 Sam!" Little did they know, though, that he was about to walk into the locker room. When he did, the reaction was giddy. Ashaolu came in and slapped everyone's hand. He took a seat next to Mitchell, grabbed a protein shake, and started yukking it up with his teammates. "We've waited so long for this," James said. It just seems that way. It's still only been just shy of two months since the shooting, but it probably feels like a lifetime. "It's very satisfying," Everhart said after finishing his postgame talk. "We scrapped and fought and we played unselfish." Later, Everhart told a news gathering that the expectations have increased every day. That in of itself is hard to fathom. There were no expectations when Everhart got the job, with only two returning players. Now, throw in five players getting shot -- one still recovering with bullet fragments in his head, two others going through extensive rehab and a fourth with a cast on his foot after having the bullet removed last Friday -- and you can see how beating Youngstown State in a season-opener is cause for unbridled joy.

2) Ian Thomsen of Si.com reviews the 12 undrafted starters in the league:

Overlooked gems - Twelve players who went from undrafted to starters

NBA games are filled with dazzling stars, guys whose spectacular talents were apparent the first time you saw them playing in college, or even earlier, in the McDonald's All-American Game. Many were household names to basketball fans before they needed to shave. From a distance, it sometimes seems like every player who ends up succeeding in the NBA was a sure thing from the very beginning. Step One, hear your name called on draft night. Step Two, place the hat of the team that just made you an instant millionaire on your head. Step Three, shake David Stern's hand and smile for the cameras. But some of the NBA's best players never even got to Step One: hearing their name called during the NBA's two-round draft. And despite being overlooked, underrated or just plain forgotten about, there are 12 current NBA starters who persevered and made it, anyway. One of them is a perennial NBA All-Star. A few have championship rings. And one particularly special player has, at age 29, played more NBA minutes in the past two weeks than he did in his first six seasons out of college combined.

Ben Wallace, Chicago Bulls center

Then: Despite two big rebounding years at Charles Oakley's alma mater, Virginia Union, and a solid effort at the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, Wallace went undrafted in 1996. He was signed as a free agent by the Washington Bullets (in their last season with that moniker) and his work ethic won him a job as a practice body, where he banged with stars Chris Webber and Juwan Howard. Wallace was the 11th man as a Bullets rookie, playing only 197 minutes in 34 games.

Now: Wallace is enjoying his first season with Chicago after signing a reported four-year, $60 million contract that overnight stamped the Bulls as a serious title contender. He's played in the last four All-Star Games and has averaged at least 11 rebounds per game each of the past six seasons, all with Detroit. He won an NBA championship with the Pistons in 2004.

Brad Miller, Sacramento Kings center

Then: Miller got better and better each of his four seasons at Purdue, culminating with a senior season in 1998 in which he averaged 17.3 points and 8.8 rebounds in the rugged Big Ten. Miller played pretty well in the postseason camps, and most draft experts felt he would be chosen either late in the first round or early in the second round. Miller was thought to be a comparable prospect to Michael Doleac (drafted 12th) and Nazr Mohammed (29th), but inexplicably went undrafted in the 58-player draft. Even though the 1998 draft was strong, with players like Rashard Lewis, Ruben Patterson and Cuttino Mobley lasting until the second round, there's no explaining how Miller was overlooked in favor of big men like Bruno Sundov or Ryan Stack.

Now: Miller, a two-time All-Star, is one of the NBA's best perimeter shooters playing the center position. Comfortable in either the high or low post, Miller is a deft passer (4.7 assists per game last season), reliable rebounder (7.8 career mark) and double-figure scorer.

Bruce Bowen, San Antonio Spurs forward

Then: Bowen was regarded as a defensive specialist even in college, although he averaged 16.3 points a game as a senior for Cal State Fullerton in 1993. Most NBA people didn't regard Bowen as a major prospect, although NBA director of scouting Marty Blake listed him as a sleeper "who can play two positions." Bowen went undrafted in 1993 and played in the CBA and France for four seasons before the Heat signed him to finish out the 1996-97 season. He played for Boston and Philadelphia and had a second stint with Miami before San Antonio signed him to a long-term contract at age 30 in the summer of 2001.

Now: Bowen has played the role of defensive specialist and 3-point shooter in San Antonio for six seasons. He was a starter on NBA championship teams in 2003 and 2005.

Udonis Haslem, Miami Heat forward

Then: Haslem was a durable, reliable college player at Florida, playing in 130 straight games and starting his final 99 games. Some scouts were disappointed he didn't have a breakout season as a senior, averaging 16 points and 8.2 rebounds, similar to his numbers as a junior. Despite his durability, Haslem's conditioning was questioned by scouts. After going undrafted in 2002, Haslem played a year in France for Chalon and finagled a spot on the Heat's summer league team in 2003. His rebounding and work ethic made him a favorite of then-Heat coach Stan Van Gundy, and Haslem earned a spot on the roster.

Now: Haslem is now a three-year starter and helped the Heat to the 2006 championship. He owns an effective medium-range jumper to go with his rebounding and excellent interior defense.

Mike James, Minnesota Timberwolves guard

Then: James was evaluated as a shooting guard at Duquesne, and most scouts felt he was too small at 6-2 to play that position in the NBA. While he displayed some point guard skills, no team was willing to help James make the transition to the position he would have to play in the NBA. He went undrafted in 1998. James played in Austria, France and the CBA before Miami gave him his first NBA shot in 2001. Through stints with Boston, Detroit, Milwaukee and Houston, James was regarded as a defensive point guard who could make the occasional 3-pointer. His breakthrough came with Toronto last season, when he averaged 20.3 points per game.

Now: This summer, James signed a four-year contract worth more than $23 million to take over the point for the Wolves. James (15 ppg) is the second-leading scorer behind Kevin Garnett, but Minnesota has started 2-4.

Raja Bell, Phoenix Suns guard

Then: Bell scored in double figures all four college seasons, two apiece at Boston University and Florida International, but NBA teams didn't consider him special enough to merit a draft selection in 1999. So Bell took his game to Yakima of the CBA and became a more well-rounded scorer and a top defensive player. Philadelphia signed him late in 2001 and he ended up playing key minutes for the Sixers and even appeared that season in the NBA Finals. After a year each with Philly and Dallas, Bell got the first multiyear contract of his career with Utah and spent two seasons with the Jazz, scoring in double figures both years. He then signed a free agent deal with Phoenix in the summer of 2005.

Now: He became so important to the Suns in his first season with the team that some pointed to his injury during the 2006 Western Conference finals as the reason the Suns lost that series to Dallas.

Quinton Ross, Los Angeles Clippers forward

Then: Ross was a big-time scorer at SMU, averaging 20.3 points as a senior in 2003. But his slender build and inconsistent shot prevented him from being drafted. After both NBA teams from L.A. looked at him during the summer, Ross was off to Belgium where he played for Oostende, one of the country's top teams. The next summer, Ross went back for another go-around with the Clippers and this time earned a roster spot.

Now: Ross has worked on his perimeter game to at least keep opposing defenses honest, but his major role with the Clippers continues to be his feisty defense against great athletes at shooting guard and small forward.

Smush Parker, Los Angeles Lakers guard

Then: Parker played just one season of Division I basketball, for Fordham in 2001-02, before entering his name in the 2002 draft. Although he was not selected, he managed to make the Cavaliers' roster for the 2002-03 season. The Cavaliers did not re-sign him, however, and he split the next season between Greece and the CBA. In 2004-05, he had brief trials with Detroit and Phoenix, but spent most of the season playing in the NBA Development League.

Now: After being out of the league for most of two seasons, Parker made the most of his chance with the Lakers last year and ended up starting all 82 games. While most teams still give Parker the outside shot, he's made enough to keep his starting spot for now.

Ime Udoka, Portland Trail Blazers forward

Then: Udoka bounced around the college level, playing for three different schools, the last of which was Portland State, where he averaged 14.5 points in 1999-2000. He wasn't considered even a longshot NBA prospect, though, so Udoka took the minor league route to work on his skills. After becoming one of the more reliable players in the NBA Development League, Udoka earned short stints with the Lakers and Knicks, mixed in with parts of seasons in France and Spain. Entering this season, he had 12 NBA appearances to show for six professional seasons. But at 29, Udoka got his big break. He was signed by the Trail Blazers six years after leaving Portland State.

Now: Injuries to Darius Miles and LaMarcus Aldridge gave Udoka a real chance at playing time in preseason, and he worked all the way into Portland's starting small forward spot. He's averaging 7.7 points per game.

Chuck Hayes, Houston Rockets forward

Then: Hayes was a tough customer in a high-profile program at Kentucky, but he never compiled the eye-catching stats that would cause an NBA team to get excited. As a senior, he averaged 10.9 points and 7.7 rebounds. After being passed over in the 2005 draft, Hayes went to the NBA Development League's Albuquerque Thunderbirds, where he opened some eyes by averaging 11.4 rebounds and 10.8 points. The Rockets, whose 2005-06 season was ruined by injuries, added Hayes in January and he played in 40 games last season.

Now: Hayes had worked his way into the starting lineup before injuring his knee against the Heat on Sunday night.

Fabricio Oberto, San Antonio Spurs center

Then: Oberto was eligible for the 1997 draft and while a few teams knew a bit about him, but his skill level was not thought to be on par with his feisty, aggressive play. At the time of that draft, he was still playing for Atenas de Cordoba of Argentina and had not been scouted heavily. He played well before NBA eyes at the McDonald's Championship in Paris in October 1997, but by then he was no longer eligible to be drafted. Instead of coming to the NBA at that time, Oberto played one more season in Argentina before moving to Europe for a season in Greece and six seasons in Spain. At 30, Oberto became an NBA rookie with the Spurs last season, but played rarely.

Now: With Rasho Nesterovic and Nazr Mohammed elsewhere, Oberto seized the opportunity to gain the starting center position and has played well. His intelligence and mastery of fundamentals make him ideal for the Spurs.

Kevin Ollie, Philadelphia 76ers guard

Then: Ollie was a low-turnover, role-playing point guard at UConn, playing setup man for Ray Allen his final two seasons. Ollie wasn't even a cinch to stick in the CBA when he started his pro career in 1995, but he persevered and got better and better each season. After a couple of solid seasons for the CBA's Connecticut Pride, Ollie was given his first NBA shot by Dallas in 1997 and has beaten the odds to fashion a 10-year NBA career, playing for 10 different teams.

Now: As the only true point guard on Philadelphia's roster, Ollie is starting and averaging about 22 minutes per game. His assist-to-turnover ratio is a bit better than his superb career average of 3-to-1.