NBA FanHouse

Ron Artest Shows Up to 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' in His Underwear

Tom Ziller — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:40:00 EST

So, Ron Artest was a guest on ABC's late-night Jimmy Kimmel Live last night. In his underwear. With Kimmel's name shaved into his head. I can't tell whether it was a planned gag; Artest is infamously said (by former Kimmel writer Bill Simmons of ESPN.com) to have ridden with sponsors and Rockets owner Leslie Alexander on a team bus wearing only boxer shorts, a story Artest "clears up" here. (There is also a Part 2, which includes the revelation that steam rose from Kobe's body during that infamous shower scene from 2008.)

Ron Artest Shows Up to 'Jimmy Kimmel Live' in His Underwear originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kobe Hits Over-the-Backboard Shot

Chris Sesno — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 02:45:00 EST

Filed under: Lakers, Thunder

These days, we expect greatness from our NBA stars, and Kobe Bryant is one who delivers on a consistent basis. On Sunday night, he drilled one of the craziest shots of his career in the Lakers' game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Kobe got the ball on the low post, guarded closely by OKC's James Harden. As he tried to spin to the hoop, Harden bumped him just enough to force him along the baseline right behind the basket. Thinking he would draw the foul, he fired up a shot from near out of bounds along the baseline that sailed high over the backboard and fell perfectly through the net, mimicking Larry Bird's famous shot that forced a rule change and Rajon Rondo's high-soaring floater over the Sixers' Jason Smith.

The Lakers got two points for Kobe's circus shot whereas Larry Legend's shot was then against the rules. The NBA later changed those rules, declaring that if the shooter is clearly in bounds, such a shot would count. I'm sure Kobe is glad for the rule-change, giving him yet another spot on the court for him to hit improbable shots from.

Check out the video after the jump.

More Coverage: Recap | Game Stats

With the help of Kobe's acrobatics, the Lakers beat the Thunder easily, winning 101-85 and moved to 10-3, just one game shy of the division leader Phoenix Suns.

Kobe finished with 26 points, seven assists, six boards and two steals. He also got plenty of help in the paint as Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol put up a combined 40 points and were responsible for snatching 16 off the glass.

The Lakers were able to slow the promising 21-year-old, Kevin Durant, holding him to 19 points and six rebounds. The Thunder have been enjoying his astonishing success this season -- the former Longhorn is averaging 27 points and seven boards, leading the team to a 7-7 record that lands them in the middle of the Northwest division.

Sunday's game puts the Lakers on a three-game winning streak going into their next game at home against the Knicks on Tuesday.

Follow Chris Sesno on twitter: @csesno

Kobe Hits Over-the-Backboard Shot originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 23 Nov 2009 02:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA MVP Rankings: Can LBJ Repeat?

Tom Ziller — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Hawks, Heat, Lakers, Mavericks, Raptors, NBA Awards

Every few weeks, FanHouse will offer a writer's opinion on the current NBA MVP Rankings. This time, Tom Ziller gives his top 20 through the season's first four weeks, as well as an assessment of the multitude of rookie point guards.

1. LeBron James, Cleveland. The Chosen One won his fairy tale Podoloff last season before embarking on the Summer of 'Bron, but missed out on the real prize, the O'Brien. This season, with the Finals on his mind and free agency taking up slot No. 2, LeBron doesn't exactly seem to be gunning for a repeat MVP coronation. But who cares? The offseason shooting work worked: James is matching his '08-09 scoring average (28 points a game) on two fewer FGAs, owing to a much improved jumper. Thirty-six percent from long range? Be afraid, America.

2. Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas. My brosef Bethlehem Shoals has handed Dirk the early season lead, and with good reason: the Mavericks are smoking, and Nowitzki's the ringleader. Dirk can and will shoot more efficiently, but don't forget that because he primarily shoots jumpers he rarely coughs up turnovers (just 18 through 12 games). He's also rebounding like a champ, and forcing flashbacks to his '06-07 MVP season.

3. Chris Bosh, Toronto. The Raptors can't quite put it together as a team, though there are signs of a pending breakthrough. But Bosh has it together individually, and he's shattering the old definition of Bosh. Playing two fewer minutes a game in the high-octane Toronto attack, Bosh is averaging an extra four points (with just one extra FGA) and almost four more rebounds a night. Call this the Chris Paul Memorial "Outshone by Ridiculousness" Third-Place Award, for now.

4. Josh Smith, Atlanta. Speaking of putting it altogether, a la Bosh. Smith abandoned the three (for the most part) and took over the paint. His field goal percentage is outrageous (56 percent, compared with 45 percent career), his rebounding has been stellar and he has regained the indefatigable blocking spirit missing from the soulless but successful '08-09 campaign. It's like the exclamatory Smith from Atlanta's lean years has found a way to exist within the framework of team success. And it is GLORIOUS.

5. Dwyane Wade, Miami. Wade will probably never win a Podoloff -- he's already 28, LeBron has gone into full-on Madman mode, and the next wave is ready to rise up -- and he has definitely relaxed a bit from that psychotic '08-09 bit. Of course, this is because he has more, better help, especially on defense (Jermaine O'Neal is downright spry). Still, 27/5/5? Not sane.

6. Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles. This ranking is too low for the extraordinary Bryant, but that's owed more to the excellence above than anything Kobe has done. The Mamba is shooting more frequently than anyone in the league (excluding Antawn Jamison's night of infamy), and he's making plenty of his attempts. The surprising thing in the pre-Gasol games has been Kobe's lack of assists. He's at 2.9 per game right now, the lowest level since he was 19 years old. And even then he averaged 2.5 per game ... in 13 fewer minutes a night. With Kobe's scoring where it is, it's not a huge problem. But it bears monitoring. So, you know, we can call him selfish the next time there's a two-game losing streak.

7. Brandon Roy, Portland. Like Dirk, Roy's shooting looks a bit off in the ledger right now, but that's owed to a slow start amid the Blake-Miller media malaise. Now that 'Dre is in charge, Roy is back, with the Blazers on his back. Like Dirk Part II, Roy is sure as Brevin Knight (slight exaggeration) with the rock, only giving up two turnovers a night despite 15 shots, seven free throws and five assists. That is some ridiculous ball efficiency. Naismith weeps in joy.

8. Carmelo Anthony, Denver. 'Melo has made a mockery of his rep, coalescing last season's defense/periphery-focused approach with his original Murderous Scorer persona to create some jacked-up Megatron of Impending Doom. It's all come out to the most effortless 30-point per game average in recent memory, a razor-like focus I can't see fading over the long march. All these cats on the list should matter in the postseason, assuming everyone makes it. (Looking at you, CB4.) But you can really foresee 'Melo taking May by its haunches, can't you?

9. Chris Paul, New Orleans. Paul is injured badly, and will fall from this perch as his absence rolls on. Because -- not in spite of, because -- of that, what he did in 10 games deserves mention: 24/9 on a True Shooting percentage of (ahem) .706. Paul shot better from three than almost the entire league shoots in the paint. All birds touch Earth some day, and it's unlikely CP3 would have kept up the clip. But doing it for 10 games is a triumph in itself.

10. Dwight Howard, Orlando. Even though the early going has been a disappointment for Howard and the Magic, the young Superman has still dominated the paint with regularity, and with ease. It's the "ease" that bothers -- there's a sense that, based on previous exploits, Howard could be doing more. On defense, especially. But he leads the league in defensive rebound rates and is currently second in total rebound rate. He leads the league in field goal percentage. He's fine.

11. Steve Nash, Phoenix. The Suns have been amazing, and refreshing, but it's amazing and not refreshing to see Nash mentioned as an early MVP candidate. His offensive contribution remains exemplary (hence this fairly lofty rank above some deserving friends), but -- here's this old canard -- his defense can't be hidden, not now and not in April. Phoenix is a bottom tier defensive squad, and while the frontline is less than optimal, Nash is a huge, glaring reason as to why opponents score at near-will. It's not Nash's fault -- his flaw is a physical one, and he knows (as well as Alvin Gentry and thankgoodnessnow Steve Kerr) to play and prepare to his strength. But it's there, it's readily apparent, and it's non-negotiable.

12. Joe Johnson, Atlanta. That Johnson's best pro season has coincided with Atlanta's leap up the leaderboard is not coincidence. J.J. has basically been a more gunner-y, less stopper-ish Roy. One could argue he belongs way up this list (like, say, alongside Roy), but Atlanta's backcourt is giving up as many open looks as the frontcourt (anchored by Smith and stout Al Horford), and while Mike Bibby and Jamal Crawford are leading suspects, J.J. is not immune from rotating late.

13. Rajon Rondo / 14. Kevin Garnett, Boston. Rondo and Garnett don't drop jaws in the stat lines (OK, Rondo's numbers at least leaves jaws aloof on occasion), but there's a reason Boston again has the league's best defense, and I'm willing to credit the continued physical psychosis of Rondo and the return of a not-quite-healthy-but-still-incredible Big Ticket. Rondo is like the defensive version of Nash. I could read a story about Rondo working with a physicist on finding the most anatomically efficient method of swiping at a live dribble without batting an eye. As for Garnett, he still has the mental capacity to stop any scorer, and the physical capacity hasn't left him yet. For basketball's sake, I hope it's not over for at least a couple more years.

15. Joakim Noah, Chicago. Laugh (at me and him), but Noah's superlative defense and energetic flavor have kept the Bulls afloat despite struggles for Derrick Rose and John Salmons, and injuries (one emotional, one physical) to Tyrus Thomas. If not for Noah and Luol Deng (playing as well as he ever has after recovering from a leg fracture last spring), the Bulls might be sitting on one or two wins. What a steal at No. 9 in the 2007 draft.

16. Andrew Bynum, Los Angeles. I said you could laugh at the Noah pick, but hold your fire here. Q(uick): how does one score 20 points on 14 shots in the NBA? Ask Andrew Bynum, who's gone 20/12, basically, and might actually improve considering he's been more efficient in the past. The Lakers have missed Pau Gasol -- that's undeniable. But Bynum has helped Bryant keep the Lakers elite during that absence. Bynum showed in the past how well he works with Pau, and I expect that while the center's raw numbers will fall to make room for the star Spaniard, his effectiveness will continue to shine through.

17. Danny Granger, Indiana. Granger continues to build his invisible brand. The Pacers look better (excepting the loss to the Knicks), and Granger is outpacing his own standard, averaging roughly 25/7. His shooting efficiency is grand, owing to an underhyped propensity to get to the stripe and a killer three-point stroke (which is a bit behind in the early going). The defense is also coming along. That's wasted in Indiana, of course, but it's still nice to have in your back pocket. (Shockingly, Indiana is currently in the top 10.)

18. Greg Oden, Portland. Did someone say defense? The Blazers improbably boast the league's No. 2 defense, and Oden -- all 24 minutes per game -- is the biggest reason. Oden leads the league in rebound rate (grabbing 20.9 percent of all rebound opportunities) and block rate (swatting 7.6 percent of all opponent FGAs while on the court). While Oden's on the court, opponents shoot 43 percent from the field, which is, my friend, ridiculous. At the other end, while Oden turns the ball over way too much (about three for every 36 minutes played), he doesn't take shots he can't make, and his free throw rate is shockingly good for a defensive specialist big man. So, yay Greg Oden. You're doing it.

19. Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee. The triumphs heaped upon the wonderfully joying Jennings may not last -- forget the rookie wall, there's an inkling Jennings might be on a serious hot streak before accounting for the schedule-based struggles first-year players often see. In that case, let's pile on now. Not even Jennings, confident as he's been, could have expected this much success so early. Heck, it was a minor upset than Jennings won over coach Scott Skiles enough to get the starting job over Luke Ridnour (a victory, you'll remember, Ramon Sessions couldn't quite reach most of last year). Jennings has been a scoring wizard, a legit playmaker and a mascot for a team in desperate need of spirit. Well done, sir. Well done.

20. Amar'e Stoudemire, Phoenix. Stoudemire has seen a decline in his numbers despite the Gentry reversion, but he has seemingly gotten his head on straight and his defense (while still not exactly excellent) has improved. In the interest of promoting this type of behavior, let's give Stoudemire as much credit as we would if he were still averaging 25 points and 10 blown defensive rebounds a game.

Five more: Tim Duncan, Andrew Bogut, Luol Deng, Carlos Boozer, Ben Gordon.

Etc.: Top Rookie Point Guards

1. Jennings.

2. Tyreke Evans, Sacramento. Evans has scored 20 points in each of his past five games, and is putting up numbers which could be defined as Roy-ish/R.O.Y.-ish. During the course of a game, you can actually see him learning NBA defense. It's pretty striking how receptive to real-world lessons Evans has been -- it's like he learns through basketball osmosis, giving new meaning to "trial by fire." Kudos as well for spending so much time with assistant coach/basketball Yoda Pete Carril, who has turned this fellow into a really good free throw shooter. (How often does an average college FT shooter fail to improve in the pros? Evans has been in the lig four weeks.)

3. Jonny Flynn, Minnesota. Ramon Sessions has now been displaced by two rookie point guards -- first Jennings, now Flynn, who isn't getting too many assists (just 3.2 per game) but has been a bright spot in an otherwise dispiriting situation.

4. Ty Lawson, Denver. I have no idea why anybody would be surprised that Lawson, as efficient a college point guard as he was, is just as successful as a blur off the bench for a team like the Nuggets.

5. Rodrigue Beaubois, Dallas. Beaubois, on the other hand, I can understand. The young Maverick is now featured with Jason Kidd in a double-PG starting line-up, shattering all early expectations. Beaubois hasn't quite been the Caribbean Westbrook we'd expected, but no one will care if he keeps shooting like a Dwarven rifleman.

6. Stephen Curry, Golden State.

7. Darren Collison, New Orleans. Collison has plenty to learn about defending the Steve Nash pick-and-roll, but don't we all? Collison missed a ton of shots against Phoenix Thursday, but stuck with it and sealed the game with a ballsy drive to the rim in the final moments. Bully for you, sir.

8. Eric Maynor, Utah.

9. Jeff Teague, Atlanta.

Nowhere to be found in North America: Ricky Rubio, Minnesota.

NBA MVP Rankings: Can LBJ Repeat? originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 10:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Pau Gasol to Return Against the Bulls

Brett Pollakoff — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:40:00 EST

Filed under: Bulls, Lakers, NBA Injuries

After missing the Lakers' first 11 games of the season with a hamstring injury, Pau Gasol appears ready to make his return to the court tonight in a nationally televised matchup against the Bulls.

"I think that I'll be able to go tomorrow," Gasol told reporters on Wednesday. "It felt great today and I don't plan on any reason why it wouldn't feel the same way tomorrow."

Gasol's return will be a welcome addition for a team that has struggled offensively on the nights when Kobe Bryant didn't score 40 or more points. Thankfully for L.A., Bryant has managed to do that in four of the team's 11 games so far, and every time it resulted in a win for the Lakers.

Pau Gasol to Return Against the Bulls originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:40:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA Power Rankings: Soaring Hawks

Brett Pollakoff — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Celtics, Hawks, Lakers, Magic, Mavericks, Nuggets, Pacers, Suns, Trail Blazers, NBA Power Rankings

The Atlanta Hawks find themselves at the top of our rankings this week, thanks to a five-game winning streak against some strong competition -- a gritty overtime win over the Blazers and a road win in Boston were both impressive. Now, let's see if they can avoid the top-spot-jinx on Wednesday night, when they'll host Miami in a rematch of last year's first round playoff series. As for the other 29 teams? Read on to see how they stacked up.

1. Hawks (9-2) | Prev.: 5
Early front-runner for Sixth Man Award: Jamal Crawford. And by the way, who was Joe Johnson calling out earlier in the season and why? -- Matt Steinmetz
2. Suns (10-2) | Prev.: 2
Is there any other player in the league who can go 2-for-10 from the floor - which Nash did against Houston on Tuesday night - and still be the most influential player on the court? -- MS
3. Cavaliers (8-3) | Prev.: 12
The Cavs are still miles away from where they were last year, but who cares? They've won five in a row and eight of their last nine, and haven't missed a beat with Shaquille O'Neal sitting the last two with injury. Expect this team to continue picking up steam: four of their next five opponents are currently under .500. -- Matt Watson
4. Nuggets (8-3) | Prev.: 8
Carmelo Anthony dances with the Gods and charms their eyelids to slumber. Also, this Birdman blonde goatee thing he's growing is creeping me out. In conclusion, this team's really good. -- Matt Moore
5. Lakers (8-3) | Prev.: 1
Nothing to see here, people. Move along. Lakers are doing just fine, thank you - 8-3 and Pau Gasol hasn't even played a game yet. -- MS
6. Mavericks (8-3) | Prev.: 6
The Mavericks aren't considered elite at the moment, and we're struggling to figure out why. Victories over the Lakers and Rockets, and the fifth highest point differential in the league all have led to an 8-3 record. The opening night what the what loss to the surprisingly miserable Wizards doesn't look great, nor does the utter collapse against the Spurs without Duncan and Parker inspire confidence. But in the interim, Dirk Nowitzki's playing like the elite player he is, Jason Kidd is ripping out assists at a high rate, and Rodrigue Beaubois is a surprisingly talented rookie at both ends of the floor. Why are we always surprised at Dallas? -- MM
7. Magic (8-3) | Prev.: 9
Just as Rashard Lewis returns from suspension, Jameer Nelson goes down with a knee injury. He's expected back in 4-6 weeks, but that could put is into the new year before we get to see Orlando begin to try to work on its chemistry issues. -- BP

8. Celtics (8-3) | Prev.: 3
The blistering start with the return of Kevin Garnett and addition of Rasheed Wallace has begotten a hiccup of sorts, with losses to the Hawks and Pacers. The other Celtics loss came at the hands of the sizzling Suns, and yes, one of these teams is not like the other. Paul Pierce is banged up, and needless to say his health is vital for this team's offense. -- Tom Ziller
9. Blazers (8-4) | Prev.: 7
Portland has improved with every game, and has become a defensive force. Greg Oden is finally living up to his potential, even if it's only on the defensive side of the ball. If Nate McMillan can figure out how to better work in Andre Miller, this team looks primed for a deep, deep run in the playoffs and ready to take their place as the Lakers' heir apparent. Denver might have something to say about that, however. -- MM

10. Pacers (5-3) | Prev.: 24
There's two ways to look at Indiana's five-game winning streak. On the one hand, they've feasted on some cupcakes with a combined 14-37 record -- their home victory over the Celtics was their only opponent in that span with a winning record. That said, you play the games that are on the schedule, and the Pacers have answered the call with flair, winning by an average of nearly 12 points a game. Danny Granger remains one of the most underrated stars in the game, and Roy Hibbert is emerging into a double-double machine. -- MW

11. Rockets (6-5) | Prev.: 13
The John McClane of the NBA. There's no raucous feel-good attitude to this team. They're not pleasantly surprised when their offense lets them outscore a team or two. They expect to win every single game and kill themselves in the pursuit of that goal. And keep this in mind, the Rockets have yet to lose to a sub-.500 team, and two of their losses (Portland and LA) were followed by wins over those same teams. "Yippee ki-yay, Southwest Division." -- MM

12. Bulls (6-4) | Prev.: 10
The Bulls have an intriguing mix of veterans and youth -- and sure, to his credit, Vinny Del Negro hasn't been awful -- but there's just one glaring concern: they simply can't score, at least not on a consistent basis. It's a rare night the Bulls are outworked, but can they keep up their stamina while spending the next two weeks on the road on their cursed circus trip? A decade-long sample size suggests not: over the last 10 years, the Bulls have gone 9-56 on the annual early-season rite of passage. -- MW

13. Bucks (5-3) | Prev.: 15
Remember all the questions surrounding Brandon Jennings on draft day? How he watched his name called from a hotel room because none of the teams in the lottery could guarantee he wouldn't be the last in the green room? He's needed fewer than 10 games to make a lot of seasoned execs turn red -- even before his 55-point outburst made him a household name. Forget Rookie of the Year -- at this point in the (still extremely) young season, Jennings has to be included in the MVP conversation. -- MW

14. Thunder (6-5) | Prev.: 14
Don't look now, but the Thunder are still above .500 in the middle of November. Not exactly the biggest feat, but considering wins over the Spurs, Heat, and the Magic, the potential is there for this team to make a playoff run. But they've got to get better consistency from the Big 3 (Durant, Green, Westbrook), and quit losing silly games like Sunday's banana-peel blooper against the Clippers. -- MM

15. Heat (7-3) | Prev.: 4
Dwyane Wade saved the day when the team was short-handed against the Nets, but Miami was at full strength when they lost the next time out to the Thunder. The fact that no one's showing up to their home games definitely isn't helping the Heat take care of business against teams they should beat, and that situation isn't likely to change anytime soon. -- BP

16. Raptors (5-6) | Prev.: 16
Every game the Raptors lose seems like a waste of a superlative effort by Chris Bosh, the league's best big man early this season. Toronto has a dominant offense, capable of scoring on any team in the league. But the defense is as bad as ever: the team does everything poorly. Shooting defense? Awful. Opponent turnover rate? Awful. Defensive rebounding? Awful. Opponent free throw rate? Awful. Reggie Evans can help whenever he makes his season debut (he sprained a foot in preseason), but he won't be able to fix all these problems. That's problematic, if you figure the offense won't keep clicking like this forever. -- TZ

17. Kings (5-5) | Prev.: 20
Sacramento may be middle of the pack when it comes to these power rankings, but the Kings are among the NBA's elite when it comes to teams that play hard. All in all, a nice start to the Paul Westphal era. -- MS

18. Spurs (4-4) | Prev.: 11
Feast or famine. Win over the Mavericks or loss to the Thunder. Struggling to find an identity with the All-Stars or playing with fire without them. The Spurs are just weird right now. Every time they seem to be figuring things out (wins over Toronto and Mavericks in laughers), they turn around and do something like lose at home to the Thunder. But at least everyone's healthy...ish. For now. Eeeeee. -- MM

19. Pistons (5-6) | Prev.: 18
Considering they've played the last nine games without two veteran starters, the new-look Pistons are actually hanging in there. You want to talk about depth? Four different players have taken turns as the high scorer in the last four games. Will Bynum, who opened the year as the fourth guard, has averaged nearly 22 points a game in the last four while emerging as the team's best playmaker. So what's the bad news? This roster still needs another scoring big man to be taken seriously. Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince need to hurry back -- so Joe Dumars can put them on the trading block. -- MW

20. Jazz (4-6) | Prev.: 17
Fear for the Jazz. They're still dangerous and have time to get it together, but this team is a mess in terms of chemistry, effort, and focus. Sloan needs to do something to regain his team's attention. -- MM

21. 76ers (4-6) | Prev.: 23
The surprising problem for the 76ers, who have typically started slowly during the Andre Iguodala era, has been its defense, which doesn't reflect well on coach Eddie Jordan. Opponents are shooting an absurd 41 percent from three against Philly -- that figure was closer to league average (36.7 percent) last season. The team is still generating turnovers, but the perimeter players have apparently forgotten to stick a hand in the shooters' faces. Bummer, since the Sixers (despite adding designated sniper Jason Kapono) can't make it up with threes of their own. -- TZ

22. Bobcats (3-7) | Prev.: 19
Stephen Jackson, Boris Diaw and Gerald Wallace: Versatility or uniformity? Can't get that old Dylan lyric out of my head ... "... something is happening here but you don't know what it is ..." -- MS

23. Hornets (4-8) | Prev.: 21
From good, to bad, to worse, to oh noes, to "well, at least they beat the Clippers." The Hornets are in bad shape, with no real mercy in sight, and ownership is considering shipping newly acquired Emeka Okafor out of town, if you believe the reports. Scott's already gone, and Chris Paul's on the shelf. Long is not the word for what their season looks like. Agonizing. That's more like it. -- MM

24. Clippers (4-8) | Prev.: 22
Sure, everyone is waiting for Blake Griffin. But in the meantime, the Clippers really miss Eric Gordon. What's more, the Clippers are off to a terrible start at home (2-5). -- MS

25. Wizards (2-7) | Prev.: 25
Gilbert Arenas is back to being Agent Zero, and even has a Lil Penny-style video on his website to prove it. He's also said he'll begin doing the Twitter thing once he gets to a million followers, but Wizards fans would probably rather have some wins at this point than quirky quotes from their favorite player. Actually, scratch that: they're Wizards fans, so I've probably got that backwards. -- BP

26. Warriors (3-7) | Prev.: 26
Stephen Jackson's gone, Monta Ellis might be next and in the meantime Golden State is looking at this in the short-term: at Boston, vs. Portland, at Dallas, at San Antonio, vs. L.A. Lakers. -- MS

27. Grizzlies (2-8) | Prev.: 29
They replaced Allen Iverson who refused to come off the bench for them and then abandoned them, with Jamal Tinsley. I'm not even going to comment on that one. Just let that one stew in its own juices for a while. -- MM

28. Timberwolves (1-10) | Prev.: 27
Good news. Kevin Love is healing and the Wolves will likely have a return date on Friday after an X-Ray. Bad news. David Kahn seems to be already feeling the pressure for his point-guard splurges and the Rubio disaster. This franchise for all its excitement when Kahn was hired, somehow looks worse than it did under McHale. Yikes. -- MM

29. Knicks (1-9) | Prev.: 28
The Knicks truly couldn't be doing more to end the LeBron, Wade and Bosh speculation by Christmas. The team is awful and miserable after an awful and miserly summer. Sacrificing in the present for future success is obviously a world-worn strategy, but it's still little excuse for assembling so little talent and showing so little spirit. And the poor fans can't even root on John Wall! Sad. -- TZ

30. Nets (0-11) | Prev.: 30
Another 0-fer week for our heroic New Jersey Nets. This Saturday should provide a decent opportunity for Win No. 1: the Knicks are coming to town! And seriously, what a depressing affair that will be. Courtney Lee and Devin Harris may be back for that one; expect a full-on basketball war from the home team. -- TZ

NBA Power Rankings: Soaring Hawks originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 13:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stinkface Chronicles: Lawson Order

Rob Peterson — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:15:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Heat, Lakers, Nuggets, NBA Fans, NBA Videos

Some people never learn. D.J. Mbenga may be one of them.

Now, D.J. is a good guy and he makes a decent living as the backup center for world champion Los Angeles Lakers, but there's a reason he's a backup center. Besides a talent deficiency, Mbenga is not quick and therefore slow to rotate on help defense and recover on pick-and-rolls.

This often puts him in an awkward position, that position being Mbenga on a poster on his keister.

Such was the case again Friday when Nuggets rookie Ty Lawson went medieval on Mbenga.

(The pair of pliers and the blowtorch after the jump.)

Mbenga, Blake Griffin's foil in our first Stinkface Chronicles, now not only has the dubious distinction of being our first two-time dunk victim -- and the only one to be dunked on by rookies, who usually serve as the dunked upon -- but also he is the first to suffer from a relatively new affliction: triple-broadcast stinkface.

That's right, there are three YouTube-worthy clips of the barely 6-foot Lawson sticking that one-foot of difference between him and the 7-foot Mbenga right where the sun don't shine. To be fair, we need to call out Josh Powell as well, as he was also slow to check Lawson as he slalomed through the Lakers' defense.

But it was Mbenga with the foul and his taking the impromptu courtside seat that makes him the object of our breakdown.

Clip No. 1 -- ESPN

This was the broadcast most of the country saw as the Nuggets exacted a little early season revenge on the Lakers for last year's Western Conference final beat down with a 28-point win. But it was Lawson's late-game Stinkface that most people remember.

And for good reason, because Lawson did three amazing things in one play.

First, the drive. The Nuggets were already up 102-79 with less than 1:40 to go in the contest when Lawson used a soft pick on the left wing, crossed-over Mbenga and then drove his way to Stinkface immortality. Lawson had a step on Mbenga, who trailed the rookie into the lane.

At the nine-second mark of the video, the second amazing thing happened. Taking two steps after his dribble, Lawson launches himself from between the broken circle and the restricted area (LeBron James take-off territory) with Mbenga on his left. Ain't no stoppin' Lawson now, but Mbenga gallantly tries, fails.

And of course, the third amazing thing was the finish itself. Mbenga, using his longer frame, tries to come across Lawson's body to thwart the dunk attempt. Lawson, however, is too far gone and far too determined to let any mban get in his way. You know the rest: Mbenga gets a piece of Lawson, but not the ball and they tumble together to the court.

The whole sequence lasts for 14 seconds, but ESPN replayed it three times in the next 90 seconds and at the 27-second mark, a replay occurs in conjunction with one shown on the video board at the Pepsi Center. Listen to the crowd. It may be the best aural reaction to a dunk this season.

"Ohhhhhhhhhh!"

It sounds as if they've witnessed a Dumpster punch: something so wrong that they feel slightly guilty about taking pleasure at it having been perpetrated in their presence.

Then again, that's at the heart of a Stinkface philosophy: it's so right that someone was so wronged.

Of course, the Nuggets bench loved that a rookie delivered the goods other than the Krispy Kremes for a change. Kenyon Martin was as happy as if his mom dunked on Mark Cuban, Denver coach George Karl has a bemused look on his face and at the 1:15 mark, ESPN shows Carmelo Anthony making a classic stinkface. What's that smell? Nasty greatness, that's what that is.

Clip No. 2 -- Altitude

Altitude, the Nuggets' local broadcaster, also had the game. In the above clip (if you can make it through the first 13 seconds of Nuggets-fluff), analyst Scott Hastings screams: "Look at the bench. Look at the Nuggets' bench!"

Yes, look because Chauncey Billups can't bear to. Mr. Big Shot is so moved by Lawson's larceny of Mbenga's manhood, he has to cover his face with a towel. Chauncey's never dunked like that, and he has every right to live vicariously through his understudy.

Angle No. 1 v2.0 - NBA.com HD

And lest you think we're being too harsh with Mbenga, take it up with his teammates. Roll any of the three clips again and watch the fourth Laker on the bench. Please.

I don't know who it is (Ron-Ron? Mr. Kardashian?), but said Laker does the smelling salt-reaction (quick jerk of the head), turns away (Because he can't stand the sight of a teammate getting housed like that? Because he's laughing too hard?) and then leans across another Laker to grab Kobe Bryant's arm (Hold me!).

Hold me, indeed.

Dwyane Wade on Anderson Varejao

There are many things to appreciate about this one: Wade himself, that it's Varejao getting the brunt of it (I like Varejao, but it is fun to see him get legitimately run over instead of him flopping to the floor), that Varejao tries to block it, but doesn't come close, the normally sedate American Airlines Arena crowd popping up out of their seats as one and Marv Albert's call (which is instantly zero-summed by Reggie Miller's "analysis" -- Kodak moments are supposed to be good memories, not posterizations, Reg...) to name a few.

But the two best things happen quickly after Wade and Varejao hit the deck. Wade's dunk is so powerful, Varejao doubles over as if he's been socked in the gut. Look at how the Cav lands, jackknifed against the stanchion. He's lucky he didn't end up in Biscayne Bay.

Also, at the end, Wade "A.I.-ed" Andy. Remember when Allen Iverson (when he was good, and relevant) stepped over Tyronn Lue in Game 1 of the 2001 Finals? Wade does it to Varejao, but without the disdainful look and foot stomp.

That's OK. The dunk was enough of a statement.

Stinkface Chronicles: Lawson Order originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Trevor Ariza Gets His Ring

Brett Pollakoff — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:55:00 EST

Filed under: Lakers, Rockets, NBA Videos

Trevor Ariza was a fan favorite during his days in Los Angeles, and an integral part of the Lakers squad that won a championship just a few months ago. So it's no surprise that when he returned on Sunday as a member of the Houston Rockets, fans greeted him with a long standing ovation, while his former teammates Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher presented him with the ring that he earned as a key member of that title-winning team.

Video of the brief but heart-felt ceremony, after the jump.

Trevor Ariza Gets His Ring originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 23:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA HouseCast: Celtics and Lakers Struggle, Brandon Jennings Does Not

Brett Pollakoff — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST

Filed under: Bucks, Celtics, Lakers

Welcome to the NBA FanHouse podcast, where our writers get together a few times a week to talk about everything going on in the world of hoops. Want to participate? Leave a comment, or follow us on Twitter @NBAFanHouse.

In a Monday edition of the HouseCast, Matt Moore joined me to break down the reasons for the recent struggles of the Celtics and the Lakers. We also touched on some of the other action from the weekend, including, of course, the incredible 55-point performance from rookie Brandon Jennings on Saturday.

Download MP3

NBA HouseCast: Celtics and Lakers Struggle, Brandon Jennings Does Not originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ron Artest Plays Keep-Away With Trevor Ariza's Shoe

Tom Ziller — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:22:00 EST

Filed under: Lakers, Rockets, NBA Videos

The Rockets strode into Staples Center ready for a gunfight. But emerging capo Trevor Ariza wasn't exactly ready for a game of keep-away. In this video, Ariza loses a sneaker during an early defensive possession. Sworn enemy Ron Artest notices and tosses Ariza's shoe out-of-bounds. And, of course, Artest capitalizes on his gambit the next time down. (Before you curse out Ron-Ron, know that he got his comeuppance: Rockets 101, Lakers 91.)

Ron Artest Plays Keep-Away With Trevor Ariza's Shoe originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 03:22:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lakers a Long Way From the Title

Brett Pollakoff — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:45:00 EST

Filed under: Lakers

Just how bad was the beatdown that the Nuggets put on the Lakers Friday night? In case the 105-79 final score wasn't enough of an indication, try this on for size: Denver held L.A. to just 23 points in the second half, which was the lowest ever in the Lakers' franchise history.

The Nuggets were feeling pretty good about themselves after the win, and they should: it was a quality victory in which the home team executed on both ends of the court for 48 minutes. But they would also be wise not to get ahead of themselves. Because while L.A. was at the top of the standings heading in, honestly, the 7-1 record was a bit of a fraud.

The reality is, the Lakers right now are nowhere near that good, and are a far cry from playing like the team that finished last season as the world champions.

It's a given that when you win a championship, along with it comes the virtual target on your back every single night. And a quick review of the Lakers' early games, especially those on the road, shows that teams have been more than ready to take their swing.

Trips to Oklahoma City and Houston required Herculean efforts from Kobe Bryant (31 and 41 points, respectively) -- along with overtime in each game -- for L.A. to come away with the wins. And while the Thunder and Rockets are both interesting teams that may overachieve a bit this season, neither are considered to be anywhere near on par talent-wise with the Lakers.

When you add in the home victories over Memphis, New Orleans, and the Clippers, you get teams with a dismal combined won-loss record of 16-30 that account for five of the Lakers' seven wins.

Told you their record wasn't all that. And really, only L.A.'s victory over the Hawks can be considered a quality win; the blowout over Phoenix was against a Suns' team that was playing their seventh game in 10 days, and was coming off of a home win the night before having to travel to play one of the league's top teams.

Ask the Lakers about how that last part worked out for them in Denver.

Strength of schedule (or lack thereof) aside, the real signs that the Lakers aren't yet what they used to be show in their offense. The fluidity in the half court sets and the high volume of transition baskets we got used to seeing a season ago are, at least through the team's first 10 games, borderline nonexistent.

Before going any further, now would be a good time to mention that Pau Gasol hasn't played a game yet this season due to playing for Spain in the Eurobasket tournament a hamstring injury, and that Andrew Bynum missed two of the team's games with an injured elbow. Add in the fact that Ron Artest is still finding his way offensively, and perhaps there are some built-in excuses for the Lakers' slide on that end of the court.

What slide, you ask? The Lakers finished last season third in the league in offensive efficiency, which is a measure of points scored per 100 possessions. This season, they're currently sitting at 15th in that category, a full six and a half points behind last year's number of 112.8.

But you don't need numbers to tell you that the Lakers' offense is off -- just watch them play tentatively and virtually without motion in their half court sets.

Kobe Bryant has made it clear that he's going to try to operate in the post this season, and as a wrinkle to the team's successful running of the triangle offense, it's something that should be a welcome addition. The problem is, every time down now, it seems the team is hell bent on getting him the ball on the block to begin the set.

Since other teams are well aware of this, it's been resulting in Bryant posting up, with Lamar Odom or Artest standing at the three-point line with the ball over their head in a pass-only stance, where they're showing no threat of shooting or driving to the basket. So, we watch for four or five seconds as the perimeter defender sags, while Bryant engages in a wrestling match for position, and the rest of the Lakers stand around helplessly watching.

This, my friends, is not good basketball.

Sure, it worked occasionally in the early games, because Bryant is a top-three player in the league, and the weaker teams on the schedule might not have been ready for it, or might not have had the personnel to defend it. But the Nuggets had both the readiness and the players to stop it, which is part of the reason for L.A. getting completely shut down in that game's second half -- when, as you may recall, Bryant was held without even a single field goal.

It may be a while before the Lakers find their groove again offensively. Gasol is supposed to be back at some point soon, but whether he returns by Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter, he's going to be rusty, and it's going to take the Lakers a while to work him back into the offense, and to get everyone on the same page -- especially newcomer Ron Artest.

The good news is, as bad as the Lakers' offense has looked, the team still sits at 7-2 -- having talent like Bryant, Odom, Bynum, and Artest will win you a good number of games, whether the team is playing well overall or not. But to get back to that championship level, the Lakers have a lot of work to do to regain that cohesion they had a season ago.

Being that it's only November and there are 73 games left in the regular season, there's plenty of time to make that happen.

Lakers a Long Way From the Title originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Defending Champs Fall in Conference Finals Rematch

Chris Tomasson — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 03:45:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Lakers, Magic, Nuggets

DENVER -- Final four week turned into a flop of finalists.

Meetings of last season's conference finalists got started Wednesday when Cleveland took a huge lead and clobbered defending East champion Orlando 102-93. An even bigger dismantling occurred Friday night at the Pepsi Center.

The way the Nuggets demolished the Lakers, you'd have thought they tried to smuggle coke into the building.

The Nuggets got some revenge against the defending West and NBA champions 105-79. It wasn't even that close.

"Hopefully, this is a big message, not just to the Lakers but to the whole NBA. We're a legit team,'' said Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony, who scored a game-high 25 points and outscored Lakers star Kobe Bryant 18-0 in the second half (no, that's not a misprint).

The message sent by the Nuggets, who led by as many as 29 points, was as loud as one of those air-raid sirens cities like to blast on the first Tuesday of every month.

The Cavaliers had dispatched a similar such message on Wednesday when they had no trouble taking host Orlando apart.

It must be said the Magic was without star forward Rashard Lewis, serving the ninth game of a 10-game NBA suspension to start the season. But it's doubtful Lewis would have made that much of a difference against a Cleveland team that led by as many as 22 points.

On Friday, the Lakers were without star forward Pau Gasol, who has yet to play this season due to a hamstring problem, and they had played the night before at home against Phoenix. But the absence of Gasol and the heaviness of legs didn't make for a 26-point swing.

"No excuse,'' said Bryant, who finished with 19 points. "They beat the hell out of us. I don't know if we had Pau it would have made any difference. If we hadn't have played back-to-back, it wouldn't have made any difference. They played extremely well.''

It wasn't surprising since the Nuggets have been salivating like Pavlov's dogs for 5 ½ months. That's when the Lakers defeated Denver 4-2 in the West final.

"It sat with me for a long time because I feel that we had a real good chance of beating those guys,'' said Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups. "You don't get those opportunities all the time. We just wanted to try to get back to that spot and try again.''

Denver literally threw two playoff games away against the Lakers thanks to wayward inbound passes. Forward Kenyon Martin said after the series he believed his Nuggets were the better team, and he repeated that throughout the offseason.

With that in mind, one would think Martin would have been gloating more than anyone Friday. But Martin knows the teams have three more regular-season meetings.

"It's just one win, that's all,'' Martin said. "Everybody is making a big deal about it. We needed to get a win after the road trip (that the Nuggets went 3-3 on, closing with an embarrassing loss at Milwaukee).''

Nevertheless, revenge can be powerful motivation. Consider how the Cavaliers steamed about their 4-2 East finals loss to the Magic all summer, and went out and got center Shaquille O'Neal to muscle with Orlando big man Dwight Howard.

However, the Nuggets, confident they had what it takes to battle the Lakers, didn't make any major moves. Well, check that. The draft-day trade that landed rookie point guard Ty Lawson is starting to look pretty major.

Lawson scored 13 points and handed out six assists in 22 minutes Friday. The 5-foot-11 Lawson had the highlight of the night in the second half when he threw down a dunk over Lakers 7-foot center D.J. Mbenga.

"By far,'' Lawson said of it being his best-ever dunk. "I'd dunked over a 6-10 guy before but never a 7-footer.''

Don't expect his Lakers teammates to be getting on Mbenga. Everybody on the team was embarrassed Friday.

Bryant, checked closely by Arron Afflalo, shot 0-of-4 while playing the entire third quarter and didn't play a second in the fourth. The game was over after the Nuggets unbelievably outscored the Lakers 29-8 in the third to break away from a 58-56 halftime lead.

"That was ugly,'' said Lakers center Andrew Bynum. "That was pretty bad basketball on our behalf.''

But Bynum still wasn't impressed enough to dub the Nuggets a rival. Before the game, Lakers coach Phil Jackson had said the same thing.

"I don't feel like it's a rivalry at all,'' Bynum said.

Bryant, though, was saying all the right things. He told the media afterward this series is indeed becoming a rivalry, and he congratulated Anthony on the court for his showing.

Anthony shot 11-of-20 and overcame foul trouble, which limited him to just 12 first-half minutes. The Lakers put defensive specialist Ron Artest on Anthony, who responded with a yawn.

"It's impossible to have a Melo stopper,'' said Anthony, who said before the game no player in the NBA has as much emphasis placed on slowing him down as he does. "That's just my confidence. When I'm out there on the court, you've got to feel like nobody can stop me one-on-one.''

The Lakers in the third quarter would have had a hard time stopping Joel Anthony, let alone Carmelo Anthony. In addition to the Denver star scoring 12 points, Nuggets reserve guard J.R. Smith scored eight of his 20 points.

"(The Lakers) are at the top of the mountain and we have to figure out how to get ready for the opportunity in May or June to try and knock them off the top of the mountain,'' said Nuggets coach George Karl.

Last anybody checked, the NBA wasn't handing out any championships in November. Now, it's time for Magic and Lakers players to start plotting their revenge.

The Lakers play host to Denver on Feb. 5 and Orlando travels to Cleveland on Feb. 11. So once again the NBA will have a final four week.

After what happened the first time around, it will be finalists fight back week.

Chris Tomasson can be reached at tomasson@fanhouse.com and on Twitter @christomasson.

Defending Champs Fall in Conference Finals Rematch originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 03:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kobe: LeBron Using Head, Not Mouth

Chris Tomasson — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 02:34:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Lakers, FanHouse Exclusive

DENVER -- Do as I say and not as I do.

Or, at least not what Kobe Bryant once did.

While bound for free agency in the summer of 2004, the Lakers star openly spoke about teams he might consider. But Bryant now says Cleveland star LeBron James is making the right decision by deciding earlier this week to stop talking about his impending free agency.

"He doesn't need to,'' Bryant said in an interview with FanHouse while in Denver for Friday's 105-79 loss to the Nuggets. "He did the right thing by not talking about it. I mean, what can you say?''

Bryant was reminded he talked openly about his free agency during the 2003-04 season.

"Yeah, but I ain't talking about it now, am I? he said.

Bryant can opt out of his deal next summer and become a free agent. The Lakers have offered him a contract extension for maximum money, and he has until June 30 to decide whether to accept it.

"I don't feel like that,'' Bryant said of his decision to not talk about his current contract situation. "We got a team here that just won a championship. We're a young team. We don't need that kind of (junk). There's no purpose to it.''

So why did Bryant talk about it leading up to the summer of 2004?

"Then it was different circumstances,'' said Bryant, looking back at the 2003-04 season, when Bryant was facing a sexual assault charge in Colorado that was eventually dropped and when Bryant and center Shaquille O'Neal feuded, with O'Neal eventually being traded in the summer of 2004 to Miami. "We had a lot of things going on so that circumstances was a little different ... We had a lot of (junk) going on. It made us actually easier to focus on the game.'''

Bryant said when he sees James the two "joke around'' but don't speak about his free agency.

"You just don't want to have it be a distraction to the season,'' Bryant said of believing James has made the right decision to stop talking. "Just people speculating, speculating. Just keep your mouth shut ... Who wants to deal with that? You've got to still be focusing on the (team) that you're with.''

But while James has curtailed his talk about free agency, he's addressing plenty of other things. One is the belief by James, who wears No. 23, that No. 23 should be retired by all NBA teams in honor of Michael Jordan.

"It's tough to argue with anything that pertains to Michael Jordan. It's tough to argue that,'' Bryant said. "I wouldn't be against it.''

James said he likely will change to No. 6. Bryant changed from No. 8 to No. 24 prior to the 2006-07 season.

Bryant was asked if his change resulted in a lot more money being made in jersey sales.

"It didn't go to me,'' he said with a laugh.

Chris Tomasson can be reached at fanhouse.com or on Twitter @christomasson.

Kobe: LeBron Using Head, Not Mouth originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 02:34:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Brawl Will 'Spice Up' Movie About Artest

Chris Tomasson — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:50:00 EST

Filed under: Lakers, Pacers, Pistons, FanHouse Exclusive

DENVER -- Five years after the "The Malice at the Palace,'' Ron Artest isn't showing remorse. In fact, one could say he is embracing his infamous place in history.

Artest, a Lakers forward, said in an interview Friday with FanHouse he's making a movie about his life. He said he made sure to touch upon the Nov. 19, 2004 brawl at the Palace of Auburn Hills in order to "kind of spice up the movie a little bit.''

In that basketbrawl, Artest, then with Indiana, charged into the stands in the final minute of a game at Detroit after a fight had broken out and a fan had thrown a cup of beer at Artest. The game was called, and there were nine players suspended for a total of 146 games. Artest got the worst penalty, being sat down for the final 73 games of the season.

Thursday marks the fifth-year anniversary, and Artest will play that night at home against Chicago. Artest, who celebrated his 30th birthday Friday, was asked if he's matured and is a different person since the brawl.

"Not really,'' he said before the Lakers were crushed by Denver 105-79 at the Pepsi Center. "I'm the same person.''

Artest then was asked if it was just a bad night for him.

"It wasn't a bad night for me,'' he said. "It was a bad night for everybody else.''

Artest doesn't shy away from that night. In fact, he made sure he included material on the brawl in a movie he told FanHouse he's making about his life called Therapy.

"I didn't even realize it was the fifth-year anniversary,'' Artest said. "I'm actually working on a movie about it. It's going to be pretty cool. It's like a docudrama. I'm playing me. (The brawl) is like a small part, but it's a part of it. It's to just kind of (to) spice up the movie a little bit, but (the movie) is deeper than that. It's all true.''

Artest said he has a production company in Los Angeles called Tru Warrior Enterprises, which comes from his nickname. He said he has a ''silent partner'' he wouldn't name, and the partner is putting up money for the film that will be available next summer on DVD.

"There are some reenacted situations that happened before (the brawl) and some reenacted situations that happened after,'' said Artest, who said no actual brawl footage will be used and that "all'' of the "various fights'' he has had during his career will be chronicled in the film. "People will be able to understand what happened (in the brawl). They'll be talking and acting, both (about the brawl in the movie).''

Asked about his abilities as an actor, Artest said, "Decent, but it's like me so I don't need really to act.''

Artest said the movie will chronicle his time at St. John's University until now, and touch upon odds he has overcome. Artest hopes there will a message in the film for "people that get in trouble (who are) high-risk kids (from) high-risk neighborhoods.''

"Just advice,'' Artest said of what the movie will offer. "My advice isn't always the best advice, but maybe it might work for somebody.''

Chris Tomasson can be reached at fanhouse.com and on Twitter @christomasson.

Brawl Will 'Spice Up' Movie About Artest originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:50:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bynum Expects to be All-Star Starter

Chris Tomasson — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:30:00 EST

Filed under: Bulls, Cavaliers, Lakers, Nuggets, Suns, NBA All-Star Game

DENVER -- Andrew Bynum was talking to his brother early this week when he got the news.

Amare Stoudemire, despite being Phoenix's starting power forward, was listed on the All-Star ballot at center for the Western Conference. That happens to be the same position played by the Lakers' Bynum, and many had considered him the favorite to be the starter after Houston's Yao Ming was lost for the season due to injury and Shaquille O'Neal was traded from Phoenix to Cleveland of the East.

"I was definitely surprised,'' Bynum said in an interview with FanHouse about Stoudemire being listed at center even though he's started every game this season at forward, with Channing Frye having opened at center for the Suns.

But Bynum is determined not to let this ballot business keep him out of his first All-Star Game.

"I'm going to go out there and play the way I need to play,'' Bynum said. "I don't think (it will be hard to be named the starter) if I play well.''

Bynum has done that so far. Entering Friday's game at Denver, he was averaging 21.0 points and 11.3 rebounds, better than the 18.1 points and 7.9 rebounds Stoudemire is putting up.

But Bynum's stats figure to go down a bit after Lakers power forward Pau Gasol returns in a few weeks from a hamstring problem. And Stoudemire has proved to be quite popular before in the fan voting.

Stoudemire last season was named a West starting forward when he accumulated more than 1.46 million votes. Bynum was third among centers with more than 549,000 votes, but has improved greatly since last season, when he suffered a knee injury shortly after the final votes were announced and missed 2 ½ months.

"He looks so big,'' Nuggets coach George Karl said of Bynum, listed at 7-foot, 285 pounds. "I don't know if he grew. (The Lakers have) got another (key) piece.''

JORDAN'S NUMBER GETS LOTS OF DISCUSSION

Much of the discussion before Friday's game was about whether the NBA should retire No. 23 for all teams in honor of Michael Jordan. Cleveland's LeBron James, who wears No. 23, made that suggestion Thursday while saying he plans to switch to No. 6.

Lakers boss Phil Jackson, who coached Jordan to six NBA titles with Chicago in the 1990s, called James' idea "great,'' and said it would be like the NHL having retired No. 99 for Wayne Gretzky. But Jackson did acknowledge there would be ample debate.

"We haven't seen this happen in basketball so it's kind of unique,''he said. "It would maybe be a little step on the toes for a guy like Magic (Johnson) and (Larry) Bird, who made this era a bigger era that Michael could come in and dominate and he had a commercial appeal. But it's up to other people (whether James' idea is heeded).''

Nuggets forward Carmelo Anthony is under contract with Brand Jordan. But he's not fully committed to James' suggestion.

"I don't have a problem with it,'' Anthony said. "But I don't wear No. 23 so it's kind of easy for me to say that. You ought to ask them who wear No. 23. It doesn't matter to me either way.''

Anthony jokingly was asked what it would take for his No. 15 to one day be considered for NBA-wide retirement.

"Six (titles),'' he cracked. "(Jordan) got six.''

Chris Tomasson can be reached at fanhouse.com and on Twitter @christomasson.

Bynum Expects to be All-Star Starter originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Byron Scott Unlikely to Have Good Options, Unless Phil Jackson Retires

Tom Ziller — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:45:00 EST

Filed under: Hornets, Lakers, NBA Rumors, NBA Coaches

Had Byron Scott been fired last May instead of today, he'd certainly be in a better financial position, as Scott would have been highly sought-after by at least a few teams, Sacramento and Minnesota among them. As it stands, Scott has no contract for the 2010-11 season ... and few leads for decent gigs.

Not that either Sacramento or Minnesota are glamorous jobs, but they were rebuilding teams with low expectations, much like the Hornets were when Scott first came to New Orleans. This summer? I imagine the Nets job will be available, but that bridge has been ashes for ages. The Pacers and Grizzlies will be the other most likely openings, barring a surprise retirement from Jerry Sloan, Don Nelson or Larry Brown.

But there's one job Scott has always been tied to that could also become available and happens to be pretty plush: the one currently filled by Phil Jackson.

That Lakers job now enters the picture as Scott's best prospect by far. A year ago, Scott told the Los Angeles Times he holds the Lakers organization in the utmost regard, and thinks about coaching the team "often." While Jackson seemed to simultaneously groom in-house assistants Kurt Rambis and Brian Shaw, Scott would certainly be a top-tier candidate from the outside if Phil were to retire.

And now, one hurdle has fallen: Scott has no other great option, nor a paying job. Jackson is in Sloan mode, judging whether he can handle another grinding season on the fly. He's paid $12 million this season, and has talked about wrapping up his career. Having won his 10th title -- and passing Red Auerbach on the championship coaching list -- would seem to provide some sort of shove off to the ranch.

Of course, Rambis thought enough of either Jackson's continued passion for coaching or the organization's love of Shaw (or some combination of the two) to take his chances in Minneapolis. I suppose over the next nine months we'll see how Scott fits into that equation, and whether Shaw should take the next head coaching job he's offered.

Byron Scott Unlikely to Have Good Options, Unless Phil Jackson Retires originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2010 NBA All-Star Ballot Announced

Chris Tomasson — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST

Filed under: Celtics, Clippers, Grizzlies, Lakers, Pistons, Rockets, Suns, Timberwolves, NBA All-Star Game

I wrote in September that perhaps there would be no worthy center to start for the West in the All-Star Game.

But this isn't the way I want to see that solved. Do it on the court, not with the ballot.

When the All-Star ballot came out Tuesday, Phoenix power forward Amar'e Stoudemire strangely was listed as a center. Yes, Stoudemire has played center before, but he's started all eight games for Suns this season at power forward, with Channing Frye being the starting center.

It is true the ballot, which was selected by six media members from around the country, had to be decided upon before the season began in order to provide time for printing. But it has been apparent since at least September that Frye would Phoenix's starting center, with Stoudemire at power forward.

Yes, the crop of centers in the West is not strong, with Shaquille O'Neal having departed from Phoenix to Cleveland in the East and Houston's Yao out for the season due to injury. Still, I don't think it's proper to move players on the ballot to positions at which they don't start.

Anyhow, so much for the Lakers' Andrew Bynum or Minnesota's Al Jefferson getting the starting nod at center for the West. Stoudemire figures to win the fan voting for the Feb. 14 game in Dallas in an election that conjures up memories of Nixon over McGovern in 1972.

Omissions on the ballot were Yao and New Jersey big man Yi Jianlian, but I have no problem with either. Yao is obviously hurt, so it would have been ridiculous to have listed him -- especially because he probably would have won. As for Yi, a 9.8 scoring average last season does not guarantee inclusion on the ballot.

Of course, let's find out now if Chinese-American relations have been damaged.

It was interesting to see two centers listed on the ballot for Boston in Kendrick Perkins and Rasheed Wallace. NBA teams love to tell their fans to vote for all their players, but a Celtics fan won't be able to vote for both Perkins and Wallace or else the ballot will be tossed.

Still, that was a difficult problem to solve. Wallace comes off the bench to play center and forward, and listing him at forward would have given the Celtics three forwards. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce are the others, and they're obviously not going anywhere.

Ballot results will show how popular guard Allen Iverson continues to be. Iverson has been named a starter in nine of the past 10 years (he was a reserve in 2007 after having been traded in December 2006 from Philadelphia to Denver). That includes last season when, with Detroit, he was one of the most unworthy players in All-Star history to get a starting nod.

But now that Iverson is squabbling with Memphis and could be sent packing, could he become the first player chosen for the All-Star Game who doesn't have a team? Probably not since it would be stunning if he is voted as a starter again, but it certainly is worth following the results.

And more surprising things have happened before in elections. Don't dead people vote in Chicago?

Plenty of complaints have been coming out of Clipperland with the ballot omissions of guard Eric Gordon and center Chris Kaman, just named Western Conference Player of the Week. I can understand Kaman, who was hurt much of last season and is on a team that has another solid center in Marcus Camby, being left off. But the Gordon omission is a tough one.

Still, it must be noted it's not easy to put together an All-Star ballot. Gordon is more deserving to be on the ballot than Minnesota's Ramon Sessions. But each team must be represented three times, and Sessions was the third man for the Timberwolves.

Chris Tomasson can be reached at tomasson@fanhouse.com and on Twitter @christomasson.

2010 NBA All-Star Ballot

Eastern

Guards
Ray Allen, Celtics
Gilbert Arenas, Wizards
Mike Bibby, Hawks
Jose Calderon, Raptors
Vince Carter, Magic
Jamal Crawford, Hawks
Chris Duhon, Knicks
Raymond Felton, Bobcats
T.J. Ford, Pacers
Ben Gordon, Pistons
Richard Hamilton, Pistons
Devin Harris, Nets
Kirk Hinrich, Bulls
Joe Johnson, Hawks
Courtney Lee, Nets
Jameer Nelson, Magic
Michael Redd, Bucks
Nate Robinson, Knicks
Rajon Rondo, Celtics
Derrick Rose, Bulls
John Salmons, Bulls
Rodney Stucky, Pistons
Dwyane Wade, Heat
Mo Williams, Cavs

Forwards
Michael Beasley, Heat
Chris Bosh, Raptors
Elton Brand, Sixers
Caron Butler, Wizards
Luol Deng, Bulls
Boris Diaw, Bobcats
Kevin Garnett, Celtics
Danny Granger, Pacers
Al Harrington, Knicks
Udonis Haslem, Heat
Andre Iguodala, Sixers
LeBron James, Cavs
Antawn Jamison, Wizards
David Lee, Knicks
Rashard Lewis, Magic
Troy Murphy, Pacers
Paul Pierce, Celtics
Tayshaun Prince, Pistons
Josh Smith, Hawks
Hedo Turkoglu, Raptors
Anderson Varejao, Cavs
Charlie Villanueva, Pistons
Gerald Wallace, Bobcats
Hakim Warrick, Bucks

Centers
Andrea Bargnani, Raptors
Andrew Bogut, Bucks
Tyson Chandler, Bobcats
Samuel Dalembert, Sixers
Al Horford, Hawks
Dwight Howard, Magic
Brook Lopez, Nets
Brad Miller, Bulls
Jermaine O'Neal, Heat
Shaquille O'Neal, Cavs
Kendrick Perkins, Celtics
Rasheed Wallace, Celtics
Western

Guards
Leandro Barbosa, Suns
Chauncey Billups, Nuggets
Aaron Brooks, Rockets
Kobe Bryant, Lakers
Baron Davis, Clippers
Monta Ellis, Warriors
Manu Ginobili, Spurs
Josh Howard, Mavericks
Allen Iverson, Grizzlies
Stephen Jackson, Warriors
Jason Kidd, Mavericks
Kevin Martin, Kings
O.J. Mayo, Grizzlies
Tracy McGrady, Rockets
Andre Miller, Blazers
Steve Nash, Suns
Tony Parker, Spurs
Chris Paul, Hornets
Jason Richardson, Suns
Brandon Roy, Blazers
Ramon Sessions, Wolves
Jason Terry, Mavericks
Russell Westbrook, Thunder
Deron Williams, Jazz

Forwards
LaMarcus Aldridge, Blazers
Carmelo Anthony, Nuggets
Trevor Ariza, Rockets
Ron Artest, Lakers
Carlos Boozer, Jazz
Tim Duncan, Spurs
Kevin Durant, Thunder
Pau Gasol, Lakers
Rudy Gay, Grizzlies
Jeff Green, Thunder
Blake Griffin, Clippers
Grant Hill, Suns
Richard Jefferson, Spurs
Kevin Love, Wolves
Shawn Marion, Mavericks
Kenyon Martin, Nuggets
Paul Millsap, Jazz
Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks
Lamar Odom, Lakers
Anthony Randolph, Warriors
Luis Scola, Rockets
Jason Thompson, Kings
Al Thornton, Clippers
David West, Hornets

Centers
Andris Biedrins, Warriors
Andrew Bynum, Lakers
Marcus Camby, Clippers
Marc Gasol, Grizzlies
Spencer Hawes, Kings
Al Jefferson, Wolves
Antonio McDyess, Spurs
Nene, Nuggets
Greg Oden, Blazers
Emeka Okafor, Hornets
Mehmet Okur, Jazz
Amar'e Stoudemire, Suns

2010 NBA All-Star Ballot Announced originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA Power Rankings: Rising Suns

Brett Pollakoff — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:45:00 EST

Filed under: Bulls, Cavaliers, Celtics, Hawks, Lakers, Magic, Mavericks, Nuggets, Suns, Trail Blazers, NBA Power Rankings

We're just eight games into the season, but there's no doubt who the surprise team is at this point. The Phoenix Suns are off to a 7-1 start, and have road wins over two of the three remaining one-loss teams. They've done it with Steve Nash leading the league in assists at almost 13 per game, and with the team leading the league in three-point shooting at a ridiculous 47 percent. But all of that only got the Suns to No. 2 in this week's rankings -- read on to see who's on top.

1. Lakers (6-1) | Prev.: 5
Pau Gasol has yet to play a game this season, and Andrew Bynum has missed the last two. But when Kobe Bryant goes for 40 or more three times in the team's first seven games, well, the wins just seem to come anyway.
2. Suns (7-1) | Prev.: 7
You could make a case for the Suns rising all the way to the top this week, especially considering the strength of their recent competition -- which they mostly steamrolled. But one or two doesn't make a whole lot of difference in November, and Phoenix will get their chance at the top-ranked Lakers soon enough: They head to L.A. for a TNT showdown Thursday.
3. Celtics (7-1) | Prev.: 2
After opening the season with eight games in 11 days, the Celtics looked weary in their last two. But they came out of it with just a single loss, and they still lead the league in point differential with an impressive + 14.1 -- the second best team in that department is only at +7.8.
4. Heat (5-1) | Prev.: 8
Contract years are a beautiful thing. Quentin Richardson is in one, and he's set a career mark for most consecutive games with at least nine rebounds -- Q has done it in five straight (and counting).
5. Hawks (5-2) | Prev.: 11
Jamal Crawford is thriving in his sixth man role, and has led or shared the team lead in scoring three times. The Hawks finally put it all together in a dismantling of the Nuggets at home, but whether or not they can take that same show on the road Friday in Boston will say a lot about exactly where this team is at this early point in the season.
6. Mavericks (5-2) | Prev.: 4
Dallas has actually looked like one of the top teams this season, but the fact that they gave away a game at the free throw line cannot go unpunished. But the next night Josh Howard returned, and so did the Mavs' solid play: They crushed the Raptors by 28 points.
7. Blazers (4-3) | Prev.: 13
Nate McMillan pushed the right button in placing Andre Miller alongside Brandon Roy and Steve Blake in the starting lineup, and the team is 2-0 since he made that adjustment.
8. Nuggets (5-2) | Prev.: 3
After the strong start, Denver has dropped two straight since Kenyon Martin went down with an injury. But Anthony Carter might have said it best after the Nuggets' first loss of the season: "When one person goes down, that's why everybody else gets paid to play. Kenyon ain't the whole team."
9. Magic (5-2) | Prev.: 1
Orlando has done well to start 5-2, playing without the suspended Rashard Lewis since the beginning, and missing Vince Carter for four of the last five with an ankle injury. Ryan Anderson had been filling in nicely, but losing him to an injury was too much to overcome, as Orlando lost by 28 without him in Oklahoma City.

10. Bulls (4-2) | Prev.: 16
Winners of three straight after the slow start, including a close one in Cleveland against LeBron and the Cavs. Joakim Noah has been so solid this season that he's making a local columnist eat his words -- literally, and with salsa no less.

11. Spurs (3-3) | Prev.: 6
Tony Parker is expected to miss about a week with an ankle sprain, but Manu Ginobili made sure the team wouldn't drop two straight. He went nuts against Toronto with 36 points, eight assists, four rebounds, and four blocked shots in 32 minutes off the bench. Batman, indeed.

12. Cavaliers (4-3) | Prev.: 10
The media circus surrounding the Cavs feasted last Friday at Madison Square Garden, when the "LeBron James to the Knicks" talk reached a fever pitch. They've had a few days to recover, just in time for Shaquille O'Neal versus Dwight Howard (and Stan Van Gundy) on ESPN this Wednesday.

13. Rockets (4-2) | Prev.: 9
The Rockets have played better than anyone expected, and have done it by playing smart, hard-nosed basketball. Unfortunately for them, Tracy McGrady is getting ready to come back and ruin everything, although the exact timing of his return is something that (surprise!) he and the team don't see eye to eye on.

14. Thunder (3-3) | Prev.: 14
Took apart a depleted Orlando Magic squad, and showed that if you don't make defense a priority against them, this Thunder team is capable of lighting you up -- they shot over 57 percent from the field, and over 53 percent from three-point land in that one. Oh, and also, there's this.

15. Bucks (3-2) | Prev.: 22
Winners of two straight in convincing fashion over the T'Wolves and the Knicks, and it could have been three in a row had they been able to protect an 18-point lead against the Bulls. But Brandon Jennings continues to impress, Andrew Bugut has done the heavy lifting, and everyone else is contributing just enough to keep the team afloat while Michael Redd is out.

16. Raptors (3-4) | Prev.: 21
It's been a pretty simple formula for the Raps this season: hold the other team under 100 points, and win (three times). Allow the other team to get into triple digits, and lose (four times). In other news, Chris Bosh continues his dominant season, with averages of 29 points and 11.6 rebounds through the team's first seven games.

17. Jazz (3-4) | Prev.: 17
Something's off with this year's Jazz team, but it's hard to tell exactly what it is yet. Consistency is something all teams struggle with, especially early on. But home losses aren't the way Utah normally does business, and they already have two to teams that, on paper, they should seemingly beat: the Rockets and the Kings.

18. Pistons (3-4) | Prev.: 23
Sure, I could drone on about the ups and downs of the team's season with Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince sidelined with injuries. But instead, do yourself a favor and read Matt Watson's excellent piece on the forced rebuilding situation in Detroit.

19. Bobcats (3-3) | Prev.: 18
Charlotte is an interesting team. They hammered the Hawks and hung with the Bulls this week, while Gerald Wallace (much to the delight of our own Matt Steinmetz) finally got himself a few assists -- three, to be exact, after going 94 field goal attempts without one through the team's first four games.

20. Kings (3-4) | Prev.: 26
No Kevin Martin? No problem for the Kings, what with the quick coming of age of rookie Tyreke Evans. Evans has led the team to two wins in Martin's absence, and is quickly making the term "combo guard" look very much like something that GMs should start to consider as a positive.

21. Hornets (3-5) | Prev.: 20
NOLA was very fortunate to beat the Mavs, looked wretched against the Raptors and Lakers, then rose up and delivered a 28-point road beatdown to the Clippers. David West's scoring and rebounding averages are down significantly from last year, and unless he can get back to having some occasionally monster performances, the team's going to continue to struggle.

22. Clippers (3-5) | Prev.: 25
Chris Kaman won the Western Conference player of the week award, which, considering he was competing against some 40-point performances from Kobe Bryant, was somewhat impressive. The Clips went 3-0 on the week, and Kaman averaged 24.3 points on .574 shooting from the field, 9.7 rebounds and 2.0 blocks. Sure, it all came to an abrupt end on Monday against the Hornets, but it was a good run while it lasted.

23. Sixers (3-4) | Prev.: 15
Philly seems to be still staggering after the Celtics beat them by 31 in the fourth game of the season. Since, they were lucky to beat a seriously undermanned Nets team, and followed that up with losses to the Pistons and the Suns.

24. Pacers (2-3) | Prev.: 29
After starting 0-3 against some quality competition, the Pacers have two wins over the Knicks and the Wizards -- the latter of which caused Washington to sacrifice a snack tray in frustration afterwards.

25. Wizards (2-5) | Prev.: 12
Things aren't going well in Washington, but the rumors of friction between Gilbert Arenas and Flip Saunders seem to be a bit ridiculous. Meanwhile, the team should be fine once Antawn Jamison returns, and three of the last four losses were to upper echelon teams, so it's not time to push the panic button just yet.

26. Warriors (2-4) | Prev.: 28
If these rankings were based on organizational health, the Warriors would be dead last. But as they showed in putting up 146 points on the T'Wolves on Monday, there's some talent on this roster that needs to be dealt with. Unfortunately, as long as Nellie is running the ship and Steven Jackson is in town, winning is going to be the exception, not the norm.

27. Timberwolves (1-7) | Prev.: 27
Jonny Flynn has been solid, but as long as Al Jefferson continues to struggle offensively, the T'Wolves are going to continue to have problems keeping pace.

28. Knicks (1-7) | Prev.: 19
What never gets mentioned in all the "LeBron to New York" talk is the fact that Mike D'Antoni's system appears to be just an awful, awful fit for the talents of King James.

29. Grizzlies (1-7) | Prev.: 24
The team needs to get out of the shadow of Allen Iverson -- whether it's due to trading him, waiving him, or his choosing to retire -- before they'll have any chance of moving in a positive direction.

30. Nets (0-7) | Prev.: 30
Thanks to a rash of injuries and ailments -- including swine flu taking out Chris Douglas-Roberts -- the team was actually forced to practice against furniture due to a lack of available bodies.

NBA Power Rankings: Rising Suns originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Reveals He Has Rare Form of Leukemia

Will Brinson — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:20:00 EST

Filed under: Lakers, NBA Media Watch, NBA Rumors

During an interview with the Associated Press on Monday, NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar revealed that he is being treated for a rare form of leukemia.

Kareem apparently learned of the diagnosis nearly a year ago, but held off on making the news public until now.

"The word 'leukemia' is a very frightening word," he said in a phone interview from New York. "In many instances, it's a killer and it's something that you have to deal with in a very serious and determined way if you're going to beat it."

However, as terrifying as that statement sounds -- and Abdul-Jabbar acknowledged that he has been frightened while dealing with the diagnosis -- the Laker legend has a long-term prognosis that is considered positive, and has apparently responded well to treatment.

Additionally, Jabbar pointed out that he was going public with the diagnosis in order to affect the treatment of the blood cancer, citing the manner in which Magic Johnson assisted public awareness.

"I've never been a person to share my private life. But I can help save lives," he said at a midtown Manhattan conference room. "It's incumbent on someone like me to talk about this."

Jabbar, who is the NBA's all-time leading scorer, learned of the disease when he began having hot flashes last year and was told to have blood work done after expressing concern to his doctor. Jabbar also pointed to his excellent health -- he was one of the first pro athletes to pick up yoga -- as a reason for not only finding the disease but having a shot at beating it.

And that may be the biggest public service he provides throughout this entire health issue -- Jabbar can not only help everyday people (and athletes) learn leukemia awareness, but also how to best deal with leukemia and raise awareness about the disease.

Also on FanHouse: Lakers Top NBA Power Rankings | Where Will S-Jax Land?

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Reveals He Has Rare Form of Leukemia originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:20:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ron Artest Shakes Things Up for Fans

Elie Seckbach — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:15:00 EST

Filed under: Lakers, NBA Videos, Interviews

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

When it come to high-profile professional athletes, Ron Artest is one of a kind. He's setting the bar in the way stars reach out to interact with their fans, and it's very refreshing.

In this FanHouse video, we were on hand as Ron-Ron was dishing out milkshakes to fans, who absolutely enjoyed every moment around the Lakers star.

Check out the video after the jump.

Ron Artest Shakes Things Up for Fans originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 15:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Bynum Joins Gasol on Injured List

Brett Pollakoff — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:54:00 EST

Filed under: Lakers, NBA Injuries

One of the things that makes the Lakers one of the league's best teams is the size and skill of their two biggest frontcourt players, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. But Gasol has yet to play a game for the team in this young season, and now it looks like Bynum will miss some time as well with an elbow injury.

Both players are listed as doubtful for Friday night's game against Memphis, and if neither ends up being able to go, the Lakers will be forced to use some rather interesting lineups.

D.J. Mbenga or Josh Powell will be inserted into the starting lineup, and while both of those guys usually bring a lot of energy, they'll be hard-pressed combined to make up for what Bynum has provided on the stat sheet through the team's first five games.

Bynum has averaged 20 points and over 10 rebounds per game, and neither Powell nor Mbenga can really be expected to to match those numbers individually -- especially offensively. That just means that even more of the scoring load will fall on the shoulders of Kobe Bryant, who's already had to put up 41 and 31 in consecutive overtime games just to see his team barely come out of them with wins.

Thankfully for L.A., neither player is expected to be out for very long. Gasol was medically cleared by both the Lakers' doctors and his personal medical team in Spain to play before Wednesday's game, so he could be back as early as Sunday.

Bynum's injury was one to his elbow on the final play of his team's win in Houston on Wednesday, but an MRI didn't reveal any serious damage. It's officially being called a "strain," and he's listed as day-to-day, but will likely sit out the game against the Grizzlies.

And considering that both of Bynum's serious knee injuries in the last two seasons coincidentally came while playing against this same Memphis team, he's probably not all that broken up about missing this one.

Bynum Joins Gasol on Injured List originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:54:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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