NBA FanHouse

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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Ron Artest: I Wanted to Choke Ariza

Brett Pollakoff — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:24:00 EST

Filed under: Lakers, Rockets, NBA Last Night

There weren't too many fireworks between Ron Artest and his former teammates during the Lakers' overtime victory in Houston on Wednesday, other than a double technical called on him and Trevor Ariza in the first quarter.

But judging by what Artest had to say afterwards, there certainly could have been.

Artest claimed that the Rockets were being extra-physical with him in hopes of getting him ejected. And after taking a shot from Ariza early, Artest admitted that thoughts of getting violent out there definitely crossed his mind.

"I wanted to (choke Ariza) because he hit me with the elbow," Artest said. "But then I thought about David Stern, and I thought I wasn't going to do this. I got hit with three or four elbows. It's just not fair. I don't want to fight."

A kinder, gentler Ron Artest. Thank the heavens.

After picking up the first quarter technical foul, Kobe Bryant could be seen whispering something into Artest's ear, and Ron remained calm for the rest of the game. This was the concern of many heading into the season: would Bryant and Phil Jackson be able to contain the volatility of Ron Artest?

We're just four games into the season, but after Wednesday's potential meltdown in a hostile Houston environment was averted, the answer so far is a resounding "yes."

Ron Artest: I Wanted to Choke Ariza originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 13:24:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Doing Lines: Kobe and Wade Go for 40

Brett Pollakoff — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:01:00 EST

Filed under: Grizzlies, Heat, Hornets, Lakers, Mavericks, Nuggets, Rockets, Suns, NBA Last Night

Every night there are some stupendous, silly, stupid, or downright outlandish individual lines from around the lig. Doing Lines lets you know which one tops the list.

The last time we got together, three different players scored 40 points or more on the same night. Well, maybe it's not as rare of an occurrence as we thought, since we were just a single point away from it happening again on Wednesday.

Chris Paul missed by one with 39, but Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade each delivered, with 41 and 40 respectively.

Dwyane Wade's 40 points, four rebounds, and five assists were just enough to carry his team to a close road victory over the Wizards. Gilbert Arenas had 32 of his own in the loss, but did it on a far less attractive 9-for-27 shooting line, as opposed to Wade's 14-for-26.

Chris Paul was dazzling, and had 39 points (on 14-for-23 shooting), five rebounds, seven assists, and a couple of steals. On the other end of the court, Jason Terry had 18 in the fourth quarter (and 35 in the game), on 12-18 shooting and 4-5 from three-point land, But ultimately, his two missed free throws down the stretch may have done as more to influence the game's final outcome than his scoring did.

Kobe Bryant had an outstanding line of 41 points, six rebounds, four assists, and four steals. He did it by shooting a tidy 50 percent from the field, and you could tell from the opening minutes that even on the second night of a back-to-back, that Bryant wouldn't allow himself to be outshined by his former teammate, Trevor Ariza.

Speaking of Ariza, he and Ron Artest basically canceled each other out. Besides the pair picking up double technicals early, there weren't any fireworks to report, and both finished with an identical 15 points. Not only were their numbers similar, so was their play: each hit a clutch three-pointer with under 30 seconds left in regulation, Ariza's coming after Artest's to send the game into overtime.

Other notable numbers from Wednesday's action:

Carmelo Anthony finally cooled off a bit, managing just 22 points on 8-24 shooting. But when you have rookie Ty Lawson coming off the bench for 23 points in 28 minutes, on 9-10 shooting, the end result was still a blowout win for the Nuggets.

Derek Fisher played 34 minutes, and somehow managed to record 0 points, 0 rebounds, and 0 assists -- and he's the point guard! But he did manage two steals, including the one on the game's final play where he stripped the ball from Trevor Ariza.

Allen Iverson once again came off the bench, but in his second game of the season, was more productive in that role. A.I. scored 18 points (on 8-12 shooting) and handed out seven assists in 28 minutes of action.

Amar'e Stoudemire had 19 points and 11 rebounds in the first half against the Orlando Magic. It was the first flash of the old, explosive Amar'e we were used to seeing before his injury last February. Unfortunately, it didn't last in the second half, as he finished with 25 and 14, and the Suns suffered their first loss of the season.

Doing Lines: Kobe and Wade Go for 40 originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:01:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lakers' Ron Artest Returns to Houston

Brett Pollakoff — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:02:00 EST

Filed under: Lakers, Rockets

There are 10 games on the schedule this evening, but perhaps none holds more intrigue than Ron Artest making his return to Houston, to face the Rockets as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers.

But Artest isn't the only one with something to prove, as L.A. will be seeing Trevor Ariza for the first time since his agent played hardball with L.A.'s ownership group over the summer.

It's a little early to tell which team has come out ahead in this virtual trade, but looking at tonight's matchup, the Rockets would appear to be the ones with the advantage.

Houston is out to the same 3-1 start as the Lakers are, which is pretty incredible considering that most people didn't expect a team without its two biggest stars (Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady) to be able to put up enough points on most nights to win games. But not only are the Rockets scoring, they're doing so at a clip of almost 110 points per game over their last three.

So where is the scoring coming from? The one-word answer, obviously, is "everywhere."

In their last outing -- a dominant offensive and defensive performance in a road win over the Jazz -- Houston had eight players score in double figures, without a single one of them cracking the 20-point mark for the game. They did this with incredible ball movement, and by always making the extra pass to simply turn good looks into great ones.

The Lakers, meanwhile -- save for an 18-0 run in the third quarter over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday -- have looked very pedestrian to open the season. The team pulled out an overtime win in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, but that had more to do with the Thunder's ineptness in crunch time (offensively) than it did with the Lakers' flawless execution. Too many plays late involved Kobe Bryant going one-on-five, and with Thabo Sefolosha playing lock-down defense, most of those possessions ended badly, and were a nightmare to watch.

Back to Ron Artest, who, as you might recall, seemed to be looking for reasons to hold a grudge against his former team back in April. The money quote from his Twitter diatribe was, "Houston did me dirty. I can't wait til next year when we go to Houston. I'm not shooting. All defense. Somebody getting locked da f**k up."

In this case, that somebody will likely be Trevor Ariza.

Artest hasn't fit in well yet offensively with his new team, but he has been able to lock up his man for stretches, especially during the last two games. Joe Johnson of the Hawks torched the Lakers for 18 points in the first quarter on Sunday, but when L.A. made that big run in the third, Artest was the one who was guarding Johnson, and he shut him out in the period.

On Tuesday against the Thunder, when Artest was on Kevin Durant, all of the shots were highly contested, and he even forced Durant into more than one airball, which is a testament to just how tough Artest was making it on the third-year stud.

Ariza has been better-than-expected offensively as a Rocket, shooting over 47 percent from the field and 52 percent from three-point land through the first four games. He even had a 33-point game in a win over the Blazers, something that surprised Artest when he heard about it.

"He had 33?" asked Artest with a surprised tone. Then came a grin. "That's great. I didn't know he could score 30."

Oftentimes, when two high-profile players are involved in switching teams, the game doesn't come down solely to the matchup between those players. But tonight in Houston, the winner of the Artest vs. Ariza conflict is likely to give his team a huge edge, and one which could ultimately help decide the game's final result.

Lakers' Ron Artest Returns to Houston originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:02:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA HouseCast: Magic Fall, Celtics Impress, Lakers Survive

Brett Pollakoff — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:35:00 EST

Filed under: Celtics, Heat, Lakers, Magic, Mavericks, Pistons, Rockets, Suns, Trail Blazers, NBA Last Night, Thunder

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 Wednesday edition of the HouseCast (and our first of the season), Matt Watson and Matt Moore joined me to discuss this week's Power Rankings. Of course, we couldn't do that without mentioning that once again, the top-ranked team -- Orlando, in this case -- went down the very same day the rankings were published.

We also recap a busy and interesting night of action, one where the Celtics remained dominant, the Suns remained undefeated, and the Lakers remained underwhelming, while barely surviving the Thunder in Oklahoma City.

Download MP3

NBA HouseCast: Magic Fall, Celtics Impress, Lakers Survive originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 11:35:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Stinkface Chronicles: A Brilliant Disguise

Rob Peterson — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST

Filed under: Jazz, Kings, Lakers, Mavericks, Nuggets, Spurs, NBA Videos

Looking back at the first week of the 2009-10 NBA season, someone missed a golden opportunity for a Halloween costume.

Wouldn't it have been great if two Lakers fans had gone as Shannon Brown and Josh Powell with the fan who was Brown holding onto a rim (a Nerf rim would have been fine) and sitting on Powell's shoulders?

"Whatever do you mean, Professor Stinkface?"

You know what I mean. Video after the jump.

Could you imagine the looks on people's faces if two guys walked into a party like that? Their faces would probably mirror the collective look on everyone's faces at the Staples Center on Oct. 30 when Brown yanked down a dunk so ferocious, so nasty we had wished Doug Collins had been announcing just so he could go all 2000 on us.

Just look at what Brown does in this video. He's at the top of the square when he lands on top of Powell's noggin. While Brown's ups are impressive, what's even more so is his timing. Remember, he's doing this off a long, missed 3-pointer. To measure the shot, the carom and then his steps? Incredible.

The four-letter network also was kind enough to do everything we would have done had we had the DVR running -- pause, slow mo, pause. The only thing they didn't do was rewind, and with the Mavericks up 12 at the time, they should have. No one would have complained. Except maybe Phil Mushnick.

Melo on Millsap

Poor Paul Millsap, he of the large contract and one more year of apprenticeship under Carlos Boozer. If riding the pine behind Boozer wasn't bad enough, Millsap suffered greviously when Carmelo Anthony unleashed all the fury of West Baltimore on his head.

Thanks to his own ill-advised and errant pass, Millsap was in the wrong place at the wrong time on Wednesday, Oct. 28 as Melo monster mashed in his mug.

'House's Brett Pollakoff covered this one quite well the night it happened and judging by the tweets, even Melo's peers couldn't help but ooh and ahh. I'll let it lay. You click the link and get your stink on.

Manu v. Bat

We've posted mulitple times on the Spurs' Manu Ginobili taking down the bat on Halloween night. And what the heck, we'll do it again because for the first time in NBA history we have "bat stinkface."

Don't believe me? As FanHouse NBA poobah Matt Watson pointed out, check out Kevin Martin's reaction at about 35 seconds. That's an epic flinch right there. It's tough to blame Martin, though. The bat was headed right for him and Manu saved him from multiple rabies shots. I think a thank you note or at least an iTunes gift card should be in the offing, don't you?

And finally...

A quick shout out to Alexe (or as he's known on YouTube as spankissimo) for not only responding to the first Stinkface post, but for being inspired enough by it to create this video, which went viral big time last week when multiple basketball blogs linked to it.

Congrats, Alexe. We look forward to more.

Stinkface Chronicles: A Brilliant Disguise originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 04 Nov 2009 09:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA Power Rankings: Orlando on Top

Brett Pollakoff — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Celtics, Heat, Lakers, Magic, Mavericks, Spurs, Suns, NBA Power Rankings

We're just a week into the season, so don't get mad if your team isn't where you might have expected. It's just that if we go by what we've actually seen, as opposed to what's been predicted, then this is for the most part where teams should fall based on their early performances. But if you're offended by the spot your favorite team holds, fear not: they likely have 79 regular season games remaining to right the ship.

1. Magic (3-0)
Sure, they've only beaten Philly, New Jersey and Toronto. But they've done so by an an average margin of double digits, and they've done it without the suspended Rashard Lewis. Might be the deepest team in the league; time will tell how they match up against the big boys.
2. Celtics (4-0)
Opened the season with a solid road victory in Cleveland, before absolutely pummeling inferior competition for the next three games. If the whole team plays with that Rondo-sized chip on its shoulder for the entire season, who knows what Boston is capable of.
3. Nuggets (3-0)
Impressive wins against Utah and Portland already, and Carmelo Anthony could be to this season what Dwyane Wade was to last season: someone with something to prove, and maybe a dark horse candidate for MVP.
4. Mavericks (2-1)
Can't blame them for losing to Gilbert Arenas' supremely motivated squad in the opener, especially after they regrouped nicely by throttling the Lakers on the road in their second game. This team has one of the best pick-and-roll offenses in the league when it's firing on all cylinders, which will be extremely tough for most other teams to stop.
5. Lakers (2-1)
With Pau Gasol missing the first three games of the season, L.A. has looked far from spectacular. Their lack of depth has been exposed, and Ron Artest has yet to fit in. Still, an 18-0 run in the third quarter on Sunday put away the Hawks, and the Lakers did it with defense, offensive rebounding, and getting out on the break for easy baskets. They're the defending champs for a reason.
6. Spurs (2-1)
The one game that Tim Duncan has looked like his old self this season -- when he put up 28 and 16 against the Bulls -- San Antonio lost. In the two wins, Tony Parker was the catalyst, leading the team in scoring and getting everyone else involved. Of course, if Ginobili continues to play the role of Batman, the sky's the limit.
7. Suns (3-0)
Undefeated against the Clippers, the Warriors, and the T'Wolves, the Suns aren't exactly world-beaters. But after squeaking out a close one in L.A. to open the season, Phoenix has had no trouble imposing their will on their opponents, on the way to a couple of comfortable victories. A tough five-game road trip awaits, but this is a confident group that will likely surprise a team or two on that East coast swing.
8. Heat (3-0)
Undefeated is undefeated, and despite some fairly weak competition (Bulls excepted), that's where the Heat stand. Still, they've done it convincingly, with the second best point differential in the league at 14.3.
9. Rockets (3-1)
Yeah, I'm surprised they're this high, too. But you can't deny three straight wins, including Monday's in Utah where they held Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap to a combined nine points on 1-of-8 shooting, while getting eight players in double figures offensively.

10. Cavaliers (2-2)
Can't really justify having LeBron and company any lower than this, but have they really earned it? It's going to be a while before the Cavs are clicking, and with the team trying to get familiar with Shaq and work Delonte West back into the offense, the gap in the standings could be pretty big by the time things get figured out.

11. Hawks (2-1)
Played two and a half solid games really, before completely falling to pieces in the third quarter against the Lakers. This is a long, athletic team that has no trouble on either end of the floor, so consistency and mental toughness will be the qualities that they search for as the season goes on.

12. Wizards (2-1)
Gilbert Arenas appears to be all the way back, and has led his team to a couple of nice wins to start the season, even as the club is missing Antawn Jamison. Tough back-to-back at Cleveland and then hosting Miami will tell us a lot about where this team is at right now.

13. Trail Blazers (2-2)
Brandon Roy can be All-World, but he's struggled shooting the ball since the Denver game. Andre Miller is -- at least so far -- a very underwhelming addition. The injuries to Nicolas Batum and LaMarcus Aldridge aren't going to help the team get straight early, but we have a long way to go, and Portland is still loaded and can be right there when it counts at the end of the season.

14. Thunder (2-1)
As Kevin Durant goes, so goes the Thunder? KD had 25 and 11, then 25 and 12 in his team's first two games -- both victories. He struggled a bit against the Blazers with 16 and 5 (on a miserable 3-21 shooting), and OKC managed just 74 points in their first loss of the season.

15. Sixers (2-1)
In just 23 minutes per game off the bench, second-year player Marreese Speights is averaging 16.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and a blocked shot per game, while hitting 18 of his 24 field goal attempts. Elton who?

16. Bulls (1-2)
Opened the season with a nice home win over the Spurs, before having to go to Boston the next night to get thrashed by the Celtics. Chicago then took Miami down to the wire, so the schedule-makers more than anyone are to blame for the Bulls' middle-of-the-pack ranking here.

17. Jazz (1-2)
Rough one against the Rockets on Monday, as Utah turned a three-point halftime lead into a 17-point home loss.

18. Bobcats (2-2)
Charlotte gets a little credit for standing at 2-2, but they did manage just 79 points against the awful Nets on Monday ... which was, in fact, good enough for a win, thanks to New Jersey's dreadful seven-point third quarter.

19. Knicks (1-3)
It took New York three overtimes to lose two of its games, before putting together a solid fourth quarter on Monday to get the team's first win of the season. Now if only they can get some consistency going so that D'Antoni doesn't have to change his starting lineup and rotations every night, they'll be in business.

20. Hornets (1-3)
New Orleans has no depth once you get past the starting unit, and the team looks to be far worse off than it was a season ago. So let me be among the first to say it: the Hornets are not making the playoffs.

21. Raptors (1-2)
Dropped two straight after beating the Cavs in their opener, but don't blame Chris Bosh: he's averaging 31 points and 14.7 rebounds through the first three games. *cough* contact year *cough*

22. Bucks (1-1)
Brandon Jennings is the story here, as he's done better than expected early, and led the team in scoring the first two games. Which is important, considering the fact that Michael Redd is going to be on the shelf for a couple of weeks with a knee injury.

23. Pistons (1-2)
Rip Hamilton has missed the last two games with an ankle injury, which has paved the way for Ben Gordon to both start and lead the team in scoring. Ws are what matter most though, and without Hamilton in the lineup, Detroit is 0-2.

24. Grizzlies (1-3)
Zach Randolph has two 30-point games in the team's first four, and O.J. Mayo put up a career-high 40 on Sunday. Allen Iverson made his debut on Monday, and big surprise: he was unhappy coming off the bench.

25. Clippers (1-4)
If Baron Davis ever finds his shot again, L.A. might become dangerous. Davis is shooting just 33% from the field through the team's first five games, having made just 18 of his 54 attempts.

26. Kings (1-3)
Kevin Martin's 48 led Sacramento to their first win of the season on Monday, an overtime joint over the Grizzlies. Between Martin and the potential of Tyreke Evans, the Kings might be worthy of more than an occasional flip over to their games on a random night of League pass action.

27. Timberwolves (1-3)
Kurt Rambis actually has his team running some basic triangle offense sets in this young season. Funny how things seemed to turn out a whole lot better with Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom, and Pau Gasol involved.

28. Warriors (0-2)
Stephen Jackson and Don Nelson have completely checked out, and couldn't care less what happens to this team this season. Not cool for guys like Anthony Morrow, Anthony Randolph, and Stephen Curry, who are all talented young players with a potentially bright future in the league.

29. Pacers (0-2)
Rookie Tyler Hansbrough has been practicing, and could make his debut this Friday against the Wizards. That is all.

30. Nets (0-4)
Unbelievably bad, managing just seven points in the third quarter on Monday in Charlotte. Other lowlights included going over 11 minutes without a field goal, and getting outscored by the Bobcats 24-0 during a stretch that spanned the third and fourth quarters. Finally, the team lost Yi Jianlian to a knee injury in this one as well. I'd make a joke about how dismal things are for the Nets right now, but honestly, it's not even funny.

NBA Power Rankings: Orlando on Top originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Doing Lines: Kobe, 'Melo, Mayo Drop 40

Brett Pollakoff — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST

Filed under: Grizzlies, Hawks, Lakers, Magic, Nuggets, Raptors, Suns, NBA Last Night

Every night there are some stupendous, silly, stupid, or downright outlandish individual lines from around the lig. Doing Lines lets you know which one tops the list.

It's not every day that we get to see a player hit for 40 points or more in an NBA game. So on Sunday, when we had three different players meet or surpass the mark, it's definitely something worth discussing.

Especially when two of them did it in the same game.

Anytime the Grizzlies take the court, you can just throw defense right on out the window, because no matter what you do, Memphis is going to light it up with their dizzying array of deadly scorers.

Okay, not usually. But the Grizz had no trouble keeping pace with the Nuggets for most of the night, led by a career-high 40 points from O.J. Mayo. Mayo got there by going 17-25 from the field, and also grabbed five rebounds and handed out four assists.

On any other night, Memphis probably leaves with a win. But not when Carmelo Anthony is on the opposing team, and puts up 42 points of his own, on 15-26 shooting, with seven boards and five assists. It was the first time in his career that Anthony has posted consecutive 40-point games, after going for 41 in his team's Thursday night victory at the Rose Garden over the Blazers.

One more 40-point performance to mention, and that was Kobe Bryant going for 41 against a plucky Atlanta Hawks team. Bryant also had eight rebounds, five steals, and three assists -- all to make sure that the defending champion Lakers didn't dip below .500 after the team's first three games.

Other notable numbers from Sunday's action:

Joe Johnson had 18 points in the first quarter for the Hawks, but finished with just 27.

Chris Bosh had 35 points and 16 rebounds in a losing effort to the Orlando Magic. Dwight Howard had 24 and 11, but most importantly, he hit 14 of his 16 free throw attempts.

Channing Frye had 25 points and five rebounds, but that's not the interesting part: he made six three-pointers for the second straight game (this time on 10 attempts), and now has 13 threes on the season. This is a season career-high for him in made threes, after only three games as a Phoenix Sun.

Doing Lines: Kobe, 'Melo, Mayo Drop 40 originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA Players in the Halloween Spirit

Elie Seckbach — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:53:00 EST

Filed under: Clippers, Lakers, Suns, NBA Videos, FanHouse Exclusive

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

Halloween is one of those holiday that everyone loves ... including NBA players.

In this FanHouse exclusive, we catch up with NBA stars Amar'e Stoudemire, Eric Gordon, DeAndre Jordan, Ron Artest, Kyrylo Fesenko, Channing Frye, Craig Smith, Goran Dragic and Lou Amundson.

Find out who is most likely to be Hugh Hefner, Magic Don Juan, a lumberjack, Frankenstein and an Army vet.

Check out the video after the jump.

NBA Players in the Halloween Spirit originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Sat, 31 Oct 2009 17:53:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ron Artest Visits Manny Pacquiao's Camp

Elie Seckbach — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:55:00 EST

Filed under: Lakers, NBA Fans, NBA Videos

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

NBA star Ron Artest is a huge boxing fan, and this week he was thrilled when he stopped by the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood to watch Manny Pacquiao train for his Nov. 14 fight against Miguel Cotto.

In this exclusive FanHouse video, we talk to Ron, his father Ron Sr., who used to be an amateur boxer, and other fans. We also hear from Manny's sparring partners Rashad Holloway and Shawn Porter, and find out what Artest is going to be for Halloween.

Check out the video after the jump.

Ron Artest Visits Manny Pacquiao's Camp originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:55:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lamar Odom Learns the Secrets of the Championship Trophy

Brett Pollakoff — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST

Filed under: Lakers, NBA Videos

Here we have yet another funny commercial for ESPN's NBA coverage, this time featuring Lamar Odom, James Worthy, and Magic Johnson riding in the RV. Odom is clutching the championship trophy and snacking on some tortilla chips, when Big Game James reveals to him the tasty secrets that lie inside.

Read on to see what Larry O'Brien has in store for those who have earned the right to carry his trophy, as well as the privilege to taste the spicy flavors of basketball immortality.

Lamar Odom Learns the Secrets of the Championship Trophy originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kurt Rambis: The Minneapolis Laker

Chris Tomasson — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:30:00 EST

Filed under: Lakers, Timberwolves, NBA Coaches

MINNEAPOLIS -- Al Jefferson wasn't even born when the incident happened in 1984. But he's seen the old footage.

"The only thing I knew about Kurt (Rambis) from him playing is the highlight of Kevin McHale knocking him out,'' said the Minnesota forward.

Jonny Flynn wasn't born when Rambis won the last his four titles with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1988. But Flynn has seen the highlights as well.

"I remember he had the high socks, the thick glasses and the short shorts,'' said the Timberwolves point guard. "That was my first impressions about him. I said that when we first talked on the phone, and we got a good laugh about it.''

That was in August when Timberwolves president David Kahn finally completed his epic search for a coach, and Rambis was introduced as the replacement for, yes, McHale. So perhaps 25 years after McHale, a Boston star, clocked Rambis in the NBA Finals, Rambis knocked out McHale.

But it will be a different Rambis on display when he makes his Timberwolves debut in Wednesday's opener against New Jersey. The glasses are long gone, with Rambis having Lasik eye surgery a decade ago, and he laments that, with summer having long disappeared in Minnesota, his tan is going as well.

Yet there are some things unchanged. What made a Rambis a feisty overachiever while playing in the NBA from 1981-95, including nine seasons with the Lakers, he has brought to being a head coach.

Call him the Minneapolis Laker.

"I'm excited about this opportunity,'' said Rambis, who was the Lakers' head coach for most of the 1998-99 lockout season and for much of the past decade was a Phil Jackson assistant with the Lakers. "It's going to be a challenge. We know we're a few years away. We know we're a few pieces away to get this team and this organization back to where we want it to be. But we have goal, and we want to do everything we can to achieve that goal of some day winning a championship.''

Rambis knows about titles. He won rings with the Lakers in 1982, 1985, 1987 and 1988, providing a blue-collar element to "Showtime.'' He was in the Lakers' front office for championships in 2000 and 2001 and on the bench with Jackson for titles in 2002 and last season.

Many believed Rambis would be the eventual successor to Jackson, who is no guarantee to coach beyond this season, when his contract will have expired. But Lakers owner Jerry Buss offered no assurance that would happen, leading Rambis to pack up the few parkas he owns and head to a rebuilding situation in Minnesota.

"Phil already came out and said that's what he wanted to happen,'' Rambis said. "I talked to the owner about it see if some commitment could be made. But Dr. Buss wants Phil to coach as long as he can. That commitment wasn't around the corner. I understand Dr. Buss not willing to make a commitment. This was an opportunity that came up right now so I had to take advantage of this opportunity in front of me.''

Sacramento also courted Rambis during the summer to take over a similar rebuilding project. But Rambis declined an offer, and the job eventually went to Paul Westphal.

"I like the Maloofs (the team owners, brothers Gavin and Joe Maloof), but they were only willing to make a two-year (contract) commitment,'' Rambis said. "I just felt that it was going to take longer.''

It's going to take a while in Minnesota. But Kahn was able to lure Rambis away with a four-year contract worth about $8 million, with a team option for a fifth year.

"I don't think you can ask somebody to go into a rebuilding situation, knowing it's going to take several years (with a long-term deal),'' Kahn said. "I want him to be the coach of this team during the rebuilding period and then some and beyond. That's why length of term was so important.''

So was taking time in making a decision. McHale was relieved as coach June 17 and Rambis wasn't introduced by the Timberwolves until Aug. 11.

"I wanted to be thorough,'' Kahn said. "There was no reason to rush it. You could make an argument it's the most important decision I'll make for a long time, and I felt more than doing it fast, we needed to do it right. And I think we got it right.''

The Timberwolves went 24-58 last season. Even equaling that mark could be tough.

Sent to Washington for the No. 5 pick in last June's draft were veterans Randy Foye and Mike Miller. It remains to be seen the wisdom of that move since the pick was used on point guard Ricky Rubio, who has elected to remain in Spain at least for the next two years.

Minnesota, though, did take another point guard with the No. 6 pick in Flynn, 20. He's looked good while seizing the starting job.

Just about wherever Flynn looks, there is additional youth. Jefferson, the team's top player, might be entering his sixth season, but he's just 24.

Joining Jefferson in the post is second-year man Kevin Love, 21. Well, Love eventually will be joining Jefferson considering he's out until at least late November due to a broken hand.

"You just move forward. It's all just a little blip,'' Rambis said.

That's because Rambis knows it will be a long journey to turn around the Timberwolves. At least Rambis, 51, believes he is much better prepared to be a head coach than he was when he unexpectedly took over the Lakers during the chaotic lockout season, going 24-13 with a team that would win the next three NBA titles under Jackson.

"I like challenges,'' Rambis said of why leading the young Timberwolves appealed to him. "I like the pieces in this team very much. Al Jefferson is one of the best back-to-the-basket players that's in the NBA. Jonny Flynn has a chance to be very special point guard. I'm excited about the possibly of Ricky Rubio. I love Kevin Love. He's so talented in many areas. (The length of contract) gives me the time, when we have all the pieces that we've added, to develop and grow this team and turn it around.''

To help with the cause, it looks as if Rambis is auditioning for the show I Love the 80s. To fill two of his assistant coaching spots, he brought in a pair of other mainstays from the 1980s in feisty center Bill Laimbeer, a four-time All-Star, and flamboyant forward Reggie Theus, a two-time All-Star.

In describing Rambis, Theus uses the word "astute.'' Laimbeer calls the head coach "meticulous.''

"He knows what he's looking for with the exactness of his scouting reports and his attention to detail,'' Laimbeer said.

Rambis, who is implementing portions of Jackson's triangle offense in Minnesota, spent his first seven NBA seasons playing under Pat Riley and the bulk of this decade coaching under Jackson. It's hard not to learn from those two, who have combined to have coached 15 of the past 28 NBA champions.

"He's using the mentality from back in the day when he played for his coaching philosophy from the standpoint that he played hard and expects his players to play hard,'' said Timberwolves forward Brian Cardinal. "He expects everybody to give it their all.''

While playing for the Lakers, the 6-foot-8 Rambis was a gritty, hard-working forward. But in a city where flashy players always have been the most loved, Rambis gained cult status due to his hustling nature and because he wore glasses on the court.

These weren't googles, mind you. They were nerdy glasses.

"It was born out necessity,'' said Rambis, who said he never liked the feel or the vision he got with contact lenses. "When I was kid, I wanted to play sports and I couldn't see without glasses. But my dad was always taking me to the store because I was always breaking my glasses. Then one time we went to the store and he found this indestructible pair of glasses. He stuck these on my face and said, 'You wear these all the time.'''

Soon born out of that was "Rambis Youth,'' a group of youngsters who showed up at games wearing horn-rimmed glasses similar to the ones donned by their hero. To this day, there's the Website www.kurtrambis.com that professes to be "uniting Kurt Rambis fans around the world.''

"I took it as a compliment,'' Rambis said of the cult status he attained. "But I didn't wear (glasses) for that. I just wore them so I could play.''

Minnesota wasn't even in the league during Rambis' heyday with the Lakers. But Rambis said the "older set of people'' in the area "remember me with the glasses.''

But so do some of his younger players. And they don't hesitate to rib him about it.

Chris Tomasson can be reached at tomasson@fanhouse.com.

Kurt Rambis: The Minneapolis Laker originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:30:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Jumping to Conclusions After One Night

Matt Steinmetz — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:05:00 EST

Filed under: Cavaliers, Celtics, Clippers, Lakers, Mavericks, Rockets, Trail Blazers

Home sweet home. Well, for one night anyway. In front of a 42-inch big screen on opening night in the NBA. Let's go ahead and try to read too much into it ...

o. You can't tell me the Cleveland Cavaliers aren't going to come knocking for Stephen Jackson at some point. Looks like LeBron James is going to need some more help.

Hard as this is to say, it doesn't seem like Shaquille O'Neal can even be your No. 2 option. Apparently, the Cavs are reluctant to give up Zydrunas Ilgauskas for Jackson because Cleveland doesn't want to get smaller.

Then again, Jackson would make the Cavaliers tougher, and he would give them someone other than James who can make a play. Besides, the Warriors have Ronny Turiaf to sweeten the deal if need be.

o. With all due respect to Dallas owner Mark Cuban, this year's version of the Mavs isn't better than that team that went to the Finals in 2006. The reason: it was the pre-exposed Dirk Nowitzki in 2006.

Back then, the belief was that a team with Nowitzki as its best player could win it all. But now we know better. And far as anyone can tell, Nowitzki is still Dallas' best player, a healthy Josh Howard or not.

Look, Nowitzki is a wonderful player. But after watching the Mavericks falter against the Heat in '06, then get dismantled by the Warriors in the first round the following season, it seems apparent the Mavericks aren't going to win a title (which is the only way they can be better, right?) until Nowitzki becomes his team's second-best player.

o. Didn't really notice the officiating on opening night, did you? Oh, that's right. The big boys were back.

o. Gilbert Arenas sure looked good in the opener, but Caron Butler might be the most important piece on that team. He's the Wizard most likely to do things other than score to help his team win.

And, yes, I say that even on a night he took 17 shots and had just one assist. By the way, Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld is the early leader in the Executive of the Year Award chase.

o. Pretty troubling sequence from the L.A. Clippers at the end of the first quarter against the Lakers, when they already were down 13. Baron Davis rushed a 3-pointer with 27 seconds remaining -- just for the sake of a 2-for-1 -- and missed badly. Davis missed so badly that the ball rebounded long to the opposite-of-shy Ricky Davis.

Time to get a good one, right? Exactly. Ricky Davis then proceeded to immediately launch another 3-pointer instead of running down the clock. Banked it home.

o. Houston coach Rick Adelman had to be thinking Warriors -- tonight's Rockets opponent -- down the stretch of their loss to Portland.

Interesting Adelman wasn't even considering coming back with Shane Battier, Trevor Ariza and Luis Scola after some of his subs got Houston back within four of Portland with a couple minutes left.

More Steinmetz on Twitter: @matt_steinmetz

Jumping to Conclusions After One Night originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:05:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ron Artest Adjusting to Life as a Laker

Brett Pollakoff — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:00:00 EST

Filed under: Lakers

LOS ANGELES -- One of the biggest questions for the Lakers coming into this season was how well Ron Artest would be able to fit in with a team that has already won one championship and has its sights set on at least one more.

After the first game of the regular season, it's too early to tell whether or not Artest is an improvement or a downgrade over the departed Trevor Ariza. But what is clear is that while Artest is on the floor, he's going to be involved, and he's going to be a factor.

A quick look at the majority of Artest's first quarter possessions, in his first regular season game as a Laker, will certainly show as much.

Artest finished the first quarter of his Lakers career with four points (on 1-of-5 shooting), two assists and two turnovers, with zeroes in the other statistical categories. But the box score doesn't tell the story of how active he was out there, so let's take a closer look at how some of those possessions played out.

-- Just over three and a half minutes into the game, Artest tried to post up Al Thornton but picked up an offensive foul for being a little too aggressive.

-- A minute or so later, Artest broke from his spot in the triangle offense, choosing to force his way into the lane to screen a defender, instead of holding a screen at his rightful place in the offense near the top of the circle. The play resulted in a turnover by Kobe Bryant.

-- On the following offensive possession, Artest got one of those wide-open, Trevor Ariza-style looks from three-point land. But Artest clanked the corner three off the side of the rim, even though there wasn't a defender anywhere in sight.

-- A minute and a half later, Artest found Kobe Bryant in the lane for an assist, passing the ball from behind the three-point arc, his correct spot in the triangle offense.

-- A minute or so after that, Artest fed a nice entry pass into Lamar Odom, who finished inside after a couple of dribbles that negated Artest's assist.

-- With 3:30 to play, Artest scored his first points as a Laker, going 2-for-2 from the free throw line before finishing 1-for-5 from there the rest of the night.

-- A minute later, Artest aggressively forced an Al Thornton turnover before lobbing an alley-oop to Andrew Bynum for his second assist of the period.

-- Less than a minute later, Artest missed a jumper where he sized up Thornton, but got an offensive rebound before hustling for the ball and causing a Clippers' turnover after a miss from Andrew Bynum.

-- Artest scored again with under a minute left in the period on a nice feed from Odom, and then had a three-pointer rattle in-and-out at the period's final buzzer to finish where he did statistically.

As you can see, Artest was heavily involved in the goings on, even if statistically, his contributions didn't necessarily show up in the box score.

Phil Jackson approved of Artest's effort, and was especially appreciative of the job he was able to do on the Clippers' Al Thornton.

"Ron did really well," Jackson said. "I thought he shut down, defensively, very well the scoring forward, Thornton, for sure on the Clippers team, which was important to us tonight.

"There were some offensive things that he had some opportunities on that he didn't complete, but I thought he looked like he was in the mix and knew what was going on most of the time, and felt comfortable with what we were trying to do."

Artest talked about his comfort with the offense after the game, and said he was just trying to do what the coaching staff had asked.

"I'm trying to find my way around that and do what [Phil's] asking, and he wants me to be aggressive, so I'm just transitioning into that," Artest said.

"He just wants me to play -- play team ball and it'll all work out."

Artest finished with 10 points, five rebounds, four assists, one steal, and four turnovers, in almost 41 minutes of play. While he did only shoot 3-of-10 from the field, his shots came within the flow of the offense, and he was very active in other areas, especially defensively.

On a scale of 1-10, Artest said his comfort with the offense is "a 10" -- and he didn't hesitate at all before giving that answer. But it was clear that Artest was doing his best not to screw up a championship team, as opposed to being aggressive in a way that could possibly improve the quality of the team, and even make it stronger.

Ron Artest Adjusting to Life as a Laker originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 07:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lakers Pick Up Their Rings -- And a Win

Brett Pollakoff — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:23:00 EST

Filed under: Clippers, Lakers

LOS ANGELES -- An excited, capacity crowd anxiously awaited the final chance to celebrate last season's NBA Championship with its beloved Lakers. The team held a ring ceremony, before unveiling their 15th championship banner, which was hanging behind a black curtain high on the back wall of the Staples Center.

It was an exciting start to the night, but the excitement ended there, as the quality of the opening night opponent (or lack thereof) made it easy on the defending champs and a yawner for those in attendance. The result was a lackluster, comfortable 99-92 win for the Lakers in their first game of the 2009-10 NBA season.

Lakers 99, Clippers 92: Box Score | Pollakoff: Artest Adjusting to Lakers

The Lakers' opening-night opponents, the Clippers, had the option of watching the ring ceremony on the court, but chose instead to use the time a bit more productively.

"Stretching," Dunleavy said, when asked what the team would be doing. "Yoga."

One can't fault him for making that decision, considering the fact that this Clippers team is about as far away from the goal of a title as possible. What Dunleavy and his players missed was a nice (if not overly emotional) ceremony in which the home team trotted out "legends" of previous championship seasons. Some of the luminaries included Magic Johnson, James Worthy, Jerry West, and Robert Horry -- who received as loud of a cheer as anyone, thanks to his heroics with the club earlier this decade.

One by one, team personnel, then the coaches, and finally the players were introduced, each stepping forward to receive their ring, shake David Stern's hand and make his way down the procession. Kobe Bryant was, of course, the final player introduced, and while there weren't any tears, his ear-to-ear smile was as big as any that you'll ever see him flash.

Once the festivities completed, there was the formality of playing the actual game, which, with Blake Griffin's debut being delayed for at least six weeks due to a knee injury, held little intrigue.

The Lakers led by 10 after one quarter, thanks to a quick start by Bryant, who had 13 points on nine field goal attempts in the period. The newest member of the Lakers' starting lineup, Ron Artest, didn't do much that showed up in the box score early, but he was very active, playing the role of "new guy who is trying his best not to screw things up."

The home team pushed its lead to 15 points early in the second, before the lineup of D.J. Mbenga, Josh Powell, Luke Walton, Jordan Farmar, and Shannon Brown allowed the Clippers to trim it to three halfway through the period. But at that point, the starters were promptly re-inserted and order was restored, with the Lakers regaining a double-digit lead at the break.

The game didn't reach epic blowout proportions at any point in the second half, and in fact, the Clippers trimmed the lead down to one to end the third quarter. But even then, you never got the feeling that this game's ultimate result was ever in doubt, and Lamar Odom's three-pointer with just over six and a half minutes remaining put the Lakers back up by 10.

Bryant gave the Lakers a 13-point lead with an "and-1" a minute or so later, then dished to Artest for a fast break bucket on the next possession, and the game was officially in the refrigerator from that moment on.

Inside the Staples Center, once the opening ceremonies had concluded, it was as dead as a Sunday night game in late December when the Lakers are hosting one of the league's worst teams. In that scenario, one knows the Lakers are going to win, but it's going to be a lackluster and uninspired effort, and that's pretty much what occurred Tuesday night.

But overall, it was a great start to the season, and the fans got what they came here to see: the Lakers picked up their rings, raised their banner, and picked up an opening night victory. And for a team beginning that long, long journey back to the top of the NBA mountain, that's all anyone could ask for.

Lakers Pick Up Their Rings -- And a Win originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 01:23:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Lakers Championship Ring Photos

FanHouse Newswire — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:57:00 EST

Filed under: Lakers

Check out photos of the Lakers' championship rings in the gallery below.

Lakers Championship Ring Photos originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:57:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Live Tweet: Lakers vs. Clippers

Brett Pollakoff — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:00:00 EST

Filed under: Clippers, Lakers, NBA Live Blogging

The Lakers will open the 2009-10 season by receiving their championship rings and raising their 15th banner to the rafters at Staples Center.

Oh yeah, and they'll play a basketball game too, against the unfortunately undermanned team from across the hall, the L.A. Clippers.

FanHouse has got you covered, and we'll be there live for all the festivities. So join us beginning just after 10PM EST by following @NBAFanHouse, or simply read on to follow along below.

Twitter Updates on Lakers vs. Clippers

NBA FanHouse on Twitter

Live Tweet: Lakers vs. Clippers originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 22:00:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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NBA Draft Class of 2006 Not Cashing In

Chris Tomasson — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:45:00 EST

Filed under: Bulls, Celtics, Grizzlies, Jazz, Lakers, Raptors, Trail Blazers, Thunder

Saturday is Halloween, but don't expect many NBA owners and general managers in this shaky economy to dress up as Bill Gates and throw money around.

Oct. 31 is the annual deadline for one-time first-round picks entering their fourth seasons to be eligible to sign extensions that would kick in for their fifth seasons. For stars, it's a chance to land their first really big contract.

But much is silent as the deadline approaches, meaning the overwhelming number of eligible players from the 2006 first round will become restricted free agents next summer. Three players from that draft -- Andrea Bargnani of Toronto and LaMarcus Aldridge and Brandon Roy of Portland -- have inked extensions, but not a lot more activity is expected.

An agent who represents a 2006 first-round pick told FanHouse on Monday it's his understanding only three other players from that draft -- Memphis' Rudy Gay, Utah's Ronnie Brewer and Boston's Rajon Rando -- are even still involved in serious negotiations to reach a deal by Saturday.

Even if all three signed extensions by Saturday, that would make the total of six an all-time low since this format started with the 1998 draft (draftees from 1995-97 became unrestricted free agents after three seasons so there was much more urgency). The 2005 class got just seven extensions before Oct. 31, 2008.

Two agents confirmed to FanHouse on Monday their former lottery picks won't sign extensions by Saturday and will become restricted free agents next summer. While it's pretty much confirming the obvious, Mark Bartelstein said Adam Morrison, the No. 3 pick in 2006, won't reach a deal with the Lakers. Guy Zucker said the same is true with his client, Oklahoma City's Thebo Sefolosha, taken No. 13 in that draft.

Indications are Tyrus Thomas, who went No. 4 in 2006 to Chicago, won't sign an extension with the Bulls. Thomas' agent, Brian Elfus, wouldn't offer a confirmation of anything that will happen to his client. But he said he wouldn't consider it a setback if no agreement reached by Saturday.

"I wouldn't be considering it a huge deal (if Thomas doesn't sign by Saturday),'' Elfus said.

With Nos. 1 and 2 selections Bargnani and Aldridge locked up, the highest pick from 2006 bound to be a restricted free agent is Morrison. While there never has been any serious discussion about an extension, Bartelstein said he and Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak decided early this offseason that the team would continue to evaluate Morrison into this season.

"We want to give him this year to get his feet back under him,'' Bartelstein said of Morrison, who was traded by Charlotte to the Lakers last February and then played sparingly, not getting into a single playoff game during their title run. "(The Lakers) have a good feeling about him (for the future).''

Three of the 14 lottery picks from 2006 aren't even eligible for extensions due to having previously not had options on their original contracts picked up. Those busts are No. 5 Shelden Williams, No. 9 Patrick O'Bryant and No. 10 Mouhamed Sene.

Thabo Sefolosha, like Morrison, has been dealt, but a trade doesn't change anything when it comes to eligibility for an extension if the rookie contract third- and fourth-year options get picked up. Zucker said there were talks about the Thunder possibly extending Seflosaha, who started 22 of 23 games after being acquired last February from Chicago while averaging 8.5 points.

Update: Sefolosha Signs Extension with Thunder

"We had some discussions, but it didn't result in any conclusions,'' Zucker said. "But (team officials) like (Seflosha) for the future even though we weren't able to reach any financial arrangements.''

With teams wary about costs due to the economy, that has cut down on the number of extensions. So has fears about the salary cap going down significantly next summer and teams losing flexibility.

"Teams know that a player will be restricted next summer and they can still match an offer on him,'' Bartelstein said of the lack of extensions being handed out. "Each team has a unique set of circumstances and some are trying to create cap room and have flexibility. I would say those factors, cap room, the player becoming restricted, and the economy.''

Also, 2006 won't exactly go down as a landmark draft in NBA history. Roy, a two-time participant, is the only player picked that night who has made an All-Star Game, although Aldridge is knocking hard on the door. Bargnani, No. 7 pick Randy Foye, No. 8 Gay, No. 14 Brewer and No. 21 Rondo are also all very much on the rise, but after that the first-round list drops off at the pace of an Acapulco cliff diver.

Here's a look at the 14 lottery picks and No. 21 Rondo and how they stand as Saturday's extension deadline approaches:

No. 1 Andrea Bargnani, Toronto: Has signed a five-year, $50 million extension.

No. 2 LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland: Has signed five-year, $65 million extension.

No. 3 Adam Morrison, Lakers: It remains to be seen if there's any chance of a Lakers return after he becomes a restricted free agent next summer.

No. 4 Tyrus Thomas, Chicago: Unlikely to receive extension after averaging 7.7 points in three seasons. He will have ample chance this season to continue to prove himself.

No. 5 Shelden Williams, Boston: Originally chosen by Atlanta and then traded to Sacramento, but his third-year option for 2009-10 wasn't picked up the Kings last year. So he's not a candidate for an extension.

No. 6 Brandon Roy, Portland: Has signed a five-year maximum extension that could be worth more than $80 million.

No. 7 Randy Foye, Washington: Unlikely to sign extension, with a so-so preseason not helping. The Wizards will continue to evaluate Foye, acquired last June from Minnesota, in his first season with the team.

No. 8 Rudy Gay, Memphis: After averaging 16.7 points in three seasons, he's definitely in the Grizzlies' future. The sides are talking, and it's 50-50 a deal can be reached.

No. 9 Patrick O'Bryant, Toronto: Originally chosen by Golden State, such a colossal mistake that his third-year option for 2008-09 wasn't picked up before the Oct. 31, 2007 deadline. So he's not a candidate for an extension.

No. 10 Mouhamed Sene, out of NBA: Originally chosen by Seattle, which moved to Oklahoma City, but his option for 2009-10 wasn't picked up and he was waived last February. He's now playing in France.

No. 11 J.J. Redick, Orlando: Unlikely to sign extension. Might be looking for a new home next summer.

No. 12 Hilton Armstrong, New Orleans: Unlikely to sign extension. Might want to change his name to Red Roof Armstrong after he's averaged 3.6 points in three seasons and put his long-term future with the Hornets very much in doubt.

No. 13 Thabo Sefolosha, Oklahoma City: While he won't be extended, he could be another young piece Thunder officials might want to hold on to after he becomes a restricted free agent next summer.

No. 14 Ronnie Brewer, Utah: An intriguing athletic player on a team that always has been short on athleticism. It wouldn't be a surprise if an 11th-hour agreement were to be reached on an extension.

No. 21 Rajon Rondo, Boston: The steal of the 2006 draft, having developed into an upper-echelon point guard. The sides are talking, and it's not out of the question a deal could be hammered out by Saturday.

Chris Tomasson can be reached at tomasson@fanhouse.com.

NBA Draft Class of 2006 Not Cashing In originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 21:45:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ron Artest Is Ready, Kobe Is Excited

Elie Seckbach — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:15:00 EST

Filed under: Clippers, Lakers, NBA Videos

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

The Lakers open their 2009-10 NBA season against the Clippers on Oct. 27. Prior to the game, the Lakers will receive their championship rings, and Kobe Bryant tells us he is too excited. In this video we also talk to Kobe's new teammate Ron Artest, who knows the formula for success. We also hear from Al Thornton of the Clippers.

Check out the video after the jump.

Ron Artest Is Ready, Kobe Is Excited originally appeared on NBA FanHouse on Mon, 26 Oct 2009 18:15:00 EST . Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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