ducks
04-07-2007, 12:32 PM
What We Hear
• That Team USA honcho Jerry Colangelo, who recently felt compelled to warn LeBron James that he signed a three-year commitment to the team and is expected to show up this summer for Tournament of the Americas, doesn’t need to worry about Carmelo Anthony asking out. Anthony recently told the Denver Post’s Marc J. Spears he is looking forward to playing alongside Kobe Bryant. "I'm looking forward to this summer," Anthony said. "I'm looking forward to it right now."
• That the league has eased up, ever so slightly, on enforcement of its dress code. Players cite the fact that they don’t often see team photographers snapping pictures of them when they get off the bus inside arenas, as they did when dress code surveillance was deemed vital after the code’s implementation. However, one All-Star reported a few days ago that league officials told them in Las Vegas that if they arrived for the All-Star Game in attire deemed unacceptable, they would be required to change into shirts, ties and sportcoats the league would provide.
• That some of the Pistons are wondering what is going on inside Rip Hamilton’s head. The next technical Hamilton gets will be his 16th of the season and earn him a one-game suspension. Techs 14 and 15, earned Wednesday, were hard to fathom. With the Pistons down 23 with 8:12 left against the Bulls, Hamilton tripped Tyrus Thomas after the play was dead and they jawed at each other. Hamilton would not relent and Thomas wouldn’t back down -- even after referee Joey Crawford called a double-technical foul. Hamilton kept stalking and finally Crawford gave them each another tech and ejected them. Hamilton didn’t stop yelling and stalking Thomas until assistant coach Terry Porter dragged him off to the locker room. Even in the tunnel, Hamilton tried to break free.
• That Luke Jackson finally may have found an NBA home. Signed to a second 10-day contract Wednesday, it looks like the Raptors will sign him for the remainder of the season at its conclusion April 14. Whether or not he will be on the active playoff roster is another question.
• That Trenton Hassell won’t be urging the Timberwolves to bring Randy Wittman back as head coach. A day after telling reporters in the Twin Cities that he played better under former coach Dwane Casey, Hassell got his first DNP-CD since early in the 2003-04 season. Wittman seemed to question Hassell’s effort when asked about the DNP-CD, saying “ ... are you running the lanes or jogging the lanes?”
• That Sam Mitchell, whose contract is up this summer, can’t keep his name from surfacing in Charlotte, where Michael Jordan has made it clear Bernie Bickerstaff won’t be on the bench next season. Jordan insists Bickerstaff will continue to have a say in Bobcats basketball operations, going forward, and Mitchell was ticketed to be Bickerstaff’s successor when he was his top assistant before the Raptors hired him as their head coach three years ago. Mitchell probably doesn’t mind having a little leverage of his own.
• That few in Chicago are buying P.J. Brown’s assertion that he is considering retirement at season’s end. Brown is one of only 13 active players with 13 or more NBA seasons, 14 if you really think Kevin Willis counts.
• That Team USA honcho Jerry Colangelo, who recently felt compelled to warn LeBron James that he signed a three-year commitment to the team and is expected to show up this summer for Tournament of the Americas, doesn’t need to worry about Carmelo Anthony asking out. Anthony recently told the Denver Post’s Marc J. Spears he is looking forward to playing alongside Kobe Bryant. "I'm looking forward to this summer," Anthony said. "I'm looking forward to it right now."
• That the league has eased up, ever so slightly, on enforcement of its dress code. Players cite the fact that they don’t often see team photographers snapping pictures of them when they get off the bus inside arenas, as they did when dress code surveillance was deemed vital after the code’s implementation. However, one All-Star reported a few days ago that league officials told them in Las Vegas that if they arrived for the All-Star Game in attire deemed unacceptable, they would be required to change into shirts, ties and sportcoats the league would provide.
• That some of the Pistons are wondering what is going on inside Rip Hamilton’s head. The next technical Hamilton gets will be his 16th of the season and earn him a one-game suspension. Techs 14 and 15, earned Wednesday, were hard to fathom. With the Pistons down 23 with 8:12 left against the Bulls, Hamilton tripped Tyrus Thomas after the play was dead and they jawed at each other. Hamilton would not relent and Thomas wouldn’t back down -- even after referee Joey Crawford called a double-technical foul. Hamilton kept stalking and finally Crawford gave them each another tech and ejected them. Hamilton didn’t stop yelling and stalking Thomas until assistant coach Terry Porter dragged him off to the locker room. Even in the tunnel, Hamilton tried to break free.
• That Luke Jackson finally may have found an NBA home. Signed to a second 10-day contract Wednesday, it looks like the Raptors will sign him for the remainder of the season at its conclusion April 14. Whether or not he will be on the active playoff roster is another question.
• That Trenton Hassell won’t be urging the Timberwolves to bring Randy Wittman back as head coach. A day after telling reporters in the Twin Cities that he played better under former coach Dwane Casey, Hassell got his first DNP-CD since early in the 2003-04 season. Wittman seemed to question Hassell’s effort when asked about the DNP-CD, saying “ ... are you running the lanes or jogging the lanes?”
• That Sam Mitchell, whose contract is up this summer, can’t keep his name from surfacing in Charlotte, where Michael Jordan has made it clear Bernie Bickerstaff won’t be on the bench next season. Jordan insists Bickerstaff will continue to have a say in Bobcats basketball operations, going forward, and Mitchell was ticketed to be Bickerstaff’s successor when he was his top assistant before the Raptors hired him as their head coach three years ago. Mitchell probably doesn’t mind having a little leverage of his own.
• That few in Chicago are buying P.J. Brown’s assertion that he is considering retirement at season’s end. Brown is one of only 13 active players with 13 or more NBA seasons, 14 if you really think Kevin Willis counts.