Court Awareness: Wednesday review
Blazers fans finally got an up-close look at Greg Oden. And he didn’t disappoint. Andrew Ungvari reviews Wednesday’s games.NBA/~4/459933423″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

Bobcats just can’t get started

The consensus from the Charlotte Bobcats‘ locker room Tuesday: Burn every record of the first half, and remember everything that made this a bit of a game in the second half.

Wade’s 40-11-5 night wasted as Raptors win
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Bobcats trying to upgrade in frontcourt (AP)
The Charlotte Bobcats waived little-used forwards Andre Brown and Linton Johnson and were on the verge of signing center Dwayne Jones on Wednesday. The Bobcats were also one of several teams pursuing forward Antonio McDyess as the Bobcats look for ways to boost a thin front line. General manager Rod Higgins said the 6-foot-11 Jones would likely sign on Thursday.

D’Antoni making a big difference for Knicks
Mike D’Antoni’s move to Manhattan has the Knicks playing faster and the Suns slower. Both might be better off, Randy Hill says.NBA/~4/459805643″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

Nets no match in LeBron derby, either
Nets fans who watched LeBron James torch their team Tuesday shouldn’t count on landing him in 2010, Jay Greenberg says.NBA/~4/458944353″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

Bobcats Team Report (Yahoo! Sports)

Coach Larry Brown wants a lot of things to improve a roster he

considers too young, too small and not nearly athletic enough.

One solution that would address at least two of those areas—

size and experience—is signing veteran big man Antonio McDyess.

He’s a free agent, after negotiating a buyout from the Denver Nuggets.

Most likely, he’s headed back to the Detroit Pistons, once a 30-day

moratorium expires.

But in the meantime, Brown would love for McDyess to instead pick

the Bobcats, among a dozen or more suitors.

“He would be perfect for this team,” said Brown, who coached

McDyess with the Pistons. “He’s an underrated defender and he can make

a shot.

Bobcats waive Fs Brown, Johnson (PA SportsTicker)
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Ticker) — The Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday waived forwards Andre Brown and Linton Johnson.

Bobcats trying to upgrade in frontcourt (AP)
The Charlotte Bobcats waived little-used forwards Andre Brown and Linton Johnson and were on the verge of signing center Dwayne Jones on Wednesday. The Bobcats were also one of several teams pursuing forward Antonio McDyess as the Bobcats look for ways to boost a thin front line. General manager Rod Higgins said the 6-foot-11 Jones would likely sign on Thursday.

Wade’s 40-11-5 night wasted as Raptors win
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Pistons are less physical, but more slick
The Bad Boys are long gone. These Pistons have their own personality with Allen Iverson — and it ain’t bad, Charley Rosen says.NBA/~4/459184172″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

NBA Capsules (AP)
Dirk Nowitzki scored 32 points, Josh Howard added 21 and the Dallas Mavericks never trailed in a 100-83 rout of the Charlotte Bobcats on Tuesday night, delighting owner Mark Cuban a day after he was charged with insider trading. With Cuban sitting along the baseline and as animated as usual, the Mavericks toyed with the lifeless, undermanned Bobcats in their second straight win.

With Cuban watching, Mavericks rout Bobcats 100-83 (AP)

Mark Cuban yelled and cheered from his courtside seat during the game, then high-fived his players after it was over. The boisterous Dallas Mavericks owner didn’t act any differently a day after being charged with insider trading. His team, meanwhile, stopped looking like the dysfunctional unit that started the season.

Bobcats Team Report (Yahoo! Sports)

Coach Larry Brown wants a lot of things to improve a roster he

considers too young, too small and not nearly athletic enough.

One solution that would address at least two of those areas—

size and experience—is signing veteran big man Antonio McDyess.

He’s a free agent, after negotiating a buyout from the Denver Nuggets.

Most likely, he’s headed back to the Detroit Pistons, once a 30-day

moratorium expires.

But in the meantime, Brown would love for McDyess to instead pick

the Bobcats, among a dozen or more suitors.

“He would be perfect for this team,” said Brown, who coached

McDyess with the Pistons. “He’s an underrated defender and he can make

a shot.

NBA Power Poll: Ranking teams, sizing up rookies (SportingNews.com)
After Anthony Morrow put up 37 points in his first start for the Warriors, it only seemed right to take a closer look at the rookies in this week’s Power Poll.

Bobcats Team Report (Yahoo! Sports)

Coach Larry Brown wants a lot of things to improve a roster he

considers too young, too small and not nearly athletic enough.

One solution that would address at least two of those areas—

size and experience—is signing veteran big man Antonio McDyess.

He’s a free agent, after negotiating a buyout from the Denver Nuggets.

Most likely, he’s headed back to the Detroit Pistons, once a 30-day

moratorium expires.

But in the meantime, Brown would love for McDyess to instead pick

the Bobcats, among a dozen or more suitors.

“He would be perfect for this team,” said Brown, who coached

McDyess with the Pistons. “He’s an underrated defender and he can make

a shot.

The Book of Norman: Brown should call road his home

Larry Brown is a basketball coaching nomad. There are two certainties when you hire Larry Brown as your basketball coach: 1. He will win.” 2. He will leave.

Court Awareness: Reviewing Sunday’s games
Shaq got the boot for a flagrant foul, but the Suns were just fine without him. Erick Blasco reviews all of Sunday’s action.NBA/~4/456344337″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

BDL NBA Power Rankings: Shattered dreams, broken promises (Yahoo! Sports)
The BDL NBA Power Rankings combine two parts Chivas Regal with one part flippant observation to create the most…

Boozer, Jazz pull away from foul-plagued Suns
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Prior sins
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Bobcats Team Report (Yahoo! Sports)

Coach Larry Brown sees flaws in his roster, and he’s never been known to suffer in silence.

So what he said following a home loss to the Orlando Magic wasn’t unexpected:

“That was athletes against teams not quite as athletic,” Brown said. “I don’t think we’re athletic enough.”

They’re also not big enough or smart enough. Even with Magic center Dwight Howard in foul trouble through most of a five-point loss, the Bobcats never figured out how to turn this one into a victory.

Brown is frustrated that his team can’t seem to drive or post up effectively. That means teams are seldom forced to double-team defensively, a tactic that creates offensive opportunities elsewhere.

Until that changes, this team’s limitations will almost certainly keep them a…

Outspoken Cuban charged with insider trading
Federal regulators on Monday charged Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban with insider trading for allegedly using confidential information on a stock sale to avoid more than $750,000 in losses.NBA/~4/456207471″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

Grizzlies ragged now but they have a future
O.J. Mayo and the Grizzlies are frustrating to watch at times, but more experience will solve many problems, Charley Rosen says.NBA/~4/454023694″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

Court Awareness: Reviewing Sunday’s games
Shaq got the boot for a flagrant foul, but the Suns were just fine without him. Erick Blasco reviews all of Sunday’s action.NBA/~4/456344337″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

Lopez looking like a keeper so far
Brook Lopez’s first start caught Peter Vecsey’s eye. And the GMs who passed up on the Stanford star probably noticed, too.NBA/~4/455032780″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

Wade misses practice with sprained ankle
Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade sat out practice Monday to get treatment on a sprained right ankle. Wade, the NBA’s second-leading scorer at 27.9 points per game, is listed as a game-time decision in Miami’s matchup in Washington on Tuesday. He has played through similar slight sprains in the past. Wade got hurt during the third quarter of Sunday’s 107-96 loss to the Toronto Raptors, but was able to complete the game.NBA/~4/456541760″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

BDL NBA Power Rankings: Shattered dreams, broken promises (Yahoo! Sports)
The BDL NBA Power Rankings combine two parts Chivas Regal with one part flippant observation to create the most…

MVP watch: Kahn’s Top 10 so far
Is Paul Pierce the best player in the world? No. But he just might be the MVP. Mike Kahn lists his Top 10 early candidates.NBA/~4/456267550″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

Shaq thrown out for flagrant foul
Shaquille O’Neal was ejected from Sunday night’s game between the Phoenix Suns and Detroit Pistons for a flagrant foul. The call came with 5:19 left in the second quarter when Rodney Stuckey went up for a layup and O’Neal sent the Pistons‘ player chest-first onto the court. The flagrant foul two, which is an automatic ejection, was upheld after a review by the officials. O’Neal stayed on the court to argue vehemently before finally leaving.NBA/~4/455533689″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

Wade outguns Bosh but Raptors get last laugh
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Grizzlies ragged now but they have a future
O.J. Mayo and the Grizzlies are frustrating to watch at times, but more experience will solve many problems, Charley Rosen says.NBA/~4/454023694″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

Raptors top Charlotte

Toronto Raptors Will Solomon and Charlotte Bobcats Raymond Felton fight for a loose ball during an NBA basketball game at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina on Nov.

Bobcats Team Report (Yahoo! Sports)

Sure, Larry Brown was searching for something—anything—that could shake the Charlotte Bobcats out of the second-half malaise that cost them home games against the Toronto Raptors and Denver Nuggets.

But Ryan Hollins? That one was a shocker.

Hollins hadn’t even been activated in the previous seven games, and was clearly 15th among 15 players on this roster. It wasn’t that Hollins lacked for potential; he’s a remarkable athlete for a 7-footer, in part due to his track-and-field background at UCLA.

However, he’s excitable and error-prone, and that’s not typically the kind of player who excels in Brown’s cerebral approach to basketball. Brown played a hunch against the Jazz, activating Hollins, and playing him seven key minutes of the fourth quarter in an…

Lopez looking like a keeper so far
Brook Lopez’s first start caught Peter Vecsey’s eye. And the GMs who passed up on the Stanford star probably noticed too.NBA/~4/455032780″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

May returns to Bobcats Tuesday

May returns to Bobcats Tuesday : Charlotte PF Sean May was able to come off the inactive list on Tuesday and play in the game against Denver.

Bobcats Team Report (Yahoo! Sports)

Sure, Larry Brown was searching for something—anything—that could shake the Charlotte Bobcats out of the second-half malaise that cost them home games against the Toronto Raptors and Denver Nuggets.

But Ryan Hollins? That one was a shocker.

Hollins hadn’t even been activated in the previous seven games, and was clearly 15th among 15 players on this roster. It wasn’t that Hollins lacked for potential; he’s a remarkable athlete for a 7-footer, in part due to his track-and-field background at UCLA.

However, he’s excitable and error-prone, and that’s not typically the kind of player who excels in Brown’s cerebral approach to basketball. Brown played a hunch against the Jazz, activating Hollins, and playing him seven key minutes of the fourth quarter in an…

Raptors top Charlotte

Toronto Raptors Will Solomon and Charlotte Bobcats Raymond Felton fight for a loose ball during an NBA basketball game at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina on Nov.

Kobe, Lakers suffer first loss
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Bobcats Team Report (Yahoo! Sports)

Larry Brown is quick these days to remind reporters how young his team is. No such reminder was necessary Tuesday; it was self-apparent from how the Bobcats played against the Denver Nuggets.

Nearly every time the Bobcats set a screen, the Nuggets responded with a defensive switch, leaving shooting guards to defend power forwards or centers to defend point guards. If there was an advantage to be gained—and normally there would be—the Bobcats never recognized it.

So the Bobcats made a bad defensive team look good, which can only be trouble Friday against a Utah Jazz team far sounder at containing an opponent.

In the second half, the Bobcats scored just 34 points, shooting 34 percent from the field.

Report: Knicks, Marbury discuss breakup details
Exiled Stephon Marbury was summoned Thursday morning to a 45-minute meeting with Knicks president Donnie Walsh at the team’s Westchester headquarters, and the sides held preliminary discussions about a buyout, two sources told The New York Post.NBA/~4/453014220″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>

Down 26, Sixers storm back to surprise Pacers
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Nuggets pull away from Celtics in fourth quarter
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Bobcats lose their heads, and game

Denver forward Nene ducks under Charlotte’s Nazr Mohammed on Tuesday. YALONDA M. JAMES yjames@charlotteobserver.com Bobcats forward Gerald Wallace hits the deck for a loose ball in front of Emeka Okafor and …

Bobcats snap 2-game skid, beat Jazz 104-96 (AP)

Larry Brown and Jerry Sloan have combined for more than 2,000 NBA victories. On Friday night they both had to work hard searching for the right lineups because of key injuries. In the end it was the well-traveled Brown, now in Charlotte, who edged the permanent fixture on Utah’s bench. With Raymond Felton scoring 23 points, Gerald Wallace adding 22 and Adam Morrison leading an effective band of…

Bobcats Team Report (Yahoo! Sports)

Larry Brown is quick these days to remind reporters how young his team is. No such reminder was necessary Tuesday; it was self-apparent from how the Bobcats played against the Denver Nuggets.

Nearly every time the Bobcats set a screen, the Nuggets responded with a defensive switch, leaving shooting guards to defend power forwards or centers to defend point guards. If there was an advantage to be gained—and normally there would be—the Bobcats never recognized it.

So the Bobcats made a bad defensive team look good, which can only be trouble Friday against a Utah Jazz team far sounder at containing an opponent.

In the second half, the Bobcats scored just 34 points, shooting 34 percent from the field.

NBA fines Theus $25K for ‘ridiculous’ comment
The NBA has fined Sacramento Kings coach Reggie Theus $25,000 for comments he made about the officiating following a loss to Detroit. The league also penalized the Kings $25,000 Thursday for Theus’ actions. Theus said it was “ridiculous” that the Pistons took 36 fouls shots to just 17 for the Kings in Detroit’s 100-92 victory in Sacramento on Tuesday.NBA/~4/452181681″ height=”1″ width=”1″/>