Rookie Rankings: Supporters for Evans make voices heard

The small gap between Stephen Curry (right) and Tyreke Evans drew readers' ire.

Boy, can my readers write e-mails.

And I mean that in a good, loving, thankful way.

No, really.

After dropping Tyreke Evans from the top spot last week in favor of Stephen Curry, the e-mails hit my inbox with a vengeance. And they just kept coming. I tried to respond to as many as I could, but if I didn't respond to your well-crafted e-mail (and yes, I was very impressed by most of your arguments), just know this: I have two young kids who need my attention. That, and my fingers were sore from trying to justify the move in my replies.

So, to backpedal a little, let me try to explain the move.

First of all, these rankings take into account the rookies' play over the entire season, but also consider recent play. So while Evans has been the most consistent player, I try to give a little credit for what a guy's doing this week. Thus, you saw Dallas PG Rodrigue Beaubois in the top 10 last week while Denver's Ty Lawson (who hasn't played since Feb. 28) is on the outside looking in. Does that mean Beaubois has had the better season? No. Just giving a little credit where credit is due.

And while we're on the topic of my thought process, the Honorable Mention section has been called into question by several readers.

Just to set the record straight, that section should not be considered Nos. 11-15, but rather a way to honor players who have had particularly impressive or noteworthy performances that week.

So back to Tyreke and Steph. What it came down to last week was a gut feeling. I told several readers this, but if I had to vote -- today -- my vote would go to Evans. However, Curry had been wowing me with with his play with an unbelievable February, and I felt like rewarding him with a in the top spot.

The two have clearly separated themselves from the field and regardless of who you're pulling for in the Rookie of the Year race (I did get a few pro-Curry e-mails), you have to admit it has been, and continues to be, a wild ride.

Just look at the back-and-forth that took place this week: Last Wednesday, fresh off his Rookie Rankings snub, Evans puts up his first career triple-double with 19, 10 and 10 in a rout of the Raptors. Three nights later, Curry goes for 35, six and 10 on the Raptors, snapping the Warriors' six-game slide. Not to be outdone, Evans comes back Sunday night by just missing a triple-double with 29, nine and 11 in a win over the Wolves. What does Curry do? Scores 29 points with nine assists in a three-point loss to the Lakers the next night. Are you seeing the see-saw nature of this duel? Evans capped the week off with another near-miss triple-double with 22, 11 and nine in the Kings' loss to the Lakers.

Did you catch all that?

If you haven't been paying attention, tune in, because this last month could get very interesting. (And you can keep the e-mails coming.)

NBA.com's Rookie Rankings are just one man's opinion and are released every Wednesday during the season. If you've got an issue with the rankings, or have a question or comment for Drew Packham, send him an e-mail. You can also follow him on Twitter. For past week's rankings, click here.

1. Tyreke Evans, Sacramento Kings

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
63	37.3	20.3	5.2	5.6	1.4	0.4	.460	.254	.748

Last Week: 2 | Drafted: 4
Evans has a fan in one opponent -- Kobe Bryant. After escaping Sacramento with a 106-99 win Tuesday night, Kobe praised his fellow Philly native, who just missed his second career triple-double but still tallied his fourth straight double-double. "I think Tyreke is a grown man," Bryant said. "I might be a little bit biased because he is from Philadelphia. Philly guys have an all-around game and that's just how it is."

2. Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
66	35.9	16.4	4.2	5.5	1.8	0.2	.461	.424	.884

Last Week: 1 | Drafted: 7
There's one aspect to Curry's game he knows he needs to work on -- knocking down the clutch shots. In the Warriors' 124-121 loss to the Lakers on Monday, Curry put up big numbers (29 points and nine assists), but came up short with the game on the line. With Golden State down three with a chance to tie, Curry -- who had hit 5 of 8 3-pointers -- missed an open trey to tie the game. After the game, Curry "It's something Kobe had to work at, and you see where he's at now," Curry said in the San Francisco Chronicle. "I'm not saying he and I are both going to be shooting 90 percent on game-winners, but I'll definitely work on it and get more comfortable with taking big shots."

3. Darren Collison, New Orleans Hornets

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
62	25.9	11.2	2.4	5.4	1.0	0.1	.461	.356	.840

Last Week: 3 | Drafted: 21
When it comes to this rookie class, there's no shortage of speed. Denver's Ty Lawson, Dallas' Rodrigue Beaubois, Portland's Patty Mills (who hasn't seen much playing time after an early injury) would all have to be in the discussion. But Collison says there's no debate -- he's the fastest among ALL players. Collison had this to say in the most recent issue of HOOP magazine: "I definitely think I'm the fastest player. I got a chance to watch Ty Lawson's game and he is probably up there. I'd definitely say I'm the fastest." For the record, Knicks point guard Toney Douglas was the fastest rookie in pre-Draft workouts -- according to DraftExpress -- while Collison was fourth behind Texas forward Damion James (who backed out of the draft) and Mills.

4. Marcus Thornton, New Orleans Hornets

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
59	23.3	13.3	2.7	1.2	0.8	0.2	.450	.408	.803

Last Week: 4 | Drafted: 43
Here's the good news for Thornton: He continued his scoring barrage this week, averaging 19.8 points in the Hornets' four games and has led the bench in scoring in 15 straight games. Thornton now has 15 games in which he's scored at least 20 points this season and he's the first rookie not taken in the first round to do so since Dino Radja, who did it 23 times for the Celtics in 1993-94. The bad news? The Hornets are 3-12 when Thornton scores 20 or more.

5. Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee Bucks

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
65	33.3	15.8	3.6	6.1	1.3	0.3	.369	.385	.813

Last Week: 5 | Drafted: 10
Ill say this about Jennings: His teammates have his back. After putting Jennings at No. 5 the last two weeks, Bucks center Andrew Bogut had this to say on his Twitter account (@AndrewMBogut): "SO they got my youngfella @BJ3nnings3 at 5th in the rookie rankings? What a joke. Even though he doesnt care bout ROY. 5th?? 5th?? LIKE 5th?" I, of course, replied to him, defending my actions, which brought on some friendly back-and-forth. Bogut's argument -- that Jennings is on a winning team -- is one I've heard plenty from Jennings' supporters and will, in the end, most likely put him third when it comes time for voting.

6. Wesley Matthews, Utah Jazz

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
67	22.8	8.9	2.1	1.3	0.6	0.2	.485	.392	.805

Last Week: NR | Drafted: NA
Matthews rejoins the top 10 this week in a big way, thanks in part to a career night. Matthews broke out for a career-best 29 points in the Jazz's 119-111 loss to the Thunder on Sunday. It was the most points scored by a Jazz rookie since Karl Malone had 29 in 1986. For all Matthews' offensive prowess, it's his defense that continues to draw praise from coach Jerry Sloan. After defending Detroit's Richard Hamilton, Sloan had this to say: "I was really impressed by the fact that he got his first foul and kept playing," Sloan told the Salt Lake Tribune. "I mean, that's what young guys don't usually do, but he has a mentality. I was glad that he really went back, tried to get his body on him, keep him from getting easy shots. He's going to score, but you just hope he has to work for all that."

7. Jonas Jerebko, Detroit Pistons

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
66	27.3	9.3	5.9	0.7	0.8	0.4	.487	.280	.705

Last Week: 8 | Drafted: 39
I'm starting to wonder if I'm being blinded by Jerebko's hustle. Sure, he's putting up decent numbers -- among rookies he's ninth in scoring, third in rebounds, fifth in blocks, eighth in steals -- but it's easy to become enamored with the rookie's hustle, especially on defense. In the Pistons' tough loss to the Cavs on Tuesday, Jerebko had an average 10 points and five rebounds, but what impressed me most was his play on defense. Jerebko finished with three steals and has now had at least three steals in four of the last five games after never having more than two in a game all season.

8. Jonny Flynn, Minnesota Timberwolves

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
68	28.9	13.5	2.4	4.4	1.1	0.0	.413	.350	.821

Last Week: 6 | Drafted: 6
Poor shooting has plagued Flynn all season, and this week was no different. Flynn is a 42 percent shooter (35 percent on 3s) and this week went 8-for-32 (25 percent) from the floor in the Wolves' three losses. Flynn got an close-up view of efficiency Tuesday night in Phoenix as two-time MVP Steve Nash hit 5 of 7 shots for an easy 13 points (with 14 assists) in the Suns' 152-114 laugher. "Every other point guard in the league, they're strong or they're quick or they're really athletic," Flynn told the Star Tribune before their matchup. "Nash, you see him walk on the street and you wouldn't even know he plays basketball. You look at him a little closer to see the way he does it because he's not your natural, prototypical point-guard body type and blazing speed. He's a two-time MVP by the way he plays. That what makes him special."

9. Taj Gibson, Chicago Bulls

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
66	25.4	8.4	7.0	0.8	0.6	1.2	.497	.000	.623

Last Week: 7 | Drafted: 26
Gibson's rookie season has him in good company. Gibson is currently leading rookies in rebounds, blocks and double-doubles. The last player to finish his rookie season first in all three categories was Pau Gasol with the Grizzlies in 2001-02. Prior to that, Elton Brand did it in '00 with the Bulls, Tim Duncan with San Antonio in '98, Shaquille O'Neal in Orlando in '93 and Dikembe Mutombo in '92 with the Nuggets.

10. Toney Douglas, New York Knicks

G	MPG	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3P%	FT%
41	14.9	6.9	1.4	1.4	0.5	0.1	.487	.389	.875

Last Week: NR | Drafted: 29
Another week, another point guard joining the Top 10. In his last three games, Douglas averaged 20.0 points and 5.3 assists while knocking down 57 percent of his 3-pointers (8-for-14). The Knicks have bounced between point guards all season (Chris Duhon, Nate Robinson, Sergio Rodriguez, even Tracy McGrady), but Douglas has shown signs of a bright future. "The thing that he did was never waver from working as hard as he could work, whether he got 10 minutes or not," Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said. "There were a lot of things thrown at him this year in the sense of people changing, people leaving, people playing, people not playing and he never backed off."

Honorable Mention: DeMar DeRozan, Raptors: In last two games (both losses), averaged 15.0 points while going 13-for-18 from the floor; Jrue Holiday, Sixers: Averaged 12.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 2.0 steals in Philly's three losses; Alonzo Gee, Wizards: In five games since being called up from the D-League, the undrafted rookie out of Alabama is averaging 7.6 points and capped off his week with a double-double (13 points, 10 rebounds) in a loss to the Nuggets; Hasheem Thabeet, Grizzlies: Had 10 points, nine rebounds and two blocks in season-high 28 minutes of 104-97 win over Chicago; Chris Hunter, Warriors: Had 22 points and seven rebounds in 36 minutes as a starter in 124-121 loss to the Lakers; Wayne Ellington, Wolves: Averaged 13.0 points while hitting 7 of 13 3-pointers in three games;

Nearly a month after trade deadline, some hits, some misses

In just a few weeks, Kevin Martin has become the Rockets' go-to player.

The trade deadline was a month ago, and so you ask: Which player has sizzled the most since then? How about Amar'e Stoudemire, the one who stayed put?

Nobody's name was mentioned more than Stoudemire, and he's playing like he's with a new team. He rolled 41 points on the Spurs last week, had three straight 30-point games and has upped his board work, too. He may be with his old team, but he's looking like a new man. This is probably the best sign yet that Stoudemire might opt out from that final year ($17 million), if his play of late can convince someone to pay him max money this summer (good luck).

The Suns aren't the only team benefitting from the deadline. A few others are flourishing with their new addition(s) and reinventing themselves as the playoffs near. Here's our look at some of the key players who changed uniforms:

Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood, Mavericks: So far, so good. But we'll see what happens in the playoffs with two players who've never felt the pressure of title hopes in their NBA lives. Butler seems happy when his number is called (six games of 18 or more points) or when he's asked to play a supporting role. Haywood brings a livelier body than Erick Dampier, and as added incentive, he's playing for cha-ching this summer.

John Salmons, Bucks: Never understood why Salmons has collected checks from four teams (Sixers, Kings, Bulls, Bucks) in his career. He's a solid player with all-around skills, works hard, brings good character and doesn't demand the ball. It's no coincidence the Bucks began their post-All-Star tear after he arrived. He's averaging nearly 19 a game since.

Antawn Jamison, Cavs: Jamison has demonstrated the perfect temperament needed to play alongside a larger-than-life LeBron James. His ego is submerged and he's willing to play the Scottie Pippen role, not that he has a choice. Other than falling in love with the 3-point shot, his production (16.7 ppg, 47 percent shooting as a Cav) is what Cleveland needed.

Marcus Camby, Blazers: Hey, he's thrilled just to be walking without a limp, given what happened to Joel Przybilla and Greg Oden. Camby is most likely a rent-a-replacement this season for the Blazers; his next stop could be Miami or a return to the Knicks. He can still rebound and defend, as proven by his 17 boards against the Warriors last week.

Kevin Martin, Rockets: He's the rare mid-season trade arrival who became the go-to guy for his new team. But that role could be temporary. No matter what he does this season, his true value to the Rockets will be weighed once Yao Ming returns next season and the Rockets need shooters to spread the floor.

Tyrus Thomas, Bobcats: After a strong start where he got decent minutes and scored in double-figures in seven of his first eight games in Charlotte, Thomas has reverted back into the same player he was in Chicago: high on tease, short on impact. Whether he becomes a solid starter or merely a role player is still iffy.

Tracy McGrady, Knicks: Flashes of brilliance, combined with clouds of doubt. At this point, T-Mac is using his stint with the Knicks to showcase himself this summer for one last payday. So what's the verdict? His knee isn't fully healed and NBA folks aren't fully convinced.

Nate Robinson, Celtics: He brings a few more dimensions than Eddie House, and yet isn't the answer for what ails the Celtics. Little Nate could score more if the minutes were increased, but no way are the Celtics doing that and risk disrupting the flow of their Big Three. Without playing time to show his worth, he'll have to fight for table scraps this summer during free agency.

Carl Landry, Kings: He's getting 17 points and seven rebounds for the Kings and has quickly made himself part of the core, along with Tyreke Evans and Omri Casspi. This trade is working out nicely. If the Kings hit bulls-eye in the Draft, they'll have quite the young rotation.

Josh Howard, Wizards: How's this for a career plunge? He made some unfortunate comments in Dallas that got YouTube-d, was traded from a playoff team and then suffered a torn ACL that'll need six months to heal after surgery. Oh, and the Wizards will likely cut him loose this summer. Can you say tough luck?

Al Thornton, Wizards: Is he a star on the rise, or a rising role player? So far, he's been both in Washington, someone who scored 24 points with 11 rebounds against the Celtics and then shot 1-for-9 against Utah. Next season will tell.

Ronnie Brewer, Grizzlies: After suffering from a bad hammy, his audition to replace Rudy Gay (should Gay bolt this summer via free agency) begins now. With quality minutes, Brewer can make himself known for something other than having the strangest-looking jump shot.

Steve Blake, Clippers: He must be scratching his crew cut, wondering how he went from the Blazers (playoff money) to the Clippers (misery), and also about his future role on a team with Baron Davis and Eric Gordon.

Flip Murray, Bulls: Seven teams in five seasons for a decent role player. Hopefully, Flip rented instead of buying. Come to think of it, he has the perfect nickname that sums up his rapid change of addresses. For now on, when a player is swapped this often, we'll say he's been Flipped.

Coughing up No. 1 seed in the West? Puh-leeze, Lakers say

Lamar Odom is 'positive' the Lakers won't lose their hold on the West's No. 1 seed.

SACRAMENTO -- The matter was settled in clipped, definite terms Tuesday night at 5:40 p.m. in a corner of the visitor's cubby-hole locker room inside Arco Arena.

The Lakers will have home-court advantage through at least the West portion of the playoffs.

The Lakers will not lose that No. 1 spot in the conference standings.

Lamar Odom said so.

"That's not going to happen," he insisted.

Say again.

"That's not going to happen," the reserve forward repeated.

You're sure?

"Positive."

How can you be so sure?

"Because I know my team," Odom said. "It's not acceptable."

But, Denver. Dallas.

"Of course they're serious threats. Every team's a serious threat. You can lose any game you play. But us losing that spot's not going to happen."

The league office will probably want the Lakers to play the final 14 games anyway. So let's pretend that a month is left in the regular season and the best record in the conference still remains undecided. Let's also act like the Nuggets are four back and the Mavericks are 4 ½ behind and the tiebreakers against both are still in play. Just for the sake of discussion.

"We don't even think that's a possibility," center Andrew Bynum said of finishing out of the top spot in the West. "I don't even know how to comment on that really. We just don't think that's going to happen."

Suppose the Lakers fall from No. 1. It won't matter right away because they'll have home-court in the opening round and, with a victory over an underdog opponent, the second as well. But getting to the conference final, they may have to open at Dallas or at Denver.

It's looking far into the future, wondering about May and possibly even June in March. But teams that judge the success or failure of a season by the playoffs are all about down the line. And the very thought of whether the Lakers can win a series without home-court advantage has crossed their minds.

"I don't know. I really don't," coach Phil Jackson said. "I think that we haven't played great on the road this year. The last two years we had really good road records. We want to have home-court advantage. We feel we can sustain it if we continue on the pace we're going. We look over at the other conference, too, and see who's sitting two and three and Orlando's sitting a couple games behind us [in the overall standings]. Those are all important things when your goal is to win a championship and repeat."

L.A. is 20-13 away from Staples Center, after going 29-12 last season en route to the title and 27-14 in 2007-08 while reaching the Finals before losing to the Celtics. Seven of the remaining 14 games are on the road -- counting the meeting with the Clippers as a home contest even though it's on the books as a trip -- and most of those are tough situations in any city: San Antonio, Oklahoma City and Houston in a back-to-back, New Orleans, Atlanta, then Denver and Minnesota in a back-to-back.

The final 14 games are against 12 opponents with a combined .503 winning percentage. L.A. has three back-to-back sets. It's in the rest stop now -- the Warriors, Kings, Timberwolves and Wizards in a row -- but payback comes with the eventual obstacle course of Atlanta, Utah, Denver and Portland.

By comparison:

The Nuggets have 15 games remaining against 15 opponents with a combined .553 winning percentage, with eight at home and seven on the road. Denver has four back-to-backs. The schedule challenge still ahead is at Orlando-at Dallas-Portland-Clippers-at Oklahoma City-Lakers beginning March 28.

The Mavericks have 15 games remaining against 12 opponents with a combined .525 winning percentage, with eight at home and seven on the road. Dallas has three back-to-backs. It has only one stretch of two games in a row against opponents with at least 40 wins now.

"You've got to win games on the road, too," Kobe Bryant said, downplaying the potential of finishing out of the top spot and noting the need to do well away from Staples Center in the playoffs either way. "You're not going to win every home game. You're eventually going to relinquish home court at some point. You wish that's not the case, but it happens."

Asked if he was as confident of this team's road chops as the previous couple seasons, Bryant said, "Sure. I am. But that doesn't mean that it's not trouble. That Denver series last season scared the crap out of all of us. Houston, too. I am extremely confident. At the same time, I know how dangerous that is."

Not that, apparently, it will come to that or anything.

Jordan, officially OK'd by owners, puts his rep on the line

Michael Jordan, with Gerald Wallace, succeeds Bob Johnson as primary owner of the Bobcats.

Michael Jordan didn't need to hit a last-second shot, or push off, once the approval process reached his new peers. The vote of the league's board of governors authorizing His Airness as the owner of the Charlotte Bobcats was, appropriately enough, a slam dunk and passed unanimously.

Expect anything else?

"We're thrilled to have Michael back in the league as the principal owner of the Charlotte Bobcats," NBA deputy commissioner Adam Silver told NBA.com. "We have no doubt that he will apply himself in a similar manner to the way he did as one of the greatest players of all time."

Jordan's firsts are many across the sports and business landscape. Becoming the first former player to become the principal owner of an NBA franchise may stand as his crowning achievement. Just the second black owner in league history -- Bobcats predecessor Bob Johnson was the first -- Jordan takes control of a franchise in the state where his rise to basketball prominence began.

The native of Wilmington and product of the University of North Carolina is buying the Bobcats for a reported $275 million. Johnson bought the expansion franchise for $300 million, but it has struggled financially and has never finished with a winning record since joining the league in 2004-05.

NBA commissioner David Stern, Silver and other members of the league office met last week with Jordan, who finalized his deal with Johnson on Feb. 26. They're convinced that Jordan, 47, is the right person to turn the Bobcats' fortunes around, on and off the court.

"He is undoubtedly one of the most competitive people on the planet and, having met with him last week, you can see first-hand the determination in his eyes to be successful as an owner," Silver said. "We all believe that this is a unique opportunity for, in essence, the rebirth of a franchise, a second chance to present the Charlotte Bobcats to Charlotte and the North Carolina community.

"Who better than Michael Jordan to do that?"

The buzz in Charlotte is generally positive and supportive of Jordan's new role. The Hall of Famer and six-time NBA champion has spent the last four years as a minority owner of the Bobcats in charge of basketball decisions. He was heard from little and rarely seen at Bobcats games and practices. That's led to skepticism in the community regarding Jordan's commitment to the franchise.

"He was not the principal owner," Silver said. "It was Bob's team. As far as I know, Michael did everything that he committed to do as part of his relationship with Bob Johnson, but part of his deal was not to be the face of that franchise as he's going to be now."

Larry Brown has said Jordan was the reason he agreed to coach the Bobcats. The current players seem genuinely excited about the future. Charlotte is playing winning basketball so far and is poised to make its initial playoff trip.

"It's going to be great," said Stephen Jackson, one of the several key players acquired this season. "It will be a good opportunity to play for one of the best players to ever play the game. He wants to win and he'll get this organization back to a winning attitude."

All-Star forward Gerard Wallace added: "His competiveness and his leadership will be great. The way he approaches games and business will be good for this team, and I think for the organization and the city of Charlotte, too."

Renewing the connection to the Queen City may be Jordan's biggest obstacle and greatest potential reward. Charlotte was a bustling and buzzing NBA market with the Hornets before scandal hit the front office. The return of pro basketball with the Bobcats has yet to tap into the pulse of a basketball-crazed state.

Johnson has lost tens of millions of dollars and the team is reportedly expected to lose another $30 million this season. Jordan is said to take on at least $150 million in debt, as well as providing a much-needed infusion of cash. Selling a franchise for considerably less than it took to establish it less than six years ago can't be viewed as a positive sign.

"It certainly demonstrates the economic reality that the Charlotte Bobcats are facing right now," Silver said. "Having said that, it's a market that has demonstrated extraordinary success as an NBA franchise in the past and we all believe that the Charlotte Bobcats, under Michael's leadership, can return to a leadership position in the league."

Even with a winning record and playing in one of the NBA's newer facilities, the Bobcats are just 22nd in average attendance at 15,613. Charlotte led the league several times.

"Michael needs to demonstrate to the Charlotte community that he is all in, that he's as passionate about their team winning as they are, that he is committed to the community and he's dedicated to creating an enduring legacy for this team in Charlotte," Silver said. "Michael is in a unique position to do that because of his ties to the North Carolina community. It's a special understanding of what it takes to produce a winning team.

"No one understands marketing better than Michael Jordan. In many ways he created the modern sports marketing business, he together with Nike. I believe he can talk all of his personal experiences in not only marketing himself, but in creating an enormously successful brand in Brand Jordan, the Nike subsidiary. Michael knows exactly what it takes to produce a successful franchise on and off the court."

Jordan had what it takes as a player. Now, as an owner, he's putting just about everything he has on the line.

"It's his money, his reputation," Silver said, "and his passion."

Prokhorov-Nets deal on track

Silver said the New Jersey Nets sale to Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov remains on track to be completed in early-to-mid April.

"It would be our hope that the deal would be completed by the Board of Governors meeting," said Silver, referring to April 16 gathering of the league's owners in New York.

Silver said the financial hurdles between Prokhorov and current Nets owner Bruce Ratner have been cleared. Issues related to the new arena in Brooklyn still need to be resolved. Ground was broken last week and the Barclays Center is scheduled to open in 2012.

"What is largely holding up the Prokhorov deal are factors outside the control of either the buyer or the seller, or the league for that matter," Silver said. "Those are various legal procedures in Brooklyn. We're only a certain number of weeks away from that deal being consummated."

Back to school

It's hardly unusual for NBA and college coaches to share ideas. Team USA's coaching staff, for instance, has been a blend of collegiate and professional coaches for years.

So it didn't come as a shock when the coaching staff at TCU attended a Mavericks practice earlier this season. The coaches from the Fort Worth campus were curious as to how an NBA practice is structured. Dallas coach Rick Carlisle willingly opened his doors.

It's just so happens it was the women's staff.

"You're starting to see more of that crossover," TCU coach Jeff Mittie said. "There's probably a greater appreciation for that than 10 years ago. The fundamentals are the same whether it's men's or women's basketball. We're just looking for a better way of doing things and that's one of the reasons for doing something like this."

The Lady Frogs are headed to the NCAA Tournament for the ninth time in 10 years under Mittie. His staff picked up a few pointers during their day trip, including out-of-bounds plays, terminology and ways to study film.

"It was a great gesture by the Mavs," Mittie added. "It's something that you don't always get to do. We were down close to the floor. Rick came over to talk to us. It helped reinforce some of the things we were already doing. The amazing thing when you watch at that level is the ability of those guys to play together and make adjustments on the fly."

Carlisle's generosity isn't limited to practice. He hosted a ping-pong tournament Sunday on SMU's campus benefiting pancreatic cancer research that raised more than $70,000. Carlisle lost two close friends to pancreatic cancer last year -- former coach/mentor Chuck Daly and Indiana Pacers' co-owner Melvin Simon.

Jackson eyes coaching gig

Mark Jackson's signing with Kauffman Sports Management Group came with the full intention of the ESPN analyst eventually leaving the announcer's chair for the sidelines. Jackson has interviewed for head-coaching jobs in the past, including the Knicks and Suns.

Several jobs are expected to open up this offseason, including the Clippers and Nets. Jackson currently lives in Los Angeles, but he is a native of Queens. The former point guard enjoyed a 17-year career with seven teams and is third all-time in assists.

Jackson went straight into a broadcast career after retiring and doesn't own any coaching experience.

"I've talked to a lot of people about Mark Jackson, including Doc Rivers, Donnie Walsh and Jeff Van Gundy, and I can't find anyone who says he won't be a great head coach," agent Steve Kauffman said.

Quotable

"I don't know of any player outside of myself that has no weaknesses besides him."
-- Kobe Bryant on Brandon Roy (Yahoo! Sports)

Starting 5

1. Spurs announce promotion to pop the question at game. Nets quickly follow with quickie divorces at halftime.

2. LeBron James with the Lakers? Finally, the missing piece.

3. Do teams that lose on Noche Latina get an "EL" in the standings?

4. How did the Academy pass over Steve Nash's latest contribution to the cinematic arts?

5. Where Singular Happens: Thunder-Jazz and Magic-Heat would be first-round matchups if the playoffs started today. Only four non-plural nicknames in league.

Give-n-Go: The Nets' Devin Harris

AG: How do you keep your head up?

DH: If you look at some of the great players, there are highs and there are lows. I talked to KG [Kevin Garnett] a little bit about it in his last year in Minnesota, he went through it, obviously not to this point. Look at Jet [Jason Terry] and his years in Atlanta. A lot of people go through it. It's just how you respond and when you get that chance to compete at a high level, you have to take advantage.

AG: You never thought you'd go through something like this.

DH: No, never. God throws different changes at you and it's how you deal with it. I wasn't dealing very good at first, but as long as we're competing at the level we're doing, it's easier to cope with. It was kinda hard those first couple of months.

AG: Did you find yourself withdrawing some from your teammates?

DH: You had to at some point. We have such young players and at some point their immaturity kind of showed, but you go through those growing pains as a young player. We got it all out early and now you see a lot better locker room.

Five predictions I should have thought a little harder on

Kevin Durant has been big, but the Thunder's defense has been even bigger this season.

Last week, my fellow NBA.com scribe Vince Thomas wrote a formal apology to Stephen Curry, admitting that he was totally wrong about what kind of player Curry would be in the league and comparing him to Illmatic, Nas' classic debut album that Vince slept on for several years.

Now, I loved Illmatic the day I first listened to it in my dorm room in 1994, and still think that Tyreke Evans is the Rookie of the Year. But Vince's column inspired me to finally publish my "What I got wrong" list, which I've been putting together in my head for the last couple of months.

And as I looked over my archives from last summer and the preseason, I realized that I got a lot more wrong than I remembered.

Here are my five most egregious miscalculations ...

Milwaukee Bucks

The mistake: I ranked the Bucks 27th in the preseason Power Rankings. The difference between that ranking and their current one (11th) is the highest in the league, although the current ranking is slightly inflated due to how well the Bucks have been playing of late.

What was I thinking?: The Bucks went 34-48 last season and essentially got nothing in return when they traded Richard Jefferson to San Antonio. With Scott Skiles on the bench, they'd be able to hang in some games defensively, but they just didn't have the talent to win.

What wasn't I thinking?: This one bugs me quite a bit, because I've written multiple times (here's one) about how critical Andrew Bogut is to the Bucks' defense. They were a pretty good team before they lost Bogut last season, so even if I didn't think Brandon Jennings would be able to handle the starting point guard job, I should have understood that the Bucks would be improved with a healthy Bogut.

Bogut is also having his best offensive season and Jennings, while he hasn't shot well, has given the Bucks some punch in the backcourt. Ersan Ilyasova also returned from Europe a much better player than when he left three years ago.

Oklahoma City Thunder

The mistake: I ranked the Thunder 21st in the preseason Power Rankings.

What was I thinking?: In my defense, I will point to this July column, where I called the Thunder the fourth-most likely team to go from the lottery to the playoffs. I had them pegged as one of the most improved teams in the league, but couldn't imagine them increasing their win total by more than 10 or 12.

What wasn't I thinking?: That the Thunder would be one of the five best defensive teams in the league. As terrific as Kevin Durant has been and as much as Russell Westbrook has improved, the Thunder's team defense has been the biggest key to their success. There weren't any signs of that as late as the preseason.

There was clearly room for improvement, given the team's youth. Also, one of their best defenders, Thabo Sefolosha, came over in a deadline deal last February. Still, they've made a huge leap on defense.

Julian Wright

The mistake: I predicted that Wright would win the Most Improved Player award.

What was I thinking?: This was a little bit of a stab in the dark, but with Wright taking the starting small forward spot from Peja Stojakovic and with Chris Paul as his point guard, the thought was that Wright's numbers would see a big jump from the 4.4 points and 2.8 rebounds he averaged last season.

What wasn't I thinking?: That Wright just isn't a very good player. After he started the first seven games of the season, Byron Scott benched him. And rookies Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton earned the playing time bump when Jeff Bower took over two games later. From Nov. 9 through March 8, Wright received 12 DNPs and averaged just nine minutes in the 45 games he did play. With Stojakovic hurt, Wright has started the last four games, but hasn't produced much.

Eddie Jordan

The mistake: In previewing the Sixers, I thought that Jordan was just what they needed.

What was I thinking?: That the Sixers needed a system like Jordan's Princeton offense to make them more efficient in the half court. They forced a lot of turnovers defensively and flourished on the break, but their inability to score in a set offense was holding them back.

What wasn't I thinking?: That we wouldn't see much of the Princeton offense once the regular season started, that Jordan would mess with what was a pretty good defense, and that he'd make some baffling decisions with his rotation. The Sixers have been in the bottom 10 of the league in defensive efficiency all season, despite having some very good defenders on their team. Essentially, they've regressed on both ends of the floor.

The loss of Andre Miller has hurt, but Jordan has never had a handle on his team. The Sixers have talent, but the whole has been far less than the sum of the parts. With the current mix, they need either a veteran point guard or a good coach to get the most out of what they have. This season, they've had neither.

Washington Wizards

The mistake: Here's the first sentence of my Wizards preview: "The Washington Wizards are set up for one of the biggest one-season turnarounds in NBA history."

What was I thinking?: C'mon. We were all thinking the same thing, right? They hired a very good coach, Gilbert Arenas was back, Brendan Haywood was healthy, and Randy Foye and Mike Miller gave them added firepower. They weren't going to be a great defensive team, but they would certainly be top five offensively.

What wasn't I thinking?: That the Wizards would have no chemistry on the floor. Forget about the gun incident. This team was a huge disappointment before all that nonsense went down. When Arenas was suspended on Jan. 6, the Wizards ranked 23rd in the league offensively. They shot poorly and had a low assist rate. Arenas' shooting percentages were down slightly from his All-Star years, but the biggest disappointment was Caron Butler, who was having one of the worst seasons of his career.

NBA board approves Bobcats' sale to Jordan

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- Michael Jordan became a basketball star at North Carolina. Now he'll try to turn around the state's money-losing NBA team by becoming the first ex-player to be a majority owner in the league.

The NBA's Board of Governors on Wednesday unanimously approved Jordan's $275 million bid to buy the Charlotte Bobcats from Bob Johnson. Jordan will immediately take over the team after functioning as a minority investor with the final say on basketball decisions since 2006.

"Purchasing the Bobcats is the culmination of my post-playing career goal of becoming the majority owner of an NBA franchise," Jordan said in a statement. "I am especially pleased to have the opportunity to build a winning team in my home state of North Carolina.

"I plan to make this franchise an organization that Charlotte can be proud of, and I am committed to doing all that I can to achieve this goal."

The six-time NBA champion and five-time league MVP will be charged with turning around the fortunes of the 6-year-old Bobcats, who are on pace to lose about $30 million this season because of sluggish ticket and sponsorship sales.

The 47-year-old Jordan, who will assume about $150 million in debt in the deal, becomes the second black majority owner of a major pro sports team. He replaces the first in Johnson, who paid $300 million for the expansion franchise, but lost tens of millions annually and saw the value of the team decline as Charlotte fans struggled to warm to the NBA again after the Hornets left for New Orleans in 2002.

Johnson won't completely end his relationship with the team. A spokeswoman for Johnson said he'll be a minority investor in Jordan's ownership group.

"The best decision I made since acquiring the Bobcats was to convince my friend Michael to become an investor in the Bobcats and to appoint him as managing member of basketball operations," Johnson said in a statement. "As the new majority owner of the Bobcats, his dedication will be stronger now more than ever."

Commissioner David Stern predicted last week the deal would be easily approved by the league's owners. Stern said last week that background and financial checks on Jordan produced nothing that would stop the deal, and expressed optimism Jordan's iconic status in this area will boost the franchise.

Jordan grew up in Wilmington, N.C., and led North Carolina to an NCAA title with a last-second shot before starring with the Chicago Bulls. Jordan briefly ran the Wizards basketball operations and returned as a player with Washington before being fired from his management role in 2003.

"We are pleased that Michael Jordan's purchase of majority ownership of the Bobcats was approved by the NBA's Board of Governors and closed in such a smooth and expeditious fashion," Stern said. "We look forward to the continued growth of the Bobcats, on and off the court, under his leadership."

The Bobcats (35-32) won their first game with Jordan in charge. Sitting courtside near the Charlotte bench on Wednesday night, Jordan watched the Bobcats rally to beat Oklahoma City 100-92 to maintain their hold on sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Team officials hope a playoff appearance after Jordan takes control will boost interest in the franchise, which plays in a 5-year-old downtown arena.

"While there is still plenty of work to do both on and off the floor, our attendance, television ratings, corporate support and on-court performance are headed in the right direction," Bobcats president Fred Whitfield said. "That trend will only continue as Michael transitions into all facets of our business."

Jordan, who has declined interview requests since striking a deal to buy the team on Feb. 26, is scheduled to hold a news conference on Thursday night.

Pacers top scorer Granger released from hospital

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Indiana Pacers forward Danny Granger has been released from an Indianapolis hospital Wednesday after a CT scan on his head and neck found no problems.

Granger took an inadvertent elbow to his upper right cheek in the final minute of Tuesday's game against Charlotte. The team says Granger was checked out at Methodist Hospital.

He was expected to miss Wednesday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

"It seems like he's going to be all right," O'Brien said before the game. "Hopefully, he'll be back in the lineup quickly. You never know when someone got hit that hard in the head area, you always have to be concerned."

The Pacers said team doctors will continue to evaluate Granger, a 2009 NBA All-Star who leads the team in scoring at 23.1 points a game.

"We'll go day to day see how he does," O'Brien said.

Dahntay Jones was slated to start in Granger's spot.

Warriors' Curry held out with sprained left ankle

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) -- Golden State's Stephen Curry missed the Warriors' game against New Orleans on Wednesday night because of a sprained left ankle.

Curry participated in the pregame shootaround but was a late scratch. It's the first game the Golden State rookie has missed this season, a rarity on a team that has been decimated by injuries this season. The Warriors have lost 404 games to injury this season, including 110 since the All-Star break.

Curry, who led Golden State in scoring four of the last six games while averaging 24.5 points during that stretch, played in all 66 games this season prior to sitting out against New Orleans. The seventh overall pick in the draft, he's listed as day-to-day.

Blazers dismiss VP, salary cap specialist Penn

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) -- The Portland Trail Blazers have dismissed Tom Penn as vice president of basketball operations.

The team issued a statement that said Penn was dismissed Tuesday for "philosophical differences." No details were offered.

Penn, who was regarded as a salary cap specialist, joined the Blazers as an assistant general manager in 2007.

He was a candidate for the general manager's job with the Minnesota Timberwolves last May. He removed himself from consideration when the Blazers promoted him.

Cavs' West available for game against Pacers

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Cleveland's Delonte West is available for the Cavaliers' game Wednesday against the Indiana Pacers.

West, who has bounced in and out of the rotation all season, missed Tuesday's win at Detroit with what the team called a sprained left knee. He is averaging 8.6 points and 3.1 assists as a reserve this season.

Shaquille O'Neal has rejoined the Cavaliers as well. O'Neal, who has been at home in Florida, is expected to miss the rest of the regular season following surgery to repair his right thumb. He injured it in a win at Boston on Feb. 25.

Wizards' Howard undergoes surgery, out at least six months

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Washington Wizards forward Josh Howard could miss the start of next season after having surgery to repair a torn ligament in his left knee.

Howard's operation was Tuesday in New York, and the Wizards said he is expected to make a full recovery in six to eight months.

Howard was injured in a game against the Chicago Bulls on Feb. 22, when he collided with an opponent. That was only his fourth game with Washington after coming over in a seven-player trade with the Dallas Mavericks on Feb. 13.

He had operations on his left ankle and left wrist last offseason. Howard was an All-Star in 2007, when he averaged 18.9 points in 70 games. He had his best season a year later, when he averaged 19.9 points.

Pistons hopeful Stuckey is close to playing again

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- Pistons coach John Kuester says he's hoping Rodney Stuckey will play Friday.

Stuckey was out of the lineup Tuesday night against Cleveland, missing his sixth straight game since collapsing on the bench against the Cavs.

Kuester hopes Stuckey can practice Thursday and return to action Friday, two weeks after he went off the court on a stretcher and was taken to a hospital. Doctors cleared Stuckey for exercise last week after extensive cardiac tests.

Stuckey missed two games last season after experiencing dizziness. The guard has said he's not worried about the same problems happening again.

Cavs coach Mike Brown kept guard Delonte West out of the lineup as a precaution because of a sprained knee.

Thunder sign former Arizona standout Shakur

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) -- The Oklahoma City Thunder has signed former Arizona guard Mustafa Shakur to a 10-day contract.

Thunder general manager Sam Presti announced the deal on Tuesday. Shakur is being called up from the Thunder's NBA Development League affiliate in Tulsa, where he was averaging 20.7 points and 7.2 assists per game.

Shakur went undrafted out of Arizona in 2007 and played overseas in Poland, Spain and Greece in recent years.

Pistons' Prince limps from game with sore back

BOSTON (AP) -- Detroit forward Tayshaun Prince limped off the court with assistance during the first quarter of the Pistons' game Monday night against Boston.

Prince fell backward and was kneed in the back by teammate Jason Maxiell with 4:53 left in the first. Prince stayed on the floor for several minutes, holding his back, while doctors attended to him.

He was helped off the floor, limping. The team said he would not return to the game.

Prince missed 26 games earlier in the season with a back injury.

Bulls without top four scorers in Memphis

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) -- The Chicago Bulls were without their top four scorers Tuesday night against the Memphis Grizzlies because of injuries and a suspension.

Derrick Rose, the Bulls' leading scorer with 20.4 points per game, was out with an injured left wrist, while Luol Deng (18.0) missed his third game with a right calf strain. Third-leading scorer Joakim Noah continued to nurse a left foot injury.

Guard Kirk Hinrich also missed the game, serving a one-game league suspension after contact with a referee in Chicago's loss to Miami on Friday.

Meanwhile, Memphis center Marc Gasol also sat out with a strained neck muscle, missing his first game after playing in the first 149 of his NBA career.

Gasol, who averages 14.8 points and 9.5 rebounds, was hurt in Saturday's loss to the Denver Nuggets. Hasheem Thabeet, the second overall pick in last year's draft who was recently brought back from a stint with the NBA Development League's Dakota Wizards, was expected to start in Gasol's spot.

Memphis did have one piece of good news. Ronnie Brewer, acquired in a trade deadline deal from the Utah Jazz, was active for the game after missing 13 games with a partially torn hamstring. He was hurt in his debut with Memphis against Miami on Feb. 19.