The Clippers have relieved Mike Dunleavy of his coaching duties and have named top assistant Kim Hughes their interim coach for the rest of the season. Dunleavy is expected to remain in his GM capacity. The Clippers are 21-28, seven games out of the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Dunleavy was doomed once No. 1 overall pick Blake Griffin went down this season and Elton Brand surprisingly bolted before last season. Hughes has been with the Los Angeles Clippers for the last seven seasons and the rotations should not change much, if at all.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Charlotte: Following reports of Chris Paul having underwent successful surgery on his left knee that will keep him out 4-6 weeks, the New Orleans Hornets Times-Picayune is reporting that he will spend 2-3 weeks on crutches. If he spends two weeks on crutches, it still seems a bit optimistic that he would be able to return two weeks later in game shape.

Portland: Brandon Roy (hamstring) will practice Friday, and is likely to play Saturday against the Lakers.
While this is good news, there’s a lot of time between now and Saturday. Watch to see how he responds to a full practice Friday before committing to him.

Chicago: The Chicago Bulls have decided to shut down Joakim Noah (plantar fasciitis) until the All-Star break. He was severly hobbled in his last two starts and he can’t afford that with his lack of offensive skills. He’ll miss the next four games but will get 12 days off thanks to the All-Star break. Brad Miller and Tyrus Thomas will benefit the most.

Orlando: Jameer Nelson (left knee) and Mickael Pietrus (right ankle) put in full practices Thursday and appear ready to play against the Wizards on Friday. Nelson ends up just missing one full game with this latest knee problem, but it remains a major concern.

Cleveland: LeBron James started at point guard for the first time since his rookie season with Daniel Gibson (personal) out on Thursday, and finished with 36 points on 9-of-16 shooting (1-of-4 from downtown, 17-of-21 from the foul line) with seven rebounds, eight assists, and two steals. We were expecting some eye-popping assist totals, but they never came, and by halftime Daniel Gibson was back from tending to his pregnant fiancee at the hospital.

Miami: Michael Beasley, who had played just two games since returning from a knee injury, played a season-high 41 minutes on Thursday, and finished with 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting (including a three) with 12 rebounds, three assists, two steals, and two blocks.

Los Angeles Lakers forward Ron Artest suffered a concussion and injured his left elbow after falling at his Home on Friday night. Artest apparently tripped over a box and fell down a flight of stairs and did not travel with the team to Sacramento Kings on Saturday.
Artest was treated at UCLA Medical Center, undergoing a CT scan and receiving stitches in the back of his head and his elbow.

A neurologist examined him on Saturday and confirmed he had a concussion and would only be day to day. Lakers Head Coach Phil Jackson seemed a bit annoyed with reporters after being asked to “interpret” the accident: “Let me see, my interpretation is that an accident happened, he fell down, he ended up in the hospital, and he came out with some stitches. Other than that, I can’t add anything to it.” Los Angeles began a stretch with four games in five days on Christmas, culminating in a home game against Golden State on Tuesday. “What I was telling the team is that he brings a certain physical presence to our game,” Jackson said. “And we’ll miss that part of his game.”

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Oakland: Warriors G/F Corey Maggette was on fire in Saturday’s thrilling 132-127 win over the Suns, scoring 33 points on 13-of-17 shooting. He made all seven of his FT attempts and had eight rebounds and one steal in 35 minutes. His move into the starting lineup proved to be the right decision, as he’s now topped 20 points in seven consecutive games.

Chicago: Chicago Bulls F Tyrus Thomas returned from his broken forearm on Saturday, posting a team-high 21 points on 10-of-17 shooting, nine rebounds, two assists, one steal and two blocks.

New Orleans: New Orleans Hornets swingman Devin Brown hit 6-of-7 three-pointers against the Bulls, finishing with a team-high 22 points, four rebounds and two steals. All of his points came in the first half. So far this season, Brown’s field goal percentage is a measly 38.5%.

Atlanta: Hawks center Al Horford dominated the Pacers in Saturday’s victory, racking up 25 points on 11-of-14 shooting, 19 rebounds, two assists and five blocks. Horford averaging a career high 13.8 ppg, while shooting 58% to lead the surging Atlanta Hawks to a record of 21-8 thus far this season.

Phoenix: Steve Nash led the Suns in an old-fashioned shootout with the Warriors, scoring a season-high 36 points on 14-of-22 shooting, including 6-of-12 three-pointers.

2008-09 NBA Team Preview – New York Knicks

2008 Record: 23-59
Division Finish: 4th – Atlantic
2008 Playoffs: Missed the playoffs.

Head Coach: Mike D’Atoni
Season: Going into first season with New York
Record At New York: First Season
Career Record: 267-172

Offseason Acquisitions:
Chris Duhon, G, 5.8 ppg., 4.0 apg. – Signed from Chicago Bulls
Anthony Roberson, G, – Signed from Turkey

Offseason Losses:
Renaldo Balkman, F, 3.4 ppg., 3.3 rpg. – Traded to Denver Nuggets
Fred Jones, G, 7.6 ppg, 2.4 rpg. – Released

Offseason Transactions:
Exercised the contract options on guard Mardy Collins and forward Wilson Chandler

Rookies:
Danilo Gallinari, F, 6-10, 17.5 ppg., 5.6 rpg, Italy

The Skinny:
The New York Knicks are like the British royal family, several years ago there were of great significance, but they have fallen on hard times of late. Changes have occurred throughout the family and hopefully they will have a significant impact, but the effective of those changes may not be seen for a few years.

It seems like half a century ago that the Knicks were in the playoff mix. The year was 2000, Jeff Van Gundy had the Knickerbockers in the Eastern Conference Finals after an appearance in the NBA Finals. Two years later – after getting upset in the first round by the Toronto Raptors – Van Gundy resigned just 19 games into the 2001-02 season and the Knicks have not been the same since. The downturn of the Knicks also coincided with the end of Patrick Ewing’s tenure with the team.

When Van Gundy resigned, assistant Don Chaney was given the reigns. The team never made it to .500 – and has not since the 2000-01 campaign – but did make it to the playoffs in 2003-04. That was not enough to save Chaney’s job. Veteran coaches Lenny Wilkins and Larry Brown could not right the ship and so team president Isaiah Thomas took over dual responsibility.

The Thomas Era really marked the start of the team’s downward spiral. Just because you were a great player does not mean that you are going to be a great coach or great in the front office. Clearly it seems that Joe Dumars was the real leader of the Pistons and Thomas was merely the face of the organization. During Thomas’ time as president the Knicks amassed a 151-259 record, including a 56-108 mark while Thomas was on the bench. With a roster full of misfits there were a number of off-court issues including one of Thomas’ own. So this off-season Thomas was fired from both of his jobs.

A few signs of hope came New York’s way during the off-season. The first was that Donnie Walsh was hired as president of basketball operation. As CEO and president of the Indiana Pacers, Walsh has a history of making smart moves that were not always popular but seemed to work. He was behind drafting Reggie Miller over Indiana product Steve Alford. Alford only played four years in the NBA, Miller is going to be a Hall of Famer. Not a bad choice.

The first move Walsh made was hiring Mike D’Atoni as head coach. That one really fell into his lap because D’Atoni was fired by the Phoenix Suns. D’Atoni was doing a solid job there and only had one slip up season, but he was not in favor with the ownership. Whether he passed on the Chicago Bulls’ job or was not offered is neither here nor there, but it is the Knicks’ gain.

D’Atoni might be the perfect man for the job. He took Phoenix from sixth to first in his first season and during his tenure took the Suns to the conference finals twice and the semifinals another year. He plays a fast-paced brand of basketball that fans and players love. He will energize both factions and get the Knicks relevant again.

An offensive boost is exactly what New York needs. They were 21st in the NBA last year at 96.9 points per game. Conversely the Suns were third in the league in scoring. D’Atoni teams do not play much defense so it does not matter that the Knicks were 23rd in that category.

The Knicks have a group of experienced players who have been in the league about seven-eight years. With the Thomas cloud lifted this may re-energize those players and breathe new life into their careers. Guard Jamal Crawford had his best year last season, scoring a career-high 20.6 ppg. Power forward Zach Randolph’s production dropped six points from last year in Portland, but he was still good enough to be the Knicks number two scorer.

Two years ago Eddy Curry had his best season as a pro, scoring 19.5 ppg. and 7.0 rpg. He started and played in all but one game of the 82-game schedule. Curry only played in 52 contests last season and his numbers dropped to 13.2 ppg. and 4.7 ppg. He’s never been a dominant NBA player, but if he can get back to his 2006-07 numbers he’ll make the Knicks a better team.

The rest of the Knicks’ front court is not that great either. David Lee, who averaged 10.8 ppg. and 8.9 rpg. – moved into the power forward starting role after the All-Star break. He is a solid rebounder, but I am not a big fan of former Florida Gators in the NBA. Five years ago Quentin Richardson had a good year with the Los Angeles Clippers, but two teams later he is back to being mediocre.

Continuing the mediocrity, New York’s biggest off-season signing was point guard Chris Duhon from the Chicago Bulls. Primarily a back-up since his rookie year four seasons ago, he only averaged 5.8 ppg. and 4.0 assists per game.

Prediction:
The New York Knickerbockers are a very mediocre team. They have a lot of guys that would be great role players on a very good team, but as a collection they will not amount to anything more than a hill of beans. If all of them were a tad bit better they would be a poor man’s Detroit Pistons, but they are not at that level.

What the team is missing is a super star, someone whom can be the face of the organization. The thinking must have been the Thomas was going to be that face, but that does not work in professional sports. In college athletics where the coaches are the ones that stay and the athletes move through every four years the coach can be the face of the organization, but not when the athletes get paid.

Crawford is a pretty good player, but he is more of a number two scorer. He would be great if he had someone – particularly someone in the post – that he could compliment. It will be interesting to see if Crawford can maintain that 20 point per game scoring output or whether he will fall back to the 17 point range.

It is inevitable that Duhon will be more productive as a starter versus a reserve. He may not be a great point guard, but one thing he will not do is cause problems, which is what the Knicks got from Stephon Marbury the last few years. He has been more of a headache on and off the court than helping the organization and needs to go.

If the Knicks are going to get better this year they need Randolph and Curry to get back to the levels they were at two years ago. Even if they do get back to those levels, they will not make the Knicks a playoff team. Of the two, Randolph is the one the Knicks should keep as a starter.

To the Knicks’ credit they tried to address their weak front court during the draft, but as anyone who has read my work knows I am not a big fan of foreign big men. The scouting report on Italy’s Danilo Gallinari is that he has a lot of the intangible traits of an NBA player, but he athletic ability has been called into question. As a small forward he may struggle to guard more athletic players or get by them on defense.

To no one’s surprise the Knicks will not make the playoffs for the fifth season in a row. A great free agent or two could make them a playoff team in a weak Eastern Conference. A trade during the season or getting a free agent next year – plus better drafting – could make them a better team quickly, but as is they are not going anywhere but back to the lottery.

Kings rookie Tyreke Evans started at shooting guard and hit 7-of-15 shots and 16-of-19 free throws on his way to a career-high 32 points in Saturday’s upset win over the Jazz. He added three boards, seven assists and a steal, despite leaving the game briefly after taking a Deron Williams elbow to the mouth. Evans, who started at SG for the injured Kevin Martin, is a good fit at the SG position due to his ability to get to the free-throw line. The future certainly looks bright for this emerging star.

Elsewhere around the NBA:

Memphis

Memphis Grizzlies PG Mike Conley’s job as the starting point guard got a little safer on Saturday Allen Iverson has left the team for personal reasons. Who didn’t see this one coming? Iverson’s career might be coming to an end.

Cleveland

Cavaliers SF LeBron James scored 33 points to go along with eight rebounds, nine assists, three steals and two 3-pointers and one negative X-ray taken on his shooting hand after the win in New York Friday. Even with a sore hand, Jaes was able to hit 12-of-17 shots against the lonely Knicks. We don’t expect the injury to cause further problems for the king.

Chicago

Bulls C Joakim Noah had a career-high 21 points to go along with 16 rebounds and four blocks as the Bulls pulled off a comeback win over the Bobcats on Saturday. Noah, who played 41 minutes, could end up being the beneficiary from Tyrus Thomas’ broken arm. Fantasy owners should have Noah in the lineup full time at this point.

Atlanta

Hawks PF Josh Smith hit 8-of-10 shots and 6-of-8 free throws on his way to 22 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and six blocks as the Atlanta Hawks crushed the Nuggets in Atlanta on Saturday. Smith, who is off to the best start of his career, seems to have grown as a play which is evident by the fact that he hasn’t attempted a single 3-pointer this season.

Los Angelas

Lakers C Andrew Bynum and PF Pau Gasol are not likely to play for the Lakers on Sunday due to their lingering injuries, although they are technically listed as game-time decisions. Phil Jackson indicated that he is hopeful that three days of rest the team will have after Sunday’s game will make both of them available for Thursday’s game against Phoenix Suns.

New Jersey

Nets Guard-Forward Chris Douglas-Roberts has tested positive for Swine Flu, but the worst has passed and he is reportedly feeling better. No word on how long he’ll be out, but we’re guessing this means he won’t play on Saturday against Boston.

2008-09 NBA Team Preview – Cleveland Cavaliers

2008 Record: 45-37
Division Finish: 2nd – Central
2008 Playoffs: Lost, 4-3, to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Semifinals

Head Coach: Mike Brown
Season: Going into fourth season
Record At Cleveland: 245-101

Offseason Acquisitions:
Signed Ronald Dupree, F, 1.0 ppg, 2.0 rpg, from Seattle
Signed Tarence Kinsey, G, 3.6 ppg., 1.1 rpg from Memphis
Signed center Lorenzen Wright, F-C, 1.0 ppg, 2.8 rpg. from Sacramento
Traded Damon Jones to Milwaukee & Joe Smith to Oklahoma City Thunder. Got guard Maurice Williams, G, 10.2 ppg, 6.1 apg. from Milwaukee

Offseason Transactions:
Resigned guard Daniel Gibson
Resigned guard Delonte West

Offseason Losses:
Damon Jones, G, 6.5 ppg, 1.1 rpg., Free agent
Devin Brown, G, 7.5 ppg., 3.4 rpg., Signed with New Orleans Hornets
Dwayne Jones, C, 1.0 ppg., 2.0 ppg., Signed with Orlando Magic
Detemtris Nichols, F, 1.1 ppg, 0.4 rpg., Claimed off waivers by Chicago Bulls

Rookies:
JJ Hickson, F, 6-9, NC State, 14.8 ppg., 8.5 rpg.
Darnell Jackson, F, 6-8, Kansas, 11.2 ppg., 6.7 rpg.
Sasha Kaun, C, 6-11, Kansas, 7.1 ppg., 3.9 rpg.
Signed Jawad Williams, F

The Skinny:
If the Cleveland Cavaliers want to make that next step from a good team in the East to a great team in the NBA that has a chance to win a championship, they need look no farther than one of their Central Conference foes. The Chicago Bulls wrote the playbook on how to win with a superstar and Cleveland general manager Danny Ferry needs to not only read it, but take the necessary steps.

For my money, the Cavs have the best player in the league in LeBron James. He might not go out and score 50 points in a night like Kobe Bryant and may not play as much defense as Bryant, but he’s more consistent than Bryant. He can beat you in so many ways that I think he’s more versatile than Bryant. He also rebounds a lot better than Bryant and being around the basket creates scoring opportunities with second chance points.

Another reason that makes James a better player in my opinion is that he’s trying to get everyone involved and make them a better team. James’ idol was Jordan and he knows if he wants to be in the same company some day that he has to start winning championships. Jordan was a great player but his status was elevated even higher once he started winning titles. Karl Malone may be one of the 50 greatest players in the league’s history but he’ll start to fade into the background because he was never on a championship team.

James can score just about any time he wants. It’s not a matter of if he could; it’s a matter of does he want to. I’m sure a lot of team would like for him to just to try to score at will. Detroit will let James get 45 points, but hold the rest of the team to 30 and the Pistons will come out on top almost every time.

But LeBron is smarter than that. He knows he has to get them involved because there are going to be nights when he can’t score at will and has to rely on his teammates. He also knows that he needs them because he already gets all of the attention off the court and if that spreads to the floor they won’t be as likely to play as hard. Look at the Lakers for the last few years up until this year. It was the Kobe Show and he wasn’t doing anything to make friends so no one wanted to play hard or play with him and they lost. He became more of a leader, wasn’t a ball hog, shut his mouth some and they went to the Finals.

So the Cavaliers knew they needed help last year when the acquired the services of Ben Wallace in a big midseason trade. Along with Wallace, Cleveland picked up guard Delonte West from Seattle and guard Wally Szcerbiak from Chicago. In the process they got rid of a lot of dead weight as the traded sent six players packing, topped by Drew Gooden, Larry Hughes, Donyell Marshall and Shannon Brown.

Hughes and Marshall made sense. Both are getting long in the tooth and Marshall isn’t a great team player. Brown isn’t living up to the hype at Michigan State and he’s not doing it in the pros either. The one that surprised me is Gooden. He’s only been in the league six years and was averaging 11.3 ppg. and 8.3 ppg., but you have to give up something in those trades and they felt like Gooden was ready to go.

For his size, 6-foot-9, Wallace has been one of the best rebounders in the league over the last half a decade. However, he is getting a bit old. With a dozen NBA seasons under his belt he is getting close to hanging it up. Szcerbiak is a solid role player who can help a ball team win if he can stay healthy.

I like the edition of West. He’s a younger version of Hughes who averaged 10.3 ppg., 4.5 assists per game and 3.7 rpg. They also picked up Maurice Williams in trade during the offseason. He averaged 10.2 ppg and 6.1 apg for the Milwaukee Bucks so it will be interesting to see what happens in the battle between he and Hughes.

Most of the Cavs offseason moves besides getting Williams weren’t that spectacular. They drafted a pair of pretty solid forwards in JJ Hickson from NC State and Kansas’ Darnell Jackson. With Wallace as a mentor they don’t have to jump right into the fold and be expected to contribute, though they may.

Prediction:
I still think the Cavaliers are a year or two from putting together a championships team though when you’ve got a player the caliber of James anything is possible. If this team sticks together for 2-to-3 more years and they can keep some key guys in place then they may be a contender in 2009-10 or the following year. They have to resign James, but that’s a whole other blog.

They’ve got a great center in Zydrunas Ilgauskas, who averaged 14.1 ppg and led the squad at 9.4 rpg., and he’s locked up until the 2010-11 season. As I stated before I’m also a fan of West and Williams. One of them may have to play the point and the other the off guard because that’s where they’ve got a hole.

The Cavs have a pair of holes in their off guard and power forward. I don’t know if Wallace can hold up through the whole season, though being on the floor with Ilgauskas  and James may take some of the focus away from him and let him be productive like Dennis Rodman was with the Lakers. Hickson and Jackson could be good down the road but it’s hard to tell.

Since I predicted Detroit to win the Central and the NBA title the best I can give Cleveland is a second-place showing in the Central. I’ll give them the upset of Boston in the Eastern Conference semifinals, but they’ll lose to Detroit in six.