YAHOO SPORTS' Adrian Wojnarowski notes Rockets GM Daryl Morey last night responded to Mavericks Owner Mark Cuban's "slights and snipes" that have recently been directed at the Rockets. Morey: "I think (Cuban's) pissed that we went after Dirk (Nowitzki) in free agency, however unsuccessful it was. ... We've been pretty good, and I think he's doing a smart thing to take on a rival. He should want to beat up on San Antonio, too, but it's hard to paint the Spurs that way. So he's directed his bully pulpit onto us. Our owner stays above the fray, so I'm outgunned honestly. But let's be clear: If the money's equal between the Rockets and Mavericks, I think players are picking Houston. Every time." Wojnarowski writes the Mavericks and Rockets "have come to loathe each other" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 9/29).
THE SHAPE OF THINGS: In N.Y., Harvey Araton asked whether Knicks President Phil Jackson is still "the self-titled maverick of his Knicks playing days and later the NBA’s towering example of strategic unorthodoxy." Knicks GM Steve Mills said Owner James Dolan "is allowing Phil to set the tone and the culture for the organization." Araton: "While it all makes sense, the early returns on Jackson’s leadership have leaned conservative" (N.Y. TIMES, 9/28).
SHOW IT ON THE SCOREBOARD: Kings Managing Partner Vivek Ranadive said of how he feels heading into his second year with the club, "I still have a lot to learn, I’m sure. Last year, when the season started, I said it wasn’t going to be about wins and losses. ... There was dysfunction in the locker room, there wasn’t mutual respect, the arena was literally falling apart, the roof was falling down. So we brought in a new team, we restored stability, restored respect, we put in a strong culture. But this year, let’s be clear, it is about wins and losses." He added of the front office and coaching staff, "We have differences of opinion, which we should. But at the end of the day, we’re all united" (SACRAMENTO BEE, 9/27).
