OAKLAND, Calif. -- Anyone who has watched the L.A. Clippers so far this season pretty much has the same question: what's up with Chris Kaman?
The guy's been playing some ball and doesn't seem to resemble the player of past years. But according to coach Mike Dunleavy, nothing at all is up.
"The only difference with him is he's shooting the ball," Dunleavy said before the Clippers dismantled the Warriors, 118-90, on Friday night. "And I mean literally shooting the ball. He's always been able to shoot the ball but always had this kind of mentality of 'I can't take too many shots,' or 'I need to get closer to the basket.' "
LOS ANGELES -- The Clippers held a seven-point lead over the Suns with about nine minutes remaining in their home opener, in a game that was the season opener for Phoenix.
But Steve Nash made sure that his Suns left with the victory, by scoring 15 of his team's 24 fourth quarter points, including the game-winner in a thrilling 109-107 contest at Staples Center.
A season ago, the Clippers began the year with a renewed sense of optimism. After losing team staples Elton Brand and Corey Maggette to free agency, the club didn't stand pat -- they went out and got some pieces they hoped would make them better.
Well, things didn't exactly work put as planed. Injuries derailed things fairly quickly, and instead of Baron Davis being the one to revive the franchise, he was merely a bystander who watched the team post its worst won-loss record in nine years.
There was a bright side to last year's debacle, however, as it landed the Clippers the number one overall pick in the draft, which they used to select Blake Griffin. With a healthy group to start the season, and some smart tweaks to the roster, L.A. once again has reason to be cautiously optimistic.
OAKLAND -- First thing you notice about Baron Davis these days is that beard. It's long, it's thick and it's got some scruff. It's back -- and all of it, too.
Now whether the Los Angeles Clippers are back remains to be seen. But the return of Davis' beard is certainly a good omen. So was the arrival of Blake Griffin.
"I want to put the work in and I want to show people again," Davis said Sunday night before the Clippers-Warriors exhibition opener. "I don't want to talk about it, really. There's nothing for me to say. I grew my beard back. That's all you need to know."
Who doesn't like a list, especially on a Monday morning when that's about all you can handle?
Less than 10 months after receiving a three-year contract extension worth approximately $27 million, Stephen Jackson now says he doesn't want to play for the Warriors anymore.
It's a pretty sudden turn for Jackson, who said at the time of the re-signing that he wanted to play the remainder of his career in Oakland. That kind of fickleness, when it comes from your captain and best player, can be a real headache for a team.
It got us to thinking about some of the NBA's high-maintenance players, the needy and delicate ones you must handle with extreme care. Whether it's their personality or game, here are five players who can make it very difficult for any franchise.
You know what they say. "The best laid plans of mice and men with beards and their own film companies ..."
Needless to say, Baron Davis did not have the kind of season he was hoping for in his debut with the Clippers. He essentially fulfilled every negative concern that's been posited about him during his career. Injury-riddled. Inconsistent. Poor leadership. Bails at the first sign of trouble. You know, Baron Davis before the Warriors tenure.
And in an effort to convey a sincere desire to turn things around, Davis is using some pretty blunt assessments of his own play. The buck stops at the beard, apparently.
You would think that Allen Iverson's chief goal this summer would be to land on a contender, in the hopes of winning a championship. You would also think that the Los Angeles Clippers would be low on his list of choices, given that the Clipjoint aren't exactly, well, ever contenders.
But the Los Angeles Times decided to warm up the WTF Machine this evening (first via Twitter) as they heard out in Vegas that Iverson and LAC are in "very serious" talks to bring the future Hall of Famer out west.
I heard Michael Jackson died at approximately 5:30 PM ET. Hours later, I still don't think it's fully hit me. This was the man I idolized growing up as a kid ... I watched Moonwalker about 80 times on VHS (Joe Pesci was the villain). I once furiously outbid someone $159 for a replica Beat It jacket with 13 zippers. I actually have an 8x10 glossy of Billie Jean Michael taped next to my bedroom door.
Everyone -- from celebrities to sports stars to ordinary people -- had their way of trying to feel connected to the King of Pop. In his mere presence, fans have fainted and needed medical attention. So when news broke that Jackson had passed away, the reverberations on social media sites like Twitter were immense. Outspoken wide receiver Chad Ochocinco even went on to tweet "this is just as sad as 9/11" and then tried to play damage control after his offensive comment.
After the jump, read the emotional reactions from current and former athletes.
Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.
The Drew League in the heart of Watts is the longest, and most competitive, running summer league in the world, going strong for over 30 years. It's also where NBA stars like Nick Young, Baron Davis, Paul Peirce, Bobby Brown, Gabe Pruitt and many others show up to display their skills.
In this exclusive FanHouse video we visit the league and find out which NBA players have been dunked on and never returned. The Drew, as it's known, is much more than a basketball league; it's the only entertainment for a community that has no bowling alleys, theaters, or arcades.
Let's take our attention for a moment off the NBA playoffs and look ahead to the 2009-10 season. It was a tough year for several players around the league. So tough, in fact, that they'll have some bouncing back to do next year.
Here are five players – and a sixth man -- who should have the most to prove in 2009-10:
--Tracy McGrady, Houston Rockets. Technically, a team with McGrady on the roster – this year's Rockets – advanced to the second round of the playoffs. That would be a first. Except we all know McGrady didn't play in the postseason and wasn't around down the stretch for Houston.
OAKLAND, Calif. -- Anyone who has watched the L.A. Clippers so far this season pretty much has the same question: what's up with Chris Kaman?
LOS ANGELES -- The 
FanHouse 
OAKLAND -- First thing you notice about 
Who doesn't like a list, especially on a Monday morning when that's about all you can handle?
You know what they say. "The best laid plans of mice and men with beards and their own film companies ..."
You would think that 
The Drew League in the heart of Watts is the longest, and most competitive, running summer league in the world, going strong for over 30 years. It's also where NBA stars like 
Let's take our attention for a moment off the NBA playoffs and look ahead to the 2009-10 season. It was a tough year for several players around the league. So tough, in fact, that they'll have some bouncing back to do next year.
