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If you have a really clever idea to get your team a timeout at the end of a game — say for example having your player run into you so you spill your drink on the court — save it for a late season or playoff game when it matters, don’t waste it in November.

That’s not what Jason Kidd took away from his little move of having Tyshawn Taylor run into him (you can see Kidd mouth the words “hit me”) then spilling his coke on the floor, giving him a defacto timeout to draw up one last play against the Lakers to try and tie the game (a Paul Pierce shot off a Kevin Garnett screen, a shot PP missed).

What Kidd did take away a $50,000 fine from the league.

After that he sounded semi-remorseful about the incident, speaking with reporters before the Nets game against the Rockets Friday night, as brought to us via ESPN.

“Paul [Pierce] got a great look, but the league fined me for something that I probably shouldn’t have done,” he said. “We’ll move on….

“It’s about trying to win and those guys in that locker room, and I tried to put those guys in a position to get a basket, a good look and we did,” he said.

What’s more likely to help the Nets win is getting Brook Lopez back on the court, which happened Friday night after he missed the previous seven games. Lopez is the Nets best player (their defense is much better with him out there, too) and they are going to need him and Deron Williams healthy and playing well to turn around their 4-11 start.

Tags: BKN, Brook Lopez, Deron Williams, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Tyshawn Taylor

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Flash back to the Pistons’ news conference to introduce Brandon Jennings. Joe Dumars in his opening statement, as transcribed by Matt Watson of Detroit Bad Boys:

We also like the fact that he has five years of pro experience, one in Italy and four in Milwaukee. And we thought that he could step right in, hit the ground running and fit with the rest of our guys.

If Jennings could deliver on that, that would be fantastic for the Pistons.

They’re desperately trying to snap a four-season playoff drought, so they needed a point guard who didn’t require too much on-the-job learning. And they’d already assembled an unconventional frontcourt featuring Josh Smith, Greg Monroe and Andre Drummond, so they need a point guard who could play with that trio.

Their previous point guard, Brandon Knight, made too many youthful mistakes, and his inability to operate in tight spaces made him a poor fit with the jumbo frontline. Jennings would help on both fronts.

Or so it seemed.

Pistons coach Maurice Cheeks, a former All-Star point guard, is not nearly as praising of Jennings 16 games into the season. Shawn Windsor of the Detroit Free Press:

Cheeks knew where everyone on the floor was supposed to be — or supposed to be going. When they weren’t, he told them. Jennings is trying to learn that now, after a life of seeking out space to shoot.

“It takes a certain amount of time for a guy to do that if that if they haven’t been doing it that way their whole career,” Cheeks said. “I don’t think it’s just an overnight thing, I think Brandon is learning a little of that.”

“It’s very important to figure out where a (teammate) should be and direct him where to go,” Cheeks said. “It’s not an overnight thing where you learn how to play with Andre Drummond, Greg Monroe, Josh Smith.”

Cheeks is certainly entitled to a different opinion than Dumars, and that might be all that’s happening here. But it also seems like the Pistons are talking out of both sides of their mouth. Make big promises, and then beg for more time when they don’t come to fruition.

For what it’s worth, Cheeks’ assessment looks much more accurate than Dumars’. Not only does the Pistons’ offensive rating fall from when Jennings is on the bench (106.3) to when he’s on the court (100.0), it falls even further when he plays with Smith, Monroe and Drummond (97.3).

Jennings hasn’t shown the polish of a five-year pro, and fit well with this team.

Perhaps Cheeks can use his experience at the position to teach Jennings to be a better point guard. But even though Jennings doesn’t seem old at just 24, not many players improve greatly at this stage of their career. Another mentor for Jennings – Chauncey Billups, a rare exception to the rule for blooming late at point guard – is on the Pistons’ bench.

Even if Cheeks and Billups can eventually get Jennings on track, the Pistons have a more pressing concern – how to win without the point guard they thought they were getting, the one who plays like a seasoned pro and fits well with Smith, Monroe and Drummond.

Tags: Andre Drummond, Brandon Jennings, Brandon Knight, Chauncey Billups, Detroit Pistons, Greg Monroe, Josh Smith, Milwaukee Bucks

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The players with the best court vision make this pass multiple times throughout their careers, but it’s still something to marvel at when it actually happens.

Manu Ginobili found Tim Duncan with a bounce pass between Dwight Howard‘s legs, and Duncan converted it for the and-1 finish late in a close game between the Spurs and the Rockets on Saturday, one that Houston ultimately won by a final of 112-106.

The Rockets led by as many as 23 points in the second quarter, but by early in the fourth the Spurs had taken a five-point lead thanks to a dominating 34-11 stretch that put them in control.

San Antonio’s surge was only temporary, however. James Harden got to the free throw line 10 times in the final period and scored 16 of his 31 points in the fourth to help Houston hand the Spurs their first home loss of the season.

Tags: Dwight Howard, Houston Rockets, James Harden, Manu Ginobili, San Antonio Spurs, Tim Duncan

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Yes, the Houston Rockets are looking to trade Omer Asik and they almost certainly will before the trade deadline.

However it’s likely not happening soon because the difference between what the Rockets see as his value and other teams are willing to give up for him are not in the same zip code. It’s basically the same argument you and your girlfriend have over the value of designer handbags.

CBSSports.com’s Ken Berger has Asik on top of his Black Friday “most likely to get traded” list but added this note about the idea.

The limiting factor, of course, is that while Asik counts only $8.4 million against the cap/tax, his actual salary next season is $15 million. Given those constraints and Asik’s sad-sack demeanor, one rival GM described the Rockets as “delusional” as far as their asking price for him.

We know that the Rockets are asking for an “impact player” (define “impact” however you choose, it’s pretty vague) or a draft pick in the 2014 lottery (good luck). By the way, forget that Ryan Anderson rumor, it’s not happening.

There are a few market factors at play here:

• When word gets out that a player has asked for a trade the team with his rights loses some leverage and the first offers that come in tend to be lowball/ridiculous offers.

• The Rockets think they are trading the guy who averaged a double-double last season and is a quality defensive big man, something hard to find in the league.

• Both sides think if they are patent the other side will come to their senses and more reasonable offers will can be discussed.

And that last one is sort of what happens — the Rockets will be willing to settle a little, meanwhile another team will understand that a quality big men is not something you can just pick up at Sears. They will meet in the middle and get a deal done.

Just don’t expect it in the near future. Asik is back in the rotation (he played more than 20 minutes in a Rockets game this week) so the Rockets will let this play out for a while. Maybe all the way to the trade deadline.

Tags: Houston Rockets, New Orleans Pelicans, Omer Asik, Ryan Anderson

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Statistically, David West is having a down year. He is scoring 12.2 points a game, nearly five off last-year’s pace. That’s in part because he’s taking three fewer shots per game, it’s in part that he is shooting 44.2 percent (down from 49.8 percent last season).

And West doesn’t really care.

That’s because the Pacers are winning — 15-1 to start the season. West is the ultimate veteran glue guy for a team and he is leading the Pacers by example, as he explained to the Indy Star.

“We talked about at the beginning of the year that everyone was going to have to make sacrifices, so it’s no big deal,” West said as the Pacers prepared for tonight’s game against Washington at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. “That’s just the way this team is built.

“We’ve got multiple guys that can produce at a high level, five guys averaging double figures. We’re being productive. That’s how our offense is geared this year.

“So, I focus on other things.”

Paul George has emerged as an elite player in the league. Roy Hibbert needs to get touches in the post. Lance Stephenson and George Hill can knock down shots. What makes the Pacers difficult to defend is their versitlity — and at some point they will get Danny Granger back to add another scoring option to the roster.

What West talks about is efficiency — how well did he shoot the ball and how well did the Pacers do defensively and shutting the other team down. Which is pretty much a coach’s dream.

West also has security — two seasons after this at $12 million a year. He doesn’t need numbers for a new contract, he can just focus on what he really wants.

Wins. And a ring.

Tags: Danny Granger, David West, George Hill, Indiana Pacers, Lance Stephenson, Paul George, Roy Hibbert

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