Most Miserable Sports Cities

Can Gilbert Arenas play with the heart and savvy necessary for the Wizards to work a miracle? After playing in only 47 games over the past three seasons, can Arenas keep all of his body parts functional? And how can he be convinced to share the ball with blue-chip rookie John Wall?

Report: Shaq, Celtics Negotiating Deal

Ferry convinced Gilbert to step back, let him do his job. But more and more, the owner’s impulsive need to inject himself into everything took over the franchise. Most of all, Gilbert had become the biggest enabler of LeBron James and his inner circle, and that only promises to get worse. Ferry never loved the players’ pregame skits, the hiring of James’ buddies, the associates’ riding on the team plane, but Gilbert seldom said no to anything. He behaved like the permissive parent who believed his kid would love him more if he spoiled him rotten. And it got the Cavs a superstar, James, who never respected anyone and a cast of associates who had the run of the place. Had James wanted Ferry to still be the GM, Gilbert would’ve backed down and Ferry would have a new contract.

Michael Jordan wasted a golden parachute on this over-hyped prep school standout and will spend the rest of his life regretting the blunder.

Yeah, I understand blowing up the team after all the turmoil, negativity and underachievement this season. But when you give away valuable commodities like Antawn Jamison, Caron Butler and Brendan Haywood, shouldn't you have more to show for it than the likes of Josh Howard (pictured) and Al Thornton? Clearing cap space is nice, but unless the Wizards can lose the worst contract in the NBA (Gilbert Arenas is due to make $80 million the next four seasons) this franchise will be an embarrassment for years to come.

Like Davey Johnson's Dad: Thomas Boswell on Flip and the Wizards

"It's a difficult thing in the NBA. You're always looking for ways to improve. But I think we have plenty of players on the team. Now it's up to them to perform up to their abilities. You obviously evaluate as you go along and you'd really like to evaluate with a full deck for an extended period of time. And we really haven't had that full deck."

Still, Washington's overall defense was sufficiently effective for them to have won the game. But what they require more than anything else is a point-producing low-post player, who will compel opponents to double-team him and therefore generate layups for dive-cutters as well as pressure-free jumpers for the likes of Arenas, Jamison, and Butler.

LeBron James Encourages NBA To Stop Jumping In Honor Of Michael Jordan

AP: Shaq to Miss Tuesday's Golden State Game

If you trust and believe in it, then the game will be easy," Hamilton said of the offense. "But all five guys have to be on the same page. If all five guys ain't on the same page, it's not going to work. All five guys got to know, and say, 'Okay, I believe in it. I'm going to get a shot, and if I don't get a shot, my teammate is going to get a shot.' "

Gilbert's businesslike approach is understandable since he's trying to shake his rep as an injury-prone goofball. But the Wiz are starting to take on his new personality -- joyless.

Michael Lee: Wizards Get Hypnotized

...if I had to list the top eight teams in the East, I'd have to go (in order) with Cleveland, Orlando, Boston, Washington, Atlanta, Chicago, Philadelphia and Miami.

Rubio Not Playing In NBA Until 2011

I asked Saunders if he still plans on using an eight-man rotation with this roster. Saunders didn't close the door on giving several players the opportunity to contribute. "I'll be honest," he said. "In the past, we played eight, nine man rotation because that's the players that were able to play at the level that we needed them to do it ... When you look at our roster right now, we're solid at every spot. Some people say, 'How are you going to play them all?' That's up for me to decide, actually up to them to decide how we play."

Randy Hill: Veteran signings could pose problems for elite teams

According to several league sources, the Cavs are attempting to land Houston Rockets free-agent forward Ron Artest, and the pitch included a meeting with LeBron James on Tuesday night in Los Angeles as both were in Southern California for various events.

The Cleveland Cavaliers and the Phoenix Suns have come to an agreement on a blockbuster trade that sends Shaquille O'Neal to Cleveland to team with LeBron James, according to sources.

The deal has been agreed to in principle and is expected to be finalized Thursday, according to sources.

Cleveland will send Ben Wallace and Sasha Pavlovic to Phoenix for the future Hall of Famer. Sources said the Suns will also receive the 46th pick in Thursday's NBA draft and $500,000.

Ernie Grunfeld Live Press Conference

'Washington tried something and it didn't work," James told reporters in Cleveland last night. "They lost in the first round again. We all know Washington is not a physical team. They tried to be physical and they lost."

Gilbert Gets Serious, Caron Likes "The Notebook."