When you’re a big man and low-post legend Kevin McHale gives you tips, you’d be smart to listen. Here’s the Houston Chronicle reporting:

Kevin McHale’s low-post lessons for Dwight Howard have only just begun, but the coach started close to home — his home. The dedicated Minnesota Vikings fan cited the play of All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson.

“Just staying low,” Howard said of McHale’s direction. “He always refers to Adrian Peterson and how he runs through different holes in the game. He runs real low. He was saying I have the ability to do the same thing: use my quickness and my speed to get around guys. I have to get low to be able to do it.”

McHale does have more in store.

“We’re just getting started together,” McHale said. “It’s a whole new offense for him. We’ve worked, but not as much as we will work.”

Usually the tall guys on a team aren’t as good as the short guys at hitting outside shots. That’s just how it is. But Philadelphia 76ers big guy Spencer Hawes is an exception. Here’s the Philadelphia Inquirer:

Spencer Hawes is arguably the 76ers’ best three-point shooter. All 7-foot-1 inches of him.

The center was shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc heading into Monday’s game against the Golden State Warriors. Thaddeus Young, at 60 percent, was the only teammate with a higher percentage than the seven-year veteran.

But while Young has only attempted five three-pointers, Hawes has made 6 of 12, and was on pace to make 164 of 328 this season. That would shatter his career-best of 40 for 115 he had as a Sacramento King during the 2008-09 season.

Utilizing his perimeter skills is all by design.

The Philadelphia 76ers are off to a great start. Even with their first loss of the season, basketball has been fun in Philly so far this season. Here’s the Philadelphia Inquirer:

The 76ers team that people expected to see this season finally surfaced Monday night.

The Sixers struggled from the field and were flat-out overmatched against the Golden State Warriors, who cruised to a 110-90 victory in front of 11,089 at the Wells Fargo Center.

But perhaps the biggest blow for the Sixers (3-1) was the inability to stop Andre Iguodala.

The former Sixer made a career-high seven three-pointers on 11 attempts en route to 32 points. Twenty-seven of his points came before intermission. The 6-foot-6 swingman, who played only 20 seconds of the fourth quarter, also finished with three assists, three rebounds, three steals, and a blocked shot.

Iguodala had scored just 26 points altogether, with three three-pointers, in the Warriors’ first three games.

The Los Angeles D-Fenders, a D-League team, have hired Luke Walton as a player development coach, it was announced today by team President/CEO Joey Buss.

“We are very excited to add Luke to our staff,” said Buss. “His championship experience will help build upon the winning culture that has been established with the D-Fenders. His extensive and successful NBA career will allow him to instill the work ethic it requires for our players to reach the NBA.”

“Luke has been a consummate professional throughout his career,” said D-Fenders General Manager Nick Mazzella. “Having played on two Lakers championship teams, Luke is aware of the hard work and type of culture required to win. He will be a valuable mentor to our players and will dedicate himself to improving their basketball skills and advancing their careers. We couldn’t be happier to have him join our talented coaching staff.”

Walton has spent the last 11 seasons playing in the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers and Cleveland Cavaliers. Most recently, he appeared in 50 games with the Cavaliers during the 2012-13 season. The University of Arizona alumnus was selected with the 32nd overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft by the Lakers and helped lead the team to back-to-back NBA Championships in 2009 and 2010. Walton has appeared in 564 career regular season games (138 starts), posting averages of 4.7 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 17.2 minutes. Walton also served as an assistant coach on the University of Memphis basketball staff during the 2011 NBA lockout.

“I’m thrilled to be returning to the Lakers family,” said Walton. “I’m looking forward to working with the staff to develop young talent that can benefit the D-Fenders and the NBA. The D-Fenders have a proven record of developing top-flight players, and I plan to continue that tradition.”

Walton, a San Diego native, begins his first season as a player development coach. He is the third addition to Head Coach Bob MacKinnon’s staff, joining assistant coaches Casey Owens and Thomas Scott.

The Philadelphia 76ers’ Michael Carter-Williams and the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Kevin Love were today named NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Tuesday, Oct. 29, through Sunday, Nov. 3.

Carter-Williams is only the second player (Shaquille O’Neal, 1992) to earn the honor to begin his rookie season. The 11th overall selection in the 2013 NBA Draft, Carter-Williams helped guide the Sixers to a 3-0 start, which included wins over the defending champion Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls. In his first three NBA games, Carter-Williams averaged 20.7 points and team highs of 9.0 assists and 4.3 steals. In his NBA debut on Oct. 30, a 114-110 home win over the Heat, Carter-Williams recorded 22 points, 12 assists, nine steals and seven rebounds. The nine steals were the most by a rookie in his NBA debut, while the 12 assists represented the second most for a player in his first NBA game (Buffalo’s Ernie DiGregorio dished 14 assists in his NBA debut in 1973).

Love led Minnesota to a 3-0 mark, the second time in franchise history the Timberwolves have opened the season with at least three straight wins. Love paced the team in scoring and rebounding each game, averaging a league-best 29.7 points and ranking with 4.7 rpg. He had at least 30 points and 15 rebounds twice, giving him 20 such games since entering the league in 2008-09, second over that span to Dwight Howard (23). In the team’s season opener Oct. 30 – a 120-115 overtime victory against the Orlando Magic — Love finished with 31 points and 17 rebounds, and sank the game-tying three-pointer to force overtime.

Other nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Orlando’s Arron Afflalo, Portland’s LaMarcus Aldridge, Phoenix’s Eric Bledsoe, New Orleans’ Anthony Davis, Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant, Indiana’s Paul George, Detroit’s Greg Monroe, and the L.A. Clippers Chris Paul.

It’s early. The season only started last Tuesday. But fun things are happening: the Sixers started 3-0, and rookie guard Michael Carter-Williams has put up some monster games. Here’s the Philadelphia Inquirer reporting:

Carter-Williams is a gifted passer who uses his size to not only see over defenders, but also to drive and dish. He piled up 12 dimes in his debut on a plethora of different passes, some requiring in-paint precision, others quick kicks to the wing for open opportunities. Carter-Williams has excellent court vision; a trait that has been evident since his stint at Syracuse. He is good at predicting where players will be, and his size gives him a distinct advantage over smaller point guards, such as Miami’s Mario Chalmers. If he can continue to use his size, vision and basketball IQ to his advantage, while minimizing his mistakes (the fact that he only had ONE turnover in his debut is a phenomenal feat), he will have the ability to control games without putting up points personally, a la a Rajon Rondo.

His stature also affords him an advantage on the glass, as he is a solid rebounder from the point guard spot. His length allows for him to reach up and around smaller guards to secure rebounds, especially on the defensive end, where he pulled down seven in his debut, and averaged close to five throughout his college career. Carter-Williams’ defensive rebounds are especially dangerous because they can immediately ignite a fast break, as he has the ability to push the ball from end to end and finish the play, either personally, or with an assist. A handful of rebounds should be a common sight in his box scores.

You never know what you have until it’s gone. Or someting like that. Here’s the Los Angeles Daily News Blog reporting:

“I love Kobe Bryant. I consider him like my son,” Jackson told Seth Davis in an interview aired on Campusinsiders.com. I consider him as someone who I had a tense relationship with, but something that has mellowed through the course of the years.”

Still, Jackson hardly avoided uncomfortable topics surrounding Bryant in his interview with Davis.

Jackson noted how Bryant’s thirst for scoring often made him a difficult teammate. He acknowledged asking the Lakers’ front office to trade Bryant during his first stint with the Lakers Jackson even admitted that Bryant’s eventually dismissed sexual assault charge in 2003 tainted his view toward his player partly because his daughter was an assault victim while dating an athlete in college.

InsideHoops.com photo of Minnesota Timberwolves guard Ricky Rubio shooting around before Sunday’s Wolves at New York Knicks game:

We’re just a few games into the NBA regular season, so it’s too early to jump to any sort of crazy conclusions, but as for what’s gone down so far, the Sixers have been an amazing, fun surprise. Here’s the Sacramento Bee reporting:

Someone forgot to tell rookie guard Michael Carter-Williams his Philadelphia 76ers are supposed to be tanking to land a high draft choice.

Carter-Willians, the 11th pick in the draft, had an electrifying debut Wednesday with 22 points, 12 assists, nine steals, seven rebounds and just one turnover in the 76ers’ 114-110 victory over the defending champion Miami Heat.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau:

- Carter-Williams’ nine steals were the most in a debut since steals became an official stat in 1973-74.

- The 12 assists were the second-most in a career debut in NBA history. Ernie DiGregorio had 14 for the Buffalo Braves in 1973-74.

- The 22-12-9-7 combination had been achieved only twice. Utah’s Rickey Green had 26 points, 12 assists, nine steals and seven rebounds in November 1982, and San Antonio’s Johnny Moore had 26 points, 13 assists, nine steals and 11 rebounds in January 1985.

Jimmer Fredette still has work to do to prove that he’s got a place in the NBA. Here’s the Sacramento Bee, with the first paragraph below focused on Jimmer’s Kings situation:

For Fredette, the numbers just don’t add up. In the overall scheme, the body parts just don’t fit. He is a 6-foot-2 backup shooting guard whose offense relies on unselfish teammates to set screens and deliver crisp, precise passes, which the Kings have done very little of this past decade.

That doesn’t mean Fredette can’t flourish elsewhere. It doesn’t even mean he can’t flourish here, under the right circumstances. But surrounding him with one-on-one players is the fastest way to cripple a career, which is why the third-year pro is disappointed, but hardly devastated, that the Kings declined Thursday to pick up his fourth year for an estimated $3 million.

“We weren’t sure what they were going to do,” said Fredette, an unrestricted free agent next summer. “They told me it was a very difficult decision, that they were on the fence until the last few days. And I understand that. This is a business. It’s tough to hear sometimes, but you still have an NBA career. It’s not over. I’m just going to move forward and play as hard as I can this year, try to get better, and see what happens.”

It’s early. The NBA regular season only began this past Tuesday. And Derrick Rose is still working his way back into form. Here’s the Chicago Tribune:

Tom Thibodeau uttered the phrase twice, as if to reassure himself. Or, at least, a worried fan base.

“Some of it is bobbles,” the Chicago Bulls’ coach said. “There’s some rust. He’ll be fine. He’ll be fine.”

Thibodeau was discussing Derrick Rose’s turnovers, which on Saturday featured eight against the Philadelphia 76ers. That included five in the final quarter, all in the final 7 minutes, 59 seconds.

Rose ranks second behind the Warriors’ Stephen Curry with 5.7 turnovers per game. Curry is at 6.3.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are about to get better, and the NBA is about to get even more exciting than it’s already been in this first week of action.

The following statement was issued today by Oklahoma City Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti regarding Russell Westbrook’s availability to play in tonight’s game against the Phoenix Suns:

“Russell Westbrook has gone through a methodical rehab process jointly created by our medical and performance teams and treating physicians. The process has been instrumental in getting Russell to this point and has included various physical and medical benchmarks. The final benchmark being unrestricted basketball activity. After hitting the necessary marks, all parties, including the team, consulting physicians, Russell’s representatives, and most importantly Russell, jointly determined that returning to play was the correct next step.”

According to the Oklahoman, “Thunder players, coaches and front office executives all said Westbrook looked great in on-court activities in the days leading up to training camp. But the loose stitch in his knee caused swelling that would not subside until Westbrook underwent the second procedure. Thunder general manager Sam Presti, however, said last month that the second surgery, though pushing back Westbrook’s return date, allowed the team an opportunity to see Westbrook’s meniscus and gain confidence that it had properly healed.”

The Philadelphia 76ers are rebuilding, and were expected to lose a ton of games this season. They probably still will do just that. But not just yet. Right now, with the season not even a week old yet they are 3-0, and have been a pleasure to watch. Here are some highlights:

Brooklyn Nets center-forward Andray Blatche has been fined $15,000 for making an obscene gesture during the Nets 101-100 win over the Heat on Friday, Nov. 1, at Barclays Center, it was announced today by Rod Thorn, President, Basketball Operations.

Blatche’s actions occurred with 2:40 remaining in the 4th quarter of the game.

The Minnesota Timberwolves today announced that Ronny Turiaf underwent a MRI (Magnetic Resonance Image) this morning at TRIA Orthopedics in Bloomington, Minn. that revealed a radial head fracture of the right elbow. Turiaf will be re-evaluated later this week to determine an approximate time table for a return to the court.

Turiaf suffered the injury at the 10:17 mark of the second quarter during last night’s 100-81 Wolves win over Oklahoma City.

Jimmer Fredette got a lot of attention before and during his entrance into the world of NBA basketball, but ever since he actually put on a Kings jersey, we haven’t seen a lot of him. There have been flashes here and there, but for now, Jimmer is still proving his worth. As for his Kings situation, here’s the Sacramento Bee:

The Kings on Thursday declined to pick up the fourth-year option on guard Jimmer Fredette’s contract for the 2014-15 season, which would have paid the 2011 first-round draft pick a little more than $3 million. The deadline to do so was Thursday at 9 p.m.

Therefore, Fredette will be an unrestricted free agent after the season. The Kings could re-sign him at a reduced salary, but the decision likely means this will be Fredette’s final season with the team.

It also means Fredette probably would bring more value in a trade because his expiring deal would create salary cap space for next summer’s free-agent class. The trade deadline is Feb. 20.

Orlando Magic forward/center Solomon Jones has suffered a torn lateral meniscus in his left knee, General Manager Rob Hennigan announced today. Jones will undergo surgery and will be out indefinitely. He suffered the injury during Orlando’s overtime loss on Oct. 30 @ Minnesota.

Jones (6-10, 235, 7/16/84) was signed as a free agent on Sep. 27. He has played in two games this season, averaging 2.0 ppg. and 5.0 rpg. in 13.7 minpg. Jones also appeared in seven preseason outings, averaging 4.6 ppg., 4.3 rpg. and 1.29 stlpg. in 16.0 minpg.

A graduate of nearby Mount Dora High School, Jones was originally selected in the second round (33rd overall) of the 2006 NBA Draft by Atlanta. He has appeared in 272 career NBA games with Atlanta, Indiana, New Orleans, the Los Angeles Clippers, New York and Orlando, averaging 3.1 ppg. and 2.4 rpg. in 11.1 minpg. Collegiately, Jones played two years at Daytona Beach Community College, then two years at the University of South Florida.

The Philadelphia 76ers today announced they have exercised the third-year team options on the Rookie Scale Contracts for forward Arnett Moultrie and guard Tony Wroten.

Moultrie (6-10, 240) was originally the 27th overall pick by Miami in the 2012 NBA Draft before his rights were traded to Philadelphia. As a rookie last season, Moultrie appeared in 47 games for the Sixers and had the second-highest field goal percentage (.582) of any rookie with more than 25 games played. The 22-year-old was named First Team All-SEC as a junior at Mississippi State in 2011-12 and led the SEC in rebounding.

Wroten (6-6, 205) was selected by Memphis with the 25th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. He was acquired via trade by the Sixers back in August. The 20-year-old averaged 11 points for the Sixers this preseason after scoring 10-plus points once as a rookie for the Grizzlies in 2012-13. In his only season at the University of Washington, Wroten was named Pac-12 Freshman of the Year and became the first freshman in school history to earn First Team All-Conference honors.

Will Kyrie Irving be a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers for his entire career? Maybe. OK, but will he at least stick around once his rookie contract expires? Nobody knows. Not him, not you, not anybody. Here’s the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

When it comes to retaining the Cavaliers’ superstar, it’s never too early to begin the discussion – if only to appease the Cleveland faithful that had their hearts broken three years ago.

So even though Kyrie Irving isn’t going to be a free agent any time soon — the Cavaliers can offer him a long-term extension next summer — when the topic came up for owner Dan Gilbert before the season opener, he was quick to assure that “we feel good about Kyrie being here for his entire career.”

A day later, Irving cautioned that it’s way too early to talk about contracts, but he will offer one bit of reassurance: He has a great relationship with Gilbert.

The Atlanta Hawks have exercised the third-year (2014-‘15) option on the contract of John Jenkins, it was announced Thursday by President of Basketball Operations/General Manager Danny Ferry.

As a rookie last season, Jenkins averaged 6.1 points and 1.5 rebounds in 14.8 minutes (.446 FG%, .384 3FG%, .843 FT%), playing in 61 games (two starts). He ranked fifth among all rookies in three-point percentage, was tied for 18th in scoring and tied for 19th in assists per game. He was Atlanta’s first-round pick (23rd overall) of the 2012 NBA Draft.