It's been a while since we've popped the hood and checked out where the current Kansas University basketball players stand with regard to this year's NBA Draft.

By now, we all know that freshman guard Ben McLemore quickly has become one of the top prospects in the country and could very well be in line to be one of the top picks in the June 27 draft.

In this, the January edition of NBA Stock Watch, we'll look at exactly what all of the mock drafts are saying about McLemore and we'll also look into what's going on with the other Jayhawks who have a shot at getting drafted this summer.

Enough lead-in, though. You know how this works. So let's just get right to it.

BEN MCLEMORE: RS-FR., GUARD, 6-5, 195 pounds
Stock Assessment: Regarded in 2012 by Bill Self as the team's top pro prospect (even though he didn't play), McLemore certainly has shown why Self thought and said that a season ago. Gifted with incredible range, as pure a jump shot as there is and good size and great athleticism, McLemore certainly has what you're looking for in an NBA guard and also owns that always-important “upside” because he's still so young.
Average Mock Draft Position: 3rd
Current High: 1st (NBADraft.net)
Current Low: 5th (MyNBADraft.com, DraftExpress.net)
Overall Movement: + Rising + McLemore's stock continues to rise with each game. By now, he's proven himself to be more than worthy of this kind of hype and, as he continues to show improvement on defense and a well-rounded and polished offensive game, NBA scouts continue to fall in love with him. There's been some talk lately that he could be the top pick in the draft, but it certainly seems very likely, at this point, that he will at least be Top 5.

JEFF WITHEY: SR., CENTER, 7-0, 235 pounds
Stock Assessment: Entered the season as a likely first-round pick with the potential to creep his way into the lottery. There's no question that, defensively, Withey has what it takes to hang in the NBA, but in order to be a highly sought after prospect, Withey needs to get stronger and continue to develop offensively.
Average Mock Draft Position: 27th.
Current High: 24 (MyNBADraft.net and HoopsHype.com)
Current Low: 29 (HoopsHype.com)
Overall Movement: • Holding Steady • Despite being the front-runner for defensive player of the year, nationally, Withey continues to be slotted near the end of the first round in mock drafts. He's a legit 7-footer with good athleticism, but it seems like his light frame may be keeping him from moving up draft boards. Because big men are so tough to find, it's possible that Withey could surprise some folks with his pre-draft workouts and climb a little higher in the weeks leading up to the draft. For now, though, continued dominance on defense along with expanding his offensive game seems to be the best way for him to move up the board.

ELIJAH JOHNSON: SR., GUARD, 6-4, 195 pounds
Stock Assessment: In line to become the next great guard to come through Kansas, Johnson began his senior season with high hopes and even higher expectations. After losing Tyshawn Taylor and Thomas Robinson to the NBA, Johnson was the first player many thought about when talking about picking up their scoring slack. A different player than Taylor but every bit as athletic and armed with a better pure shot, Johnson has a chance to emerge as a rising prospect with a strong finish.
Average Mock Draft Position: 50th.
Current High: 48th (DraftExpress.com)
Current Low: Not listed (MyNBADraft.com)
Overall Movement: — Falling — A couple of these draft boards had Johnson as a late first-round pick heading into the season but his new role as this team's point guard and shooting numbers worse than most expected have dropped him into the second round in most cases. Because of his athleticism, explosiveness and solid size, Johnson has a chance to be a fast riser, but until he becomes a more consistent and efficient force on the floor for the Jayhawks, he'll likely remain a second-rounder for now.

Draft sites used for the player positioning portion of this blog include: NBADraft.net, MyNBADraft.com, DraftExpress.com, HoopsHype.com and DraftSite.com.

Boston Celtics' Paul Pierce (34) and Miami Heat's Mario Chalmers by Nick Gerik

The NBA season — a full NBA season — tips off tonight, and 14 (!) former Kansas basketball players will play their first of 82 games in the coming days.

Two Jayhawks are beginning their rookie campaigns. Two more are starting over with new squads. Several others are trying to carve out roles on up-and-coming teams. A few lucky 'Hawks even look like they'll be chasing their first (or second) NBA titles. And one former KU player is beginning his first year as a head coach in the league.

It'll be a blast to follow. And we'll try to make it easy for you, with our weekly 'Hawks in the NBA national TV schedule (below).

You can also stay informed by checking back to this blog, the "Jayhawks in the NBA" landing page and our up-to-date listing of every Jayhawk in the league, present and past.

Happy NBA-ing, everyone.

Today, Oct. 30

• Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics vs. Mario Chalmers and the Miami Heat, 7 p.m., TNT

Wednesday, Oct. 31

• Xavier Henry and the New Orleans Hornets vs. the San Antonio Spurs, 7 p.m., NBATV

Thursday, Nov. 1

• Nick Collison and the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. the San Antonio Spurs, 8:30 p.m., TNT

Friday, Nov. 2

• Mario Chalmers and the Miami Heat vs. the New York Knicks, 7 p.m., ESPN

Saturday, Nov. 3

• Brandon Rush and the Golden State Warriors vs. the Los Angeles Clippers, 9:30 p.m., NBATV

11:35 p.m. Update by Jesse Newell

Just talked on the phone a little while ago with Tyshawn Taylor, who seemed excited to be playing about 10 miles from his hometown of Hoboken, N.J.

“It’s not that far,” Taylor said. “It’s over one of those bridges over there.”

Be sure to check back to KUsports.com in the next few hours for complete coverage of the NBA Draft, which will include a column from Tom Keegan and full reaction to the day's events from Taylor and KU coach Bill Self.

With that, we're going to sign off with our live coverage. Thanks for being a part of it.

10:03 p.m. Update by Jesse Newell

Tyshawn Taylor was selected with 41st pick in NBA Draft by Portland, who will trade him to Brooklyn.

9:47 p.m. Update by Jesse Newell

Here's Matt's story from New Jersey: Memorable hug, tears just part of emotional night for Thomas Robinson.

9:24 p.m. Update by Jesse Newell

The Chicago Bulls select Kentucky's Marquis Teague with the 29th pick. Turns out those earlier reports of the Bulls taking Taylor were a smoke screen.

Taylor will be a second-round pick.

9:05 p.m. Update by Jesse Newell

Thanks to the KU sports information department for sending this along: Here's audio from Thomas Robinson's press conference after he was selected with the fifth pick in the NBA Draft tonight.

8:25 p.m. Update by Jesse Newell:

A few more ...

(13) Phoenix — Kendall Marshall, North Carolina

(14) Milwaukee — John Henson, North Carolina

(15) Philadelphia — Moe Harkless, St. John's

(16) Houston — Royce White, Iowa State

(17) Dallas (later traded to Cleveland) — Tyler Zeller, North Carolina

(18) Houston — Terrence Jones, Kentucky

(19) Orlando — Andrew Nicholson, St. Bonaventure

You have to wonder what Houston's pickup of Terrence Jones means for the future of Marcus Morris.

7:46 p.m. Update by Jesse Newell:

Let's catch up on the last few picks:

(6) Portland — Damian Lillard, Weber State

(7) Golden State — Harrison Barnes, North Carolina

(8) Toronto — Terrence Ross, Washington

(9) Detroit — Andre Drummond, UConn

(10) New Orleans — Austin Rivers, Duke

(11) Portland — Meyers Leonard, Illinois

(12) Houston — Jeremy Lamb, UConn

7:28 p.m. Update by Jesse Newell:

These two photos were sent our way via the KU athletic department from NBA.com:

Credit: NBA.com by Jesse Newell

Former Kansas forward Thomas Robinson, right, shakes the hand of NBA commissioner David Stern after Robinson was selected with the fifth pick in the NBA Draft on Thursday in Newark, N.J. by Jesse Newell

7:21 p.m. Update by Matt Tait:

Three videos of Robinson as I followed him following his selection in the NBA Draft, including the first one, where he's congratulated by former teammates Marcus and Markieff Morris.

7:08 p.m. Update by Matt Tait:

A couple photos of Robinson doing interviews after getting selected by the Kings.

by Jesse Newell

by Jesse Newell

7:04 p.m. Update by Jesse Newell:

Robinson sheds a tear on television when being interviewed by ESPN. Obviously an emotional moment for him.

7 p.m. Update by Jesse Newell:

It's official: Thomas Robinson is selected fifth in the NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings.

6:55 p.m. Update by Jesse Newell:

This could turn out great for Robinson. Now, he could be matched up with DeMarcus Cousins in Sacramento if the Kings take him at No. 5.

6:54 p.m. Update by Jesse Newell:

Cleveland takes Syracuse's Dion Waiters with the fourth pick. Major surprise there.

6:47 p.m. Update by Jesse Newell:

The Washington Wizards pass on the hometown selection and go with Florida's Bradley Beal.

6:44 p.m. Update by Jesse Newell:

Kentucky's Michael Kidd-Gilchrist is taken second overall by the Charlotte Bobcats. It's the first time ever the two first picks in the NBA Draft have come from the same school.

6:40 p.m. Update by Jesse Newell:

No surprises with the first pick. Kentucky's Anthony Davis goes to New Orleans at No. 1 overall.

Waiting to see if Charlotte takes Robinson or if perhaps a trade is in the works.

6:35 p.m. Update by Matt Tait:

Thomas poses for a picture with his younger sister, Jayla.

Former Kansas University forward Thomas Robinson hugs 9-year-old sister Jayla before the start of the NBA draft on Thursday, June 28, 2012, in Newark, N.J. by Jesse Newell

6:33 p.m. Update by Jesse Newell:

Here's the aforementioned video of Robinson. If you can't hear, he says, "Rock Chalk, Jayhawk. KU all day."

6:22 p.m. Update by Matt Tait:

Pretty much just waiting now. Thomas Robinson was at his table in the Green Room by himself for a long, long time. No worries. He had plenty of visitors, as analysts from ESPN, other players and even a couple of other coaches came and say hey.

I got some video of him waving to the people back in Lawrence and saying, "Rock Chalk Jayhawk, KU all day," but he's such a quiet talker and it's so loud in here that I'm not sure we'll be able to post it.

Jesse's working on it now.

No sign of the Twins or Jayla yet, but they can't be far behind. We're getting close now and Robinson seemed to be very relaxed, just as he was yesterday.

More to come ...

6:21 p.m. Update by Matt Tait:

Here's Thomas texting away in the green room while waiting for the first team to go on the clock.

by Jesse Newell

6:15 p.m. Update by Jesse Newell:

I talked to Kansas center Jeff Withey a few days ago to get his thoughts about Thomas Robinson in tonight's draft.

"He’s for sure a top-five pick," Withey said. "I think he proved a lot throughout this year, making it to the championship game. He’s a winner. I think it would be stupid not to pick him up top five, and hopefully No. 2.

"I think Anthony Davis is definitely a lock for No. 1, so if Thomas can get that No. 2 spot, that’s awesome for him."

Withey said the NBA Draft would be different for him this year because he knows so many players that are going to be selected.

"It’s definitely going to be cool to watch and fun to watch, rooting for Thomas and Tyshawn," Withey said. "I think Tyshawn is going to surprise a lot of people and go pretty high. It is definitely going to be something I’ll watch with a lot of people and make a day of it."

Withey also will be watching this year's draft knowing he could have been a part of it. He ultimately chose to return to KU for his senior year.

"It’s definitely something I thought about, but I’m happy with my decision," Withey said. "It’s definitely going to be cool to guess where I would have gone, but it’s probably a really stressful thing, and I’m glad I waited another whole year to have to deal with that."

6:11 p.m. Update by Jesse Newell:

A few more photos from Matt showing Thomas Robinson just before the draft.

by Jesse Newell

by Jesse Newell

by Jesse Newell

5:45 p.m. Update by Jesse Newell:

Here are a few photos Matt has sent along from New Jersey:

This is the set for ESPN's broadcast of the 2012 NBA Draft from the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., highlights the main portion of the draft floor.

by Jesse Newell

Here's a look at the stage inside the interview room where the draftees talk to the media after they're picked. http://www2.kusports.com/users/photos...

Here's the view — bright lights and all — that Thomas Robinson will have while talking to the media after he is selected. That's former NBA star Ron Harper in the front row. Naturally, when the players are in there the room will be full.

by Jesse Newell

And this is a quick look at the green room about an hour before draft time. Thomas Robinson will sit with his sister Jayla and her father, Angel Morris, a childhood friend from DC and his AAU coach. Former Jayhawks Marcus and Markieff Morris are expected to be here tonight, but they won't be at Robinson's table.

by Jesse Newell

5:14 p.m. Update by Matt Tait:

The stage is set — literally and figuratively — for tonight's NBA Draft in Newark, N.J. by Matt Tait

Recently overheard an official with the Washington Wizards discussing their options. Sounded like a lot of what Washington does hinges on what happens with Robinson at No. 2. It sounds like if Charlotte stays and takes T-Rob, Washington will pick a different guy or trade down. If Charlotte stays and takes someone else, or trades and the new team takes someone else, Washington may look very hard at Robinson at No. 3.

Not huge news, obviously, but it was interesting to hear this from the Wizards.

In other news, I just saw a report that said the Celtics may be trying to trade up for Austin Rivers, the son of head coach Doc Rivers. My first reaction: What?!?!?!

I like Rivers, but I don't know why dad would want to trade up to get son. Talk about pressure. We'll see what happens.

More to come.

Original Post, 5:00 p.m.

Hello, and welcome to the official Draft Night blog from KUSports.com.

Matt Tait is live in Newark, N.J., at the Prudential Center, where Thomas Robinson is expected to go among the first five picks in tonight’s draft.

Also in New Jersey, although not in the arena, is hometown guy, Tyshawn Taylor, a four-year Jayhawk who could go as high as the mid-20s or could last into the middle of the second round.

It’s a very different night and experience for both guys, but one that expects to end with a lot of smiles and hugs.

Robinson, the runner-up in most national player of the year votes, will be joined in the Green Room by his 9-year-old sister, Jayla, his AAU coach, a friend from Washington D.C., and Angel Morris, the mother of former KU players Marcus and Markieff Morris, who were drafted in this very building one year ago.

As is customary, most of today was spent with rumors flying around and teams trying to jockey for position on the draft board. Those moves — if they’re made — could impact Robinson directly, who has a good shot at going second overall if Charlotte stays there but could drop to four or five if Charlotte trades the pick.

Dropping to four or five sure doesn’t sound like a bad deal, and it seems safe to assume that Robinson won’t be in the Green Room for long.

Although the past several weeks were spent with these guys traveling all over the country working out with this team or the other, that’s all behind them now. All that remains is for NBA commissioner David Stern to call their names and the euphoria that follows to ensue.

We’ll be here all night offering our thoughts on the picks and Matt will be checking in from Newark, N.J., as often as possible with pics, videos and his thoughts.

Hang out all night or keep checking back whenever you can. It’s Draft night and that’s becoming more and more of a big deal for Kansas fans.

For those looking to kill time before the first — or maybe the second — pick, here’s Matt’s story from yesterday, which looks at what Robinson and Taylor did in their final days leading up to tonight’s big moment.

Stay tuned for much, much more and enjoy the draft!

Cleveland Cavaliers' Omri Casspi, right, of Israel, drives past Phoenix Suns' Markieff Morris during the second quarter in an NBA basketball game, Sunday, March 25, 2012, in Cleveland. by Nick Gerik

• Markieff Morris (Phoenix Suns) scored a career-high 22 points in 26 minutes on Sunday against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Keef seemingly hit everything en route to a 108-83 win and went 9-for-12 from the field and 2-for-3 from long-range. He scored nine in a row for the Suns during the second quarter, pushing a three-point Phoenix lead to 11. He finished the game with five rebounds and a block (full stats here). A rookie, Markieff is still as inconsistent as they come, though, and he went scoreless in two other games over the last week — a 113-111 win over the Indiana Pacers on Friday and a 107-100 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Tuesday. He played six and seven minutes respectively in those games. He also sat out on Wednesday with flu-like symptoms, and the Suns lost to the Los Angeles Clippers, 103-86 (game stats here).

After starting off his NBA career scorching hot — 9.2 points per game on 49.3-percent shooting, 58.3-percent threes in his first 10 games — Keef hit the proverbial “rookie wall” and cooled off to less impressive 38.9-percent overall and 38.1-percent three-point averages for the season. Part of that is due to a freezing cold 10-game stretch during February and March, in which he shot just 22.2 percent from the field during a 10-game stretch. In 15 March games, Markieff has averaged just 5.0 points, 37-percent shooting and 30 percent three-point shooting.

The good news is that the Suns are close to breaking into the tight Western Conference playoff race. After Wednesday’s games, they were 25-26, sitting in 10th place, yet only 4.5 games back of the fourth place team in the conference (top eight advance to the playoffs).

Indiana Pacers' Roy Hibbert (55) and Paul George defend as Milwaukee Bucks' Drew Gooden (0) drives to the basket during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Saturday, March 24, 2012, in Milwaukee. by Nick Gerik

• After going on a tear in much of February and March, Milwaukee Bucks center Drew Gooden has started to drop a few duds in between his double-doubles and triple-doubles. Gooden was his usual self in a 112-92 blowout win over the NBA’s punching bag, the Charlotte Bobcats, on Friday. But his 14 points, 12 rebounds (including six offensive boards) and four assists in 25 minutes (full stats here) were the exception, rather than the rule, for the recent Eastern Conference Player of the Week. A day later, on Saturday against the Indiana Pacers, Gooden made just three of his 11 shot attempts with six rebounds, three assists and three blocks in 21 minutes as the Bucks were on the opposite end of a big beating, losing 125-104 (full stats here). Things got worse on Monday, when Gooden played some questionable defense, made just two of nine shots and airballed two others for six points, five rebounds and one assist in 22 minutes as the New York Knicks won, 89-80 (full stats here). Gooden’s offensive game reappeared on Tuesday against the Atlanta Hawks, when he scored 16 points with five rebounds and five assists in 35 minutes in a 108-101 win (full stats here). Unfortunately, it was quantity, not quality, that produced those numbers, as Gooden made just five of 16 shots and got six more points with a perfect outing at the free throw line. Over the last five games, Gooden’s shooting has dropped to 30.6 percent, or an average of 3.8 makes on 12.4 attempts. His average for the season sits at 43.2 percent.

Atlanta Hawks' Kirk Hinrich (6) puts up a basket between Utah Jazz' Gordon Hayward (20) and Derrick Favors during triple overtime of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, March 25, 2012, in Atlanta. Atlanta won 139-133 in the NBA's first quadruple-overtime game since 1997. by Nick Gerik

• Before a three-point outing on Wednesday against the Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks guard Kirk Hinrich had been thriving in his starting role, scoring in double figures for five straight games. That five-game span, which was the longest of this season in which he’s started 16 games, began with a 10-point performance against Cleveland on March 21. Friday, Hinrich drilled four three-pointers en route to 14 points, four rebounds and three assists in 38 minutes as the Hawks beat the New Jersey Nets, 93-84 (full stats here). On Saturday, Hinrich put up 10 points, seven rebounds and two assists in 32 minutes against his former teammates on the Washington Wizards, and the Hawks won, 95-92 (full stats here). Sunday brought a bonkers four-overtime 139-133 Hawks victory over the Utah Jazz in which Hinrich had 12 points, five assists and two rebounds in 44 minutes (full stats here). And then, after a one-day break in the action, he put together a 10-point, four-assist, two-rebound performance in 37 minutes as the Hawks lost to the Milwaukee Bucks, 108-101 on Tuesday (full stats here). With five games in six days — and heavy minutes to boot — it’s not surprising that Hinrich’s production faltered a bit on Wednesday against the team that drafted him out of KU in 2003, the Chicago Bulls. He played 28 minutes and added three rebounds and two assists, but the Bulls stomped the Hawks, 98-77 (full stats here).

Miami Heat guard Mario Chalmers, let, drives on Indiana Pacers guard Darren Collison in the first half of an NBA basketball game in Indianapolis, Monday, March 26, 2012. by Nick Gerik

• Miami Heat guard Mario Chalmers seems to have come down with March Madness. And not the good kind. Since returning from the All-Star break at the end of February, Chalmers has averaged just 7.1 points on 34.3-percent shooting and 30.4-percent three-point efficiency. Compare that to pre-All-Star numbers of 11.1 points per game off of 51.2-percent overall and 45.6-percent three-point shooting, and the slump is even more surprising. In fact, Chalmers has scored in double figures in just five of the 14 games this month.

One of those games came on Monday in a 105-90 loss to the Indiana Pacers, when Chalmers heated up for 13 points in 27 minutes. Chalmers coughed up the ball three times in the first quarter before settling down, and he finished with four rebounds, three steals and a single assist (full stats here). In the two games before that, Chalmers put up a pair of three-point duds. He shot 1-for-5 with two rebounds, two assists, a block and three turnovers in 25 minutes during a 103-87 whooping at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday (full stats here). And on Friday, March 23, Chalmers was 1-for-7 with one rebound, four assists, three steals and a turnover in 31 minutes as the Heat beat the Detroit Pistons, 88-73 (full stats here).

Chalmers’ struggles are a bit concerning for the Heat, especially as the postseason approaches. As the Sun Sentinel’s Ira Winderman wrote after Monday’s game:

Chalmers simply has to be play well, because he's the Heat's only playoff-level point guard.

Boston Celtics' Paul Pierce during an NBA basketball game, Friday, March 23, 2012, in Philadelphia. by Nick Gerik

• Deadly, do-it-all Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce looks to be finishing the month of March with a bang. Pierce scored 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting (3-for-4 threes) with nine rebounds, five assists and just one turnover in a 99-86 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday (full stats here). On Sunday, Pierce paced the Celtics to an 88-76 win over the Washington Wizards with 21 points, eight rebounds and three assists (full stats here). Rolling from one porous defense to the next, “The Truth” absolutely demolished the Charlotte Bobcats a day later on Monday as the Celtics won, 102-95. Pierce scored a season-high 36 points on 10-for-20 shooting and a ridiculous 15-of-18 at the free-throw line. He also pulled down 10 rebounds for the double-double and chipped in four assists, three steals and three blocks to round out his dominant performance (full stats here). The shots didn’t fall as kindly on Wednesday against the Utah Jazz, but Pierce still made 6 of 16 attempts and 7 of 7 free throws for 20 points, six rebounds, an assist, two steals and a block as the Celtics took down the Jazz, 92-84 (full stats here).

Highlights of Pierce blowing up the Bobcats:

Minnesota Timberwolves center Kevin Love, left, goes up for a shot as Oklahoma City Thunder's Nick Collison, right, defends during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Oklahoma City, Friday, March 23, 2012. Oklahoma City won 149-140 in double overtime. by Nick Gerik

• Nick Collison (Oklahoma City Thunder) played a season-high 30 minutes and scored 11 points in a crazy 149-140 double-overtime victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday. Collison added three rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block while also having to contend with Timberwolves All-Star Kevin Love, who lit up the Thunder for 51 points (full stats here). In the 22 minutes that Collison and Love shared the court, Love collected three fouls, turned the ball over three times, missed both three-point attempts and made 4 of 9 shots for 12 points. In the 28 minutes while Love played in a Collison-free zone, the Timberwolves big man had a cool 39 points — on 12-of-18 overall shooting and 7-of-9 three-pointers – just one turnover and zero fouls. Collison’s one block also came on Love with 1:46 left in the second overtime. It erased a potentially game-tying layup, and Minnesota did not score again until 11 seconds left, with OKC already up by 11. Yay, defense.

Collison made an equally important play at the end of the first overtime, when he set a monster screen for teammate Kevin Durant, who drilled a game-tying three-pointer. And this play, unlike the block on Love, got the patented Nick Collison “badass screens with a Rick Ross track playing over it” treatment:

Collison followed up his highlight-reel game with a pair of quieter performances in victories on Sunday and Tuesday. On Sunday, Collison had two points and two assists in 18 minutes as the Thunder beat the Miami Heat, 103-87 (full stats here). In 19 minutes on Tuesday, Collison scored six points with one rebound in a 109-95 win over the Portland Trail Blazers (full stats here).

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (24) is closely covered by Golden State Warriors guard Brandon Rush(4) in the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Oakland, Calif., Tuesday, March 27, 2012. by Nick Gerik

• Don’t tell Golden State Warriors swingman Brandon Rush that his team should be tanking to get a better draft pick. The fourth-year pro has been on fire lately, setting season-high numbers in multiple categories and doing everything he can to keep his team alive. Rush scored 11 points with four rebounds in 27 minutes on Saturday as the Warriors beat the Sacramento Kings, 111-108 (full stats here). A day later as the Warriors took on the Portland Trail Blazers, Rush scored in double-digits again, putting up 10 points, but this time he also pulled down a season-high 11 rebounds and blocked a season-high four shots. The Warriors lost, 90-87 (full stats here). Undiscouraged, Rush came back on Tuesday and dropped a season-high 23 points on the Los Angeles Lakers. He also grabbed three rebounds, blocked two more shots and had 11 points in the third quarter alone as the Warriors tried to mount a comeback from 16 down, but the Lakers won, 104-101 (full stats here). Rush stayed hot on Wednesday against the New Orleans Hornets, scoring 12 points with three rebounds, a steal and a block, but the Warriors lost again, this time 102-87 (full stats here).

After Tuesday’s game against the Lakers, Warriors blogger Adam Lauridsen lauded Rush for his defense on Kobe Bryant and wrote:

With Monta Ellis gone, Brandon Rush is now the most capable penetrator on the team. That may not be saying much, but it’s an important role nonetheless. When the Warriors are struggling to connect from behind the arc, they need Rush and others to look for higher percentage looks. That was exactly what Rush did during his monster second half — storming his way to 21 points in just over 21 minutes. The energy and aggressiveness Rush brought to the team was infectious. Much like McGuire, Rush’s defensive effort — blocking shots and closing out on perimeter players — helped spart a quick pace at the offensive end. The Warriors climbed back into the game starting from the inside and working out, and by letting their defense generate offense. That’s how good teams recover from cold stretches or hot opponents — not looking to win it all back in a few easy-way-out threes, but by chipping away at it through stops, work in the paint and trips to the line. The Warriors — and Rush in particular — deserve credit for fighting the right way against the Lakers despite the early, discouraging deficit.

• Cole Aldrich (Oklahoma City Thunder) did not play (coach’s decision) on Friday in the Thunder’s 149-140 double-OT victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves. He did see one statless minute of time on Sunday in a 103-87 beatdown of the Miami Heat, and then missed his only shot and grabbed three rebounds in three minutes as OKC took down Portland, 109-95 on Tuesday.

• Josh Selby (Memphis Grizzlies) did not play (coach’s decisions) in a 101-85 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday or a 102-96 win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday. Then, on Monday, Selby was assigned to the Grizzlies’ D-League affiliate in Reno for the second time this season. Earlier in the year, Selby played four games with the Bighorns and averaged 21.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.3 assists.

• Xavier Henry (New Orleans Hornets) went scoreless in 17 minutes against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday. Henry missed all four of his shots but collected two rebounds and an assist as the Hornets lost, 89-86 (full stats here). On Monday, Henry hit two of his five attempts and four of six free throws for eight points, two rebounds and a steal in 22 minutes against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Hornets lost again, 97-85 (full stats here). New Orleans finally won, though, on Wednesday, as they beat the Golden State Warriors, 102-87. Henry had eight points, a rebound and a steal in 22 minutes of action (full stats here).

• Marcus Morris (Houston Rockets) did not play (coach’s decisions) in any of the three games since an eight-point stint on March 22 against the Golden State Warriors. Marcus sat out Saturday as the Rockets lost to the Dallas Mavericks, 101-99; Monday, as the Rockets beat the Sacramento Kings, 113-106; and Tuesday, as the Rockets lost again to the Mavs, 90-81.

D-League update

by Nick Gerik

• Julian Wright (NBA D-League - Austin Toros) scored 18 points on 8-for-11 shooting and 2-of-2 free throws on Friday as the Toros beat the Maine Red Claws, 112-82. Wright added five rebounds and two assists in 31 minutes (full stats here). A night later, he duplicated his line in a rematch with the Red Claws, scoring 18 again on 8-for-11 shooting. This time, he hit just two of six free throws, but he double-doubled with 11 rebounds and six assists as the Toros coasted to a 116-77 victory (full stats here).

Wright highlights, below (at :16, 1:32, 2:02)

• Brady Morningstar (NBA D-League - Tulsa 66ers) played just 11 minutes and scored five points on Friday as the 66ers lost to the Iowa Energy, 101-95 in overtime. Morningstar took just three shots (all three-pointers) and made one. He also chipped in two assists (full stats here). On Saturday, Morningstar did not play (coach’s decision) as Oklahoma City Thunder guard Reggie Jackson joined the D-League affiliate for a one-game tune-up. The 66ers beat the Energy, 100-87 (game stats here). With Jackson back in OKC, Morningstar played his now-normal 11 minutes again on Tuesday against the Bakersfield Jam. He scored five points again and added one assist (full stats here).

• In the first game of his second developmental assignment, Josh Selby (NBA D-League - Reno Bighorns) scored 18 points on 18 shots Wednesday, and his team lost, 117-89. Selby hit just 6 of 18 attempts, 3 of 8 three-pointers and was 3-for-3 from the foul line. He also had four rebounds, a steal, a block and two turnovers while not registering a single assist in 29 minutes (full stats here).

Jayhawks in upcoming NBA games

Thursday, March 29

• 7 p.m., TNT, Mario Chalmers and the Miami Heat vs. the Dallas Mavericks

• 9 p.m., Xavier Henry and the New Orleans Hornets vs. the Portland Trail Blazers

• 9:30 p.m., TNT, Nick Collison, Cole Aldrich and the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. the Los Angeles Lakers

Friday, March 30

• 6 p.m., Mario Chalmers and the Miami Heat vs. the Toronto Raptors

• 6:30 p.m., Kirk Hinrich and the Atlanta Hawks vs. the New York Knicks

• 6:30 p.m., Drew Gooden and the Milwaukee Bucks vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers

• 7 p.m., Marcus Morris and the Houston Rockets vs. Josh Selby (D-League assignment) and the Memphis Grizzlies

• 7 p.m., Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves

• 9:30 p.m., Brandon Rush and the Golden State Warriors vs. the New Jersey Nets

Boston Celtics' Paul Pierce (34) drives against Milwaukee Bucks' Drew Gooden, left, during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Thursday, March 22, 2012, in Milwaukee. by Nick Gerik

• Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics) made another impressive step in his cementing his Hall of Fame career on Thursday as he scored an efficient 25 points and passed NBA great Clyde Drexler for 26th on the league’s all-time scoring list. Pierce, who now has 22,196 points in just over 13 seasons, passed Drexler with a 10-for-15 shooting line, including a perfect 3-for-3 from downtown and 2-for-3 from the foul line. He added nine rebounds, two assists, a steal and two blocks in 34 minutes as the Celtics beat the Milwaukee Bucks, 100-91 (full stats here). Thirteen of Pierce’s 22,196 points came on Monday against the Atlanta Hawks. In that game, Pierce struggled, hitting just 4 of 14 shots, missing all three three-point attempts, committing five fouls and turning the ball over four times. He also had five rebounds and three assists in 27 minutes (full stats here).

Of Thursday’s game, ESPNBoston.com’s Greg Payne wrote:

The captain displayed the full brunt of his offensive game in the opening period, as his first bucket came on a cut to the basket off of a feed from Kevin Garnett on the right side, and he followed that up with a 3-pointer from the left wing, and then another jump shot off of a screen on the right side. Pierce tallied 11 points in the first quarter (helping to jump-start Boston's offense), 10 in the third, and four in the final frame, with all of them coming during Boston's 16-6 game-changing run.

Pierce’s pursuit of a spot in the NBA’s Top 25 scorers might be a bit tougher to predict. San Antonio Spurs big man Tim Duncan currently holds 25th place with 22,282 points. Pierce’s Celtics teammate Ray Allen sits at No. 24 with 22,884 points.

Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo, right, and Atlanta Hawks guard Kirk Hinrich play during an NBA basketball game Monday, March 19, 2012, in Atlanta. by Nick Gerik

• Kirk Hinrich (Atlanta Hawks) scored nine points with two rebounds and three assists to three turnovers in 36 minutes against the Boston Celtics on Monday. Hinrich, who started at shooting guard, did his best to chase Celtics shooter Ray Allen throughout the game. Hinrich’s aggressive defense drew praise from ESPN’s John Hollinger and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Michael Cunningham, but Allen still scored 19 points on a cool 5 of 9 shots (including four three-pointers) and the Celtics won, 79-76 (full stats here). On Wednesday, Hinrich played a ragged 37 minutes in a 103-102 overtime win against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He had 10 points on 4-for-13 shooting from the field (2-for-5 from three) and fouled out after picking up his fifth and sixth fouls in OT. Hinrich’s final foul came off of a steal attempt with 30 seconds left in the 101-101 game. Cleveland hit 1 of 2 at the line, but Atlanta sealed the victory with a two-point shot. Hinrich chipped in four rebounds, three assists (including two in OT) and two steals to just one turnover (full stats here).

Golden State Warriors shooting guard Brandon Rush (4) is shown against the Minnesota Timberwolves in an NBA basketball game in Oakland, Calif., Monday, March 19, 2012. by Nick Gerik

• Brandon Rush (Golden State Warriors) stitched together three decent offensive performances this week. Rush scored nine points (4-for-9 overall, 1-for-4 from three) with three rebounds, three assists and a block in 31 minutes as the Warriors lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday (full stats here). On Wednesday, Rush exploded for 16 points (off of 6-of-10 shooting and 4-of-7 threes) with two rebounds, a steal and two blocks in 30 minutes as the W’s beat the New Orleans Hornets, 101-92 (full stats here). Then, on Thursday, Rush had nine points — though he hit just 1 of 6 three-point attempts — three rebounds, two assists and three blocks in 24 minutes as the Houston Rockets blew out Golden State, 109-83 (full stats here).

Phoenix Suns' Jared Dudley (3) and Miami Heat's Mario Chalmers (15) battle for the ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Miami, Tuesday, March 20, 2012. by Nick Gerik

• Mario Chalmers (Miami Heat) finished with just one point in 32 minutes on Tuesday against the Phoenix Suns, but he helped his team win a 99-95 battle by putting up impressive numbers in the assists and steals categories. Chalmers dished out eight assists and snagged five steals, which tied season-highs for the fourth-year point guard. It was also the second time this season that Chalmers did not hit a single shot attempt — he was 0-for-3 from the field and 0-for-1 from three on the night (full stats here).

Orlando Magic forward Glen Davis, right, shoots over Phoenix Suns forward Markieff Morris during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, March. 21, 2012, in Orlando Fla. by Nick Gerik

• Markieff Morris (Phoenix Suns) didn’t back down from the Miami Heat on Tuesday, scoring 12 points in 22 minutes as the Heat edged out the Suns, 99-95. Markieff hit 4 of 7 shots, including 1 of 2 threes and 3 of 5 free throws, while collecting four rebounds, a steal and a block (full stats here). He also committed five fouls, including this take down of Heat star LeBron James. Markieff’s most impressive play of the night was when he pulled off a variation on the Darrell Arthur Memorial Block/Sprint/Slam Sequence ™

On Wednesday, against the Orlando Magic, Keef had nine points, with one three-pointer, and three rebounds to three personal fouls in 26 minutes. The Suns lost to the Magic, 103-93 (full stats here).

Los Angeles Clippers forward Blake Griffin, left, shoots in front of Oklahoma City Thunder center Nick Collison during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Oklahoma City, Wednesday, March 21, 2012. by Nick Gerik

• Nick Collison (Oklahoma City Thunder) had six point, two rebounds, two assists and two steals in 19 minutes vs. the Utah Jazz on Tuesday. The Thunder lost, 97-90 (full stats here).Collison followed that up with four points, five rebounds and an assist in a 114-91 blowout of the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday (full stats here). He also combined with Thunder forward Serge Ibaka to limit Clippers’ star Blake Griffin to seven points on 3-for-11 shooting.

Milwaukee Bucks center Drew Gooden, middle, receives congratulations from teammates Carlos Delfino, left, and Monta Ellis after scoring during the second half of their NBA basketball game against the Portland Trail Blazers in Portland, Ore., Tuesday, March 20, 2012. Gooden scored 19 points as they beat the Blazers 116-87. by Nick Gerik

• Reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week Drew Gooden (Milwaukee Bucks) scored 19 points on smooth 8-for-12 shooting, including a three-pointer, as the Bucks topped the Portland Trail Blazers, 116-87 on Tuesday. Gooden had 13 points in the first quarter alone and kept distributing the ball, passing out five assists to go with four rebounds in 31 minutes (full stats here). Gooden took the same number of shots on Thursday against the Boston Celtics, but finished with an ugly 2-for-12 line and just six points — his lowest total since Feb. 3. Gooden added three rebounds, three assists and two blocks, but was blocked three times himself and played just 25 minutes in the loss (full stats here).

Golden State Warriors guard Brandon Rush (4) blocks a shot by New Orleans Hornets guard Xavier Henry (4) in the second half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Wednesday, March 21, 2012. The Warriors won 101-92. by Nick Gerik

• Xavier Henry (New Orleans Hornets), fresh from a one-game D-League stint, scored 13 points on 14 shots on Wednesday as the Hornets lost to the Golden State Warriors, 101-92. Henry shot 6-for-14 overall, made 1 of 2 free throws and did not attempt a three-pointer. He added three rebounds, two assists and a steal to one turnover in 25 minutes (full stats here). Henry turned around and corrected his shooting woes on Thursday against the Los Angeles Clippers. He scored in double digits again, but this time he had 12 points on just four shots. His efficiency was helped out by a 3-for-4 line overall and a 5-for-6 mark from the free-throw stripe. In another 25 minutes on the court, Henry chipped in three rebounds, one assist and zero turnovers. He also nailed one big-time three-pointer with three minutes left that put the Hornets up by seven en route to a 97-90 victory (full stats here). Henry played all 12 fourth-quarter minutes in the win.

Here’s what Hornets247.com had to say about X’s performance on Thursday:

Xavier was really quiet in the first half, but in the second he did some damage all over the place. He brought his normal aggression, and fitting with his name, he gave it to the Clippers. 12 points on 4 shots? I’ll take that with a side of BBQ sauce please. He was really active on the boards also, even if he didn’t get many of them.

• Marcus Morris (Houston Rockets) did not play (coach’s decision) on Tuesday in a 107-104 Rockets win over the Los Angeles Lakers. On Thursday, Marcus played almost eight minutes toward the end of a 109-83 Rockets victory over the Golden State Warriors. Marcus hit 3 of 6 shots (no threes) and was 2-for-2 from the foul line for eight points — a new career-high. He also had two fouls and a turnover (full stats here).

• Cole Aldrich (Oklahoma City Thunder) did not play (coach’s decision) as the Thunder lost to the Utah Jazz, 97-90 (game stats here). Aldrich did play, however, at the end of a 114-91 shellacking of the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. He scored two points off of his only shot attempt (an eight-foot hook shot) and blocked one shot in his four minutes at the end of the game (full stats here).

• Josh Selby (Memphis Grizzlies) played just over a minute on Tuesday as the Grizzlies lost to the Sacramento Kings, 119-110. Selby missed his only shot, a three-point heave at the final buzzer (full stats here). He did not play on Thursday (coach’s decision) as the Grizzlies lost to the Portland Trail Blazers, 97-93 (game stats here).

Other notes

• Julian Wright (NBA D-League - Austin Toros) had 10 points and eight rebounds in 31 minutes as the Toros won, 113-103 on Wednesday. Wright, who committed four fouls and turned the ball over twice, also registered two steals and two blocks (full stats here). In nine games with Austin, Wright has averaged 12.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.3 steals, .8 blocks and nearly 62-percent shooting.

• Josh Selby (Memphis Grizzlies) will soon have more competition in practice, as the Grizzlies just signed veteran and former All-Star guard Gilbert Arenas. But that could be a good thing for Selby, a seldom-used rookie. From a Q&A with Arenas in the Commercial Appeal:

Q. What are your expectations for this situation in Memphis?

A. To get better, have fun and enjoy it. You know, I don't expect to take over. This team is well built. If I get some time, I get some time. But I also want to help Josh (Selby) and (Jeremy) Pargo learn the game a little better so when their careers take off they've gotten some good advice from a veteran.

• Phoenix Suns forward Markieff Morris’ rookie season has been a bit turbulent at times. None more so than Sunday against the Houston Rockets, when Markieff made what one YouTube user called “the worst consecutive passes in NBA history”:

• The Oklahoman’s Berry Tramel points out that the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Nick Collison is among a short (and distinguished) list of players who have been with the same team for at least nine years:

… Collison remains a Thunder essential. Tough defense, screens galore, occasional scoring touch. The Thunder always seems to play better with Collison on the floor. Which is no coincidence. Teams often try to keep their stars as the core, and rotate role players in and out of the roster over a period of years. But the Thunder has made Collison a virtual lifer; he’s under contract through summer 2015. Sam Presti gave Collison a huge signing bonus in November 2010, which basically made Collison a $13-million player for that season. But the payoff was that Collison would remain a Boomer the next four years, making $3.2 million, $2.9 million, $2.5 million and $2.2 million.

You give a bonus like that to guys you can count on. And the Thunder can count on Collison. This organization has counted on him, for longer than all but a handful of players in the NBA.

• Scout Inc.’s David Thorpe put together a Rookie Redraft for ESPN.com on Wednesday. In the article, which is available to ESPN Insider subscribers only, Thorpe took the 2011-12 rookie class and redrafted them based on their performance to date. Both Markieff Morris (13th to the Phoenix Suns) and Marcus Morris (14th to the Houston Rockets) fell in the hypothetical scenario.

Instead, Markieff went 16th to the Philadelphia 76ers, where Thorpe wrote:

Either Morris twin would work here, simply because Philly needed perimeter shooting heading into the draft. With Elton Brand and Thaddeus Young at the power forward spot, Markieff makes more sense than Marcus. He's an excellent shooter, he's from Philly and he's the kind of guy Doug Collins would love to coach.

Marcus went 18th to the Washington Wizards:

Morris hasn't done anything yet as a pro, but the young man is stuck with a coach who does not believe in him. In Washington he'd have been playing from day one and would be the surprise guy of this draft. In Leonard and Morris, the Wiz would have two solid rotation players with at least one starter.

• Speaking of the Morrii, the Topeka Capital-Journal’s Jeremy Deckard wrote about Markieff and Marcus’ reunion earlier this week. There are some great quotes (you can read the whole thing here), but this one section stood out:

Both brothers shared time on and off the court Sunday, and the two sat next to each other for several minutes before team warm-ups.

“It was great moment,” Marcus said of the time spent with his brother. “It was a time to catch up with him.”

The conversation consisted of more than just catching up, however.

“We were talking about the Kansas game,” Markieff said. “We were both trying to figure out how we could keep track of the score of the game.”

• John Reid of the Times Picayune wrote about New Orleans Hornets swingman Xavier Henry’s recent trip to the D-League. It sounds like things are looking up for Henry:

“I think when you are sent to the D-League, it makes you more hungry because a lot of guys down there want your position, and they are going to come at you like you are the prize,” Hornets point guard Jarrett Jack said. “For him, it was kind of a wake-up call.

“Since he came back, it seems like he has had a fire beneath him, showing a little more effort. The thing with younger guys is getting them to play hard all the time.”

(Hornets coach Monty) Williams said he plans to extend Henry’s playing time, starting with tonight’s game against the Golden State Warriors, as long as he continues to make progress.

“There are a lot of teaching points, and I have to make sure I don’t make the same mistakes twice,” said Henry, who has a year remaining on his rookie-scaled contract after this season.

• Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce got into the spirit of March Madness with a blog post at Boston.com on Thursday:

We’re only at the Sweet 16 and my Kansas guys already have me on the edge of my seat! That game against Purdue was intense. They were really handing it to us, but we were able to keep our composure and make a late comeback to pull it out in the end.

Hummel really had it going, but Coach Self made some great adjustments and it paid off. Basketball is all about rhythm and getting it going at the right time, and that’s exactly what KU did. That’s what you’ve got to do during March Madness, its win or go home and watch the rest of the action from your couch.

This year’s tournament has been great with all the upsets and surprises. While it’s been exciting to watch, it’s also got my bracket a little out of whack. No one could have predicted some of these outcomes, and I’ve got to say, as the competitive guy I am, I’m not too happy about being less than 50 percent with only seven of my picks making the Sweet 16. The great news though is that there’s a lot of unbelievable basketball being played.

• Milwaukee Bucks center Drew Gooden answered some fan questions in a YouTube video for Bucks.com. Gooden had some fun with it and even compared himself to a cockroach at one point:

Jayhawks in upcoming NBA games

Friday, March 23

• 6 p.m., Drew Gooden and the Milwaukee Bucks vs. the Charlotte Bobcats

• 6 p.m., Markieff Morris and the Phoenix Suns vs. the Indiana Pacers

• 6:30 p.m., Kirk Hinrich and the Atlanta Hawks vs. the New Jersey Nets

• 6:30 p.m., Mario Chalmers and the Miami Heat vs. the Detroit Pistons

• 7 p.m., ESPN, Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics vs. the Philadelphia 76ers

• 7 p.m., Nick Collison, Cole Aldrich and the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves

Saturday, March 24

• 2 p.m., Josh Selby and the Memphis Grizzlies vs. the Los Angeles Clippers

• 6 p.m., Kirk Hinrich and the Atlanta Hawks vs. the Washington Wizards

• 7 p.m., Xavier Henry and the New Orleans Hornets vs. the San Antonio Spurs

• 7 p.m., NBATV, Marcus Morris and the Houston Rockets vs. the Dallas Mavericks

• 7:30 p.m., Drew Gooden and the Milwaukee Bucks vs. the Indiana Pacers

• 9:30 p.m., NBATV, Brandon Rush and the Golden State Warriors vs. the Sacramento Kings

Phoenix Suns' Markieff Morris looks to shoot in front of Los Angeles Clippers' Bobby Simmons during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles, Thursday, March 15, 2012. by Nick Gerik

• One game after picking up his first “did not play - coach’s decision” of the season, Phoenix Suns forward Markieff Morris put together a solid 10-point, six-rebound night against the Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday. Markieff scored in double-figures for the first time in a month and added an assist, three steals and a block in 16 minutes as the Suns edged out the Clippers, 91-87 (full stats here). But the Markieff’s biggest achievement of the night was a Blake Griffin-esque dunk on... Blake Griffin:

The next day, Markieff picked up five fouls and scored just four points with one rebound, two assists and a block in 12 minutes in a 109-101 Suns win over the Detroit Pistons on Friday (full stats here). Against brother Marcus’ Houston Rockets on Sunday, Markieff played 17 minutes and had four points, four rebounds, an assist, a block and a drawn charge. Although he didn’t match up consistently with his twin brother, Markieff and Phoenix got the best of Marcus and Houston as the Suns won, 99-86 (full stats here).

After the game, Keef talked to reporters about playing opposite his brother for the first time:

• Injuries, trades and buyouts over the past week have opened up a sliver of playing time for the Houston Rockets’ Marcus Morris. Starting with an ugly, scoreless eight-minute stint last Wednesday, Marcus has now played significant minutes in three straight games. He played 16 minutes on Saturday as starter and fellow rookie Chandler Parsons sat out, scoring four points (career-high!) with one rebound. The Rockets lost 95-91 to the Los Angeles Clippers, and Marcus made 1 of 3 shots, missing two-three point attempts and sinking 2 of 2 free throws (full stats here). On Sunday, with Parsons back, Marcus faced off with twin brother Markieff’s Phoenix Suns and played 11 minutes. He scored two points, again on 1-for-3 shooting, and snagged a steal in a 99-86 loss to the Suns (full stats here).

After the game, Marcus told the Houston Chronicle:

“I’m still a basketball player,” he said. “I came from a great school (Kansas), so at the end of the day, I still know the game. I came out to get used to it, not jack up a bunch of shots to get comfortable.

“It felt good. I had a chance to get out there, run up and down a little bit, defend a little bit. I could have jumped on the glass a little more, but I helped as far as the smaller aspects of boxing out, not letting guys run in there and grab boards.

“ I was just happy to get out there, do the small things and just play.”

Red94.net’s Rahat Huq had this to say about Marcus’ performance on Sunday:

Marcus Morris once again saw minutes with the team playing short-handed. He hit a nice turnaround on the baseline, but overall, like the previous night, didn’t do much offensively. He played pretty well defensively, however, which was encouraging as the issue of whether he could keep pace with perimeter players was the primary concern. He was able to stay in front of Jared Dudley and for the most part, Michael Redd. While Redd did score on a foul, it’s not an issue – he’s a shooting guard; not even a small forward. Some observations or I guess, affirmations, on Morris – he doesn’t have that athletic explosion. No burst. We knew this though. A lot of rookies are able to come in and impress and earn more playing time just by scrapping, without the ball. I think back to Carl Landry’s rookie year when he came in and dunked back every offensive board in sight, earning himself a spot in the rotation. Morris can’t do that because he doesn’t have the athleticism to get those loose balls. For him to be effective, he will need the ball, and therein lies the problem because as a rookie, he isn’t going to get the ball. Another example: Chandler Parsons and Patterson earned their spots by playing smart defense and picking their spots offensively. Marcus Morris’ value is as a one-on-one offensive player. See now why they kept him in the D-League? The few times he was able to pin his man down in the post, he looked pretty good. So calm down on Morris – it’s too soon to worry.

Atlanta Hawks' Kirk Hinrich (6) and Cleveland Cavaliers' Kyrie Irving (2) fight for a loose ball in the second quarter of an NBA basketball game in Cleveland on Sunday, March 18, 2012. by Nick Gerik

• Kirk Hinrich (Atlanta Hawks) stuck in the starting lineup over the weekend as the Hawks won games against the Washington Wizards, on Friday, and the Cleveland Cavaliers, on Sunday. Hinrich put up five points, two rebounds, five assists and a block in the 102-88 win against the Wizards, and he tallied 14 points, three rebounds, an assist and a block in a 103-87 victory vs. the Cavs.

It looks like Hinrich, who played 41 and 37 minutes in his most recent games after surviving the NBA trade deadline, might start for the remainder of the season. Here’s what Hawks coach Larry Drew had to say, via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution:

“With both Jeff (Teague) and Kirk in the backcourt it gives us some versatility at the guard spot.

“With Kirk in the lineup, especially at the very beginning, he really gets after it. It just makes us much more aggressive and gives us another guy with the ability to break you down off the dribble. It gives us another guy who can catch and shoot. So far it has worked out.”

And with plays like this, why not?

Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce sits on the bench after fouling out late in the fourth quarter in the Denver Nuggets' 98-91 victory in an NBA basketball game in Denver on Saturday, March 17, 2012. by Nick Gerik

• Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics) couldn’t quite will his team to a victory this weekend, despite scoring 19 points against the Sacramento Kings and 22 against the Denver Nuggets. The Kings blew out the Celtics on Friday, 120-95, as Pierce, who was dealing with a “mild ankle sprain,” shot just 5-for-15 from the field and went 0-for-5 from three. He salvaged a decent line with a 9-for-9 effort at the foul line and chipped in three rebounds and two assists in 35 minutes (full stats here). On Saturday vs. the Nuggets, Pierce rediscovered his three-point shot, going 3-for-7 from downtown. His 22 points came off of 8-for-17 shooting and 3 of 3 free throws. He also added three rebounds, a block and three assists to zero turnovers in 31 minutes before he fouled out, and the Celtics lost, 98-91 (full stats here).

Miami Heat's Mario Chalmers during an NBA basketball game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Friday, March 16, 2012, in Philadelphia. by Nick Gerik

• Mario Chalmers (Miami Heat) did a little bit of everything for the Heat in two weekend wins. On Friday, in an 84-78 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers, Chalmers scored 10 points (4-for-6 overall, 2-for-3 threes) with four rebounds and four assists to three turnovers in 32 minutes (full stats here). One of those threes came on a basket with just 1.5 seconds left in the first half. On Sunday, in a 91-81 win over the Orlando Magic, Chalmers had seven points on 3-of-8 shooting (1-of-3 from three), with five rebounds, two steals, one block and four assists to two turnovers in 36 minutes (full stats here).

Utah Jazz guard Alec Burks (10) has a shot blocked by Golden State Warriors forward Brandon Rush (4) as Warriors forward Richard Jefferson (44) assists with the defense during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Salt Lake City, Saturday, March 17, 2012. by Nick Gerik

• Brandon Rush (Golden State Warriors) played his second most minutes of the season on Friday in a 120-98 loss to the Milwaukee Bucks. In 35 minutes, Rush scored 10 points on 3-of-10 shooting (2-for-5 on threes, 2-for-2 at the foul line) and added seven rebounds and four assists (full stats here). A day later on Saturday, Rush played a more normal 22 minutes and scored four points — all on free throws — with three rebounds, an assist, a steal and a block as the Warriors lost, 99-92 to the Utah Jazz (full stats here).

• Drew Gooden (Milwaukee Bucks) followed up his second-career triple-double on Wednesday with a 16-point, 11-rebound game in just 28 minutes on Friday. The Bucks rolled over the Golden State Warriors, 120-98 (full stats here). Playing just three quarters, Gooden made 6 of 14 shots, 4 of 4 free throws and added four assists— his fifth game in a row with at least four dimes. He was also named the Eastern Conference player of the week after averaging 18 points, 9.7 rebounds and 8.0 assists in his last three games — all Bucks wins.

• Nick Collison (Oklahoma City Thunder) put up six points, six rebounds and two assists on Thursday as the Thunder beat the Denver Nuggets, 103-90 (full stats here). On Friday, Collison had just two points and five rebounds in a 114-105 loss to the San Antonio Spurs (stats), before following that up with seven points, two rebounds on Sunday as OKC took down the Portland Trailblazers, 111-95 (stats).

• Cole Aldrich (Oklahoma City Thunder) played one minute and 20 seconds total in OKC’s last three games. Aldrich saw 55 seconds in a 103-90 win over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday and 25 seconds against the Portland Trailblazers in a 111-95 victory on Sunday. He did not play (coach’s decision) on Friday as the Thunder lost, 114-105 to the San Antonio Spurs.

• After seeing consistent double-digit minutes and setting a new career high in points at the beginning of March, New Orleans Hornets swingman Xavier Henry’s minutes and production have taken a nose-dive during the past week. So it wasn’t a surprise to see the second-year pro sent down to the NBA D-League over the weekend. Henry’s assignment to the Iowa Energy — a planned one-game stint “to allow him to get some additional playing time while the Hornets are on a short break,” according to Hornets247.com — followed a string of five games where he scored a total of 10 points, including two scoreless outings last Wednesday and Thursday and a four-point, two rebound effort on Saturday. On Sunday, in Henry’s first game in the NBADL, he scored 13 points on 5-of-12 shooting (3-of-5 free throws, zero threes) with a rebound, an assist and two steals in 19 minutes (full stats here).

• Josh Selby (Memphis Grizzlies) did not play in a pair of games over the weekend (coach’s decisions). The Grizzlies lost on Friday, 114-110 in overtime to the Toronto Raptors, and won on Sunday, 97-92 against the Washington Wizards. Selby has played just 16 minutes total in four NBA games since Feb. 5.

D-League update

• Julian Wright (NBA D-League - Austin Toros) pieced together a strong double-double on Sunday, with 17 points and 15 rebounds in a 114-87 victory. Wright made 8 of 14 shots and chipped in four assists, two steals and a block in 32 minutes (full stats here). On Friday, in a 119-112 win, Wright also registered a double-double: 10 points and 12 rebounds. He had three assists, a block and six offensive boards in 29 minutes in that game (full stats here).

• Brady Morningstar (NBA D-League - Tulsa 66ers) had a pair of relatively quiet games over the weekend for the 66ers. Morningstar went scoreless on two attempts on Friday in a 106-97 win (full stats here). He added two rebounds and two turnovers in 15 minutes. On Saturday, Morningstar scored two points and had two rebounds, two steals, four assists and zero turnovers in 19 minutes, as Tulsa won, 97-88 (full stats here).

Jayhawks in upcoming NBA games

Monday, March 19

• 6:30 p.m., Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics vs. Kirk Hinrich and the Atlanta Hawks

• 9:30 p.m., Brandon Rush and the Golden State Warriors vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves

Tuesday, March 20

• 6:30 p.m., NBATV, Mario Chalmers and the Miami Heat vs. Markieff Morris and the Phoenix Suns

• 7 p.m., Marcus Morris and the Houston Rockets vs. the Los Angeles Lakers

• 8 p.m., Nick Collison, Cole Aldrich and the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. the Utah Jazz

• 9 p.m., Josh Selby and the Memphis Grizzlies vs. the Sacramento Kings

• 9 p.m., Drew Gooden and the Milwaukee Bucks vs. the Portland Trailblazers

Milwaukee Bucks' Drew Gooden (0) goes up for a shot against Cleveland Cavaliers' Antawn Jamison (4) during the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, March 14, 2012, in Milwaukee. The Bucks won 115-105. by Nick Gerik

Drew Gooden (Milwaukee Bucks) channeled his inner Wilt Chamberlain on Wednesday against the Cleveland Cavaliers, leading his team in assists from the center position and recording the second TRIPLE-DOUBLE of his career. Gooden’s 15-point, 10-rebound, 13-assist effort was all the more impressive considering he did it in 29 minutes and just three quarters — Gooden sat out the entire fourth period. He shot 7-for-12 from the field (including 1-for-3 on three-pointers) and threw in a steal and two blocks for good measure (full stats here). Gooden also turned the ball over five times, but, hey, that’s almost expected when a career 1.1-assists-per-game forward/center ties his career high with 13 dimes. It still didn’t stop Bucks teammate Mike Dunleavy from having fun at Gooden’s expense after the game. From BrewHoop.com:

“Yeah, well some nights he is tragic, and some nights he is Magic (Johnson). Tonight he was Magic, with a little tragic sprinkled in. Five turnovers, come on.”

What was really magic was this: Gooden’s TRIPLE-DOUBLE has been accomplished by just seven other players this season. Heck, it’s something that future Hall of Famer and fellow Jayhawk Paul Pierce has done only six times in his career.

It’s not completely surprising though, as Gooden previewed his big night with 23 points, eight rebounds and seven assists on Monday in a 105-99 win vs. the New Jersey Nets. In that game, Gooden shot 11-for-19 and scored 15 of his 23 points after halftime (full stats here).

Gooden’s been an assist animal lately, recording five or more in four straight games. That’s impressive in itself. He’s now had 17 such games in almost 10 years in the NBA, and six of those have come this season. All of that has upped his assists-per-game to a career-high 2.4 mark.

But back to that TRIPLE-DOUBLE...

Gooden’s only other career trip-dub came a year ago, on April 9, 2011, against — who else? — the Cleveland Cavaliers (whom Gooden played for from 2004 to 2008). Last year’s performance was eerily similar — 15 points (on 6 of 12 shots) with 13 rebounds, 13 assists, two blocks and four turnovers. The biggest difference? Gooden needed 37 minutes for the feat in 2011 and fouled out. On his second go-around on Wednesday, Gooden pulled it off in 29 minutes and with just two fouls. Needless to say, I’m looking forward to the 21-minute triple-double in spring 2013.

Other notes from Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday

Chicago Bulls guard C.J. Watson (7) controls the ball as Miami Heat guard Mario Chalmers (15) guards during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Chicago, Wednesday, March 14, 2012. by Nick Gerik

• Mario Chalmers (Miami Heat) made just 4 of 13 shots (including 2 of 8 threes) for 10 points on Tuesday as the Heat lost to the Orlando Magic, 104-98. Chalmers played 31 minutes and had just two rebounds, two steals and two assists to two turnovers and five personal fouls (full stats here). Wednesday’s game against the Chicago Bulls didn’t go much better. In that game — a 106-102 Bulls win — Chalmers played just 23 minutes and made just 1 of 5 shots and a couple free throws for four points. He added five rebounds, three assists, a steal and zero turnovers and even drew a charge (full stats here).

Atlanta Hawks' Kirk Hinrich, top, reaches for a loose ball against Denver Nuggets' Danilo Gallinari, of Italy, in the third quarter of their NBA basketball game in Denver, Tuesday, March 13, 2012. by Nick Gerik

• Kirk Hinrich (Atlanta Hawks) started at shooting guard again on Tuesday, playing 40+ minutes for the second game in a row. Statistically, Hinrich had a very impressive game, scoring a season-high 22 points on ultra-efficient 7-for-8 shooting (3-for-4 from three-point range) and 5 of 6 foul shots. He also contributed four assists, a steal and just one turnover in 41 minutes (full stats here).

During Tuesday’s game though, the few weaknesses in Hinrich’s final line had a huge influence on the outcome of the game — a 118-117 loss to the Denver Nuggets, in overtime.

With the Hawks down by a point at the end of the fourth quarter, Hinrich drove in and drew a foul with 1.1 seconds left on the clock. He hit the first foul shot but missed the game-winner, sending the teams to overtime.

During OT, Hinrich made up for his gaffe with some big plays — nailing a three, hitting two more free throws and assisting on a three-pointer — but he also drew a costly shot clock violation with 35 seconds left and the Hawks up by just one. Two Denver foul shots and two Atlanta misses later, the game was over.

After the game, Kirk took responsibility for the loss, which, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Michael Cunningham, stemmed from a host of Hawks miscues. From the Journal-Constitution:

“It’s tough. I had a chance to win it. I made the hard one, the first one, and I missed the second. I’m very disappointed.”

A night later, Hinrich didn’t get the chance to win or lose the game for the Hawks, as the Los Angeles Clippers ran away with a 96-82 Wednesday win. Hinrich once again started, but he scored just four points (1-for-5 shooting) and chipped in five rebounds, two assists and two turnovers in 35 minutes (full stats here).

Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce (34) goes to the basket as Los Angeles Clippers point guard Mo Williams looks on in the second half of an NBA basketball game in Los Angeles on Monday, March 12, 2012. Celtics won 94-85. by Nick Gerik

• Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics) scored 10 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter on Monday against the Los Angeles Clippers and the Celtics went on to win, 94-85. Pierce hit 7 of 16 shots overall, nailing 3 of 7 threes and 8 of 10 free throws. He also dished out seven assists with three rebounds and four turnovers in 31 minutes (full stats here).

Against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday, Pierce didn’t shoot the ball any better (5-for-17, 0-of-4 threes, 15 points) and had six turnovers, but the Celtics won on a late basket, 105-103. Pierce added six rebounds, six assists and two steals in that game (full stats here).

Golden State Warriors' Andris Biedrins, of Latvia, left, and Brandon Rush smile as they walk down court during a timeout in the fourth quarter against the Golden State Warriors in a NBA basketball game in Sacramento, Calif., March 13, 2012. The Warriors won 115-89. by Nick Gerik

• Brandon Rush (Golden State Warriors) was counted on to provide a bit more offense for the Warriors on Tuesday after the team traded away starting shoot-it-a-lot guard Monta Ellis, and Rush delivered, scoring 17 points in 24 minutes as Golden State beat the Sacramento Kings, 115-89. Rush shot the three-ball very well, sinking 5 of 9 three-point attempts. He also grabbed eight rebounds and blocked a shot (full stats here).

After the game, Adam Lauridsen of the Bay Area News Group’s Warriors blog wrote:

… Rush’s shooting touch was dead-on consistent the entire night. The three pointers that cracked open the lead in the third quarter were just beautiful basketball plays — created thanks to unselfish passing and well-executed rotations.

On Wednesday, Rush couldn’t connect on either of his threes and he finished with seven points, five rebounds, three assists, a steal, a block and an uncharacteristic three turnovers in 29 minutes against the Boston Celtics. The Warriors lost, 105-103 (full stats here).

New Orleans Hornets shooting guard Xavier Henry (4) works around Charlotte Bobcats point guard Kemba Walker (1) in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Monday, March 12, 2012. by Nick Gerik

• Xavier Henry (New Orleans Hornets) took just three shots, making one for two points against the Charlotte Bobcats on Monday. Henry added two assists and did not register any other stats as the Bobcats held off the Hornets at the buzzer, 73-71 (full stats here). On Wednesday against the Los Angeles Lakers, Henry played just six scoreless minutes in the second quarter, missing two shots and two free throws. He also grabbed a rebound, blocked a shot and turned the ball over once before being benched for the rest of the game. The Lakers won, 107-101 in overtime (full stats here).

Houston Rockets forward Chandler Parsons (25) shoots in front of Oklahoma City Thunder center Nick Collison(4) in the second quarter of an NBA basketball game in Oklahoma City, Tuesday, March 13, 2012. by Nick Gerik

• Nick Collison (Oklahoma City Thunder) grabbed seven rebounds and scored four points as the Thunder lost to the Houston Rockets, 104-103 on Tuesday night (full stats here). Collison played 21 minutes and had his usual allotment of “plays the boxscore won’t show.” From the official Thunder website:

Incredible work by Nick Collison to secure a defensive rebound then acrobatically pitch it ahead to Harden ...

Great work to draw a charge by Collison on Goran Dragic ...

Good job by Mohammed and Collison to stick with the play and get an offensive rebound in addition to saving a loose ball ...

Beautiful interior bounce pass from Collison to Mohammed in the lane ...

Collison in the right place at the right time to finish up a Westbrook miss ...

• Cole Aldrich (Oklahoma City Thunder) did not play (coach’s decision) on Tuesday against the Houston Rockets. Oklahoma City lost at home to Houston, 104-103 (game stats here). Aldrich’s competition for minutes at the backup center position, Nazr Mohammed, had what DailyThunder.com’s Royce Young called “probably his best game in a month” — 10 points, six rebounds and a block in 15 minutes. Not great news for Aldrich right now, but nothing to worry about long term.

• If you were hoping for encouraging news about Phoenix Suns rookie Markieff Morris’ latest slump … well, skip this blurb. On Monday, Markieff made it into the game at the end of the first quarter and hit two quick jumpers at the start of the second. And then things went downhill from there. Markieff didn’t hit another shot in his 20 total minutes on the floor and finished with four points and four rebounds as the Suns lost to the Minnesota Timberwolves, 127-124 (full stats here).

After the game, the Arizona Republic’s Paul Coro provided some perspective on the rookie’s slide:

Rookie Markieff Morris missed his last six shots Monday night and has made one 3-pointer in the past three weeks. He had signs of a bounce-back game when he made his first two jumpers Monday night and had a big block on Kevin Love, but he was out of place defensively on rotations and didn't challenge Love on 3s. The Suns want to invest in Morris for the future, but Hakim Warrick has outplayed him of late.

On Wednesday, against the Utah Jazz, Markieff didn’t even make it off the bench and earned the first “did not play - coach’s decision” of his career. The Suns won, 120-111 (game stats here).

• Marcus Morris (Houston Rockets) did not play (coach’s decision) on Tuesday in a 105-104 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder. On Wednesday against the Charlotte Bobcats, Marcus checked in with the Rockets up 27 points and almost eight minutes left in the game … annnd he turned the ball over on his team’s first possession. Annnd then he proceeded to miss two mid-range jump shots and a layup, coughing the ball up one last time before the game ended in a 107-87 Rockets victory. There wasn’t really any redeeming value from his line in the box score (full stats here), but at least he saw time on the court?

• Josh Selby (Memphis Grizzlies) saw 17 whole seconds of game time on Tuesday as the Grizzlies lost to the Los Angeles Lakers, 116-111. Selby entered the game at the tail end of the fourth quarter, with the game already out of reach (full stats here).

Other Jayhawks in the pros

• Julian Wright (NBA D-League - Austin Toros) scored 13 points on perfect 5-for-5 shooting and grabbed eight rebounds Wednesday as the Toros won, 129-116. Wright played 31 minutes and added an assist, three steals and four offensive rebounds (full stats here).

• Darnell Jackson (Ukraine-Superleague - BC Donetsk) put up eight points in eight minutes on Saturday in a 98-63 regular-season blowout. Jackson was perfect from the field (3-for-3) and from the foul line (2-for-2), and he collected three rebounds as the BC Donetsk bench played heavy minutes in place of the starters (full stats here).

• Mario Little (Ukraine-Superleague - SK Dnipro Azot Dniprodzerzhynsk) pieced together a solid double-double on Saturday, pulling down 13 rebounds to go with 11 points and four assists in 30 minutes. Little went 4-for-8 in the game, including 2-for-3 from three-point range. His team won its regular-season game, 84-73 (full stats here).

• Sasha Kaun (Russia PBL - CSKA Moscow) scored six points with three rebounds in 15 minutes on March 7 during a 79-60 regular-season loss (full stats here). Kaun followed that performance up with a nine-point, three-rebound effort in 18 minutes on Saturday as CSKA Moscow won, 62-37 (full stats here). In his third game in a week, on Tuesday, Kaun had his best showing, scoring 10 points on 5-for-8 shooting and chipping in six rebounds and two blocks in 20 minutes as his team won, 75-57 (full stats here).

• Aaron Miles (Russia PBL - Krasnye Krylya) put up nine points, three rebounds and four assists in a 79-59 loss on March 7 (full stats here). On Saturday, he put up almost the exact same numbers — nine points, four rebounds, three assists — in a 66-55 loss (full stats here). Miles then shared the ball a bit more on Wednesday, as he passed out seven assists to go along with five points and two rebounds in a 62-61 win over a a 1-11 opponent (full stats here). He played just over 30 minutes in each of the three games.

• Keith Langford (Israeli Premier League - Maccabi Electra) led his team to a 90-73 victory on Sunday with a team-high 19 points and six assists. Langford shot 7-for-10 from the field and 4-for-5 from the free-throw line, adding two rebounds, three steals and just one turnover in 29 minutes (full stats here). On Tuesday, Langford played just 18 minutes as his team walked away with a 71-53 win. He had seven points and two rebounds in that game (full stats here).

• Russell Robinson (Turkish Basketball League - Trabzonspor) is injured and has not played in a game since March 3.

NBA trade deadline roundup

Milwaukee Bucks forward Drew Gooden, left, Milwaukee Bucks shooting guard John Salmons (15) and Milwaukee Bucks center Andrew Bogut, of Australia, (6) reach for a rebound over New Orleans Hornets forward David West in the first half of an NBA basketball game in New Orleans, Wednesday, Oct. 27, 2010. by Nick Gerik

• The Milwaukee Bucks traded injured center Andrew Bogut to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday in a move that might eventually pave the way for forward/center Drew Gooden to stick in the Bucks’ starting lineup next season. The Warriors gave up guard Monta Ellis and backup big men Ekpe Udoh and Kwame Brown in the deal. Gooden’s short-term outlook in Milwaukee shouldn’t be affected, especially not after Wednesday’s triple-double.

• Brandon Rush (Golden State Warriors) might stand to benefit from a Tuesday trade that sent starting shooting guard Monta Ellis to Milwaukee. From the Bay Area News Group’s Warriors blog:

The Ellis trade probably makes it more likely than before that the Warriors will explore re-signing Rush. The price will have to be right, but the team will no longer need to renounce him to make a run at signing a center in the off-season. You always need to be wary of contract year performances, but Rush really seems to have re-invented himself during his fresh start with the Warriors.

• As for Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce, you might remember he had been mentioned in trade rumors several weeks ago. On Wednesday, ESPN’s Chris Broussard wrote:

The Celtics offered Paul Pierce to Portland -- I'm not sure what they asked for in return -- but the Blazers were not interested because of the two years and $32 million remaining on Pierce's contract.

Wednesday night, less than 24 hours before the trade deadline, Pierce walked through the locker room prior to the Celtics’ game against the Golden State Warriors, joking with media and shouting, “I’m still around! I’m still around!”

On Tuesday, ESPN published a column from writer J.A. Adande titled, “Will Paul Pierce decide his fate?” You can read the column, which summarizes Pierce’s situation, here or take a look at a snippet below:

Pierce, 34, has the longest contract among the Celtics' over-30 set, with two years remaining at $16.8 million and $15.3 million. Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen are free agents after the season.Rajon Rondo, the 26-year-old point guard with three seasons and $36 million left on his contract, is the Celtics' only long-term obligation who costs more than $2 million a season.

But when I asked Pierce if he wanted to end his career as a Celtic, there wasn't much passion in his response. It's probably a cautionary reflex that comes with being in the NBA long enough to see every possible scenario unfold.

"You ask anybody in the league who's been somewhere as long as I have, why wouldn't they [want to stay]?" Pierce said. "But at the end of the day I know it's a business. There's only so much I control.

One last note

Former Kansas basketball players Kirk Hinrich, left, and Nick Collison were a part of the 2002 Final Four team that went 33-4 overall and 16-0 in Big 12 play. by Scott McClurg

GQ.com posted Oklahoma City Thunder big man Nick Collison’s latest blog entry on Wednesday. This time around, Nick wrote about, well, nicknames. From the post, “Why I Take My Nickname-Creation Duties Very, Very Seriously”:

One day back in college, I was riding in my good friend and teammate Kirk Hinrich's car. I didn't think he was watching me—I forgot that guards have great peripheral vision—and he caught me picking my nose. (Oh please. Don't act like you've never picked your nose.) So Kirk started calling me "Booger." To this day, Kirk and some of my other friends call me "Boog" from time to time. I think Kirk wanted revenge because when he first got to Kansas, one of our assistant coaches constantly called him "Curt" instead of "Kirk." He hated it, so naturally we started calling him "Curtis," with a heavy accent on the second syllable. It was more like "Cur-TUSSS." Eventually this was shortened to "Tuss," and it has stuck for more than a decade.

Nicknames among basketball teammates are very common. It's probably because we spend so much time together and because, in general, basketball players are clowns. We like to make each other laugh and have fun. We talk shit and give each other a hard time. It's just what we do.

The entry includes a bunch of great anecdotes, including a line about fellow Kansas center Cole Aldrich:

I am pretty proud to have given Cole Aldrich the nickname "Cole Sore." It's one of my all-time bests. It's just a play on words, but it gets a good reaction.

As for Nick? His nickname isn’t what you’d expect:

… some guys call me "Los." This comes from our center Kendrick Perkins, who found out my full first name is Nicholas and tried to tag me as "Las" (because of the last syllable from "Nicholas"). He quickly realized this was pretty weak, and he switched it to "Los" because he liked it better. I think this has stuck because "Los" is usually short for Carlos, and my name is not Carlos, which makes no sense, which means it makes perfect sense.

Jayhawks in upcoming NBA games

Thursday, March 15

• 7 p.m., Xavier Henry and the New Orleans Hornets vs. the Washington Wizards

• 8 p.m., Nick Collison, Cole Aldrich and the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. the Denver Nuggets

• 9:30 p.m., Markieff Morris and the Phoenix Suns vs. the Los Angeles Clippers

Friday, March 16

• 6 p.m., ESPN, Mario Chalmers and the Miami Heat vs. the Philadelphia 76ers

• 6:30 p.m., Kirk Hinrich and the Atlanta Hawks vs. the Washington Wizards

• 7 p.m., Josh Selby and the Memphis Grizzlies vs. the Toronto Raptors

• 8:30 p.m., ESPN, Nick Collison, Cole Aldrich and the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. the San Antonio Spurs

• 9 p.m., Markieff Morris and the Phoenix Suns vs. the Detroit Pistons

• 9 p.m., Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics vs. the Sacramento Kings

• 9:30 p.m., Drew Gooden and the Milwaukee Bucks vs. Brandon Rush and the Golden State Warriors

Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce (34) controls an offensive rebound in front of Portland Trail Blazers forward Nicolas Batum (88) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Boston on Friday, March 9, 2012. The Celtics won 104-86. by Nick Gerik

• Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics) reached another milestone in his storied NBA career on Friday, as he played in his 1000th career game. Pierce scored 22 points (7-for-13 overall, 2-for-5 threes, 6-for-7 free throws) and took an early bow, playing just 26 minutes and sitting out the fourth quarter as the Celtics overwhelmed the Portland Trailblazers, 104-86. Pierce tacked on four rebounds, two assists and two steals as he joined some good company in the 1000-game club. His 1001st game didn’t go quite as well, and Pierce had just 13 points on 4-for-14 shooting as Boston lost to the Los Angeles Lakers, 97-94 on Sunday. Pierce had an impressive nine assists and three steals, but he couldn’t grab a single rebound in 38 minutes (full stats here).

Milwaukee Buck Drew Gooden drives to the net past Toronto Raptor Ed Davis during first half NBA play in Toronto on Sunday, March 11, 2012. by Nick Gerik

• Drew Gooden (Milwaukee Bucks) double-doubled, shared the ball and kept up his solid play as Milwaukee picked up a pair of wins this weekend. Gooden had 12 points on 12 shots and turned the ball over six times on Friday, but he grabbed 10 rebounds, including five offensive boards, against the New York Knicks. Gooden also passed out five assists and notched two steals in 32 minutes as the Bucks beat the Knicks, 119-114 (full stats here). On Sunday, Gooden registered his fifth 20-point line in his last eight games, scoring 21 points on 7-for-11 shooting and 7 of 9 free throws in 34 minutes against the Toronto Raptors. He added six rebounds and another five assists, this time to just two turnovers, and BrewHoop.com noted that Gooden “successfully battled foul trouble and managed to do all of the good Drew Gooden stuff without any of the bad.” Milwaukee took down Toronto, 105-99 (full stats here).

• Mario Chalmers (Miami Heat) scored just five points with zero assists on Saturday against the Indiana Pacers, but the Heat came out ahead, 93-91 in overtime. Chalmers picked up four fouls and played just 26 minutes — most in the first three quarters. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra rolled with backup Norris Cole for much of the fourth quarter before subbing Chalmers back in during the final minutes of regulation. Chalmers then played the first few minutes of overtime before Spoelstra closed out the game without a point guard. Chalmers finished the game with three rebounds, a block and two turnovers. He shot just 2-for-6 for the day, including a 1-for-4 mark from three-point range, which would have been a bit worse if he hadn’t gotten a shooter’s bounce (full stats here).

Oklahoma City Thunder center Nick Collison, right, looks to an official as he is fouled by Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ramon Sessions (3) in the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Oklahoma City, Friday, March 9, 2012. by Nick Gerik

• Nick Collison (Oklahoma City Thunder) scored two points with six rebounds and two blocked shots in 20 minutes as the Thunder lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers, 96-90 on Friday (full stats here). He also had two assists, including this pretty pass to All-Everything teammate Kevin Durant:

Possibly encouraged by the success of Friday’s alley-oop, Collison dished out a season-high four assists on Saturday against the Charlotte Bobcats. He also scored four points, grabbed five rebounds and blocked another two shots. He chipped in a steal in his 17 minutes (full stats here).

• Cole Aldrich (Oklahoma City Thunder) sat out (coach’s decision) as the Thunder lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers, 96-90 on Friday, but he made the most of his 10 minutes one night later as OKC took on the Charlotte Bobcats. Aldrich snagged three rebounds in three rare second-quarter minutes on Saturday. He then checked back in with seven minutes left in the fourth-quarter blowout, rounding out his stat line with a couple of dunks and a hook shot. Aldrich finished with six points, six rebounds, a steal and zero turnovers/personal fouls. The Thunder won handily, 122-95 (full stats here).

Minnesota Timberwolves' Wayne Ellington, top, and New Orleans Hornets' Xavier Henry in the second half of an NBA basketball game Saturday, March 10, 2012, in Minneapolis. The Hornets won 95-89. by Nick Gerik

• Xavier Henry (New Orleans Hornets) struggled a bit with his shot this weekend, going 6-for-22 in two games. Henry had 12 points — all in the second half — on 4-for-14 shooting overall and 4-of-4 foul shots as the Hornets lost to the Denver Nuggets, 110-97 on Friday. He also had five rebounds, an assist, two steals and four personal fouls in 25 minutes (full stats here). On Saturday, Henry had four points on 2-for-8 shooting in 20 minutes against the Minnesota Timberwolves. He added at least one nice finish at the basket, four rebounds and two assists to zero turnovers as the Hornets won one in Minnesota, 95-89 (full stats here).

After Friday’s game against Denver, Hornets247.com’s Ryan Schwan wrote:

I was floored to see that not only did Henry go right tonight on the way to the basket, he did it three times. He even had a crossover from his left to his right to free himself up from Afflalo, who was clearly riding his left hand. The lefty had a rough shooting night from anywhere not at the rim tonight, but he continues to make me a fan. With his 4-4 shooting performance from the line tonight, he also finally elevated his FT% above 50% and is shooting 85% from the stripe in March. If he can make those foul shots he’s been earning, his value skyrockets.

Atlanta Hawks' Kirk Hinrich, left, goes to the basket past Detroit Pistons' Ben Wallace, right, during the first half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 9, 2012, in Auburn Hills, Mich. by Nick Gerik

• Kirk Hinrich (Atlanta Hawks) played 17 productive minutes off the bench on Friday against the Detroit Pistons, putting up nine points. Hinrich chipped in just one assist and a steal, but he also had zero turnovers as the Hawks lost, 86-85 (full stats here). On Sunday, Hinrich was back in the starting lineup, this time to match up with the guard-heavy Sacramento Kings. Hinrich played a whopping 42 minutes — his most of the season — and finished with 12 points (5-for-10 overall, 2-for-5 from three), with three rebounds, four assists, two steals and one turnover as the Hawks won, 106-99 (full stats here).

• Markieff Morris (Phoenix Suns) continued his slide into mediocrity on Saturday as he went scoreless in just three minutes of playing time against the Memphis Grizzlies. Markieff missed all three of his shot attempts (no threes), and though he grabbed two rebounds, he also turned the ball over once and committed two personal fouls. The Arizona Republic’s Paul Coro noted that Keef was yanked — quickly — because of his poor defense. The Suns won, 98-91 (full stats here).

In the six games since the All-Star break, Markieff has scored just 10 points total on 3-for-25 shooting (1-for-6 from three, 3-for-4 free-throws). During that stretch, he has not played more than 18 minutes in a night, and in his last two games, Markieff has seen just nine total minutes of playing time.

The Arizona Republic published a bit on the rookie’s slump:

"We'll give him a chance," (Phoenix coach Alvin) Gentry said before Saturday's game. "We have to have him perform. He's got to be productive and, if not, we'll have to go somewhere else. If he's tired, he still has to have the energy to come out and play. I'm pretty sure Steve Nash and Grant Hill are tired too."

Morris never even experienced a stretch such as this during two years of coming off the bench at Kansas, where he started as a junior before turning pro. After Saturday's first half, Morris had made 8 of his past 50 shots.

"We're winning," Morris said Saturday morning. "That's all that matters. I'm a rookie. Sometimes shots won't fall. It's about winning, so I'm happy for the team."

Morris then turned to throw his gum into a garbage can and missed. It has been that kind of March for Morris …

• Brandon Rush (Golden State Warriors) didn’t make much noise in a pair of weekend games, but the Warriors beat the Dallas Mavericks, 111-87 on Saturday, and the Los Angeles Clippers, 97-93 on Sunday. Rush tallied two points and shot just 1-for-5 (0-for-4 from three) with five rebounds, two assists and a steal in 24 minutes against the Mavericks (full stats here). He followed that up with a five-point outing against the Clippers, in which he shot 2-for-3 (1-for-1 from three) and grabbed three rebounds (full stats here).

• Marcus Morris (Houston Rockets) did not play (coach’s decisions) on Saturday against the New Jersey Nets or Sunday against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Rockets split their weekend contests, defeating the Nets, 112-106 on Saturday (game stats here), before losing to the Cavs, 118-107 on Sunday (game stats here).

• Josh Selby (Memphis Grizzlies) did not play (coach’s decisions) on Saturday vs. the Phoenix Suns or Sunday vs. the Denver Nuggets. The Grizzlies lost to the Suns, 98-91 (game stats here), and beat the Nuggets, 94-91 (game stats here).

Other notes

• Julian Wright (NBA D-League - Austin Toros) hit 5 of 8 shots for 12 points as the Toros won, 114-109 on Saturday. Wright had three assists, two blocks, a steal and just one rebound in 25 minutes in the victory (full stats here). On Sunday, Wright redeemed his rebounding stats, grabbing 11 boards in 33 minutes during a 105-97 loss. He double-doubled with 12 points off of 6-for-14 shooting (full stats here).

• Brady Morningstar (NBA D-League - Tulsa 66ers) had a quiet night on Sunday, scoring just two points on 1 of 5 shots as the 66ers won, 81-79. Morningstar also had one rebound, one steal and one turnover in 20 minutes (full stats here).

• ESPN’s John Hollinger wrote on Wednesday about players he thinks teams could try to target as part of larger deals before Thursday’s NBA trade deadline. Hollinger had this to say about the Houston Rockets’ Marcus Morris and Morris’ teammate Chase Budinger (ESPN Insider subscription required):

Houston is heavily in the hunt for star talent, and these two would be near the top of my list if I were dealing with the Rockets. Budinger has fallen out of favor because of his defensive shortcomings -- it's very difficult to pair him on the wings with Kevin Martin, especially since they don't exactly have Bill Russell playing behind them -- but he can score and has arguably the best contract in the league ($885K next season). Morris was the 14th overall pick and thrashed the D-League during a brief stint down there, but has played only 19 minutes for the parent club after second-round pick Chandler Parsons beat him out.

• Despite recent trade rumors concerning him, Atlanta Hawks guard Kirk Hinrich told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution that he’s happy where he is:

“I like our team,” Hinrich said before the Hawks played the Kings late Sunday. “I feel like we can be a dangerous team come playoff time. I want to be a part of that.”

• Fox Sports Houston writer (and former KU beat writer) Tully Corcoran gave seldom-used Rockets forward Marcus Morris a little love in his Friday notes:

... the Rockets rely too heavily on a streaky shooting guard and it frequently costs them games. A forward who can post up or face up with a mid-range game could help relieve that pressure significantly.

Fortunately, the Rockets have a player like that in rookie Marcus Morris. Unfortunately, they don't believe he's ready to play defense at the NBA level yet.

I am not necessarily arguing Morris is better than Chandler Parsons, who is having an excellent rookie season. But he would give the Rockets and offensive dimension they now lack, and that dimension would create a more consistent offensive team.

I think.

• BrewHoop.com’s Dan Sinclair took a look at the Milwaukee Bucks’ “overpaid and underappreciated” center, Drew Gooden, in a nice writeup. You can read the full feature here, or read an excerpt below:

... Drew Gooden is still overpaid. It isn't so much the dollar amount as it is the length of the contract. After all, Gooden currently ranks 16th in PER among power forwards (even if he's been playing center, he's still a natural 4), ahead of significantly more expensive players like Carlos Boozer and David West. Of course, Drew's career leading up to his signing with Milwaukee never gave any indication that his contract would provide value, especially with the final year representing his age-33 season. There's no way to call Gooden's deal justified without being flat-out revisionist. In single-year terms, however, he's living up to it.

So ignore those looming three years and 20 million dollars for a second, and allow yourself to appreciate Drew Gooden's current season for what it is: a zany, unpredictable, sometimes-superficial-but-always-entertaining campaign of positive production. It's not always pretty, and it hasn't exactly translated into a successful season for the Milwaukee Bucks. But at least Gooden has put to rest the encroaching notion that he's just not very good at basketball.

Jayhawks in upcoming NBA games

Monday, March 12

• 6:30 p.m., Drew Gooden and the Milwaukee Bucks vs. the New Jersey Nets

• 7 p.m., Xavier Henry and the New Orleans Hornets vs. the Charlotte Hornets

• 9 p.m., Markieff Morris and the Phoenix Suns vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves

• 9:30 p.m., ESPN, Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics vs. the Los Angeles Clippers

Tuesday, March 13

• 6 p.m., NBA TV, Mario Chalmers and the Miami Heat vs. the Orlando Magic

• 7 p.m., Josh Selby and the Memphis Grizzlies vs. the Los Angeles Lakers

• 7 p.m., Nick Collison, Cole Aldrich and the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Marcus Morris and the Houston Rockets

• 8 p.m., Kirk Hinrich and the Atlanta Hawks vs. the Denver Nuggets

• 9 p.m., Brandon Rush and the Golden State Warriors vs. the Sacramento Kings

Milwaukee Bucks' Drew Gooden (0) puts up a shot against Chicago Bulls' Joakim Noah (13) during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Wednesday, March 7, 2012, in Milwaukee. by Nick Gerik

• Drew Gooden (Milwaukee Bucks) scored 12 straight points to start the game and had 16 in the first quarter en route to a season-high 27 points on Wednesday. It wasn’t quite enough, though, and the Bucks lost, 106-104 to the Chicago Bulls. Gooden scored at least 25 points for the third time in four games by sinking 11 of 21 shots, including 2 of 4 three-pointers. He also added six rebounds, an assist, two steals and a block in 37 minutes (full stats here).

Gooden’s 27 points were the most he’s scored in a game in almost four years. Gooden’s last game with at least 27 points was a 31-point outing on March 25, 2008, with — who else? — the Chicago Bulls.

Gooden's two three-pointers were also something of a rarity, though he accomplished that feat back on Feb. 10. On at least one of his triples Wednesday, Gooden benefited from some ... ahem ... questionable defense by Chicago's Carlos Boozer:

Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce (34) waves from the bench to the fans during the second half of an NBA basketball game with the Philadelphia 76ers Wednesday, March 7, 2012 in Philadelphia. The 76ers won 103-71. by Nick Gerik

• Paul Pierce (Boston Celtics) scored a team-high 16 points on Wednesday against the Philadelphia 76ers, but it wasn’t enough as the Sixers jumped out to a 55-33 halftime lead and beat the Celtics, 103-71. Pierce did not play the fourth quarter and finished with four rebounds and a steal in 26 minutes (full stats here). Pierce missed on all three of his three-point attempts and did not record an assist for the first time all season.

Atlanta Hawks' Kirk Hinrich (6) guards Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade (3) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Miami, Wednesday, March 7, 2012. The Heat defeated the Hawks 89-86. by Nick Gerik

• Kirk Hinrich (Atlanta Hawks) started for the fourth straight game on Wednesday in place of injured shooting guard Joe Johnson. Hinrich put up five points on 2-of-4 shooting (1-of-3 from three) as the Hawks lost to the Miami Heat, 89-86. Hinrich added four rebounds, two assists, two steals and two turnovers in 28 minutes (full stats here).

After the game, Hawks coach Larry Drew talked to reporters about Hinrich, who is shooting just 35 percent overall and 27 percent from three-point range since returning from offseason shoulder surgery at the end of January:

“I think it is just a matter of him really getting his legs under him with his surgery. When he came back we tried to bring him along slowly and we knew it was probably going to take a while for him to really get his rhythm, his timing and really needing time to get his legs under him. He has had some games where he has shot the ball really well and then he has had some games where his shot has been short and off. I still think he is still kind of in that training camp mode.”

Oklahoma City Thunder center Nick Collison, left, fouls Phoenix Suns forward Markieff Morris during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game in Oklahoma City, Wednesday, March 7, 2012. by Nick Gerik

• Nick Collison (Oklahoma City Thunder) missed both of his shot attempts against the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday, but the Thunder won, 115-104 in a small-ball second-half comeback. All of Collison’s 16 minutes came in the first three quarters, and he finished with two rebounds, one assist, one steal, a block, and two turnovers (full stats here). Collison also drew a charge, according to the official Thunder website’s “plays the boxscore won’t show.”

• Markieff Morris (Phoenix Suns) scored just one point on Wednesday in a 115-104 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, but he didn’t go down without a fight, blocking three shots in his 13 minutes on the floor. Markieff grabbed a single rebound and also dished out two assists (full stats here).

On Thursday, against the Dallas Mavericks, Markieff saw just six minutes of playing time and didn’t get a shot off. The Suns won, 96-94, and Markieff was replaced down the stretch by Hakim Warrick. Markieff’s only contributions to the stat sheet were a foul and two turnovers (full stats here).

Golden State Warriors' Brandon Rush (4) drives past Memphis Grizzlies' Marc Gasol (33) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, March 7, 2012, in Oakland, Calif. by Nick Gerik

• Brandon Rush (Golden State Warriors) put up 11 points and six rebounds against the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday, but the Warriors lost, 110-98. Rush also had two assists to two turnovers in 32 minutes and hit just 1 of 4 three-point attempts (full stats here).

Four of Rush’s five made shots came from inside the arc, something that Warriors coach Mark Jackson doesn’t mind seeing from the three-point specialist. From the San Francisco Chronicle’s Vittorio Tafur:

"He's more than just a stand-still shooter," Jackson said. "He does a very good job picking and choosing his spots and doesn't put himself in position to get hurt and make careless turnovers."

The book on Rush was that he was a poor ball handler at Indiana, but Jackson has his own scouting report since the Warriors traded for Rush in December.

"I like the way he's putting the ball on the floor and making plays, whether it be pick-and-rolls or guys running at him because he's a shooter," Jackson said. "He's certainly showing he's comfortable doing that."

• Mario Chalmers (Miami Heat) went through one of his rougher shooting nights on Wednesday against the Atlanta Hawks. Chalmers converted on just one his five shots and missed both of his attempts from beyond the arc. He finished with five points (thanks to 3-for-3 foul shooting), two rebounds, three assists, two steals and two turnovers in 25 minutes. The Heat won, 89-86 (full stats here).

• Cole Aldrich (Oklahoma City Thunder) did not play (coach’s decision) against the Phoenix Suns in the Thunder’s come-from-behind 115-104 victory on Wednesday (game stats here).

When it came time for OKC coach Scott Brooks to sub in a backup center in the second quarter, he went with veteran Nazr Mohammed instead of Aldrich. Mohammed played just four minutes, and was scoreless with two rebounds. The three Thunder bigs not named Serge Ibaka played a combined 38 minutes as OKC went with a small lineup in the second half.

• Xavier Henry (New Orleans Hornets) hit the only shot he attempted against the Sacramento Kings and finished with two points as the Hornets lost, 99-98 on Wednesday. Henry played 15 minutes and also chipped in one rebound and one assist (full stats here).
  

• Josh Selby (Memphis Grizzlies) went scoreless on Wednesday against the Golden State Warriors, missing both of his shots, but the Grizzlies won in convincing fashion, 110-98. Selby played six minutes and picked up one personal foul in that time (full stats here).

Selby’s seen stints of five, five and six minutes in three of the Grizzlies’ last four games. During that same time, combo guard O.J. Mayo has taken over the brunt of the backup point guard duties. From the Commercial Appeal:

(Grizzlies coach Lionel) Hollins said the decision to go with Mayo has more to do with matchups than his dissatisfaction with Pargo and Selby.

"It depends on the opponent," Hollins said. "Like in the Dallas game (Feb. 29) I didn't feel like they were going to come out and pressure us so we just ran our zone offense. It was no problem. But when you're playing a team that's pressuring you and you're trying to get into good offense then maybe you go with one of the other guys."

• Marcus Morris (Houston Rockets) saw three minutes in garbage time during the Rockets’ 116-98 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday. Marcus, who saw NBA minutes for just the fifth game in his short career, missed a jumper with 42 seconds left. He finished with one point (off of 1-of-2 free-throw shooting) and one rebound (full stats here). The fact that he saw the floor at all was an encouraging sign, considering the Rockets’ crowded rotation. Marcus entered the game before fellow benched small forward Chase Budinger, who picked up a DNP-CD.

Other notes

• Julian Wright (NBA D-League - Austin Toros) scored 12 points on 6-for-9 shooting on Thursday as the Toros lost, 105-100 to the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Wright grabbed nine rebounds, including five offensive boards, in 26 minutes. He also had an assist, a steal and three turnovers (full stats here).

• Brady Morningstar (NBA D-League - Tulsa 66ers) put together an odd stat line on Wednesday as the 66ers beat the Idaho Stampede, 94-87. Morningstar made just 1 of 8 shots from the field, but he finished with 13 points thanks to a perfect 11-for-11 mark at the foul line. Morningstar added six rebounds and had zero turnovers in 35 minutes (full stats here).

• It’s that time of year again. The NBA’s March 15 trade deadline is less than a week away, and two former Jayhawks’ names have cropped up in trade rumors recently. From CBS Sports insider Ken Berger:

The Celtics are prepared to entertain offers for Paul Pierce, whose subtraction from the Boston core would be the most advantageous to the post-Big Three rebuilding effort given his age (34) and the $32 million he's owed over the next two seasons. And for those same reasons, he'll be the most difficult of Boston's top four players to move.

The Hawks won't find a taker for Joe Johnson and the $90 million he has coming to him over the next four years, but rival executives believe Kirk Hinrich could be on the move -- perhaps filling the gaping two-guard hole on the Clippers. That depends on the asking price, as the Clips' assets were diminished in the Chris Paul trade.

• Ethan J. Skolnick of the Palm Beach Post wrote a feature on Miami Heat guard Mario Chalmers’ improvement. Skolnick points out that Chalmers is a longshot to win the league’s Most Improved Player award, but notes that his consistency has been a big reason for the Heat’s 30-9 record.

An excerpt from the full story, which you can read here:

During All-Star weekend, he received compliments from some of his colleagues around the league, but nothing that stuck out. He's been more excited to receive text messages offering praise and encouragement from his "other family" at Kansas, especially those from assistant coaches and head coach Bill Self.

Still, Chalmers carries a chip on his shoulder, the one that formed back in Alaska, where he eventually surprised many people by becoming the state's third NBA player.

"Way more people told me I wouldn't make it than that I would make it," Chalmers said.

Now he has.

"They're quiet now," he said. "I don't even see them when I come home."

He laughed.

"They probably hide from me," he said.

Jayhawks in upcoming NBA games

Friday, March 9

• 6:30 p.m., Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics vs. the Portland Trailblazers

• 6:30 p.m., Kirk Hinrich and the Atlanta Hawks vs. the Detroit Pistons

• 7 p.m., Nick Collison, Cole Aldrich and the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. the Cleveland Cavaliers

• 7:30 p.m., Drew Gooden and the Milwaukee Bucks vs. the New York Knicks

• 8 p.m., Xavier Henry and the New Orleans Hornets vs. the Denver Nuggets

Saturday, March 10

• 6:30 p.m., Mario Chalmers and the Miami Heat vs. the Indiana Pacers

• 7 p.m., Marcus Morris and the Houston Rockets vs. the New Jersey Nets

• 7 p.m., Nick Collison, Cole Aldrich and the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. the Charlotte Bobcats

• 7 p.m., NBA TV, Xavier Henry and the New Orleans Hornets vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves

• 8 p.m., Markieff Morris and the Phoenix Suns vs. Josh Selby and the Memphis Grizzlies

• 9:30 p.m., NBA TV, Brandon Rush and the Golden State Warriors vs. the Dallas Mavericks

Boston Celtics' Paul Pierce (34) reacts after making a 3-pointer in the fourth quarter to tie the NBA basketball game against the New York Knicks in Boston, Sunday, March 4, 2012. The Celtics won 115-111 in overtime. by Nick Gerik

So... Paul Pierce is having a good week.

27 points on Friday. 34 points on Sunday. 30 points on Tuesday.

After scoring 25+ points just once in February and just three times all season, Pierce has accomplished that feat in all three of the Boston Celtics’ March games. As far as I can tell, he’s either (a) pumped about Boston’s upcoming St. Patrick’s Day festivities, (b) suffering from an acute case of March Madness or (c) very good at basketball.

Pierce began his scoring spree with 27 last Friday against the New Jersey Nets. Then, on Sunday, he went head-to-head with the New York Knicks in a nationally televised overtime thriller, posting 34 points (13-23 FG, 4-7 3PG, 4-5 FT), seven rebounds, three assists and two steals. Pierce played 46 minutes, admittedly inflating his totals a bit, and hit an off-balance/game-tying/overtime-forcing three-pointer at the end of regulation. The Celtics went on to win, 115-111 (full stats here).

Pierce v. NYK highlights, below:

Tuesday night, Pierce found himself in another overtime battle — this time with the Houston Rockets. And again, Pierce poured in 30 points, including seven in the overtime period, and the Celtics won, 97-92. Pierce shot 9-for-21 from the field, cashed in on 11 of 12 free throws and had six rebounds, two assists and two steals in 41 minutes (full stats here).

Pierce OT highlights below, starting at 1:58:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZKhwCgfZpE

New York Knicks' Deron Williams drives against Miami Heat's Mario Chalmers during the first quarter of an NBA basketball game Tuesday, March 6, 2012, in Miami. The Heat won 108-78. by Nick Gerik

• Mario Chalmers (Miami Heat) padded his top-10 three-point shooting numbers on Sunday and Tuesday, hitting 6 of 11 triples in two recent Heat games. Chalmers scored 15 points (5-12 FG, 4-8 3PG, 1-1 FT) with four rebounds, two assists, three steals and an impressive zero turnovers in 36 minutes as the Heat lost to the Los Angeles Lakers, 93-83 on Sunday (full stats here).

He then followed that up with an eight-point, five-rebound, seven-assist, two-steal performance as the Heat beat the New Jersey Nets, 108-78 on Tuesday (full stats here). Chalmers also had a not-so-impressive five turnovers in 32 minutes against the Nets, but those came on a night when (1) the Heat won, (2) Chalmers helped hold Nets point guard Deron Williams to 16 points after he exploded for 57 on Sunday and (3) Chalmers had his most assists since Jan. 21, so... it works. Like this pass:

Golden State Warriors Brandon Rush, right, tries to drive through Toronto Raptors' Jerryd Bayless, left, and Linas Kleiza (11) during the second half of an NBA basketball game in Toronto on Sunday, March 4, 2012. by Nick Gerik

• Brandon Rush (Golden State Warriors) grabbed a season-high nine rebounds on Sunday as the Warriors gave up a nine-point halftime lead and lost 83-75 to the Toronto Raptors. Rush played 30 minutes in that game, missing on all three of his three-point attempts and finishing with just seven points. He also contributed two assists and a block (full stats here).

The next night, on Monday, Rush and the Warriors took out their frustration on the hapless Washington Wizards and won, 120-100. Rush hit 4 of 5 shots (including a perfect 2 of 2 threes) against the Wizards and had three rebounds and two assists in 27 minutes (full stats here).

• Markieff Morris (Phoenix Suns) couldn’t buy a basket on Sunday against the Sacramento Kings, going 0-for-7 in a 96-88 Suns win. Markieff salvaged his night by grabbing six rebounds and sinking two free throws for two points (full stats here), but his field goal percentage continued to plummet and now sits at 37.5 percent. Throwing the contrasting offensive systems/philosophies out the window, I’ll point out that he’s just one year removed from a 58.9 percent mark at KU.

Markieff spoke to Arizona Sports 620 about his slump:

Milwaukee Bucks' Drew Gooden(0) drives against Philadelphia 76ers' Nikola Vucevic(8) in the second half of an NBA basketball game Monday, March. 5, 2012, in Milwaukee. by Nick Gerik

• Drew Gooden (Milwaukee Bucks) has been on a nice mini-tear since returning from injury after the All-Star break. Gooden double-doubled and/or scored at least 23 points in three of his last five games, including a 25-point, 10-rebound gem on Monday against the Philadelphia 76ers. Gooden hit 9 of 21 shots and made 7 of 8 free throws as the Bucks won, 97-93. He also added two assists and a block (full stats here).

A more entertaining summary from the folks at BrewHoop.com:

Committed a lane violation on his own free throw, opted to play a bit of point guard with Brandon Jennings at his side before getting the ball stripped at halfcourt, and skied a pass a few rows up late in the fourth quarter.

But 25 and 10 for Gooden, and hardly an offensive peep from any of the bigs on Philadelphia.

Dallas Mavericks forward Lamar Odom (7) shoots in front of Oklahoma City Thunder's Kendrick Perkins, center, and Nick Collison in the first quarter of an NBA basketball game in Oklahoma City, Monday, March 5, 2012. by Nick Gerik

• Nick Collison (Oklahoma City Thunder) played 23 minutes against the Dallas Mavericks and had two points and six rebounds as the Thunder won, 95-91 (full stats here). Collison played his customary team-friendly/statistically-invisible brand of basketball, registering zero turnovers and made some “plays the boxscore won’t show.” From the official Thunder website:

Great instincts from Nick Collison to grab a loose ball and flip it to James Harden who finished in transition on the other end...

Tough box out by Collison to out-hustle Dirk Nowitzki for a defensive rebound...

Perfect pick by Collison to free up Jackson for a 3-pointer...

Collison goes up high on the glass and tips one in...

Great passing by Westbrook to find Collison, then hustle by Westbrook and Collison to tip and corall two offensive boards...

Solid defensive possession from Collison and Harden, who harrassed Nowitzki and Jason Terry for 24 seconds...

• Cole Aldrich (Oklahoma City Thunder) sat out (coach’s decision) on Monday against the Dallas Mavericks, just one game after posting a solid six-point, seven-rebound performance. The Thunder won in a close 95-91 game that pushed OKC’s record to 30-8. The Thunder’s other backup big, Nazr Mohammed also did not play, and after the game, the Oklahoman’s Darnell Mayberry speculated:

A part of neither Aldrich nor Mohammed seeing any playing time had to have had something to do with Mavs starting center Brendan Haywood spraining his foot 30 seconds into the game. I contend that was the best thing to happen to the Mavs, but I digress. When Haywood was lost, it left Dallas with only Ian Mahinmi at center. But Perk and Serge Ibaka were playing well, too, so Brooks let them go.

Another interesting tidbit from Mayberry:

… in the Mavs locker room before the game Dallas already had Cole over Naz as the second center on the depth chart.

AND Thunder coach Scott Brooks sounded pretty pleased with Aldrich’s performance, according to this tweet from DailyThunder.com’s Royce Young before Monday’s game:

Scott Brooks on the radio on Cole Aldrich: "He's getting close. I'm very confident I can throw him in and get results."

Fellow Jayhawk and Thunder teammate Nick Collison also had some nice things to say. Again, from the Oklahoman:

“Cole played well,” Collison said. “He's done well this year when he's got the chance. He's an NBA rotation player. He just hasn't gotten a chance to show it yet. But he's going to be good for us.”

• Xavier Henry (New Orleans Hornets) kept up his impressive play on Monday against the Portland Trailblazers, scoring nine points on 4-of-6 shooting. Henry also hit his only three-pointer and added two rebounds in 18 minutes as the Hornets lost, 86-74 (full stats here).

• Kirk Hinrich (Atlanta Hawks) started for injured Hawks shooting guard Joe Johnson again on Tuesday but ended up playing just 18 minutes and scoring two points as the Hawks won, 101-96 against the Indiana Pacers. Hinrich added a rebound, a block and three assists to two turnovers (full stats here).

• Marcus Morris (Houston Rockets) did not play (coach’s decision) on Sunday in a 105-103 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers or Tuesday in a 97-92 loss to the Boston Celtics. Both times, as has been the trend this season, Marcus was the victim of a crowded Rockets rotation. During the Clippers game, former starting small forward Chase Budinger did not enter the game either, and then on Tuesday, when the Rockets went with a tight eight-man rotation against the Boston Celtics, Marcus sat behind fellow DNP-CD’d SFs Terrence Williams AND Budinger.

It wouldn’t surprise me if Marcus was back with the D-League Rio Grande Valley Vipers soon, if only to keep the rust off. The Vipers are a bit quiet this week, but their schedule ramps up with a bunch of games starting March 12.

Other notes

• Emiliano Carchia of Sportando.net reported on Sunday that Sherron Collins and his Turkish team, Haccetepe, “reached an agreement to part ways.” Collins had averaged 10.9 points in 19 games in Turkey.

• Aaron Miles (Russia PBL - Krasnye Krylya) approached triple-double territory on Saturday as he put up nine points, eight assists and 10 rebounds in a 79-73 regular season victory. Miles also had two steals and four turnovers in 31 minutes (full stats here).

• Darnell Jackson (Ukraine-Superleague - BC Donetsk) scored 14 points in 18 minutes on Monday in an 80-73 regular-season victory. Jackson also had five rebounds, a steal and a block (full stats here). He also had three-point, six-rebound game on Saturday in 15 minutes during an 86-79 Ukrainian League victory (full stats here).

• Unrelated, but Darnell Jackson dunked in a game back in February, and some Ukrainian fan was really excited about it:

• Mario Little (Ukraine-Superleague - SK Dnipro Azot Dniprodzerzhynsk) put up 13 points, two rebounds, seven assists and three steals on Saturday against former Jayhawk Darnell Jackson’s BC Donetsk, but Little’s team lost, 86-79. Little also had five fouls in 30 minutes during that game (full stats here).

• Russell Robinson (Turkish Basketball League - Trabzonspor) had 10 points, two assists, one rebound, one steal and zero turnovers in 23 minutes on Saturday. Robinson’s team won, 71-69 (full stats here).

• Keith Langford (Israeli Premier League - Maccabi Electra) played just nine minutes and went scoreless on Saturday in an 83-77 regular-season victory (full stats here). Two days later, on Monday, Langford bounced back with 16 points seven rebounds, two assists and two steals in 29 minutes during an 82-77 win (full stats here).

• Miami Heat guard Mario Chalmers is joining Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce as a “brand ambassador” for Spalding. From the release, via SLAMonline.com:

As part of the brand’s 2012 campaign, the trio of rising stars (Chalmers, Jimmer Fredette and Chris Singleton) will appear in digital and print advertising as well as in-store signage. They will also wear the new Spalding signature shoe during game time.

• Former Utah Jazz/Texas Legends center Greg Ostertag is “killing the spice sales game.” ‘Nuff said.

Jayhawks in upcoming NBA games

Wednesday, March 7

• 6 p.m., Marcus Morris and the Houston Rockets vs. the Toronto Raptors

• 6 p.m., Paul Pierce and the Boston Celtics vs. the Philadelphia 76ers

• 6:30 p.m., NBA TV, Kirk Hinrich and the Atlanta Hawks vs. Mario Chalmers and the Miami Heat

• 7 p.m., Drew Gooden and the Milwaukee Bucks vs. the Chicago Bulls

• 7 p.m., Nick Collison, Cole Aldrich and the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Markieff Morris and the Phoenix Suns

• 9 p.m., Xavier Henry and the New Orleans Hornets vs. the Sacramento Kings

• 9:30 p.m., NBA TV, Brandon Rush and the Golden State Warriors vs. Josh Selby and the Memphis Grizzlies

Thursday, March 8

• 9:30 p.m., TNT, Markieff Morris and the Phoenix Suns vs. the Dallas Mavericks