News from August 15.

Golden State signed 2nd round draft pick (#55) Chris Porter.

Orlando signed Don Reid.

The LA Lakers signed Stanislav Medvedenko.

Miami signed 2nd round draft pick (#37) Eddie House to a 1 year contract 
with a 2nd year at the team's option.

The NBA announced some rule changes for the 2000-01 season.
  1. If a player is fouled with a clear path to the basket, he gets 1
     free throw and his team retains possession of the ball, inbounding
     at half court.  [Was 2 free throw with possession going to the
     other team if the 2nd free throw was made, else which ever team got
     the rebound.]
  2. Teams receive 6 timeouts [was 7] and a limit of 3 timeouts in the
     4th quarter [was 4] and a limit of 2 timeouts in the last 2 minutes
     of the 4th quarter [was 3].
  3. Full timeouts are 60 seconds [was 100 seconds] except the first 2
     timeouts in each period and the mandatory timeouts in the 2nd and
     4th quarters, which will remain 100 seconds.
  4. Teams are allowed unlimited substitutions during a 20 seconds
     timeout.  [Was only 1 substitution by the team calling the timeout
     and the other team could only make 1 substitution if the team 
     calling timeout also made a substitution.]
  5. Teams can use a 20 seconds or a full timeout in the last 2 minutes
     of the 4th quarter or overtime for the purpose of advancing the 
     ball to half court [was only full timeouts] and if a team calls a
     timeout in the last 2 minutes, the team has the option of advancing
     the ball to half court or inbounding the ball in the back court
     (and the 10 second back court rule still applies) [was an automatic
     advancing of the ball].
  6. Mandatory timeouts, if one hasn't already been taken in the quarter,
     after 8:59 in the 2nd and 4th quarters [was 9:59] and after 5:59 in
     all quarters [was 6:59] on the next dead ball.
  7. If the offense retains possession on a jump ball, the shot clock is
     not reset if more than 14 seconds are on the clock or it is reset
     to 14 seconds if less than 14 seconds are on the clock.  [Was reset
     to 24 seconds.]


On the lighter side
At the news conference introducing Alvin Gentry as new coach of the LA
Clippers
Question: Didn't you have any friends warning you not to take the job with
the Clippers?
Gentry: They all encouraged me to take the job.
Question: You don't have any friends, do you?