I know at least a few of you today, as you sat at work, school or wherever, wondered about Yao Ming’s golf skills. It’s just a logical thing to randomly think about for no reason at all.

Well, today, we have our answer. He is terrible at it.

Here’s some video:

Woodson will be front and center when the same two teams open the 2012-13 season at Barclay’s Center in downtown Brooklyn on Nov. 1. The same, however, cannot be said of starting center Tyson Chandler, who suffered an undisclosed knee injury in the first quarter Wednesday night.

Chandler, who banged knees with Gerald Wallace, left the game for precautionary reasons and did not return. The severity of the injury is unknown and if Chandler were to be sidelined the Knicks would be without the NBA’s reigning defensive player of the year.

Chandler’s back-up, Marcus Camby, has missed the entire preseason with a strained calf and Woodson is not sure if Camby will be available next week. Rasheed Wallace is available but has yet to play in the preseason while Amar’e Stoudemire is expected to miss two to three weeks with a knee injury.

– Reported by Frank Isola of the New York Daily News

The Chicago Bulls announced today that the team has waived guards Ryan Allen and Marko Jaric (pronounced Mark-o YAR-ich).

Allen (6-3, 200), appeared in two preseason games with the Bulls and averaged 0.5 mpg.

Jaric (6-7, 224), saw action in four preseason games and averaged 0.3 rpg in 3.5 mpg.

Chicago’s roster now stands at 13.  Opening night rosters throughout the league must be set by Monday, October 29 by 4:00 p.m. (CT).

New York Islanders Owner Charles B. Wang, Barclays Center Majority Owner and Developer Bruce Ratner, and Onexim Sports and Entertainment announced today that the Islanders will move to Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The 25-year agreement begins for the 2015-16 season.

The announcement was made at a press conference in the GEICO Atrium at Barclays Center, which was also attended by New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, National Hockey League Commissioner Gary Bettman, Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz, Islanders General Manager Garth Snow, and Barclays Center CEO Brett Yormark.

In support of the illustrious history of the team, the New York Islanders name and logo will remain unchanged.

“It was our goal from day one to keep the Islanders in the local New York area.” Wang said.  ”We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to play in Barclays Center, a first class arena.  This has been a long journey for the Islanders family starting with our loyal fans, sponsors, and employees.  I want to personally thank them for their patience, loyalty, and support.  I am excited about today’s announcement and I am looking forward to a long and successful future in Brooklyn.”

“We are delighted to welcome the Islanders to Brooklyn and to bring NHL hockey to the borough for the first time,” Ratner said. “Eleven subway lines and the Long Island Rail Road come directly to Barclays Center at Atlantic Terminal, offering great accessibility for current and future Islander fans. I want to thank Charles for his determination in keeping the team in New York and for having the vision to bring his club to Brooklyn.”

“More than ever before, Brooklyn is the place where everyone wants to be,” Mayor Bloomberg said. “Barclays Center has already brought an incredible amount of excitement to Brooklyn since opening last month. Now things will get even more interesting, with Brooklyn’s first-ever NHL franchise. Whether or not you’re a hockey fan, more events at Barclays Center will lead to more economic activity and more jobs, and that’s good news for all New Yorkers.”

“Today is another great day for Brooklyn,” BP Markowitz said. “When I first campaigned for Borough President, I made the promise that I would bring a major-league sports team to Brooklyn.  But never, in my wildest dreams, did I think we would be home to both the Brooklyn Nets and the New York Islanders. With the Nets and the Islanders, Brooklyn is beginning a dominant power-play.”

“The Brooklyn Nets are excited to welcome the Islanders to Barclays Center and Brooklyn!” Yormark said. “Barclays Center will offer the Islanders with an exciting opportunity to grow their fan base and to build their brand. Islander fans are going to love Barclays Center for its intimacy, sightlines, Brooklyn Taste culinary program, and customer service. We are looking forward to opening our doors for the Islanders and bringing the best in sports and entertainment to Brooklyn.”

Barclays Center will hold 14,500 seats for Islander games. Current Islander season ticket holders will have first rights to purchase season tickets in Brooklyn.

Philadelphia 76ers center Andrew Bynum remains sidelined with right knee pain and is a long shot to play in the Oct. 31 opener.

Bynum will continue to be held out of all basketball activity as he recovers from a bone bruise suffered during an offseason workout. The Sixers had pegged Wednesday as his potential return date. Instead, Bynum was on the sidelines while the rest of the Sixers practiced.

– Reported by the Associated Press

As the NBA regular season rapidly approaches, teams continue to trim their rosters, to get down to the 15-player maximum.

The Golden State Warriors today waived guards Carlon Brown and Tarence Kinsey, as well as forwards Lance Goulbourne and Rick Jackson.

The Warriors now have 15 players under contract.

NBA preseason ends Friday, OCtober 26. The regular season begins Tuesday, October 30.

Most NBA centers aren’t very good at basketball when compared to their more talented counterparts at the power forward position.

The league, while not exactly wording it the way I did above, has taken note of this and taken action.

For the first time, the NBA All-Star Ballot will feature two position choices, guards and frontcourt, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations Stu Jackson announced today.

Fans will select two guards and three frontcourt players when choosing the starters for the 2013 NBA All-Star Game. Previously, the ballot featured three positions with fans picking two guards, two forwards and a center.

“The NBA’s competition committee and the league office agreed that having the center position as the only specific position singled out on the ballot was outdated and not representative of today’s game or players,” Jackson said. “Our players have become more versatile each season, and this ballot will more accurately reflect that versatility.”

The 2013 NBA All-Star Ballot will be unveiled on Tuesday, Nov. 13 during a special event in Houston.

Read NBA fan reaction and share your opinion in this basketball forum topic.

The following is a press release from Court Grip

Today, Mission Athletecare and OptoSource released findings and related video from a three month analysis that showed a 24% average improvement on basketball player’s quickness and improved balance and stability when using Court Grip, a product developed by MISSION Athletecare designed to increase traction on hardwood courts.

OptoSource, a recognized leader in sports performance tracking, utilizes state-of-the-art LED sensors to track and measure athlete’s speed, agility and quickness to determine their efficiency of motion.

“I noticed a few players were using Court Grip while working out this past June, and while you can definitely hear the product working (when players sneakers squeak on the floor), we wanted to use our proprietary tracking techniques and OptoJump technology to see if we can quantify the actual performance benefits of the product. Candidly, the results were surprising. I didn’t anticipate seeing an average of 24% improvement in lateral quickness – that far surpassed my expectations.” said OptoSource Founder Doug Fidellow.

OptoSource’s independent study was divided into 2 key areas. First, there was extensive analysis and testing of basketball players at the high school and college level - with and without Court Grip. Second, OptoSource traveled to Wisconsin to test with Milwaukee Bucks star point guard Brandon Jennings, and to analyze the difference in his performance with and without Court Grip.

After 3 months of testing over 24 subjects, the OptoSource study showed an average of 24% increase in quickness when going in and out of cuts for players at all levels when using Court Grip - and in some cases higher. It also showed quantifiable improvements in balance and stability on change of direction movements on players who used the traction enhancing technology.

Side-by-side analysis of Brandon Jennings’s signature move, the step back jump shot, with and without Court Grip, also revealed a significant decrease in average court contact time when using the product. “I used Court Grip all of last year, and I could feel the difference in my game, but actually seeing the data from the study, the visible improvements that Court Grip made to my form, stability and performance was really amazing,” said Milwaukee Bucks star, Brandon Jennings.

“Our players who use Court Grip experienced improved reaction time and ability to move in and out of their cuts quicker. It is the most beneficial product we have seen in the past few years” says Wally Blase, Head Athletic Trainer for the Atlanta Hawks.

Co-developed and co-created with 2-Time NBA Champion and Miami Heat All-Star Dwyane Wade, Mission Athletecare launched Court Grip last season, with support from company partners Steve Nash, Dwight Howard and Brandon Jennings as well as the NBA and the NBA Trainers Association. Due to record-breaking adoption of the product, all major sports retailers are featuring Court Grip  this basketball season.

A video sharing more on this is here. 

The Milwaukee Bucks have exercised the third-year contract option on Tobias Harris (6-8, 226), and the fourth-year contract option on Larry Sanders (6-11, 235) and Ekpe Udoh (6-10, 245), General Manager John Hammond announced today.

Harris, 20, appeared in 42 games (nine starts) last year during his rookie season and averaged 5.0 points with 2.4 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 11.4 minutes per contest. He made his debut in the Bucks starting lineup on March 3 at Orlando, and Milwaukee went 5-2 during his first stint as a starter. Harris posted his first double-double with 15 points and a career-high 13 rebounds vs. Philadelphia on April 25, and scored in double figures seven times overall during his rookie campaign, with a high of 19 points coming vs. Chicago on Feb. 4. In the 2012 NBA Summer League, Harris led the Bucks with 20.8 points per game as was named to the Summer League All-Star Team.

Sanders, 23, played in 52 games last season and led the team in blocks with 76 total (1.5 per game). He also averaged 3.6 points and 3.1 rebounds in 12.4 minutes per game. Sanders posted 23 multi-block games on the season, third most in the NBA by a reserve. He recorded a career-high four steals and a season-high five blocks vs. Philadelphia on April 25, becoming the first Bucks player in 25 years to reach both those numbers in a single game. In his two NBA seasons, Sanders has played in 112 games (12 starts), averaging 4.0 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.32 blocks in 13.5 minutes per game.

Udoh, 25, appeared in 61 games (11 starts) split between Golden State and Milwaukee last season, averaging 5.6 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.67 blocks (11th in the NBA) in 21.2 minutes per contest. In the 11 games he started, five with Milwaukee, Udoh averaged 10.5 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.82 blocks. He posted 33 multi-block games during his second year in the NBA, a league-high 26 of them coming in a reserve role. Over his two seasons in the NBA, Udoh has played in a total of 119 games (29 starts), averaging 4.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.58 blocks in 19.5 minutes per game.

Under the terms of the NBA’s current collective bargaining agreement, the first two years of a first round draft pick’s contract are guaranteed, while the third and fourth year of the contract are the team’s option.

Harris was picked by the Bobcats with the 19th overall selection in the 2011 NBA Draft, and his draft rights, along with Stephen Jackson and Shaun Livingston, were traded to the Bucks in exchange for Corey Maggette in a three-team deal involving Sacramento on June 23, 2011. Sanders was selected by Milwaukee with the 15th pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, and Udoh came to the Bucks on March 14, 2012, with Monta Ellis and Kwame Brown in a trade for Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson.