Ian Thomsen's Fast Break

THE HOTLINE

Drawing from its network of NBA insiders--including scouts, coaches and front-office personnel--FAST BREAK picked up this chatter from around the league.

"The Sixers are imploding, and there's only one answer: Trade Allen Iverson (right). They can't win with him, so they need to see if they can win without him. Instead of asking for Ray Allen or Paul Pierce or Vince Carter, they need to settle for younger players--like Ben Gordon and Luol Deng [of the Bulls]--and spend the next two years running the offense through Chris Webber while the talent develops." ... "There are always rumors that if [ Celtics coach] Doc Rivers is fired, they'll just shift [G.M.] Danny Ainge over to replace him, but I don't think that'll ever happen. Since Day One, Danny has been telling the owners that he doesn't want to coach." ... "I hear that the Blazers are interested in hiring [Sonics director of basketball operations] Dave Pendergraft in some front-office capacity, maybe to replace G.M. John Nash, so that [coach] Nate McMillan can have his own guy in Portland." ... "Two reasons why the Bucks are struggling: Teams are clogging the middle on T.J. Ford and--unlike Chris Paul, for example--he doesn't have the ability to get the ball in the basket when he's surrounded by big people. Also, Jamaal Magloire is hurting them because he's a plodder who demands the ball and detracts from their up-tempo style."

COMING BACK SOON: JAY WILLIAMS?

It has been almost three years since a motorcycle accident tore three ligaments in Jay Williams's left knee and severed a nerve in his left leg, nearly resulting in its amputation. This week, however, the 6'2" point guard--who also fractured his pelvis in the accident--will move to Houston to begin full-time workouts under former NBA point guard and coach John Lucas. A rehabilitation guru who played a pivotal role in the comebacks of T.J. Ford and Vin Baker, among others, Lucas hopes to have Williams ready for his return to the league by the start of next season. " John Lucas is going to put me through hell, but hell is where I need to go to get me where I want to be," says Williams, 24, the 2002 NCAA player of the year at Duke and No. 2 pick in that year's draft.

Williams (left) plans to be ready for the start of summer-league play in July. "I don't know if I'll be the guy with a 43-inch vertical who's going to be able to dunk over Yao Ming," says Williams. "But I'll be a smarter player."

And perhaps even as good as he was in his one NBA season, when he averaged 9.5 points and 4.7 assists as a Bulls rookie. "I never thought I was going to be able to dunk the ball again, but now I'm dunking," Williams adds. "I keep working hard and surprising myself. For the first time I can see the light, and now I'm reaching for it."

BUZZER BEATERS

3
The most important, yet overlooked, story down the stretch is Tim Duncan's plantar fasciitis. Few players have suffered bigger dips in back-to-backs than the Spurs' big man, who averages 19.4 points in the first game but only 14.9 the following night. He experiences a similar dropoff on the boards, going from 11.8 rebounds to 9.1.

2
The daily speculation about a Kevin Garnett trade is almost lending an air of inevitability to his exit from Minnesota, no?