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Here's a look at Rookies of the Year from the five worst teams, in terms of percentage, in league history:

Elton Brand (1999-00) -- Chicago Bulls 17-65 (.207)
The lead-off hitter in the 1999 Draft actually shared ROY honors with Houston's Steve Francis. Unlike the somewhat decent season put together by the Rockets, the Bulls were still in the midst of their post-Michael Jordan wretchedness.

Brand, yet, managed to stand out. Coming out of Duke, the 6-foot-8 power forward put up numbers -- 20.1 points and 10.0 rebounds -- that announced his arrival in the Association. Brand played only one more season in the Windy City before being shipped to the Clippers. He's in Philadelphia now.


Emeka Okafor (2004-05) -- Charlotte Bobcats 18-64 (.220)
The first draft choice in franchise history was a double-double machine right off the bat. Second to only behind Dwight Howard in the draft, the Connecticut product averaged 15.1 points and 10.9 for the last franchise to enter the league.

Okafor basically flatlined after that first year. He never averaged more points and only bettered that initial rebound figure just once, and the Bobcats never made the playoffs during his five-year North Carolina stint. Charlotte traded Okafor to New Orleans before the 2009-10 season, and he's a major contributor in the Hornets' strong start this season.

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Sidney Wicks (1971-72) -- Portland Trail Blazers 18-64 (.220)
The Blazers got the best player in the draft with the second pick, but it was because Cleveland whiffed on the 6-foot-8 big man from UCLA. Portland paid the Cavaliers $250,000 not to draft Wicks. (Cleveland, instead, selected Austin Carr.)

It proved to be money well spent by the Blazers, as Wicks averaged 24.5 points and 11.5 rebounds. The Blazers, though, were actually 11 games worse than the season before. Wicks played five seasons in Oregon before being traded to Boston before the 1976-77 campaign. Portland won the title that year.


Ray Felix (1953-54) -- Baltimore Bullets 16-56 (.220)
The good times in Baltimore didn't last long for just the second African-American in league history to make the All-Star team. The No. 1 pick out of Long Island University made his presence known averaging 17.6 points and 13.3 boards for the worst team in the league.

The Bullets folded early in the 1954-55 season -- the last NBA team to disband -- and the 6-foot-11 center finished that year with the New York Knicks. Felix enjoyed a solid nine-year career that ended with the Los Angeles Lakers in 1962.

Walt Bellamy (1961-62) -- Chicago Packers 18-62 (.225)
Bellamy began his career as the top selection from Indiana and didn't disappoint, putting together one of the greatest rookie seasons ever. His numbers -- 31.6 points and 19.0 rebounds -- were in Wilt Chamberlain and Bill Russell territory, as far as rookies go.

The Hall of Famer also led the league in shooting percentage as a rookie (51.9) before going on to play 14 years. Bellamy's first year also included a stellar All-Star Game effort of 23 points and 17 rebounds. He also set a record in 1968-69 thanks to a trade from New York to Detroit that probably won't ever be broke with 88 regular-season games played.

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President Barack Obama needed 12 stitches in his upper lip after taking an errant elbow during a pickup basketball game Friday morning with family and friends visiting for the Thanksgiving holiday, the White House said.

First word of the injury came in a statement from press secretary Robert Gibbs nearly three hours after the incident.

The White House did not initially name the person who caused the injury, but identified him later Friday as Rey Decerega, director of programs for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute.

Obama received the stitches under local anesthesia in the doctor's office on the ground floor of the White House after returning home. Doctors used a smaller filament than typically used, which increases the number of stitches but makes a tighter stitch and leaves a smaller scar.

The president had gone to nearby Fort McNair to indulge in a game of basketball, one of his favorite athletic pursuits. It was a five-on-five contest involving family and friends. Among the players were Obama's nephew, Avery Robinson, Education Secretary Arne Duncan and Reggie Love, Obama's personal assistant, who played at Duke University.

The White House said the injury happened during their fifth and final game when Decerega turned to take a shot and hit Obama, who was playing defense, in the mouth with his elbow.

Obama emerged from the building after about 90 minutes of play, wearing a short-sleeve T-shirt and gym pants, and was seen dabbing at his mouth with what appeared to be a wad of gauze. A few hours later, reporters who had gathered on the White House driveway for the arrival of the Christmas tree saw the president in an upstairs window, pressing an ice pack against his mouth before he stood and walked away.

"After being inadvertently hit with an opposing player's elbow in the lip while playing basketball with friends and family, the president received 12 stitches today administered by the White House Medical Unit," Gibbs said.
Decerega issued a statement through the White House late Friday. He did not immediately respond to an e-mail request from The Associated Press for independent comment.

"I learned today the president is both a tough competitor and a good sport," the statement said. "I enjoyed playing basketball with him this morning. I'm sure he'll be back out on the court again soon."
Obama's motorcade obeyed all traffic stops, the custom for nonofficial trips, during the return to the White House.

In February, Obama, 49, was deemed to be in excellent health and fit for duty after his first medical checkup as president. Doctors reported then that Obama had yet to kick a smoking habit, takes anti-inflammatory medication to relieve chronic tendinitis in his left knee and should make dietary changes to reduce his cholesterol levels.

Obama was told to return for another physical exam in August 2011, after he turns 50. In addition to regular pickup basketball games, Obama is also an avid golfer.
Obama had no public events scheduled during the long holiday weekend.
His stitched lip, however, could make for some interesting small talk on Tuesday, when Obama is to meet with the congressional leadership. The session originally was announced for Nov. 18, but was delayed after Republicans, who will control the House and increase their numbers in the Senate come January, said they couldn't accommodate the president.

Medical help is always nearby for U.S. presidents. A doctor or nurse is stationed at the White House around the clock and accompanies the president in his motorcade and aboard Air Force One.
Recent presidents have had a number of medical scares.

George W. Bush choked on a pretzel and briefly lost consciousness, falling and hurting his head. Bill Clinton had surgery and used crutches for months for a torn tendon in his knee when he stumbled on steps at the Florida home of golf pro Greg Norman.

The elder Bush, George H.W. Bush, was hospitalized for an erratic heartbeat while jogging at Camp David, a problem later diagnosed as a thyroid ailment. The senior Bush also collapsed at a state dinner in Tokyo, which the White House blamed on an intestinal flu.

Jimmy Carter fainted briefly while jogging near Camp David. Ronald Reagan was shot in the chest in a 1981 assassination attempt.
Former Vice President Dick Cheney, 69, has had five heart attacks since age 37. He had surgery this year to install a pump to help his heart work. Cheney said he has congestive heart failure.

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Just 16 games in, the New York Knicks have already experienced the highs and lows of a roller coaster 2010-11 season.

After winning three of their first five games, they dropped six straight, with the low-point coming in a 21-point collapse in Minnesota. Point guard Raymond Felton looked like he couldn't run a simple pick-and-roll, and head coach Mike D'Antoni appeared to be a bad fit for a team that didn't have the talent to push his offensive system to the limit.

Scoring just 101.1 points per 100 possessions through their first 10 games, the Knicks ranked 24th in the league offensively. Amar'e Stoudemire was averaging 20.8 points per game, but shooting a career-low 46 percent from the field. Wilson Chandler, Toney Douglas, Raymond Felton and Danilo Gallinari were shooting a combined 42 percent.

The Knicks were taking the fourth most 3-point attempts in the league, but were shooting them at the sixth worst percentage. They were improved defensively, but not nearly enough to make up for their inefficiency on the other end.
Then the Knicks headed west for a four-game trip. And in Denver, they discovered their offense, scoring 118 points in a ridiculously fast-paced game. Their fourth-quarter comeback fell two points short, but the loss was not like the previous five, and D'Antoni called it "a little bit of a positive step."

That step forward carried over as the Knicks won the final three games of their trip, shooting 52 percent in wins over the Kings, Warriors and Clippers. Gallinari hit 10 of his 16 threes in the three games, Stoudemire averaged 30-plus, and Felton started to look a lot more comfortable running his new team.
Of course, the competition probably had something to do with the Knicks' offensive explosion. The Warriors and Clippers are two of the three worst defensive teams in the league this season, and the Kings aren't much better.

So the Knicks needed a little validation when they returned home. And that may have come with a home-and-home sweep of the Bobcats, which put them at .500 and gave them their first five-game winning streak since January of 2006. The Bobcats aren't nearly as good a defensive team as they were last season, but they're a big step up from the Western Conference doormats.

A look at the Knicks' numbers during their last six games makes it clear how they've turned it around. They've actually been worse defensively in these six games than they were in their first 10. But their offensive improvement has more than made up for the porous defense.

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The Knicks' increased efficiency is about more than just better shooting. They've been turning the ball over less, getting to the free throw line more, and rebounding (on the offensive end) better. And all of that is a product of better ball movement and better floor spacing.

"I think a lot of it is just the chemistry," D'Antoni said earlier this week. "They have a little bit more confidence with each other."

Having adjusted his offense to better fit his personnel, D'Antoni deserves some credit for the offensive improvement as well. Rather than forcing Felton to get Stoudemire the ball via the pick-and-roll, the Knicks have been using off-ball action to get the ball to Stoudemire directly. That allows their star to go to work one-one-one.

"We've cleared out for Amar'e, getting him not having to attack one against five, which he was," D'Antoni said. "We didn't really put him in a great position the first few games. And now he's in a better position to attack."

Stoudemire has averaged 25.5 points on 57 percent shooting in the six games, getting to the line more than eight times per contest. The trip out west earned him Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors.

Heading into Saturday's game against the Hawks, the Knicks sit in sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Now ranking sixth in the league offensively, they've clearly made strides. But it must be noted that they've played one of the weakest schedules in the NBA thus far.

With a tougher road ahead, the Knicks' season will likely continue to resemble a roller coaster ride, because their defense is not good enough for them to be very consistent. But now that they've got the offense clicking, they're looking more like what we expected from their upgraded roster.

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Celtics coach Doc Rivers said center Shaquille O'Neal missed Boston's practice on Monday because the veteran center forgot the time it was scheduled to start.

"Today, we only had 11 guys," Rivers said. "It hurts your practice because that means most of your guys are on the floor for the entire practice. That's not the way to go. He got times mixed up, he missed one, he owes us one. We're good."

O'Neal's absence comes after Rivers gave the Celtics Saturday and Sunday off to enjoy the Thanksgiving weekend.

"I was going to spank him," Rivers joked when asked if he would punish the 7-foot-1, 325-pound O'Neal. "He may not hurt. It may hurt me."
Rivers said punishing a player or handing out a fine sometimes depends on if they have a history of transgressions.

"You get over it," Rivers said. "Listen, if a guy had a history, then you deal with it differently. When a guy doesn't have a history or something, it happens. It's life, you move on. You do whatever you do, fine (the player) or whatever all that stuff is. I never release that stuff and it's not a big deal."
Glen Davis took O'Neal's spot among the starters in practice.

Rivers said guard Delonte West will have surgery on Tuesday to repair the fractured right wrist he sustained last Wednesday against New Jersey. Rivers said the team will know more about West and his timetable to return following the procedure.

Rivers said starting point guard Rajon Rondo's left hamstring is no longer an issue, but his sore left foot still remains troublesome.
"The foot is the bigger issue. The hamstring (injury) is gone for the most part," Rivers said.

Rondo returned Friday against Toronto after a three-game absence.

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Denver Nuggets leading scorer Carmelo Anthony left Sunday's game with an illness and did not return.

Anthony started against the Phoenix Suns and scored two points and grabbed three rebounds in 2:48 before leaving the game. He sat on the bench the rest of the first half and then left the building at halftime, according to a team representative.

Anthony's streak of scoring in double figures ended at 134 regular season games. The last time he failed to score at least 10 in a game was Nov. 30, 2008, against Houston, when he scored two points.

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Chicago Bulls forward Carlos Boozer reported no problems after practicing with the team on Monday for the first time since breaking his right hand in an accident at his home on Oct. 2.

Despite the successful outing, coach Tom Thibodeau wasn't ready to make a decision on whether Boozer would play Wednesday against Orlando.
"He looked fine," said Thibodeau. "We'll see how it goes tomorrow (in practice) and in the shootaround on Wednesday. For the first day, it was very good."
Boozer practiced in a modified padded glove that shields the broken fifth metatarsal, but leaves his thumb and first two fingers exposed so he can get a feel for the ball.

"I feel pretty good," said Boozer. "I got my protective glove on. During practice, my hand felt pretty good. It's getting better and better, which is all I could hope for."

Thibodeau said that the final decision on Boozer's availability will be made by the ninth-year forward, who joined the team over the summer after signing a five-year, $75 million contract as a free agent.

"I'm going to see," said Boozer. "I'm going to see how it feels each day. I'm going to ice it down right now and take care of it. Do treatment every day, twice a day, maybe three times a day. We'll see how it feels on Wednesday before the game."

Boozer is considered the crown jewel of the Bulls' offseason acquisitions, which includes guards Ronnie Brewer and Keith Bogans, forward Kyle Korver and center Omer Asik.

All of those players have played regular minutes and contributed to the Bulls' 9-6 start, which has them in first place in the Central Division. Given that the Bulls are already playing well, could Boozer's return actually slow down Chicago's recent roll?

"You'll just have to wait and see," said Bulls center Joakim Noah. "Isn't that the question everybody wants to know?"
Noah added several times that he was "very excited" to have Boozer back on the active roster. Thibodeau doesn't think Boozer's return will disrupt the team's chemistry.

"I don't think anything changes in terms of how we play, style of play," said Thibodeau. "It adds a quality big man and gives us more depth up front."
Thibodeau added that Boozer will move into the Bulls' starting lineup in place of Taj Gibson, who has averaged 11.5 points and 7.1 rebounds in 27.5 minutes as Boozer's replacement. The number of minutes Boozer plays will depend upon his conditioning. Last season for Utah, Boozer averaged 34.3 minutes per game.

The two-time All-Star doesn't believe an adjustment period will be necessary when he takes the floor with his new teammates, particularly All-Star point guard Derrick Rose.

"(The chemistry) will be right there the moment we step out there together," said Boozer. "We've been talking about it this whole season. People are going to double-team (Rose). He is dominating right now. As soon as they double him, you just try to move to that open area."

Boozer suffered the injury shortly before the start of the preseason schedule. He said that he fell over a bag that had been left on the floor when he rushed to answer the door of his apartment.

Boozer missed the entire preseason and hasn't played in any of Chicago's 15 regular-season games to date. He averaged 19.5 points in 11.2 rebounds in 78 games last year for Utah.

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The Milwaukee Bucks have waived rookie guard Darington Hobson, five months after picking him in the second round of the draft.

Hobson was selected 37th overall out of New Mexico after being named Mountain West Conference Player of the Year as a junior.

But a hip injury kept the 6-foot-7 Hobson out of the Bucks' summer league games. He underwent season-ending surgery on Oct. 12.
In October, the Bucks waived another second-round pick, forward Keith "Tiny" Gallon. Gallon was picked 47th overall.

The Bucks also said Thursday they've signed 12-year veteran center Brian Skinner. The 6-foot-9 Skinner has played in 605 games and has career averages of 4.8 points and 4.7 rebounds. He played in all eight of the Bucks' preseason games before being waived Oct. 25.