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NEW YORK -- Kristaps Porzingis came to the NBA from Europe as a 7-footer with 3-point range, so the comparisons to Dirk Nowitzki were inevitable.Jeff Hornacek figured the best way for Porzingis to play like Nowitzki was to play with Nowitzki.So the New York Knicks coach called Dallas coach Rick Carlisle in the offseason and asked if his veteran star would be open to working out with the second-year forward.Turns out, fraternizing with the enemy isnt only allowed, but some coaches even broker it.Most coaches, they want all the players in the league to do well, Hornacek said, and so when you have a young player like that, if you have a veteran on your team and somebody calls you up and says, `Hey, will this guy have him in his workouts, a lot of these guys get together anyway so its not that big a deal.Hornacek arranged similar tutoring when he was in Phoenix, getting big man Alex Len to work with the Spurs Tim Duncan. Carlisle wouldnt say if he ever made a request, but didnt think it was uncommon.Hey, things like this, theyre great stories in our game and its one of the reasons we have such a great game and the NBA is a family, Carlisle said.Nowitzki and Porzingis couldnt find time in their schedules, but may in the future. Perhaps Hornacek will even call again.Guys, especially the veteran guys, they like taking young guys kind of under their wing, showing them some tricks and hopefully maybe someday we can get Dirk to work with KP, Hornacek said.---HOWARD AND THE HAWKSAtlanta brought Dwight Howard in and let Al Horford leave, and traded Jeff Teague so Dennis Schroder could start.Most of the offseason focus was on how the Hawks changed, but for coach Mike Budenholzer, its more about how they stayed the same.The remainder of the roster is largely unchanged from the one that won a franchise-record 60 games two years ago and produced 108 victories over the last two seasons. So even after changing the point guard and center, perhaps the two most important positions on the floor, the Hawks are off to a 9-4 start that includes the only victory by a road team over NBA champion Cleveland.I think the thing weve been talking about since the first day of camp is we brought back 10 or 11 guys, too, so I think its been a great balance of continuity with some significant change, Budenholzer said.And when you have 10 or 11 guys that have played together for a couple of years and had some success, and understand what we want to do and whats important to us, I think you can integrate some changes, including a point guard and Dwight. Maybe it just made it a little more possible for us to hopefully do it, I guess, with the results were having so far.---The NBA season reaches the one-month mark this week. A look at some things to watch:ROLLING INTO THE WEEK: Golden State (seven straight wins) and San Antonio (five in a row) ride long winning streaks into the week but are still looking up in the West at the Los Angeles Clippers, who have the NBAs best record at 12-2.HIGH SCORERS IN HOUSTON: DeMar DeRozan and James Harden, two of the NBAs top scorers and the reigning Eastern and Western Conference players of the week, go head-to-head Wednesday in Houston.LUKES LAKERS: The Warriors will try to avenge a loss to their former assistant coach when they visit Los Angeles on Friday. Luke Waltons Lakers beat the Warriors 117-97 on Nov. 4, ending Stephen Currys NBA-record streak of 157 games with a 3-pointer.BATTLE ON THE BACKBOARDS: The NBAs top rebounders meet for the first time this season Wednesday when Miamis Hassan Whiteside, averaging 16.2 rebounds, tangles with Detroits Andre Drummond (13.8).---HAPPY THANKSGIVING: There are no games on Thursday, making Thanksgiving one of only three nights off during the NBA season. But Black Friday is stacked, with all 30 teams in action. The NBA also doesnt play on Christmas Eve or the night of the NCAA championship game, scheduled this season for Monday, April 3. Olivier Giroud Jersey .ca. Hey Kerry, big fan of yours, just finished reading your book. I think that we all saw the Canucks/Flames line brawl just after puck drop. It was obvious that something was about to happen, even to the referees because the fourth lines were on to start. Jorginho Jersey . The Dane followed up his first European Tour title last weekend with eight birdies and just a single dropped shot on Thursday for a one-stroke advantage over South Africas Allan Versfeld and Portugals Ricardo Santos. http://www.chelseasoccerjerseysonline.com/womens-willy-caballero-chelsea-jersey/ .C. -- Chris Thorburn thinks one of the reasons the Winnipeg Jets have been successful under new coach Paul Maurice is that theyre playing together as a team. Emerson Jersey . LOUIS -- Cardinals cleanup hitter Allen Craig says hes recovered from a foot injury and ready to be put on St. Ethan Ampadu Chelsea Jersey . A big centre with all the tools to be an elite player, Johansen paced the Blue Jackets with a standout game Saturday night. He had a goal and two assists for a career-high three points as Columbus beat the New York Islanders 5-2 to snap a five-game losing streak.ENGLEWOOD, Colo. -- The most intriguing new face turning heads at the Denver Broncos off-season workouts isnt Montee Ball or Sylvester Williams. Its third-year tight end Julius Thomas. The 6-foot-5, 255-pound former power forward is finally healthy after spending the bulk of his first two seasons with the Denver Broncos dealing with a bum right ankle. Treating every practice like its game day, Thomas is finally flashing the skills that made him an attractive prospect coming out of Portland State in 2011 even though he had played just one season of college football. Last week, he outraced the safeties and hauled in a 50-yard TD pass from Peyton Manning. This week, he stretched out his long, lean body for a one-handed grab in the flat before weaving his way into the end zone. "It feels great. I mean, just being able to go out there, and run around, and feel healthy," Thomas said. "For so long, I feel like I was dragging a leg around. Just to go out there and feel like Im playing at a high level, its really encouraging and I feel blessed." Cornerback Champ Bailey said hes not surprised Thomas performance. "Hes been doing that for the last two years, it is just getting that opportunity to do it with the first team and getting some reps there," he said. "That is great because he has the talent. Its just all about learning how to play this game and the mental part of it. Weve seen him mature a lot over the past two years." Thomas was a power forward at Portland State who was a bully in the blocks, swatting 62 shots and pulling down 520 rebounds while leading the Vikings to two NCAA tournament appearances. But basketball wasnt really in his blood. He said he never quite felt like the hardwood was really his canvas, figuring hed be more at home pulling down passes than rebounds, blocking linebackers instead of shots. So, once he exhausted his basketball eligibility, and with one scholarship season left, he contacted Vikings football coach Nigel Burton about stepping onto the football field for the first time. Thomas was a quick study, catching 29 passes for 453 yards and earning All-Big Sky Conference first-team honours. His stock soared at the East-West Shrine Game, where he captured the attention of scouts with his athleticism and grabbed a 5-yard TD pass. That was enough to entice the Broncos into selecting him in the fourth round that year, hoping theyd discovered in Thomas the next Antonio Gates, who made a smooth transition from the basketball court at Kent State to the football field and became a perennial Pro Bowler for the San Diego Chargers. Thomas said his basketball background helped him navigate the crash course of NFL football.dddddddddddd He makes split-second decisions, deciphers defences, anticipates the action, adjusts on the fly just like he did on the basketball floor. He said shielding a defensive back to give the quarterback an opening is just like posting up a player under the basket to give the point guard a clear passing lane. But Thomas injured his right ankle on his first -- and so far only -- reception of his pro career, and after working out with Manning after the quarterbacks arrival in Denver in March 2012, he discovered he needed an operation that sidelined him again. Hes played just nine games in his NFL career. In this era of ever bigger tight ends like New Englands Rob Gronkowski and offensive mainstays like Gates, Thomas said he can fit right in. "In my mind, I can do the same kinds of things they can," he said. If he can stay healthy, hell get the chance to prove it this season. Thomas is getting more work than he expected this off-season, especially in the passing game, because Joel Dreessen recently underwent arthroscopic knee surgery and wont be back until training camp in late July. "Its been a good deal for Julius in the sense that he gets more opportunities and more reps," coach John Fox said. "Hes a guy that we have a good feeling about his abilities. Now its just a matter of getting him in there, and this gives him a good opportunity." Hes making the most of it, compiling his own highlight reel of jaw-dropping plays. "Im proud for him because he came in and when he first started, everybody thought he was going to be a great player and then he got injured and had his ups and downs, but I knew he was going to be good, because he was a basketball player and most of the basketball players that play football can play," wide receiver Demaryius Thomas said. "To see him out here doing the things hes doing is amazing." Manning loves having another big receiver lining up with him. "Hes a great athlete. A big target. If you cant complete a ball to Julius as a quarterback, something is wrong with you," Manning said. "He has a great wingspan and great size and jumping ability. I think hes just continuing to get better for us." Thomas made the most of his late start in college football and he aims to do the same in the NFL now that his right ankle is mended. "Its been a frustrating experience but I try not to focus on that," Thomas said. "Its just about making it to the next day, the next play and coming out here and trying to improve, and really, thats where all my focus is now. Im doing what I can to get better." ' ' '