THROUGH THE WIRE: NEWS (10/22/10)

(DAMN MIKE! Watch that hand!)

It seems everbodys loving these new Adidas NBA jerseys, that is everyone except Miami's Mike Miller. The Heat forward will be out cold for some time after the sharp shooters thumb took a shot off a teammates jersey. Miami have been going through the wars recently and now they'll be without their dead eye sniper for a few weeks. Millers thumb was injured in practice time as his shooting hand got tangled up with a teammates practice vest. Mike was averaging an impressive 9.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 24.4 minutes during the preseason before the freak accident. The kind of numbers Miami could use but now the behind the arc artist can't paint when his shooting hand is injured. There continues to be ups and downs in South Beach as Miami go through growing pains. LeBron scored 38 points last night in preseason but that wasn't enough as Miami lost.



It's not just the Lakers' Shannon Brown (who is engaged to R&B superstar Monica) who's loved up in matrimony this summer. Sasha Vujacic (who replaced Kobe Bryant with 9 points in last nights exhibition with the Warriors) is also getting hitched. Last night, the backcourt stud who once dated Paris Hilton announced his engagement to Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova. Sasha and Sharapova met last year at a friends barbecue and their love heated up from there. Vujacic did the gentlemanly thing and popped the question on the couple's one year anniversary and Maria said yes to the old romantics proposal of marriage. Sasha made the three-time Grand Slam champ and world number 18 his number one saying, "We are engaged and are both really happy." A date hasn't been set as of yet but we wish all the best to this couple. Congratulations.



As the new season dawns more teams are exercising their options and releasing players left, right, forwards, guards and centre. The Denver Nuggets may not be having luck finalising some contracts but they have picked up their third year option on speedy tenacious guard Ty Lawson. Ty averaged 8.3 points and 3.1 assists last season and will be around to at least the 2011-12 season. It's also good news for the Lopez twins. Just days after Brooks NBA options were left open by the Nets it has been announced that the Phoenix Suns have exercised the fourth year option on the other Stanford standout Lopez. Shaggy haired Robin will join his brother in playing security being locked down through the 2011-12 season. Meanwhile more talented role players will be performing their duties to at least the 2011-12 season. The Sixers exercised their third-year option on guard Jrue Holiday and the fourth-year option on forward Marreese Speights. To do this however they waived goodbye to forward/center Trent Plaisted and former Miami, Dywane Wade backup guard Chris Quinn. Two more players are looking for new jobs and places to take their talents as the Washington Wizards have issued release forms to journeyman Sean Marks and NBA Champion Adam Morrison. Former lottery choice Mo' would still make a great option for any team, it's time he got his chance. TIM DAVID HARVEY.