Brownie Points: Houston’s appearance at Suns' practice testament to training staff

There he was at the Suns practice court Thursday, making jumper after jumper and working with assistant general manager Vinny del Negro after the team finished practice.

Remember Allan Houston? The former sharpshooter turns 37 in just over two weeks and has played only one game — a six-minute stint with the Knicks at the beginning of this season — since retiring in 2005 because of chronic knee problems.

Houston is in the Valley to visit friend Grant Hill. But while he’s here, he also asked to be evaluated by the Suns medical staff — or as they are fast becoming known around the NBA, “The Fountain of Youth.” Hill and Shaquille O’Neal are the latest players to have their careers resurrected or improved by Aaron Nelson and his team, and the success stories have naturally drawn the attention of players who had careers cut short by injury.

Houston doesn’t need the money. He was paid every penny of a six-year $100 million deal that finally ended last season, when he was the second-highest paid player in the league ($20.7 million). But for those who still love the game and the competition, the manual therapy approach the Suns tout is a chance at one more kick at the can.

There is no way Houston would play this season for the Suns or anyone else. But Phoenix did inquire about him last fall and if he were to ever improve enough to play, the Suns would be a good bet.

ONE AND DONE?

Will ex-Suns assistant Marc Iavaroni go from a head coach with carte blanche on all Memphis personnel decisions to being fired after just one year with the Grizzlies?

The Memphis Commercial Appeal confirms what others have speculated: When he’s not trying to sell the team, Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley is mulling the idea of dumping Iavaroni — an idea adviser and one-time Iavaroni booster Jerry West now seems on board with.

This comes despite Heisley trading away Pau Gasol for nothing, releasing Damon Stoudamire for nothing and watching Iavaroni develop several young players (Rudy Gay, Darko Milicic, Kyle Lowry) who now form the core of the team.

Heisley is apparently upset with Iavaroni’s insistence of playing ex-Sun Casey Jacobsen big minutes (he was awful, which may not come as a huge surprise to Suns fans) and sitting Hakim Warrick, who has emerged as a scorer but tests Iavaroni’s patience on the defensive end.

Iavaroni deserves some time to turn the mess he was handed around.

But given the circumstances and the folks he’s working with, perhaps being fired would be a blessing in disguise.

QUICK HITTERS

• Attention Dallas Cowboys: Chris Henry is available on the police blotter, er, waiver wire, after the Bengals decided his fifth arrest since December of 2005 was finally enough to cut him loose. If Dallas can steal Pacman Jones from Tennessee, how about having Henry and Terrell Owens at receiver?

• Do I get a mulligan on my NL East prediction now that the Mets have lost Pedro Martinez for six weeks? Just asking.

• After missing 11 of the 12 games with a back injury, Shawn Marion is now done for the season with plantar fasciitis — which he had for at least two years with Phoenix — in his left foot.

OK, whatever Shawn.

• After paying $20 million to get rid of Larry Brown two years ago, the Knicks won’t just give Isiah Thomas $18 million once he’s removed as coach. He’ll still be around, but somewhere when he can’t do much damage.

• One blown save, and D-Back fans are after Brandon Lyon. I wonder if the Padres are considering replacing Trevor Hoffman, who also blew a save Wednesday. After all, there are only 159 games left.