Yesterday, we reported that Matt Barnes was arrested on domestic abuse charges on Wednesday in Sacramento County, CA.  Today, the Sacramento Bee reports that Matt Barnes’s fiancee claims that no domestic abuse occured.

Laura M. Wright, a public relations executive, who says she represents both Barnes and his fiancee, released this statement on behalf of Govan:

“Any accusation of domestic violence are false. My fiancé, Matt Barnes, has never physically abused me or my family.”

Update (by Jay): This whole situation is freaking weird. One day Barnes’ fiancee is telling police that Barnes was the primary aggressor, both parties had “visible injuries,” and 911 dispatchers could only hear the sound of a struggle. The next, Barnes “has never physically abused me or my family.”  I don’t know about you, but I’m starting to think Barnes was Chuck Finley’d.

(Is that Shaq-cHale O’Neal?)

Rich Steinlauf, an analyst who has been studying the NBA for three decades, devised a player-ranking model that puts a monetary value on each player in the NBA. Based on his system, a combination of statistics and Steinlauf’s careful observation of players’ games, Shaq was the third-best bargain this offseason. (Sports Illustrated)

3. Shaquille O’Neal. The Celtics will pay a veteran’s minimum of $1.4 million for a future Hall of Famer who can be expected to play like a $5.5 million player. “I had him as the second-best player for Cleveland in the Boston series last year,” Steinlauf said. “When you’re the second-leading scorer for your team in one of the marquee playoff series, you’re probably a pretty good player.”

It’d be great if Shaq turns out to be such a bargain, but the two biggest bargains belonged to the Heat (Lebron and D-Wade, duh) and the fourth-best belonged to the Lakers (Matt Barnes).

And is Shaq really worth $5.5 million? Umm, not if you ask Yahoo’s Kelly Dwyer: “O’Neal, at this point, is probably better off working as an entertainer of sorts than someone who should be hedging on Jr. on some random Wednesday in January.

“You saw those games last year. Shaq didn’t really look that bad. He looked like … Shaq. Big guy, one move, two pivots, two hands. To the naked eye, O’Neal looked like a late-30s version of himself. He looked like what you would expect.

“It’s just that all these raw stats tell you that the Cavs were so, so much better with O’Neal on the pine.”

And so the great Shaq debate continues. He’ll either single-handedly destroy the Celtics or he’ll be the third-best bargain in the NBA.

Matt Barnes slapped an opposing assistant coach in the face. Why am I not really surprised? (Sports By Brooks)

Barnes engaged the referee into conversation directly in front of the opposing team’s Head Coach and Assistant Coach. While talking to the referee, Barnes begin to get heckled by SF City assistant head coach, Rick Lewis. Lewis was saying things like “stop your crying, you’re in the NBA, stop crying” and other remarks which were an attempt to antagonize and get under Barnes skin.

Barnes finally stepped towards Lewis and got in his face and they exchanged pleasantries, Barnes walked away but Lewis was still chirping so Barnes came back and got in his face at which point Barnes gave Lewis a slap on the face.

Now, it was more of a “lovetap” than anything malicious, he didn’t wind up or put force behind it. Soon as it happened, the referee’s came over, Barnes coaching staff ran over and the situation kind of fizzled itself out.

Interestingly enough, Barnes wasn’t ejected and was afforded the opportunity to finish out the game much to the dismay of Lewis and his team.

Look, I read this article wanting to tear Barnes apart. After all, what type of man slaps an opposing coach in the face? But I can’t do it. This coach just seems like an asshole. Any time an assistant coach screams at a player, “Stop your crying, you’re in the NBA, stop crying,” he should consider himself lucky if he doesn’t end up in the hospital. I’m telling you, Rick Lewis should kiss his rabbit’s foot that he only got a love tap.

It’s weird, but Matt Barnes slapped some dude in the face and it’s the dude who came away looking like a jackass. Damn it. I guess I’ll have to eagerly await my next opportunity to tear Barnes apart. Pause.

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(Antawn Jamison and Mo Williams are SO tough. Pointing at Perk like little tattling kindergartners.)

I know this is kind of old news. Can’t lie, I’m not on my blogging game while I’m on the beach. But this is worth posting, even if I’m a day late and a dollar short. (Boston Globe)

O’Neal didn’t gloss over the dustups he and Kendrick Perkins had last May in the playoffs. Instead, he cleared the air. “Perk is a very tough defender, probably one of the best big defenders in the league,’’ O’Neal said. “It was only on-the-court-battles/marketing. He’s a guy that’s not going to back down, I’m not going to back down. So I think if anything it was good for TV. Now, being on the same team, I will give him all the knowledge I have accumulated over the past 18 years. Have we had battles? Of course we have. Have we had good battles and bad battles? Of course we have, but that’s all over now because we’re teammates.’’

I don’t think this ever should have been considered a big deal. Competitors compete. They throw elbows. They don’t back down. They don’t give an inch. They get heated at opponents. But once you’re on the same team, you’re throwing elbows at someone else. You’re getting heated at some other guy. You’re teaming up with whoever’s wearing your jersey. Perk and Shaq won’t be mad at each other when the season starts; they will be the new-age Bash Brothers.

Competitors don’t hold it against someone else for playing hard, or throwing elbows. That’s why Kobe Bryant wanted Raja Bell and Matt Barnes on his team so badly. Those guys never back down from Kobe, and he respects the hell out of them for it. Because the guys who are tough to play against, who are physical, who fight for every loose ball even if it means throwing an elbow or two, THOSE are the guys you want as your teammates. So Shaq and Perk will be fine. There is no need to worry about those two, even if Shaq hadn’t been so complimentary.

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Old foes, new teammates.

As usual, Adrian Wojnarowski broke the story.

Unless Cleveland raises multi-year offer that starts around $3.5M, Matt Barnes will sign a 1-year, $1.7M deal with Lakers, sources tell Y!

Damn it. I knew it though. The Lakers have a little bit of playing time to offer and can pay Barnes $600,000 more than the Celtics. LA made sense for him.

You have to admire Barnes for leaving money on the table when he’s never had a huge pay-day. But now that he’s on the Lakers, you also have to hate his guts.

On the plus side, at least I don’t have to keep writing about Matt freaking Barnes.