Exceptionalism

It's supposed to be the year of the point guard in boys' basketball in Southern California, with multiple players in contention for who's best. But in girls' basketball, there's one standard for excellence, and that's 5-foot-6 junior Jordin Canada of Los Angeles Windward. She's the best not just in California but maybe in the nation for what she does - control the ball and direct her team to victories. Windward is 21-0 and twice has beaten Southern Section 1AA powerhouse Long Beach Poly.

It would be surprising if the chant in Staples Center isn't loud and persistent by now. And he's going to need it, limping as he was during Monday afternoon's loss at Golden State. But if sports is all about winning and the pursuit of excellence, who has done it better this season? "CP3, CP3, CP3. " "MVP, MVP, MVP. " LeBron James is the most talented player in the NBA. Kevin Durant is the best shooter. And Kobe Bryant's brilliant play defies explanation after so many trips up and down the court.

AT&T this week announced that all iPhone users with tiered or shared data plans can now make cellular FaceTime calls. That's good news for those customers, but AT&T's critics say it should stop withholding the feature from the last group still being excluded: those with grandfathered unlimited data plans. FaceTime is Apple's proprietary video calling feature that launched in 2010 with the iPhone 4. Initially, the feature could only make video calls over Wi-Fi, but Apple added cellular call functionality last September with the launch of iOS 6, the latest version of its mobile operating system.

According to General Manager Mitch Kupchak, the Lakers have sent a request to the NBA for a disabled player exception for the injured Jordan Hill. Hill will miss the remainder of the season with a hip injury suffered in a game against the Denver Nuggets on Jan. 6. He'll soon undergo surgery to remove loose bodies and repair a possibly torn labrum in the hip. A disabled player exception can be awarded to a team when a player is projected to be out for the season (until at least June 15)

Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak said the Lakers are considering applying for a disabled player exception for Jordan Hill. Hill is expected to have surgery to fix a possible labral tear and remove "loose bodies" from the joint.  Recovery is expected to take six months and Hill would miss the remainder of the season. The Lakers are eligible to apply for the exception, which would give the team an additional $1.78 million in spending power. "We'll look into it," said Kupchak.

The Lakers have until Tuesday to apply for a "disabled players exception" for Jordan Hill. It was announced on Friday that Hill will miss the remainder of the season with a hip injury that will sideline the forward-center for six months. According to the Larry Coon's NBA Salary Cap FAQ , the Lakers can apply for an exception worth half of Hill's $3.56-million salary.  There's no guarantee the league will approve the exception if the Lakers even apply for it, but if granted, the Lakers would gain about $1.78 million in additional spending power.

Like many out-of-state visitors, the lone gray wolf that trotted across the border from Oregon has taken a liking to California. He went back and forth between the two states a handful of times after his initial crossing into Siskiyou County on Dec. 28, 2011. But since spring, the young male has remained in the Golden State, loping across forests and scrublands, up and down mountains and across rural highways in California's sparsely populated northeast. The first wild wolf documented in California in nearly 90 years, he has roamed as far south as Tehama County - about halfway between the border and Sacramento - searching for other wolves, and a mate.

1. MAACO Las Vegas Sat., Dec. 22, 12:30 p.m. (ESPN), Las Vegas Washington vs. Boise State You can't beat this $550-limit gift suite. No quill pens or Timely watches, or coins, or footballs. Just a no-strings-attached gift suite. Think of it as skipping the middleman on that ugly sweater you get for Christmas and then return. OK, and you're in Las Vegas. 2. Rose Tues., Jan. 1, 2 p.m. (ESPN), Pasadena Wisconsin vs. Stanford Features a gift suite where a player can choose a recliner or blender to make healthy food, plus a Fossil watch (Did Fred Flintstone get one of these at his bowl game?

Romantic but pitiless, fearlessly emotional as well as edgy, "Rust and Bone" is a powerhouse. It's the kind of risky venture only a consummate filmmaker could manage, and then only with the help of actors who are daring and accomplished. With director Jacques Audiard in charge and Marion Cotillard and Matthias Schoenaerts as stars, all the pieces have fallen exactly into place. Although "Rust and Bone" is old fashioned and sentimental at its core, this film's idea of romance is not everyone's, and it's certainly not Jane Austen's.

Mickey Baker, an exceptional 1950s session guitarist who played on hundreds of recordings, helping to transform rhythm and blues into rock 'n' roll, died Tuesday at his home near Toulouse, France, according to French media reports. He was 87. A cause of death was not disclosed. Baker "was the first great rock and roll guitarist," rock historian Dave Marsh wrote in 1989 in "The Heart of Rock and Roll: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made. " The sassy "Love Is Strange" was one of them.