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Daily Links: Hill to Big Apple and pulse check

Phoenix Stan, Bright Side Of The Sun — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:59:05 -0000

Signs Indicate That Hill Is Leaning Toward the Knicks - NYTimes.com
New York offered the most money — at least $5 million for one year or $10 million over three years, officials said, as well as some ancillary perks for Grant Hill’s family.
Source: Wife Will Sway Grant Hill to Sign With Knicks -- NBA FanHouse
Not many free agents in any sport elect to play in New York because of 'family reasons.'' According to a source, it looks like Grant
The Canadian Press: Phoenix Suns add Japanese guard Takuya Kawamura to Summer League team
Wow! I can't wait! Well, actually I can wait but you know, this is exciting news somewhere
What grabbing Shawn Marion means to Dallas - Ball Don't Lie - NBA - Yahoo! Sports
We have no doubt that, like every free agent out there, he wanted to go where the money is best. But the money was great in Phoenix, and Marion had issues not being the center of attention. I'm not going to tell you that he preferred life with two lottery teams in Miami and Toronto following his trade from Phoenix, but you never heard rumors of him griping, despite the losing, despite constant trade rumors that dogged him in both cities.
KTAR.com - Burns: The Suns are like a junior high dance
Yup...it's rough out there
NBA Rumors - InsideHoops.com
Big rumors now are around Boozer to Chicago and perhaps Hinrich to Portland. Portland also is looking at Milsap

Poll

There's a lot of angst in the Suns community right now. How are you feeling today?

Pre-Summer League open thread

Mike Prada, Bullets Forever — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:12:27 -0000

More photos » by Alex Brandon - AP

JaVale McGee is one of the players that bears watching at Wizards Summer League.

Browse more photos »

We're almost up to one of my favorite times of the basketball calendar. A time where Jerryd Bayless can be the next Isiah Thomas, when Oleksiy Pecherov is actually hitting his three-pointers and when Greg Oden can commit 10 fouls in a game before fouling out.

That's right, we're talking about the Summer League. Summer League officially kicked off today, but the Wizards' first game isn't until Tuesday. Their full schedule is as follows:

Tuesday vs. Cleveland at 6:30 ET
Wednesday vs. Denver at 10:30 ET
Friday vs. Minnesota (the return of O-Pec!) at 8 ET
July 18 vs. LA Clippers at 8:30 ET
July 19 vs. New York at 4 ET

You can find a list of the Wizards' roster, along with some background information on the team, here. There's also Jon L's excellent breakdown of the Wizards' roster for Ridiculous Upside here.

Anyway, I will be traveling to Las Vegas Sunday and staying to cover the first four games. If you're going too, drop me an e-mail so we can touch base.

Besides recapping the games with actual first-hand reporting and such, I'm planning on looking extensively at Nick Young and JaVale McGee. Both guys were players many of us wished got more minutes last year, but each is walking into potentially a very different situation next year, based on our roster. McGee's slated to possibly get more minutes due to the loss of Darius Songaila, while Young might be losing an opportunity because of the additions of Randy Foye and Mike Miller. I'm very curious to see how each of them is dealing with their different situations, what each has done in the offseason and what the team may think about their future with the Wizards.

(Plus, I'm also kind of curious to ask JaVale about his fledging music career).

Since I'm going for the community, though, I want to know what you guys particularly want to read about. Players you want to know more about. Answers to questions you've been wanting to ask management, the coaching staff or the players. Trends you'd like followed. Etc. I obviously can't guarantee I'll be able to address every storyline, but I'll do the best I can.

Orlando Pro Summer League: Utah Jazz 92, Orlando Magic 84 (OT)

Ben Q Rock, Third Quarter Collapse — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:39:09 -0000

A day after mounting a fourth-quarter comeback to defeat the Boston Celtics, it was the Orlando Magic's turn to be on the business end of an opponent's rally, falling to the Utah Jazz, 92-84, in overtime. Orlando increased its lead in each of the first three periods, entering the fourth with a decisive 72-51 lead. Then Utah, led by Charlotte Bobcats draft pick Derrick Brown, closed the fourth quarter on a 33-12 run to force overtime. Orlando had no chance in the final period, as Utah scored the extra frame's only 8 points. It was, frankly, astonishing to watch a Magic team that had looked so crisp in the last two days of play suddenly fall apart, especially to the Jazz, who have struggled.

There were some bright spots, however. Ryan Anderson led everyone with 26 points while throwing in 9 boards for good measure. Kasib Powell continued to make his case for inclusion on the Magic's roster with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Waterbug point guard Russell Robinson scored 17 points, handed out 4 assists, and committed only 1 turnover. Other than that, it was a rough day for the host team.

After the jump, some quick highlights of the players in whom most 3QC readers have shown interest.

Ryan Anderson's productive day (26 points, 9-of-18 from the field, 5-of-11 from long range, 9 boards, 4 blocks) belies the ways in which he harmed the Magic. Not to dis' the guy or anything, but his 8 personal fouls helped the Jazz with some free points. In summer league, there is no fouling out. However, for every foul after his 6th a player commits, the other team receives 2 free throws and the ball. Anderson's 7th and 8th fouls came late in the fourth quarter and in overtime, boosting the Jazz's improbable rally.

With that said, he showed a few new things yesterday. Banging down low? Blocking shots? We knew he wasn't "soft," but to see him so aggressive in defending the paint? Wow. He also displayed an ability to create shots for others: On the left wing, he works a dribble-handoff with Robinson... only he fakes the handoff to him, instead spinning toward the baseline and driving past two defenders (his and Robinson's). His drive forces the Jazz's next two closest defenders to collapse into the lane, and Anderson reads their movement and fires the ball out to Kasib Powell in the right corner for a wide-open three. It misses, but the play itself was impressive. Ryan Anderson: Playmaker? It could happen, however infrequently, as the dribble-handoff is one of the features of the Magic's offense.

Lethal on the pick-and-pop he is, too. Defenses need to account for this guy.
Levance Fields had his best day of camp. He hadn't done much to distinguish himself until today, when it appeared as though Jameer Nelson might have been running the show while wearing a Fields costume. The way he patiently reads defenses, the way he aggressively drives around screens, the way he can absorb contact to finish at the rim... it's Nelson-like. And although there's virtually no chance he'll make the final roster, he might be a guy the Magic keep on their radar as he heads overseas. With more seasoning, he could be a legit 13th man in the NBA.
Richard Hendrix continues to be my personal favorite of the Magic's big-man invitees, playing 26 minutes off the bench yesterday. But it was really a day to forget. Against the Jazz's bigger, stronger centers and power forwards, Hendrix struggled offensively. He was, in effect, only a way for Magic players who picked up their dribble to regain it, simply by throwing the ball in to him and waiting for the immediate kickout. On the day: 2 points (0-of-4 from the field), 8 rebounds, 7 fouls, 4 turnovers, and a block. Maybe I'm reading too deeply into this, but he--and not starting center Darian Townes--was on the floor when the Magic tried (unsuccessfully) to stave off Utah's rally. Is playing him in crunch-time a signal that the Magic are very interested? And is one bad day enough to cross him off the Magic's list of potential training-camp invitees? I hope the answers to those questions are "yes" and "no," respectively, but he certainly did not make a very strong case for himself yesterday.
Kasib Powell kept on the charm today, showcasing his array of skills with 13 points, 10 boards, 5 assists, and 1 steal. Now he shot only 4-of-12, and missed 5 of his 7 two-point attempts, so it wasn't all sunshine and happiness. But the guy is heady, a veteran, and could fill a spot near the end of Orlando's bench this season. Then again, you can look at his age (28), his limited NBA experience (12 games two seasons ago), and how he sometimes struggles to stay in front of quicker players in this camp, and conclude that his NBA window has shut.
Russell Robinson came to life offensively. The energetic point guard scored a personal best 17 points yesterday, with 5-of-9 from the field overall, 1-of-2 from long range, and 6-of-6 from the foul line. Two days ago, ESPN analyst and IMG Academy coach David Thorpe told my colleague, Eddy, that Robinson's inability to get his own shot might hurt his chances as an NBA point guard. If today is any indication, there's little to worry about on that front. He also ran the team's offense capably, pushed the ball up the floor in transition, and pressured the ball aggressively on defense. I'm going to keep beating this drum until someone gives me a good reason to stop: Russell Robinson has earned an invitation to the Orlando Magic's training camp. This is a young guy who knows what he's doing out there, and for the odd 3-to-5 minute stretch in some games next season, he could be effective.

The Magic will close out the summer league today when they take on the undefeated Indiana Pacers. Tip's at 3.

Links 'n Links, July 10 Edition

Ziller, Sactown Royalty — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 13:30:15 -0000

(SBN built this awesome clipping tool I haven't used yet. I'm going to try to use it.)

Summer League on Web No Longer Free -- NBA FanHouse

VSL costs $15 now. That's cool if you're going to watch a bunch of non-Kings games. Otherwise, you're paying $3 a game for the home team. A bit expensive for glorified practice.

Kings Blog and Q&A: Catching up with the Casspi family

Ailene Voisin checks in with the Casspis and a Jewish tour group from Sacramento who visited Tel Aviv. Apparently, once the Kigns drafted Omri, the Casspis began receiving dozens of bouquets, left in front of their house.

Basketball star Omri Casspi becomes first Israeli in NBA - Haaretz

Apparently, there were concerns as recently as this week the Kings would stash Omri back in Israel. But he signed the deal Thursday, so he's a King.

Cowbell Kingdom.com - Kings Had Second Biggest Decline in Gate Receipts

Zach breaks down some attendance numbers. Not great news in Sacramento, which verifies what we saw all season.

General NBA links after the jump.

Cohan eyes selling the Warriors (cont.): Talks with Ellison and minority investors

Tim Kawakami has been reporting that Larry Ellison may purchase the Warriors. Ellison had been considered a potential San Jose owner -- whether it be the Kings or an expansion franchise. The Warriors would suit him better.

Q&A with Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard - Behind The Blazers Beat

The Blazers seem pretty serious about Paul Millsap.

Chicago Bulls Blog: Johnson and Gibson look better than Bad Boozer Rumor

The Boozer-Hinrich rumor gets debunked by the kings of made-up rumors himself.

Forum Blue And Gold " Breaking down #37

This is how free agency and trade moves should be broken down. Except that everyone knows Ron in L.A. is going to end in a disastrous flame-out.

Summer League Open Thread #5: Indiana Pacers vs. Orlando Magic

Cornrows, Indy Cornrows — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:38:20 -0000

The summer Pacers play their fifth and final Orlando Pro Summer League game this afternoon against the host Orlando Magic. Here's a closer look at the summer Magic roster.

Some names of interest to me on the Magic roster include Ryan Anderson who has been lighting it up after joining Orlando in the Vince Carter trade. Also, Jeremy Pargo is the former Gonzaga point guard who I always thought was real tough and would end up getting a solid look at the league. Then there's C.J. Giles who came out of high school in Seattle with all of the talent but none of that Pargo toughness. He flamed out at Kansas and Oregon State but all the while remained 6'11" so no he's still has a few years to lean back on potential while he figures out a way to mature himself and his game. Last year he played in the D-League and I didn't read any headlines about him, so maybe he's on his way, although Giles has only played four minutes thus far in Orlando so he still has a long way to go.

For the Pacers, we'll see if the young fellas can sprint through the finish line after four successful days of work in Orlando. With the type of players on the roster and Jim O'Brien pushing them I don't expect any let down even with the quick turnaround after playing last night and the bags packed for a return trip to Indy.

You can catch Dante & Galante bringing it home this afternoon at the Magic summer league site. Please share your thoughts on the game in the comments.

After the jump, some stories and interviews of interest:

New Pacers guard excels at 'D'
Mike Wells breaks down the Pacers' signing of Dahntay Jones.
Pacers' deal sways Jones - The Denver Post
Chris Dempsey offers up the Denver perspective on Dahntay Jones leaving the Nuggets to join the Pacers.
PACERS: Hungry Hibbert dominates Celtics
David Benner picks up on the Dante-fueled hungry, hungry Hibbert theme with his report on the Pacers' win over the Celtics.
Coach Jim O'Brien checks in from Orlando with Dan Dakich (audio). JOB is obviously busy so multi-tasking is the norm which is why it sounds like JOB was getting in a workout while pounding out a radio interview.
Mike Wells made the radio rounds yesterday to discuss the Jones' signing. Here he is with JMV (audio) and Dan Dakich (audio).
Chris Dempsey chats with Kravitz & Eddie (audio) about what Indy should expect from Dahntay Jones. I'm just hoping Jones ends up being half as good as Dempsey describes.
ProBaskestballNews.com update from Orlando
Sam Amico shares his thought from Orlando after day four.
Rasho hoping for Raptors redux
Rasho Nesterovic is looking to return to the Toronto Raptors after being dealt to the Pacers last year to complete his contract.

2009 Orlando Pro Summer League: Thunder vs Jazz OPEN THREAD

Mr Pappagiorgio, Welcome to Loud City — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:00:28 -0000

Watch the Game Live at 10am Central Time (Click This Link)

OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER

No.	Player	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Birthdate	College
15	DeAngelo Alexander	G	6'5	215	1/21/84	Charlotte
17	Moses Ehambe	F	6'6	200	05/22/86	Oral Roberts
13	James Harden	G	6'5	220	8/26/89	Arizona State
50	Devon Hardin	C	6'11	220	6/03/86	California
42	Kyle Hines	F/C	6'6	230	9/02/86	UNC Greensboro
9	Serge Ibaka	F	6'10	220	9/18/89	Congo
14	Shaun Livingston	G	6'7	185	9/11/85	Peoria Central HS (IL)
23	B.J. Mullens	C	7'0	275	2/14/89	Ohio State
5	Kyle Weaver	G	6'6	201	2/18/86	Washington State
0	Russell Westbrook	G	6'3	187	11/12/88	UCLA
3	D.J. White	F	6'9	251	8/31/86	Indiana
30	Robert Vaden	G	6'5	205	3/03/85	Alabama-Birmingham

Head Coach: Scott Brooks
Assistant Coaches: Brian Keefe, Ron Adams, Mark Bryant, Nate Tibbetts and Vin Bhavnani
Head Athletic Trainer: Joe Sharpe

UTAH JAZZ

No.	Player	Pos.	Ht.	Wt.	Birthdate	College
52	James Augustine	C	6'10	235	2/27/84	Illinois
25	Jimmy Baron	G	6'3	195	5/23/86	Rhode Island
21	Cedric Bozeman	G	6'6	207	3/7/83	UCLA
16	Derrick Brown	F	6'8	227	9/8/87	Xavier
10	Josh Duncan	F	6'9	238	5/12/86	Xavier
6	Andre Ingram	G	6'3	191	11/19/85	American
41	Kosta Koufos	C	7'0	265	2/24/89	Ohio State
18	Kevin Kruger	G	6'2	185	5/1/83	UNLV
40	Kevin Lyde	F/C	6'9	294	3/12/80	Temple
20	Wes Matthews	G	6'5	220	10/14/86	Marquette
3	Eric Maynor	G	6'3	175	6/11/87	Virginia Commonwealth
11	Goran Suton	C	6'10	245	8/11/85	Michigan State
30	Dar Tucker	F	6'5	215	4/11/88	DePaul
43	Larry Turner	C	6'11	240	12/29/82	Tennessee State
55	Larry Wilkinson	C	6'9	240	10/2/82	Utah State

Head Coach: Jerry Sloan
Assistant Coaches: Phil Johnson, Tyrone Corbin, Scott Layden and Mark McKown
Head Athletic Trainer: Gary Briggs

You Own the Blazers

Dave, Blazersedge — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 07:26:53 -0000

With the Chicago Cubs trading hands recently it seems like a good time to revive a fantasy that almost everyone within the sound of my voice will have had at one time or another. Let's say you invented the ultimate Froobwazzit, the item that no respectable person could be without. $25 a pop retail, $8.50 in profit to you for each unit sold...lo and behold you now have a couple billion in hand. Lucky you. Meanwhile Paul Allen decides that a Peruvian lacrosse team would be more his style. He sells his posh digs, hops on his yacht, and moves to the Southern Hemisphere. On his way out he tosses you a set of keys to the Rose Garden, you toss him a $350 million check, and you are now the proud new owner of the Portland Trail Blazers.

So what do you do in Week 1? Absolutely anything is open to you. Obviously you can't enact things that take undue cooperation from people you can't control. You're bound by NBA rules, including and especially the cap. No stealing LeBron James. But if you can talk about players, free agent offers and trades, management, the arena, or any other aspects of the organization that the owner has reasonable control over. This is your big chance.

If it were me, I think one of the first things I'd do is sit down with my key basketball management folks and make sure Nate McMillan was their coach of the future. If so I'd probably do what it took to make that happen. I won't go much farther than that because I don't want to pre-print your ideas. This is all about you, New Owner Person.

As a special bonus though I'll tell you what I'd do with some of the remaining 1 billion, 650 million bucks. I'd get an exclusive condo in Portland where I'd stay in-season. My vacation home would abut a private cove in Maui. Then I'd have a third residence on a ranch somewhere in rural New Mexico or Arizona. On that ranch I'd house a magnificent telescope, as big as I could get built. I'd also have my own personal waterpark with huge, elaborate slides. And none of this sissy "deposits you gently in the pool at the end" stuff. Most of my slides would end abruptly with an uphill section. If you can't assume cannonball position in the time between exiting the slide and hitting the pool you can't ride it. Friends would be welcome, within liability limits.

If you also wish to elaborate on a couple non-Blazer uses for the money that's fine. Do remember to keep it semi-family appropriate.

--Dave (blazersub@yahoo.com)

RUMOR: Warriors after Carlos Boozer

Atma Brother ONE, Golden State Of Mind — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 06:10:27 -0000

Well he's already used to wreaking havoc in the paint at the Roaracle.

SI Vault: Dunk of the Week

J-U-M-P.

ESPN's Ric Bucher tweets:

The Warriors are after Boozer. But all they have to offer are big, long contracts. Utah wants financial relief, not more pain.

First thing's first. If the Jazz are looking for big expiring deals, this trade won't happen unless a 3rd team can get involved. Don't be fooled by today's 4 way swap between the Mavericks, Raptors, Grizzlies, and Magic. Multiple team trades in the NBA are very difficult to concoct. So, the chances of the Warriors getting Boozer via trade are very, very slim. But just for fun...

Carlos Boozer would instantly give the Warrior a scoring force down low and big time rebounder. They last time the Warriors had a big man of that caliber... well, I won't go there.

Boozer only played in 37 games last season mostly due to a quadricep injury. Unlike Amare Stoudemire's eye injury last season that doesn't seem like a fluke. You have to wonder if Boozer is damaged goods and how many games he can give you next season. Make no mistake though, he's a force to be reckoned with on offense if healthy.

The biggest concern with Boozer's game even when healthy has to be on the defensive end. Now gaudy rejection totals don't necessarily mean you're a good defender down low; just like steals don't necessarily mean you're a good wing defender. But I have yet to see many big men who are good defenders that can't even manage to rack up 1 block per game over the course of their career. Boozer is at a shockingly low 0.5 for his career and only swatted 0.2 shots a game last season. That's not exactly the making of a big man who protects the paint.

It's natural for Warriors fans to have a really inflated sense of Boozer's ability because he's essentially terrorized this team and that feeling that he inflicted some serious abuse still lingers from the 2nd round of the 2007 NBA Playoffs, but looking over his numbers and considering his reputation on D especially without Deron Williams and Andrei Kirilenko I wonder if he'll just be a rich man's version of this guy:

via cache.daylife.com

Don't be mistaken though. If healthy Boozer and able to return to his scoring and rebounding prowess of a 2-3 seasons back, he would instantly be the best player on this current sub-par Golden State Warriors roster.

The fact that the Warriors are rumored to be after Boozer also makes you wonder if this is either by design or by coincidence putting any pressure on the Phoenix Suns to ship Amare Stoudemire to the Bay.

Thanks to Sinigang for the FanShot.

99% of rumors never happen, but 99% of them are fun to talk about!

			FG			3PT			FT			Rebounds			Misc
	G	M	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	M	A	Pct	Off	Def	Tot	Ast	TO	Stl	Blk	PF	PPG
2008 - Carlos Boozer	37	32.3	6.8	13.8	49.0	0.0	0.0	0.0	2.6	3.8	69.8	3.0	7.4	10.4	2.1	2.1	1.1	0.2	3.6	16.2

Poll

Which of these big men would be a better fit for the Warriors?

NBA Summer League Day One Preview

AusTechSpur, Pounding The Rock — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 06:07:09 -0000

I'll be taking in a pair of division rivals today. The two games I'm targeting today are the opener between the Rockets and Warriors, and the night cap between Dallas and Milwaukee.

The full schedule. All times Spurs time.

3:00 - Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors
5:00 - Detroit Pistons and Sacramento Kings
7:00 - Los Angeles Lakers and Toronto Raptors
9:00 - Milwaukee Bucks and Dallas Mavericks

Follow me in for who I will be keeping an eye on.

Houston

When it comes to players I want to keep and eye, James White tops the list. Yeah, you know, The James White that won a ring with the Spurs.

I'll keep an eye on Aussie Brad Newley for our down unders. Speaking of down under. I want you guys to explain Thunder From Down Under. Beef cake alert, ladies.

They also have two second round picks that they purchased: Jermaine Taylor and Chase Budinger,

Golden State

Another Aussie, Joe Ingles, is playing for the Warriors. I wonder if he is part of Thunder From Down Under.

Anthony Morrow and Anthony Randolph are both playing. They should be dominant.

We'll also get our first look at the Amare deal killer Stephen Curry.

Dallas

First rounder and Nando De Colo Cholet teammate Rodrigue Beaubois is listed on the roster. Rodrigue is George Hill's height and boasts a greater wingspan.

Fellow Frenchman Mickael Gelabale is playing. His 'From' is listed as 'Unknown'. I think he's from one of the French islands in the Caribbean.

Otherwise, they don't have many guys that really interest me. Lots of names I recognize, but nothing that grabs me.

Milwaukee

Mr. Auspicious, Brandon Jennings, is playing. He hasn't had the best go of it lately. He got left off his team's playoff roster in Italy. Showed up at the draft late. Posted a YouTube rant. Jennings is the player who went to Italy to play pro ball for his mandatory one-year out of high school before you can go pro year. However, he went with the 10th pick, a little unexpectedly high.

Last year's #1 pick Joe Alexander is playing. I'd like to see him. When he came out last year they talked about what an athletic freak he was. I didn't hear much about him after that.

Luc Mbah Moute is on the team. He had a good rookie year last year and is supposed to be an excellent defensive player.

Salim Stoudamire, who spent training camp with the Spurs last year, is playing. Hopefully, his groin is healthy.

User Participation

If you guys have players you want me to watch or anything else you are intersted in, let me know.

2009 Orlando Pro Summer League, Day 4

erivera7, Third Quarter Collapse — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 03:59:18 -0000

More photos » by Bill Kostroun - AP

Browse more photos »

"I'm a guy who likes to get in the gym a lot. I don't like to give my coaches a lot of excuses to why I'm not this or I'm not that so I think, I've always been an underdog guy my whole career. I'm finally in a spot where a team really wants me and needs me. Last year in New Jersey, I'm a rookie so they don't know what to expect from me but here they do and it's exciting. It's a winning team, so I'm real excited to be a part of it."

-- Ryan Anderson, Orlando Magic

Ben Q. Rock and I are covering the 2009 Orlando Pro Summer League at the RDV SportsPlex, this week. For the next few days, we'll be watching the Magic play, as well as check out the other teams in the event. Ben will recap the Orlando games and provide his usual insights, as he always does. Meanwhile, I will chat with various coaches, front office personnel, players, and others, gathering their thoughts on a variety of topics. I'm proud to kick off Day 4 of our coverage .. beginning, right now.

I was able to speak with James Harden of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Ryan Anderson.

Click after the jump for the full transcript.

James Harden

You were able to play a little bit of point during the fourth quarter of the game, is that something the Oklahoma City Thunder would like to utilize you in during the season?

I'm not sure. Whatever coach wants me to do ... play point guard for a few minutes, I'll do that. The guys played pretty well today, we shot the ball pretty well. We did a great job on the defensive end and overall it was a good game.

Is there certain things in your game that you want to work on specifically in the Summer League?

My defense. I'm not really concerned about my offense, right now. You see that I scored 15 points today, I think, so I'm not really concerned about my offense, it's just my defensive principles and I want to lock them down on the defensive end.

Do you think you have any pressure coming into the season, given that you were a top 3 pick in the NBA Draft?

No, not at all. We have a great group of guys. It's not about me, it's a team thing. If we're winning and having fun out there and we're playing together, the pressure ... I won't feel it at all.

How do you feel being able to play with a great nucleus of young players, like Kevin Durant, B.J. Mullens, Russell Westbrook, and others?

We can all grow together. It's just great being out here. Russell is a great point guard, he did a tremendous job as well today, I think he had 9 assists so he's playing well. Our chemistry is going to keep growing throughout the Summer League so I hope we can carry it over to the season.

How do you think Mullens played, today? He looked really active on the offensive end and the defensive end.

That's what we need from him. He can shoot the ball pretty well. On the defensive end, I think he wants to get better on the defensive end this summer as well, trying to guard those bigger guys and those stronger guys so I think on the offensive end, he did a good job as well.

How do you think the Thunder will try to use you offensively during the season? It's clear that your shooting is good.

I'm not sure, yet. Without Kevin being here, it's kind of hard to kind of find out, just trying to stabilize my defensive mentality right now and when everybody comes together on the offense, then I'll pick my poison as far as what my role is on the offensive end.

How would you rate your defense, so far?

It's been pretty good. I've gotten my hands on a few balls, just helping my teammates out, learning how to help, and then recover to my guy for a shooter so it's like I said, it's a learning experience and I have to get better at.

Are you excited to play in the NBA? It's a dream for almost anybody.

I'm excited. I'm happy. It's a great experience, just to play against these guys who are in the NBA and some who are trying to get there who are going to get there, so it's just a great, humbling experience and I'm looking forward to the season.

Is there anybody in particular in the NBA that you try to model your game after? Is there anyone you try to emulate?

Not really. I watch a lot of basketball in the NBA. I just try to take certain moves or different things from certain guys and incorporate it into my game but I don't think I just watch anybody.

Ryan Anderson

Could you describe how it was playing in a game like that [against the Utah Jazz], where it seemed like everything was going your team's way in the first half and then it was the opposite in the second half?

As a team, that's going to happen some games. You're not going to able to hit every shot. Of course, they tighten up their defense definitely in the second half. We were up by 20 or something in the second half, so that happens in some games. It's tough but that's the way the NBA goes. These guys are so talented, they're going to knock down shots. Guys who maybe weren't hitting shots in the first half, were definitely hitting in the second half.

Was it a little frustrating dealing with all those fouls called? I know that you had eight or nine fouls called in the game [because players don't foul out in Summer League games].

Man, yeah. Once again, that's what happens ... sometimes, even the refs can change the momentum of the game. You can't completely blame it on the refs. We didn't D up in the stretch, they were hitting some tough shots, and yeah ... they played really good in the second half.

I know you said a few days ago that you are a big fan of Patrick Ewing. Could you describe his coaching so far in the Summer League?

Pat is a real technical guy. He really wants us to know the plays, he wants us to know the other team's plays, and of course, he played for many years in the NBA so his lessons, his teachings, really helps me especially as a post player so yeah, it's really good to hear advice from a guy like Patrick Ewing.

Do you think it's invaluable to have player-to-player interaction with a coach like him?

Of course. I mean, not that you don't have the respect level for coaches that maybe haven't played. You know they've gone through the same thing as you. They know how hard it is, how hard you're working. They know when you're confused about something because they got the feel of the game, they've gone through the same things themselves so I think it's really helpful to have a coach that has played in the NBA like Patrick Ewing, especially an All-Star guy like Patrick Ewing. He's taught us a lot.

This is going to be your second year in the NBA. Could you talk about your transition going from college to the NBA? What are some things you've had to do to transition yourself?

Stay confident, man. That's really what it's all about. It's a mental game as much as a physical game. There were times last year when I wasn't playing at all and of course, in college I'm used to playing mostly the entire game. It really messes with your head, so you just have to keep working hard, keep playing, training really hard, especially during the summer time, I'm really trying to get my game a lot better. Especially coming to a new team, so that the adjustment is real easy and quick.

I'm a guy who likes to get in the gym a lot. I don't like to give my coaches a lot of excuses to why I'm not this or I'm not that so I think, I've always been an underdog guy my whole career. I'm finally in a spot where a team really wants me and needs me. Last year in New Jersey, I'm a rookie so they don't know what to expect from me but here they do and it's exciting. It's a winning team, so I'm real excited to be a part of it.

Stay tuned for Ben's recap of the Magic v. Jazz game.

Recapping Yesterday's Summer League Games

Jon L, Ridiculous Upside — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 14:00:23 -0000

Teams, players, journalists and other basketball-related folks are beginning to descend on Las Vegas, where the larger Summer League officially starts today at 2 PM local time (I think? What is that, Mountain Time?). Today's also the last day of the Orlando league, and at some point this weekend we'll have a look back at some players who stood out. For now, though, let's keep taking the games one at a time.

Utah Jazz 92, Orlando Magic 84

This was the second Summer League game to go into overtime, if that matters. Ryan Anderson continued to be the breakout star, again, if that matters. It likely matters to the Magic, particularly the fact that he's getting it done in a variety of ways. Yesterday Anderson shot 5-11 on three-pointers and 4-6 on the rest of his field goals, and he also pulled down 9 rebounds and blocked four shots. He had 8 fouls, though, but from this looks of it there were a lot of fouls called in this game. Goran Suton "rebounded" (sorry...you'll see why in a minute) from his poor performance a few days ago with 10 rebounds (see?), though he's still not hitting a lot of his three-point attempts. Bobcats second-rounder Derrick Brown had a very good game, the first that I've noticed, with 10-15 shooting and five rebounds. He missed all of his three-pointers but shot 5-7 from the free-throw line.

Kasib Powell continued to show why he should be on an NBA roster this year. Even though he struggled with his shot (4-12), he made things happen in other ways by grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out 5 assists. Kevin Kruger played a good game in relief of Eric Maynor, who didn't fare quite as well. Kruger, though, made half his shots and went 5-6 from the free-throw line, though his three-point shot wasn't falling quite as well. Cedric Bozeman played a pretty good game himself, getting four rebounds, four assists and a steal to go with 8 points in 22 minutes. Richard Hendrix didn't have a great game, with 7 fouls, 4 turnovers and only 2 points in just under 26 minutes, but on the positive side of the ledger he also grabbed 8 rebounds.

As usual, the other two games are after the jump.

Indiana Pacers 91, Boston Celtics 88

Tyler Hansbrough continues to do an excellent job of getting to the free-throw line, with 12 attempts, though I have no idea whether that will continue on to the regular season. He's a rookie, so I kind of doubt it. Roy Hibbert was his usual (for this week anyway) efficient low-post scoring self, with 28 points on 10 shots, and he also had 9 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 steals, but also 5 turnovers. Bill Walker had a good game, one that I don't have to qualify with his turnover or foul number. Walker shot 6-10 and had five rebounds, three steals and two assists. JR Giddens continues to put up turnover numbers that are a bit high, with four in 25 minutes, though he's still an efficient scorer (since he gets most of his points inside) and he had five rebounds.

Trey Johnson had probably his first all-around solid game this week, with 13 points on 8 shots, 2 assists and 2 steals, and, while I'm not sure if this is a positive sign or no indicator at all, he's been getting starts and a lot of playing time. The other non-guaranteed guys didn't really stand out in this one, and Derrick Byars didn't even play (nor did Mike Sweetney, who's missed the last few games with a hamstring injury). Robert Swift was better on the offensive end than he's been, making all five of his shots, and he also had four rebounds. He's still Robert Swift, though, and had three turnovers and six fouls as well.

Oklahoma City Thunder 82, Philadelphia/New Jersey Frankensteins

Guess what? Russell Westbrook is good. 6-10 shooting, 9 assists and four rebounds. He still hasn't figured out the turnover conundrum, though, and he had seven yesterday. Kyle Weaver is never going to be an offensive giant, but he had five rebounds, two blocks and two steals yesterday. James Harden continues to be fairly impressive, with efficient offense and a solid all-around game. Marreese Speights has struggled the last few days, and while he had nine rebounds yesterday he also had six fouls and six turnovers. in about 24 and a half minutes. Terrence Williams finally found some offense yesterday, making just under half his field goals and finishing with 14 points along with 5 rebounds, two assists, two steals and a block. BJ Mullins played a decent game as well, shooting 9-12 and grabbing five rebounds.

Jason Ellis finally showed his rebounding talent, with five in about 26 minutes along with 2 assists, 2 steals and a block. Blake Ahearn is unfortunately still struggling with his shot, though, and Gary Forbes didn't fare much better yesterday. Neither Shaun Livingston nor DJ White played, but Moses Ehambe finally got into a game where he, uh, didn't play all that well either. Both of these teams played their starters the bulk of the minutes for some reason. I mean, does Kyle Weaver really need to play 31 minutes in Summer League?

Great Off-Season Performances: Romane

Stop-n-Pop, Canis Hoopus — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 11:00:35 -0000

Nothing beats a little Gypsy jazz guitar. Here's Romane performing Django's Waltz. It's not the full-on two rhythm guitar of a full Django revival, but it's still pretty damn good.

Today's discussion topic is whether or not Sebastian Telfair will be the Wolves' starting point guard on opening night. Steve Aschburner had a good article about Bassy at SI.com and it showed how hard he is preparing for the upcoming season. Will he have a chip on his shoulder? Will he have an improved jumper? What say you? Also, don't forget that the Lynx play San Antonio tonight at the Target Center. You can watch the game live on wnba.com.

Until later.

Blogging About Blogging - Is Blogging a Career?

Steve Perrin, Clips Nation — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 06:21:00 -0000

I'm currently taking a class called 'Online Journalism' in grad school. Every few weeks, we have an assignment called a 'Thought Paper', which is a pretty free format essay on whatever topic related to online journalism we like. In short, it's basically a blog post. After I finished my first one, I posted it here on Clips Nation, because, hey, why not? It's all very meta, but we're not above a little navel gazing around here. At any rate, here's my second one. It's more introspective - and frankly not as good as the first one. But it's not without merit. As always, if you're only here for the Clippers, if this high-falutin' talk don't interest you, then don't read it.

The essay is after the jump.

I'll warn you up front - I don't really know where I'm going with this thing. In my experience, it's not usually a good thing when I sit down and start writing without knowing how it's going to end. But sometimes the process of writing helps me understand the situation better, and by the end I learn something I didn't know at the beginning. I hope this is one of those times.

In class this week we've spent a fair amount of time discussing the financial viability of web 2.0 'killer apps' like Facebook and Twitter. I don't pretend to have any idea what's going to happen with either of those things. I do think it is completely fascinating (and perhaps unprecedented) that something can be an overwhelming popular sensation and an abject financial failure at the same time.

More apropos to my own situation of course is the potential for the financial viability of a blog.

I had no intention of making money when I started blogging. Interestingly, many of my fellow SBNation bloggers absolutely do plan (hope?) to make a living at some point. I certainly had no idea when I started that I'd still be sinking so many hours into this thing three years down the road (and I guarantee you my wife had no idea). But it almost goes without saying that I've discovered something here that I enjoy doing, and wouldn't it be wonderful to think that someday, perhaps in the not too distant future, I could actually make something approaching a living wage doing it?

I think, as it stands now, that blogs are quite sustainable - but blogging is not. If that seems like a contradiction, let me explain. No, there is no time... let me sum up.

A successful blog may be a little bit like the Dread Pirate Roberts from The Princess Bride.

Roberts had grown so rich, he wanted to retire. He took me to his cabin and he told me his secret. 'I am not the Dread Pirate Roberts' he said. 'My name is Ryan; I inherited the ship from the previous Dread Pirate Roberts, just as you will inherit it from me. The man I inherited it from is not the real Dread Pirate Roberts either. His name was Cummerbund. The real Roberts has been retired 15 years and living like a king in Patagonia.'

Ultimately, it doesn't matter who the specific person is at the helm - and no one wants to be the Dread Pirate Roberts indefinitely. So the DPR recruits and trains his replacement and retires to an island somewhere. (The difference here is that the DPR retires incredibly wealthy.)

Clips Nation may be a bit about Steve Perrin, aka ClipperSteve. But at this point, isn't it more about the Clips Nation community? (By the way, this finally explains the pirate ship on the Clips Nation logo.)

In that sense, what SBNation has done is pretty clever - they own the URL ClipsNation - if I decide I don't want to blog anymore, they'll just get one of the more active members of the community to take over the ownership (authorship, editorship, bloggership, helm, whatever it is that I do). This has happened already with several SBNation blogs and usually it's a a bloodless coup - the blogger who helped build the community wants to see it continue. Bright Side of the Sun is on it's third lead blogger in three years, and it's a strong as ever. The founder of Peach Tree Hoops actually defected to ESPN in December- but the blog continued with barely a hiccup in it's monthly growth.

It's a good strategy for the company, but it leaves the blogger completely in the hobbyist category - putting lots of hours into an enterprise with essentially no remuneration, and walking away with nothing at the end as the enterprise continues to thrive (at least from a page views standpoint, if not from a revenue standpoint). If that's the way it ends up going for SBNation, it's a strange but potentially successful buisness model - think about it - the most important and productive employees of the company are working for free indefinitely! With over 200 people currently blogging for the network and very little expense associated with them, surely SBNation can make a go of it, even if web advertising remains relatively depressed.

So what of the blogger? Is there a living to be made here? Can I show up at my daughter's school on career day and talk about blogging? The short answer is I don't know. There may be a handful of independent bloggers out there talented enough, with large enough followings, that they can generate substantial advertising revenues all on their own. More likely, blogging is a way to establish one's writing bona fides and find a paying job as a writer. I'm in J-School hopefully to develop some additional skills that might make me more attractive to those potential employers (or, more cynically, to try to eliminate some of the road blocks others might throw in the way, to get all the check marks on the form during the interview process if you will). Of course, I'm trying to do this at the exact time that thousands of experienced journalists are being laid off.

I had an interesting conversation with a reporter at the Clippers' training facility the day of Blake Griffin's workout. She was freelancing, covering the story for the AP, having been laid off from her paper months before. I told her that I was a blogger, that I would like to make a living at it, but that it didn't look very realistic given the landscape. She was probably feeling more than a little negative, but she insisted that I was much better positioned for the jobs of the future than she was - she seemed to think that an experienced blogger learning to be a journalist had some sort of an advantage over an experienced journalist learning to be a blogger.

We'll see. Quality writing will continue to be in demand, whether the writing is ink on dead trees or pixels on screens. I don't think anyone really knows what the media landscape of the future will look like. I'm just hoping that I can maybe be a part of it.

Summer Pacers Continue To Shine In Win Over Celtics

Cornrows, Indy Cornrows — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 02:18:47 -0000

The Indiana Pacers summer squad moved to 4-0 in Orlando after holding on to beat the Boston Celtics for another close win.

After a strong and confident start to the game, the Pacers let an early lead slip away thanks to a case of the clanks which forced the blue and gold to mount a rally in the fourth quarter. As they have all week, the Pacers made enough plays down the stretch to sneak away with a 91-88 W.

With 7.1 seconds left, the result could've easily went the other way, but Celtics' summer big, Nick Fazekas missed two free throws with the Pacers leading 89-88. Tyler Hansbrough then cashed in two free throws to give the Pacers' their winning margin which was stout enough to withstand a Fazekas 3-ball miss at the buzzer.

Honestly, we saw much of the same from the Pacers tonight. They played hard throughout the game and found a way to win in the end. They're making it look easy, so here's a few specifics:

Box Score
The Pacers didn't shoot the ball real well (43.5 %) but they took advantage of excess possessions and a +17 advantage in made free throws. Once again, Roy Hibbert and Tyler Hansbrough led the parade to the line with the two bigs combining to make 17 of 19. Hibbert made all seven of his freebies while Hansbrough was 10-12.
At one point, Dante or Galante said, "just blow the whistle and put him at the line and save us some time" after Hansbrough caught a pass in the lane. Instead the play ended in a nice little 8-foot, fade-away from the rook.
Hansbrough and Hibbert combined for 50 points and just wore out the Celtics around the hoop. Hibbert's right-handed baseline hook is closing in quickly on automatic. Real nice option in a half-court set. If only the C's would trot out Robert Swift and Nick Fazekas during the regular season.
Brandon Rush sat out again and I assume he won't play in tomorrow afternoon's finale. I haven't heard anything that should raise concerns about Rush's sore knee. Well, except for the fact that Mike Dunleavy had a "sore knee" most of last season. Speaking of Dunleavy, he was in the house watching his teammates get after it.
Trey Johnson has taken advantage of Rush's absence and played plenty of minutes this week. He's looked pretty solid in the past two outings. He finished tonight with an efficient 13 points and only one turnover in 31-plus minutes of burn.
A.J. Price came out real strong, ended up struggling with his shot a bit but ran the team well and took care of the ball during his extended playing time.
The Pacers survived a 3-ball barrage from Celtics' guard, Chris Lofton who splashed 6 of 8 long ones. Lofton did pull up for an ill-advised three in a transition situation with the C's down one in the waning seconds. Personally, I love the effort, but that type of play could have Lofton heading back to Turkey next season. The kid can shoot it, though.
Finally, Roy Hibbert captured the Pacers' effort in Orlando all week in one play tonight when he went to the floor hustling for a ball headed out of bounds. Even Larry Bird offered up a round of applause for Hibbert's effort and The Pres isn't exactly known for his outbursts of emotions.

Pacers wrap up the week's play against Orlando tomorrow at 3:00PM EDT.

NBA Summer League Starter Kit

AusTechSpur, Pounding The Rock — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 05:27:18 -0000

Well, I'm finally in Las Vegas. It's 6:00 and I'm in my pajamas. Wait! You probably don't care about that very much.

Let's talk about something you might care about. The NBA Summer league and the Spurs.

Let's Kick This Baby Off

The NBA Summer League presented by EA Sports kicks off tomorrow, Friday, July 10th at 3:00 (all times will be Spurs time) with the Rockts and the Warriors. However, the Spurs don't play the first of their five games until Sunday at 3:00. You will be able to watch the games via feeds from NBA.COM. The schedule has little 'watch' links on them that should be live when the game time comes around.

There are 21 NBA teams here. All the Western Conference teams are represented except Utah. There is also a D-League select team.

Here are the Spurs official roster and schedule for your dining pleasure. I don't think SpurNando will be playing and I'm hoping Haislip does. I doubt he will, but I'm hoping. I think it will be interesting to see how the Spurs dole out the minutes. It will be a good indicator of who they are seriously considering. There are, at most, four roster spots available. I don't know what the plans are with Marcus Williams so there may only be three spots available. I don't think anybody, including Marcus, is a given to make the team.

PtR Summer League Headquarters

You can check out my accommodations here. Yes, the irony. My room doesn't look much like that outside of the bed and the window. It's decent though. Most importantly, it's cold.

Upsides of the room:

Serious ass AC - I'm running it at mid-level cold because I froze myself out early this evening
Internet connection - not free
A desk - once I took it off the top of the television stand
Hot shower
Ice machine - just down the hall
Easy access to outside - I'm not up in a big hotel. I can walk out and get in my car in about 60 seconds.
Close to the pool - I'm hoping to get in a little pool time in the mornings. The pool is on the opposite side of the parking lot.

Downsides:

No coffeemaker - I brought my own coffee and now I will have to go buy a coffeemaker
No refrigerator
View - I overlook a parking lot. This, however, is better for me for this trip than the other option which is the pool. I won't have to listen to the pool music and pool crowd.
Age - the room could use a freshening up. It's a little tired. Kind of like me.

What Can You Expect From This Summer League Coverage?

I'm not positive yet. I'm stepping into uncharted territory here. I have no idea what the setup at the arena will be. Will I have internet access? I don't know. I've never been so Summer League before and I've never had press credentials before. I think things will evolve over the next 10 days in ways that I can't imagine right now.

I can tell you this. You should expect to be overwhelmed with information. I intend to be at the arena for 9-10 hours per day.

For starters, I'll make sure to watch two games per day. I'll do a preview of those two games each morning. Obviously, I'll be watching all the Spurs games and I'll be following those games closely.

How Did I Get Here?

Glad you asked. Here's a recap of the 20+ hour, 1320.2 mile, and 2 day road trip from Austin, TX to the Hooter's Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas, NV via Phoenix, AZ. I left the house at 6:15 Wednesday morning and arrived at my friend's house in Phoenix at 7:45 local time which is 9:45 Austin time. That's 15.5 hours. The drive had it's moments.

I stopped at Balmorhea State Park.

View Larger Map

Balmorhea is in the northern end of the Chihuahuan desert. The state park has a pool. It is a spring fed pool that is nice and cool. I stopped in for a lunch and a swim.

After lunch and a swim, it was back on the road. After 600 miles and about 8 hours of driving I finally got out of Texas. I was feeling good and making good time. Then shit happened.

I got a text from Rikiddo telling me that the Spurs got McDyess. Then I got caught in a thunderstorm going through Tucson, AZ. I don't believe I've ever been that scared on the road. At one point, lightning hit about 200 yards away. Shortly thereafter, it started raining so hard -- with the sun in front of us -- that we had a whiteout. I don't think I could see more than about 40-50 feet. Needless to say, I crapped my pants.

Here's a picture before things got bad.

I left Phoenix Thursday morning, after spending a very nice evening eating and drinking with friends, and promptly got lost because I wasn't paying attention. Then, I got lost because I wasn't paying attention again. Twice I got lost trying to find a highway exit because I wasn't paying attention. Good times.

There is a stretch of road from just outside Wickenburg to Wikieup that is a lot of fun. It's climbing up through the mountains in a 70 MPH zone. The 4Runner, with a V8, was going up them like a mountain goad. Even at 80 climbing a pretty good grade I could still get it to accelerate with a leap.

Then I hit the dam traffic. As in Hoover Dam. Since LatinD is dam guy I got him some pictures.

This is an enormous flood drain or something. See the arch of the bridge. That hole below it is the drain. There are cars on that bridge.

The other cool thing besides the dam is the new bridge they are building to span the canyon in front of the dam. Check this shit out. This arch has got to be 1000 feet above the water. Those are concrete arches that are HANGING out there. They don't really even touch yet.

Then to Vegas. Yes, Vegas. Not New York.

Then I safely arrived here at my home away from home.

How Did I Entertain Myself? Music, Of Course

Here's my play list from the drive out:

Moby - Hotel: 'I Like It' is a dirty song. I like it.
Jimmy Cliff - Wonderful World, Beautiful People: His stuff is so powerful.
JJ Cale - Naturally: Great road tunes
Aerosmith - Eponymous: I think it is their first album from 1973. Dream On if probably my 5th favorite song. Make It. Somebody. Walking The Dog. Mama Kin. It's amazine how good they used to be.
Alice In Chains - Dirt: I hadn't listened to it in a while. Shame on me.
Pimsleur's Italain: Unit 4
Neko Case & Her Boyfriends - Furnace Room Lullaby: I started with the last track that is the title cut. Because after you have a nice calm, relaxing swim a song by a woman with a beautiful voice about stuffing her man in the furnace just feels right. This album has quite a country aspect to a lot of songs. But a few are fantastic.
Moe Bandy - The Very Best Of: Old school country. It's an album full of cheating songs.
AC/DC - Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap: Or as Mrs ATS thought it used to be 'Thirty thieves and the thunder chief'. The last 3 minutes of Squealer are a guitar solo that is a must listen to.
Brian Eno/John Cale - Wrong Way Up: You have to be able to get past the electronic drum sound. If you can, very nice album.
Soundgarden - Badmotorfinger: I think it is at the 3:00 mark where 'Jesus Christ Pose' just goes to a fantastic heavy metal place.
REM - Reckoning: South Central Rain is always beautfiul
Neko Case - Blacklisted: Deep Red Bells is the song that turned me on to her
Rage Against The Machine - Renegades: This is what I was listening to when I was getting lost. My version goes 'When a redneck gets a funk'. The live song with Cypress Hill is great. Makes me wish I had seen them back in the day.
U2 - Joshua Tree: One Tree Hill. Love it. Listened to it 4 times.
Black Sabbath - Black Sabbath Vol. 4: The mix on Supernaut seems weak to me. I can only imagine how good that was to hear live. Has there ever been a better guitarist than Tony Iommi at creating catchy riffs? The answer is NO.
Traffic - John Barleycorn Must Die: The whole CD is a jam session.
AC/DC - If You Want Blood You've Got It: Good lord Angus can play. The guitar in Bad Boy Boogie is ridiculous.

Let's get this Summer League underway.