Cavaliers sign veteran swingman Anthony Parker

INDEPENDENCE, Ohio (AP) — Anthony Parker's fondest basketball memories came overseas, where he won three Euroleague championships and twice was named league MVP.

After signing Monday with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Parker believes he has a legitimate shot at winning his first NBA title.

"For me it's always about who really saw me fitting in with what they're trying to do," Parker said. "Cleveland has been that team from the beginning. They showed the most interest and pursued me the hardest. It just so happens they're also a team that's contending, which is even better. It was a fit all the way through."

Parker, 34, signed a two-year deal worth about $6 million. He averaged 10.7 points and 3.4 assists in 80 games for the Toronto Raptors last season. At 6-foot-6, he provides the type of length the Cavaliers have been searching for in a perimeter defender.

"He's as perfect a piece as you could find," Cavaliers assistant general manager Lance Blanks said.

Parker started 71 games last season and should fall into the rotation behind Cleveland guards Mo Williams and Delonte West and forward LeBron James, the reigning league MVP.

Parker is the latest addition to a Cleveland team that had the best regular-season record in the NBA last season but lost to the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference finals. Cleveland's biggest addition since then has been Shaquille O'Neal, 37, the dominating center who came to the Cavs from the Phoenix Suns for Ben Wallace, Sasha Pavlovic, a second-round pick in 2010 and $500,000.

"When you have players like Shaq, LeBron and Mo Williams, it makes everybody else's job a lot easier," Parker said. "I benefit from other players demanding a lot of attention."

Cleveland has spent the last four years following Parker, who has split his career evenly between the NBA and Europe. He played five seasons with Maccabi Tel Aviv (2000-02, 2003-06) and one with Virtus Roma (2002-03). He has averaged 10.1 points and 3.4 rebounds in six NBA seasons with Philadelphia, Orlando and Toronto.

"I went over there obviously with the intention of trying to get back to the NBA as soon as possible," Parker said. "But once I got over there, it was a great experience. I had great support in Israel and it really gave me the opportunity to develop as a player."

Parker will wear No. 18 with Cleveland out of respect to his time in Israel, where 18 is a symbol associated with life and success in the Jewish faith.

His best season in Europe was 2004-05, when he averaged 14.4 points and 4.7 rebounds to win his first of consecutive league MVP awards. The Cavaliers began following him during his final season in Europe, when Blanks was part of a contingent that flew to Europe to watch him play. Ultimately, Parker signed with Toronto.

"At the time it made sense because of the type of person he is and the player he is," Blanks said. "We've watched him ever since. We knew the clock was ticking and we were hopeful we'd have another crack at getting him. Fortunately he became free and we went after him extremely hard in free agency."

Parker comes from a family with a rich basketball history. His father, Larry, was the first freshman to start a basketball game at the University of Iowa. His sister, Candace, is a WNBA star with the Los Angeles Sparks after being selected with the first overall pick in the league's 2008 draft out of Tennessee.

"She got all the positive genes in the family," Parker said. "If I had her genes as a guy, I'd probably be LeBron. But I didn't, so I'm the Danny DeVito of the family."

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Vegas: Corey Brewer's First Game Back

Minnesota Timberwolves swingman Corey Brewer had high hopes heading into the 2008-09 season.  Unfortunately, those hopes were dashed when Brewer tore the ACL in his right knee just 15 games into the campaign. On Sunday in Las Vegas, Brewer returned to competitive action for the first time since the injury happened on December 1st of last year.  While Brewer was understandably rusty, he was still able to put up 14 points and grab five boards.
"It felt good," said Brewer.  "I haven't played basketball since I got here.  It was my first time playing five-on-five besides the little three or four practices we had."
For Brewer, his mission really isn't to try and come out and dominate the Vegas Summer League.  Instead, he's just trying to get his feet back underneath him after months of being forced to work on the certain aspects of his game the rehabilitation process allowed.
"Right now I'm just worried about my conditioning and getting back to playing basketball because I haven't played any basketball," Brewer explained.  "I've been working on shooting my jumpers and working on my ball-handling skills since I've been hurt."
Playing in Vegas this summer has given Brewer a chance to see some of his new teammates, and although it's early, he likes what he's seen of rookies Jonny Flynn and Wayne Ellington. "Jonny is going to be good for us," said Brewer.  "It was our first game together, and he is going to get a lot better.  Wayne is going to be really good for us.  I think we're going to be alright."
Still, Brewer understands that he's returning to a situation that was much different than the one he was in last season with Mike Miller and Randy Foye now members of the Washington Wizards and no head coach as of Sunday evening.
So does Brewer believe he'll be the starting two-guard for the Wolves next season?
"I'm focused on getting better and everything will fall into place," he said.
Fair enough.  What's a guy without a head coach supposed to say?
"It's tough," Brewer said of not yet knowing who will leading the Wolves next season.  "We just want a coach, but we've just go to do our jobs.  If we do our jobs it doesn't matter who is coaching."
Safe to say the Wolves' coaching search will likely conclude in the coming days.  Whether or not Brewer can realize the potential that made him the 7th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft under his still yet to be named head coach remains to be seen, but summer league is a very necessary first step.
Finally: Summer League Games Online!
Twenty-one NBA teams are competing in the annual Las Vegas Summer League, and while you watch your favorite team play you'll get a chance to hear commentary from the coaches, GM's and other decision-makers for each team talk about roster moves! Sign up here to catch all the action live - or on demand - from Las Vegas! On the schedule today, Spurs, Hornets, Rockets, Timberwolves, Thunder, Grizzlies, Cavs and Bucks. Don't miss it!

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Mavs 2009: Summer League, Gortat, Bass, Beaubois

There’s been a real upsurge of traffic here, in the last week or so. There could be a thousand reasons for this, the most likely being that all of us are playing the same waiting game (for Gortat, for trades) and we’re all scouring the web to see if anything’s happened. For all I know, 80% of this new traffic opens up this column, screams “OH GOD NO,” leaps away from their computer, unplugs it for good measure, and then calls a witchdoctor. I really don’t know.
But, whatever the reason is, I just wanted to thank you folks. There are plenty of places on the web with more stuff. Basically everybody has more insider information than I do. All I try to do is approach Mavericks-related topics with some plain ol’ commonsense, try to break through the hype and cling, as furiously as I can, to this little branch we call reality to whatever extent my faculties enable me to do so. And I try to run some stats in creative ways. I hope you like it.
One of these TYPES of points I’d like to make is about Roddy Beaubois, who last night had a scintillating 34-8-5 night in the Las Vegas Summer League. David Thorpe, one of the dons of basketball analysis, said things like: “I can’t take my eyes off Beaubois.” “Beaubois sees things”. “Beaubois has been the best pure point guard I’ve seen this summer.”
As some of you know, I wasn’t high on the Mavericks drafting of Beaubois. I don’t need to be right, and I hope I’m not. But the thing is—the NBA is not like the MLB. Long range projects in baseball?

You have three (well lots, really) levels of minor league, whereas the NBA is working hard at establishing just one, sure. That’s not the biggest difference though. If you have a young, talented batter in baseball, you can play him—he’s just one of 9 batters. You can pull him in an important situation, you can let him hit all he wants against real major league pitchers with no one on base. If he’s a pitcher, start him in relief—even if it’s a close game, there’s 182 games, and you always get 3 to 4 games against your division rivals right before the end of the season.
Last year, the Mavericks won 50 out of 82 games. They were one loss away from playing Denver in the first round, three away from playing the Lakers and five from missing the playoffs altogether.
They played a shocking 26 games that were either decided by five points or less, or went to overtime. That means more than 25% of their games could easily have gone either way—nearly a third. And 20 of those went the Mavericks way. Were the Mavericks last year super-clutch? Yes. But that means, and I’m not going to do the actual math, but the Mavericks were at MOST 30 points, over the course of the whole season, from missing the playoffs, and 100 points from winning only 30 games.
And in the NBA, as opposed to baseball, only five players play at a time and opposing offenses and defenses can just go at one of them—pressuring him into turnovers, driving into his grill—where a pitcher can only pitch to your scrub once every 9 batters.
So are you going to be playing your long-term prospect against anyone but their scrubs? Oh? So he’s going to become NBA-ready in the D-league? If not, when WILL it happen?
Who knows. Probably the Mavs felt they couldn’t do better, by a longshot, than Roddy potentially COULD be. And they could be right. He impressed David Thorpe.
But let me say this. I didn’t watch the game, and David Thorpe did. But when was the last time YOU saw a “pure point guard” jack up six more shots than anyone else on either team? What about the fact that the guy we drafted for his interior quickness, his ability to get to the rim, took more than half of those shots (12) from three point range.
Are we sure this guy’s a slasher and passer? We’re definite, there? What about the fact that Roddy—who the Mavericks also drafted because he had the speed to stay in front of the quick points who routinely destroy the Mavericks defense committed 8 and 9 personal fouls, respectively, in the two games so far? I can understand it, when he was playing against Brandon Jennings in the first game, but I have a harder time against two guys named Newley and Conroy? I don’t know.
I’ll give him a break. By all accounts he’s a truly unbelievable athlete, and apparently he has nights where he can light it up from three. What’s wrong with that? In fact, I think this qualifies as good news unless you expected the kid—and no one did—to be Tony Parker this year. We know now that he has range, and that could well be the hardest thing for an athletic freak, without much polish, to pick up. I’m just saying, there are TENDENCIES that concern me between what he’s supposed to be and what evidently happened at that game.
Also in contrast, Ahmad Nivins, the Mavericks second round pick and the type of guy the Mavericks never draft (college pedigree, solid but without spectacular upside, big and with sound fundamentals), went 8-10 with 6 rebounds in the first game and 5-12 with 8 rebounds in the second game. I know 5-12 doesn’t kill you with anticipation, but it is only one away from 6-12 and he does have a .60 FG percentage so far. Keep in mind that 5-12 is one worse than Nivins shot in his worst shooting percentage game his entire last year in college, and that he had a 70% true shooting percentage. Can the Mavs use a big guy w ho likes to rebound and makes most of his shots? Yeah, I think so.
Besides that, Luke Jackson, a lottery pick several years ago who now only has his jumpshot to offer (as probably should always have been the case) has had 8 and 16 points respectively—but hasn’t shot particularly well. His 16 points came largely from 8-8 free throw shooting, which is more unusual than it should be in a league where you can’t foul out. Last year’s pick, Shan Foster, did not play in the last game after going 1-7 in the first. Someone named Andre Brown has started both games, despite scoring a total of 10 points. Gonna guess that his last game contributions of 0 rebounds, 0 assists, 4 PFs to go with his 5 is not going to score him more playing time.
Elsewhere there are rumblings that the Magic will match Cuban’s offer for Gortat, which would be very disappointing. It is, however, and has always been, possible. It’s true that with the recent signing of Bass, it seems illogical that a team searching for financial stability would pay that much money for a backup, but it’s not like that’s really the situation they have. He’s a backup, but he’s a backup to Dwight Howard, the best center in the league. Teams are definitely interested in him. Not that this is a fair comparison, but Manu Ginobili would be Kobe’s backup just the same as Bruce Bowen would be, if they were all on the Lakers.
How many teams in the league want a 24 year old center who’s a true 7 footer, mobile, agile, a good defender, who also has some offensive potential? Probably 25 out of 30. I think the longer you take to decide whether you can spend 30 million---which, while big money for a backup, is still just midlevel money—on a player who can not only keep your star rested while making a serious contribution, but who is also someone 25 teams in the league might want, verse letting him go for nothing, the more likely you are to say “you know what? Screw it. It’s not like we’re signing Lebron next year anyway.”
Or just, “ain’t MY money….”
We’ll see what happens. Cuban is not a man who gives up easily. One assumes he’s already having visions of his coach not having to choose between Erick Dampier, Ryan Hollins, or no defense at all in the final minute, and he won’t give that up easily. If that means they swing a deal for Emeka Okafor, great, but if it’s Marcus Camby---not so great.
Again---Gortat could still totally happen. It’s just by no means a sure thing and never has been one, and if it doesn’t happen, a lot still COULD happen. This could be (still) good news, or it could be bad news. We’re at a perilous place in Mavericks history. I don’t think Cuban went out to get a 31 year old 3 with declining skills and resigned a 37 year old point guard with declining skills to still get beat up in the paint and on the perimeter. Whether that means Gortat or desperation will soon be told—and whether that desperation works for the better or the worse is a question I hope Mavericks fans don’t have to discover.
Lastly, they’ll miss Brandon Bass, but the one position the Mavericks are certainly set in, is power forward. He’s a good player, but like Barea, he’s not a guy with a lot MORE upside than he’s shown. A 6’8” guy who likes to dunk and rebound and has a good 15 footer is great, but it’s not like he’s going to neutralize Pau Gasol. As a starter, he’ll probably average 18---but he’ll need minutes for it that the Mavericks just can’t give him. And it still may help the Mavericks land Gortat, which would be great.
Update: Bad news on the Gortat front. Still not confirmed, but it's what we've been hearing anyway....

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Israel's Omri Casspi is King, NBA pioneer for his country

LAS VEGAS — Omri Casspi single-handedly might be changing the goals of young basketball players in Israel.

"When I was young, I dreamed to play with Maccabi, the biggest club in Israel," Casspi said. "Now the kids can dream about playing in the NBA, because we've got somebody over there."

That man is Casspi, who last month, after playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv, became the first player from Israel taken in the first round of the NBA draft, at No. 23. The 6-9 Sacramento Kings forward could become the first Israeli to play in the NBA this fall.

Just about everything is a first these days for Casspi. Until he made his debut for the Kings on Friday in the NBA Summer League, no Israeli had gotten even that close to the league.

"It's not pressure on me, but there's a lot of expectations going on," Casspi said. "My country is on my back. I was the first one to play in the summer. I was the first one to wear the NBA jersey. I'm the first one to play in the NBA," if he makes the 2009-10 roster.

He isn't the first player an NBA club has drafted from Israel, where he said basketball is huge. Doron Sheffer, a former Connecticut star, was picked in the second round of the 1996 draft by the Los Angeles Clippers. Sheffer elected to sign with Maccabi.

Casspi, 21, just completed his Israeli-required three-year service in the army. He said basketball players generally are not sent into combat, but friends of his did go.

Americans are trying to make Casspi comfortable. He said Sacramento has a small Jewish community but its members have been a big help.

"They called me, and they took me out to see the city and they arranged a house (for me) to rent," said Casspi, who will live in Sacramento with his brother, Eitan. "They want to rent me a car."

Casspi expects to see friendly faces even on the road. When he travels to cities with large Jewish populations, he figures plenty of fans will be waiving Israeli flags.

The Kings are hopeful Casspi, who has drawn comparisons to gritty New Jersey Nets forward Eduardo Najera, will be a heady and active player willing to do the little things to help the team win. Casspi still needs to work on his jumper before he's a potent inside-outside threat.

He has shot 7-for-19 in two games, averaging 8.5 points, with five turnovers in each game.

"He's struggled so far," said new Sacramento coach Paul Westphal, attributing some of that to Casspi's missing most of the Kings' pre-league practices while finalizing his contract. "But he's talented and he's got an intensity I think will translate very well once he gets comfortable."

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AL's dirty dozen a dominance to behold

Nobody does All-Star Game streaks like baseball, and the American League is taking an all-timer to St. Louis this summer.

The AL has earned home-field advantage for the World Series each of the six opportunities since the bonus to winning the All-Star Game was instituted in 2003. But that's only half of the story

Heading into Tuesday night's 80th All-Star Game at 8 ET at Busch Stadium, the AL has not lost since 1996 for a 12-game run without a defeat, including the tie in 2002 -- the event that turned the Midsummer Classic into an October prize. The 11-game winning streak gives the Junior Circuit 17 victories in the past 20 All-Star Games played to a winning conclusion, part of an era of league domination unparalleled among other sports.

With the home-field advantage on the line, the streak has taken on an even broader dimension.

"I think what's at stake makes it more important," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said in the glow of last year's 15-inning AL victory. "You know, if there is nothing at stake besides the win or loss, it ends up being a little bit of an exhibition game. I know I felt it -- I mean, the responsibility."

But this trend of leagues clinging to All-Star glory predates the advent of the home-field element by decades.

What might be lost in the glare of the well-publicized and now incentivized AL hex over the NL is that this spree has merely amounted to reasonable payback for an even more daunting string of National League dominance -- 19 of 20 -- that ran from 1963 to 1982.

The beat goes on in baseball, one way or the other. For nearly a half-century, the National League and the American League have taken turns at not taking turns winning All-Star Games.

There's simply nothing else quite like these runs of dominance in pro all-star games, although other leagues have come close.

The NBA's Eastern Conference won 14 of 20 NBA All-Star Games in the same years as the NL's era of dominance, 1963-82, then tacking on two more for 16 of 22. The Wales Conference won 12 of the 17 meetings with the Campbell Conference in the NHL All-Star Game before it changed format for a third time. And the National Football Conference has the all-time Pro Bowl streak with four, winning eight of nine at one point, while the AFC has three streaks of three games.

Not bad, not bad. But none as dominant as either the AL one the rival Yankees and Red Sox have banded together to help put together in recent years, nor as transcendent as the NL one that passed from Willie Mays and Hank Aaron to Ozzie Smith and Mike Schmidt, before home-field advantage was in play.

While the incentive isn't lost on anyone playing in the game, this year's National League manager Charlie Manuel knows full well it's not a free pass to a parade. The National League didn't need to win the All-Star Game last year for its representative to win the World Series -- Manuel's Phillies beat the Rays in five games.

In fact, the six World Series in the home-field advantage era of the All-Star Game have split down the middle -- three for the AL and three for the NL, with the '03 Marlins winning on the road at Yankee Stadium but the '06 Cardinals and '08 Phillies finishing off the Series before the AL team had a chance at a third home game.

Still, Manuel knows his mission is to acquire that advantage for his league.

"Definitely, and I'll be out to get it for the NL," Manuel said last week. "You ask the other managers, and they'll tell you the home field is a huge advantage in the World Series."

Manuel added, "And it's about time for the NL."

The likes of Bobby Cox, Bruce Bochy and Tony La Russa -- among National League managers who couldn't get it done -- say amen to that.

The National Leaguers have been close to breaking the streak several times -- the last three and four of the six since the World Series incentive was added were one-run affairs. That includes the heartbreakingly close one in Pittsburgh in 2006, which got away when Michael Young tripled off NL closer Trevor Hoffman.

On the flip side, this run could have been worse. The 2002 game certainly could have been another AL victory, and a couple before that could have gone the other way as well.

The AL had a six-game streak going when one of the most exciting finishes in All-Star Game history put the NL back on the winning side. After Fred McGriff tied the game with a two-run homer in the ninth, the NL capped a thrilling 10-inning 1994 Classic in Pittsburgh when the Expos' Moises Alou hit a blast to the left-center field gap to win it. Hall of Famer Tony Gwynn chugged around from first and got his toe in front of Pudge Rodriguez's tag just in time to bounce up and confirm the safe sign -- 8-7, NL.

The following year was a tight one, too, and it took then-Marlin (for the first time) Jeff Conine delivering a solo homer in the eighth to push the NL to a 3-2 victory despite only three hits. The NL's last victory was an easy 6-0 ride in Philadelphia in '96.

One thing to consider: Those two close ones and the tie go the other way, and you're looking at a 19-for-21 run for the AL.

But the AL's 17 of 20 and 12 without a loss will have to do -- for now. 

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NBA: Casspi continues baby steps forward

Before his second Summer League game, his second outing ever in a NBA uniform, Omri Casspi's Sacramento Kings coach Pete Carril told him, "to play simple, play your game, and you'll be fine."

Facing the Golden State Warriors' summer squad, Casspi adjusted to the new system by scoring 11 points, dishing two assists and grabbing two steals.

While his stat line was not staggering, it definitely was a step in the right direction for the forward, who is still trying to find his footing in the American style of basketball. He certainly still must find his shooting stroke - the 21-year-old Israeli finished with just four field goals in 11 attempts - although Casspi did drain two three-pointers.

Additionally, he grabbed five rebounds after stating before the game that rebounding was something the coach had stressed the team needed to work on.

Although the Kings lost for the second day in a row, falling 98-95 following a nine-point loss to the Pistons, the game was much closer this time as Sacramento was in it throughout a contest that included four ties and 13 lead changes.

While every player wants to win every game they play, when it comes down to it, the Summer League is much more about showing what each individual player is capable of; to wit, no victories or losses count in any sort of significant standings, and the games generally consist of set plays to give the coaches a chance to assess their first and second year players.

For the second game in a row, Casspi showed that he is able to fill up the stat sheet, notching everything but a block in his second NBA game. He worked hard on getting himself more involved, even without the ball, and also created his own shot when he was given the opportunity, both spotting up for a quick jumper and off the dribble.

After earning a starting role for the young Kings following a debut game in which he felt, "pretty good in the second half," Casspi continued the trend with a solid follow-up performance.

His efforts will more than likely lead to even more significant minutes and better stats in his next game against the Milwaukee Bucks squad on Monday night. 

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No surprise: Heat tell Wade they want him to stay

MIAMI (AP) — When Dwyane Wade checked his cell phone shortly after midnight Sunday, he got perhaps the most predictable text message of his life.

After all, it hardly classifies as stunning news that the Miami Heat want to keep him.

Wade said Heat president Pat Riley texted those sentiments very early Sunday, in what amounts to a largely ceremonial move. The Heat had to wait until 12:01 a.m. on July 12 before they could formally offer an extension to the reigning NBA scoring champion, and Wade said Riley didn't wait too long before pressing the send button.

"It's no rush," Wade said. "We all know that."

Wade didn't reveal specifics of what the text message said, other than confirming the obvious, that Riley was reaffirming Miami's hope that the 2006 NBA finals MVP sticks around for many years to come.

"Something like that," Wade said, moments before he and Alonzo Mourning capped the five-day Zo's Summer Groove fundraising series with a charity game featuring other NBA standouts like Caron Butler, Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony and Wade's Miami teammates Udonis Haslem, Michael Beasley, Daequan Cook, Mario Chalmers and Dorell Wright.

Wade's agent, Henry Thomas, and Riley both confirmed that the Heat formally extended an offer. Both declined further comment.

Wade, who can become a free agent after this coming season, essentially has two options: Accept an extension that would keep him under contract in Miami through the summer of 2014, or opt out of his deal next year and seek a contract through 2015-16, one that would likely be worth up to $45 million more.

Later this summer, Wade said he and Riley will talk more about the particulars, but nothing has been scheduled. Wade is still formulating his plans for the remainder of the offseason, and is likely headed to China for some business meetings in the coming weeks.

"We'll get it set up when we all can get together," Wade said.

His future has been the subject of much discussion, particularly in recent days, after Wade did a series of interviews promoting the charity events he and Mourning were hosting. Wade has repeatedly said he is happy in Miami, but merely wants to see the team get better and an assurance that Miami will perennially try to be a championship contender before re-signing.

"Like I said, I'm good here. I'm happy here," Wade said. "This is where I want to be and we'll go from there."

Wade set career bests last season in scoring average (30.2 per game), 3-point goals (88), steals (2.2 per game), blocks (1.3 per game) and games played (79).

Thomas said he and Wade will weigh "a number of options" before deciding which course of action makes the most sense.

"It's great and I feel very honored and blessed, first of all, to make it to the NBA but then to be in position where I'm on my third contract now and have a team want you and be a big part of the future," Wade said. "That's a testament in itself. It's phenomenal."

NOTES: Reigning MVP LeBron James apologetically canceled plans to play Sunday, despite Wade's best efforts. Wade said James, who had commitments this weekend in Idaho, let him know that he tried to get to Miami in time. "He's taking care of business, taking care of his family," Wade said. ... Darius Miles, Roger Mason Jr., Rasual Butler and former Heat guard Tim Hardaway also were among those playing Sunday, as was Heat draft pick Pat Beverley.

Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. 

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Wizards Cut Down SL Roster

The Wizards will take no more than 14 players with them to Las Vegas for summer league after releasing four players on Sunday night. After the first two days of mini-camp, the Wizards decided to cut former Wizard James Lang, Notre Dame swingman and son of former assistant Randy Ayers, Ryan Ayers, Villanova's Dwayne Anderson and St. Mary's forward Diamon Simpson. The Wizards might settle for just 12 players, since I heard that two more players could get cut after practice on Monday.

Lang spoke at length yesterday about his desire to remain the NBA after the Wizards cut him in March 2007. Now he will have to take another route back to the big leagues.

Nick Young recovered from his illness to participate in both practices today. The practice sessions were off limits to the media. After practice on Monday, the Wizards will head off to Las Vegas, where they will open against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday. They will face Maryland native Ty Lawson and the Nuggets on Wednesday, former Wizard Oleksiy Pecherov and the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday, No. 1 overall pick Blake Griffin and the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday and the New York Knicks on Sunday.

The remaining roster includes four Wizards veterans in Young, Dominic McGuire, JaVale McGee and Javaris Crittenton, Gonzaga big man Josh Heytvelt, Georgia Tech center Alade Aminu, Rhode Island guard Jimmy Barron, Coppin State guard Tywain McKee, Boston College guard Tyrese Rice, Florida State guard Jason Rich, West Virginia guard Alex Ruoff, San Diego State forward Kyle Spain and South Carolina forward Brandon Wallace. 

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San Antonio Spurs NBA Summer League Basketball Game One Preview and Live Thread

Finally, after two long days it is time for the Spurs to play.  I can't tell you how stoked I am.  I'm drinking coffee and I'm going to try really hard to not have my day go like this.  We kick off Summer League play with a game against the New Orleans Hornets.
It's a 3:00 Spurs time tip.  You can watch the game at NBA.com.  You get all the Summer League games for $15.  A small price to pay when your fearless leader has driven half way round the world to be here.  I'm paying almost $15 a day for an internet connection in the Hooters Casino and Hotel.
Make sure to tell your friends, if you have any, that the Spurs are playing today.  I'm not sure a lot of people know.
I have been remiss in not mentioning the two guys I have been hanging out with this week.  Jordan Sams of Liberty Ballers and Frank Madden of Brew Hoop.  Please go check out their stuff and show them some love.  They are good guys.

Your San Antonio Spurs

Still no word on Spurnando, but I seriously doubt I will get to see him.  This is who I expect our starters to be:

• PG - George Hill
• SG - Jack McClinton
• SF - Malik Hairston
• PF - DeJuan Blair
• C -Ian Mahinmi
• Bench - James Gist

The Spurs' full roster.

The Evil New Orleans Hornets

Ok, they really aren't so evil.  Not their summer league team, at least.  They have this year's first round pick, and 21st overall selection, Darren Collison.  They are also sporting 2007 first round pick Julian Wright.  Otherwise, the only guy that interests me is former Spur Anthony Tolliver.  Check out the Hornets' full roster and let me know if anybody interests you.

What To Expect?

Well, a lot will depend on how long the Hornets have been practicing.  I heard Paul Westphal say yesterday that the Kings had only had two days of practice.  I think the Spurs have been practicing since the first of July.  I will try to get that verified today.  The ability to execute plays and defensive rotations is a big part of this event.  Not many teams really can.  Jonas Jerebko told me yesterday that he only had one practice with the Pistons team.  It has to be virtually impossible to have any cohesion in that environment.
On the other hand, we have two guys who played with the team for a year or more in George Hill and Ian Mahinmi.  Another guy in Malik Hairston, who was with the team some last year and played in the system in Austin the rest of the season.  James Gist was with the club for last year's summer league.  Eric Dawson has played with the Toros for a year.  There are a lot of guys who should know what we are doing.
I expect this to be one of the most cohesive units we have seen so far.

The ATS Burning Questions

• Will George be dominant at the point?  Or just really good?
• What will Jack McClinton's shot selection be like?
• It's not IF DeJuan will be a beast this game, it's how much of a beast?
• How will Ian look?
  
• Will G.I.S.T. make an appearance?  You know what I'm talking about.
• Can Malik hit the corner 3?

Today's Other Games

• Game 2:  Timberwolves vs Rockets Jonny Flynn, Corey Brewer, Oleksiy Pecherov, and Gerald Henderson are playing for the T-Wolves.
  
• Game 3:  Thunder vs Grizzlies Russell Westbrook, James Harden, DJ White, Serge Ibaka, and Shaun Livingston for the Thunder.  For the Grizzies, Hasheem Thabeet, Darrell Arthur, Hamed Haddadi, Demarre Carroll and DeJuan's fellow Panther Sam Young
• Game 4:  Cavaliers vs Bucks
•  Still nobody for the Cavs.  Just joking, Danny Green was good yesterday.  The Bucks will be keeping a close eye on Joe Alexander and Brandon Jennings

We get several new teams today.  Very welcome after yesterday's repeat teams.  I don't have time to preview all these new teams and what players to watch.  Let's play some basketball.

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Pooh Jeter nearing NBA dreams, impresses Blazers' coaches

TUALATIN -- During the first day of the Trail Blazers' summer league practice, an antsy Pooh Jeter sat on a bench in the middle of four practice courts and watched as 14 NBA hopefuls participated in a series of scrimmages, drills and workouts.

The University of Portland graduate was supposed to be with them, running at point guard, but a paperwork issue with an international basketball clearinghouse delayed his summer league availability for a day.

It was a maddening scenario for Jeter, but also a fitting scene. Jeter, who has flashed a standout game in the NBA Development League and in Europe, seems this close to fulfilling his NBA dreams but remains that far away.

"That was tough, man," Jeter said. "But you know what? I just had to make the most of it, so I was over there coaching, cheering everyone on. I was watching, talking to coach (Nate) McMillan and the other coaches, and trying to learn the system. Even though I couldn't play, I tried to make the best out of it."

One day later, crushing news for one Blazers prospect opened a door of opportunity for Jeter. Rookie point guard Patrick Mills, who was selected by the Blazers in the second round of last month's NBA draft, suffered a fracture of the fifth metatarsal in his right foot. The injury ended Mills' summer league but created a chance for Jeter to take on a more prominent role as a backup to point guard Jerryd Bayless.

In the four practices since Mills went down -- and since Jeter's paperwork issue was resolved -- Jeter has impressed coaches with skill and desire.

"Hunger," Blazers summer league coach Joe Prunty said, when asked what Jeter has shown in practice so far. "He's a guy that was frustrated that he couldn't get out there on the court and play that first day. What I've seen is a guy who's not afraid. Not only is he hungry to get out there and show his stuff, he's not afraid to get out there and compete. He's trying to push Jerryd. He's trying to run the team. I've seen a lot of positives."

Since leaving UP as the school's second-leading career scorer, Jeter has enjoyed a laundry list of positives, even if they haven't come in the NBA. After the Sacramento Kings cut him from training camp three years ago, Jeter landed with the Colorado 14ers in the D-League. Playing alongside former Blazer Von Wafer in the backcourt, Jeter developed into an All-Star and helped the 14ers reach the championship game.

Jeter's play caught the eye of Michael Born, the Blazers' director of NBA scouting who tried to lure him to the Blazers' summer league team. But with a surplus of point guards on the roster in recent years -- last season the Blazers featured two first-round draft picks in Bayless and Petteri Koponen -- Jeter's agent steered him to other teams. He has twice played summer league with the Kings and once with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Jeter has been invited to NBA training camps each of the past two seasons, but passed on the opportunity because organizations refused to offer guaranteed contracts. He instead headed for Europe, which provided two positives he said he couldn't pass up -- a high six-figure salary and a chance to play against high-level competition.

After leaving the 14ers, Jeter played in Ukraine for BC Kyiv and was voted the league's top point guard for the 2007-08 season, when he averaged 14.4 points and 7.1 assists per game. A season later -- after competing in a mini-camp with the Toronto Raptors -- Jeter landed in the Spanish ACB League, widely regarded as the second-best professional league behind the NBA.

Playing against point guards such as Ricky Rubio, Jeter excelled for ViveMenorca, averaging 16.3 points and 3.1 assists.

"It just seems like every time I saw him play, I came away thinking he played really well," Born said. "He plays really unselfish, just has a great vibe about him. He's always coming out and looking to get his team going first, and I just felt like he had a really good idea of when he should try to score and when he should try to set up his teammates."

The knock on Jeter is size. He's generously listed at 5-foot-11 in the summer league media guide. Jeter pointed out that smaller point guards are in vogue right now, however, noting that Aaron Brooks (Houston), Nate Robinson (New York), Jose Barea (Dallas), and Raymond Felton and D.J. Augustin (Bobcats) have excelled in recent seasons.

But those players either impressed for prominent college programs or internationally before arriving in the NBA. The University of Portland isn't exactly a program that churns out NBA stars.

In many ways, Jeter represents the plight of hundreds of players around the world -- he's right on the cusp of playing in the NBA but not quite talented enough or ready, according to league talent evaluators.

"I definitely think I belong in the league, it's just about finding the right situation and getting the right opportunity," Jeter said.

Jeter leans on the career path of Jefferson High School graduate and former Blazer Ime Udoka as inspiration. When Jeter was at UP, he regularly played with Udoka in offseason pickup games around Portland. He watched Udoka get cut from multiple NBA teams and bounce from the D-League to Europe before sticking with the Blazers and later signing a two-year deal with the San Antonio Spurs.

What are Jeter's chances with the Blazers? A lot could be riding on the next week. Born said a training camp invitation is "pretty attainable" if Jeter decides to pass on the allure of another six-figure European contract. The Blazers remain active in the free agent and trade market, so there is doubt as to what their roster will look like come October.

Either way, Jeter, a happy-go-lucky, glass-half-full kind of guy, continues to focus on the positives. Basketball has given him a chance to provide for his family and see the world. He raved about the competition of the ACB League and how that experience made him a better professional. He gushed about playing in the Ukraine, bragging that one year removed from college his team provided him with a driver, a chef, a maid and a two-bedroom apartment in downtown Kyiv.

So why would Jeter leave such a cushy gig?

"This is my dream, man," he said, smiling as he looked out onto the Blazers' practice courts. "I know I can make it in the NBA and I'm going to keep working to make my dream happen."

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It’s time to cut minutes

Celtics forward Paul Pierce will turn 32 Oct. 13, and there hasn’t been a drop in his game, as he can still score at will. But to ensure Pierce will be able to play at a top level for as long as possible, the Celtics are expected to slice his minutes some next season. And even as competitive as the captain is, he’s not going to fight it.

“If my minutes go down, I don’t really mind. It’s all about winning at the end of the day,’’ Pierce said.

In 11 seasons, Pierce is fifth on the Celtics’ all-time list for minutes played with 30,526. That’s an average of 37.5 minutes in 813 games, not including 77 playoff contests. Pierce also averaged a team-high 37.5 minutes while playing in 81 regular-season games last season. The only time Pierce has averaged fewer than 35 minutes per game was when he averaged 34 during his rookie season (1998-99).

If you look at his effectiveness from January through April last season, it seems as if fewer minutes mean higher shooting percentages.

During six April games, Pierce averaged 34 minutes, shot 50.5 percent from the field, and made 44.1 percent of his 3-pointers. During 15 games in March, he averaged 39 minutes, shot 47.1 percent from the field, and 37.5 percent from 3-point range. During 12 games in February, he averaged 41 minutes, shot 46.5 percent from the field, and 30.8 percent from 3-point range. And during 15 games in January, he averaged 35 minutes, shot 49.3 percent from the field, and 46.3 percent from 3-point range.

“Late into the season and the playoffs, I thought a lot of times we were stuck with playing a lot of minutes because guys were injured,’’ Pierce said. “I don’t think it was meant for me to play as many minutes. I was just a victim of circumstance. Tony [Allen] goes out. Our rookies [Bill Walker and J.R. Giddens] are in the D-League, not ready. You’re kind of stuck.’’

Pierce has missed only three regular-season games over the last two seasons. Even so, he dealt with knee issues and other nagging ailments last season. Fewer minutes could help him continue his recent trend of playing in nearly every regular-season game.

“The body feels good,’’ Pierce said. “Obviously, no major injuries from a year ago, no surgeries. I know there was a big rumor of me needing surgery - not true. I feel great.

“I’ve just been doing a lot of conditioning. Getting up in the mornings, running, lifting, shooting a little bit. That’s pretty much it. Staying in shape, nothing special.’’

The Celtics made a run at Grant Hill before he re-signed with the Suns Friday. It’s evident that getting a solid backup for Pierce is important. Team president Danny Ainge said Friday he has more free agents in mind, but didn’t want to reveal them.

There is a long list of small forwards available for the $1.9 biannual exception or even less, including Miami’s Jamario Moon (restricted), Phoenix’s Matt Barnes, Jerry Stackhouse (waived by Memphis Friday), Indiana’s Marquis Daniels and Stephen Graham, Atlanta’s Josh Childress (restricted), Dallas’s James Singleton (restricted) and Gerald Green, Detroit’s Walter Herrmann, Oklahoma City’s Desmond Mason, Golden State’s Rob Kurz, San Antonio’s Ime Udoka, and Minnesota’s Rodney Carney. While some may garner more money elsewhere, playing for the contending Celtics would be an added draw that could bring a discount.

“I don’t think we’re done,’’ Pierce said. “We might add a veteran presence, maybe not. We’re going to add some more depth to our ball club at the wing position or even at the point guard.’’

The Celtics also could save their biannual for a point guard or big man by giving Walker and Giddens a chance to back up Pierce. Ainge said he was impressed by the way both played during last week’s Orlando Pro Summer League. Considering backing up Pierce would only mean 10-15 minutes per game, it may not be a bad idea to go with one of the young guys.

“That’s going to be their decision, if they bring in somebody,’’ Pierce said. “If they don’t, then they obviously see something in Bill and J.R. and Tony and they feel they don’t need to bring in somebody else.’’

Regardless, the idea of cutting Pierce’s minutes is a good one, not only next season but beyond.

Europe shows up on Marbury’s radar screen

Free agent guard Stephon Marbury, who played the end of last season for the Celtics, would prefer to be in an NBA uniform again next season. After receiving calls from Miami and Atlanta, the two-time All-Star is optimistic he will get his wish in a process he doesn’t expect to be resolved soon.

But if an NBA team doesn’t come forward to sign him, Marbury said he is open to playing overseas, and already has been contacted by three teams.

“I want to play in the NBA, of course,’’ Marbury said Friday by telephone. “It’s not like I’m a young player who can’t play in the NBA. I can still play at a high level. But if I can’t find an [NBA] team where I can play, I have to play basketball somewhere.

“It’s a long summer. The free agent market just opened . . . But I’m weighing all my options. I’m a businessman.’’

Marbury, now 32, first traveled to Europe at age 13 while playing AAU ball, and quickly fell in love with the continent. He also ventured there three times while in high school, and played in the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

Marbury says the “Duke-like’’ atmosphere for basketball and soccer games in Italy excited him, and a visit to a poor area in Argentina made him believe his tough Coney Island upbringing wasn’t that bad after all. If he were to play overseas, Marbury said it would be important for him to learn the country’s language and culture.

“I’m basically waiting to see what it is,’’ said Marbury, who recently said his Celtics days are over after he turned down an offer of $1.3 million, the veteran minimum. “I want to play basketball. That’s the easy part. But I have no offers.

“If [a deal] could be structured right, I could go overseas. I played overseas before. I know the experience.’’

Etc.

Pivotal question

Kendrick Perkins is expected to start at center for the Celtics next season, right? Well, while Rasheed Wallace has said he couldn’t care less if he starts, coach Doc Rivers hasn’t set the opening lineup in stone. “I’m going to let that play out,’’ Rivers said. “I’ve had plans many times as a coach and then you get in practice and you like something else. So, I just know we’ve added more talent to the team and we have enough minutes to go around for all of them. It will work out.’’ Unless Kevin Garnett is struggling following right knee surgery, there is no way that Rivers brings him off the bench. Perkins averaged 8.5 points and 8.1 rebounds while starting in 76 games last season. Wallace averaged 12 points and 7.4 rebounds while shooting 35.4 percent from 3-point range in 66 games (63 starts) with Detroit. Wallace has started in 943 of 1,009 career games. Rivers hasn’t discussed Wallace’s arrival with Perkins yet. “We will. I’m not concerned about that,’’ said Rivers. “Perk is a great team player as well. We have pretty good guys on our team. Good role players.’’ Celtics president Danny Ainge said, “There is no such thing as being entitled to a position,’’ but that Perkins would likely enter training camp as the starter. “I feel like I know [Perkins] pretty well and that he would be excited about [the acquisition]. I don’t think it affects him much.’’

Firsthand knowledge

Boston native Will Blalock became a big fan of Wallace when both played for the Pistons in 2006-07. Blalock, then a rookie, said Wallace bought him tailored suits, and meals on road trips. While Wallace may have a tough-guy image, Blalock said Celtics fans will get to know his softer side. “When people watch games, they’re critical of him,’’ said Blalock. “They think the guy is a jerk because he gets technicals. But he’s completely 180 degrees different in person. He’s a great dad, good husband, a real good dude. When people get to know him they’ll see he’s a real good guy, too. They will love him. That’s huge for [the Celtics]. That puts them in line for another championship. I like ’Sheed’s game.’’ Since appearing in 14 games for the Pistons in ’06-07, Blalock has played in Israel, Germany, and in the Development League with Anaheim. The 25-year-old last week played for the Pacers’ summer league team in Orlando, Fla. “I can’t really say I’m not chasing the NBA dream,’’ Blalock said. “I want to find a good situation in the NBA. But it is tough. There are only like 450 jobs and I can still make a good living overseas. The only difference is I have a 3-year-old son in Boston. It would mean a lot for me to be here. I’d rather be here than in Serbia or Greece 15 hours away from here [by plane]. But [an overseas job] beats making $30,000 playing in the D-League.’’

Around the rim

Garnett and Wallace have talked about working out together in Los Angeles. Garnett lives in nearby Malibu in the offseason . . . According to a league source, the Pistons turned down a trade offer that would have had them receiving Carlos Boozer from the Jazz for Tayshaun Prince. While the Pistons have long coveted Boozer, they recently signed free agent forward Charlie Villanueva, drafted forwards Austin Daye and DaJuan Summers, and have strong feelings for Prince . . . Ainge said he was pleased with the way swingmen J.R. Giddens and Bill Walker played during the Orlando Pro Summer League, and saw them as potential backups for Paul Pierce. “J.R. and Billy have played well,’’ Ainge said. “I think they did a good job there. We see the impact. I’m very comfortable with them.’’

 

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BASKETBALL: Flynn, Harris debut tonight in NBA Summer League

The Niagara Falls basketball community is hoping that what happens in Vegas this week doesn’t stay in Vegas.

Local products Jonny Flynn and Paul Harris will debut in the NBA Summer League tonight, teaming up for the Minnesota Timberwolves as they did before at Niagara Falls High School and Syracuse University.

For them to continue playing together after this week, Harris will have to prove he belongs in The League.

For Flynn, these five games in seven days a chance to acclimate himself to the pro game and prepare himself for the regular season, which starts in October. He signed a multi-million dollar contract this week that guarantees him at least three years in the NBA. His talent, work ethic, and draft position should keep him in the NBA long after that.

For Harris, the summer league is effectively his NBA tryout. After forgoing his final year of college, Harris went undrafted, denying him a guaranteed contract. Having also received summer league invitations from the Cleveland Cavaliers and Chicago Bulls, Harris decided to join the Timberwolves, citing Flynn’s presence as a major factor.

“I think it’s a great fit for me in Minnesota,” Harris said after the draft. “Me and Jonny will be reunited.”

Harris preceded Flynn as a star player for Niagara Falls High School, leading the Wolverines to a state championship in 2005. He and Flynn were both prized recruits for Syracuse University, and won 49 games together with the Orange.

Prior to the draft, they trained together in Chicago, under the tutelage of Michael Jordan’s former trainer.

“It’s definitely not free to work out in Chicago. I didn’t know who was paying for it at first, and I found out it was (Flynn),” Harris said before the draft. “It shows that this is more than basketball. This is brothers and family, forever. When I was younger, I had the juice. Now he’s got the juice and he’s using it to help both of us.”

When Flynn received the key to the city a week later, he said Harris is “like the brother I never had.” But aside from getting him the ball in scoring position, Flynn can’t do much more to help Harris’ career.

If Harris is to earn an invitation to training camp from the Timberwolves or another club, he will have to showcase his potential as a physical defender, rebounder and fast-break finisher, while overcoming concerns about his height, jump shot, and decision-making.

Harris will be rotating on the wings with three first-round draft picks — Corey Brewer, Wayne Ellington, and Gerald Henderson, who was placed on the Timberwolves roster because the Charlotte Bobcats are not participating in the summer league.

Brewer, who was drafted seventh overall out of Florida in 2007, is attempting to return from a major knee injury suffered in December.

Flynn will likely get major minutes at point guard, since the Timberwolves’ other lottery pick, Ricky Rubio, has yet to negotiate a buyout with his Spanish team and won’t be participating in the summer league.

“I’m going to bring high energy ... all the time,” Flynn said after being drafted. “I’m going to bring personality and be somebody that comes in all the time and works hard. I can defend. I can put the ball in the basket. I can make my teammates better.”

The Timberwolves will face the Houston Rockets at 6 p.m. today. On Monday they’ll play the D-League Select team. Their next game is Friday against the Washington Wizards. They’ll finish summer league play with games against the New Orleans Hornets on Saturday and the Chicago Bulls on Sunday.

NBA.com is offering live and on-demand Web streaming of the entire summer league for $14.99.

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NBA Summer League Day One Recap - It's A Grind

Summer League - What's It Like?

It's something else.  The first day of games was played in Cox Pavilion.  This is a smaller gym attached to the Thomas & Mack Center.  The atmosphere is relaxed which put me in a strange position as somebody with press credentials for the first time.  The weirdness was that the protocols were not apparent.  Where could I go?  Where couldn't I go?  Who could I talk to?  When could I talk to them?  Who was in charge?  All these things were a bit paralyzing for me.  So, I just hung out in my spot on the baseline at the media table and watched the games.  I didn't talk to any representatives from any of the teams.  I chatted some with of the other media guys and took notes.  And observed.

The strange thing about me, even though I am an outgoing person, is that I like to know what I am doing and I like to know whether I SHOULD be doing it.  I can't just wander around and wait for somebody to tell me I can't do something.  I'm a rule follower.  I can't help it.  It's not exactly the best trait to have in an environment this informal.

The Nature Of Play

The first thing that jumped out at me in the Rockets - Warriors game was how physical the play was.  I didn't know if it was being so close to the action under the basket or if it was because Joey Dorsey was playing.  After watching the rest of the games the answer became apparent.  This is how the game is played.  They flat-out beat the crap out of each other.  I mean, there was a ton of hard contact that was not called as a foul.  Tons.  The most physical players, guys like Joey Dorsey, didn't even blink at the hard fouls they dished out and received.  They didn't get angry.  They didn't scowl.  They just whacked the holy bejeezus out of each other and then helped the other guy up, asked him if he was ok, and patted him on the rump. 

On one play, Dorsey went up for the dunk and Anthony Randolph came over hard for the block.  Randolph got some ball, a lot of Dorsey's chest and arms, and kicked him square in the testicles.  Dorsey kneeled down, Randolph came over and gave him a hand and asked him if he was Ok.  Joey just shook his head like "Yeah, I'm fine.  No problem".  I would have been in the hospital if I had been on the receiving end of such a collision.

Somebody commented in the live thread about the number of fouls.  I can only say that they didn't seem to call many cheap ones from what I could tell.  My impression is that getting fouls is a matter of positioning.  If you move your feet and stay in position, then they won't call a foul on you.  If you get out of position, you either have to give up or you will get a foul if you continue to be physical with a guy. 

In the Mavericks game, the Dallas coaching staff seemed to make a point of having Aaron Miles play physical pressure defense against Brandon Jennings.  Jennings also returned the favor on the other end.  It seemed like those guys were in a UFC match the way they were bodying up.  I'm surprised Miles only ended 8 fouls.

Game One - Warriors vs Rockets

I already recapped this one.  So I won't have much to say about the game itself.  Just some impressions about the players.

Joey Dorsey - The guy was impressive.  Not only was he physical,as I mentioned, but he only picked up 4 fouls even though he was involved in numerous collisions.  He did a good job of moving his feet to get in position on help defense when he was responsible for containing the penetrator.  He blocked shots coming from the weak side.   He was just very solid.  He doesn't have much of an offensive game though.  He could really use a 8-10 foot game.  Unfortunately for him, he's on a team that has two guys in front of him who do what he does in Chuck Hayes and Carl Landry.

James White - As I mentioned in the recap, I thought James was putting off a prima donna attitude.  I got the vibe mostly in the first half.  It's hard to describe exactly what gave me this impression.  I can't point to one thing definitively that says, "Man, I can't believe he's acting like that".  It was more a sum of the parts.  The attitude toward the officials, the way he interacted with a coach, etc.  Just some little things.  In his defense, he seemed to put that behind him in the second half and just play.  He was also very supportive of his teammates from the bench.

Chase Budinger - He didn't seem like he was able to handle the physical part of the game and got pushed around.  The knock on him at Arizona was that he wasn't assertive or aggressive.  Those traits will get you killed in the NBA and they got him killed here.  He got trapped with a physical double team and turned it over.  Later in the game, his man was attacking him and going right through him to the basket.  He didn't seem quite quick enough to get position and not strong enough to hold his position.  It seems like you need to be able to do one or the other.

Stephen Curry - Curry was the big name in this game.  He seemed just a bit uncomfortable.  Not overwhelmed like he didn't belong.  Just uncomfortable.  He spent a lot of time at the point for the Warriors in the first half.  He was very competent handling the ball.  He was able to initiate the offense without problem.  On the other hand, I think the play making duties, when they fell to him, kept him from getting comfortable with his shot.  I don't recall him getting any spot up opportunities off of other players.  Everything he got was off the pick and roll, and him breaking down his man.  He forced a couple shots and even airballed an 18-footer after a step-back move.  I think he'll be a good one, especially when he is able to play off other guys.

Joe Ingles - One of two men from down under in the game.  He has a nice feel for the game.  He sees the floor well and he is pretty long.  His stroke seemed very erratic and, as a guess, will probably be the thing that determines whether or not he makes it into the league.  His first 3 was an airball and his second barely drew rim.  They were both wide-open in-the-flow shots.  Not forced at all.  He drained his third 3-ball.

Anthony Randolph - The stat sheet stuffer almost recorded a triple-double.  20 points, 10 rebounds, 9 fouls.  Randolph is a thin player, but he didn't shy away from contact in this game at all, which was impressive to me.  He has a great ability to score in the paint on the move and was almost impossible for the Rockets to defend.  He had 12 first quarter points on 8 shots, then seemed content to work on his outside game.  I'm not saying he necessarily drifted.   I think the Warriors weren't running sets for him to receive the ball on the move.  I think they were wanting to get looks at other guys.  That's my guess.  I'd need game film to really know.

Game Two - Pistons vs Kings

Another physical game with 61 total fouls.  Remember, NBA games are 20% longer as we are only playing 40 minute games out here in the desert.  The Pistons, much to my surprise, whipped up on the Kings.  The Kings feature several "name" players.  2008 first round draft pick and second year man -- and a player many around here wanted instead of George Hill -- Donte Green.  Another 2008 first round draft pick and second year man, Jason Thompson.  This year's #4 pick Tyreke Evans and #23 pick Omri Casspi.  The Pistons, on the other hand, feature mid-first round pick Austin Daye and pair of second rounders in DaJuan Summers and Jonas Jerebko -- teammate of James Gist at Angelico Biella.

DaJuan Summers - He had to have been the most impressive player of the day.  He had 24 points and 7 rebounds, on 9 of 15 shooting, and completely dominated Jason Thompson.  He had a nice jumper, he banged his way inside for points, he's rough and tough, he got to the line, and he owned this game.  You should keep an eye on this guy.  It didn't look like anything he was doing was a fluke.

Austin Daye - He showed both why he was drafted and what he has to work on.  He's an offensively gifted version of Tayshaun Prince.  However, he needs to get a little stronger to handle the contact and to work on his defense.  If you are a Pistons front office guy, you have to like what you saw from him on day one.

Jonas Jerebko - He wasn't making his shots -- 1 for 6 in 13 minutes -- but he might be able to make it.  He's a tough guy who isn't afraid to mix it up.  He's not a "soft Euro".

Michael Bramos - While bones may be familiar with this former Miami, Ohio player, I sure wasn't.  He's a 6'5" guard, and he was very impressive.  He scored 13 points in 15 minutes and he did it by attacking the rim AND hitting the outside shot.  I doubt he will make the team, but he probably opened some eyes in Europe.

Jason Thompson - He was in a war with Summers and he got the worst of it.  He only had 3 rebounds and was completely unable to contain Summers.  I'll be interested to see how he does in the next couple games.

Donte Greene - Donte is known for his shooting, including a monstrous 40-point debut in last year's Summer League, but he only went 3 for 9 in this game and missed both his 3-ball attempts.  The big knock on Donte last year was his defense, or that thereof, so I found it humorous that on numerous occasions he was telling the guys on the team how to position their bodies and where to be.  The best part, is that he was dead on. 

Tyreke Evans - I was very impressed with Evans.  He's a very big and strong point guard.  He probably needs to work on the passing part of the game, but he seemed Ok in every other way.  He's big enough to be aggressive going to the rim and draw fouls -- he went to the line 10 times, he was immune to be bodied by the opposing point guard bringing the ball up, and showed great athleticism.

Game Three - Raptors vs Lakers

While this was the closest game of the day, it was also the least impressive.  These teams would have been crushed, almost literally, by the previous four teams.  The game was far less physical.  In addition, there were not many players of interest.  The Lakers' team features Adam Morrison -- who was sporting a Rage t-shirt so he has gone way up on my list of guys I like (very coveted list to be on, I know) -- and that is it.  The Raptors have #9 pick DeMar DeRozan and point guard Roko Ukic who you may remember from the torching he gave the Spurs this year in Toronto.  

The Lakers won this back and forth game 85-84.  The best part is that with 5:00 left and a tie game I called the game winner.  Meet Ben McCauley from North Carolina State.

Ben McCauley - Ben scored the Lakers first 6 points and, along with Morrison, carried the team.  McCauley finished with 24 points and 15 rebounds.  He hit the game winner with 14 seconds left, just as I said he would. Other than the fact that the guy seemed to never miss, I don't know how good he is.

Adam Morrison - He played a team-high 33 minutes and also scored 24 points.  For a guy known as a shooter, he seems to have the most off-balanced looking shot.  He hit big shots for them down the stretch though.  He had an interesting match up with DeMar DeRozan as they went head-to-head on both ends.  DeRozan is a better athlete, but not as good a shooter and not as experienced.  On on one drive to the hoop, Morrison blocked the crap out of DeRozan's shot.

David Monds - 17 points in 14 minutes.  He had a great stroke from 18 feet.  Thick guys who can shoot from that range have a knack for sticking around.

DeMar DeRozan - He played decent defense against Morrison in the first half, but was invisible offensively.  In the second half, he was a bit more aggressive with the ball and showed some flashes.  He can also jump and liked to attack the offensive glass coming up with very nice put back slam, but also had a missed put back slam.

Roko Ukic - He ran the point.  Maybe a couple 3's, didn't miss free throws.  Unspectacular, but solid.

Smush Parker - Yeah, that Smush Parker.  He made some of the nicest passes of the day on the pick and roll leading to dunks by Patrick O'Bryant.  He hit 1 of his 2 threes.  Missed a bunch of free throws.  Had 6 assists.  Only 2 turnovers.    He's an enigma for me.

Patrick O'Bryant - He's a very long man at 7 feet with very long arms.  He's not a big thick guy, but he's not too thin as he comes in at 250 pounds.  He showed the ability to finish against the Lakers under-sized front line.  He made 7 of this 9 shots on a variety of dunks and nice moves in the post.

Brent Petway - Try to find video of his dunk to end the first half.  He tried to throw down over somebody and wasn't able to get all the way to the rim and ended up THROWING IT IN from about 2 feet away. 

Game Four - Bucks vs Mavericks

This game promised the most interest and turned out to be horribly painful to watch.  The Bucks have a lot of big names participating in Summer League with Brandon Jennings, Joe Alexander, Amir Johnson, Luc Mbah a Moute, Jodie Meeks, Chris Richard, and Salim Stoudamire.  The Mavericks have Rodrigue Beaubois -- Spurnando's teammate from Cholet -- and Ahmad Nivins, a second round pick from St Joseph's. 

This was a hideous brick fest with tons of fouls and sloppy ball handling.  Alexander went 4-18 from the field and Jennings got hot late to go 3-12.  The teams combined for 65 fouls and 46 turnovers.  Both teams erupted in the fourth quarter, 21 for the Bucks and 20 for the Mavs, to push the scoring all the way up to 65-59 in the Bucks victory.

Joe Alexander - A superb athlete.  He just couldn't make a shot.  He was the focal point of the Bucks offense and received many isolation opportunities.  He routinely got by his man but wasn't able to finish over the help defender near the basket.  He was a fiend on the offensive glass and made his free throws.

Amir Johnson - He fouled a lot and turned the ball over a lot.  He blocked a couple shots, but his 4 rebounds in 21 minutes is disconcerting.

Luc Mbah a Moute - He can still play some defense.

Brandon Jennings - He didn't blow me away but he was quietly effective.  That's what I thought at least.  He shot a poor percentage, but he handled the pressure defense I mentioned earlier, drew a lot of fouls -- Miles and Beaubois combined for 16 fouls -- and only had 2 turnovers.  He's electric quick but doesn't seem able to use it to get his teammates open as evidenced by his 3 assists in 25 minutes.

Jodie Meeks - The dude has a sweet stroke.  When he shot it, you knew it was going in.  I don't know what else he has to give them, but he'll knock down shots if people leave him open.

Salim Stoudamire - An unspectacular 13 minutes with 6 points, 5 fouls, and 3 turnovers

Rodrigue Beaubois - Easily the most disappointing player of the day.  He turned the ball over on the first 2 possessions and only his teammate's hustle kept him from the first three possessions.  He was passive defensively in the first quarter to the point that Darrell Armstrong, who is coaching the Mavs team, was yelling at him (from the bench to the court to be heard, not to chastise) to play attacking defense.  He showed poor shot selection and not a good ability to finish around the rim.  He finished with 6 turnovers, and while he over penetrated the way Tony does some, he did show decent court vision.

Ahmad Nivins - He looked like a serious player.  He was just a notch below DaJuan Summers for most impressive.  He was 8 of 10 from the field.  He had some nice put back dunks and showed a really nice jumper from 17-18 feet.  He'll probably step right into Brandon Bass' role.  He screams keeper.

Random Observations

In each game, there was one female referee.  Never zero, never two.  Always one.

Acie Law IV hit his head so hard on a quarter-ending play I could hear it at the other end of the court with a loud WHUMP (some onomatopoeia for you, I know you guys have been into it lately).

In the very last play of the last game, I wasn't watching, the guy next to me says, "Did Jennings just give him a late elbow?"  Luke Jackson was bent over holding his face.  It looked to me like a broken nose.  It will be interesting to find out if there is anything to it.

The crowd was more or less tame, and by the last game the gym was pretty empty.  A group of about 6-8 guys were harassing Jennings loudly in the last seconds of the game.  One hollered, "Jennings, you aren't even the best #3 on the court" -- Beaubois and Jennings are both #3.  Jennings looked up and laughed.  I'm thinking if you are going to taunt somebody like that, at least be accurate.

That's all for day one.  On to day two.

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SUMMER LEAGUE: One game in, Golden State’s Curry already has the look of a pro

Don Nelson has coached in 2,482 NBA games dating back to 1976, and over that period of time, it was never a secret that he favored veteran players to rookies and other youngsters.

Never one to go out of his way to pad a young ballplayer's ego or hand him too much praise during his development, what he had to say on Friday from the COX Pavilion stands while watching rookie Stephen Curry's pro debut in the NBA summer league came a bit out of left field.

"I like everything about him," said Nelson, kicking back in a T-shirt and baseball cap. "There isn't anything I don't like about him. He's gonna be a very fine player, I think.

"He'll always be a good offensive player. When that opportunity presents itself, he'll do fine. It's just until he feels comfortable playing the game and being out there early as a young rookie. We can ride with the mistakes that he'll make and he'll become a well-developed player."

While it may be odd to hear Nelson sound so liberal regarding the seventh overall pick in last month's NBA draft, it's pretty widely known that Curry isn't your ordinary rookie.

The 6-foot-3 scoring machine out of tiny Davidson College — who in three years there averaged 25.3 points per game and had the Wildcats within one possession of the 2008 Final Four — has already mastered the toughest part of learning to play in the NBA.

That's the mental aspect of it.

Curry carries himself like a pro in every way possible.

Whether he was nervous for his pro debut on Friday or not, you could never guess by looking at him. His body language was smooth and professional, even as he struggled to score 16 points on just 4-of-14 shooting and picked up 4 of his 7 personal fouls in just over 8 minutes.

He even kept his cool after having to stick a cotton swab up his nose to stop some bleeding early in the game.

"My first possession in the league, a bloody nose," he said jokingly.

Following the Warriors' 73-69 loss to the Houston Rockets, during which Golden State failed on several occasions to close out their opponents when holding a slim lead late in the second half, he was still unflappable.

Justin M. Bowen

Golden State guard Stephen Curry chews on his mouthpiece during a break in the action on Friday afternoon at the NBA summer league at COX Pavilion. The former Davidson standout scored 16 points on 4-of-14 shooting in his pro debut.

The baby-faced assassin handled his media responsibilities, glad-handed some onlookers, packed his things and went back to his hotel.

This kind of demeanor comes natural at such a young age when you spent much of your childhood hanging around NBA locker rooms.

Stephen is the oldest son of Del Curry, who played 16 seasons in the league from 1986 to 2002.

He obviously was paying attention every step of the way.

"He's so far ahead mentally that these little things here aren't gonna bother him," said Golden State assistant Keith Smart. "Even when he missed some shots that he normally would make, he didn't drop his head and stop playing. He's so far ahead of the game, now he's waiting for the rest of his game to catch up with him as an NBA player."

Smart, who is coaching the Warriors summer league squad, said he can already notice the impact that simply hanging around NBA locker rooms has had on his two young sons, who are 10 and 12 years old.

While Curry's game is all there mentally, he showed on Friday where he still needs to improve in terms of execution.

His first pro bucket was one of his patented feathery 3-pointers from atop the key just over 90 seconds into the game.

But after that, he was offensively silent for the rest of the half. Curry, who played the point position predominately over the last year at Davidson, is now transitioning into becoming a guy who can create his own shots away from the ball.

His finest stretch of the afternoon came early in the third quarter as Golden State mounted a comeback from a halftime deficit. After hitting a two from straight-on coming off a ball screen set by Anthony Randolph, he bothered a shot by Houston guard James White on the other end.

Then, off the rebound, he pulled up and swished a three on the right wing in transition.

It all took about 29 seconds, and he did it in spite of a first half during which the Rockets tried to get in his head constantly, whether it was by grabbing his jersey, holding his arm or even slapping him on the head.

"I'm sure it's going to be a point of emphasis for all guys down the road, but I've had that kind of attention for the last year in college," Curry said. "I'll be fine to handle it, it's just getting comfortable on the floor and knowing where to be."

Justin M. Bowen

Golden State guard Stephen Curry drives against Houston during the Warriors' 73-69 loss to the Rockets in opening day action of the NBA summer league at COX Pavilion. Curry was grabbed at and knocked around by Houston repeatedly as his foes attempted to get in his head.

Curry may have the most ground to gain on the defensive end, where he'll be at a distinct size disadvantage against just about everyone he covers as a rookie — and probably beyond.

Still, it doesn't cause him concern. There's an air of confidence that comes with acting like a pro, and it's something Curry got down pat a long time ago.

"I've been around the NBA, so I know the techniques and the systems and what I have to guard," Curry said. "Now it's just getting out there and doing it. I think with this experience in the summer league and going through those things early, figuring out how to defend and where I need to be, and how quickly the ball moves. It's a little different, but I think I'll be able to get it."

He'll have quite the support system in doing so, as he's now part of a young nucleus in Golden State which includes a versatile 7-foot second-year forward in Randolph along with 23-year-old budding stars in point guard Monta Ellis and power forward Andris Biedrins.

More important is that all three of them know the demands of growing as an NBA player under Don Nelson's strict guidelines.

Randolph is the perfect example of how a player can grow under Nelson.

A year ago, the one-and-done from LSU showed up to the Vegas summer league with hardly any muscle on a wiry 6-foot-10 frame. He played timid and showed nothing more than flashes of his potential.

On Friday, he scored 20 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and did everything with ease and confidence.

He pulled Curry aside at the half to remind him to simply stay confident and stick with what works.

"I think I can just help him with the ups and downs I went through in the season," he said. "I told him you've got to just shoot the ball, that's what we drafted you for. Just do you.

"It's (a perfect fit), because he spaces the floor out for us."

Curry will pick up more pieces as he goes along. Heck, he'll probably get more before he leaves Las Vegas.

The Warriors play four more times in the summer league, with their next contest at 5 p.m. Saturday against Sacramento.

He'll pick up some more when he goes through his initial training camp. And he'll certainly pick up even more when he goes against the likes of LeBron James and Kobe Bryant for the first time.

But don't expect him to give off the impression that it's a whole new experience.

"Growing up in the NBA, he's not in awe of the people, the media and other players," Smart said. "That's gonna help him even when we get to the regular season and the real pros come to training camp. That's not gonna faze him at all."

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