My basketball hiatus is over. ...I have news that makes me happy. My man Marqus Blakely from Vermont who went undrafted has signed with the Clippers. I think he should have been a first-round pick. I had him listed 29th in the 2010 Draft.
John Lucas III - who I believe should be in the NBA - has apparently landed a gig with Bulls as their third PG behind Derek Rose, and C.J. Watson.
It appears that Lester Hudson, another kid I like a bit - will get a shot to make the Wizards roster.
This is time of year where you find out who took care of their training regimen in the summer. Some players will look bigger in a good way while a few will look bigger in a bad way. For the record I try not to read too much into the whole “he’s in great shape, he’s going to have a monster season” type thing. But I do believe that a healthy mix of relaxation and training during the summer is its own reward. Some players work out too hard in the summer and poop out by Christmas. Others know that you can’t take the whole summer off but you can get away and clear your mind before returning to a maintenance program that ratchets up as training camp nears.
We hear the “in-shape” buzz already on Phoenix Suns multi-purpose wing Jared Dudley (pictured at right) as well as for Sacramento’s multi-faceted Donte Greene. Dudley is said to be leaner by 15 lbs. — while Greene is noticeably bigger in a good way - as he continues to fill out his 6’10” frame.
In New Orleans, the Hornets have 12 new players among the 18 in their camp.
Said Joey Graham at Cavs media day, “Not taking anything away from LeBron, but this team can stand on its own two feet. We are so underestimated, so underrated.” I’m going to clip and save that quote and revisit it in - say - February.
In Dallas - they are bored with the Mavs who have yet to win a championship despite having won 50 games or more for ten straight seasons. Take it from a Kings fan; enjoy that “boredom”! The Kings made the playoffs eight years in a row and then the bottom fell out. It happens. A Kings fan would offer his left cowbell for a 50 win season.
In Minnesota - Jonny Flynn (pictured at left) is still recovering from hip surgery and will miss at least the first two weeks of training camp.
There is a new allocation rule in the D-League. Starting with this season - the three most recently waived players from affiliate NBA teams, prior to the D-League Draft, become the rights of that D League team (so long as the player signs the D-League standard contract). For example, let’s say the Kings last three training camp cuts are Marcus Landry, Joe Crawford, and Darnell Jackson. Those three - as I understand the rule - would be allocated to the Reno D-League team.
Utah Jazz first round pick and former Butler star, Gordon Hayward went nutso with his first professional check. He went out and bought a Honda Accord.
Two NBA veterans have landed in Memphis for training camp. Kenny Thomas and Damien Wilkins will fight to make the Grizzlies roster. I believe Wilkins, 30, is still capable of being a SF that comes off the bench. Thomas - still has the athleticism at age 33 but his inability to make a free-throw has killed his game. He used to score AND rebound. People forget that Kenny Thomas averaged 13 points and ten rebounds for the season in Philadelphia in 2003-04. Now he simply is a rebounder, and that is not good enough. It’s as if Thomas caught the Nick Anderson disease where a player loses confidence from the free throw line and because of that—he quits putting himself in scoring positions where a foul may be drawn.
The Player of the Day in Las Vegas Wednesday was J.J. Hickson who went ballistic for the Cavs with 34 points (12-19 FG, 10-13 FT) and nine rebounds. The athletic Power Forward who is legal to place a wager in Vegas at age 21 was dominant in the Cavs 93-82 win over the summer Suns.
We watched in the stands among the Kings brass as Sacramento rallied late to defeat the Timberwolves 79-78. DeMarcus Cousins (pictured) had his best game of the LVSL to date - positing a game EFR of .800. Cousins had 22 points, 12 boards, and five assists - leading the Kings in each category (Tyrese Rice also had five assists).
While it was fun to see Cousins show off - I was disappointed in a couple things for Sac. First, and foremost - Donte Greene was being guarded by Lazar Hayward who is at least four, maybe five inches shorter - but Greene never dragged Hayward into the post and demanded the ball. Greene, if he is ever to establish himself as a CONSISTENT pro, must change his game to inside-out, rather than outside-in. Greene can realistically be a match-up nightmare but much of that is on him. He has to recognize when he has a physical edge and then he needs to place himself in position to take advantage.
My second disappointment of Wednesday's Kings game was the tendency I've noticed for Omri Casspi to not share the ball. Pass that thing Omri! If a teammate is out in front of you - give up the pill. The fun police may have to arrest Casspi soon if he doesn't start sharing the sugar.
Our BasslineSpin Las Vegas Summer League All Day Six Team (with game efficiency rating). PG: John Lucas III - CHI .962, SG: DeMar DeRozan - TOR .772, SF: Trey Gilder - ATL .772, PF: Hickson - CLE .970, C: Cousins - SAC .800. Bench: Guards: Ish Smith - HOU .730, Toney Douglas - NYK .652, Alonzo Gee - SA .647. Forwards: Trent Plaisted - CHI .952, Jordan Hill - HOU .718, Centers: Garrett Siler - MIA .772, Solomon Alabi - TOR .750.
Notes from Tuesday’s NBA Las Vegas Summer League games. ...Ty Lawson (pictured at left) was schooling. He put on a Point Guard clinic - getting anywhere he wanted to go. If left open - he made shots. Lawson's 18 points, three rebounds, and four assists came in just 20 minutes as Denver waxed Chicago 99-71. Lawson's Nuggets have yet to lose, bettering their mark to 4-0.
One player I didn’t know much about at all that has impressed me is Shane Edwards of the summer Nuggets. He runs the floor and finishes very well.
D.J. Strawberry impressed me Tuesday in the Las Vegas Summer League with his ability to apply pressure as a defender. He is a menace. ...Likewise the Kings’ Hassan Whiteside is having an impact by either blocking or changing opponents shots. ...I loved Wayne Chism stepping up to take a charge, just as he routinely did at Tennessee. ...Pooh Jeter looked like a certified NBA Point Guard Tuesday. His shot has improved and he already has the ability to run a team.
It’s too bad I never hear anything good about Joey Dorsey’s work ethic because the guy is a highly efficient BIG. I can’t remember the last time a summer team with Dorsey in the middle lost a game.
…We have watched 35 summer league contests from Orlando or Vegas in the last nine days.
Our Player of the Day for day five of the Las Vegas Summer League was DeMar DeRozan. The Raptors sophomore tore it up with 23 points (10-15 FG), and five rebounds in just 20 minutes - helping his team beat the summer Rockets 100-91. DeRozan is among the best athletes participating in Las Vegas but there is no shortage of high flying cats.
Rookie Terrico White - who is balling with the Pistons - sports a 40” vertical jump (and a sickening 3.7% body fat). Were we fielding a track team out of the athletes in Vegas - our club would have to include Ronald Dupree, DeRon Washington, Eric Bledsoe, Sonny Weems, and J.R. Giddens. Sprinters might be Roddy Beaubois, Ish Smith, John Wall, and Darren Collison.
Our “All Day Five Las Vegas Summer League Team” (their game efficiency rating). PG: Ty Lawson - DEN 1.000, SG: Mark Tyndale - DLS .739, SF: DeRozan - TOR 1.15, PF: Larry Sanders - MIL .764, C: Dorsey - TOR 1.142. Bench: Guards: Bobby Brown - TOR .814, John Lucas III - CHI .727, Aubrey Coleman - NO .678, Forwards: Tasmin Mitchell - CLE .789, Othella Hunter - DEN .700. Centers: DeMarcus Cousins - SAC .677, Courtney Sims - LAL .677.
My basketball hiatus is over. ...I have news that makes me happy. My man Marqus Blakely from Vermont who went undrafted has signed with the Clippers. I think he should have been a first-round pick. I had him listed 29th in the 2010 Draft. 
