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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

"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.

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.

Piecing Together the Clippers 2008-2009 Financial Picture

Steve Perrin, Clips Nation — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 01:26:46 -0000

We've got anecdotal evidence galore. We know the stories of the anguished season ticket holders, we remember the massive discounts on premium seats, we saw the sparse crowds with our own eyes, and we've heard the urgency in the voices of the ticket reps on the phone. But we haven't seen any hard numbers on the Clippers' actual financial performance - until now.

Ken Berger and CBSSports.com obtained an analysis of a league wide revenue report. In it, the Clippers are said to have suffered a $6.8M decrease in gate receipts - that would be a combination of fewer seats sold, and lower prices for those seats (i.e. those massive discounts). There isn't any other hard data from Berger's article specific to the Clippers - but we do know that they weren't in the bottom five in other categories like paid or actual attendance. But gate receipts is the money shot - where the rubber meets the road.

But guess what? According to Forbes, the Clippers cleared $11M in 07-08, their ninth consecutive year in the black. And while I don't have access to all of the Clippers expenses, one assumes that most of them are relatively flat, while player salaries actually decreased, from about $62M in 07-08 to about $60M (second lowest in the league) in 08-09. So for now, I'm estimating that the Clippers still made maybe $6M last season - a tenth straight season of profits. Not bad for a 19 win team during the worst economic downturn in our lifetimes.

Thursday Summer League Practice Report

Ben., Blazersedge — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:19:44 -0000

Click through for today's Summer League practice report. Nate talks Team USA and free agency, Bayless talks NOT working out with Greg Oden and who the best point guard in the 2009 draft was... plus a whole lot more.

UPDATE: If you would like to hear Bayless's interview in which he denies working out with Greg Oden twice, listen to this MP3 FILE. The first question comes from Joe Freeman at :20 seconds into the tape. The second iteration of the question comes from Kerry Eggers at 3:43. More tomorrow.

-- Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com)

Notes

If you want to watch a brief youtube wherein Jerryd Bayless unleashes a profanity after missing a jumper and then responds by making 4 in a row, click here. NSFW language
You might have read last week's report that Coach K has agreed to stay on with Team USA until 2012. I asked Blazers coach Nate McMillan whether he'd been invited back yet as an assistant coach. Nate said...

I haven't. Coach K did re-sign. They are basically working on the staff.

If [being an assistant coach is] presented, we'll see. I'll talk to them and see what is all involved in that.

[The 2008 Olympics] was a great experience, time that we went through. The gold medal. It was an opportunity for you to get better, working with the best players, some of the best coaches, it's a great opportunity and I would certainly consider that.

Kevin Pritchard and Nate McMillan both stated today that they were looking to avoid making moves for the sake of making moves and that making moves don't necessarily make you better. I asked Nate whether he thought any of the teams that had already made moves had improved their chances. His response...

You look at the teams that have made some moves... Cleveland. Phoenix has made a decision to go a different way. It looks like Rasheed will sign with Boston. Detroit signed some free agents. Those teams' opportunities for those players are there.

To make a move [for us]... it takes two to tango.

Until you get on the court a lot of things look good on paper. It has to work out on the floor. I remember a couple of years ago L.A. had [Karl] Malone and [Gary] Payton and all of those guys. It looked good. It sounded good. But it didn't work out. I never go about who's grading it, who's bad. Because once you get out on the floor it's about who wants it.

San Antonio has made some moves. But I don't think it's over. Summer is just beginning. The signing period has just started. We've got the whole summer and a lot of things won't get done till late.

Nate on Hedo...

"I never get my hopes up in situations like that. Until something is done. Until it's completed. There's so many things that can happen. You can't get your hopes up in situations like that. Was I surprised about that situation? No. Until a player signs that deal it's not a done deal."

Monty Williams on how his interview for the Timberwolves head coaching position went: "I don't know. It's not like they send you a report card."
Perhaps the biggest revelation today came when Jerryd Bayless stated that he had not earned a vacation this year so he's been working out all summer long... but he hadn't worked out with Greg Oden as previously reported. Asked again by Kerry Eggers how workouts with Greg had been, Bayless stated, "I didn't work out with Greg at all. I don't know where this is coming from." He didn't appear to be joking. So either he played everyone present for the fool multiple times, he forgot his team-issued talking points, or the previous reports of Bayless and Greg training together were incorrect. Bayless said he had been working out down in Arizona but did not mention working out in Ohio.
UPDATE: If you would like to hear Bayless's interview in which he denies working out with Greg Oden twice, listen to this MP3 FILE. The first question comes from Joe Freeman at :20 seconds into the tape. The second iteration of the question comes from Kerry Eggers at 3:43. I will follow up on this tomorrow.
Maybe the funniest moment of practice occurred when Bayless, reigning Summer League MVP, was asked whether he would be a "mentor" to his teammates. Bayless practically giggled when replying incredulously, "most of these guys are older than me" drawing a number of laughs from the media. A check of the information packet reveals Bayless is, in fact, the youngest member of the Summer League squad, just nine days younger than Australian second round draft pick Patty Mills.
Asked if he was looking forward to any particular matchups down in Vegas-- perhaps Ty Lawson who is playing for the Nuggets? -- Bayless responded, "I don't even know who we're playing yet." Not to put words in his mouth and not to unnecessarily hype him up more than usual, but his response came off something like, "No one is matching up with me."
That brief exchange was indicative of how Bayless is stuck between the Summer League world and the "Real NBA." He seems to be wholeheartedly embracing the opportunity to improve this summer but last year's MVP coupled with the large skill gap between himself and the rest of his teammates (he's the only first round draft pick on the roster... let alone the only lottery pick) makes things a little bit awkward.
Jerryd Bayless on who is the best point guard in the 2009 draft: "Jonny Flynn." Period.
Bayless on Cunningham: "He has a chance to be very good."
Bayless of Pendergraph: "I've known him for a long time. I know what Jeff can do. Jeff is inside/out and he can shoot the jumper, he can bang a little bit. Next year hopefully he can contribute. He can bring a little bit of toughness."
Bayless on his approach to Summer League this year: "Run the point the whole time. Get better. Get more comfortable with the nuances of the offense. I'm going to take the open shot. If the shot's good I'm going to shoot it. Getting people involved means staying aggressive. I'm not just going to be passing the ball around the perimeter. I'm going to take the ball to the middle and try to make the right decision."
Bayless on running the Blazers next year if Blake were to go down and he was the only point guard left on the roster: "I'm 100 percent comfortable. I'm ready for that. Of course I don't wish anything like that to happen to Steve. But I'm ready for it -- you know what I mean."

During the scrimmage drills that were open to the media, Bayless matched up against 2nd round pick Patty Mills, implying Mills would be playing a backup role at the point. I asked Nate whether any decision had been made yet on Mills' role -- whether he would backup Bayless or move off the ball into the starting unit. Nate said ultimately that would be a decision for Coach Prunty to make but he still sees Mills being used in both roles.
Patty Mills looked to be a shooter, draining shot after shot from mid-range. I vote for starting him at 2 and going really small. Why not?
Most of the open session today was shooting and conditioning drills. Hopefully we'll get a more extensive look tomorrow. Much more on the rooks coming tomorrow.

-- Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com)

Leavin' on a Jet Plane

Nate Timmons, Pickaxe And Roll — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:02:14 -0000

In a Dahntay Jones-esque move ... I'll be leaving the Denver area for a little wedding/vacation. I will be out of Denver starting tomorrow and wont be returning until Thursday July 17th.

I'll be counting on all of you loyal Nuggets fans to keep up with the news and post whatever you can in the FanPosts and FanShots sections. You have all been doing a great job staying on top of things and I hope to get in a few posts along the way, but I'll have to beg, borrow, and steal some internet in order to do so. So, if things get a touch slow or delayed for a few days ... you'll know why.

If anyone happens to care ... I'll be in the Seattle Area for the wedding of a great friend and his lovely bride to be. It'll be like a Zombie film in Seattle post-Sonics era and I expect to cry outside Key Arena at least twice in my three days there. Then I'll be taking the train down to Portland to visit another great buddy and former U.S. Marine. Haven't seen the guy for a few years and I'm sure there will be some whiskey/scotch/bourbon/dark beer flowing. Maybe while I'm there I can grab LaMarcus Aldridge and he'll be that next big man for the Nuggets we're all looking for.

Just to tie things back in to the title ... Don't worry, I know when I'll be back again.

Hinrich Talk: Buzz on Both Sides

Ben., Blazersedge — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:16:26 -0000

Marc Stein and Chad Ford of ESPN caught onto this rumored 3 way trade between Portland, Chicago and Utah that's been floating for about 72 hours. Strong buzz on both sides of this one.

Here's their report...

Another major multi-team trade might be looming in the NBA with the Portland Trail Blazers,Utah Jazz and Chicago Bulls having discussed a deal that would be headlined by Carlos Boozer and Kirk Hinrich, according to NBA front-office sources.

Sources stressed to ESPN.com that no deal was imminent Thursday and that both Portland and Utah are still evaluating multiple trade scenarios. But two sources with knowledge of the three-team proposal confirmed that there have been substantive talks regarding a trade that would land Boozer in Chicago, Hinrich in Portland and Tyrus Thomas in Utah.

Almost immediately after that published, Awoj wrote on twitter...

Bulls haven't had a "single conversation" about a 3-way deal Blazers and "have nothing going" with Utah about Boozer, Bulls source tells Y!.

Multiple NBA GM's fear Boozer's high-demands for an extension, especially with 2010 cap projections. CHI has never wanted to be a tax team.

This deal could potentially help explain why Portland is reportedly considering an offer sheet for Paul Millsap. Theoretically, Utah prefers Millsap to Boozer and would need to move Boozer to be able to pay Millsap. Knowing this and seeing Chicago as a potential destination for Boozer, Portland makes its Millsap offer to force through a trade for a player it has been rumored for 18 months that they might have targeted: Kirk Hinrich. You might have heard of him. I believe he's been discussed on this website in the past. I think.

Please note that as of this posting the Blazers still have not made an offer to Paul Millsap. Also note that this trade doesn't make a ton of sense for Chicago and Tyrus Thomas would probably be the death of Jerry Sloan.

Update: Sam Smith who writes on Bulls.com tweets...

Lots of bulls boozer/bulls rumors. nothing going on

-- Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com)

Shawn Marion talks to Phoenix fans about going to Dallas

Phoenix Stan, Bright Side Of The Sun — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 22:03:41 -0000

Shawn Marion joined the Gambo and Ash show on Sports 620 KTAR just moments ago...

Trix doesn't think that the Suns really were interested in him and said that he never heard from the Suns. Ugh ... He talked about going to Dallas and looking forward to playing with the Mavs and playing with Jason Kidd.

He feels sorry for Suns fans ... he doesn't know what's going on here in Phoenix -- a sad look at how this team is viewed.

Shawn did what he needed to do and I wish him all the best in Dallas. It's a shame he couldn't finish his career here, but that was always a long shot.

Be sure to send Shawn your thoughts and best wishes as a Mav at: @matrix31

Shawn definitely is feeling your twitter love

Daily Links: Money talks and so does Jared Dudley

Phoenix Stan, Bright Side Of The Sun — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 21:42:15 -0000

Suns won't make luxury-tax payment
Suns won't make luxury-tax payment, The Suns' luxury-tax hit will be more than covered by the escrow payout that each team is given.
NBA Players Give Back 9 Percent of Pay -- NBA FanHouse
Effectively, players made 9% less than you think. So Amar'e Stoudemire, for example, on the books for $15 million last year, only received $13.65 million from the Suns. That other $1.35 million is a part of the $191 million the league will now redistribute equally to teams, to the tune of $6.3 million per franchise. Wow...I guess...
SUNS: Suns.com One-on-One With Jared Dudley
Summer update with JD

Loud Links: Oklahoma City Thunder News for July 9, 2009

daddydai, Welcome to Loud City — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 23:00:14 -0000

Here are your Loud Links for this hot summer day. The OKC Thunder just whipped NJ/76er’s Team Potpourri. I’m sure DoD will have more on that later. I must admit we have some savvy readers here that tend to sniff out the latest news. Great job guys! You make the site more interesting and enjoyable for everyone. Keep it up, because I can't find everything myself.

In this edition of Loud Links: Westbrook really doesn’t kick children. More stories are being written about Livingston (I guess they didn't watch him play last season). Metro International says, "I could see Robert Swift sticking". Well I would imagine Swift could stick to a many number of things, but not to a championship caliber basketball team. The Sporting News calls out PDX and OKC concerning our lack of respect for Millsap. The Grizzlies are in negotiations with Iverson. First the Randolph trade, then they take Stackhouse, and now Iverson? Why don’t The Grizzlies just bring Rodman out of retirement while they are at it? Oh yeah, mleetch352 wrote something yesterday that you guys should read. Don’t feel bad bro no one commented on my last post either.

Blazers preparing offer for Utah's Paul Millsap - Behind The Blazers Beat
The Blazers figure to exhaust nearly all of their cap space to lock up Millsap. They are $7.7 million under the cap, but can gain an additional $1.65 million by renouncing the rights to Petteri Koponen and Joel Freeland. However, in the process, the Blazers would be assessed with a roughly $450,000 cap hold for having less than 11 players, thus giving them $8.9 million in cap space.

Orlando Observations: Day 3 | Thunder Rumblings
The first thing I noticed about Livingston — because I didn’t catch Monday’s first game and he didn’t play Tuesday — is he is no longer wearing the bulky brace that once covered most of his left leg. Now, Livingston is wearing only a sleeve over his rehabilitated left knee. I’m not sure whether this is just something he’s doing for summer league or if he will bring back the brace during the season. But if he’s shed the protective gear, it’s a good sign that his knee is closer to full strength and bodes well for his prospects of regaining some of the explosion that many believe he’s forever lost. I caught the first glimpse of Livingston’s surprising explosion early in the second quarter, when he froze his defender with a backdoor cut from the right corner and finished with a wide open layup. It’s plays like that that I rarely saw out of him during his eight-game stint with the Thunder at the end of last season.

PBN | Thunder's Livingston may provide ray of hope for Yao
On the same day where Yao Ming's professional future is in doubt as the Houston Rockets were granted an injury exception that likely means he'll have surgery and miss the 2009-10 season, reasons to have faith that his career isn't over was visible in an Oklahoma City Thunder uniform.

NBA.com: Young Thunder show growth in Summer League
"The reason we're playing in both summer leagues is to take our team chemistry forward, so we can grow as a team," said Harden, who has averaged 15 points in three games. "Russell's getting to know his players. He has a pretty good sense of how Kevin and Jeff play, but he's getting to know the rookies and other guys."

Shaun Livingston: The Oldest 24-Year-Old in the NBA - ESPN
He missed all of 2007-08, but officially made it back to the NBA last season, playing in four games with Miami and eight with the Thunder. Ahead of his 24th birthday in September, Livingston already has enjoyed two more NBA careers than most. That eight-game run with the Thunder included one milestone: Livingston logged 33 minutes in Oklahoma City's 41-point destruction of the Clippers to end the season, coming at Staples Center on the same floor in which Livingston blew out his knee.

Berry Tramel: A falling cap helps Thunder | NewsOK.com
"We have needs and things we want to address," general manager Sam Presti said earlier this summer. "We’re not going to address them in one draft or in one summer. We could try to do that, but if we did, we’d be sacrificing value."

NBA Summer League: Thunder trio on the mend | NewsOK.com
Shaun Livingston, D.J. White and DeVon Hardin weren’t the stars, and those days might be behind them now, but all started and were instrumental in a victory.

Metro - Allen: The Celtics need more than just 'Sheed
I could see Robert Swift sticking.

An Apology To Russell Westbrook | Thunder Rumblings
I’m told today that Westbrook never made contact with the kid, contrary to the commentary by the broadcast crew of the amiable Dante & Galante. Westbrook, according to other eyewitnesses, unintentionally kicked the goal support and the kid flinched but wasn’t hit.

Moreau: Standouts In Orlando - Basketball News & NBA Rumors - HOOPSWORLD
You can't appreciate Harden's game and talent until you see him up close in an intimate setting such as the Orlando summer league. Even though these are games, to coaches they seem more like controlled scrimmages, played in the Magic's practice facility and without all of the fanfare and hoopla surrounding a typical game.

NBA.com: Young Thunder show growth in Summer League
"We take development very serious," said head coach Scott Brooks after watching a convincing 94-82 win Wednesday against the Celtics. "We've been getting after it all summer. ... This is important to all our guys to continue to establish good habits."

THUNDER: Orlando Summer League Coverage
There was Westbrook making a steal, racing down court and getting fouled at the rim. No surprise there. There also was Westbrook flying through and over defenders to slam home a missed shot. How many times did we see that during his rookie season? But then we saw Westbrook confidently nail a pair of long jumpers; he never hesitated in pulling the trigger. And then, on two separate occasions, he ignited a fast break, only to slow it down while in the lane, draw a pair of defenders and then kick out to a cutting teammate for the basket. That goes to show Westbrook’s improved decision-making – he did it on the fly, and he did it without hesitation.

SportingNews.com - Blazers Overtures to Millsap Reek of Disrespect; OKC, Are You Listening?
There's only one answer to this problem: Oklahoma City, step right up. They have cap room, Millsap is exactly what they need (I think -- it's hard to tell with their line-up), and he can be guaranteed a place in their hierarchy that won't insult his accomplishments, or call last season into question. If Portland is willing to pay bench players like starters, that's their call. That's what Ben Gordon will have to live with in Detroit.

Peace, Love and Thunderstanding: Summer Serge | The Lost Ogle
The thing is, during his first two games in Orlando, on the heal of news that he would join the team during the 2009/10 season, Ibaka actually lived up to some of the hype. Personally, I expected an extremely raw, but athletic, kid who would look lost on the floor but occasionally do something spectacular athletically…kind of like Saer Sene used to do. Instead, he looked somewhat polished. Starting for the Summer League team, he took a nice entry pass from Shaun Livingston, drop stepped his defender and spun nicely for a quick lay up within the first minute of the game.

NBA AM: 4-Team Deal Coming - Basketball News & NBA Rumors - HOOPSWORLD
Russell Westbrook: Russell was a man among boys all week, and there is little doubt he was the best player of the League. He really could go anywhere he wanted to go, he drew fouls on virtually every player who guarded him and with James Harden on the wing with him, those two just picked teams apart. Russell has added a decent mid-range game, but his biggest knock is still the lack of a dependable deep ball; once he figures that one out he's rounding into an impressive player.

HoopsHype - Articles - OKC has a gem in Westbrook
The Orlando Pro Summer League is three days old and this much has become blatantly obvious to all the coaches, scouts and players involved: Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook is the best player here.

ClipperBlog.com | The Best Perimeter Defenders Left on the Board
Desmond Mason: An OSU standout, and big fan favorite in OKC, Mason has publicly stated that he’d like to stay with the Thunder. For a guy best known for dunkage, Mason’s greatest asset on the court is on the other end of the floor, where he’s your protoypical "long and quick" guy who stays in front of his man effectively.

Orlando: Meet Robert Vaden - Basketball News & NBA Rumors - HOOPSWORLD
While the play of the Thunder's first-round draft picks, James Harden and Byron Mullens, are being carefully monitored this week, their second-round pick, former UAB 6'5" shooting guard Robert Vaden, hasn't garnered much attention. Old Man Vaden (at age 24) was selected 54th overall by the Charlotte Bobcats and immediately traded to OKC for cash. Known primarily as a pure shooter with a strong three-point ability, his pre-draft rankings were all over the place.

Orlando Summer League Recap: Day 3 - Ridiculous Upside
This whole week, Russell Westbrook has looked a cut above pretty much everyone else who's been in the court with him, and that's not really a surprise. As much immediate success as he had in the NBA last year, playing against someone like Jimmy Baron isn't much of a challenge. Still, despite his overall impressive numbers yesterday (22 points on 16 shots, 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 5 steals), he's still turning the ball over more than I'm sure the Thunder would like. Kyle Weaver had a better game, shooting 4-5 with two blocks, though he had five fouls in a little over 20 minutes. Gabe Pruitt had a rough game, shooting 3-11 with some foul trouble besides. JR Giddens had a better shooting day than he's had so far, going 7-13 and picking up 3 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals, but he also turned the ball over 6 times.

MAGIC: Westbrook Thrives, Thunder Cruise
It’s becoming more and more evident why the Oklahoma City Thunder didn’t draft a point guard like some thought they would with their third pick in the 2009 NBA Draft.

Thunder Summer League Notebook: Westbrook's highlight reel | NewsOK.com
That’s where things got hazy. Westbrook lost Pruitt with a move so quick that it was actually difficult to decipher how he managed to get so wide open. The end result wound up being a nasty, uncontested reverse dunk that drew a reaction from the mainly reserved contingent of roughly 400 team personnel and media covering the event.

NBA.com: Memphis Grizzlies warming up to Iverson deal
Free agent Allen Iverson is in talks with the Memphis Grizzlies about a new contract, but owner Michael Heisley said Wednesday that talks between the team and the 10-time All-Star are only in the preliminary stages.

NBA.com: Aldridge: Shawn Marion headed to Dallas Mavericks
Toronto's Shawn Marion will go to the Dallas Mavericks for a five-year, $40 million contract in part of a sign-and-trade deal that the two teams have been working on, reports TNT's David Aldridge. The deal came after the Memphis Grizzlies agreed to take Dallas guard Jerry Stackhouse from the Mavericks to help facilitate the deal, Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley said Wednesday night... Oklahoma City was approached. But the Thunder had little interest in taking on salary, even for a year, for a player that they knew wouldn't be part of their future plans. Oklahoma City would only be involved in such a trade, a source said, if the Thunder got a young, up and coming player on his rookie contract. The Thunder's priority is to keep its cap room, either to hold until the trade deadline next February or to use it in future years to re-sign their own young stars--Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook.

NBA Memo on Salary Cap for 2010-11. - Welcome to Loud City
I did a workup last night on our basic salary cap situation going into the 2010-11 season which puts the Thunder at 21.16 million dollars for KD, Green, RW0, Harden, White, Weaver and Mullens. If Nenad picks up his option at 5.8, Ibaka comes over for his salary of approx 1 million that would put us at approx 28 million. Having the PHX pick and our pick i presume we will have two lottery picks next year and the cheapest outcome of that is another 3 mil but more realistically like 5 million. If we can trade Nick's salary then we are at 31-33 million with a decision to make on Thabo. I like Thabo, think he is a great defender but i wouldnt sign him to a long term deal at more than his qualifying offer of 3.8 mil a year. If a player like Ariza only gets the MLE and imo is a significantly better all around player then i think the market on Thabo is about right at that price point. That would leave the thunder at 35-37 million in contracts which gives us 13-18 million depending on where the actual cap is. If Nick is still here we have 6.75 million less and while i know he is very well liked by the community and a lot of people here i will admit to not knowing him as well so having less allegiance to him.

Miss a previous Loud Links Post? Find it quickly Below!

June 2009

| 06-01-09 | 06-02-09 | 06-03-09 | 06-04-09 | 06-05-09 | 06-06-09 | 06-07-09 | 06-08-09 | 06-09-09 | 06-10-09 |

| 06-11-09 | 06-12-09 | 06-13-09 | 06-15-09 | 06-16-09 | 06-17-09 | 06-18-09 | 06-20-09 | 06-22-09 | 06-23-09 |

| 06-24-09 | 06-26-09 | 06-27-09 | 06-28-09 | 06-29-09 | 06-30-09 |

July 2009

| 07-01-09 | 07-02-09 | 07-03-09 | 07-04-09 | 07-05-09 | 07-08-09 |

Welcome Wil Cantrell

Phoenix Stan, Bright Side Of The Sun — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 21:15:57 -0000

We interrupt your day of Suns hand wringing and Kerr/Sarver hate fest and/or your Mercury devotion and overall pleasure at their season so far to introduce the newest featured writer on Bright Side of the Sun.

Welcome Wil Cantrell!

Will - formerly known as RD74 - is a long time member and commenter with over 1000 posts on this site. Since contacting me recently with his desire to take a more active role he's written some really good stuff and I look forward to hearing from him more frequently now.

All of our outstanding group of featured writers (listed on the masthead below) contribute greatly of their time and talent to making Bright Side of the Sun what it is. Thank you gentlemen and keep up the good work!

Wil can now use his newly anointed front page powers to introduce himself and his connection to the Suns more thoroughly (should he so choose).

Game Thread - Jazz/Magic

Basketball John, SLC Dunk — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 21:08:13 -0000

You summer league continues as the Jazz play their 4th game in 4 days. The Magic are 3-0 while the Jazz have just one win.

Watch the game live here.

Kevin Pritchard Speaks On Millsap, Roy + Aldridge Negotiations, Hedo

Ben., Blazersedge — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 20:43:14 -0000

For news that broke this morning, please see the twitter page until I get a chance to pull it all together.

Here's a video of Portland Trail Blazers General Manager Kevin Pritchard's comments this afternoon at the Practice Facility.

KP discusses the team's rumored interest in Paul Millsap, the ongoing "amicable" negotiations with Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge and other topics. This post will updated with a transcript and additional comments/thoughts later this afternoon.

On Current Status

We're working hard there's no doubt about it. We're looking at all our options. We're excited about the possibilities. Maybe they happen tomorrow, maybe they happen in 2 months. Maybe they hapepn at the trade deadline. We like the fact that we have a 54 win team, a great young team. We expect the four rookies from last year -- Oden, Rudy, Bayless and Batum -- their growth is important, maybe more important, than anything we do in free agency or by trade. Excited about the season, me personally seeing guys in this gym it makes me sparkle a little bit.

On Paul Millsap

We're looking at all our options. I wouldn't say we are just looking at that. We are talking with him, that I can verify. But he's not the only person we're talking to. We are selective. It's not just a fit here anymore, it's a special fit. We are very selective. I know a lot of free agents have signed with other teams and that's ok with us. We feel like there are certain guys that are right for us and some guys that don't fit.

I'm a big believer in that you get the best player. Nate is an unbelievable coach, he always figures out how to blend the talent together. If you can get the best player available, go get him.

On Brandon/LaMarcus Contract Extension Talks

In any negotiation there are conflicts, right? LaMarcus and Brandon are absolutely critical to what we are doing going forward and they are going to be here a long time. We are having amicable talks with their agents, we've known their agents for a long time, they've done Martell Webster, it's that group, it's not like we are going through this for the first time with those guys. It's amicable. We plan to make it amicable. More importantly, Brandon and LaMarcus will be here for a long time.

On Hedo

I was disappointed. I can't hide my emotions that way. Very disappointed. We went through a process with him. We got to a point where we both felt comfortable. But here's what I do know, if it wasn't right for him it wasn't right for us. We are after players who are about winning, who are about being successful and who are about being unselfish. If it didn't fit, it didn't fit and I'd rather know now than later.

Other statements made after above video...

More on Brandon and LaMarcus Negotiations

We all value Brandon and LaMarcus so much. We know they are a part of this organization for a long time. We are going to do everything we can to come up with a solution. Whether it's this week or next week, we don't know. It's so important to us and to them... they've been a part of this turnaround. I was part of a group that drafted him. I have a special bond with those guys. We are going to negotiate with those guys always in good faith. Always.

Blazersedge: Aren't there potentially some financial benefits to Brandon to take a 4 year deal instead of a 5 year deal? [as reported on TrueHoop]

I don't want to get into all of that, that would be a Brandon question or his agent question, but there potentially could be yes.

Blazersedge: When it comes to Brandon, are both a 4 year extension and a 5 year extension still on the table?

I wouldn't rule either one out.

On Bayless

It's part of his development. I don't want to put pressure on his development. LIke "If he doesn't do great, he's out" -- last year he was the MVP, right? It's a little bit of a change. What we really want from Bayless is to convert to a guy that can come in and make guys better. I know for a fact he can go get 30 points in a summer league. What we want to see is growth as a point guard.

Are you disappointed by Free Agency so far?

Not at all. We have a 54 win team that's young, that's growing, and we hope they all can continue to grow. I don't think anyone on our team CAN'T get better. That's a unique position and we are sitting on some cap space. You don't make a move just to make a move. You make the RIGHT move. Whether it presents itself today, in a week, in a month, you don't know. We're not afraid to pull the trigger and we're going to be active to try to create some of those things.

Free Agents or Trades?

You limit yourself if you're saying you're just going after free agents.... there are so many opportunities... we are one of the few remaining teams that has cap space. You've got to be creative in how you use it.

On Finding The Right Fit

It's hard just adding someone, right? it's hard just adding a player that isn't better or a better fit for us. Nate and I talked about it today... we could do a lot of things, there are a lot of things out there but we love Batum, we love Roy, we love LaMarcus, we love Rudy. We feel like we have these cornerstones and foundation pieces and all these guys that are still growing.

-- Ben (benjamin.golliver@gmail.com)

Poll

The Golden Aura is...

Exclusive game photos: Mercury vs Sky

Phoenix Stan, Bright Side Of The Sun — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 20:18:57 -0000

Everyone's happy when you are up by 20 points...

View full size photo uploaded July 9, 2009

More photo's after the jump...

WNBA: Chicago Sky at Phoenix Mercury 070809 - Images by Max Simbron

Today's Orlando Pro Summer League Game: Utah Jazz at Orlando Magic

Ben Q Rock, Third Quarter Collapse — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 21:10:59 -0000

2009 Orlando Pro Summer League
	vs.

July 9th, 2009
RDV SportsPlex
5:00 PM
No TV / Streaming at OrlandoMagic.com
Starters
Eric Maynor	PG	Russell Robinson
Jimmy Baron	SG	Jeremy Richardson
Derrick Brown	SF	Kasib Powell
Goran Suton	PF	Ryan Anderson
Kevin Lyde	C	Darian Townes
Games not open to the public

The Orlando Magic's summer-league team will attempt to extend its winning streak to three games with a victory over the Utah Jazz's summer squad today at 5 PM. Utah has struggled to a 1-2 mark in this week's play, defeating only the New Jersey Nets/Philadelphia 76ers Split Squad that's lost its three games by an average of 15 points. It's been a frustrating week for the Jazz, as Ross Siler of the Salt Lake Tribune explains:

Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said he wished C.J. Miles had played in Orlando and said he got the impression from Miles during exit meetings that he was interested.

I noted that Miles was a fourth-year player and Sloan said: "He should be a rookie in the league." Miles did make the jump from high school to the NBA. "That should be a goal of a player," Sloan added, "to make themselves better every time they have a chance."

Sloan said the Jazz would have liked for Kyrylo Fesenko to play and for Kosta Koufos not to have suffered the dislocated left ring finger that has kept him out of this week's games.

Siler told me earlier this week that the Jazz probably had commitments from better, higher-profile players, only to see them back out once three key rotation players--starting center Mehmet Okur, starting power forward Carlos Boozer, and sixth-man Kyle Korver--opted into their deals for next season. With fewer spots up for grabs, those players took their games elsewhere, hoping for a better shot to make it in the NBA.

The team is not completely devoid of talent, though. Power forward James Augustine, a former Magic 15th man, is averaging 7.3 points and 6 boards for Utah, while rookie point guard Eric Maynor has committed a scant 3 turnovers in nearly 77 minutes. Reserve point guard Kevin Kruger, who spent each of the last 2 summers with the Magic, has also performed well.

As for the Magic, well, they'l try to keep doing what they've done the whole week. Power forward Ryan Anderson, averaging 25 points per game on 64.8% eFG%, will continue to be the focal point of the offense. Point guard Russell Robinson will continue to run the show, and to pressure the ball defensively, which will be key against the speedy Maynor. The role players will continue to move in and out of the rotation. Yesterday, Courtney Fells, Levance Fields, and Stevan Milosevic were among the Magic players to sit out. There's a good chance that today is their turn in the lineup.

Check back shortly after the 5 PM tipoff for the actual starting lineup, as the one above is only an estimate.

Bear witness.

Seth, Posting and Toasting — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 18:12:24 -0000

This video is over a week old, but it's good to hear what a Knick thinks about the draft, the Darko trade, and the outlook for next season.

I'd be lying, though, if I said I posted this clip for any other reason than to share with you the magical moment that happens about 1:52 in. I've now watched it four times and haven't stopped laughing. Who is this child? How did he get so bold (he even head-fakes and thinks about coming back into the shot for a second!)? Where did he get that awesome tiger shirt? Can he please make an appearance in all videos I watch? He is most certainly a messiah or prophet or saint of some sort, making an appearance to assure us that all is well in the world of the Knicks and we will be rewarded for our loyalty. Thank you, tiger shirt boy.

After the jump, the defining photo of P&T's new official mascot/deity.

Praise be to the kid in the tiger shirt.