Mark Heisler and Mike Bresnahan of The Los Angeles Times: “If Bynum would turn out to be a hard worker who soaked up coaching, no one would have guessed it after a high school career that consisted of two half-seasons. His major influence wasn’t Mark Taylor, his coach at St. Joseph’s High in Metuchen, N.J., but his AAU coach, Larry Marshall, who put him on a crash program after he played in the McDonald’s All-America Game at 300-plus, taking 25 pounds off him and inviting NBA scouts to see him. Assistant GM Ronnie Lester, attending for the Lakers, passed the word they had better check this out, leading finally to Bynum’s selection in the 2005 draft. It was a bold move, but the Lakers weren’t running a kindergarten. Newly returned Phil Jackson had a three-year deal and liked veterans. He would play savvy young guys like Jordan Farmar, but that left Bynum out. To no one’s surprise except his own, Bynum disappeared as a rookie but kept his disappointment to himself, studied at the feet of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and stayed out of everyone’s way . . . with one large exception.”
Frank Dell’Apa of The Boston Globe: “”It was the first time we’ve had a long sit-down since last season,” Rivers said of a meeting with Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce. “I told them we did not show who we really were until the last game. That’s who we are, and when we are that balanced at both ends of the court, that’s how we should be.” Does that mean the Celtics, who took a 131-92 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 6 of the Finals, can defeat any opponent by a similarly decisive margin? If so, could this be an even more dominating team than the one that won 66 games last season?”
Mark Murphy of The Boston Herald: “He must replace the departures of James Posey and P.J. Brown – the first to free agency and a better contract offer from New Orleans, the latter to retirement. “Maybe he’ll rejoin us in January,” Rivers said with a laugh, referring to Brown’s decision to sign with the Celtics out of retirement last February. In truth, the Celtics really do hope that Brown has a change of heart. Ainge already has said that he knows the door is open. Rivers also is hoping for a change of heart from the 38-year-old big man, who emerged as such an important part of the Celtics’ postseason run. “I tell him that I’ll see him later,” Rivers said. “Hell, even if he couldn’t play I’d put him on our bench and in our locker room. That’s how important he was to our young guys. In that short time, he basically became an invaluable part of that locker room.” Replacing Posey, however, is beyond hope.”
Steve Weinman of CelticsBlog: “Watching him struggle miserably in the playoffs against the Celtics in 2008, it was hard to believe this was the same guy. But that’s just it: His boosters will have you believe it wasn’t. Bibby tore a ligament in his thumb prior to the start of last season, and it held him out of the lineup until January, limiting him to 48 games on the season. Though he played out the second half of the year, the buzz around the Hawks was that the injury lingered and affected him throughout the stretch run, which would explain some of his shooting and ball-handling woes. But the thumb on its own doesn’t remove all the concern about the fact that the guy looked a step slower at both ends of the floor than he had in previous years. A part of that could no doubt have been the fact that the injury got him off to a slow start on the season and that not getting into game action until January prevented him from truly getting comfortable all year. But at 30, it’s also possible that he isn’t as quick as he once was, and that’s all there is to it.”
Brian Hanley of The Chicago Sun-Times: “After enduring a 33-49 season, Bulls general manager John Paxson told his players during one-on-one meetings last April that he expected to see them working out together at the Berto Center as much as possible in the summer. Apparently, Paxson liked what he saw. ‘We had a good group here,’ he said. ‘Kirk [Hinrich] had a terrific summer. Tyrus Thomas, it was his best summer of work as a pro. We had Joakim [Noah] and Thabo [Sefolosha]. Luol [Deng] was in when he was not over playing in Europe. And Ben Gordon was in the building a lot.’”
Rufus on Fire: “The Bobcats are laying off some of their behind-the-scenes people, and crying “small market” all the while. Following up on Bob Johnson’s claims, last year, that the Charlotte business community is failing to support the Bobcats, this move, especially the exceedingly dumb possibility that they tried to cancel their radio broadcasts, leaves a sour stench. It’s more evidence that Bobcats leadership are inflexible in their thinking, unwilling to adjust to circumstance, and blind to what makes a sports team profitable. It has been repeated before, and I’ll add to the chorus: The NFL is the only major American sport that is a guaranteed moneymaker, due to its television contract. In MLB and the NBA, as chronicled in Moneyball and The Wages of Wins, respectively, winning brings crowds to the arena. Not a second tier name-brand star like Jason Richardson. Not loud, thumping, music and free t-shirts blasted from oversized nail guns. Winning.”
Pickaxe And Roll: “Ever since the Marcus Camby trade Nuggets fans have been subjected to mocking statements along the lines of, “They traded the only player on their team who played any defense. They are going to give up 120 points a game this year!” Sadly, many Nugget fans have been sharing in the hilarity. Ha, ha, ha. Let’s all get a big laugh at the Nuggets expense by making a lazy generalization without actually considering the facts. Well, if you have spent much time on Pickaxe and Roll, you will have noticed I found Camby’s defense pretty overrated and many of you who have watched him closely know of his many shortcomings. Camby’s slight frame prevented him from playing adequate post defense on almost any center in the league. I have put together a little video scouting report displaying some of his defensive struggles and how the player replacing him in the lineup, Nene, is not only physically superior, he has a post defense mentality that Camby lacks.”
Chris McCosky of The Detroit News: “Michael Curry, as a rookie head coach, isn’t looking to overhaul the engine in his first training camp — which opens with Media Day today. Curry’s initial mission is to clean the engine, rejuvenate it, and make sure all the parts that have powered the Pistons to six straight Eastern Conference finals appearances are working properly. By going back to the basics and making sure no detail is overlooked — be it conditioning, commitment or execution — Curry hopes to eliminate the breakdowns that have stalled the Pistons the last three conference finals.”
Janny Hu of The San Francisco Chronicle: “Like Watson, he is not much of a scoring threat. And like Davis, there are ever-present concerns about his conditioning and motivation. “Everybody likes to play run-and-gun basketball, but everybody doesn’t want to get in shape,” Williams said. “That was my main focus this summer, just to get in shape to play that way. My body fat is down and my weight has dropped. I think I’ve reached my target, but there’s always more you can do.” Williams, who’s 6-foot-3, says his weight is down to 212 pounds after shedding 12 or 13 pounds over the last few months. It’s the lightest he has been since his rookie season in 2006, but it might not be good enough for Nelson. “He’s got a ways to go,” the coach said after a day and half of practices. “C.J. has been with us for a little bit, probably has the upper hand at this point. He’s looked good, great shape, doing what he does.”"
Mike Wells of The Indianapolis Star: “Bird unloaded the final two years of Jermaine O’Neal’s hefty contract and acquired seven players to go with the returning nucleus — all in a 48-hour period in late June. He drafted two college upperclassmen in the first round whose work ethic already has been applauded. He chose not to re-sign David Harrison, told Jamaal Tinsley to stay home and said he’s had “enough” of Shawne Williams’ antics. He showed that “Ignite the passion. Restore the pride” is more than the team’s new slogan. “All the off-the-court problems have been a disaster for us,” Bird said last week. “It’s unfortunate all this stuff has happened. It’s something we said we were going to clean up and we’re doing that.” The Pacers, who open training camp Tuesday, hope the personnel changes and emphasis on high character will win games and fans. They know it will take time. The Pacers ranked last in attendance at 12,222 a game last season.”
Ronald Tillery of The Memphis Commercial Appeal: “Last season mostly taught Iavaroni to maintain trust in his instincts, which seemed evident on draft night. Well known is Iavaroni’s argument to keep UCLA forward Kevin Love in the Grizzlies’ war room. But that’s not to say Iavaroni is sorry about ending up with Mayo even though the Griz still are without a true power forward. “I really, really like him,” Iavaroni said of Mayo. “Rookies are rookies but this guy doesn’t behave like a rookie, he hasn’t played like a rookie and as strong as his tangibles are, I think his intangibles are stronger. I’m talking about an unwillingness to accept losing, playing with a chip on his shoulder, trying to play good defense and being a leader out there. I just told him ‘You look good on tape. You look a lot better in person.’”"
Michael Wallace of The Palm Beach Post: “Two days into NBA training camp, Beasley is learning that it takes more than playing the game at a high level to thrive. It requires understanding the game to survive. “Honestly, remembering everything (is the toughest adjustment),” Beasley said between two practice sessions on Sunday. “It’s the plays to situations to defensive side – you’ve got to know so much. This game is not only physical, but it’s mental, too. And that’s been the toughest part so far.” To Beasley’s credit, he’s pushing himself to learn both the small forward and power forward spots. That means putting in double the work and getting down twice as many concepts. For now, his natural position is power forward, where Beasley will likely split time with Udonis Haslem. But he’s also taking plenty of notes at small forward, where Shawn Marion (and his expiring contract) will primarily play.”
Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune: “New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul got his first taste of sideline sitting at Sunday’s second training camp practice, but still managed to see more action than Coach Byron Scott planned. Paul, coming off a full summer of competing with the USA Basketball team that won the Olympic gold medal, did not take part in any of the three 5-on-5 half-court scrimmages that took place in the 3 1/2 hour workout at the Alario Center. But Scott did look up at one point and see Paul involved in a 3-on-3 scrimmage which he was scheduled to view from the sidelines.”
Michael Grange of The Globe and Mail: “As a basketball player Bosh has taken a systematic approach to improvement, adding a new element or enhancing an existing one every season. He’s taking a similar step-by-step approach to his life away from the court. His famous YouTube skit that he released last season as a way to drum up all-star votes – Bosh famously clowned as a Texas used car salesman – was just the start of what he hopes will be a multiplatform basketball afterlife, the possibilities of which he’s just starting to define. Acting, maybe writing, documentaries, technology, business all hold an interest for Bosh in this career and the next. “I don’t want to have that NBA postpartum depression,” he says. In the meantime, it’s like he got rid of the braces he wore the first few seasons of public life and can’t stop showing off his new smile. “I didn’t feel comfortable with [off-court celebrity] until recently,” he says, the grogginess just about gone. “The video was kind of my coming-out party. I just wanted to show people everything.””
YouTube: Brandon Jennings playing a practice scrimmage with Virtus Roma [Via Ball in Europe]
Sam Smith of HoopsHype.com: ““Guys think owners have unlimited pockets and the money is everywhere. Well, c’mon,” adds Whitsitt. “These are going to be interesting times.” That’s because the economic crisis that is involving Wall Street and Main Street may end up in court as well, namely the 94 by 50 one that NBA players have come to assume is immune from the hardships that face the rest of the world. “Let’s say this coming February or March a whole lot of NBA offices are going to be hoping the economy really improved,” says Rick Welts, chief operating officer for the Phoenix Suns. “Because next February or March is when teams expect commitments for the following season. “We’re not there yet,” added Welts, “but this all, obviously, impacts the money available in player salaries.” No one is about to feel sorry for an NBA All-Star who has to “settle” for $8 million per season. But the forces are beginning to form in the general economy that could lead to NBA salaries and revenues rolling back along with the rest of the economy. About time, you say. It would be interesting to see, and it’s not far fetched for perhaps the first time in the NBA in the last 25 years.”
- Check out Saturday and Sunday’s Fundamentals for more recommended reading
