Kevin Arnovitz of ESPN.com: “Though Griffin hit a grand total of three 3-pointers in his two-year college career, he followed up that first layup Monday night by moving out to the perimeter for his next two buckets. On the Clippers’ second possession, Griffin got the ball from guard Mike Taylor, absorbed hard contact from Lakers big man Ben McCauley, squared up and went glass from 15. He bested that the next trip down with a silky 3-pointer. What got into Griffin? It might have something to do with the fact that Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy actually stopped practice the other day to implore the rookie to launch the ball when he’s got an open look. ‘I caught one almost in the same position, passed it up, and he stopped me and said, ‘Shoot the ball. I’m not going to get mad if you take a wide-open shot’,’ Griffin recounted. ‘So I’m trying to get into that mindset.’ Griffin has been plugging away to refine his outside shot. In a league increasingly dominated by power forwards who can do more than just throw their weight around inside of 15 feet, he knows he’ll have to develop a face-up game if he wants to live up to his promise. ‘The kid’s been working like crazy on his outside shot,’ Dunleavy said. ‘Yesterday in practice, he hit a twenty-footer, then a 3-pointer to end one of the games, and made probably six jumpers over 20 feet.’”
Adam Lauridsen for the San Jose Mercury News: “I was anticipating Stephen Curry’s strength to be an issue — and it is — but I wasn’t ready for his relatively limited quickness and explosiveness. Curry is nimble and agile, but he’s not fast. On Saturday, he repeatedly tried to turn the corner on Kings defenders but was denied any access to the basket going laterally. He gets to the rim in transition, but only when he’s taking his defenders head on. Around the basket he has a nice touch, but gets knocked around quite a bit and is playing below the rim. I worry about him against quicker, stronger point guards at both ends of the court. Lastly, I’m concerned that Curry’s shot isn’t quite as good as he thinks it is — and that can be a problem in a Don Nelson offense. On a normal team, a coach would clamp down on Curry for some of the early shots from center field he has taken without looking for better options. A few have gone in, but most have been misses. It’s too early to raise the flag about his offensive judgment, but just because Curry is better than most at taking those extra deep shots does not mean that they’re the best shots for him to take. Again, the summer league play is ragged and Curry is just getting his feet wet, so there’s no real reason for concern yet, but if the rookie is going to lead this team, he needs to show self-awareness as to what are his own highest percentage looks.”
Mike Jones of The Washington Times: “During the season, co-captains Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler called for Nick Young and his fellow young teammates to carry themselves with more maturity and take on a more serious approach, believing that would translate into better on-court results. New coach Flip Saunders agrees and said he’ll be watching Young closely this week during summer league play in Las Vegas. Saunders said he’ll be looking for two things. ‘A calmness in his approach to the game and maybe a seriousness in his approach to the game,’ he said. ‘Nick is a very happy-go-lucky guy, and he smiles a lot. I think as a young player you don’t always have to smile. You’re better off having a bit of that nastiness. I never saw Michael Jordan smile too much. The only time he was smiling was when he was kicking your butt. I think as a young player it’s a fine line between enthusiasm, passion and sometimes just understanding the importance of each possession of games and the importance of games.’”
Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee: “Coach Paul Westphal has put Mario Elie in charge of fixing the Kings’ perimeter defense, one of the many problems the team had last season. Elie will put the onus on Kings guards and wing players to shore up one of the NBA’s worst defenses last season. Forget letting a player get by and hoping Spencer Hawes or Jason Thompson can block a shot. After all, neither has established himself as an intimidator at the rim. ‘We really don’t have shot blockers back there, so we have to depend on our guys up front to handle their business, keep their guys in front,’ Elie said. ‘That’s something I was really good at so I’m going to try to relay that message come the season.’ … Elie loves the idea of Evans setting the tone defensively with his long arms, athleticism and attitude. However, he needs more players willing to sacrifice offensively and make defending the perimeter a priority.”
Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times: “Lamar Odom sounded frustrated and hopeful at the same time. He sounded frustrated he hasn’t been able to come to terms with the Lakers on a contract. But he sounded hopeful he and the Lakers will get a deal done. At the end of the day, Odom was asked, does he expect to be back playing for the Lakers next season? ‘I don’t know,’ Odom told The Times in a phone interview. ‘That’s why there are negotiations. I don’t know. Of course I hope they can get it done. ‘It’s negotiations. Both sides are going to give and take. That’s part of it. I don’t know how long it’s going to take.’ The Times has reported that Odom and his agent, Jeff Schwartz, are seeking $10 million a season. The Lakers have offered Odom a deal north of $9 million a season for the first three years. Odom and Schwartz are seeking more money and years.”
George M. Thomas of the Akron Beacon Journal: “Assistant Cavs GM Lance Blanks touted Parker’s ability to play several positions, calling Parker a ‘chameleon.’ ‘Whatever role he plays, he’ll be fine because he’s that dynamic,’ Blanks said after introducing Parker at Cleveland Clinic Courts Monday. While Parker, who signed a two-year deal, is known for his ability to shoot, he also can play defense on the perimeter, according to scouting reports. The Orlando Magic certainly revealed that to be a Cavs vulnerability in the Eastern Conference Finals this past season. Parker underplayed his defensive prowess. ‘I think I can defend. I wouldn’t consider myself a lockdown defender,’ he said. ‘I don’t know of too many lockdown defenders in this league. I think my strength is team defense, just being in the right place at the right time. Certainly with the type of defensive team in Cleveland, I fit in. It makes my job a lot easier when everyone is on the same page. They proved last year they’re a very good defensive team.’”
Lisa Dillman of the Los Angeles Times: “Talks between the Clippers and the free-agent guard have been characterized as ‘very serious,’ according a source close to Iverson who was not authorized to speak publicly about the negotiations. The Clippers declined to comment. They have long been intrigued by Iverson, having come close to acquiring him in the past. The process has moved far enough along that they have spoken to Camby about Iverson since they were close as teammates in Denver. Baron Davis is said to be on board with adding Iverson. Still, other hurdles remain. Iverson is looking at the $5.8-million midlevel exception for next season, and one of his other potential suitors, the Miami Heat, is reportedly unwilling to offer more than $2 million for one season. Until now, the team expressing the most interest in Iverson was Memphis. Iverson, who turned 34 last month, was traded from Denver to Detroit last season and had a disappointing run with the Pistons. He also caused a flap during the spring when he said he didn’t want to come off the bench for the Pistons. That, supposedly, wouldn’t be a problem with the Clippers, but they need to hear that directly from him.”
Tania Ganguli of the Orlando Sentinel: “Brandon Bass thinks he and the Orlando Magic are a good fit. A great fit. A perfect fit. He used all three of those phrases within the first 44 seconds of his first news conference at RDV Sportsplex, three days after the Magic signed the 24-year-old, 6-foot-8 power forward away from the Dallas Mavericks. ‘Just by the team being so successful I just thought it would be perfect for me,’ Bass said. ‘I heard that this team needed a ‘4′ man, needed somebody of my caliber to bring some energy, bring energy, bring defense.’ For the Magic, Bass’ signing means a chance to get a guy who can allow Rashard Lewis to move back to small forward, where he’s more comfortable. It gives them a bigger body to match up with other big men and one who can provide some rebounding support for center Dwight Howard. The Magic made an NBA Finals appearance with a non-traditional offense filled with shooters, including at power forward, and Magic General Manager Otis Smith has emphasized several times that they’ll still play in that unconventional way because it worked. But having Bass gives them more options. ‘We like to spread the floor a little bit, have our ‘4’s shooting a lot of 3s,’ Smith said. ‘… You have to have the ability at some point in time to go into the traditional mode, and that’s what Brandon Bass brings.’”
Sekou Smith of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: “Childress, 26, left for Greece last summer in a groundbreaking move for a restricted free agent of his stature. He signed a three-year, $20 million deal with Olympiakos, a deal that included an opt-out clause at the end of each season that would allow him to return to the NBA. The sixth pick in the 2004 NBA draft, Childress spent his first four seasons with the Hawks. He averaged 11.1 points and 5.6 rebounds 285 career games with the Hawks, including 67 games as a starter. He finished sixth in the voting for the NBA?s sixth-man award in his final season with the Hawks two years ago, the franchise’s first playoff season in decade. The Hawks own his NBA rights and will continue to do so, provided they extend him a qualifying offer again next summer. His status as a restricted free agent allows the Hawks to match any offers made to him by other NBA teams. Milwaukee and Charlotte made strong plays for Childress. He made a visit to Milwaukee the first week of the free agent negotiating period. But in the end, none of the deals worked out. ‘When I left Greece to come back [here to the U.S.], I had it in my head that was going back to Greece no mater what,’ Childress said. ‘Then when I got home and had my feet on the ground for a couple of days, I really wanted to explore my options and see what was out there. It was 50-50 from there.’”
Tim Buckley of the Deseret News: “Starting power forward Carlos Boozer opts in for the final season of his current contract, then immediately heads to the trade block. Starting center Mehmet Okur and backup shooting guard Kyle Korver opt against exercising their early termination option on their contracts, then Okur extends and Korver expresses desire to do the same. Backup power forward Paul Millsap signs an offer sheet with Portland, leaving the Jazz to spend the week deciding whether to match. If this offseason seems like the soap opera that won’t end — and, really, it has been — then the summer of 2012 should be quite a sequel. That, after all, is when Okur’s contract now will expire — and when starting point guard Deron Williams, who has watched things unfold the past several weeks with keen interest, must decide if he’ll exercise his fourth-season option on the contract he extended last offseason. It’s by design, Williams suggested while offering his take on the state of the Jazz over the weekend, that after three more seasons in Utah he’ll have a chance to assess his own future with the franchise.”
Steve Luhm of The Salt Lake Tribune: “Allen is the co-founder of Microsoft who also owns the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks and Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders. In 2007, Forbes magazine estimated Allen’s net worth at $18 billion, making him the 19th wealthiest person in the world. Although the global economic crisis has hurt Allen — Forbes estimates he is currently worth a mere $10.5 billion — he still has enough resources to effortlessly hand Millsap a $10.3 million check. For Miller, Rigby, O’Connor and the Jazz, such a one-time payout won’t be as easy to digest. So, how do the Jazz come up with $10.3 million in cash, assuming they want to keep Millsap under contract? Like John Q. Fan and most other NBA teams, the Jazz do not have the money sitting in a desk drawer at Miller’s Jordan Commons office or tucked away in a savings account, waiting for the proverbial rainy day. Instead, Rigby said, the team can easily afford to take out of a short-term bank loan to cover the immediate cost of matching the Blazers’ front-loaded offer sheet.”
(Photo by Garrett W. Ellwood NBAE/Getty Images)
