Points in the Paint

» July 23, 2009 4:51 PM | By Brandon Hoffman

SLAM has a good interview with Kevin Durant. KD on Sam Presti’s vision for the Thunder: “I love this team, man. This is where I want to be. Sam is incredible. He’s like another father to me, outside of my real father. Anything I need. He’s always asking if I need anything or how my family is doing. I just like good people like that. He’s not just a GM. He’s more of an everyday guy that is always around. He asks my input on everything, whether it’s about the newest music out or what type of shoes I like. Small stuff like that. I love him, I love the organization and hopefully I can stay as long as possible.”

Dave McMenamin, writing for BDL, shares the best and worst of the Vegas Summer League. Here’s the best overheard conversation: “‘You got to pick up my kid, somebody’s got to pick up my kid. He can play. Come on, Nate, do me a favor.’ – Nuggets coach George Karl appealing to his former player in Seattle, and current Portland head coach Nate McMillan, to have him sign his son, Coby Karl. Coby averaged 15 points on 62 percent shooting, 4.4 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.4 steals in Vegas.”

Holly MacKenzie at The Score filed a summer league report on Toronto Raptors lottery pick DeMar DeRozan. Here’s a snippet: “For all of his basketball prowess, it may well be off the hardwood where DeRozan truly shines. While many fans are talking about DeRozan as a player in terms of his ‘potential’ and ‘raw athleticism,’ DeRozan has a media savvy at 19 that some players never manage to grasp. While in Vegas, DeRozan was interviewed by David Adridge and Kyle Montgomery for NBATV, as well as Kevin Arnovitz for ESPN. His face was regularly seen on Summer League coverage that went continent-wide — far beyond the Toronto market — but DeRozan took it all in stride, continuing to express his excitement in playing for Toronto. Of the four players mentioned above – and the other eight rounding out the Summer-League squad – there is one locked in a three-year contract. One with the hype and job security that should make for some easy breathing. Of the four, only DeRozan arrived to the gym before everyone else each day, staff included. And it was only DeRozan, who would be available long after the game had ended when everyone else had departed to the hotel. This is the rookie outworking eight others, who are literally fighting for their NBA lives, and another three who have something to prove to the coaching staff.”

Tickets for the 2010 All-Star game went on sale this morning. The event will be held at the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, which seats in excess of 80,000.

Chairman of USA Basketball Jerry Colangelo on why he re-signed Coach K, as transcribed by Tas Melas: “He has no agenda; he’s not coaching any team in the NBA because you always have the concern that how the coach would use players that he has to compete against on a daily basis. It just is not as pure. The respect that coach K had these last few years, knowing how our players – the LeBrons, Dwyane Wade, Kobe, Carmelo, all of them – they just think the world of him. They became better players, better people for the experience. If it’s not broke, you don’t fix it – we have a great thing going and I’m going to keep it together.”

Marc Spears of Yahoo! Sports: “Greg Oden was spent. The injuries, his inconsistent play, the expectations that came with being a supposed franchise-altering center – all of it had worn on Oden. The fun-loving free spirit who charmed the NBA as the No. 1 pick two summers ago had transformed into a brooding giant. Even Oden admitted it: The pressure had become too much. So after the Portland Trail Blazers’ season ended with a first-round loss to the Houston Rockets, Oden retreated to Columbus, Ohio, to enroll in some summer school classes at Ohio State, clear his mind and work on his game. His goal: To regain his swagger and prove to the Blazers he can still become a growing force in the NBA. ‘They’re going to see a guy that can dominate on the court and change games,’ Oden told Yahoo! Sports this week. ‘…They drafted me for a reason and I want to show them why they drafted me.’ To rebuild his confidence, Oden began visiting a sports psychologist. ‘A little shrink,’ he joked. ‘I’ve always been the type of guy that it doesn’t matter what I do if my team wins,’ Oden said. ‘We made it to the playoffs for the first time in how many years, and I’m down on myself.’ The psychologist helped Oden ‘see himself.’”

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