Looking for reasons to get excited for upcoming college season? How about the possibility of catching a vicious sky-walking dunk live? They happen every season , in every neck of America, in every division.
Watch this mix in its 14-minute epic entirety. Even the honorable mentions make most SLAMadadays seem like backyard horseplay.
And don’t sleep on all the hard work that made this mix possible. Mixst311 started to compile footage over two years ago. This summer, he handed the footage to two of the best mixmakers in the game (Damnshow — editing; and Venom — color correction/restoration) to make it all vivid as possible. This is truly a project of passion, which clearly turned out to be something unlike anything we’ve ever seen:
Bonus: Here’s Mixst311 on the process of making this epic mix: “I started working on this project over two years ago after I had a growing interest in rare dunk footage. Finding these dunks wasn’t easy. I read hours and hours of fan comments on college basketball forums, watched thousands of YouTube videos, and read hundreds of articles, to track down dunks I’ve never heard of before then. After finding a dunk that sounded good, I had to figure out the date and then find someone who carried the game. I talked with many college game traders and game collectors, a few players themselves, and a handful of universities. DeAngelo Newson, who played for the Southern Utah Thunderbirds from 2003 to 2005, was actually willing to send me his college highlight reel of which I used two dunks for the video. It was a lot of work, but it was definitely worth it to see all these nasty dunks and share them with the world.”
by Clay Kallam
It’s going to be hard to top Game 3 of the Indiana-New York series, but the WNBA conference championships actually might. There are two intriguing match-ups, big personalities and, if first-round attendance is any indication, there will be large crowds as well.
But enough of appetizers… on to the meat and potatoes.
Phoenix vs. Seattle
By record, this should be a rout. Seattle was 22-2 on July 31, while Phoenix struggled to win 15 games in a full season. Even worse for Mercury fans, the Storm was 5-0 against Phoenix this year. So why should anyone try to find NBA TV for Thursday’s 10 p.m. game?
First, any game with Diana Taurasi playing has possibilities. She might get 40, she might get two Ts, she might elbow someone, she might flip off the crowd – and she might make two or three great plays in the clutch that would make people forget Cappie Pondexter (at least until she plays agai
n on Sunday).
Second, the Mercury’s style guarantees lots of points, and if nothing else, it’s fun to watch players like Taurasi, Penny Taylor, Lauren Jackson and Sue Bird show off their skills. Oh, and speaking of Jackson, she describes herself as grumpy, and there’s always a chance that she and Taurasi will forget about their Russian friendship and show off their cantankerous sides.
Jackson is also the league’s MVP (well deserved, though Tamika Catchings and Pondexter could both have won and no one could complain), and Brian Agler is the Coach of the Year, which is further evidence that Seattle should roll.
The X factor, though, is Kara Braxton, who, at 6-5, is a serious mismatch for Seattle center Camille Little (a generous 6-2). Braxton, however, is as inconsistent as Seattle’s summer weather, so what Corey Gaines and company need is for her to have two big games – and for the Mercury to win both.
Casual observers may think this should be an easy 2-0 romp for the Storm, but I’m thinking Seattle in three. And the winner in each one will hit triple digits.
Atlanta vs. New York
Weird. This one doesn’t even start until Sunday (7 p.m., NBA TV), and the Western Conference finals could be over by then. But a league like the WNBA doesn’t have a lot of arena leverage, so it takes what it can get.
In any event, this too should be a very fun series. Atlanta has wings Angel McCoughtry and Iziane Castro Marques, both of whom are just as likely to go 5-20 as 10-20 – but you can count on the “20” portion.
McCoughtry is also an elite defender, and it’s likely she’ll draw Pondexter, though Marynell Meadors may start the very athletic Armintie Price and put her on Cappie. (Meadors, if nothing else, has Anne Donovan thinking. By starting two players who hadn’t started all season in both games of the Washington series, Meadors has planted seeds of uncertainty. She could go with Coco Miller and Price again, or bring back 6-5 Erika DeSouza to take advantage of Janel McCarville’s ankle injury. Or maybe Shalee Lehning returns to guard Leilani Mitchell …)
Of course, if Essence Carson and Kia Vaughn both play as they did in the first round, McCarville’s absence and Nicole Powell’s inability to make her presence felt may not matter. Then again, if McCoughtry and Castro Marques make their shots, the Dream may simply outscore New York.
There is one thing, though, that will turn the series. In a close game, Pondexter will very likely make the shot that needs to be made, no matter who’s guarding her. And since these two evenly matched teams will probably play close games, Pondexter the closer will be the difference – though it will take three games to play out.
Next season, NC State freshman Ryan Harrow might prove to be the nicest (and, yes, flashiest) player in college basketball. He certainly was one of the most exciting PGs in the Class of 2010. But Harrow was born with none of the hoops prowess that he now possesses. He earned the nickname “The Recorder” for his ability to learn the moves he saw on the AND 1 mixtapes and from other players. Dude trains and trains and trains like he’s going somewhere fast. If he keeps it up, Ryan harrow may very well be going the the L.
Courtesy of High School Hopefuls
by Kyle Stack / @KyleStack
During a time in which the NBA is facing uncertainty in how its economic structure will proceed, it might pay off to look at other sports leagues for inspiration. Or it might not. It depends through which prism one is looking: whether the League benefits from the players holding the power they currently enjoy or the owners retaining it.
One inclusion in the NBA’s new Collective Bargaining Agreement — which can become official as soon as July 1, 2011 after the current CBA expires June 30 — that can help sway power to one side or another is what’s known as a franchise tag. It’s a team option signed into the NFL’s current CBA that permits each team to choose one free agent per offseason whom it would like to “franchise.” Here’s how it works:
– Every offseason before free agency, each team can assign the franchise tag to one player from its crop of restricted and 
unrestricted free agents. The tag forms the basis for a one-year contract, with the player able to become an unrestricted free agent once the ensuing contract has been completed. (A team can’t “franchise” the same player for more than two consecutive seasons.)
– If the team decides to apply the tag to a player, it has to decide if it’ll make it of the exclusive or non-exclusive variety. Exclusive means the team has to pay the greatest of the three following scenarios: 1) a minimum offer of the average of the top-five salaries at the player’s position for the current year as of April 15; 2) 120 percent of the player’s salary from the previous year; or 3) the average of the top five salaries at the player’s position as of the end of the previous season. And that player can’t negotiate a contract with any other team.
A non-exclusive tag eliminates the first pay option of those three and holds in play 120 percent of the previous year’s salary or the average of the top five salaries at the player’s position from the prior season, whichever is greater. Plus, that player has the freedom to negotiate a deal with any other team.
– If another team agrees to a contract with that “franchised” player, then the player’s original team receives two first-round draft picks if it decides not to match the new team’s offer.
– Finally, a player has the option to sign a multi-year deal with his current club until July 22 of the offseason in which he is “franchised.” After July 22, any contract signed by that player can be for only one year. He must sit out the season if he opts not to put his name on a contract by November 16.
If your head is spinning, think of it this way. If an NFL team has a free agent whom they don’t feel confident they can re-sign to a long-term deal, they hold the card of applying the franchise tag and either retaining the player’s services for another year — albeit at a high price — or receiving two first rounders, depending on how the scenario develops.
Given the power exerted by NBA players during this summer’s free agency period, and the power plays Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony have attempted on their current teams, the franchise tag would seem to be an appealing option for owners if they want to keep a star player from leaving via free agency. One former general manager agrees.
“The franchise tag would be a huge hit for the owners,” said Steve Kerr, who returned to TNT’s broadcast booth as its lead game analyst after three years as general manager of the Phoenix Suns. “One of the biggest issues they’re trying to accomplish with this next CBA is cutting down the length of guaranteed contracts and getting rid of dead money — when a guy signs a $100 million deal and he gets injured.”
Kerr explained during a phone conversation that the franchise tag represents a way for teams to ward off a player’s free agency. Now, if the franchise tag as it exists in the NFL were applied to the NBA, any “franchised” free agent who was given non-exclusive status would still be able to shop his services around the League — it’s just that the signing team would have to send back two first rounders to the player’s original team. (It’s possible trade compensation could change if the NBA installed the tag into its CBA.) But Kerr’s point is correct in that the basis of a franchise tag is to restrict a player’s freedom.
For Gabe Feldman, director of the Sports Law Program at Tulane University, a franchise tag in the NBA would represent a team’s increased leverage versus a player demanding a trade.
“That might make it easer for teams to say ‘you can’t force our hand in the short run because we have a year or two to work out a trade,’” Feldman said in a phone interview.
With the Denver Nuggets’ hand being forced by Anthony, they would likely welcome the ability to assign him with a franchise tag next offseason. That would show inquiring teams that they wouldn’t be forced into agreeing to a deal that they wouldn’t value as much had they been given more time to search for an ideal trade.
The ability for teams to gain leverage in those situations can’t be underestimated. Larry Coon, an NBA salary cap expert who runs the website CBAFAQ.com, said that while the Nuggets still control the Anthony situation to a degree, they don’t hold much leverage.
“Under a normal situation, if a player has one more year left to become a free agent and he wants to go, he can hold a team hostage,” Coon said during a phone conversation.
The NBA probably doesn’t want too many more of its star players demanding trades considering Anthony and Paul’s reported recent trade demands come on the heels of Kobe Bryant demanding a trade from the Los Angeles Lakers in 2007. That’s an undesirable proposition for a league which still has image problems. Yet the players would have a reasonable argument against a franchise tag. Take Anthony’s possible scenario, for instance. Imagine if the NBA adopted the franchise tag in its NFL form and put it into effect beginning next offseason. Furthermore, pretend Anthony wouldn’t sign a contract extension between now and then.
Five wins. Zero losses. No complaints about Team USA’s performance from SLAM.
Team USA capped its Group B play with an easy 92-57 win over Tunisia today. The bench clocked most of the minutes and still made its opponent look like a practice squad. Eric Gordon (21 points) and Russell Westbrook (14 points) led the charge.
And now, we’ll quickly hand it over to the AP, for a clean-cut review of America’s gimme game:
Eric Gordon scored 21 points and the United States pulled away after a sluggish first half to beat Tunisia 92-57 on Thursday in its final game of pool play at the world championship.
With nothing to play for, the Americans sleepwalked through most of the early start, leading the winless team by only four points early in the third quarter before turning it into a rout over the final 15 minutes.
The top seed from Group B, the United States (5-0) was awaiting the loser of the Australia-Angola matchup, which would be its opponent Monday as the No. 4 seed from Group A.
by Bryan Crawford / @_BryanCrawford
I’m never one to let a good story go to waste, and this one is as good as it gets.
I’m on Twitter Monday morning scrolling through my timeline and I noticed that one of my followers who works for Nike tweeted her email address to someone. Up to this point I’d never talked to this person even though I was aware she was following me. But for some reason, I decided to Google her name just to see if anything came up. And lo and behold, something did.
As it turns out, she’s a PR person for Nike in Chicago. I emailed her and mentioned that I had a friend who worked in the same office as she did and that I wrote for SLAM. I told her that while I do write about the NBA in general, I specifically write about the Bulls during basketball season and I offered to cover any Nike-related events whenever they have them in the city.
To my surprise, she emailed me back almost immediately and told me that my timing couldn’t have been more perfect since there was an event going on mid-week. She told me that someone would contact me later with the full details.
That afternoon I received an email from someone formally inviting me to attend an event at Foot Locker’s House of Hoops store i
n downtown Chicago which was to feature Taj Gibson and newly signed Chicago Bulls PF, Carlos Boozer. I would find out later that not only were Taj and Booz going to be there, but Jannero Pargo and Shannon Brown of the Los Angeles Lakers would be in attendance as well.
Who said Twitter was stupid? If you use it the right way, it’s the greatest thing ever. This story is certainly proof of that.
So shout out to the people at Nike who always take care of me and to the people at Foot Locker’s House of Hoops on State and Adams in the Loop who were great as well. If you’re from Chicago or just in town visiting, if you have time, go and check them out. I’ve been in the back of the store and trust me; they’ve got everything you need.
Carlos Boozer
The first time I met Carlos Boozer was last season when the Jazz were in town to play the Bulls. I’ve written many times about my friend who’s very high up the food-chain at Nike on the basketball side, and he and Booz are very good friends. After the game, the three of us stood around talking, sharing a few laughs, and I could tell that Carlos was genuinely a good dude.
When I arrived at Foot Locker yesterday, I was granted access to a restricted area where my Nike friend and Carlos Boozer were (Boozer was giving an interview to a local news outlet at the time). He hooked me up with some one-on-one time with Booz that wasn’t exactly part of the plan.
When he and I sat down to chat, I didn’t expect him to remember me after six months, but he knew who I was as soon as he saw me. He said that he was terrible with names but he never forgets a face.
NBA players are notorious for giving canned, scripted answers, but if they know you, they’re a lot more engaging and it makes the interview a lot easier from both sides. So when he wasn’t telling me about the ridiculousness of Karl Malone’s old house in Utah (which he said was built on top of a mountain) and the exact replica of it that he built in Louisiana, or the big things he has planned for the city next summer (stay tuned, I’ll be bringing that to you as well), he opened up about his excitement of being in Chicago and playing for the Bulls. Oh yeah, dude is hilarious too.
SLAM: Talk to me about being in Chicago; a new team, a new environment, and a new city.
Carlos Boozer: I’m excited, man. I think the city is excited, and I think we have a team that’s going to be able to compete for a title. I think it’s something that we gotta earn; I don’t think it’s going to be given to us. Oh yeah, I love Nike. I love Foot Locker. That’s a great family combination right there. Plug that! [Laughs] But seriously, I’m really happy to be in the city, man.
SLAM: Have you had a chance to spend a lot of time here since you signed?
CB: I’ve been able to get around a little bit. I’ve gone to a couple of restaurants. I’ve got a chance to meet a couple of athletes that are here like Brian Urlacher (Chicago Bears). I hope he’s a Nike guy. [Asks] Is he? (Gets answer) Yes! Brian Urlacher, great Nike guy for the Bears! But I’m going to go out and watch some White Sox games next week maybe, so I’m looking forward to it.
SLAM: What about the Cubs?
CB: And the Cubs too. I just know the White Sox are fighting for that top spot and I know with the Cubs, Wrigley Field is historic and it’s one of those places you have to go see so I’m looking forward to going there too. And, we got the Blackhawks who just got the Stanley Cup. So I’m just trying to get embedded in the city and check out all the teams and get to know Chicago.
SLAM: You know the White Sox just signed Manny Ramirez too.
CB: Yeah, that’s a big headliner right now; I saw that the other day. So I’m looking forward to seeing him play too.
SLAM: You had a lot of options this summer in terms of where you were going to play, so why Chicago? I mean, I know [Nike rep] is here…
CB: Yeah, I basically came to Chicago because of [Nike rep]. Holla at him! Nah, honestly, I went through the process. I talked to every team and for me it seemed like Chicago was a perfect fit. I flew out here the first day and I met with the boss, Jerry Reinsdorf, John Paxson, President, and Gar Forman, GM, and I met with Coach Thibs, Tom Thibodeau, and I just loved their DNA.
SLAM: What was it exactly that you liked so much about those guys?
CB: They have a championship DNA. They have the pedigree of what they were able to do in the ’90s with Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, and they want to get back to the top echelon of winning championships and they have a good core in place to do that.
SLAM: What do you feel you can contribute to bringing a championship back to Chicago?
CB: I just think I might be one of the missing pieces in the puzzle to get us back to that championship level. For me, I’m all about winning and this seemed like the best place to come to be able to win a championship.
SLAM: What do you think about the new trend of NBA superstars joining forces to try and win a title?
CB: I think everybody has to do what’s good for them. You look at my situation, I went from a team that was really good in Utah to come to a team that had, what I felt, was more depth and more pieces for us to have a chance to win a championship. From the point guard, to the 2 guard, to the 3, with me being at the 4 and having Taj [Gibson] behind me, to the 5, and with the bench. But I think at the end of the day, nobody can win by themselves. I don’t remember the last time I saw any basketball on any level where one player won the whole thing for anybody. It’s a team sport. I joined up with guys that I thought could help me win and other guys this summer did the same thing.
SLAM: The Bulls have been missing a true low-post presence for a very long time. How does it feel to come in and be one of the most important players on the team from day one?
CB: I look forward to it. For me, it’s a great challenge to have. I think when you’re put in a position where your team needs you every night — and I’ve had that most of my life in my career playing basketball — it’s going to be great to do it here with the Chicago Bulls. This is a team that all of us grew up watching. I grew up in Alaska, and when I cut the TV on to watch an NBA game, the team I was watching was the Chicago Bulls. I remember seeing them winning championships in the ‘90s, seeing MJ jump up-and-down, so for me, I’m honored to be a part of the Chicago Bulls and I’m looking forward to this moment. Hopefully I can help bring another championship to the city.
SLAM: You’ve been in the Western Conference for a while but you’re back in the Eastern Conference now. How exciting is that for you?
CB: It’s exciting, man. The East got a lot better this summer when I think of the guys that came over here, but we have a team that can get up-and-down and also grind it out in the half-court. Now the East is known for grinding it out in the half-court and I’m looking forward to getting back to that, but we also have a team that can run because we have a lot of athletes. So I think with our team you’ll see a mix of both and I think Coach Thibs is going to do a good job of letting us run and get easy lay-ups and at the same time we’ll be a sharp enough team where we can execute down the stretch of a game and when we need a bucket or a good open shot, we’ll be able to get it done.
Hey SLAM Fam, just a heads up: Along with SLAMonline.com, SLAM’s Twitter (@SLAMonline), SLAM’s Facebook, and of course our new print editions (both KICKS and World Hoops are on newsstands now!), we’ve added a fresh tumblr page to the mix.
Catch us on tumblr at http://slamonline.tumblr.com. Be sure to follow us if you have an account, and bookmark the page even if you don’t, because both SLAMonline.com’s material and a bunch of original content will be provided there.
And now back to you’re regularly scheduled programming…
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After signing a one-year deal, the former Nets forward will play for Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem: “Sean Williams (23, 2.08) signed for one year in Hapoel Migdal Jerusalem, and will come to Isreal on Sunday. the center played for Boston College for three years, and was known from the beginning for his shot-blocking abillity. He was drafted as the 17th pick by the New Jersey Nets, had a good rookie season and played there for 3 years. He left last season and moved to play in China for Fujian.”
The Knicks’ point guard expects Madison Square Garden to host a few postseason games next season. From the NY Post: “Toney Douglas only could laugh when two of the first three questions from young kids at a Knicks youth camp in the Hamptons were on his thoughts on LeBron James choosing Miami over the Knicks. Douglas said he only can control what he can control. What he should have said is he can’t wait to meet James in the playoffs. Because Douglas, the Knicks’ backup point guard, said he thinks his team is going to break its six-year playoff drought. ‘Definitely,’ Douglas said. ‘I feel like have a lot of talent. We just all have to be on one page and make sure everybody is totally on it. I feel we are a playoff team.’ The coaching staff will tell you nobody has worked harder than Douglas this offseason. The second-year Florida State product has done two-a-days at their Westchester compound since the beginning of May — save for a two-week break in July. Douglas, the Knicks’ most tenacious defender, said one of the reasons he has worked so hard is he wants to be a leader this season. There were none during last season’s 29-53 campaign.”
Showing they still have that UCLA connection, Love finds Westbrook for a nice alley-oop finish during Team USA’s drubbing of Iran yesterday:
Due to cultural and religious reasons, the host country for the World Championship tourney has told the dancers to halt their show. Reports the AP: “The Red Foxes have been told to stop performing in games involving the host country because their risque costumes and routines are offensive to the nation that is nearly entirely Muslim. Islam prohibits women from exposing their skin in public. Basketball’s governing body said Wednesday the ban was not its decision. Secretary general Patrick Baumann said he wants entertainment to be part of the games, but ‘if it needs a little bit of adjustment that is fine with us.’ Performers wore long pants Wednesday during a game between the United States and Iran. Iranian officials had turned their backs when the dancers, who usually wear tiny shorts or skirts, performed in earlier games. The Red Foxes, a professional dance team from the Ukraine, will still perform at other games in Ankara. ‘The dancers bring much fun and joy to fans watching games and help to create a vibrant, happy atmosphere in the arenas,’ Baumann said.”
by Chris O’Leary/@olearychris
It’s a story that’s been lived out and told millions of times over.
For hundreds of years, people have left their homelands behind for a shot at success in the USA. The present day is no different. Well, it’s kind of different.
The people in this story aren’t immigrants. A 15-minute conversation with Josh Su makes it abundantly clear that he’s born and bred in Cali. Allison Douglas was born in Cali and grew up in Flagstaff, Arizona.
It’s their employer, PEAK, that has come to the land of milk and honey with stars in its eyes. A sportswear powerhouse in China, the brand recently opened its first US-based office. Matching its big dreams, they’ve appropriately set up shop in L.A.
In the same way that the story of the American Dream has been lived a million times over, it’s also one that has unfolded in just as many varying degrees of success.
“I think right now our biggest challenge is trying to separate ourselves from PEAK China,” says Douglas, PEAK’s PR coordinator. “They are such a large presence in China but it really doesn’t mean much here in the US. Even the designs can’t really be applied to the US market.”
The brand itself is new in the US, but it’s not entirely unknown; at least not to hoops heads and sneaker aficionados. Jason Kidd signed with the company in 2008 and several other players have followed in the last two years, with Ron Artest being the most notable. In total, PEAK had a dozen NBA players laced up last season.
“I think we’re third in endorsements, so we’re right behind Nike and adidas,” Douglas says. “It’s definitely something where we’re outreaching and we’re constantly having players in the office and in talks with agents and looking to sign more people.”
For Su, a recent grad of the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, working at PEAK was a great opportunity to get in on a brand that’s starting out on the ground level.
“I think it’s a great brand. It’s got a lot of history,” he says. “In China, it’s been around since 1989. They have a lot of experience, they have over 6000 retail stores around the world and they have three of their own factories, so they’re very resourceful.”
The LA office that the brand has set up is the first building block of establishing its US presence. The office’s function for the time being is first to facilitate the NBA players they’ve sponsored and second to begin working towards an American product launch in mainstream retail outlets for 2011.
“We’re just introducing ourselves and currently we’re taking care of the players here and providing them apparel and product that they can work out in. We just want to be equipped with product and we’re getting that figured out,” Su explains.
“Asian fit and American fit is very different, so … as well as preparing product for retail we’re getting samples back and making revisions and hopefully we’ll be ready to go.”
Like Douglas says, it’s more than shoe fit that the US extension of PEAK will have to adjust to. It’s also a totally different culture.
“When we get things in from PEAK China, they’re things that people would not wear here, so it’s totally different,” she says. “I think the biggest challenge is trying to completely redo what they’re doing over there and try to build a Peak US.”
Even in a year’s time, when the US version of the brand is supposed to be ready to go, they’ll face an uphill battle. Of course, the big dogs like Nike and adidas are well established. PEAK isn’t even a pioneer in their venture — Chinese brands Li-Ning and Anta are also working their way into the same market.
“We know the challenges,” Su says. “There are so many bigger, better-established companies that have the reputation and all that and we’ve talked about what we need to do and how we need to address it, definitely.
“We know it’s not going to be easy but the bottom line is if we have really good product for a good price, I think it’ll do wonders.” He also points to the amount of NBA guys wearing PEAK across the league. “Having our NBA players is a leg up on a lot of other companies because they don’t have that many players. We have our advantages but we have a lot of work ahead of us, for sure.”
For what it’s worth, the company has been pleased to get the help that they’ve gotten from Artest this past season. Having their shoes on the feet of a key component to the Lake Show’s title run was a lot of free advertising.
“It helps so much. We feel very blessed that he was able to go so far and be with the Lakers at the right time while he was signed with us,” Su says.
“Ron’s so loyal, you know? We don’t require him to wear those shirts and stuff and he just does it on his own. The TMZ appearance that he did, we had no idea, but he came out in a PEAK shirt. We try to do our best to take care of him, as well.”
“Ron is awesome. He’s just so easy,” Douglas echoes. “We don’t even have to tell him. He’ll go onto TMZ and he’ll have the shirt on that says PEAK. He’s really a great person to have endorse our product, he’s a great personality.”
Is he ever too much personality? Not for PEAK, apparently. When you endorse a player who’s prone to career-altering conversations with players in the shower and riding the team bus in his boxers, there’s no sense in holding your breath every time the guy gets a mic in his face, Douglas says. The brand just embraces it.
“We like that, we like him getting up there and yelling Wheaties (at the Finals’ Game 7 press conference). I love that about him. We see it as a good thing, definitely.”
The Heat could find themselves short-handed at the point when training camp rolls around, as both Carlos Arroyo and Mario Chalmers are injured. From the Sun-Sentinel: “Carlos Arroyo, who finished last season as the team’s starting point guard, remains sidelined at the World Championships in Turkey due to a deep bruise in his left quadriceps. Mario Chalmers, the third-year guard expected to challenge for the starting role this season, is listed as ‘questionable’ by the Heat for the Sept. 28 start of training camp, after suffering a high ankle sprain during July workouts. The only other point guards on the roster are summer-league prospects Patrick Beverley and Kenny Hasbrouck, with each yet to appear in an NBA regular-season game, and veteran combo guard Eddie House, the free agent signed away from the New York Knicks who is considered more of a scorer than playmaker.”
by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni
Last season, the Chicago Bulls won but one measly game during the Playoffs. Their newest acquisition, via free agency, expects them to win fifteen more postseason ballgames in 2011.
Carlos Boozer is aiming big this upcoming season, and tells ESPN that it’s championship or bust for the Bulls:
“A championship,” Boozer said. “I think a realistic goal for us is a championship. I think anything shorter than that we’re setting ourselves up to be shorter than what we can reach. I think [we have] potential to be a championship-level team.”
One of the reasons Boozer feels so confident is due to the fact that he gets to play with the Bulls’ 21-year-old All-Star point guard, Derrick Rose. “He’s tight,” Boozer said. “He can play. With our combination of what we have on our team, with myself in the post, with D. Rose at the point guard spot, Joakim [Noah] plugging that middle up, Luol Deng being very versatile on the wing, I think we have a team that can rival anybody. I think we’ll be able to compete against every team in the league.”
The Bulls are expected to be one of the very best teams in the Eastern Conference next season, though I’m not sure anyone — save for Carlos Boozer — truly expects them to challenge for a title.
Regardless of what the expectations may or may not be, the new guy has now issued the biggest challenge of all.
by Karan Madhok / @hoopistani
The first thing that drew my attention toward Pau Gasol was how little attention he commands. Scheduled to start his only day in New Delhi with some media interaction, Gasol inconspicuously entered the VIP lobby and walked through to the meeting rooms. No entourage, agents, body guards, fanfare, nothing. Just a solitary friend who waited for him outside. If it wasn’t for the fact that he’s a 7-footer, Gasol would have passed by virtually unnoticed. Midway through his interaction inside the meeting room, he rushed out to quickly have breakfast with his friend in a corner, in the same lobby area.
India has had a big summer in terms of basketball and NBA promotion, from the visit of Dwight Howard, to the expansion of NBA’s recreational leagues around the country. A
nd, of course, there was the big news that dropped a few months ago that IMG-Reliance and the NBA plan to build infrastructure, train players, and help to eventually launch a professional league in the country. The arrival of Pau Gasol, a Laker (India’s favorite team — blame the TV programmers!), a world champion, and one of the most skilled big men in the game, beefed up the summer’s basketball events in the sub-continent.
Gasol’s trip to India, from August 23-28, was primarily a journey to the community in India through the ‘NBA Cares’ program. As an ambassador for the NBA, he visited several schools and held workshops in Mumbai and Delhi with young children to promote healthy living through basketball. “The community in India should see that the NBA is involved in a positive way,” he says. “It is not just about the sport but also about social work.”
Gasol took a tour of Mumbai and conducted two clinics during his stay there. He conducted a clinic at the Mastan YMCA in hoop-crazed Nagpada on August 25 and at the St. Dominic Savio High School in Andheri East on the 26th. His appearance in the Nagpada region in particular was of special significance: Nagpada is largely a poor, Muslim-dominated area where people live amongst the close-quartered chawl housing settlements, and it’s an area which has also been home to some of the greatest players in Indian basketball history.
In New Delhi, Gasol continued the NBA Cares events, teaching basketball drills and entertaining children at the Father Agnel’s School and at the Delhi Public School (DPS) at Mathura Road on August 27. The NBA’s Director of Basketball Operations (India) Troy Justice and Indian basketball’s legendary player and coach Shiba Maggon also assisted Gasol in his clinics.
Gasol again turned into a quiet crowd-pleaser in Delhi, speaking softly and letting his skills do the talking. He worked with the kids on dribbling drills, showed off his pivot, Hakeem-esque fadeaway, and of course, did a variety of dunks at the DPS basketball court, including doing a “jumpman” style dunk over a hapless kid in a ‘Starbury’ t-shirt!
When asked about who he feels is the best basketball player in the world, Gasol didn’t hesitate to answer: “I gotta go with my teammate Kobe Bryant!” When asked if he, a Barcelona native, hates La Liga rivals Real Madrid, he gave a semi-diplomatic response: “I’m not a hateful person. I don’t hate Madrid. I don’t hate the Celtics, either. I don’t like them, but no, I don’t hate them!”
Another special feature of Gasol’s visit to India was that he brought along the Larry O’Brien NBA Championship trophy, which he won with the Lakers for the second year running this past June. This was the first time that the trophy was brought to Indian soil, and it garnered almost as much attention as the superstar player himself. Gasol unveiled it during his clinics in Mumbai and New Delhi much to the delight of the young NBA fans in the crowds.
But back to that same hotel lobby, where I finally got a chance to have a Q + A session with legendary Spaniard. Humble and gracious, it was almost like he has forgotten that he’s a two-time, reigning NBA champion, reigning World Champion (and MVP), and generally, awesomely talented. But, don’t let the humility fool you, behind it lay a quiet confidence to keep succeeding and keep cementing his legacy. Gasol talked about Ricky Rubio, the USA team, and the World Championships, the future of India and world basketball, the Lakers, and about carrying around an NBA trophy.
Yesterday we looked at the Celts, now let’s move west to Chicago. The Bulls added Carlos Boozer, Ronnie Brewer and Kyle Korver to strengthen their Rose/Noah/Deng core. How will they fare in ‘10-11? Note: There is a poll embedded within this post, please visit the site to participate in this post's poll.
by Jon Jaques / @JJaques25
Defending Conference Champion: Temple
Defending Regular Season Champion: Temple/Xavier
Predicted Finish:
1. Xavier
2. Temple
3. Dayton
4. St. Louis
5. Richmond
6. Rhode Island
7. Charlotte
8. Duquesne
9. La Salle
10. Massachusetts
11. St. Bonaventure
12. St. Joseph’s
13. George Washington
14. Fordham
Summary: For a league that was touted as much as the Atlantic-10 was throughout last season and ended up with the sixth-highest conference RPI in the country, to have only three teams (Xavier, Temple, Richmond) make the NCAA Tournament had to be a disappointment. At different points throughout the year, at least three or four others momentarily seemed like contenders (Rhode Island, Dayton, Charlotte, maybe Duquesne) but ended up being pretenders and fell off down the stretch. Before you tell me that this was due to the overall strength and depth of the conference (you’re right), let me say that for the Atlantic 10 to be considered a true power conference once and for all, a school outside Xavier must solidify itself as a basketball program and make the transition from cute NCAA story to reliable Sweet 16 participant. Until then, the Atlantic 10 remains in the tweener stage of conference development: definitely a class above mid-majors but not invited to the BCS table yet.
Xavier, like Gonzaga in the WCC and Butler in the Horizon, is a given as favorite in the A-10. Losing Jordan Crawford will not hurt as much as it seems on the surface, since nearly everyone else returns to form an experienced and probably more unselfish Musketeer squad. After that, last year’s main contenders Temple and Dayton look to be in good shape. Temple, with Lavoy Allen and Juan Fernandez back, should be considered a favorite this season after being predicted to finish in the middle of the pack last year (shows you how much these things mean), and Dayton, lucky to still have coach Brian Gregory (who would have been on a short list at Michigan State if Tom Izzo had made the mistake of taking the Cavs job) has a lot to prove after fizzling down the stretch and being snubbed on Selection Sunday. Now firmly established as one of the top confer
ences in the country (BCS or not), the A-10 should be able to add at least one NCAA Tournament team to their total from last March.
Team on the Rise: I.e. Who is this year’s Richmond? Chris Mooney’s Spider program’s ascent culminated in last year’s 26-9, NCAA Tournament season, and if one team in the A-10 is ready to make that jump this year, it’ll be Rick Majerus’ Saint Louis squad. The 11-toed, one-eyed stepchild of the A-10 (seriously…this may be the greatest example of schools that are blatant geographical misfits in their conference. Then again, this summer’s conference realignment mess has thrown 10 or 12 new schools into this category), Saint Louis has been quietly improving for the last couple of years, and anything less than an NCAA Tournament berth would be a disappointment. Last season, Rick Majerus’ team exceeded everyone’s expectations with gritty defense (finished with impressive 11-5 conference record), and with an improvement on O-ffense (as Majerus might say), the Billikens could be dancing for the first time since 2000.
Team on the Decline: While it may be hard for Richmond to duplicate last year’s success, Rhode Island may be the team that suffers the biggest drop off in terms of wins and conference standing. Jim Barron’s team looked like it may finally get over the ghost of Jim Harrick last season and make the Big Dance for the first time in 11 years, but a few too many head-scratching losses down the stretch put a dent in an otherwise solid resume. While there is plenty of talent returning from last year’s NIT Final Four participant, highlighted by do-it-all senior forward Delroy James, the Rams may not have enough to keep up with a constantly evolving conference that should be even more competitive than last year. With last year’s top teams still strong and St. Louis emerging as a possible contender, unless there is a renewed commitment to defense in Providence (Rhode Island allowed opponents to shoot 46 percent last season), the Rams may struggle to match last season’s fourth place finish.
Underrated Player: Fordham is unquestionably the worst team (by far) in the A-10, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have one of the league’s top talents hidden on their roster. Chris Gaston posted remarkable averages of 18 points and 11.4 boards per game as a freshman last season. If he adds a decent three-point shot to his already versatile game (made only 2-22 attempts from beyond the arc), the Newark native should give rookie coach Tom Pecora one of the most dangerous players in the conference. A player of the year type season from Gaston might even help Fordham earn a conference win this season, something that eluded the Rams during their forgettable ‘09-10 campaign.
Keep an eye on: Whether a team other than Xavier can advance past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament. Even if a conference like the A-10 earns more tourney berths than a BCS league like the Pac-10, it will never eclipse larger leagues until more teams prove they can consistently do damage in March. Fran Dunphy has done remarkable things at Temple since replacing Jon Chaney, but after the lopsided first round loss to Cornell last March (man, that feels good to write) the ‘stache is still looking for his first tournament win with the Owls. Dayton was everyone’s mid-season favorite last year until an epic collapse sent it to the NIT (where they recovered to earn the oxymoronic “disappointing NIT title”), and Richmond’s breakout season was ended by St. Mary’s in the first round as well. All three of these teams are expecting big things this season…the question is whether any of them can take the next step, as Xavier has clearly done, to legitimize the claim that the A-10 is a legit power conference.
Jon Jaques is a former starter for the Cornell Big Red and current forward for Israel’s Ironi Ashkelon club.
The signs were there if you looked close enough: the Boston Herald reported that Delonte West was apartment hunting in Waltham, and Red’s Army reported Delonte was at New England Baptist Hospital yesterday getting a pre-signing physical. Now, SI’s Chris Mannix with the scoop: “Celtics will sign free agent guard Delonte West. West will have to sit out first ten games due to suspension for guilty plea on gun charge.”
More in the Boston Herald.
by Myles Brown / @mdotbrown
From: mdotbrown@gmail.com
To: famerjones@gmail.com
Subject: Who’s Your Daddy?
Ryan,
As you know, I’m pretty forgetful. I would blame it on ‘college’, but to be honest, college never really ended. Anyway, Boyz II Men were at the Minnesota State Fair last week and they reminded me that we don’t ever talk anymore. But I was hoping we could find something to argue about.
As we both know, Mitch Albom is an opportunistic hack. Sunday’s righteous indignation towards Antonio Cromartie was just the latest assurance of such. As I tweeted-cause apparently that’s my thing these days-after reading it, Albom has shown little concern for single mothers or fatherless children before this bile, so perhaps he should find another column to meet his deadline. I’m sure Morrie has some new revelations to share with him from Heaven. Or some other such fuckery. However, trite as it was, it did remind me that we never finished our previous conversation.
I finally read the new GQ last week. Good stuff. I found the author’s incredulity with ‘The Decision’ fallout baffling, but I didn’t look to him for any insight into the game, just LeBron. Some of the article’s finer points are things we’ve discussed ad nauseum, but I still found these passages particularly interesting.
As the only child of a single mother-Gloria, who gave birth at 16-James grew up poor, alone, never knowing his father. At first he and his mother lived with his grandmother in a big, roomy house, but when James was 3, his grandmother died. Heart attack. Christmas Day. (When I ask him later to pick the angriest he’s ever been, he picks that day.) With little education and scant work, Gloria couldn’t hang on to the house. She and James hit the streets, moving constantly, and when James was in the fourth grade he essentially stoped attending school. He also spent many nights by himself, praying for his mother to come home. Sometimes she disappeared for days. “I became afraid that one day I would wake up and she would be gone forever.”
….. The greatest players use anger as fuel. Michael Jordan played every night with something like road rage. Bryant resented Shaquille O’Neal, then resented the world for persecuting him about Colorado. The greats have chips on their shoulders, whereas James seems to have nothing on his but those football-sized delts. Maybe he doesn’t have enough anger? Maybe he’s too good at repressing his anger? “Are you a sports psychologist?” he asks. No. But he’s conceded in the past that he might not have the killer instinct of Kobe. That still true? “I hope not,” he says. “I don’t think so. I think I’ve gotten to a point now in my career where I do feel like I have a killer instinct.” Just a theory, I say. In his line of work, it seems like anger equals success. That’s an awesome theory,” he says. Some truth to it? “Maybe.”
…….. More than his elbow, people continue to question his will. Again, the playoffs. Why did he stand around? “I’ve never been standing around,” he says. “That’s not me. Even if I tried, I couldn’t do it. The fact that me and you are sitting here right now by ourselves is an uncomfortable feeling.” Standing around in the playoffs, sitting with me in a locker room-I don’t get the connection. And yet I still feel compelled to apologize. “No, it’s okay” he says, and now he’s the one sounding apologetic. He murmurs, “I like being around people.” I know, I say, taken aback by his downcast face. The fatherless boy who sat alone nights, listening to sirens and gunfire, wondering if his mother would come home, grows up to be a man who doesn’t like to be alone.
I’m human-even a sensible one at times-so I completely understood and empathized with the plight of Baby Bron. However, I’m also a fan and in some measures, a critic. As such, my initial reaction was, well…”Fuck that. He cheated the game, the fans and in many ways, himself.” But putting my own righteous indignation to the side for a moment, I decided to consider the bigger picture.
I thought about this for quite a while and as with any discussion of LeBron, quite naturally my thoughts turned to Kobe-specifically his childhood. Then Michael Jordan and his childhood. Both are the products of upper-middle class, two parent, stable and happy homes with plenty of siblings. A solid and supportive foundation for a child to grow and realize their potential, which is completely atypical of the hardscrabble backgrounds many NBA players escaped. Of course both are also the preeminent examples of tireless dedication and insuppresible will.
I kept thinking. While there are few similarities on the court, there isn’t another player in the league who could identify with LeBron’s upbringing more than Allen Iverson. Or is it LeBron who should identify with A.I.? Regardless, we should all know the story of Ann’s Son by now; teenage mother, absentee father, abject poverty, surrounded by raw sewage and an even more toxic environment outside the front door. Then there was the brawl, the conviction, the incarceration, the appeal and the release. The Waltons thought they had it bad.
These were two boys who were forced to grow before their time, more familiar with the harsh realities of life than any child should be. Two boys faced not only with the responsibilities of essentially raising themselves, but providing for their families. Honestly, these were two boys who by any statistical measure should probably be dead by now. So the minute they shook David Stern’s hand as a #1 overall pick, they were two men with far different definitions of success than the rest of us. This is to say nothing of their drive, talent or desire to win, but ultimately, they wouldn’t be defined by a ring, but the lives they left behind.
That being said, I understand Bron’s desire to replicate his high school experience, just as I understand A.I.’s love of the nightlife. These are two men compensating for a lost childhood, no? But according to the cognoscenti these are two men who are also missing something. Focus, dedication, ruthlessness…..I don’t know, something. Which begs the question, could they have exhausted their will just to achieve what they already have only to have even more required/demanded of them? Did Michael and Kobe not only have the advantages of talent and timing, but of a relatively easy home life? Is there a correlation between childhood and ‘killer instinct’?
Granted, this is a small sample size, but there are more examples. The mere mention of Shaq’s name should be sufficient, so let’s move on.
Ironically enough, Bron and A.I.’s biggest detractor has been Charles Barkley, a player routinely criticized for his lack of commitment and conditioning. Charles was another son of a poor single mother and openly acknowledged the emotional turmoil he endured through early adulthood.
He speaks hardly at all of his father, Frank Barkley, who left Leeds when Charles was a baby. He tries to appear indifferent, but finally he admits, “I hurt to the extent that I wish he had been there and hurt that he wasn’t. I was very angry and very resentful all my life, until the last couple of years.”
It’s not a stretch to say that a man crippled by anger for much of his life simply didn’t have the desire to manufacture more anger in order to compete with a raging despot like Jordan. For all his bluster, couldn’t it be that Charles just wanted to be-or actually was-happy?
Conversely, Earvin Johnson is a clear cut case; two loving parents, nine smiling siblings and a trail of adoring fans and championships have followed him since high school. But just as God planned, there is no Magic without Larry, who happens to be our first outlier. A bio isn’t necessary, the man’s pain is visceral. Is it worse to never have had a father at all or to lose the one you’ve known and loved to the bottle and a bullet? It’s certainly not a contest I’d want to be in. You want hardship? Larry Joe Bird had it in spades. But he also has them rings n’ things we sing about. Whatever ‘it’ was MJ and Kobe had, Bird had it first.
Of course some mouth breathing bigot could explain this all away with a wave of the hand and a simple cliche: A hard working white man with talent and true grit can’t be stopped by anyone. But it’s not that simple. Was he a product of his time? Is it the money? I won’t pretend to know, but it’s worth exploring. That’s where you come in, being white and all. Ha. I kid. I think.
Anyway, this has gone on long enough. I trust you see what I’m getting at and won’t oversimplify this as “No daddy, No ring”. And yes, I’m well aware of the slippery slope that is pop psychology, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t fun to play with anyway.
Holla,
Myles.
A source tells NY Post’s Page Six that, just months after announcing his move to Miami, Chris Bosh has proposed to his girlfriend: “Miami Heat superstar Chris Bosh is set to marry girlfriend Adrienne Williams. The giant $100M NBA player proposed to petite Williams in Miami on Friday, after dating her for a year. A source told Page Six: “Chris proposed to Adrienne outside their new home in Miami at sunset. They then went out and celebrated with friends at Liv Nightclub, where Adrienne was seen showing off a huge diamond ring. They are both really happy.” Bosh’s rep Tammy Brook confirmed the engagement but declined to comment further. It’s been a great few months for Bosh, signing with the Heat alongside LeBron James and ringing the opening bell at the New York Stock Exchange.”
by Matt Lawyue / @mlawyue
Call it a scare or a wake-up call or a warning. Call it whatever you want. There’s no debating what happened last night against Brazil exposed the Americans. There certainly is a way to defeat them and if Barbosa’s desperation layup spins in, we’d all be ready to break the “In Case of Emergency” glass. Thing is, what exactly is Coach K’s backup plan for nights like yesterday?
He played Durant all of 36 seconds and persisted with the over-matched Russell Westbrook guarding Barbosa at the end of the first quarter, who was running rampant for 8 points. Brazil held Team USA to 42 percent shooting (on a measly 8 assists), while forcing 22 turnovers. What the South Americans did effectively was pound the ball inside to Tiago Splitter (13 and 10), setting up kick outs or driving lanes, taken advantage of by Marcus Vieira (16 points on 2 threes).
Three games in, it seems Stephen Curry and Danny Granger have become the 11th and 12th man, while the hero against Slovenia, Kevin Love, barely featured yesterday. Eric Gordon and Rudy Gay didn’t see much action either. With such a young squad, Coach K will eventually have to throw the inexperienced into the fire, depending on them when the starters need a breather or aren’t getting it done.
With a minute remaining in the game and the score virtually locked, it was interesting to see who on Team USA would take control. Unsurprisingly, it was Mr. Big Shot, Chauncey Billups, with the ball in his hands.
The Americans now sit atop Group B with two games remaining, including tonight’s affair against Iran. A win and they advance to the knockout rounds, where they can’t afford these mental lapses against the likes of Argentina, Lithuania and the dominating host country, Turkey.
ESPN will air the game live at 12:00 PM EST. Check ESPN 3 for online coverage as well.
Pregame
Flynn is rehabbing from hip surgery, and provides the latest update on Twitter (via the Star Tribune): “Six weeks after surgery to repair his hip, Jonny Flynn reported today on his Twitter account that he’s off crutches and back walking for the first time in pool physical-therapy workouts. ‘Felt good to be able to walk,’ he wrote. He said he worked out at same place Vikings receiver Sidney Rice is rehabbing his injured hip.”
The AJC reports that Atlanta isn’t ready to pull the trigger on a Crawford trade anytime soon: “As for Jamal’s value on the trade market, I’m told at least three teams inquired about his availability before the pay-me-or-trade-me news came out but were rebuffed by the Hawks. I’ve got to think GM Rick Sund will try to re-establish those talks now and listen to any other offers that come in. I know there’s some sentiment to just deny Jamal the extension and have him report to camp (and he would), but would it be a good look for the Hawks to have an unhappy camper? “
Howard’s charitable organization will offer support to survivors of the earthquake in Haiti: “The Orlando Magic center announced today through his charitable foundation that he’ll co-host Concert for a Cause … Remembering Haiti at the House of Blues in Orlando on Sept. 15. Featured artists include DJ Chino, Kevin Cossom, K. Michelle and Rupee. Howard also announced that he will visit Haiti in September. The Dwight Howard Fund will support programs that will help Haitian youths affected by the January earthquake.”
San Antonio is giving D-Miles a look-see, according to the Express-News: “Another name to add to list of those working out for Spurs this week: Ex Clips/Cavs/Blazers/Grizzlies forward Darius Miles.”
by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni
The soap opera playing out in Denver is a lot like watching a bad marriage slowly crumble. One side (seemingly) wants out, while the other, knowing full well that everything would be ruined should a split happen, desperately tries to hang on.
The Nuggets introduced their new VP of basketball operations to the world yesterday, and his first task is the most important job in the entire organization: convince Carmelo Anthony to stay.
The team attempted to paint a rosy picture between Anthony’s representatives and front-office execs in Denver, and as the Denver Post reports, the Nuggets are ready to listen to ‘Melo, assuming he wants to talk:
The Nuggets’ new executive vice president of basketball operations, Masai Ujiri, reiterated Tuesday he intends to meet with Anthony soon to get a clearer picture of what the star forward wants to see in order to convince him Denver is the place to stay for at least three more seasons.
“I think that all the speculation is about the team,” Ujiri said. “I think the team is a good team. I don’t know if he has anything that he wants us to do. I think he’s been treated very well by this organization, and he’ll continue to be treated well by this organization. I’ll wait and talk to Melo and see what he has to say. I think so far things have been positive. There’s been a lot of speculation, but hey, that’s how it works in our business.”
“Anything that has been said is either someone trying to manipulate the situation behind the scenes or other motives that are unknown at this point,” [Josh] Kroenke said. “But Melo and his representation have been great to us. I think he knows he can come to me as an individual. We have that amount of respect that we can talk about things openly in a noncombative way. So anything that has been stated from sources behind sources . . . All of our talks have been extremely cordial. I haven’t had a negative conversation with Carmelo Anthony since I’ve known him, and that goes back to my time as a college basketball player. I don’t have a bad word to say about Melo as a person.”
The battle to win back Carmelo Anthony’s heart and mind in Denver has officially begun.
Milwaukee believes it’ll have its big fella back, and healthy in time for opening night. The Journal Sentinel reports: “Bogut suffered a gruesome, season-ending injury when he hit the Bradley Center floor after dunking the ball against Phoenix on April 3, and the 7-foot center suffered broken bones in his right wrist, a fractured right hand and index finger and dislocated right elbow. Now the focus switches to the upcoming season and Bogut’s ability to make a full recovery. He has been working diligently on his rehabilitation routine in his hometown of Melbourne, Australia, and is expected to return to Milwaukee on Tuesday as players begin arriving for informal workouts in anticipation of the 2010-’11 season. It’s unclear when Bogut will be ready to resume his place in the Bucks’ lineup, but team officials remain optimistic about his recovery. ‘Our hope and anticipation is that Andrew will be ready to go when the season begins,’ Bucks general manager John Hammond said. ‘The great thing about going through this process with Andrew is he’s proven to us as an organization and to our fans that his effort, energy and toughness will never be questioned.’”
The team’s head coach, John Kuester, likes what he sees from the team this summer, and expresses some guarded optimism for the upcoming season. From the Free Press: “A lot of players have been in our gym, and that’s good news,’ coach John Kuester said. ‘hey realize how important they are, and their making adjustments to make themselves better is very important for us. I’ll tell you this, what Tracy has done so far is put in a tremendous amount of time with Arnie. I had a chance to watch him work out, and he was moving extremely well.’ McGrady could be a key offensive component if he’s half the player he was five years ago. ‘One of the things that we see (in McGrady) is a player that had high potential at one time, and he is somebody that is working religiously with Arnie, and that’s so important…’ Kuester said. “McGrady is somebody that can give us a high-risk, high-reward situation.’ The Pistons think they can compete for a sixth, seventh or eighth playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. ‘We want to get back to the old way of doing things, where we’re competing,’ Kuester said. ‘We have a lot of players who are going to be competing in practice, and practice is going to dictate a lot of what is going to go on in the games.’”