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July 6, 2009 part II ...Watching the Orlando Summer League games reminded me of the old days when I might catch a high-school hoops tourney - or be coaching a church league game. In those days it was evident very quickly which teams had a chance to play for the championship and which teams would ball for the consolation. In Orlando - barring a last minute roster adjustment - Orlando and Utah will surely battle for last place. Championship teams looked like Boston, and Oklahoma City. Although they lost today - the New Jersey-Philadelphia entry looked like they could be good as well. Indiana surprised me and won in overtime in the opener against NJ-Phila. Tyler Hansbrough (game EFR.600), and Roy Hibbert (.551 game EFR) were the difference makers for Indy. A.J. Price came off the bench and outplayed starter Will Blaylock. For the Nets-Sixers combo squad - Marresse Speights (.648 game EFR) scored 28 points but the guys handling the ball (Jrue Holiday and Chris Douglas Roberts) were not sharing the sugar. NJ-PHIL should know (but they don’t) that Terrence Williams is actually their best option for running the team.  ...In game two - the Thunder dominated the Magic. D.J. White (game EFR .625) showed his knack for knocking down shots (6-10 FG), while Serge Ibaka (.761 game EFR) was as impressive as I’ve ever seen him be. His face-up game has improved and he already has the athleticism. Russell Westbrook did whatever he wanted to do with the dribble although he missed some shots. His .666 EFR for the game playing Point Guard is a huge reason why OKC toyed with Orlando. Westbrook attempted 18 free throws—making 16. OKC draft pick James Harden could not have been much more effective - scoring 17 points in only 21 minutes. His game EFR was .857. ...Ryan Anderson (game EFR .594)was one of only two Magic players worth a poop on this day. The other good Orlando player was Richard Hendrix  (game EFR .866). We lobbied long and hard last year for Hendrix to be picked higher than he was. I maintain he should be in the NBA right now. He was a Warriors cut and D-Leaguer last season.

July 6, 2009 ...R.i.P. Vibe Magazine. Founded by Quincy Jones (who later sold controlling rights) - Vibe was once a must-read, subscription joint that thrived during the east-west, Tupac vs. Biggie controversy. This offers further proof that the print media industry is doomed. Sell any and all stock you may have in any print media outlet. It’s over. Major newspapers (Rocky Mountain News, Seattle Post-Intelligencer) have been dying and now magazines are following suit. When a mag like Vibe dies—it is another huge clue. Vibe readers were always trendsetters. If they are not supporting the printed word - give it a few years before Rolling Stone and others become online electronic outlets only. ...You can watch Orlando Summer League on the web by following the link at NBA.com. Unfortunately - they have two clowns doing comedy rather than calling the games and teaching us something.

 

July 4, 2009 ...The San Antonio Spurs, it says here, are THE team to watch out for as far as a 2009-2010 turnaround is concerned. If you frequent this space - you know how much I believe in efficiency as a means toward winning basketball games.  With that in mind - the Spurs helped themselves tremendously this early Summer. The biggest factor as I see it is the replacement of Bruce Bowen with Richard Jefferson. While Bowen’s team contributions were very hard to measure by efficiency alone—the science of his productivity never lied. Jefferson is historically a full .200 efficiency points better than Bowen.  Without boring you further—suffice it to say—in all my years of tracking efficiency it is VERY VERY rare to gain that many efficiency points with one change to your lineup. An early mock of NBA starting fives for next season shows the Spurs as the highest rated by EFR (using Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Jefferson, Matt Bonner, and Tim Duncan).  The Spurs also had DaJuan Blair fall into their lap in the second round of the Draft. If his knees hold up - he makes them even more efficient. ...Having extensively watched Ron Artest play in Sacramento - I believe the Lakers have just gotten better. For all of Ron Ron’s efficiency shortcomings - his defensive prowess more than makes up for the handful of bad shots he is sure to take. Could he still blow a fuse? Absolutely. But if he doesn’t - the Lakers - with one player - just became infinitely tougher. ...And I like Trevor Ariza! But Ariza with all of his potential - just is not yet at a point to impact a game on both ends the way Artest does.  ...I keep hearing that T.J. Ford is out there for the taking if the price is right. Indiana won’t give him away but I can’t believe more teams are not clamoring for him. Yes, he misses games. But he also has special quickness, and passing ability. I think he is one of the game’s best dozen Point Guards. But no-one yet has turned him loose. He shared time with Jose Calderon at Toronto, and he was in the same boat with Jarrett Jack last season. I think some team needs to take a shot at him now while his value is low and while the Pacers still think that Jack is the better player.

July 2, 2009 ...Several players I am fond of that went undrafted have landed on Summer League rosters. The Kings will have both Jerel McNeal and Wesley Matthews from Marquette. ...Minnesota did well to land Paul Harris, Garret Siler, and Ben Woodside on their Vegas team. I believe Harris is an NBA player right now. Siler - is from a D-II program at Augusta State but he was excellent in the Portsmouth Invitational and I am very interested to see what he can do at the NBA (SL) level. Woodside is a player that I think has the skill and toughness to find a niche in the NBA. Sources tell us he outplayed Lester Hudson in one-on-one match ups during pre-Draft workouts.  Hudson was drafted in the second round by the Celtics (and I am a fan of his too). ...Kyle Hines is on the OKC roster for the Orlando Summer League. I thought Hines should have been drafted last year.

He is 6’6” and for some reason people can’t get past that. He played in Italy and led his team in scoring (19 ppg) on 66% FG for the season (AND his team won!). He also grabbed nine boards per game. Hines was undrafted out of UNC Greensboro in `08 despite being one of only six players in NCAA history to score 2,000 points, grab 1,000 rebounds and block 300 shots.

July 1, 2009 ...If you thought you might see a Draft review here - check back in five years. ...Just back from Las Vegas where I scouted places to have fun during the upcoming NBA Summer League. Okay - the truth is - I went to LV for a concert and then stayed a few days to relax following the Draft and some other (auto-racing) stuff I had been working on. ...Three places that get our endorsement: X/S nightclub, Firefly Tapas, and Maggiano’s Little Italy. The X/S club is at the Encore Hotel and Casino. I urge you to check it out even if you have just a passing interest in such things. 40,000 square feet, and reported to be the most expensive nightclub ever built, X/S is sure to be THE spot all summer.  ... FireFly is ‘off the strip’ on Paradise.  Fantastic small dishes at a place open until 2 am! ...Finally at Dad’s suggestion—I hit Maggiano’s - a top tier chain Italian restaurant. Top notch! Plus the location is directly across from Wynn in a cool Jetson’s looking structure.