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• K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune: Kirk Hinrich's projected role — backing up both Derrick Rose and Jimmy Butler at guard — could aid in his quest to have a healthier 2013-14. "I'm excited," Hinrich said. "I've come off the bench before and enjoyed it. I feel I can come in and bring energy. That will be a good role for me. Most of the injuries last year were just bad luck, so I try not to put too much stock into it. But early in last year's preseason, I had a lot of my small muscle groups hurting. So I'm just trying to do a lot more flexibility and functional stuff in the weight and training rooms before and after practice to prevent that." Indeed, one of Hinrich's regular-season injuries was freakish — a burst bursa sac in his right elbow that became infected. And who can forget Hinrich's final game, when he tied a franchise record by playing 59 minutes, 36 seconds in the triple-overtime victory over the Nets in Game 4.
• Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic: The 2013-14 version of the Suns head to Flagstaff Monday for a six-day training camp that begins a season of low expectations from the outside and high anticipation on the inside. There will be 10 new faces, but the return of a familiar one feeds the anticipation: Channing Frye announced Sunday that he is cleared to join the camp after a year away from basketball due to an enlarged heart. “It’s been a long journey getting healthy, but I did it through the support of my friends and family and with my will to not give up,” Frye said. “I’m very excited to be a part of this new young Suns team. I take pride in this uniform and can’t wait to run out of the tunnel to the fans that have been supportive throughout this whole process.” … Frye will ease into basketball activity, just as the Suns did with another big man this summer. Alex Len, the Suns’ No.5 draft pick, underwent surgeries on his left ankle in May and right ankle in July but resumed light court work in August. Last week, Len joined the voluntary workouts’ 5-on-5 scrimmages for 10 to 12 plays at a time with no pain.
• Bruce Arthur of the National Post: The NBA is a lot like Hollywood: it matters who you know, how successful you are, how much power you wield. People want to be attached to a blockbuster; over the past four years LeBron James went from Cleveland to Miami, Chris Bosh went from Toronto to Miami, Carmelo Anthony went from Denver to New York, Dwight Howard has gone from Orlando to L.A. to Houston, and Chris Paul has gone from New Orleans to L.A. Oh, and Brooklyn raided Boston, and others. As one NBA executive lamented not long ago, “I swear, this league is 60% luck.” So maybe Drake becomes a point of entry, which combined with Tim Leiweke’s connections to Hollywood — and hey, CAA, which is a force in the NBA — Toronto becomes something other than an outpost. But alone, it’s window dressing, fizz. The All-Star Game won’t help much, either. It’s recently been held in New Orleans, in Orlando, in Atlanta, in Phoenix, after which their best players left. The All-Star Game is a billboard, but a blank billboard doesn’t do much good. And that’s why despite the presence of Drake, Rob Ford, NBA commissioner-in-waiting Adam Silver and Leiweke at the press conference, the most important figure remains Raptors general manager Masai Ujiri, who has spent the summer quietly sitting on the competitive fence, the Andrea Bargnani trade notwithstanding.
• Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer: Managing owner Josh Harris reiterated Sunday that the 76ers are not moving to North Jersey. "My answer to the fans is I love the Sixers in Philly. I'm committed to it," Harris said during his state-of-the-Sixers news conference. Harris' keeping the franchise in Philadelphia isn't a surprise to people who know the billionaire businessman. They will tell you the surprising thing is that he's on board with the Sixers' tanking this season. "I want immediate results and immediate upside," he said. "But I think that the reality of professional sports is that things don't change overnight." The things that will allow Harris to keep his sanity during what will be a trying season are his offseason moves that were geared to bring a championship to Philadelphia in a few seasons.
• Frank Isola of the New York Daily News: Amar'e Stoudemire's hectic summer didn't include much basketball but it did include yet another knee surgery, the Daily News has learned. According to a Knicks source, Stoudemire had an unreported surgical procedure in July to repair one of his ailing knees. The Knicks open camp on Tuesday and have yet to announce that Stoudemire has had a third knee operation in 12 months. The surgery was described as "clean up" and isn't considered major. However, the secrecy surrounding Stoudemire's latest health issue could be an indication that the club is not optimistic that they can rely on the veteran power forward. Stoudemire appeared in just 29 games last season and had debridement surgeries on both of his knees, the right knee in October and the left in March.
• Christopher Dempsey of The Denver Post: (New head coach Brian Shaw) will let training camp decide which players fall into which roles, but more important, the month of practices and eight preseason games will be the guide to what the Nuggets' new identity will be. Under previous coach George Karl, it was all run, all the time. Shaw will likely blunt some of that breakneck pace and will likely slot in a mixture of speed to continue using the altitude to the Nuggets' advantage and half-court patterns to make sure Denver can execute against any team, in any situation. "We're going to have to establish what our identity is as a team," Shaw said. "At this point, I don't know yet. I haven't had all the guys together. The last two years, when we were in Indiana, we were a smash-mouth basketball team. We did not relent; we did not give in to going small because other teams went small; we stayed true to who we were and took advantage of our length and size and our energy and power. I'll have to see what we're made of and what our identity will be. It will show itself when we get everybody together and get started."
• Bob Finnan of The News-Herald: If center Andrew Bynum misses the entire preseason, the Cavaliers don’t seem to think it will be the end of the world. The 7-foot, 285-pounder missed the entire 2012-13 season after having surgery on both knees. The former All-Star center signed a two-year, $24.5 million contract with the Cavs in the offseason. Only $6 million is guaranteed. The Cavs’ goal appears to be getting Bynum ready for the regular season. If he misses the majority of the preseason, so be it is the feeling from the team. Cavs media day is Monday and all eyes will be on Bynum. However, don’t expect to see Bynum on the practice court when training camp begins on Tuesday. Cavs coach Mike Brown said recently there’s been no timetable established for Bynum’s return. He hasn’t started court work yet, but he’s running on a treadmill.
• Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times: After spending the last 61/2 seasons with the division rival Indiana Pacers and Milwaukee Bucks, Mike Dunleavy knew what the Bulls were about. His impressions were reaffirmed last spring, when he watched the Bulls beat the Brooklyn Nets in the first round of the playoffs without Rose, Luol Deng and Kirk Hinrich, then go toe-to-toe with the eventual NBA champion Miami Heat before falling in five games. ‘‘Absolutely, players take note of that,’’ the sharpshooting Dunleavy said of joining a team that shows fight. ‘‘This is a high-character team. You could tell with the way other guys stepped up. There were no excuses. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be part of something like that?’’ But then there was the issue of money. Dunleavy was projected to be a $5 million-to-$7 million-a-year signee. The Bulls got him for $3 million a year for the next two seasons. Sure, players have been pointing to the collective-bargaining agreement negotiated by former National Basketball Players Association executive director Billy Hunter as hurting the free-agent market. But Dunleavy, 33, said money wasn’t the biggest priority at this stage of his career. ‘‘The ghost of Billy Hunter will be haunting us for a long time, but . . . I’ve done well financially, so I could make a decision on what would make me happy,’’ Dunleavy said. ‘‘At this point, it’s playing with a group like this, having a chance to win.’’
• Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald: If you’re a bottom-line, show-me-the-scoreboard kind of person, then the 2013-14 Celtics may not be your cup of entertainment. But this edition will not lack for story lines. It will be interesting to see how first-time NBA coach Brad Stevens adapts to his new digs and how well he establishes a working relationship with players who won’t have to sit out a year if they transfer. It will be beyond interesting to see how Rajon Rondo adjusts both physically and sociologically to playing without Pierce and Garnett. How much of what we saw from rookie Kelly Olynyk in July was the product of summer-league competition? Is Jeff Green ready to exhibit his considerable talent on a more consistent basis? Who among the Brooklyn refugees is here for more than a cup of chowder? The Celtics are wise to be patient as they seek to repackage their roster and multiple first-round draft picks into a worthy entity. But they are still on the clock as regards Rondo, who can be a free agent in two years. Before then, the Celts must show they are close enough to being good to make him want to stay, or, failing that, find the right trade for Rondo before he abdicates.
• Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel: The Magic will test rookie Victor Oladipo immediately. Oladipo, who played shooting guard in college, will be asked to play perhaps a significant amount at point guard, continuing the experiment the team began during its summer-league exhibitions. Oladipo faces a difficult test in the weeks ahead. A rookie season is difficult for any player — even someone who played three years of college ball at Indiana, as Oladipo did — and now Oladipo will try to pick up the nuances of the most complex position on the floor. Magic officials believe he can excel as a defender at both guard positions, but anyone would acknowledge Oladipo will have some rough moments on the offensive end of the court. But that should be OK given that the Magic are in Year Two of their rebuilding project. Taking some lumps now might pay major dividends a few years down the road as long as his confidence remains intact.
• Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman: The Oklahoma City Thunder will travel to Turkey as scheduled this week for its preseason opener despite the country's ongoing violence and the highly publicized crisis in neighboring Syria. Concerns over the safety of players, coaches and team and league personnel raised questions recently about whether the first leg of the Thunder's two-game European tour would be canceled. But the Thunder is scheduled to depart for Istanbul on Wednesday, with the team left to trust that the NBA-mandated trip will be as secure as any other road game. With a Sept. 6 travel warning issued by the U.S. Department of State to U.S. citizens traveling to or living in Turkey, Thunder general manager Sam Presti was asked last week about security concerns abroad. Presti directed the question to the NBA. But not before calling it “a very fair question.”
• Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press: Locker rooms can be crowded places during training camps. But that won’t be the case with the Pistons when camp begins Tuesday. Barring a last-minute invite, the 15 under contract will be the only players hitting the practice floor Tuesday morning when coach Maurice Cheeks opens his first camp with the Pistons. The NBA-mandated roster limit is 15 during the regular season, but teams can invite more players to camp for various reasons. The Knicks are bringing 20 players to camp. But with a roster with an average age of 25 and eight new players, the Pistons want to give minutes to their young players and for their regulars to start developing chemistry. There are also several camp battles to watch so it should make for a competitive environment. “This is probably what, in the old-school days, training camp was about, ... competing for spots, competing for minutes, and it gets no better than this right here when you have a lot of guys who can play different positions and in order to get minutes they have to be able to beat out another guy,” Cheeks said last week.
• Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle: After two days and three practices, the Rockets are beginning to run out of centers. Dwight Howard remains the center of attention, but his predecessor as the Rockets’ starter, Omer Asik, left the floor late in Sunday’s practice with a strained calf muscle. He is listed as day-to-day. Greg Smith (strained right hip) is also day-to-day and Marcus Camby (plantar fasciitis) is out this week, leaving Howard and rookie Jordan Henriquez available at the position. Guard/forward Francisco Garcia sat out Sunday to rest the sore groin muscle he tweaked at the Tournament of the Americas, but had been practicing.
• Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com Most of the team's newly acquired ammo will come off the bench and provide the necessary fire power and rest for starters. The addition of Mo Williams, CJ McCollum, Dorell Wright, Thomas Robinson and Earl Watson is a massive upgrade from last year's second unit. Those acquisition, alone, should pencil-in the Trail Blazers into the playoffs. However, if this team is serious about competing in more than 89 games this year (7 preseason + 82 regular season games), it's going to have to be a drastic change on the defensive end. Head coach Terry Stotts said this past offseason that they will instill a different set of defensive principles this year. He didn't elaborate at the time, but believe it's safe to say that the guards will benefit heavily from such a change. Reason being is most of the time perimeter defenders are told to shade their opponent to one particular side, knowing that you have help behind you. Often the plan is to force them to go baseline as most coaches hate giving up the middle.
• Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram: As the Mavs hold their Media Day on Monday and open training camp on Tuesday, Gersson Rosas will try to work his magic again while humbly standing in the background. He knows he made the right move by leaving the Rockets for the Mavs. “There could have potentially been more options for me in the future around the league, but Dallas was a special place that I didn’t want to pass up on,” Rosas said. “I see a lot of potential here. “There’s a championship heritage here that’s important to me, and you have all the resources to be successful. It’s just the opportunity to do the work, and that’s why I’m here.” Lindsey, who has known Rosas since he was 22 years old, believes the Mavs have hired one of the fastest-rising young executives in the NBA who will do wonders for their franchise. “I think he’s a great example of someone who is a great student that has grinded his way to the top, yet didn’t skip any steps,” Lindsey said. “So it’s just a terrific example of what a high level of character and work ethic can do for you.”

• Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: As with almost every element of the "LeBron Watch," it's all about reading the signs. So in advance of LeBron unveiling his limited-edition watch for Audemars Piguet on Friday night, there was this from an interview with Women's Wear Daily, regarding his potential 2014 free-agency plans and where he eventually would look to settle down in retirement: "I miss the slower pace back home but have grown used to my new city's little perks like fresh fish and sweet fruit. It will definitely be someplace warm. I don't want to go back to cold winters." LeBron, an Akron native, of course, has been linked to a possible return to Cleveland next summer, as well as a potential move to the Los Angeles Lakers.
• Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald: No, Dwyane Wade assured, his testy Twitter exchange with Oklahoma City star Kevin Durant was not a joke, not a publicity ploy for Gatorade (for whom they previously filmed a commercial) or any other product. But Wade is ready to diffuse the situation. Asked Thursday night if Durant’s comment that James Harden should replace Wade on Sports Illustrated’s list of the Top 10 players was uncalled for, Wade said: “Everyone has an opinion. We’re in an age now where everyone uses their opinion. That was it. He had an opinion. I had a response.” Asked if their exchange was a joke, he smiled and said, “No.”
• Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times: For the first time in 14 years, when the Lakers open training camp Saturday they will be taking the floor in the middle of a Dodgers town. The domination of buzz that began with the Kobe Bryant era in 1996 has at least temporarily ended this fall as the Lakers find themselves surrounded in dysfunction, confusion and blue. Giant gold jerseys bearing No. 24 are being replaced by oversized blue shirts bearing No. 66. Lakers flags are being pulled out of car windows to make room for Dodgers flags. Worry about Steve Nash's legs have been muted over concern for Andre Ethier's shins. Bryant took a self-publicized high dive, yet more people were talking about the Dodgers going swimming. This columnist will not repeat the assumptions that led to the long-ago mistake of calling this a UCLA football town. The Lakers-Dodgers climate change could end by next summer, when the Lakers will have the money and space to bringLeBron James to town. But since the death of Jerry Buss, the Lakers have no longer been the Lakers, so who knows what happens next? Meanwhile, with the best and richest lineup in baseball and the money to keep it going, the Dodgers have again become the Dodgers, a team that owned this city even through the Showtime era, a group that has the economic stability to own it again.
• Nate Taylor and Harvey Araton of The New York Times: The decision to replace Grunwald, 55, with Mills may be an effort by the Knicks to position themselves for the pursuit of stars. Dolan may have concluded that Mills, who also worked a number of years for the N.B.A. in addition to his decade with the Knicks, and who got to know a significant number of agents and top players as he vied in recent months for the union job, will be a good person to lead the team’s free-agent efforts. Those efforts could include finding a way to shed the final part of Amar’e Stoudemire’s contract after this season to create cap maneuverability and possibly even make another run at LeBron James when he becomes eligible for free agency next summer. Mills could also lead an effort to lure another star player to the Knicks after this season, in part to persuade Carmelo Anthony to stay in New York. Anthony can opt out of his contract next summer. It seems possible that the Knicks, feeling the pressure of a much more visible and competitive Nets team nearby in Brooklyn, have concluded that their team needs a more accessible public face and that Mills would do well in that role.
• Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee: While speaking with league sources about the four-year contract extension DeMarcus Cousins has agreed to with the Kings in principle, I learned another interesting bit of information: NBA Commissioner David Stern plans to attend the Kings home/season opener Oct. 30 at Sleep Train Arena. I am assuming Stern will be in Miami the previous night for the championship ring ceremony at the Heat-Bulls game, and then just hop onto his private jet for the 3,000-mile flight to California. No one should be surprised. Keeping the Kings in Sacramento has been on Stern's 'to do" list for at least a decade. And, obviously, his relationship with Sacramento mayor Kevin Johnson, and former Golden State Warriors minority owner Vivek Ranadive - who had been itching to become a majority partner - facilitated the sale of the team and the proposed downtown arena. After this ordeal, there is no way the Commissioner, who retires Feb. 1, misses out on the emotional opening night celebration.
• Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times: And as Bulls fans know all too well after the last three seasons, LeBron James’ rule has not been good for them. The Miami Heat forward is responsible for two of the Bulls’ last three playoff runs ending earlier than they hoped. In the bigger picture, James’ last six years stack up very closely to Jordan’s best seven-year stretch, before his first retirement. From 1986 to 1993, Jordan averaged 33.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and 6.0 assists per game, while James averaged 28.2 points, 7.7 rebounds and 7.3 assists from 2007 to 2013. Both are known for elite defense, but James has shown to be more versatile, guarding any spot on the floor. While their mind-sets on offense are completely different — James is more facilitator, Jordan was more assassin — they’ll be tied even more closely together if James and the Heat win a third consecutive NBA title this season, when James will still be 29. The Bulls’ mission is to stop that from happening. … It’ll be a great one if they can stay healthy, starting with Rose. While the Indiana Pacers also are expected by some to be the Heat’s primary obstacle in the Eastern Conference, the Pacers don’t have Rose. The problem is the Bulls might not have him, either — at least the Rose they had before he tore his left anterior cruciate ligament. But if the one-time MVP is anywhere close to what he was during the 2010-11 season — with an improved jump shot from all the rehab time — the Pacers will be the third wheel. Will it be enough to end James’ run at history? The Bulls start training camp Friday, and they know kings don’t abdicate their thrones easily.
• Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune: When the regular season opens Oct. 30 against Oklahoma City, Kanter will likely step into a starting role, signaling a brand new era of Jazz basketball. The team watched seven players exit in free agency, allowing Kanter, Derrick Favors, Gordon Hayward, Alec Burks and Trey Burke to all step into marquee roles. … The Jazz offseason was strategically quiet, with the Jazz adding players who would not get in the way of plans to turn the team over to a young core that includes Kanter. "That’s what the fans have been waiting for," Kanter said, "so that’s why I was like, ‘I cannot do crazy stuff and crazy tweets.’ " However, Jazz officials know they can’t ask for too much too quickly from their young stars, and with that, Kanter can’t leave the behavior that made him a fan favorite entirely behind. After the kids had filed out of the gym Thursday, he interrupted his declaration of maturity to make a quiet confession. "I still watch SpongeBob," he said.
• Tom Layman of the Boston Herald: In the wake of Danny Ainge’s comments that Rajon Rondo may not be back until December, new Celtics coach Brad Stevens thinks he has an in-house candidate to fill the star point guard’s shoes. Stevens said Avery Bradley may indeed see the bulk of the point guard duties until Rondo finds his way back from offseason knee surgery. “I don’t think there is any doubt that Avery has elite ability in a lot of ways as a point guard,” Stevens said at TD Garden yesterday morning, where he was a guest at the breakfast to promote November’s Coaches vs. Cancer college basketball tripleheader. “He’s an elite defender at the position. He’s an elite athlete at the point guard position. I think he’s a guy that’s gotten better. I think he’s a guy with more confidence, and I think he’s excited about the challenge if Rajon is out.” Bradley played well in flashes last season, but he also looked miscast as a point guard in Doc Rivers’ system. There is no denying Bradley’s acumen on the defensive side of the ball. The trick will be for him to find the abilities to facilitate the offense and produce some scoring — traits that weren’t consistently on display last year.
• John Canzano of The Oregonian: Monday marks another Trail Blazers media day. The NBA players will take promotional photographs, and perform those video vignettes you see at the home arena during timeouts. For a decade I've watched the players suit up and sit around like a friend on New Year's Eve, vowing, "This year, I'm serious; I'm going on a diet." The thing turns into a massive Eyeroll Festival. It's time for that to change. On Monday, nobody wants to hear the Blazers make the same tired promises. No talking about how much better the locker room feels, how they'll "try to compete for the playoffs" or "We're going to really push tempo this season." LaMarcus Aldridge said on media day in 2012, "I think it's a whole new feeling this year, which is good. Kind of like a new start after last season." If he trots that trite stuff out as an opening statement on Monday someone should poke him in the eye. If he declares the outlook for the 2013-14 Blazers -- as he did last September -- is, "as long as we get better every night... we should be good," he should face a firing line of year-old Chalupas. If coach Terry Stotts says, "We're looking to compete for a playoff spot. I don't know why anyone would say otherwise," he should have to take a lap around the arena. Enough with the meaningless talk. If the Blazers want to make Monday count, what we need to hear is that they will make the playoffs this season. Yes, I'd like a guarantee. Bet you would, too. Because as long as the organization is asking fans to invest their disposable income and emotion in this franchise, the least that a playoff-worthy roster can do is vow that, "It's playoffs or bust."
• Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel: The Magic will be ultra-cautious as they bring Glen Davis back from his most recent foot surgery — making sure he doesn't do too much, too soon — and he will miss training camp, perhaps the entire preseason and maybe the beginning of the regular season. But Davis remains the Magic's best low-post defender. Once he's fully healthy, I envision him returning to his starting role, although Tobias Harris, Andrew Nicholson and Jason Maxiell could push him for minutes at the 4. Offensively, Davis is at his best when he's on the move and driving to the hoop. He has a tendency to fall in love with his midrange jumper. Davis could draw interest from other teams as the NBA trade deadline approaches on Feb. 20.
• Michael Pointer of The Indianapolis Star: What position does the now very rich Paul George play? George signed a five-year contract extension worth more than $90 million this week and his versatility is one of his best traits. Coach Frank Vogel can use him at shooting guard, small forward and even power forward, and have him to defend the opposing team’s top player, no matter where he plays. There’s a good chance you will see him at all three spots this season.
• Vincent Goodwill of The Detroit News: Brandon Jennings sat on the outside looking in during this summer’s free-agency frenzy, arriving in Detroit in a three-year deal via sign-and-trade. The Pistons believe he’ll return to his prep school mode of being a distributor first, rather than primarily looking for his own offense, as he’s done during his first four years in the NBA. Jennings represents an upgrade over Brandon Knight in terms of point guard aptitude, but he must be willing to buy into the system and set up his teammates. Rumors of the Pistons pursuing Boston point guard Rajon Rondo won’t amount to anything anytime soon. Jennings can quiet them with steady play.
• Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer: Brett Brown's message for Evan Turner: Don't read media reports. "And I hope he's not caring about what goes on Twitter," the new 76ers coach said. Brown wants the Sixers' second overall draft pick in 2010 to get into a gym and rediscover a passion for the game. He said the key would be to go back to his time as a youth when he really enjoyed playing basketball. "Now that sounds a lot easier than it is to achieve," Brown said. "But it starts with the knowledge that you are putting in the time. You get a new toy to play with. And you are being allowed with that in a new place in the house. You need to help him find ways to really find a way to love." Turner appeared frustrated while playing under coach Doug Collins the last three seasons. The 6-foot-7 guard/forward also has been inconsistent since coming out of Ohio State as a junior. Turner averaged a career-best 13.3 points last season and was the only Sixer to start all 82 games. But for every solid performance, he had two or three horrible nights.
• Nakia Hogan of The Times-Picayune: Pelicans forward Jason Smith, who played for the 76ers during Jrue Holiday's rookie season in 2009-10, was effusive in his praise of their new point guard. "He's great," Smith said. "I got to play with him one year in Philadelphia. I have been praising him since Day 1. He is the most underrated point guard out there. That's a testament to how hard he works and the kind of guy he is on and off the court. … But Holiday isn't expected to be a savior for a New Orleans franchise that has combined to win just 48 games the past two seasons. He is, however, expected to be a key ingredient to an organization that has been rebranded and its roster overhauled. "Hopefully it's to be the vessel of the coach on the court," Holiday said of his role. … "We have guys like Anthony Davis, Ryan Anderson, Tyreke (Evans), even Eric Gordon, so I just have to get them the ball where it needs to be. I'll have to even penetrate at times, maybe get a shot and make something happen. But for the most part, I don't think it will be directly focused around me." With that nucleus, Holiday believes the Pelicans won't have any trouble winning much more than they have in the past.
• Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle: The Rockets, CEO Tad Brown said, will sell out every home game this season. For the Rockets in the Toyota Center era, that is a huge proclamation. “We’re further ahead in our sales process at this time than we ever have been,” Brown said heading into the start of team workouts Saturday. “The season-ticket base is up 34 percent. We are close to being sold out of season tickets. And we are pretty confident with the excitement that this team has already created in the market that we’ll be sold out of every game.” The Rockets have sold out every home game in just four seasons of their history, none since moving into Toyota Center in 2003. Beginning in 1994-95, the second championship season, they had a streak of 176 consecutive sellouts, including 149 consecutive regular-season games. The Rockets sold out 20 home games last season, including 10 of the final 15, but sales took off with the July signing of Dwight Howard.
• Bob Finnan of The News-Herald: The Cavaliers are attempting to strengthen their bond with their season-ticket holders. Last season, the Cavs launched Wine & Gold United, a year-round, season ticket-based membership program. They promised their members unprecedented and unique access. On Thursday, they provided a perk to their members and tried to deliver on that commitment. After getting league approval, they announced they would print the name of each Wine & Gold United member on the Quicken Loans Arena floor, starting with the 2013-14 season. Each account holder’s name will be displayed in the Cavs’ “All For One, One For All” gold-lettered decal. It will be positioned opposite the team benches. Throughout the season, members will have an opportunity to see their names on the court.

Damian Lillard says he could play better. The reigning rookie of the year says shorter minutes would help.

In the second part of a conversation (here's part one, rapid fire) he also discusses scams ("it's more common than people think"), egos ("it's something you get tired of"), and more.

• Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times: It’s either smart business or a dangerous game of chicken with the hopes of landing the best player in the world in LeBron James. A long shot? Definitely, but with the Bulls at least in the conversation with James in his first decision, one that the organization has to explore. Herb Rudoy, however, said on Wednesday that choosing this path could cost the Bulls Deng come July 1, and despite Deng wanting to stay, any idea of home-town discounts if talks eventually restart are out the window. … Rudoy was asked if Forman indicated that the Bulls first wanted to try and look at bigger options before opening up talks again with Deng, and said that wasn’t relayed to him. “Of course they didn’t say they didn’t want him back, so that was never discussed,’’ Rudoy said. “I told Gar they are running the risk that someone can step up on July 1 and they can lose him. “At this point, we’re not looking to do anything except get the best deal possible. We’ll see what happens and we’ll see what’s out there. He loves Chicago, loves playing for [coach Tom] Thibodeau, really loves playing for Thibodeau, but he will look for the best offer.’’
• David Hyde of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: Michael Beasley isn't just a strange signing for the Heat. He's the exact kind of player club president Pat Riley usually avoids. Do you know that kid in your class who never grew up? Who you can't reach in and re-wire? That seems to be Beasley.
• Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: In a dramatic and extraordinary move, the Miami Heat have invited their 2008 No. 2 overall NBA Draft pick Michael Beasley to training camp, with a contract that exposes the team to no binding commitment. After previously emphatically denying the possibility of a reunion following the forward's buyout release from the Phoenix Suns last week, the Heat, according to a source familiar with the situation, will bring Beasley back on a non-guaranteed, make-good contract. The agreement with Beasley comes at a time when he remains under investigation for sexual assault in Scottsdale, Ariz., for a January incident at his home there, and a month after his arrest in Scottsdale on suspicion of drug possession, after an officer detected the smell of marijuana coming from his vehicle. A source familiar with the Heat's approach said the team views the signing as a low-risk addition, citing Beasley's potential upside, noting Beasley does not turn 25 until January. To say the Heat's approach was tepid would be an understatement.
• Ethan J. Skolnick of the Palm Beach Post: Essentially, it’s a camp tryout. That’s the penance that Beasley is paying for his assorted transgressions, whether they got him on the police blotter (such as a recent arrest on suspicion of drug possession) or just in the coach’s doghouse, as was the case with the Suns. It’s not no-risk, because nothing is, not when you’re injecting anyone into a locker room, particularly someone who hasn’t shown half the maturity of most of the teammates he will be joining, and whose absence some Heat insiders have credited for his friend Mario Chalmers’ growth. But it’s certainly low risk. It’s low risk because if Beasley’s lack of seriousness is irritating Dwyane Wade, as often appeared the case on the court during their last collaboration, Miami can move on. (For what it’s worth, Wade has continued to praise Beasley’s talent publicly, while generally adding “it’s up to him” to be great.) If Beasley bristles about minutes, which figure to be scarcer than in Phoenix last season (20.7 per game), Miami can move on. If Beasley doesn’t do everything the way LeBron James demands, when James demands it, Miami can move on. And, of course, if Beasley finds himself in any additional legal trouble, Miami can move on. That’s the new Beasley plan. It’s up to him to make it work, since he has more riding on it than the Heat do.
• Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald: Talked to a Phoenix Suns person tonight who said two of Michael Beasley’s biggest problems last season were ones familiar to Heat fans: Hogging the ball at times (which frustrated teammates and his two head coaches) and deficient defense. He said teams often went to the player Beasley was defending to exploit that matchup. His efficiency and shooting percentage have either stayed the same or gone down every year. He shot 47.2 percent as a rookie, then 45, 45, 44.5 and 40.5 last season with Phoenix. He’s best from mid-range, shooting 46.1 percent from 10 to 16 feet last season, but just 30.6 percent from 3 to 10, and 34.9 from 16 feet to the three-point line. He shot just 31.3 percent on threes last season, 34.5 percent in his career. His metrics in games when he plays 20 minutes or fewer are much worse than games when he plays more --- which is largely the result of the fact that coaches will play him less if he gets off to a bad start.
• Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic: The Suns took the high-risk, low-reward approach to the Beasley signing and tried to overwhelm him with support, even up to this offseason when he stayed in Phoenix and the Suns invested in rehabilitating him. In Miami, the risk is even lower and the reward would not take much, given he is not coming in with hopes of being a leading scorer like what Phoenix wished to get . Grant HIll could have been an ideal mentor for Beasley but he left disgruntled last year and Lance Blanks tried to become Beasley’s mentor in addition to a counselor they hired for him. The Miami mentorship already showed it can work wtih Chris Andersen, who once served a two-year suspension for violating the NBA’s anti-drug policy but proved to be a critical piece for the Heat’s title run last season. The inconsistency of Beasley’s game, attention and effort will not be as exaggerated with a mature, successful team. And when he does go awry, the impact and price will not sting so much for a team counting on him little and paying him a NBA pittance. But it will still come down to the decisions Beasley makes when the good influences are not around him. Can he make logical choices, like keeping substances out of his car for a drive home in case he gets pulled over?
• Michael Lee of The Washington Post: But with training camp less than three weeks away, the Wizards and John Wall should feel encouraged that he is playing — and playing well — regardless of the venue. The success of the team will hinge on his continued development and ability to stay healthy. Wall, who recently celebrated his 23rd birthday in New York, looked like he will be ready to go full bore during training camp as he lead his Blue team to a 111-95 victory in a game that also featured NBA players Anthony Davis, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Brandon Knight, Patrick Patterson and Terrence Jones. DeMarcus Cousins and Eric Bledsoe, Wall’s good friends and former teammates for one year at Kentucky, were assistant coaches and helped get the most out of him — with a little reverse psychology. “E. Bled told me I wasn’t going to get 40, so I went to go get 40,” Wall proclaimed to reporters after the game. Wall also made an interesting declaration when asked after the game which point guard was the best to ever play for Calipari. “Me,” Wall said quickly. “That’s just my competitive edge. I’m always going to say me.” Former league most valuable player and three-time all-star Derrick Rose might disagree with Wall, but the comment was more a reflection of the confidence that Wall has begun to exude after remarkable finish to his third season, which he eventually helped him receive a five-year, $80 million extension in August.
• Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News: Rather than projecting, perhaps a more interesting discussion might be, what constitutes a superstar? Kawhi Leonard used the word this summer to describe his ultimate goal, and it’s nebulous distinction. Where, exactly, are the cut-offs from good, to great, to even better than that? Can Leonard reach the ultimate level without becoming a significantly better scorer? The list of players who have become legitimate, game-changing stars based mainly on their defense is short, and it’s almost entirely limited to centers like Bill Russell and Ben Wallace. Sure, there have been plenty of elite wings who dominated in their own way, one of the best of which was Bruce Bowen. Leonard proved his mettle during the Finals, doing about as reasonable job as could be expected against a player, LeBron James, who will go down among the five best to ever put on an NBA uniform. Thanks to the individual nature of perimeter matchups, however, it’s always going to be difficult, if not impossible, for a wing to match the macro impact of a dominant defensive big. That puts more emphasis on the scoring piece, which loops us back to the previous paragraphs: At 22, with work ethic and ambition to match his prodigious physical gifts, Leonard oozes with potential, even after already establishing himself as an impact player. But a key component of potential is that it hasn’t happened yet.
• Marcus Thompson II of The Oakland Tribune: Klay Thompson is relieved. He was bracing for another grueling season, playing big minutes and being Golden State's version of a defensive stopper. But the Warriors went out and got swingman Andre Iguodala, a known defensive talent. And they added veteran back-up Toney Douglas. Now Thompson has considerable help. … Last season, Thompson averaged 35.8 minutes -- an 11-minute average increase in playing time. What's more, while averaging 16.6 points per game, he was called upon to defend the league's best point guards to protect Stephen Curry. In the playoffs, Thompson's minutes jumped to 41.3 per game. Even for a 23-year-old gym rat, the load took its toll. That's why Thompson expressed relief that the Warriors now have two more players capable of being the defensive stopper. He said he hopes that reality helps him improve his offensive efficiency (42.2 percent from the field last season). He also said getting in better shape, improving his decision making and getting better on defense were offseason goals.
• Kerry Eggers of The Portland Tribune: After a summer of plenty of activity, many of the NBA’s Western Conference lineups have been shaken up like a good martini. For an educated opinion on which teams benefited the most by offseason moves, I sought out one-time Trail Blazer guard Steve Kerr, who offers expert analysis for TNT. Kerr’s first mention was Portland and Houston. “Those are the two that jump out at me,” he says. Portland General Manager Neil Olshey, as those of us in the Moda City know, acquired a defensive presence as starting center — Robin Lopez — along with veterans Mo Williams, Dorell Wright, Thomas Robinson and Earl Watson fortified what a year ago was in the conversation for the worst bench in recent NBA history. … My pick for the best offseason in the West is the Los Angeles Clippers, who have added J.J. Redick, Darren Collison, Jared Dudley and Antawn Jamison, along with re-signing free agent Chris Paul — the latter the most important offseason player move in all of the NBA. “Slipped my mind,” Kerr says. “I like what they’ve done a lot. Maybe their biggest acquisition was getting Doc Rivers as coach. Everything they’ve done has the potential to get them to that next step and put them up there with Oklahoma City, San Antonio and the top teams.”
• Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Jared Cunningham had a run at the White House. Three of them in fact. That's run as in a game of basketball. The Hawks guard played three seasons at Oregon State, where he was all Pac-12 first-team in 2012. He played under head coach Craig Robinson - better know as President Barack Obama's brother-in-law. Cunningham and his teammates made three trips to the White House to play a little basketball with the President. "We went to the White House, hung out with Barack, played hoops a couple of times," Cunningham said as part of an interview with the AJC Wednesday. "This past year, they went and had dinner at the White House. Unfortunately, I missed it. I wish I could have been there for that one." Cunningham has been in Atlanta working out for several days. He is trying to rebound from a disappointing rookie season where he had several injuries, most notably right knee tendinitis, and stints in the NBA Development League. Cunningham was acquired in a draft-day trade this year and hopes to earn a spot on the Hawks roster.

The biggest challenge with addressing the tanking problem is that the NBA draft lottery creates a natural trade-off between its effect on competitive balance in the league and on teams incentive to lose on purpose.

If I were in charge of the NBA draft lottery I would wait until the end of the season and then randomly select a number between 30 and 60. I would use the current lottery system but base the lottery on each team’s place in the standings after that randomly chosen number of games.

By way of example, we ran a simulation using last season. The number we randomly drew was 43. So that means we'd assign teams lottery balls not based on their record at the end of 82 games, but instead based on their record after Game 43.

It would change things somewhat, as you can see in the table. The current system really hurts teams like the Wizards and Raptors, who continued to play rather well during the last part of the season.

The table is not meant to provide evidence that teams like the Magic and Trail Blazers were tanking, but it does highlight how much teams can improve their lottery chances under the current system by losing more games at the end of the season.

This would reduce the incentive for teams to lose on purpose late in the season once they drop out of contention for the playoffs because regardless of which number is randomly drawn, any losses after game No. 60 -- usually played in late February or early March -- would have no bearing on a team’s chances in the lottery. At the very least, this would drastically curtail “tanking season,” assuming any team would want to pack it in much before the All-Star break.

In order for this approach to be as equitable as the current system requires, a team’s league ranking at a point mid-\season is correlated with their ranking at the end of the season. I took a date from seasons between 1991-2010 and find that there is an 88 percent correlation between a team’s rank after 30 games and their rank at the end of the season (with the average team moving three places in the ranking). If you wait until after the 60th game, the correlation increases to 97 percent (with the average team moving 1.5 places in the ranking).

Joseph Price is an assistant professor of economics and Brigham Young University. His research has often covered basketball topics, including incentives and league policy, interracial workplace cooperation in the NBA, performance under pressure and referee bias.

• Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic: It is September, the last month of Michael Beasley’s Suns career. Since his Aug. 6 arrest in Scottsdale on suspicion of marijuana possession, Beasley has not been as noticeable in the Valley as he was prior to it when he was working out at US Airways Center and spotted playing at a Phoenix YMCA. On Sunday, Beasley was playing basketball back home in Maryland. He participated in the Goodman League Roundball Classic in Hyattsville, Md., at DeMatha Catholic, a basketball-rich school that is not one of the six high schools he attended. Kevin Durant, Victor Oladipo, Greg Monroe and Thomas Robinson also participated in the game. Beasley led his team, opposite Durant, with 31 points for a 116-116 tie. The Beasley highlight package in this video is a reminder of how Suns people talked about how great he looked in pickup games at UCLA last summer. If you last past that portion of the video, you will see Durant go through the legs and behind the back to stagger Beasley at 1:43.
• Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman: DeAndre Liggins isn't the first player in Thunder history to be arrested. But his booking certainly is the most disturbing. And now it will serve as a case study. Put the Thunder to the test. For an organization that has always prided itself on being a pillar in the community and having a roster full of upstanding citizens, the team must now decide what to do with what could be its first felony offense if Liggins is convicted. The decision might be an easy one. Liggins is entering his second season with the team, third in the NBA. He was hard worker and a hustler but still a bit player in his first run with the Thunder, appearing in 39 games and playing a total of 290 minutes. Later this month, he was expected to enter training camp fighting for the 15th and final roster spot. Already shaping up to be stiff following the draft night additions of Andre Roberson and Steven Adams, the competition for that final spot now includes free agent signee Ryan Gomes and the expected signing of combo guard Diante Garrett. Liggins, on this team, is practically expendable.
• Chris Haynes of CNNW.com: Portland Trail Blazers All-Star forward LaMarcus Aldridge participated in Jamal Crawford's Pro-AM championship game at Seattle Pacific University Saturday afternoon. After Aldridge helped his former Trail Blazer teammate in Crawford win his first Pro-AM title since heading this event several years ago, the All-Star sat down with CSNNW.com to discuss a few topics centered around his eventful summer. … Q: Okay. Let's get into it. There was a report that you believed Portland was “too small” and “too boring” of a city. What's your response to that? LA: “Nah, that's not true. I'm a quiet person that keeps to himself, really. Portland doesn't bother me. I don't have an issue with the city of Portland. I've been there my whole career. I like the smallness of it and the passionate fans. That's not true at all.” … Q: Has your representation attempted to get you moved? LA: “Agents talk. I don't know what goes on there. I just worry about playing basketball.” Q: CSNNW.com reported that if moves weren't made to your liking, you would prefer to be moved. Was that accurate? LA: “Yeah, but I don't have to worry about that because we've added some good pieces this summer and I'm looking forward to working with them.”
• Marc Berman of the New York Post: J.R. Smith guaranteed Saturday the Knicks will bring home a championship and claimed the Nets are “still not good.” During a question-and-answer session with kid golfers at Chelsea Piers, Smith was asked how sure he was of the Knicks ending their title drought this season. “I’m 100 percent sure,” the swingman said. Smith was then asked why he joined the Knicks over the Nets when he came back from China in February 2012. “The Nets weren’t good,’’ Smith said. “Now they’re still not good.’ There has been much hype this offseason lavished on the Nets after their bold trade with the Celtics to acquire Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, who has been the most outspoken promoter of Brooklyn’s chances in the Eastern Conference. … When asked by The Post why he is so confident, Smith said, “I feel comfortable. People ruled us out last year early, too. We added some great pieces. Unfortunately, we got rid of some good pieces. But we added Andrea [Bargnani], Beno [Udrih], Metta [World Peace]. We have to consistently play like we did the first 20 games last year the whole season. We can’t have a middle-of-season lapse. We have to consistently play the same way.”
• Ailene Voisin of The Sacramento Bee: Q: So what is your approach? Do you have a two-year plan? A five-year plan? Obviously, one of the goals is to better manage the salary cap and become major players in free agency.” Mike Malone: This is going to be a process. We have to change the culture, establish an identity, and while we'll try to win every night, we don't want to skip steps. We don't want short-term success. I'm not sure what year we get into our new arena, but by that year, we want to be a playoff team, and not to just be competing in the playoffs. We've talked about that. We know we have to have patience to do it right. Are our young guys getting better? Are we defending? Gang- rebounding? Running with discipline? The only thing I promised Vivek is that we will no longer be the worst defensive team in the league. So if we do that and change our culture, that will result in more wins and a better product. Q: The phrase "change the culture" has become such a cliché. What does it even mean? Mike Malone: “It is a cliché. What I mean is that when you want to change culture, you change people. When the players come back in September, they're going to get a sense that things are different when they're around our staff. They can see how hard we work, how committed we are. I'm running sprints last week with DeMarcus Cousins and Travis Outlaw, and they said, "Coach, we've never had a guy run sprints with us."
• Tom Moore of phillyBurbs.com: Having only 11 guaranteed contracts totaling $43.6 million, and as few as four players with guaranteed money beyond this year, which could result in more than $30 million in cap space next summer, “we’ve got a lot to do,” Hinkie said. “You blink it’s halfway through the afternoon and you forgot to eat lunch,” Hinkie said during a 15-minute telephone conversation Friday. Still, Hinkie said, “So far, we’ve had a blast. It’s been a lot of fun. He’s been a real breath of fresh air.” Hinkie said Brown, who was introduced Aug. 14, has been in contact with every Sixers player to give an idea what is expected of them. Hinkie refuted a popular perception that he would like to trade a veteran (likely Thaddeus Young, who is set to make $9.2 million in 2014-15) to create even more cap space after the Sixers should have two lottery picks as high as Nos. 1 and 6 in the draft. “We have the most cap space (next summer) in the league right now,” Hinkie said. “I wouldn’t say we necessarily have a need for a whole lot more. We have a lot to work with.” … As for the embattled White, Hinkie answered a question about White’s possible role on the team generically and never mentioned White by name.
• John Reid of The Times-Picayune: With expectations to emerge as one of the New Orleans Pelicans’ top players this upcoming season, swingman Tyreke Evans is not going to wait until training camp opens next month to start building chemistry with his new teammates. He’s already getting a head start in the process, taking part in the team’s volunteer workouts for the past two weeks. With raised expectations because of an improved lineup, 10 of the 15 players’ on the Pelicans' roster have been working out, doing conditioning work, lifting weights and taking part in pickup basketball games at the Alario Center. Next week, the Pelicans are expected to shift their basketball work to the Saints complex in Metairie when their new 55,000 square foot practice facility is expected to be completed. On Thursday, the Pelicans' workout group included forwards Anthony Davis, Jason Smith, Arinze Onuaku, Darius Miller and Lance Thomas, guards Austin Rivers, Brian Roberts, rookie center Jeff Withey and Evans.
• K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune: Less than one month before training camp opens on one of the most anticipated seasons since the dynasty ended, Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau made good on his vow to visit Derrick Rose's offseason base outside Los Angeles to witness Rose's workouts. Rose, who is set to attend training camp in late September after missing last season following knee surgery, is set to travel to Asia Sept. 4-16 for his second shoe promotional tour this offseason. Before then, he is working out with personal trainer Rob McClanaghan and other NBA players, including Jimmy Butler earlier this week. Thibodeau traveled west Wednesday to check in on Rose, who is sporting increased range on his jumper and a left-handed floater that he has worked on extensively this offseason.
• Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press: In a competition with Charlie Villanueva for most despised member of the roster among the fan base. He (Rodney Stuckey) has teased with flashes of standout ability for six seasons, but is coming off his worse season as he butted heads with former coach Lawrence Frank — an issue Stuckey has had in the past. Entering a contract year, so the end of his Pistons tenure is probably near. Reportedly offered to the Raptors (along with Villanueva) for Rudy Gay…. Even with the roster upgrades, Stuckey is still one of the most talented guys wearing a Pistons uniform and new coach Mo Cheeks mentioned Stuckey by name at his introductory news conference. He is in the mix to start at shooting guard in the season opener, but his expiring deal does have trade value.
• Brian Schmitz of the Orlando Sentinel: The Magic are working on a buyout agreement with Hedo Turkoglu, plan on giving second-round pick Romero Osby a chance to make the team and likely will invite as many as four more players to their training camp, according to a source close to the club. As expected, Turkoglu and the team have been trying to arrange a buyout with the 13-year veteran small forward. He does not figure into the team's rebuilding plans at age 34. Only half of his $12 million salary for next season — the last year of his contract — is guaranteed. If the Magic and Turkoglu can reach an arrangement, Turk will be waived. He then can become a free agent, eligible to negotiate with any other NBA team or play overseas. There are reports that Turkoglu has an offer with a team in his native Turkey if he decides not to stay in the NBA or is unable to sign a deal.

• Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic: Caron Butler donned a Suns uniform at a public unveiling of the new duds two weeks ago and that looks like it will be the only time he will be seen in it. The Suns have agreed to trade Butler, a Racine, Wis., native, to the Milwaukee Bucks for point guard Ish Smith and center Slava Kravtsov about seven weeks after they acquired Butler and hailed him as a veteran influence for the youthful Suns and part of the future. The Suns gain $5.65 million of cap space for any potential in-season trades but also save that money to make an expected costly waiver of Michael Beasley more palatable. Beasley would be owed $9 million of guaranteed salary. … “Much respect for the organization of the Phx Suns#staytuned,” Butler tweeted Wednesday night. … The Racine Journal Times first reported the trade talks Wednesday night. The deal should be finalized Thursday.
• Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times: But many NBA observers expected Caron Butler’s time in the Valley of the Sun to be short-lived. After all, the Suns are in a full-fledged rebuilding mode and are attempting to stockpile draft picks and young players for the future. The Bucks, meanwhile, are committed to trying to make the playoffs for the second straight season. After a flurry of offseason trades and free-agent signings, they appear set at every position except small forward, which is where Butler plays. Carlos Delfino, whom the Bucks signed as a free-agent in July, had been the projected starting small forward. But Delfino is still recovering from surgery for a fractured bone in his right foot. There are whispers that Delfino will miss the entire preseason and even a portion of the regular season. The Bucks also have two other young small forwards on their roster: Khris Middleton, whom they recently acquired in a trade with Detroit, and Giannis Antetokounmpo, whom they selected in the first round of the June draft. While the Bucks are excited about the futures of Antetokounmpo and Middleton, neither player is close to being ready to play major minutes next season.
• Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News: But here’s the thing: There’s no concrete evidence that summer hoops has a noticeably negative impact. Let’s look at the 52 players who have suited up for Team USA at the Olympics since 1992, excluding Larry Bird and Magic Johnson (retired) and Christian Laettner, Anthony Davis and Emeka Okafor (rookies). Of their combined 67 post-Olympic seasons: 34 played more or the same amount of games the following year. 33 saw their scoring averages increase. 40 improved or maintained their Player Efficiency Rating. Certainly there are players who suffered significant downturns, or fell apart physically. Robinson’s was the most dramatic case, limiting him to just six games. Then there were Alonzo Mourning (69 games missed in 2000-01) and Kevin Love (64 missed last season). Conversely, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony, among others, all enjoyed perhaps the best seasons of their careers coming off Olympic play. Wade’s case is particularly noteworthy, with major improvements across the board after both Olympic campaigns — all the more impressive considering his general lack of durability. If anyone should break down after an extra slate of hoops, D-Wade would be among the top candidates. But not only did he survive, he got significantly better, improving his scoring average by 7.9 and 5.6 points, and his PER by 6.5 and 8.9. So what can we take away from all this? There’s no doubt long that as players continue to sandwich summers of international competition between marathon NBA seasons, a portion of them will continue to get hurt and/or worn down. But let’s be clear — this so-called wear and tear is not an automatic consequence of such a choice. As we’ve seen, there’s a strong case that the combination of experience and physical work — the latter of which every player engages in on his own to varying degrees — can actually be beneficial.
• Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press: The Wolves' Kevin Love, in town setting up residence for the coming season, showed up at Target Center this week weighing 240 pounds. "The lightest he's been since he's been a pro," Saunders said of the 6-foot-10 forward, who worked out at Target Center. "He's lost weight in his face, and his body looks leaner with muscle. He's really committed." Love was about 250 pounds last season.
• Jenny Dial of the Houston Chronicle: While things didn’t work out with forward Royce White and the Rockets, the NBA player (traded to Philadelphia in July) will have an everlasting mark in the Bayou City. On Wednesday morning, White announced a partnership with his non-profit organization Anxious Mind’s Inc. and Bee Busy Wellness Center to create the Royce White Institute of Mental Health on the city’s southwest side. The Wellness Center, which is a 17,000-square foot facility that will also have dental and primary care, is located at 6640 W. Bellfort and will open in January 2014. “When I met Royce White a couple of years ago, I knew we would do something special like this,” Bee Busy CEO Normal Mitchell said. “I think it will be a great thing for this community.” White, who has been open about his own struggles with an anxiety disorder, said that he thinks every city should have a center where free mental healthcare is offered. He started the Anxious Mind’s Inc. group while in college at Iowa State, and this is the organization’s first partnership. He said he hopes to see it grow. … He said he is looking forward to his chances of playing with the 76ers. “I was traded to Philadelphia and that’s where my career is taking me next so we’ll see what happens,” White said. “I am hoping I will be able to go there and produce.”
• Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman: The Thunder’s roster, like always, it seems, has very little makeover from last season. Kevin Martin out. Draft picks Steven Adams and Andre Roberson in. That’s about it. But John Schuhmann of NBA.com points out that the Thunder is in good company in keeping its roster basically intact. … Basing his list on minutes played, Schuhmann finds that the team most returning the bulk of its roster is the champion Miami Heat. The Heat is bringing back 94.9 percent of its minutes played from last season. The Thunder is second in the league, at 86.5 percent. And the Spurs are fourth, at 82.4 percent. Inexplicably, the woeful Charlotte Bobcats are third, at 85.3 percent.
• Staff of the Toronto Star: Tracy McGrady has thanked the fans of three of the NBA teams he played for, including the Toronto Raptors. McGrady, who announced his retirement earlier in the week, tweeted out Wednesday photos of himself when he played with the Raptors, Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets. “Thank you Toronto. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to begin my career in the NBA. You believed in me and there my journey began. This incredible city will always hold a very special place in my heart.” — Tracy McGrady. The message comes despite the fact that McGrady was the constant target of boobirds at the Air Canada Centre, even after a decade he left for the Magic.
• Staff of The Dallas Morning News: Tracy McGrady will be remembered as a player who went straight from high school to the NBA and became a dominant, two-way superstar. He will always be remembered, too, as a player who struggled with injuries. However, Mavericks fans likely will remember McGrady for different reasons, reasons former 7-6 Dallas center Shawn Bradley would probably like to forget. During the 2005 playoffs, McGrady and the Houston Rockets went up against the Mavericks. A McGrady dunk on Bradley in Game 2 put the poster in posterized. To be fair, Bradley was a shot blocker. He led the NBA in blocks in 1997 and had more than 2,000 in his career. With Dallas in 2000-01, Bradley blocked 228 shots. He finished his career with an average of 2.5 blocks per game. But, despite his height and wingspan, he also had a habit of getting dunked on violently - and often - by NBA stars big and small.
• Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com: Portland Trail Blazers free agent forward Luke Babbitt has agreed to a one-year deal with the Europe club BC Nizhny Novgorod of Russia, a league source informed CSNNW.com. The source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the fact that no announcement has been made, added that the deal does not contain an NBA out clause. Babbitt's agent Bill Duffy confirmed the deal saying, “My take is Luke needs to play 30 minutes a game and play a more expanded role. We've had recent success with both Danny Green (of the San Antonio Spurs) and Patrick Beverley (of the Houston Rockets) getting an opportunity to develop their games in Europe and returning to the NBA. The NBA is a league of opportunity. We feel strongly this is the best move for Luke at this time.” Portland opted not to exercise the fourth year of his rookie contract before the 2012-13 season began, making him an unrestricted free agent this summer.
• Steve Buffery of the Toronto Sun: Meanwhile, this Friday in Caracas, Venezuela, the Canadian men’s basketball team — a team that could turn this country on its ear at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics — plays its first game at the FIBA Americas Championship and hardly anyone seems to be paying attention — even though the event has huge implications. The bottom line is this: If Team Canada fails to finish in the top four in Caracas (and it’s no slam-dunk that they will, even with four NBA guys in the lineup), the program will suffer a significant set-back. With the hiring of NBA star Steve Nash as GM and Jay Triano as head coach last year, Canada Basketball pulled out all the stops in trying to attract the new generation of Canadian hoops talent to play for the national team, something that was never a sure thing in the past. There was a tendency for some of the young black players in Canada to shy away from playing on the national side, for a variety of reasons. Fortunately, that has changed over the past few years (including under former head coach Leo Rautins). However, if Team Canada should fail to finish in the top four in Caracas and fail to qualify for next summer’s World Cup in Spain, who’s to say if the impressive legion of young hoops talent would want to play for Canada down the road?
• Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune: Bobby Jackson, a great basketball player for the Gophers and for several teams in the NBA, is going to join the Timberwolves coaching staff as an assistant, according to President Flip Saunders. Jackson has a lot of familiarity with Rick Adelman, having played five seasons under him with the Sacramento Kings. Jackson started his post-playing career as an ambassador with the Kings and then as a regional scout working in player development. He became an assistant coach with Sacramento in 2009 and served in that role until June 5, when new head coach Michael Malone announced that the team would not retain any of the previous assistant coaches. Then there is the news that Saunders is going to hire Milt Newton to be the team’s general manager. Saunders and Newton agreed on terms of a contract after Newton spent this week visiting the Wolves. The two worked together for 2½ years when Saunders was the head coach of the Washington Wizards and Newton was the team’s vice president of player personnel. Newton held that role in Washington for 10 seasons before joining the Wolves.

• Ben Standig of CSN Washington: Further proof of Victor Oladipo's ascension from unheralded DeMatha prospect to the No. 2 overall in the NBA Draft came Sunday night at his former High School - against Kevin Durant. Look past the high-rising guard's inclusion in the Goodman League Roundball Classic. Even with several future professional peers also on the court and John Wall observing from the sideline, it was Oladipo in the game's spotlight matchup versus the Oklahoma City Thunder star. Durant is the face of D.C. area basketball, not to mention part of an incredibly short list of those considered the best in the NBA. The local products faced each other throughout, landing basketball-type haymakers via long distance shots, highlight dunks and tight defense until the final buzzer, which came without an actual winner declared. The game ended in a 116-116 tie. The mano-y-mano type scenario developed in the second quarter. On one possession, Oladipo stole the ball from Durant and quickly went into offensive mode with a fast break dunk. Moments later, the Orlando Magic rookie and supposedly suspect perimeter shooter pulled up from just inside half court and drained a 3-pointer. The 6-foot-11 Durant, who finished with a game-high 40 points, then backed down the 6-foot-3 Oladipo before fading back for a high degree of difficulty 3-pointer at the buzzer.
• Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News: The possible reasons for Deron Williams’ regression have been documented and dissected, with conclusions mostly bouncing from an extended aberration to the beginnings of an ill-timed downfall. There were injuries to blame in New Jersey, along with subpar teammates and poor fan support. Then there were more injuries in Brooklyn, extra weight, and Avery Johnson’s unimaginative offense. But new coach Jason Kidd has aggressively pitched the rejuvenation of his point guard. It’s a task Kidd seems most qualified to accomplish given his history at the position. On Sunday, the rookie coach revealed one of his goals for Williams. Not surprisingly, it concerns passing. “I’m going to push him. I want the best for him,” Kidd said after signing autographs at the Nets’ store in Coney Island. "When we sit down and talk about goals, team goals and also individual goals, I’m going to push him and I want to get him back to double-digit assists."
• Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman: At some point, someone suggested the Thunder sends Serge Ibaka to Portland for LaMarcus Aldridge. Little by little, the idea began to spread. One prominent writer after another, it seemed, jumped on board the belief that Aldridge would be the final piece to the Thunder's championship puzzle. Their logic never really made much sense. And here's why. Ibaka, despite his shortcomings, still is younger, cheaper and more battle tested than Aldridge. Aldridge just turned 28. Ibaka will be 24 when the season begins. Aldridge will make nearly $15 million this season. Ibaka will be closer to $12 million. Aldridge has appeared in 18 playoff games and never made it out of the first round. Ibaka has appeared in 54 playoff games, experienced the conference finals twice and the NBA Finals once. At this point in their careers, Aldridge is the better player. Few would debate that. But what the popular ESPN Trade Machine can't take into account is fit. Aldridge has averaged better than 21 points in each of the last three seasons. But he also averaged at least 17 shots in each of those seasons, putting him on par with Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant's volume. In Oklahoma City, Aldridge would have to adjust to being third banana after years of being the go-to guy.
• Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe: So 3½ years following his final NBA game, Allen Iverson finally decided to end the waiting game. He should be remembered as an all-time great. Three years from now, we’ll be driving to Springfield to watch his induction into the Naismith Hall of Fame. He was a pioneer, ahead of his time for his game and expression. Iverson was a complex player, undefined by a position, but as his numbers piled up and the wins didn’t, the perceptions about his selfishness grew exponentially. There is a recipe for growing old successfully in this league. You work. You stay in premium shape. You mentor and you avoid delusions of grandeur. Iverson likely wasn’t capable of carrying out those tasks, and while he tried to convince anyone who listened that he had been humbled, visions of Iverson attempting to snatch away shots and attention from younger, more worthy players remained in the thoughts of NBA executives. Recent history doesn’t view Iverson fondly, but long-term history should. Eventually, if he can get his financial life in order and determine a post-career plan, he could become a coach and pass on his wisdom. It is possible he can escape from his current spiral and become a positive role model. It’s possible that Iverson will inspire in his Hall of Fame speech in 2016.
• Stephen Haynes of Newsday: Jason Kidd thinks Jason Collins certainly has a place in the NBA and expects his friend to sign with a team before the season. But it won't be the Nets. "He wants to play still, but we have 15 [roster] spots already filled,'' the new Nets coach said Sunday. In April, Collins became the first active male athlete from one of the four major professional sports to announce his homosexuality. Kidd was among several athletes who voiced their support, and in June, the Nets reportedly had interest in signing Collins, a free-agent center. Kidd said that possibility was something the organization "talked about over the summer'' but likely won't pursue now. "His knowledge as a veteran … can help a young team,'' Kidd said of Collins, a Nets teammate for seven years. "He'll find a job at some point.''
• John Canzano of The Oregonian: Dorell Wright signed a two-year, $6 million free-agent contract with the Blazers this summer. He's one of the best three-point shooters in the NBA, and joins a team that desperately needed depth. But if you spend any sort of time talking with Wright, what you understand first and best, is that he's a good father. This is why it was important that he arrive ahead of Blazers training camp, get moved in, and get his 5-year old son, Devin, enrolled in kindergarten. "I'm going to be there for the first day of kindergarten. It's a big, big deal. I'm here. We're here. My family is coming with me, and we're excited." Wright talked on Friday about signing with the Blazers. While he believes he'll compete for a starting position, Wright is the rare NBA player who isn't disillusioned, out of touch, or simply here to say what he thinks he's supposed to say so you'll like him. Wright said, "I know what I can do. I know what I can bring. But I see myself as a guy who comes in off the bench; knocking down threes, being a stretch-four." Does he prefer that? Nope. But Wright, who went from high school to the NBA in 2004, knows his role, and if Portland is going to find chemistry in a locker room filled with new faces, the faster they accept their roles, the more effective they'll be early.
• Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer: These days, the new Sixers coach is lean and gray-haired. He's a loving husband and a father of three children: Julia, 17; Laura, 15; and Sam, 8. But back in the day, Brett Brown cut a figure in gritty South Portland. Along with his scoring average, his outgoing personality, curly blond hair, and blue eyes captured the attention of the town's young women. Paddy MacNeil, now a waitress at J's Oyster, was one of them, from a distance. "He was a cutie," she said. While his looks caught people's attention, Brown's outgoing and grounded personality made him one of the most popular teenagers in South Portland. And he's still extremely popular in the port town - perhaps even more since the Sixers hired him on Aug. 12. "A lot of people were texting me back and forth, 'Can you believe what Brett has done?' " said former Sacred Heart football coach Paul Gorham, a close friend and former South Portland teammate. Gorham now resides in Connecticut. "Everyone is happy for him," Gorham added. "That's first and foremost. And proud of him. He can do nothing wrong in South Portland right now."
• Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press: Scratch that. Earlier this summer I predicted Chauncey Billups and Brandon Knight would be the starting backcourt for the Pistons. But that was before Knight, Khris Middleton and Slava Kravtsov were traded to the Bucks for point guard Brandon Jennings. The move also opened up two roster spots that allowed the Pistons to sign point guard Peyton Siva and center Josh Harrellson. So here’s another stab at projecting the playing rotation. STARTERS: C: Andre Drummond: Probably works better with Jennings. PF: Greg Monroe: Team hopes he fits with Drummond. SF: Josh Smith: Crowded paint still a concern. SG: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope: Skill set better with the starters. PG: Jennings: Make no mistake — he will be the starter. SECOND UNIT: C: Monroe: Could be his best position. PF: Smith: Could lessen spacing issues here. SF: Luigi Datome: Shooting desperately needed. SG: Rodney Stuckey: Probably more effective off bench. PG: Billups: Will probably get 20 minutes per game.
• John Coté of the San Francisco Chronicle: The Golden State Warriors' plan to build a waterfront arena in San Francisco is months behind its original schedule, and the repair cost for piers to hold the venue has increased by as much as $50 million, city documents show. The team could miss its 2017 targeted opening, and the new figure - if it holds - raises the question of who would cover the bill. The basketball franchise's representatives dispute the cost projection and downplay the delays as routine for a complex project. They maintain that the arena will be ready for the start of the 2017-18 NBA season but acknowledge their schedule is tight - and doesn't leave much room for unforeseen problems. "When we began this project, we laid out a timeline that had a built-in cushion for the natural delays that occur on a project of this size," said Nathan Ballard, a Warriors spokesman on the arena plan. "We've got a lot of work to do in a short time frame, but we are confident we can complete it by 2017."

• Howard Beck of The New York Times: Two seasons ago, Chris Paul joined the Los Angeles Clippers and brought instant credibility to a woebegone franchise. Now he will try to do the same for the debilitated N.B.A. players union. Paul was elected president of the players association Wednesday after making a belated decision to run for office. He defeated Roger Mason Jr., who was elected first vice president at the union’s summer meeting in Las Vegas. Paul’s candidacy was a surprise, even to many union leaders. But his election indicated a recognition by the players that their most influential voices are needed in the most prominent roles. Paul, 28, is the first superstar to hold the president’s title since Patrick Ewing in 2001. He replaced Derek Fisher, whose term expired. … The union is trying to regain its footing after nearly two years of controversy and infighting, and a damning audit that charged Billy Hunter, the executive director, with nepotism and mismanagement of resources. Hunter was fired in February.
• Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News: San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich is widely applauded as the best coach in the NBA. He’s been with the Spurs 18 seasons for a reason. Just don’t try to tell DeJuan Blair about Pop’s coaching greatness. The new Mavericks big man once was an up-and-comer with the Spurs before things went sideways, Tiago Splitter arrived and Blair’s stock went down faster than a margarita on the Riverwalk. So what happened? “I don’t know,” Blair said. “Pop stopped [playing] me. I couldn’t tell you what was going through that man’s head at all. Nobody knows but him.” What was perfectly clear, though, was that Blair needed a change of address. “I had to leave and come here where I think they’ll give me confidence and believe in me,” he said. “I didn’t think they believed in me in San Antonio, so that’s pretty good here. I feel supported. That’s how it is.” … The Mavericks signed him specifically to fill the void that Brand left. As Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said, Blair isn’t afraid of contact. “DeJuan, I think he’s a beast, and he put us on our backs a few times and had no problems dunking on us [when with the Spurs],” Cuban said. “And I think he’s ready to turn that around and send it in the other direction. So yeah, I think DeJuan will help us.”
• Jason Quick of The Oregonian: But I also understand I have not been perfect myself. It's a public stage we are on, and there are times I wish I could take back something I said on the radio, or revealed while being interviewed myself. And there are situations I wish I handled better. Two in particular. First, I badly misplayed the Brandon Roy/Andre Miller saga. I blindly took Roy's side that Miller was a poor fit for the team and that he was killing the Blazers offense because both he and Roy needed to handle the ball. The truth of the matter was Roy was being a big baby. Miller, who would later became one of my favorite players I've ever covered, was too professional, too wise to engage in the debate. "It's just basketball," Miller would say. "I don't see what the problem is." Eventually, I came to understand and appreciate the beauty that was Andre Miller. Later, I told him I was embarrassed how I handled the coverage. That I was wrong. We now greet each other warmly when we see each other, a relationship I take great pride in. The second regret is not focusing on Rasheed Wallace's talents as much as his attitude. Part of that was inevitable. He was such a jerk, such a hothead that his attitude often was the story. But so was his talent -- particularly defensively -- and sometimes I think my disgust for his attitude got in the way of recognizing his play.
• Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune: Corey Brewer was a first-round draft choice (seventh overall) of the Timberwolves in 2007 and, after playing with the Mavericks and Nuggets, is back with the Wolves. He was asked if the fans are going to see a different Brewer than they might remember. “I am a whole different player now,” the 6-9 forward said. “I’m better. I got to go to Dallas and win a championship and learn from guys like Shawn Marion, Jason Terry and Jason Kidd, and I was in Denver and we were winning. It was all about winning. … I feel like I was making the open three. I know how to get my shots and I know what to do and what not to do.”
• Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press: Don’t expect to see a lot of center Josh Harrellson when the Detroit Pistons begin the regular season. If things go according to plan, Harrellson will probably only get minutes when foul trouble, injury or suspension strikes center Andre Drummond and power forward Greg Monroe. But things don’t always go according to plan and Harrellson, 24, has two things the Pistons were looking for — he is young and he can shoot the ball. The Pistons announced the signing today — a two-year deal with a partial guarantee for the first season with a team option for the second season. The Pistons were attracted to the 6-feet-10, 275 pounder gives because he provides size in case of an emergency and he is a 32% career three-point shooter.
• Bernie Augustine of the New York Daily News: The pressure of living up to Linsanity nearly crushed Jeremy Lin during his first season in Houston. The former Knicks phenomenon — who captured the world’s attention during a 25-game stretch with New York two seasons ago — told a crowd in Taiwan that he experienced, “emptiness, confusion and misery” in his first season with the Rockets. “I became so obsessed with becoming a great basketball player ... trying to be Linsanity, being this phenomenon that took the NBA by storm,” the 24-year-old said at the Dream Big, Be Yourself youth conference in Taipei. “The coaches were losing faith in me; basketball fans were making fun of me. ... I was supposed to be joyful and free, but what I experienced was the opposite. I had no joy and I felt no freedom.” Following a breakout season with the Knicks, Lin signed a three-year, $25 million deal with Houston last offseason. Lin stated that he preferred to stay with the Knicks, but Garden chairman James Dolan felt deceived by Lin — who restructed his contract with the Rockets to include a $14.9M third year — and the team declined to match the offer the Harvard-bred point guard got from the Rockets. But Lin couldn’t replicate the run he had with the Knicks in Houston, averaging 13.4 ppg and 6.1 apg. Not unlike the end of his run with New York, Lin sat out the final two games of Houston’s first-round playoff loss to Oklahoma City with an injury.
• Marc Berman of the New York Post: Iman Shumpert said whether Knicks owner James Dolan was ticked at him for allegedly balking at playing in the Las Vegas summer league in July isn’t his problem. Shumpert played just one summer-league game before heading to China and Taiwan to help open an Adidas store and serve as NBA ambassador. The controversy arose when an outtake from ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith’s interview with Dwight Howard surfaced on YouTube. During an off-air chat, Smith told Howard he heard Dolan was furious at Shumpert for allegedly not wanting to play summer league and he wanted him traded. Smith said later on his radio show he believed Dolan was no longer peeved because Shumpert showed up. “That’s fine, that’s the media,’’ Shumpert said at yesterday’s Delta Open event with U.S. Open’s No. 1 seed Serena Williams at Madison Square Park. “Things get blown up in this day and age, with social media. It’s crazy. That video got out there and stuff happens. I’m happy to be a Knick. I’m worried about business.” Asked if he knows for certain if Dolan is still irritated, Shumpert said, “I don’t know. It doesn’t concern me. I got to make sure we go out and play basketball.’’
• Tom Couzens of The Sacramento Bee: Though there appears to be nothing to the latest rumors, it's unlikely Fredette will get much playing time this coming season – if he's still with the Kings. The Kings acquired Greivis Vasquez to be their starting point guard, likely pushing incumbent Isaiah Thomas to a backup role. Look for rookie Ray McCallum, who impressed coaches this summer in Las Vegas, to be ahead of Fredette at the point, too. Things are just as crowded at shooting guard, with first-round draft pick Ben McLemore expected to start and Marcus Thornton getting plenty of playing time, too. Throw veteran John Salmons into the mix and that means there will be few minutes for Fredette. So where does that leave the guard who made "Jimmermania" a household word and won every major college award as a senior at BYU just two years ago? … Look for the Kings to try to deal Fredette before the February trade deadline, if not sooner, because it's time for Fredette – and Kings fans – to move on.
• Sean Highkin of USA Today: Roy Hibbert has been in San Antonio recently, working out at the Spurs’ facility. Recently, Tim Duncan joined the Indiana Pacers center and brought some boxing coaches with him to help them with their routines. One thing that jumps out: how much taller Hibbert is than Duncan, one of the most dominant big men in NBA history. The Big Fundamental is in the middle, wearing red, and Hibbert (on the left) totally dwarfs him. Hibbert’s size played a major role in the Pacers’ ability to push the Miami Heat to seven games in the Eastern Conference Finals — if they had won that game, they would have faced Duncan’s Spurs in the Finals. Instead, they’re teaming up for offseason workouts.
• Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun: Final auditions are about to get underway for Canada’s senior men’s basketball squad. Training camp has concluded and now, with only a week remaining before Canada’s most important games in two years, players on the bubble will try to prove their worth in Puerto Rico. Canada will play four games at the Tuto Marchand Continental Cup there, starting Thursday, against the hosts, Argentina, the Dominican Republic and Brazil. The event is the traditional tuneup for the FIBA Americas tourney, which tips from Caracas, Venezuela, Aug. 30. Canada and its three opponents in Puerto Rico will be joined by six other teams in Venezuela, with four berths at next year’s FIBA World Cup in Spain up for grabs. Canada has not competed at a major event since finishing sixth of eight teams at the 2011 FIBA Americas. … Steve Nash was beloved by teammates for his unselfishness on and off the court. Nash used to treat his fellow Canadians to dinner regularly when he was still an active player with the program. New leaders Tristan Thompson and Cory Joseph appear to be carrying on the tradition. The pair recently bought every member of the squad custom Team Canada Beats By Dre headphones.

I recently watched "Doin' it in the Park," a love letter to New York City pickup ball in documentary form. The movie is enjoyable because its subjects wax charismatic on NYC's special brand of toughening. Zigzagging on gnarled black top makes you agile, accounting for crooked rims makes you resourceful, the threat of losing and sitting out hours makes you compete harder. Real New Yawk stuff.

It’s a compelling story. But lately, these conditions haven’t produced much in the way of NBA talent. It’s an open mystery why a town like Chicago churns out pro after pro while New York’s “Mecca” status ebbs towards distant memory.

The question on my mind is whether it's not just that city, but also "the park" that's falling behind.

A few of the league’s rising young players hail from a specific kind of background: They had a parent who played professional basketball. Kevin Love, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Kyrie Irving all claim fathers who worked hard in passing their old vocation to the next generation.

The other common thread is that all these guys can shoot. In the case of Curry and Thompson, they might comprise the “greatest shooting backcourt in the history of the game." It’s no guarantee that NBA pedigree makes for a sweet jumper (Austin Rivers has certainly struggled), but it’s rare to see the second generation pro baller who flat can’t shoot. You wouldn’t want to leave Mike Dunleavy Jr., Wesley Matthews Jr., Jeffery Taylor, or even John Lucas III open behind the arc. Unfortunately for spacing-starved Memphis, you can let Terry Davis’ son Ed shoot.

Davis is also aberrational in that he’s a high-flying athlete. The NBA sons are a largely ground-bound lot, even if Stephen Curry was recently spotted reverse jamming. Setting aside my suspicion the Warriors hired a convincing Stephen stunt double, the lack of athleticism among second-gen players contradicts an easy “inherited” narrative, pervasive among League Pass announcers when they discuss these familially familiar talents. If it were as simple as “player receive genes,” one generation’s high leapers would raise the next generation’s high leapers.

Instead, junior is a highly skilled shooter, and such a skill can be helped along massively by one’s environment. Sure, Stephen Curry might have come out of the womb with father Dell’s jump shot. But you can also bet your life Dell Curry wouldn’t have just allowed his young son to keep shooting with, say, Rajon Rondo’s elbow-jutted form. NBA dads obviously have a facility with certain basketball abilities, often combined with the means and inclination make it manifest in their kids. They have access to great coaches, great camps, anything you need to turn your child into the optimal basketball robot.

Roughly one year ago, The New Yorker ran a story about a renowned “quarterback guru” and the thousands he charged for turning kids into promising prospects. Quarterbacking may never claim the high bar of entry that, say, becoming a concert violinist requires, but the article’s implication was that money goes a long way in determining a very specific kind of athletic success. The same rules could apply to the jump shot, merely one aspect of the NBA game -- but an increasingly essential one.

Much like swinging a golf club, a jump shot is a deceptively simple motion wherein a lot can go wrong. It follows that shooting skill is probably more easily developed when conditions are ideal (Read: Not in the parks of "Doin’ it in the Park.") It’s better to be in a gym, away from the wind and rain. It’s better to have an involved coach who subjects you to repetitive drills, correcting any mistakes. The guide hand, bent elbow, follow through -- these tend not to be intrinsic behaviors. Guidance begets the guide hand.

Ironic given his pedigree, the aforementioned Ed Davis was present for a dramatic demonstration on the importance of shooting in the modern NBA. His Grizzlies couldn’t shoot, so the Spurs squeezed off the paint until Memphis suffocated. Rule changes have led to a spread-out style, and teams are taking more 3-pointers than ever. Big men are less offensively involved than they used to be. A lack of perimeter shooting can make for a severe offensive disadvantage in a way it just didn't years ago. San Antonio’s sweep was the apotheosis of how spacing is dictating offense. The Grizzlies, rather than standing pat this offseason, giddily snapped up sweet-shooting Mike Miller after he was amnestied. It was a matter of survival.

So, if perimeter shooting is of growing importance in the NBA, there’s a decent chance it’s changing the league’s demographic landscape. The NBA, long known as an inner city beacon of hope, may draw an increasing number of players from the wealthier suburbs where parents spend thousands on obsessive basketball camps. If money talks, it can certainly tell you how to shoot better, in a sport that demands shooting. The park is a great place, but it’s not a given that it can reliably forge ever kind of NBA greatness.

This is mere supposition and could remain so for years given the small sample size we’re discussing and the vagaries of NBA player biographies (many basketball prospects move from school to school, searching for the best-fitting hoops program). I should also mention that a few current excellent shooters speak of humble city beginnings, most notably Kevin Durant. The NBA's just seen a surprising influx of dead-eye shooters born to former professional players. These players, many of whom had hoops in their backyards, year-round access to climate-controlled gyms and shooting coaches are looking at the park and lofting a jumper over it.

• Brad Rock of the Deseret News: I believed this in June and I haven’t changed my mind: The Jazz didn’t have a lot of options. They knew where they were going with the Jefferson-Millsap approach – mid-to-low end of the conference. Better to roll the dice. It’s going to be painful and with what they have now, it won’t be smooth. They’re at least two All-Stars away from being serious, maybe more. In fact, Mehmet Okur, Andrei Kirilenko and Devin Harris were All-Stars and even played on the same Jazz teams. They didn’t go far. Neither will this team, as it stands. I know it’s early, but this might be a good time for Jazz fans to temper expectations. Sports Illustrated can see that from a distance. From up close, it might have looked better a couple of months ago than it really was.
• Paul Coro of The Arizona Republic: Injuries almost have turned Malcolm Lee into an NBA stranger. Lee logged barely more games in two years with the Minnesota Timberwolves (35) than he did as a UCLA junior (33). He has undergone two surgeries on each knee and a hip surgery and was acquired in June by the Suns mostly because they had to take on his contract to move up one draft spot for Archie Goodwin. Lee, 23, is trying to make sure you have not seen the last of him. Or that you are about to see the first of him. He has been in Phoenix for the past month, working with Suns athletic trainers with the belief that he will be ready to participate when the team heads to Flagstaff for training camp on Sept. 30. He has a guaranteed $884,000 contract, but the Suns also will have 15 other guaranteed contracts with a maximum of 15 regular-season roster spots. The Suns believe in Lee’s talent, but it is a matter of the 6-foot-5 guard’s health and whether he can recapture his athleticism and show his defensive aptitude.
• Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times: Kobe Bryant continued to push his way back from a torn Achilles tendon, releasing a video of his workout via Instagram on Monday. The clip shows Bryant running on the Alter-G, the weight-bearing treadmill. While he has been walking on the Alter G for some time during his recovery, Bryant has clearly increased his pace. The Lakers All-Star guard was injured April 12 in a win over the Golden State Warriors. He had surgery the following day. While touring China, Bryant said he has "shattered" his recovery timetable, but more recently, Bryant said he's not sure if he'll make it back in time for opening night (Oct. 29). The original timetable for his recovery was six to nine months. Bryant also tweeted that he won't forget about what was said and written since his injury.
• Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune: Q: Is this job harder than you thought it’d be? Flip Saunders: No. When I coached, I was always pretty active in the personnel side of things. Were there some challenges? Yeah, there were, challenges trying to change the culture — how we operate internally and externally — so all parties understand what you’re trying to do. Q: Anything you understand now about the job that you didn’t four months ago? Flip Saunders: I don’t think so. People talk about the importance of the agents and how they can dictate things; I believe my year with ESPN helped me tremendously in dealing with media and even agents. You understand these people have an agenda and you have to respect what their agenda is. It might not be the same as yours, and you might not like what they’re doing, but it’s not out of spite to you. It’s because they have a job to do. You have to respect that. I understand that more now, and I don’t take it maybe as seriously, to be honest, as I would have in the past. Q Any roster needs you still need to address? Flip Saunders: I don’t think we have any needs. Right now, talking to Rick, we feel comfortable with the roster we have. Not only is it balanced, but we feel we have talent at every position. I’ve talked a lot about this team and there are pretty good players out there we don’t even talk about right now: Derrick Williams, J.J. Barea, Dante Cunningham. When you put all those guys together with who we’ve added, you’ve got to feel comfortable.
• Gary Dzen of The Boston Globe: Based on this team's current roster, do you see them winning more than 30 games? This means last place in the East. Larry, Tallahassee, Fla. Have you seen the Bobcats play, Larry? In all seriousness, 30 is a good number to debate. Fans seem to be all over the place on where this team finishes, but I'm in the camp that the losses of Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, as well as Rajon Rondo's recovery from knee surgery, leave the Celtics in a bad spot. Add in a new coach and a repetitive roster I'll go jus over and say the Celtics win 31 games. That leaves them out of the playoffs but maybe ahead of the Bobcats.
• Chris Haynes of CSNNW.com: We're in the midst of what is considered the slow time of the NBA offseason. It's a place in time where Ivan Johnson thought he would have had his next stop locked up already. But he isn't expected to be available past August. A source close to the power forward informed CSNNW.com that Johnson is issuing NBA teams a two-week deadline to come up with a reasonable offer. If no NBA offer presents itself, Johnson will bite on one of his several overseas offers. The source who spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of these talks says, “Johnson will be fine either way, as long as he is playing the game of basketball.” The New York Knicks were one of the NBA teams inquiring about Johnson early on, however they have not reached out at the same regularity, another source told CSNNW.com.
• Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel: Monday proved to be a day of minor details for the Miami Heat, both halfway around the world and halfway across the country. In Australia, Heat second-round acquisition James Ennis, the swingman out of Long Beach State, was introduced as the newest member of the Perth Wildcats. In Sioux Falls, S.D., Heat scout Pat Delany was introduced as coach and Heat Director of Player Personnel Adam Simon as general manager of the NBA Development League Skyforce, the Heat's minor-league affiliate. In addition, Heat player-development coach/advance scout Octavio De La Grana was confirmed as an assistant coach for Delany. To a degree, the events were related, with Ennis bypassing the opportunity to play for the Heat's D-League affiliate in favor of a more lucrative contract in Australia. Both Ennis and Perth coach Trevor Gleeson downplayed the opt-out in Ennis' Wildcats contract that would allow him to return to the Heat at any point if summoned this season.
• Ben Standig of CSN Washington: As for a return to Washington, it seemed highly unlikely even from the moment the Wizards acquired him (Jason Collins) from the Celtics in a deal for Jordan Crawford. It still does especially since there isn't actually a roster spot to spare after Al Harrington's signing brought the roster to full capacity with 15 members. It still would even if the team opened space by trading one of their frontcourt options elsewhere. Then again, the playoff-pushing Wizards would arguably be better off with a third center, even one with no scoring prowess, rather than a plethora of young forwards whose respective NBA roles remain rather undefined. Teammates last year praised Collins' ability to set screens in the context of helping the team produce points even if said points rarely came directly under the names Collins. Since many assume Nene will miss a chunk of the season at some point for some ailment, why not have another big man option. Until or if the Wizards make another move that opens up a roster spot, there is nothing to ponder. Even then, not so much, or even a little.
• Rustin Dodd of The Wichita Eagle: Thomas Robinson averaged just 4.8 points and 4.7 rebounds in 15.9 minutes before the Kings shipped him to Houston in a late February trade. If the situation is Sacramento was untenable, the stint in Houston wasn’t much smoother. The Rockets had a logjam at power forward, and when the franchise had a chance to sign free agent center Dwight Howard this offseason, the team sent Robinson to Portland in a salary-dump move. “Up and down,” Robinson said, “rookie roller coaster.” For now, though, the ride appears to have slowed down a bit, and Robinson will have the opportunity for a fresh start with the Trail Blazers. He’ll join a young core that includes power forward LaMarcus Aldridge and point guard Damian Lillard, the league’s reigning rookie of the year. And most importantly, Robinson says, he finally feels wanted. “They’re constantly behind me,” Robinson said. “I’ve been up and down through my rookie year (with) two teams already. So for them to come in and make me feel like it’s gonna be a home for me is definitely a big deal.”
• Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News: Mavericks’ owner Mark Cuban is certainly one of the most influential people in the Dallas area and when it comes to the NBA, he’s got lots of clout, too. On Tuesday, he’ll be unveiled as a mover and shaker in the world of mixed martial arts when USA Today names the “25 Most Powerful People in MMA.” Cuban checked in at 13th, along with Andrew Simon, who is his CEO of Fights at AXS TV. The pair turned then-HDNet into a home for MMA bouts back in the early days of the sport, seeing an opportunity. As two of the pioneers of giving the sport a platform for exposure, Cuban and Simon understood from the start the popularity that MMA would gain and gave the sport instant credibility. “If we weren’t going to be great at it, there was no reason to do it,” Cuban said in the special edition of MMAjunkie.com magazine, which produced a first-time print edition of 70 pages to chronicle the 25 heavyweights of the sport.
• Tony Bizjak and Ryan Lillis of The Sacramento Bee: Sacramento's arena war hit new levels of intensity this week after Seattle financier Chris Hansen was revealed as the secret source of money for a petition drive to put the city's arena plans to a public vote. Seizing on outrage at the news, arena supporters took to the streets Saturday, hanging more than 1,000 fliers on front doors asking residents who signed the petitions to withdraw their signatures. "Don't let Seattle money steal away our chance at 4,000 jobs for Sacramento!" the fliers urged. Arena backers, a group that includes many of the city's prominent business people and politicians, argue the Seattle funding offers proof that the two-month-old petition drive is really an attempt to derail the city's downtown arena plans and push the Kings out of town. Yet Sacramento Taxpayers Opposed to Pork, the group behind the ballot measure, insists it is a homegrown effort, aimed at giving voters a voice. Its leaders today vowed to come back fighting - possibly with a local fundraising effort.

• Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald: With each member of the Heat’s Big 3 holding opt-out clauses next summer, Dwyane Wade said Thursday night that it will not be an issue for him because he plans to stay with the Heat long-term. “Everybody knows where I want to be. I want to be in Miami,” he said. “I have nothing to talk about [regarding 2014 opt-outs]. So there won’t be any exciting news over here.” LeBron James said in June that his hope would be to continue playing with Wade and Chris Bosh long-term in Miami but stopped short of saying he definitely would stay with the Heat beyond next season. Bosh said during the playoffs that he wants to stay with the Heat long-term. Wade said he will answer questions about 2014 free agency on Heat media day in late September “and that will be the last time I address it.” He said the priority must be to “make sure we focus on this season and winning the championship.” Meanwhile, Wade said his knees — which caused him discomfort during the playoffs — have improved considerably but are not 100 percent. … Last month, Wade underwent a treatment procedure, OssaTron, that he hadn’t used since 2007. The treatment is a non-surgical, high-energy shockwave system that can relieve tendinitis.
• Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times: Very early into his hour-long conversation with Kobe Bryant, Jimmy Kimmel asked the Lakers All-Star guard the most important question. Will Bryant be ready to play Oct. 29 on opening night? "I don't know if I'll be ready for opening night. I really don't know," Bryant said. "I know I'm really, really ahead of schedule." Fresh off his trip to China and the Philippines, Bryant sat down at Nokia Theatre on Thursday night in a special event titled, "Kobe Up Close Hosted by Jimmy Kimmel" — the proceeds for the event going the Kobe & Vanessa Bryant Foundation to help fight homelessness. "With an Achilles' injury, it's just one of those freak situations," said Bryant, who didn't want to blame his April season-ending tear on playing too many minutes. Will he accept a reduced role next year? "That's the goal," Bryant said. "We got a little younger and picked up a couple of wing players who I really think will help us tremendously next year — Nick Young and Wesley Johnson. I really look forward to them easing the load." "Yeah, we'll see when you get on the court," Kimmel said.
• Dan McCarney of the San Antonio Express-News: Brett Brown’s poaching brings to four the number of former Spurs assistants now leading franchises of their own: him, Mike Budenholzer (Atlanta), Jacque Vaughn (Orlando) and Mike Brown (Cleveland). Include former coaching intern Monty Williams (New Orleans), and it’s five. (In addition, Doc Rivers, Vinny Del Negro and Avery Johnson all played for head coach Gregg Popovich.) The Spurs’ influence is even greater in the front office, where six general managers claim Spurs ties: Dell Demps (New Orleans), Danny Ferry (Atlanta), Rob Hennigan (Orlando), Dennis Lindsey (Utah), Sam Presti (Oklahoma City) and Kevin Pritchard (Indiana). That makes more than a quarter of the NBA that is attempting to model what Popovich likes to call the Spurs’ “program.” But, Pop being Pop, even he scoffs at the notion that they’ve figured anything out. “Oh, hell, I don’t know anything about innovation,” he told Sports Illustrated earlier this year. “Here is my innovation: I drafted Tim Duncan. Okay? End of story.” Buford was similarly self-deprecating before the draft, noting that he’d love to be in the position to draft another franchise-changing, Springfield-bound 7-footer. Critical as talent is, the Spurs have proven that there might be something to Jerry Krause’s assertion that organizations, and not just players and coaches, win championships. Jerry West, a man who knows a little bit about team building, pinpointed three keys to the Spurs’ success: Identifying potentially good players other teams don’t want. Developing those players. A consistent system.
• Michael Pointer of The Indianapolis Star: Paul George didn’t envision himself as a leader when he attended USA Basketball’s camp last year to scrimmage against the U.S. Olympic team. But when he returned to the national team minicamp in Las Vegas last month, the feeling was different. He arrived with an All-Star selection, as winner of the NBA’s Most Improved Player Award and recognition as one of the league’s elite all-around players. He’s now the player expected to lead the Indiana Pacers to their first NBA title. George said Thursday during a visit to Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health that he’s reveling in it — and that showed in his play against some of the league’s best players this summer. “I had a great showing out there,” he said. “That was another fun experience for me going into this summer and helping me prepare for this year. I’m looking forward to seeing the results.” George said he still considered Danny Granger the Pacers’ leader at this time last year as Granger had been the team’s most productive offensive player for several seasons. That was true even during training camp. Not anymore after Granger was limited to five games because of a knee injury. George looks forward to Granger’s return, but he understands this is his team after leading the Pacers within one game of the NBA Finals.
• Keith Pompey of The Philadelphia Inquirer: If Brett Brown had his wish, rookie Nerlens Noel would play from the start of the season. The 6-foot-11 center suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee last season at Kentucky and will not be ready to play until December at the earliest. "Of course I'd love to have him," Brown said. "I mean, his future is what he wants it to be." The coach added that Noel's health will be held at a premium. Brown calls the athletic big man a "deer" with a penchant for running the floor. He also appreciates that Noel is a solid passer for someone his size. Clearly, the Sixers view Noel as someone to build around.
• Charley Walters of the Pioneer Press: The Minnesota Timberwolves lost money last season, owner Glen Taylor said Thursday, but he expects the team to make money this season. That's despite the $60 million signing of Nikola Pekovic this week. "We think if we play well this year, we'll get past that hump and make money," Taylor said. Pekovic's deal is for five years. The 6-foot-11, 289-pound center can earn another $4 million in performance bonuses over the duration of the contract, but he'll have to be among the best at his position in the NBA. "They are not gimmes," Taylor said of the incentives. Taylor said the Wolves still have enough money to extend the contract of point guard Ricky Rubio when the time comes. "We had to make sure we had enough for him," Taylor said.
• Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News: Monta Ellis and six other free agents who signed with the Mavericks this summer were at the team’s fan event at American Airlines Center on Thursday. The high-scoring guard chuckled when asked if he is ready to have Dirk Nowitzki as his sidekick. But he understood the implication. The Mavericks have been trying to find somebody who can make Nowitzki their second-best player for a couple of seasons. Ellis is not being viewed as that player. Then again, for a guy who has averaged 22 points over the last five seasons, why not? Nowitzki won’t be the Mavericks’ leading scorer forever. “I think the team we have together is going to ease the pressure on him, not just me alone,” Ellis said. “We’re going to work together. Everybody in this locker room is going to have a say-so in our success. Dirk won’t have to put too much on his back with guys like me and Jose [Calderon] who understand the game and have been in the NBA a long time. I don’t think I have to come in and take the baton or he [Nowitzki] has to hand it over. I think we all just hold onto it as one. It’ll be easier for him.” So is Ellis ready to be the man? Or at least, the co-man? “I think I’m ready,” he said. “This is going to be the year, with the work I put in this summer and the relationship with me and Coach that’s building right now. And the relationship I’m going to build with my teammates. I feel great. I’m in a great spot.”
• Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald: University of North Carolina coach Roy Williams believes Brad Stevens will do very well as he makes the move from college to the Celtics bench, but he does have some mixed feelings about the situation. He wishes Stevens could be coaching Paul Pierce. In a chat during this week’s Jim Calhoun Celebrity Golf Classic in Connecticut, Williams told the Herald that he’d have liked to see his former Kansas pupil remain in Green his entire career. Pierce spent 15 years with the Celtics but was dealt to the Nets with Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry this summer as the locals try to rebuild their roster on the fly. Williams gets that, but he wishes it weren’t so. “Yeah, I am a little sad,” he said. “And I understand that it had to happen. They want to make over the team because everybody’s getting older. Hey, I’m getting older myself. I turned 63 on Aug. 1. But I was just really hoping that Paul would be able to be a one-team guy. One of the reasons I thought seriously about staying at Kansas 10 years ago and not coming back to North Carolina was that I wanted to be one of those coaches that just coached at one school. I admire some of those professional athletes that just stay with one club, and I was hoping Paul would be one of them.” Williams paused and added, “Paul has done so much for Boston, and Boston has meant so much to him. I just thought that would have been neat.”
• Doug Smith of the Toronto Star: Not a bad parting gift for young point guard Myck Kabongo, one of two players released from Canada’s national men’s basketball team as the hard work of paring a roster to try and qualify for next summer’s World Cup begins. Kabongo, let go Thursday along with Carleton University guard Phil Scrubb, will head to Vancouver for a series of private workouts with national team general manager and Los Angeles Lakers guard Steve Nash. “We’re not quitting on this kid,” head coach Jay Triano said of Kabongo, who struggled in two games last week against Jamaica. “We think he can be part of this program in the future and he has to go learn from one of the best right now.” The departures of Kabongo and Scrubb, who will head back to university, leave Triano with a 15-man roster for a four-day training camp and an exhibition tournament in Puerto Rico that lead into the World Cup qualification tournament in Venezuela beginning later this month.
• John Canzano of The Oregonian: Chris McGowan turned 40 over the weekend, and apparently as part of his celebration the president of the Trail Blazers wants to see a football game. A source told me Thursday that the Blazers are in preliminary negotiations with theArena Football League to relocate a franchise to Portland. This comes in the wake of the news that McGowan wants to talk about bringing NHL to Portland. The football team would play in the venue that was formerly known as the Rose Garden -- that was before the birthday boy sold the naming rights on the building to Moda Health. And while we're waiting to see how this unfolds, it's probably worth pointing out that the biggest development anywhere in this is that McGowan is getting stuff done at an organization that sat stagnant for a decade. A Blazers spokesperson declined to comment. But what's clear is that the organization is running like a business. They're exploring new revenue streams, and attacking empty dates, trying to fill the Rose Gard -- ahem -- Moda Center with events. And no matter if you like the idea of minor-league mutant football played inside an arena or not starting next year, what you have to love is the new energy from the old gray organization. The Blazers are trying to make things happen and if this philosophy extends to the basketball operation, what we might just have here is a revitalization of the entire culture of Trail Blazers, Inc. Too early to say until we see more basketball, but all this activity gives you some hope.
• Steve Schrader of the Detroit Free Press: Now-and-then Detroit Pistons guard Chauncey Billups has partnered with former NBA player/restaurant franchise magnate Junior Bridgeman to buy 30 Wendy’s in the St. Louis area. Billups is an industry rookie, but Bridgeman has 196 Wendy’s, 100-plus Chili’s and several dozen Fazoli’s units, Nation’s Restaurant News reports (via ESPN’s Darren Rovell). “We are eager to welcome Chauncey to the Wendy’s family,” CEO Emil Brolick said.

• Bruce Brothers of the Pioneer Press: Flip Saunders indicated that signing Pekovic provides Wolves coach Rick Adelman with a major piece for a team that acquired forwards Kevin Martin and Corey Brewer plus center Ronny Turiaf, re-signed guard Chase Budinger and signed draft picks Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng. "We were able, really, to address what we wanted to do," Saunders said. "But we've still got a lot of work to do." Saunders has been busy since taking over running the Timberwolves on May 3 but said his foremost job was securing Pekovic. "He's one of our big, key pieces," Saunders said of the 6-foot-11 Pekovic. "We came in in the offseason, and we labeled him our No. 1 priority." … Pekovic, forward Kevin Love and guard Ricky Rubio give the Wolves the tools to reach the playoffs and more after a nine-year absence, Saunders said.
• Jenny Dial Creech of the Houston Chronicle: It’s been a busy offseason for Rockets guard James Harden, who took the step up to NBA All-Star in his first season in Houston. There was recording a new commercial for Foot Locker, a trip to the Philippines as part of the NBA’s global basketball program, a stop with the Nike Drew League in Los Angeles and a surprise appearance in a summer game at Fonde. Harden also managed to find a few days to practice with his newest teammate, Dwight Howard, and get more time in the weight room. After all that? “I am ready to get back to work,” Harden said in a phone interview Wednesday. “I am really excited about what is coming up for our team.” … Harden said that heading into this season’s camp — set to kick off in late September — he is even more comfortable in his role with the Rockets. “Last year was great because it was a whole new experience,” he said. “I had a whole new role — a leadership role.” Playing on a team that is trying to become championship-caliber is something that came naturally for Harden, who reached the NBA Finals in his last year with the Thunder.
• Eric Pincus of the Los Angeles Times: Lakers owners/executives Jim and Jeanie Buss have different views on the exit of Dwight Howard. "He was never really a Laker," Jim said to Ric Bucher of The Hollywood Reporter. "He was just passing through." "It's disappointing that Dwight isn't here," Jeanie said. "I feel like we failed him." Howard, who was a free agent this off-season, signed a long-term deal with the Houston Rockets. The Lakers' longtime owner had been Dr. Jerry Buss, who died in February from cancer-related complications. His ownership was passed on to two of his six children, with Jim in charge of basketball operations and Jeanie in charge of business. "My brother ultimately makes the [basketball] decisions,” said Jeanie. “I defer and will continue to defer because that’s what my dad believed would be successful." She would like to be more involved with the Lakers' basketball decisions, but that's not the role within the organization. … Jeanie recently said she believes her father might have been able to convince Howard to stay.
• Bob Ford of The Philadelphia Inquirer: Trust can be earned, trust can be built, and trust can also become a quick necessity when the back door is locked and you have to go out the front together or not at all. Sam Hinkie and Brett Brown are going to pull this off as a team or it isn't going to happen for the new administration and staff. That's the reality of what the partnership announced Wednesday means, and nobody was sugarcoating the degree of difficulty involved. "We all know the pain of rebuilding is real. We've all experienced it," Brown said. "It's dangerous and . . . a bit scary at times." In finding his partner for the tightrope walk of trust across this gorge, the least-surprising thing is that Hinkie raided a San Antonio organization for which he has a respect that one league source familiar with the GM referred to as "man love." The organization built by R.C. Buford and Gregg Popovich has been an innovator in terms of team facilities, player development, and draft and free-agent strategies. The last time the Spurs didn't win at least 50 games in a full season was 1996-97, and along the way they have won four NBA titles and would have won a fifth but for an uncharacteristic last-minute collapse in Game 6 against the Heat in June. "If someone on my [Houston] staff came to me with an idea of something that maybe we should try or do differently, I'd tell them to go find out if San Antonio did it," Hinkie said. "If the answer was no, then they should go back and rethink what they had."
• Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman: In May, Kevin Durant wore a Seattle SuperSonics cap to a Thunder shootaround in Memphis. Over the weekend, Durant played a streetball game back in Seattle and turned all melancholy. “I love and miss Seattle…damn” he tweeted. To which I say, I hear you, KD. I love it myself, and I've only been a few times to the bluest skies you've ever seen. Durant's remembrance of things past is no cause for alarm in Oklahoma City, Durant's five-year NBA home. For one thing, who cares if Durant likes Seattle? Seattle doesn't have a franchise. If Durant hasn't gotten over his first love, he can buy a summer home. For another thing, who wouldn't like Seattle? Great city. Beautiful weather. Gorgeous scenery. Ivar's seafood, Pike Place Market. Seattle is one of my favorite cities. I'm not going to bust Durant if he feels the same. Of course, who knows how Durant really feels? Nothing against the gentle giant, but he's got a little politician in him. He likes to tell people what they want to hear. … Does Durant love Seattle? I don't know. Does Durant love Oklahoma City? I don't know. But so far, he's loved the basketball experience, which is more important than hills the greenest green.
• Fred Kerber of the New York Post: At the start of last season, the smart money was on the Boston Celtics in the Atlantic Division. Yeah, and smart money once thought “Ishtar” was going to be a hit. So the Knicks disproved all the smart money thinking, ran away from Boston and outdistanced the Nets by five games. Brooklyn’s upgrades will create a greater challenge, but the Knicks remain reigning division champs. And so they are the hunted. “It is what it is. We were able to win our division based on people telling us we were fourth or fifth in the East and we are able to jump from the seventh to the second seed,” coach Mike Woodson said at yesterday’s Garden of Dreams Foundation event for kids at the team’s Greenburgh training facility. “Anything is possible. But I think our players are hungry just like every team. We’ve just got to make sure that we handle our home court and ... we’ve got to figure out the road. That’s how you win your division, just like last season.”
• Jodie Valade of The Plain Dealer: When Tristan Thompson came to the Cavaliers at the end of last season and said he wanted to make the switch from shooting primarily with his left hand to primarily with his right, no one really bothered to investigate whether anyone else had ever accomplished such a feat in the NBA. Because the answer is that no one can remember it happening. Ever. Harvey Pollack is the director of statistical information for the Philadelphia 76ers and has been with the NBA since its inception in 1946. He was the game statistician for Wilt Chamberlain’s 100-point game, and he saw the frequently free-throw challenged player shoot those shots with his right hand, left hand and under-handed simply to find something that worked. But someone switching shooting everything from free throws to jumpers with the opposite hand? “If anyone ever did this, I’m not aware of it,” said the 91-year-old Pollack in an email reply. Thompson, for his part, claims it’s no big deal. He’s always thrown a baseball and a football right-handed. He just also always happened to golf and eat left-handed. And shoot a basketball left-handed.
• Tony Jones and Bill Oram of The Salt Lake Tribune: Player agent Justin Zanik is expected to join the Utah Jazz front office as an assistant general manager, sources confirmed to The Salt Lake Tribune. Hiring Zanik would represent the latest of a flurry of moves general manager Dennis Lindsey has made since joining the organization last summer. The hire was first reported by ESPN.com. Zanik, whose clients included Oklahoma City forward Serge Ibaka, worked for ASM Sports, the agency that represents Jazz guard Alec Burks. Zanik is considered a statistics and salary cap expert, areas the Jazz have looked to bolster under Lindsey. Zanik’s position would be a new one; they did not previously have an assistant GM. Lindsey declined to comment.
• Jason Quick of The Oregonian: Brandon Roy will still be the most recent Trail Blazer to wear No.7 in a regular season game. Newly signed free agent Mo Williams earlier this month created somewhat of a stir when he chose No. 7, the number that Roy wore for his five seasons in Portland. But on Wednesday Williams got his preferred jersey number: 25, which was previously taken by the also recently signed Earl Watson. A team source said there is nothing more to the jersey number change than Watson being a nice guy and giving Williams the number he wanted all along. Watson has not chosen his new number, but he told the team it won't be No.7. Roy, one of the most popular Blazers in recent years after winning the 2006-2007 Rookie of the Year and earning All-Star honors three times, left the Blazers in 2011 after his degenerative knees led the team to waive him under the NBA's Amnesty clause, which gave them salary cap relief.
• Buddy Collins of the Orlando Sentinel: Former Lake Howell and UF basketball standout Nick Calathes made it official Wednesday, signing an NBA contract with the Memphis Grizzlies that has been in the works for weeks. Calathes indicated his deal with the Western Conference runners-up guarantees one season. Memphis holds a team option to stretch the contract to a second season, which would bring the value to a reported $2 million. That suggests the 6-foot-6 point guard actually took a pay cut after four lucrative pro seasons in Europe to play at the game's highest level.
• Michael Pointer of The Indianapolis Star: George Hill doesn’t have any regrets when he looks back on how he handled his decision to skip the U.S. National Team’s minicamp last month. The Indiana Pacers guard accepted an invitation to attend but changed his mind at the last moment because of a conflict with his youth camp in San Antonio, where he played for the Spurs before being traded to his hometown Pacers two years ago. “I am not going to sacrifice that for something that doesn’t mean as much to me as kids mean to me,” Hill said after distributing toys to students at Riverside Elementary School on the west side as part of the Pacers’ Summer Christmas program Wednesday. “The kids mean the world to me. If I have to make a decision to cancel some things, I will do it as a man.” Hill downplayed suggestions that other considerations — such as being a long shot to make the team for next summer’s World Cup in Spain — played a role in his decision. He also declined to specify why he didn’t tell USABasketball officials he planned to miss the camp. He was on the camp roster until being a no-show on opening day on July 21.
• Perry A. Farrell of the Detroit Free Press: As hinted at Tuesday, the Detroit Pistons announced today the unveiling of a special uniform that will be worn during 10 games — including six Sunday home games — throughout the 2013-14 regular season. The navy blue and red uniforms feature “Motor City” across the front and mark the club’s first alternative look since the 2005-06 NBA season, according to a news release. The uniforms are the first of their kind, designed to celebrate the pride and character of metro Detroit while paying homage to the region’s automotive roots, the release added. … The team will wear the uniforms Nov. 3 against Boston, Nov. 17 at the Lakers, Nov. 29 against the Lakers, Dec. 1 against Philadelphia, Dec. 8 vs. Miami, Dec. 15 against Portland, Jan. 5 vs. Memphis, Jan. 26 at Dallas, March 9 at Boston, and April 13 against Toronto.

Our Summer Forecast panel of voters says Victor Oladipo has the inside track, but David Thorpe says you also have to consider Michael Carter-Williams.