- Eric Koreen of the National Post: "For all of the angst that will surely come of the tweeting, Twitter isn’t to blame. If this near-deal had happened a couple of years ago, Matt Barnes would have instead been making calls to his family and friends. It was Tyson Chandler, speaking to a reporter, that helped validate the Raptors-Bobcats non-trade. So are we to ban athletes from talking to reporters, too? Should we just scrap the Internet entirely? These messes need not continue to happen. Executives, agents and players have to keep as few people in the loop about prospective deals as possible (and that is a hard sentence for a reporter to write). The more people that know about discussions, the more avenues there are for it to be leaked, and public embarrassment becomes a real possibility. ... The onus also falls on the reporter. Keeping tabs on your beat on Twitter is now a part of the job, but seeing a story reported on the service should not lower the standards for confirming a story. Reporters need to be as sure of a story in order to report it now as they were five years ago. But to suggest athletes should significantly curb their tweeting seems to miss the point. Sure, most of them are too interested in their own inanities, but that puts them in good company with the rest of us. And in a world where LeBron James is considering purchasing a US$50-million home, dialogue between the athlete and the fan is not a bad thing."
- Dan Bickley of The Arizona Republic: "Lon Babby is a great hire for Suns majority owner Robert Sarver. But let's all remember this: It's the next hire that will matter to the rest of us, and that's the addition of a general manager who ultimately will determine the competitive future of the Suns. 'I want to have somebody who I know is a crackerjack talent evaluator,' said Babby, the Suns' new president of basketball operations. 'I need to make sure we're strong in the areas that I'm not. Again, I'm not claiming to be something I'm not.' There are obvious concerns with hiring a former agent to run a basketball team. It can blur the lines and cause strange emotions (distrust, friction, a sense of entitlement) for players who once employed the agent. It will make the pursuit of a GM a bit of a challenge, as the next hire must be willing to work under the structure and culture set forth by Babby and Sarver. But for the most part, the addition of Babby has played to rave reviews around the NBA. He understands the business, Sarver's quirks and the culture of basketball in Phoenix. He has received a solid endorsement from former owner Jerry Colangelo, and that should be most comforting to Planet Orange."
- Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News: "Just a year after his celebrated entrance, the overriding feeling toward Richard
Jefferson among Spurs faithful now ranges from antipathy to apathy. As overblown Jefferson's arrival last summer turned out to be, his return this summer has gone underrated. In the end, the Spurs probably didn't stand a chance next season without him. Some in the Spurs camp believed Jefferson was overburdened by the weight of his large contract last season. He tried hard to live up to the expectations that preceded him, and grew frustrated when he could not. Internally, there is some hope Jefferson will more relaxed, and therefore more productive, playing on a more palatable contract -- in short, that his second coming to San Antonio will be easier now that he doesn't have to be the Second Coming. And so the Spurs-Jefferson marriage, though hardly perfect, will go on out of necessity. The two sides need each other. And that, in its own strange way, is something worth celebrating." - Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle: "The Rockets wanted Brad Miller, and Brad Miller wanted to play for the Rockets. Timing kept them apart. In the post-lockout rush to sign players and assemble rosters in January 1999, Miller was an undrafted free agent out of Purdue. He had turned heads with his play for former Rockets coach Rudy Tomjanovich at the 1998 World Championships in Greece, and Tomjanovich wanted him to serve as Hakeem Olajuwon’s backup. But when the Charlotte Hornets offered a guaranteed contract, Miller pledged to take it. And when the Rockets’ offer came, he decided not to begin his NBA career by reneging on a deal. Miller has played 12 seasons for four teams since, but on Tuesday he made it to where he always wanted to be, especially since another of his favorite former coaches, Rick Adelman, became the Rockets’ coach in 2007. 'It’s been a long time coming,' Miller said. 'It almost happened 12 years ago, and ever since Rick got here, I wanted to come down here. He has been my favorite coach with his whole system.' An avid outdoorsman, Miller wore camouflage pants to Tuesday’s news conference. 'Texas in general -- I feel like my personality needed to be in Texas at some point,' he said. 'From day one, I told my agent (Mark Bartelstein) this is where I wanted to be.' "
- Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post: "After Friday, Chauncey Billups and other candidates will wait for the U.S. roster to be trimmed. The team reconvenes in New York before heading to Turkey for the Aug. 28-Sept. 12 world championships. 'I'm excited. I always try to consider myself a winner, and this is one of the last goals that I have on my wish list, trying to win an Olympic gold medal,' said Billups, who won an NBA title -- and the Finals MVP award -- while with the Detroit Pistons. 'And of course, this starts that process.' Billups often has said he wants to play in the Olympics. But if anything, he wants to play the 'Jason Kidd role' for Team USA. Kidd didn't play much at the Beijing Games, but he was a team leader and mentor en route to a gold medal. 'I'm like the elder statesman around here, especially with all these young kids,' Billups said Tuesday. 'But it's just fun, getting to play with some good players and just try to lead and do what I do.' "
- Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald: "Rajon Rondo, cards as always held close to the vest, claims not to be as familiar with what has happened in Miami, where LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh have combined to form a Big Three that already is more dreaded and loathed than at any point in the history of the Celtics’ own super, albeit aged, trio. 'To be honest, I don’t know who they’ve added to that team beyond those three guys,' Rondo said. When the names of Heat additions like Mike Miller and Zydrunas Ilgauskas and re-signed players like Udonis Haslem and Jamaal Magloire were mentioned, Rondo once again sounded unimpressed. Rondo was asked what he thinks of the current state of the Celtics roster. 'I think we can win it all with who we have,' he said. Asked again about Miami, he professed ignorance. 'Miami is the least of my concerns right now,' he said. 'I feel that our biggest opponent every night is ourselves. I don’t think that ever changes. I know everyone is out there making trades and trying to change their teams, but we can just worry about ourselves -- that’s all. Then we’ll be all right.' "
- George Diaz of the Orlando Sentinel: "Big props to Dwight Howard. A lot of folks -- me included at times -- have suggested he should work harder at what he does best -- basketball -- and sacrifice the other stuff he’s not so great at -- acting, etc. Howard seems to be on board with the plan. Howard has been working with Hakeem 'The Dream' Olajuwon to improve his game this off-season in Houston. He even posted a photo of himself and the Dream on his Twitter account. Great move. As noted here before, if you develop any kind of outside touch, a little drop-step here and there, and it’s Game Over for the rest of the league."
- Gordon Monson of The Salt Lake Tribune: "The question was posed to multiple agents around the NBA, and its answer also answers -- sort of -- another question, one that cuts through all the gobbledygook straight to the crux of the matter. The first: Can the Jazz lure free agents to Utah? The second: Can the Jazz ever win a championship? ... Everyone wants to believe that players are driven by the good stuff, that they want to play hard for a quality franchise in front of devoted fans, to win for themselves and the community a championship. In most cases, on the sliding scale of NBA motivations, what everyone wants finishes a distant second to what players want -- the best deal possible. That, of course, is the reason Wesley Matthews bolted for Portland. He didn’t want to go there. He didn’t want to land himself in the middle of a 2-guard cluster that could prevent him from getting any kind of major minutes. But $32.5 million reeled him in. ... Can the Jazz ever win a title, the way Green Bay has in the NFL and San Antonio has in the NBA? They can, as long as they’re smart, lucky, and their gold glimmers and their money is green."
- Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer: "Much of the fan base was frustrated with Boris Diaw last season. Appropriately so. His nonchallance -- the guy will never be confused with Ray Lewis -- showed through more than you'd wish. That highlighted something many of you tolerated in the past; that Diaw is a reluctant shooter, to the point that he's passing up good shots in an unrealistic attempt to create great shots for others. As Dick Harter taught me a long time ago, the most selfish thing you can do in a college game is take the first open shot, and the most selfish thing you can do in an NBA game (24-second shot clock) is pass up the first open shot. Having said all that, I think Diaw was trashed last season beyond his actual flaws. Understandably, fans tend to focus on measurables and often what Diaw did best -- reliable defense and hockey assists -- don't show up in the box score. I'm not disputing he took games off -- he does -- but the subtle things he provides might be valued only in his absence."
- Dan Steinberg of D.C. Sports Bog: "Last item from Ted Leonsis's one-hour radio blitz that had my fingers bleeding by the end. This one comes from the Jim Rome Show, and it came after Rome asked whether the Wizards need to reconnect with the Washington community. Leonsis agreed. 'We broke that trust,' he said. 'We were an underachieving team. Maybe the fan base lost the connectedness with the players. Obviously our franchise player is Gilbert Arenas: he's been injured for a couple of years, and he was suspended last year. I've reached out to Gilbert and I find Gilbert to be a very authentic, warm, nice guy. And he's certainly a very talented player, and we're gonna be in it together. I have his back, and he's been working out really really hard over the summer. We will have a good professional relationship. He knows what we're trying to build and he wants to be a part of it. It's a great city, it's a great ban base, and I think we're gonna build a very very competitive team very quickly.' Then Rome asked whether Gilbert's role will need to change, and Leonsis repeated his contention that the Wizards will have one of the best backcourts in the NBA. He also said Gilbert's role will change for the better. 'I think John Wall will add years to Gilbert's career,' he said. 'He'll lug the ball up, he'll run. Gilbert is a great shooter, Gilbert goes hard to the rim.' "
- Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times: "And even after losing out on LeBron James and the free agency bonanza in the offseason, it's almost like the fates have conspired to insulate the Bulls from scorn. The backlash against James since his the ill-advised 'The Decision' seems to have painted the Bulls as the victim instead of the loser. ... So even in 'defeat' the Bulls will go into the 2010-11 season with their ever-faithful fans behind them -- again. I'm not saying it shouldn't be that way. They could have done a lot worse than Carlos Boozer, Kyle Korver and Ronnie Brewer in the offseason. And a defensive-minded coach like Thibodeau could make a big difference on a team that was not as good defensively as the numbers indicated last season. But let's not re-start the clock on the Bulls -- and John Paxson -- just because of a new coach and new players. Remember, Year 13 of the post-Jordan era is about to begin."
- Jeff Schultz of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "The Hawks are still in the midst of their shopping this offseason. It has been quiet, even as they roam the aisles of Value City. There’s still a chance they will come home with something other than used Play-Doh and a bag of defective socks. But don’t count on it. They have made it clear that their heads are bumping up against the ceiling of their budget. They won’t add a player if it means having to pay a luxury tax. They won’t add a player if it means trading a perceived player of significance. It doesn’t matter if the new player can actually make them better, or if he would ignite a fan base that’s just looking for a reason to walk through a turnstile. ... Here’s the question Rick Sund and ownership should be asking themselves: Who makes us better? They’ve convinced themselves that a center-by-committee (Al Horford, Zaza Pachulia, Jason Collins and maybe you if can get a resume in) will be enough to challenge Orlando, Boston and Miami in the Eastern Conference. Maybe Sund really believes this. Maybe his hands are tied. Maybe he just likes playing it safe, and if it doesn’t work out, well, he’s near retirement anyway. But can you feel comfortable with the status quo?"
- Todd Porter of the Canton Repository: "NBA summer basketball isn’t where stars are made. Few fans squeeze it in around vacation and fishing, and fewer notice who does what. But it is where reputations start to be formed. To that end, Kosta Koufos went to Orlando and had the best summer season of his career. Last week, he returned home to Canton. He was going about his normal routine, which includes working out and playing hoops, when his cell phone rang. The big 7-foot-1 center was about to stare the business end of the NBA in the eye. Koufos had been traded from Utah to Minnesota. The Jazz spent a first-round pick on the one-and-done former Ohio State big man. Head Coach Jerry Sloan isn’t keen on playing rookies, and less so on 19-year-olds, and Koufos’ playing time was limited. 'I understand it’s a business, and I feel confident wherever I end up,' Koufos said. 'I feel like I’ll be very successful in this league as long as I stay focused and continue to work. This is a one-day-at-a-time league.' "
- Vince Ellis of the Detroit Free Press: "John Thompson scoffs at those who try to judge players based on Summer League games. The legendary former Georgetown coach, who was courtside for Greg Monroe’s games, said the structure of play doesn’t lend itself to a player of Monroe’s capabilities. 'When you get into a situation like this, most of the players here are trying to show off their skills,' said Thompson, whose son, John III, coached Pistons rookie Monroe at Georgetown. 'That’s the priority even over trying to win at this point. So it’s normal you’re not going to get the possessions, and things aren’t going to run specifically for you. I don’t think you can pay attention to anyone’s scoring when watching this.' After averaging 8.6 points in the first three outings, Monroe averaged 23.5 points and 10 rebounds in the last two games -- showing the high basketball instincts that made the Pistons use the seventh pick of the draft on the big man. Thompson has a point, though. With only several days of practice to install a rudimentary offense, it leads to a lot of pick-and-rolls and maybe one or two plays."
- Tom Enlund of the Journal Sentinel: "The Milwaukee Bucks' three 2010 draft choices experienced a mixed bag last week in the Las Vegas summer league. First-round draft choice Larry Sanders had a good week, averaging 14.0 points and 8.4 rebounds, and was named to the 14-man all-league team. But it was a different story for second-round picks Tiny Gallon and Darington Hobson. Gallon had what coach Scott Skiles termed a "rough week," while Hobson could only observe as he was sidelined with a groin injury that already has set him back in his short NBA career. Sanders started every game and averaged 3.2 blocked shots and 33.6 minutes per game as the Bucks went 1-4. He shot 44.6% from the floor and made 10 of 17 free throws (58.8%)."
- Francesca Jarosz of The Indianapolis Star: "The city's new $33.5 million deal with the Indiana Pacers makes one thing inevitable: Both sides will be back at the negotiating table in three years. When that time comes, it seems likely the Pacers once again will insist on taxpayer money. But the real question is whether the city will be in a position to do anything other than say, 'How much this time?' The answer to that question will depend largely on an economic landscape that could change drastically over the next few years and myriad complicating factors -- many of which are not in the city's control. A new NBA labor agreement. A new convention center and mega-hotel. A better team on the court. A different owner. Any and all of those factors would significantly impact what happens. Then there is the possibility that the fortunes of neither the city nor the team will have greatly improved."
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