Monday Insider

[Admin]

The NBA's annual rite of passage, the summer leagues, got underway Sunday night in fitting fashion.

Jerry West's too-young-for-prime time Grizzlies duked it out against Jerry West's showtime Lakers. The result wasn't very surprising. Even without Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal, the Lakers stomped the Grizzlies 90-74.

After the game, West lamented about the state of his lowly Grizzlies -- even their summer league team. Despite all of the promising young players on this squad, it still takes a beating.

"I'm behind. No question I'm behind," he told the L.A. Daily News. "I didn't have the chance to focus on the [draft], and we could have done a better job bringing in summer players. We need to be able to put a representative team out there, and right now we just aren't good enough to compete ... the secret to winning is talent, and we don't have enough."

West then promised fans that the days of 20-win seasons are behind them.

"We can't put a team out there that wins 23 games," he said. "It's not acceptable to me and nor should it be for the fans. But we need to have better players if we're going to compete at a high level."

If the NBA draft is soley about potential, then the summer leagues are the first attempt at mining a little of it for the regular season. But what it often produces is fools gold -- false hope that leads to unrealistic expectations for the regular season.

Kwame Brown the savior of the Wizards? It sure looked that way at times last summer. Zach Randolph the second coming of Elton Brand? He put up better numbers than Brand did his rookie year or just about anyone else for that matter. Charlie Bell the undrafted gem of 2001? Despite averaging over 19 ppg in the summer, he got in only five games for the Suns.

While you can clearly get some idea whether a guy can play, you can't get a great feel for what he'll do against top competition. Just take a look at Insider's first and second teams from last year's summer league:

First Team

F Zach Randolph, Blazers

Summer 2001: 26.2 ppg and 9.0 rpg

2001-02 Season: 2.8 ppg and 1.7 rpg

F Darius Miles, Clippers

Summer 2001: 26.8 ppg. and 7.4 rpg.

2001-02 Season: 9.5 ppg and 5.5 rpg

G Michael Redd, Bucks

Summer 2001: 19.7 ppg

2001-02 Season: 11.4 ppg

G Raja Bell, 76ers

Summer 2001: 21.7 ppg on 61% shooting

2001-02 Season: 3.4 ppg on 43% shooting

G Jeff McInnis, Clippers

Summer 2001: 24 ppg

2001-02 Season: 14.6 ppg, 6.4 apg

Second Team:

F Kwame Brown, Wizards

Summer 2001: 15.5 ppg and 7.2 rpg

2001-02 Season: 4.5 ppg and 3.5 rpg

F Jumaine Jones, Cavs

Summer 2001: 19.7 ppg and 7.5 rpg

2001-02 Season: 8.3 ppg and 6.0 rpg

G Dion Glover, Hawks

Summer 2001: 18.8 ppg

2001-02 Season: 8.9 ppg

G Charlie Bell, Suns

Summer 2001: 19.2 ppg and 5.2 apg

2001-02 Season: 1.6 ppg on 0.4 apg

G Tony Parker, Spurs

Summer 2001: 19.5 ppg and 9.0 apg

2001-02 Season: 9.2 ppg on 4.3 apg

Of the top 10 summer players of 2001, only Miles, Redd, McInnis and Parker turned into something special. Rajam Bell, Brown, Jones and Glover all struggled to find their groove last season. Randolph and Charlie Bell never found their way off the bench.

So before you get too excited over Drew Gooden's 14 points Sunday night or too down on Kareem Rush's lackluster nine-point outing, remember, it's all relative.

What's important for teams is to get young draft picks familiar with the offense and plays they run and to get a good look at a few undrafted free agents who may be able to fill a hole on the roster. Everything else is gravy.

This year there are four NBA summer leagues.

The first started in Los Angeles Sunday -- the Summer Pro League. The Clippers, Grizzlies, Heat, Lakers, Mavericks, Rockets, Suns and Warriors will participate, as will several other current and former NBA players for "agent" teams.

Among the top players expected to be in Los Angeles: Baron Davis and Jamaal Magloire (Hornets), Jeff McInnis and Quentin Richardson (Clippers); Jason Richardson, Mike Dunleavy Jr. and ZhiZhi Wang (Warriors); Drew Gooden (Grizzlies), Caron Butler (Heat), Joe Johnson and Amare Stoudemire (Suns); and Eddie Griffin and Bostjan Nachbar (Rockets).

One other summer league starts this week -- the Magic's Pro Summer League. The league runs from July 9-13 and features summer league teams from Orlando, Detroit, Indiana, Miami, Milwaukee and New Orleans.

Among the top players expected to be in Orlando: Ryan Humphrey and Stephen Hunter (Magic); Rodney White, Tayshaun Prince and Mehmet Okur (Pistons); Fred Jones, Charlie Bell and Lubos Barton (Pacers); Caron Butler and Will Avery (Heat); Marcus Haislip, Dan Gadzuric and Jamal Sampson (Bucks); and Kirk Haston and Jerome Moiso (Hornets).

Two other summer leagues will get underway next week.

The Shaw Summer League will be held in Boston from July 15-21. Atlanta, Boston, Milwaukee, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Orlando, Philadelphia, San Antonio and Washington will field teams.

Among the top players expected to be in Boston: Dan Dickau (Hawks); Kedrick Brown and Omar Cook (Celtics); Marcus Haislip, Dan Gadzuric and Jamal Sampson (Bucks); Loren Woods and Marcus Taylor (T-Wolves); Richard Jefferson and Jason Collins (Nets); Frank Williams (Knicks), Ryan Humphrey and Stephen Hunter (Magic); John Salmons and Randy Holcomb (Sixers); and Kwame Brown, Jared Jeffries and Juan Dixon (Washington).

Finally, the Rocky Mountain Revue is held in Salt Lake City from July 19-27. Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Memphis, Phoenix, Portland, Toronto and Utah will all field teams this year.

Among the top players expected to be in Salt Lake City: Jay Williams, Tyson Chandler and Eddy Curry (Bulls); Dajuan Wagner and DeSagana Diop (Cavs); Nikoloz Tskitishivili and Nene Hilario (Nuggets); Drew Gooden (Grizzlies), Joe Johnson and Amare Stoudemire (Suns); Qyntel Woods and Zach Randolph (Blazers); Michael Bradley and Michael Stewart (Raptors); and Curtis Borchardt (Jazz).

Check back through the next three weeks for Insider's daily coverage of who's hot and who's not in the NBA summer leagues.

Grizzlies exec watches new team play old

Bob Keisser / Los Angeles Daily News

Rush has 'so-so' debut for Lakers

Joe Stevens / Los Angeles Daily News

Summer Nets Will Think Big

Fred Kerber / New York Post

Bell brings another hoop dream to Indy

Bob Kravitz / Indianapolis Star

Magic dilemma: Duncan or Fizer?!?

Next summer was supposed to be the summer of Tim Duncan. Now, with an increasingly impatient coach and front office, it looks like the Magic may be abandoning their plan to save cap room and pursue Duncan in 2003 for some immediate help right now.

With the Spurs locking into a place a strong supporting cast to complement Duncan in San Antonio, it's looking less likely that Duncan will be making a move to Orlando next summer anyway.

Doc Rivers has repeatedly told management that he expects to have a roster that can compete this season. The Magic still lack a dominant inside presence and also need to find a way to reduce Darrell Armstrong's minutes at the point. By the team's recent moves, it seems like it's willing to give Rivers what he wants.

Orlando is still actively dangling Mike Miller and Armstrong as bait to land a big man. Trade scenarios reportedly have the Magic interested in Golden State's Danny Fortson, Chicago's Marcus Fizer or Atlanta's Nazr Mohammed.

Of course, the problem with two of those scenarios is that they add a player (Fortson or Mohammed) with a large long-term contract. Fizer has a more workable deal, but doesn't have the upside of Fortson (fourth in the NBA in rebounding) or Mohammed (a strong shot blocker).

Still, if the Magic can get the Bulls to throw in Jamal Crawford, along with Fizer, for Miller, first-round pick Ryan Humphrey and a few future first-rounders, they may be able to fix both of their needs in one fell swoop without critically damaging their cap room for next summer.

Would the Bulls go for it? A Bulls source told Insider this weekend that Jerry Krause remains very high on Miller and feels he needs his outside shooting. The team was also impressed with Humphrey during pre-draft workouts. The problem, for the Bulls, is giving up Crawford. Krause still believes that Crawford could turn into something special as a two guard and is is reluctant to trade him so early.

GM John Gabriel will likely wait until after the Magic's summer league to pull the trigger on any trade. He really wants to see what he has in Stephen Hunter and Rashard Griffin first.

"With both of them playing, it surely will paint a better picture for us what our needs really are," Gabriel told the Orlando Sentinel. "It will help us move forward with moves we need to make, whether it's signings or trades. We'll have a better idea after the summer league."

Quest for help quite taxing

Jerry Brewer / Orlando Sentinel

Duncan less likely for Magic

Ken Hornack / Daytona Beach News-Journal

Miller time: Have the Cavs crossed the line with Andre?

More damaging details continue to surface about the botched trade that almost sent Andre Miller to the Clippers for Lamar Odom and the No. 8 pick on draft night.

Sports Illustrated writer Ian Thomsen was in the Cavs' war room on draft night and gives the best insight yet into what went wrong.

According to Thomsen, it was Clippers owner Donald Sterling, not the Cavs, who screwed things up. Apparently, Cavs owner Gordan Gund got a verbal agreement for Sterling to do the trade and asked the Clippers to select Caron Butler with the No. 8 pick, but Sterling waited too long to phone it into the war room. Instead, the Clipps took Chris Wilcox and the deal fell apart.

However, the most interesting revelation from the night was a heated debate between Cavs GM Jim Paxson and assistant coach Ron Ekker on trading Miller.

"I'm a little concerned about this talk of trading Andre," Ekker told Paxson. "That can't be a basketball decision."

"We're not going to trade Andre because he wants the max," Paxson responded. "We know Andre. We aren't winning with him. Nobody's coming to our building to see Andre Miller play. I'm not putting Andre down. It's just a fact. You say it's not a basketball decision, but in the future it is. We're only going to trade him if we can get two young players and Wagner and build for the long term."

"That's if we are part of the future," Ekker retorted. "You may put us in a position where we are not part of the future."

"Gordon Gund doesn't want to win 35 games," Paxson said. "He's willing to go this route. You have to trust that."

Unfortunately that route hit the all-too-familiar Clipper dead end. Two weeks after the draft, the Cavs remain stuck between a rock and a hard place. Paxson's comments about Miller will be hitting newsstands this week, likely widening the rift that already exists between them. Now that teams smell blood, Miller's price may plummet. Odom is now on record as saying he'd hate to play in Cleveland and the Cavs have only Dajuan Wagner to add to a disappointing team.

So who will take Miller? The Cavs and Clippers are still talking, but seem to be at an impasse. The Cavs still want Darius Miles but that doesn't look like it's happening. There's some interest in Wilcox, but it isn't the same level as Butler.

Other teams still in the market for Miller include the Pacers, who have offered Jamaal Tinsley and either Jonathan Bender or Al Harrington; the Warriors, who would be willing to part with next year's No. 1 (read another shot at LeBron James) and just about anyone on their roster other than Jason Richardson for Miller; the Bucks, who would give up Sam Cassell and either Glen Robinson or Tim Thomas for Miller; the Magic, who would give up Mike Miller and future No. 1's; the T-Wolves, who still are dangling Wally Szczerbiak and anyone else on their roster; and the Knicks, who are trying to sell the Cavs on the virtues of Latrell Sprewell.

Cavs' draft moves illustrated in detail

Chris Tomasson / Akron Beacon-Journal

Guarded optimism

Scot Fagerstrom / Akron Beacon-Journal

Is Chauncey Billups heading to the Pistons?

All indications point to T-Wolves point guard Chauncey Billups moving to the Eastern Conference this year. Billups met with the Pistons over the weekend. From most accounts, Billups is leaning toward sticking in Detroit.

"He's kind of in the same mold as Chucky [Atkins], Ben [Wallace] and Corliss [Williamson]," GM Joe Dumars told the Detroit News. "He's a young guy, 25, who hasn't really busted out yet, but you get the feeling that he is about to. He's right there." "I am looking for a place where I will be comfortable, where I can gain some stability both with the team and the community," Billups said. "I feel comfortable with Joe and this organization and with where the team is headed."

Although free agents can't sign until July 17, agent Andy Miller said Billups wants to commit to a destination soon.

The Wolves as of Friday had not made an offer for Billups, Miller said, although he has spoken with the team. With Terrell Brandon's rehab going well, it looks like Billups would be happier playing for a team for which he can be a starter.

"Chauncey loves Minnesota, and he would love to play in Minnesota," Miller told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "But we probably won't know anything for sure about Terrell until next month … and Chauncey wants to play 30 minutes a game."

Other teams, including the Wizards, Knicks and Magic, have also expressed serious interest.

Billups looking to go east

Robbi Pickeral / St. Paul Pioneer Press

Billups, Pistons share a mutual interest

Chris McCosky / Detroit News

Peep Show

Heat: The team is hoping former T-Wolves point guard Will Avery can alleviate some of its point guard problems. "I'm hoping he's coming from a situation that wasn't good for him," Heat coach Pat Riley told the Sun Sentinel. "We like him and will give him a good shot." Avery is just happy to get a shot. "I never got a chance to prove myself and show what I can do in game situations," said Avery, 22, who averaged 2.7 points and 1.4 assists in 8.5 minutes, and started just one game in three seasons. "I would've been fine if I was in the right situation. But Minnesota was a playoff team where you don't get the opportunity to play like you do when you're a high draft pick and go to a team that's struggling."

Mavs, Warriors: ZhiZhi Wang will be on the Warriors' summer league roster, but that doesn't mean the Mavs have given up on him. Mavericks owner Mark Cuban told the Dallas Morning News that Wang's summer status will not affect his place with the Mavericks. Wang is a restricted free agent, and Cuban has said he will match any offer Wang receives up to the league average, which is about $4.5 million.

Knicks: Mirsad Turkcan is hoping for another shot in the NBA. Turkcan, who appeared in only seven games for the Knicks during the 1999-2000 season before being released, averaged 15.6 points for CSKA Moscow last year and believes a good showing in next month's World Championships could land him a job with an NBA team. "I'm sorry about New York," Turkcan told the N.Y. Post. "I don't have any chance to show myself. This is a mistake of [Jeff] Van Gundy. I never had a chance to play in the NBA. I want to come back."

Cavs, Knicks, T-Wolves: Cezary Trybanski has a chance to become the first person from Poland to play in the NBA. Trybanski, a 7-foot center, averaged six points and 3.7 rebounds for KS Pruszkow in the Polish League. Trybanski has been working out in Cleveland. Representatives from several teams, including the Knicks and T-Wolves, were in attendance at an invitation-only workout last week. Termini said several teams had invited Trybanski to a second workout. "He fell through the cracks a little bit and didn't get drafted and surfaced as a free agent because Poland isn't known as a place where players come from," agent Mark Termini told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "But after he's signed, Poland will be more highly scouted."

[ATLien_]

Nazar Mohammed a good shot blocker? LOL ESPN has absolutely no clue at all. Fortson and Mohomed have more upside than Fizer the #2 pick in the draft.

[Guest]

If that deals goes down, the Pacers would become instant threats to win the east. They would matchup too.

[Guest]

These guys shoot themselves in the foot all the time...sheesh!

[Hawksfreak]

who cares bout the pacers? its all bout the hawks baby! [red]