Monday Insider

[Admin]

The summer league is now in full swing and Drew Gooden is quickly proving that Jerry West knows what he's talking about. He's been unstoppable in L.A.. But to put that in context, so have the Warriors.

And, not to re-open the whole East Coast-West Coast thing again, but have you noticed the boxscores coming out of L.A. and Orlando?

In L.A., where all of the Western Conference teams play, we've already had a 149-126 game, and a 137-112 scoring fest. Back East it's been ugly. The Heat and Pistons put us through a 63-55 affair and the Magic and Pistons gave us a 65-57 stinker. To top things off, the Hornets managed to score only 50 points Saturday.

IN

Drew Gooden, Grizzlies

He may be the lone bullet in the Grizzlies' summer league gun, but he's been absolutely lethal. Gooden has been, by far, the most impressive of this year's rookies. He's averaging 22.6 points and 10 rebounds per game through the Grizzlies' first five games at the L.A. Summer Pro League. His best game so far was against the Mavs, when he racked up 36 points and 14 rebounds on 12 of 16 shooting from the field.

The Warriors

If only the summer league lasted all season. Jason Richardson (22 ppg), Troy Murphy (22.6 ppg, 6 rpg), Gilbert Arenas (18 ppg, 7 apg), ZhiZhi Wang (15 ppg) and Mike Dunleavy (14.6 ppg, 6.7 rpg) have all shined at times and give you a great glimpse into the future of the team. The key for the Warriors will be the development of Arenas into a point guard. Right now he's averaging a 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio, which isn't too bad. If he can improve his ball handling and decision making, he may earn himself a starting job. Both Jiri Welsch and Steve Logan, the two point guards the Warriors drafted this year, aren't faring nearly as well.

Amare Stoudemire and Alton Ford, Suns

They have a combined one year of college experience between them, but Ford and Stoudemire have the makings of the young, athletic rock solid power forwards the Suns have pined for since the departure of Antonio McDyess. While Ford (15 ppg, 7.4 rpg) showed signs of promise toward the end of last season, the Suns' coaching staff has been impressed with his improvement over the summer. And everyone's been blown away by Stoudemire's work ethic and ability to pick things. One GM who has a team in L.A. told Insider that Stoudemire (14.6 ppg, 5.4 rpg), with enough playing time, will be able to put up solid numbers this year -- a rarity for kids who jump into the league straight from high school.

Eddie Griffin, Rockets

In just three games Griffin has shown that incredible inside-outside game that has the Rockets drooling. He's averaging 22.6 ppg, 10 rpg and 2 bpg and is shooting a sizzling 75 percent from behind the three-point arc. It's still early but Griffin may yet turn out to be the best player in the draft class of 2001.

Jerome Moiso, Hornets

This is Moiso's final chance to show anything, a pulse, a smidgen of basketball talent, and he's making the most of it. After two incredibly lackluster seasons in Boston and Charlotte, Moiso has been much more aggressive and has been the best player in the Orlando Pro Summer League. He's averaged 13.4 ppg, 8.6 rpg and 2.4 bpg.

Jaren Jackson, Mavs

Jackson is trying to revive his career after a successful stint with the Spurs a few years back. He may be old, but he's shown the Mavs he still can shoot the ball. So far, he's been averaging 18 ppg and is in the best shape of the last three years.

OUT

Steven Hunter and Rashard Griffith, Magic

John Gabriel better start hitting the phones. Hunter had an injury to partly blame for his problems. Griffith looked listless and out of shape. With Patrick Ewing and Horace Grant both seriously contemplating retirement, the Magic have a major problem in the middle. To put it in perspective, ultra raw second-round pick Olumide Oyedeji thoroughly outplayed both of them. Rookie Ryan Humphrey looks like he could play some minutes at power forward, but there is no one to who can make a difference in the middle right now.

Bostjan Nachbar, Rockets

It wasn't Nacbar's fault, and the injury, a hernia, wasn't considered serious, but the No. 15 pick in the draft got the Rockets off to a terrible start. After the Rockets suffered massive injuries to most of their team last summer, no one in Houston likes the omen of a first-round pick coming up lame. His injury also prohibited the Rockets from getting a great look at a guy they thought might be able to contribute behind Glen Rice right away.

Kirk Haston, Hornets

Hornets VP Bob Bass ripped into Haston Saturday after he turned in another lackluster performance. "We found out a lot, and some of it was negative," Bass told the Times Picayune. "We came down here to look at Moiso and Haston. Moiso had a lot better camp than Kirk. Hopefully Kirk learned something from it. But he's not aggressive enough." Haston ended the Orlando league averaging 11.4 ppg and 6.2 rpg.

Freddie Jones, Pacers

His numbers weren't terrible (14 ppg, 3 apg) but his shooting was atrocious. Jones shot just 36 percent from the field during the summer league and connected on only 6 of 17 from beyond the arc. The Pacers say fatigue and a lingering shoulder injury were to blame.

ASSORTED TIDBITS AND BAUBLES

There's an interesting backcourt battle brewing in Phoenix this summer. In addition to Penny Hardaway, the Suns have two sweet-shooting young guns, Joe Johnson and Casey Jacobsen, competing for minutes behind (or is that in front) of Hardaway. So far, at the L.A. Summer Pro League, Jacobsen has had the upper hand. He's averaging 15.8 ppg, including a spectacular 35-point game versus the Warriors in which he put up 17 points in the fourth quarter. Johnson isn't having a bad summer league either, averaging 13.6 ppg. The question is, which player is a better fit? Jacobsen is a better long-rang shooter and is more aggressive on both ends of the court. But with Stephon Marbury, Shawn Marion and Penny Hardaway all clammering for shots, the laid back Johnson may be a better fit chemistry-wise. Expect this to be an ongoing saga all summer.

While the Magic have to be disappointed in the development of their frontcourt, they got some good games out of two backcourt players. Last year's first-round pick, Jeryl Sasser, was solid if a bit unspectacular. Given the team's woes at backup point guard, unspectacular will do. But their big find may be Smush Parker. Parker, who was as shocked as anyone on draft night when he slipped all the way out of the draft, has put up solid number for the Magic. Parker averaged 15.3 ppg, 3.5 apg and a summer league high 3.3 steals per game.

Miami didn't get to see its lottery pick, Caron Butler, play, but the Heat did get a great look at their other Butler, second-round pick Rasual Butler. Butler was inconsistent but still averaged 13 ppg on 57 percent shooting from the field. His best games came against the Bucks and the Magic, against whom he scored 24 points on 10 of 13 shooting and 20 points on 8 of 12 shooting, respectively. Sources in Miami say he's got an excellent shot at making the team this year.

The Bucks saw a little bit of everything from their draft picks in Orlando, but didn't get a lot of answers. Marcus Haislip was solid but tried to shoot too many threes. With the exception of one stellar 24-point performance when he went 4-for-5 from behind the arc, his outside shot just wasn't falling. The team wants him to be a dominant four, but it's concerned that he doesn't have a real position. Dan Gadzuric was OK, but he did put up two games with double-digit rebounds. Ronald Murray showed the team that he knew how to score -- he had a 29-point debut, but what the team really wanted to know was whether he could pass it to the Big 3.

The Pistons got an unsteady performance from Rodney White, which is pretty much what they expected. He has the talent to score on just about everyone, but he's still making lots of mental mistakes that lead to costly turnovers and ill-advised shots. The bright news is that he's getting better and the Pistons think it's just a matter of time. Last years' second-round pick, Mehmet Okur, who the Pistons touted as a potential lottery selection had he waited until this year to enter the draft, lived up to the hype. He's a beast on the boards, but showed that solid outside game that we've come to expect from European big men. He should be able to step in right away and help Ben Wallace clean up the glass.

Will Avery was hot and cold in Miami, but when he was hot, like Friday night in Orlando when he scored 25 points on 9 of 10 shooting, he was sizzling. Avery will now take his act to Utah and try to get a look from the Jazz at the Rocky Mountain Revue. With Raul Lopez now looking like a lock to come to Utah this season, he may not have much of a shot.

Will the Sonics keep Rashard Lewis?

With just 36 hours to go until teams can begin signing free agents and making trades, all is quiet on the NBA front. Not only are the small potatoes not getting the looks, even some of the big prizes in this year's free-agent market aren't getting any love.

Michael Olowokandi and the Clippers have yet to sit down and talk about a contract. And the Sonics and Rashard Lewis are still worlds apart on contract terms. The Sonics are looking at a six-year deal in the range of $55 million. Lewis is asking for the max, which should gross him about $84 million over the next six years. But what's a $30 million gulf among friends?

Still, the Sonics are beginning to make their push for Lewis. After giving him a few weeks to survey the field and come to the conclusion that no one was going to pay him more money than the Sonics, the two sides appear ready to talk.

"It's easy to say there's no bigger priority for us than retaining Rashard," Sonics president and CEO Wally Walker told the Seattle Post Intelligencer. "He has proven himself to be a very good NBA player with a chance for stardom." So exactly what should a player with a chance for stardom make?

"Determining worth is an inexact science," Walker told the Seattle Times. "We could look at 10 different contracts and say this is what a player is worth, but an agent can look at 10 and come up with another number. It's a process. You've got to look at cap room in a given year, and it's favorable for us this year because the cap is probably going to be flat from last year. ... You try to analyze everything and make him the best offer you can. The goal is to reach a number that both sides feel good about."

Walker has flown to Houston to meet with Lewis along with general manager Rick Sund, but no one is expecting a deal to be signed on Wednesday. The Sonics have told Lewis that they won't participate in a sign-and-trade deal, leaving Lewis very few options. He could take a huge pay cut and go to a team he likes, the Rockets and Wizards are at the top of his list, for the mid-level exception or he can accept the Sonics' terms. There isn't a lot of wiggle room in between those two options. Given Lewis' interest in his hometown Rockets, bolting is always a risk. He could also try to sign a one-year deal with a team that will have cap room next season, and try to get more cash next summer.

Lewis isn't the only free agent the Sonics risk losing. Center Jerome James is getting serious interest from the Knicks and the Grizzlies. According to the Times, the Sonics appear to be in agreement on James and want the 7-foot-1 center to return for a second season. However, Seattle spent $34 million on center Calvin Booth last year, and may be unwilling to do the same on James.

Sonics make signing Lewis priority No. 1

Danny O'Neil / Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Check, please: roster hinges on money

Percy Allen / Seattle Times

Layden 'Intrigued' By Sonics' James

Marc Berman / New York Post

Are the Bucks still trying to find a way to ship the Big Dog out of town?

General manager Ernie Grunfeld told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that the team is still exploring trades, but the Bucks haven't found anything to their liking yet.

"It's part of our business," Grunfeld said. "You look for ways to improve. You explore. There is always a lot of exploring."

The Bucks spent the weeks heading into the draft talking to the Cavs and the Knicks about deals that would've sent Glenn Robinson out of town. The Knicks were dangling Latrell Sprewell. The Bucks were trying to get Andre Miller or the team's No. 6 pick in the draft from the Cavs. While neither deal panned out, several NBA sources told Insider that Robinson, along with Tim Thomas and Sam Cassell, is available, but the Bucks won't give them away.

Grunfeld did give big insight into what he's looking to get back via trade. He jokingly said he'd love to get his hands on the big fella. "You know who I'm really interested in -- Shaq."

Grunfeld was asked if he would be content going into next season with the current roster.

"The No. 1 thing for us is to try and get healthy," he said. "And I think we've done that in the offseason. You kind of forget that 60 games into the season, we were in first place. We lost 15 of the last 20, but we had a lot of players miss a lot of games. We don't want to use that as an excuse and we won't. We were disappointed in how things turned out."

Bucks 'explore' a deal

Tom Enlund / Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel

Peep Show

Hornets: Baron Davis made a surprise appearance at the Hornets-Heat summer league game Saturday. Davis sat on the bench with the team, but said he remains undecided about whether to accept the Hornets' maximum-money, six-year, $84 million contract extension offered July 1. "It's definitely a tough decision that I have to make," Davis told the Times Picayune. "I'll take some time to think about it so I can make the right decision. It's a process, and the offer is still on the table. That's all I can say right now. It's the bulk of your career. I'm just going to let things unfold. I have no control -- the only control I have is if I sign the contract or not."

Hawks: Theo Ratliff is finally going to play in some games with the Hawks. Ratliff is committed to playing in three games in the Shaw's Pro Summer League in Boston, his first game action since a Jan. 11 regular-season game in Toronto. He made only three appearances last season after tearing cartilage in his right hip. "I'm looking forward to it," Ratliff told the Atlanta Journal Constitution. "I'm feeling good. There are the usual aches and pains that you get with coming back after a long layoff, but I'm ready." Ratliff decided not to opt out of his contract with the Hawks next summer, meaning the team will have him under contract until the summer of 2005.

Magic: Steven Hunter and Rashard Griffith have been disappointing so far this summer. Is it time for the Magic to start dangling Mike Miller again in hopes of landing a legitimate center or power forward? "A major something is not going to happen," Magic general manager John Gabriel told the Orlando Sentinel. "We're going to have some change, and, the players we have, we're just going to have to be better."

Warriors, Mavs: ZhiZhi Wang is turning heads around the NBA with his solid play for the Warriors in the summer league. The big question is whether he'll be in Golden State or Dallas at the start of the season. The Warriors would love to have him, but Zhizhi is a restricted free agent and Mavs owner Mark Cuban said he'd match any "reasonable" offer. Zhizhi is playing center for the first time in his NBA career and showing teams he's more than a really tall three-point specialist. "He's an intriguing player," Warriors GM Garry St. Jean told the Dallas Morning News. "We'll have to see how things work out."

Sixers: The 76ers have intensified their interest in avericks free agent Greg Buckner by beginning to discuss with his agent terms of salary and length of a prospective contract. According to the Philly Daily News, the Sixers took that step late last week after learning of growing interest in Buckner from the Lakers.

Wizards: It looks like we're going to have to wait a little while longer to get a great a look at the new and improved Kwame Brown. A strained left groin muscle will sideline Brown the first three games of summer league play. "We wanted him to be able to play," Wizards coach Doug Collins told the Washington Post. "He needs to play. He needs that game experience." The injury makes way for Brendan Haywood to join the Wizards for the first three games.

Jazz: Last year's first-round pick, Raul Lopez, is expected to join the team Tuesday, the Salt Lake Tribune reported. Lopez has negotiated a buyout of the final four seasons of his Spanish League contract and needs only NBA clearance and the approval of FIBA, international basketball's governing body, to join the Jazz. The Jazz are hoping all of the obstacles will be cleared and Lopez can join the Jazz's summer league team at the Rocky Mountain Revue, which starts on the 19th.

Celtics: It looks like the team is ready to give last year's first-round pick, Joe Forte, another chance to show he can play the point guard. Last season, by all accounts, was a disaster. Tardiness. Wearing a Lakers jersey into the Celtics' locker room. Choosing to watch most regular-season games from the locker room. Fines for not following team rules. Immaturity. Forte left a bad first impression on the Celtics. "I think you have to understand their [the Celtics] mindset to understand the magnitude of what I did," Forte told the Boston Globe. "I don't really know how I can explain it. If I get paid the way I get paid, then they expect me to act accordingly. And I was a 20-year-old kid at times. It wasn't that I was walking around and slapping people and stuff like that, but your body language can say a lot. Your attitude can say a lot. It was not really that I was trying to irk them. It was just my way of getting through it."

T-Wolves: The team is hoping that Yugoslavian point guard Igor Rakocevic will be the answer to its point guard woes. Rakocevic, dubbed the "White Jordan" in Yugoslavia because of his ability to dunk, has the size, 6-foot-3, and the explosiveness the Wolves are looking for. The only problem is that he's never played a minute of NBA basketball. "He has the ability to prove that he can play for us," Wolves coach Flip Saunders told the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "That's why it's a big week for him, to see how he develops in Boston." Rakocevic is competing against Khalid El-Amin and second-round pick Maurice Taylor for a spot as the team's backup point guard. Rakocevic, 24, averaged 17.7 points and 2.1 assists with Buducnost Podgorica last season "He's extremely athletic, he's more confident, he has more of an ability to create and to score with the basketball," Saunders said.

Nuggets, Warriors: The Nuggets have narrowed their coaching list down to three names, New Jersey assistant Eddie Jordan, Utah assistant Phil Johnson and Dallas assistant Del Harris, the Denver Post reported. But the Nuggets may now have some stiff competition for Jordan. The Warriors met with Jordan this weekend and plan to name a new head coach soon. Jordan, speaking with reporters in New Jersey, said his meeting with the Warriors "went great." So will the Nuggets get their act together in time to get Jordan, the cream of the crop? The Nuggets have been moving in slow motion on this search at it may cost them. "We're trying to focus on the process now that we're done with the draft and hope to get this done as quickly as possible," GM Kiki Vandeweghe said.

Sonics: Undrafted high school star Lenny Cooke may have just caught a break. The Sonics are set to sign him to a one-year guaranteed deal. "It's definite," Cooke, 20, told the N.Y. Daily News. "I'm happy about it. I think it's a good fit. This is a great opportunity for Lenny," said Cooke's agent, Michael Harrison. "It gives him a home and a stable environment, instead of floating through different summer leagues. I have tremendous confidence in Lenny's ability."

[Hawksfreak]

WED. is our game

[kudzu23]

Is that going to be on TV? If so, what time and channel?

[Teeareess]

Hawks vs. Milwaukee, 2 p.m., UMass-Boston, ESPN 2

[Hawksfreak]

only on wed. its gonna be on TV at 2pm on ESPN2

[kudzu23]

Cool thanks! Looking forward to it. I'll be taping it.

[Hawksfreak]

I'll be there!