General NBA insight – Page 156 – NBA Blog

Rudy Gay bulks up

Ronald Tillery of the Memphis Commercial Appeal reports: Rudy Gay carries, by his estimation, about 15 pounds of added muscle. He’ll tell you his level of focus is immeasurable behind a strong showing during USA Basketball’s July minicamp. His desire to elevate the Grizzlies is off the charts with training camp less than a month away and three consecutive losing seasons in the rearview mirror. “I want to be an All-Star. Everything I do now is trying to help me get to that point,” Gay said. “If I’m at the top of my game and recognized as an All-Star, it’ll mean we’re winning.”

Discuss Grizzlies basketball on the InsideHoops Memphis Grizzlies forum.

Nets giving away free jerseys

With the economy still struggling, many businesses need to seek new, innovative ways to attract attention and draw consumer dollars. Vincent M. Mallozzi of the New York Times reports:

Perhaps no other team has enhanced its marketing game the way the Nets have. They are offering ticket buyers free jerseys, complete with the names of their favorite players — and their favorite opponents.

The Nets are promoting a 10-game plan that includes tickets to see the Los Angeles Lakers, the Boston Celtics, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Miami Heat and the Orlando Magic. Any fan who buys at least two tickets to one of those games will receive a reversible jersey, one side featuring the name of a Nets star, like guard Devin Harris, and the other featuring the name of a marquee opponent: Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal, Dwyane Wade, Dwight Howard, Vince Carter, Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce or Ray Allen.

“I don’t think it has ever been done before,” said Chris Granger, the N.B.A.’s senior vice president for team marketing and business operations. “I don’t think any team has ever given premium items as part of a promotion that highlights someone from another team.”

The Nets have a tough time drawing fans to games primarily due to the location of their arena. Factor in the team’s current rebuilding state and they have to be creative in order to keep drawing fans as they continue their hopeful move to Brooklyn, New York.

If nothing else, Heat are consistent

Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports (via blog): Over the past six seasons, only four NBA teams have finished fifth or higher in their conference at least five times. The Spurs, the league’s gold standard of consistency, have done it in each of the past six years. Otherwise, the only teams to have done it are the Mavericks, Pistons, and, yes, the Heat. Not the Lakers. Not the Celtics. Not the Cavaliers. Not Kobe. Not Pierce. Not LeBron.

Caron Butler stops drinking soda

WashingtonWizards.Com: You look to be in great shape, what type of workouts have you been focusing on this summer?

Caron Butler: It’s been a combination of a lot of things. Most of the things I have been doing have been on the field. Doing a lot of dynamic work. I’ve been doing a lot of sprints and agility work. I’ve been working on my speed mechanics and getting a lot of conditioning in as well as working on my strength in the weight room. I’m getting a lot of shots up, anywhere from 1,000 to 1,400 makes a day.

WashingtonWizards.Com: I have also heard that you cut out something from your diet this summer, can you talk about that and the difference it has made?

CB: Sure. I cut out soda this summer. I stopped drinking soda April 8th, I have been away from soda basically the whole summer. No mountain dew, no grape soda, just water and juices. I got a nice juicer and I’ve been mixing a whole lot of things in there and my body is feeling a lot better from not drinking the soda and sticking with just the juices.

Charlotte Bobcats still for sale

The Charlotte Bobcats continue to be for sale, and it sounds like the current owner can’t wait to part ways with the team. Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer reports:

Bob Johnson and Houston’s George Postolos continue negotiations on a deal that could shift control of the Charlotte Bobcats, multiple sources told the Observer Monday.

Whether a deal is imminent is anyone’s guess.

Johnson, who owns about 70 percent of the franchise, put the team up for sale months ago. Postolos, formerly president of the Houston Rockets, has assembled a group of investors. It’s unclear whether other bidders are still pursuing a purchase.

Sounds like a fantastic investment!

The Observer continues:

The team is heavily in debt – in excess of $100 million – and any buyer would have to take on that burden as part of the purchase… Johnson has told his minority partners to anticipate tens of millions in losses over the next two years.

Jeff Foster gets college degree

Mike Wells of the Indianapolis Star reports: Jeff Foster put his college education on hold 10 years ago so he could focus on his NBA career after his senior season at Texas State University. Today in front of about 20 friends and family members, the Indiana Pacers center will receive a degree in applied arts and sciences at a ceremony in San Marcos, Texas. “I promised myself and I promised my family that I would get this finished,” said Foster, who was three classes shy of a degree when he left. “I dropped all my classes except one the final semester there because I had to get ready for the draft. Once we had kids, I really realized I needed to get this done.”

Did Ben Wallace relatives encourage him to chase the money?

The Arlington Heights Daily Herald (Mike McGraw) reports (via blog): Ben Wallace agreed to rejoin the Pistons this week, returning three years after signing the $60 million free-agent deal with the Bulls. This would have been Wallace’s final season with that contract, but he agreed to a buyout with Phoenix. I doubt if Wallace ever wanted to leave Detroit in the first place, but he was encouraged by relatives to take the bigger payday. Once he got here, I think Wallace tried his best, but he was clearly uncomfortable in the spotlight. Then he just couldn’t keep up the pace of being a high-energy, undersized center and his body broke down. Wallace doesn’t figure to spend much time on the court this season. Will his mentoring help turn Charlie Villanueva and Chris Wilcox into all-stars? I doubt the Bulls should be worried.

Allen Iverson needs a job

Super-scoring guard Allen Iverson needs a job and at this point it’s tough to say which teams he’s going to sign with.

There had been rumors that the Memphis Grizzlies had interest, but considering the young guards they already have it’s possible that adding Iverson would merely stunt the growth of talented shooting guard O.J. Mayo and possibly point guard Mike Conley as well.

Iverson’s time on the Denver Nuggets was OK at best. Chemistry with Carmelo Anthony and others wasn’t great, and the team got better once they traded him to the Detroit Pistons for point guard Chauncey Billups.

On the Pistons things didn’t work out at all. Detroit was happy to say goodbye.

Now 34 years old, Iverson’s best role would be as a team’s prime bench scorer. Like a Leandro Barbosa for the Phoenix Suns (of a few years ago when they were really good).

The question is if he’d accept such a job, and which team would go for him.

At this point, I’d love to now tell you who the favorites are to land him. But so far there aren’t any.

Could he reunite with Larry Brown and join the Charlotte Bobcats? Or head back to the Philadelphia 76ers now that Andre Miller is gone and the best point guard they have is Lou Williams?

Or, will rumors of an overseas team offering him a relatively fat contract come true? Only Iverson knows if he’d consider crossing over the pond.

We’re over a month into free agency and Iverson’s future seems wide open.

Someone will sign him, right?

Hawks to talk extension with Joe Johnson

Joe Johnson is the best player on the Atlanta Hawks roster, and they’d like to have him stick around. Although not a superstar, the versatile shooting guard has skills and should continue to be in All-Star team discussions for years to come.

I had heard they were planning on getting into this soon. Didn’t know when, though. Apparently quite soon. Sekou Smith of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports (via blog):

Multiple sources have confirmed that Hawks general manager Rick Sund is on an extended trip to the left coast, and part of his itinerary includes time in Los Angeles for face-to-face talks about a contract extension with Joe Johnson’s camp. A three-time All-Star, Johnson is heading into the final year of the five-year, $70 million deal he signed in August 2005 (which if traced back, you will realize was the rebirth of the franchise that has since made the playoffs in back-to-back years). With superstars LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh headlining next summer’s free agent crop, several teams are lining up to be major players.

Johnson isn’t worthy of the max and if he demands it the Hawks should balk. But assuming he’s reasonable, the two sides may be fairly close in their goals.

Jermaine O’Neal working hard

Talented veteran Miami Heat big-man Jermaine O’Neal has been more known for injury than anything else these past few years. But he’s been working hard to change that. Ira Winderman of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports (via blog):

O’Neal, who has been a regular in the weight room and on the court at AmericanAirlines Arena the past two months, showing up about four times a week, is poised to take the next step, with eight weeks of work planned with noted Chicago trainer Tim Grover. Yes, the same Tim Grover who last summer so reinvigorated Dwyane Wade.

While appearances can be deceiving, O’Neal has impressed those in the weight room with his physique and appearance. Granted, that doesn’t necessarily mean he’ll ever be able to again explode off both knees.

It’s safe to say O’Neal will not ever return to being the player he once was, but there’s definite room for improvement over the level of his play the past few seasons, so good news that he’s working hard to make it happen.