SI (Marty Burns) reports on potential problems for the Bulls: No team leader. Even before last season’s disaster, the Bulls lacked a clear go-to guy and team leader who could take charge on and off the court. Hinrich, Deng, Gordon, Nocioni, Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes are solid NBA players, but none is a true superstar who can carry a team. Chicago, in fact, has not sent a representative to the All-Star Game since Michael Jordan made his final appearance as a member of the Bulls in 1998.
More from SI: Low post is still lacking. After being unable or unwilling to lure Kevin Garnett and Pau Gasol in recent years, the Bulls once more enter the season without a reliable low-post scoring threat. Gooden, 27, is a decent option on the block, but the 6-foot-10 power forward is known more for cashing in on the offensive glass and hitting the mid-range jumper. Without a big guy to draw double teams and run the pick-and-roll with Rose, the Bulls have to work too hard all the time to get open shots.
SI (Arash Markazi) reports on Rudy Gay of the Memphis Grizzlies: The 21-year-old swingman nearly won the Most Improved Player award after boosting his scoring average from 10.8 points as a rookie to 20.1 points last season, an NBA-high 9.3-point increase. Gay became the first second-year player to average more than 20 points in three years and set a franchise record for most points in a season (1,632). This year, Iavaroni will give Gay more freedom on the court and allow him to lead the team after he was thrust into that role in the middle of last season. “If he is the best player on our team, he has to understand with that comes a lot of responsibility,” Iavaroni said. “He will ultimately be judged by how well we play because he must bring it every night for us to have success. He needs to understand that. That’s going to be his challenge this year.”
The East Valley Tribune (Jerry Brown) reports: In a move that was anticipated a month ago but dragged through the entire training camp, Porter named Matt Barnes the starter at small forward over Grant Hill. The move makes sense for several reasons. Barnes brings defense, athleticism and more 3-point shooting range to help with spacing the floor for the starters. And Hill brings experience and ball-handling ability to the second unit when rookie Goran Dragic is manning the point guard spot. “Grant brings calmness to that second unit and he can help Goran — who has made a lot of strides by is still very experienced — as another person who can handle the ball. Matt fits well with the first unit as a spacer, while Grant will allow Goran and L.B. (Leandro Barbosa) to do the same thing with that second group.”
There were questions about them coming into training camp. Some wondered if center Roy Hibbert could make the transition from playing in a halfcourt offense at Georgetown to the up-tempo style of Indiana Pacers coach Jim O’Brien. The concern surrounding Brandon Rush was if he could crack the rotation at one of the wing positions, the Pacers’ deepest. The rookies have gone through growing pains, but they’ve also done enough to earn a place in the rotation when the regular season opens Wednesday in Detroit… Hibbert will back up starter Rasho Nesterovic and Rush will be in the mix at shooting guard and small forward. They were the first two players off the bench Thursday.
The Milwaukee Bucks have requested waivers on forward Matt Freije, General Manager John Hammond announced today.
The Chicago Bulls announced today the team has picked up the options for the 2009-10 season for forward Tyrus Thomas, guard Thabo Sefolosha and forward/center Joakim Noah. The announcement means that all three players will be under contract for the Bulls for the 2009-10 season.
Whatever the reason, former Nuggets center Marcus Camby no longer openly harbors the bitterness that came over him when Denver traded him to the Los Angeles Clippers in a cost-cutting move July 13. Sure, Camby still believes the Nuggets could have handled the situation better, but he appears to have moved on from the days when he felt “blindsided, distraught, disrespected.” “I was upset at the time, how things transpired out there in Denver, but after being out here, that is like a thing of the past right now,” Camby said during a telephone interview from Los Angeles. “I’m enjoying my new situation. I’m enjoying this new chapter of my career. I’m going to try to make the best of the situation, but I think the situation can be a great one and a promising one.”
This is a video clip of when Rafer Alston was arrested for DWI. He’s currently on trial for it.