(AP Photo/Laura Rauch)

What Happens In Vegas…

Summer is in full swing, and that means Summer League basketball. Thanks to NBA TV basketball junkies can catch some hoops in the month of July.

Devoid of the pomp and circumstance that goes along with the regular season, Summer League hoops has a throwback feel to it. There are no player introductions prior to tip-off. The coverage is not state of the art – the audio mix isn’t always optimal. Commentators and play-by-play guys don’t follow a script. To top it off, commercials are minimal and sideline interviews seem less intrusive. All of that makes for rather enjoyable viewing on a rainy day.

Watching Summer League games lends a deeper appreciation to the level of play in the NBA. These games are a mix of rookies and youngsters trying to earn a contract. Several minutes can tick off the clock before a semblance a half-court offense shows up.

Managed to catch a little of the Bulls / Oklahoma City game. Good to see DeMarcus Nelson on the floor for the Bulls. Nelson still works hard on his defense. He played limited minutes for Golden State last season. Here’s hoping the Duke alum finds a bench to ride for the season.

Word has it that Hasheem Thabeet is struggling in Sin City. No surprise there. But with time Hash should contribute in the NBA.

It’s all about location.

Prior to the NBA Draft, many thought DeJuan Blair would be a lottery pick – if not, at least in the middle of the first round. Draft day arrived. The first ten picks came, and Blair waited. The first round ended, and still Blair did not have a team. Not until the 37th pick (San Antonio) did Blair hear his name.

Blair may not have been a lottery pick, but he landed in a great location. While many youngsters will struggle on weak teams, Blair will have the chance to learn from a bunch of veterans and experience playoff basketball. Wonder if a Tim Duncan / Blair commercial with the gnomes is in the making.

The Spurs who looked a step slow the second-half of the season have rebuilt themselves into contenders. Adding Richard Jefferson prior to the draft gives the Spurs a perimeter presence they lacked when Manu Ginobili went down with an injury.

Jefferson should enjoy a return to the playoffs. It’s been a while since he helped the Nets get to the finals. Jefferson on the floor with Tony Parker, Duncan, and Ginobili should provide more than just a threat for the Los Angeles Lakers.

San Antonio also drafted Jack McClinton from Miami. Although he is unsigned as yet, McClinton is a three-point threat who, along with Roger Mason, can provide a complement to the Spurs offense.

Cleaning out the skeletons.

What a summer for Derrick Rose.  He’s fended off more allegations than the Cambridge police department. First, we read about the bogus SAT scores. Then came the story about his high school grades.  Now, Rose is dealing with a picture from high school that portrays a less-than flattering image.

What’s a guy to do? Rose is spending time in the gym working with the USA National team. Sporting News reports that Rose is taking 500-800 shots a day.

That’s one way to avoid the negative press.

Got some insights? Take a seat on the Pine and share some wisdom.

>Clippers interested in Iverson; Sterling more concerned with ticket sales than team’s success

Yahoo! Sports reported earlier in the week that Clippers owner Donald Sterling is interested in signing Allen Iverson to – get this – sell tickets. Win games? Not important. Develop young talent. Who cares?

Sterling is correct that Iverson would help ticket sales. But, if it does not result in a better season, you would have to think that those sales would eventually return to normal at some point next season. If you recall, the Clippers had a small playoff run in the 2005-06 season. It appeared to be a resurgence for the Clippers and their fan base. That soon subsided after the following season reverted to poor business as usual for Los Angeles’ other team.

More importantly though is the young perimeter talent Mike Dunleavy has in LA. Eric Gordon has promise in the league. Plus, veteran guard Baron Davis still plays, though the possibility of him being traded always exists.

John W. McDonough/SI.com

Whoever signs the thirty-four year old guard will get the former NBA MVP at a bargain. I haven’t heard anything higher than $6 million a year and no long term contracts. The Grizzlies and Heat have also shown interest.

>Dahntay Jones signs with Indiana Pacers; Larry Bird silently building an East contender?

Amidst the rampant free agent signings this NBA off-season, lost are the role players being swept up by intelligent GMs. Dahntay Jones signed a four-year deal with the Indiana Pacers. Jones definitely overachieved for the Denver Nuggets during their run to the Western Conference Finals. He was a solid defender and a great rebounder from the perimeter. Someone who the Nuggets may miss more than many realize.

Though Jones played admirably in the first two rounds, his play became overtly rough and aggressive in trying to stop Kobe Bryant. His style once resulted in four fouls in less than two minutes and a quick trip back to the bench.

If Jones can find an emotional balance in his style of play, he could help the youth-laden Pacers become contenders in the East sooner than later.

Larry Bird has his scorer and go-to guy in Danny Granger, who won the NBA’s Most Improved Player this past season after averaging 25.8 points and five rebounds, and he’s starting to put the rest of the pieces in place.

>Can Phil Jackson make a system player out of Adam Morrison?

Remember Adam Morrison? The former Gonzaga player who once graced the cover of Sports Illustrated and finished second in the NCAA National Player of the Year voting? Plagued as another Michael Jordan draft blunder (selected third overall in 2006), Morrison just won an NBA Championship as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers without logging a single playoff minute.

Morrison suffered an ACL tear in a preseason game and missed the whole 2007-08 season. After being traded to the Lakers this past season, he saw limited playing time on a team with an already established rotation on the wings.

Currently Morrison is playing well in the NBA Summer League. Though his career might not ever reach the lofty expectations once bestowed upon him in college, he looks as though he can still be a key contributor on a team. Who better to find that niche for Morrison than 10-time NBA Champion Phil Jackson?

Jackson is a guru when it comes to finding the right roles for players and getting more out of less. Not saying that Morrison is any less of a player than he was projected to be, but right now he has much working against him. He’s basically looking at a second rookie season with the Lakers.

Morrison seems like an offensive weapon the Lakers could use when Kobe Bryant is not in the game. A viable outside threat, and someone who can use the dribble to attack with a 6’9″ frame. Here’s to Morrison proving the critics wrong next season and Jackson hopefully finding that spot in the rotation for a once deadly shooter.

Here’s a recent interview of Morrison after scoring 22 points in a summer league game. Some good footage of his play included as well:

>More from summer league: Jonny Flynn, Dajuan Blair not skipping a beat

The Big East affiliate Doug Potter got us thinking about the impact Syracuse point guard Jonny Flynn would have in the NBA. If the NBA’s summer league in Las Vegas is a measuring stick, Flynn will flourish with the open floor style. He’s showcasing his array of talents quite nicely.

Dajuan Blair keeps showing just how careless it was for those teams with first round picks to pass on him. He’s easily putting up double-doubles this summer, just as he did night in and night out at Pitt. San Antonio, along with recent acquisitions Richard Jefferson and Antonio McDyess, have to be confident in their chances of challenging the Lakers in the West next season.

Check out some game highlights of Flynn and Blair in action from Vegas:

> NBA Question of the Day: Which team has made the best off-season acquisitions?

Here are my favorite three.

1. San Antonio Spurs – Traded for Richard Jefferson. Had Dajuan Blair fall into their lap in the second round. Signed Antonio McDyess to a three-year deal.

2. Los Angeles Lakers – Lost Trevor Ariza but signed Ron Artest. They only keep this spot if they can re-sign Lamar Odom.

3. Atlanta Hawks – Re-signed veteran point guard Mike Bibby. Traded for Jamal Crawford. Gives them plenty of fire-power to go along with Joe Johnson and Josh Smith. The only questions will be if they can play defense and share shot opportunities.

There are still plenty of good free agents available, including David Lee and Lamar Odom. Check out the remainders at ESPN.

Got some NBA news or comments? Take a seat on the bench and let your ‘pickins’ be heard.