(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.

Chris Paul has been dazzling fans in this his third season in the NBA. The Wake Forest grad averaged over eleven and a half assists per game to go with 21 points. His lithe movements on the court leave opponents back on their heels as they try to figure out what he is going to do next. Hopefully Paul doesn’t have to pay for playing on a team with little if any playoff experience. While the Hornets average age of 27.6 is second only to the Spurs, those players that bring up the average age – Bonzi Wells, Ryan Bowen, Morris Peterson, and Melvin Ely know little about winning a playoff series.

Paul’s agility is matched by Deron Williams’s physicality. Williams is easily able to lower his center of gravity as he drives the lane making it near impossible for defenders to stop the 6’3”, 208lb. point guard’s dribble. Couple that with a nasty step back and finish from behind the arc, and defending Williams is a tough task. It will be interesting to watch Jerry Sloan develop the pick ‘n’ roll with Williams and Carlos Boozer.

Tony Parker has been the oft-overlooked point guard in the West. Don’t know if it’s because he plays with maybe the best power forward the game has known – Tim Duncan, or people want to heap too much credit on to Manu Ginobili. Maybe it’s because Parker gets lost behind those three rings in seven years he has accumulated. This guy gets the job done as evidenced by the way he toyed with the Suns in the opening round.

Derek Fisher is not the ‘sexiest’ of point guards, but he may be the most effective. Playing alongside Kobe, Fisher’s goal is to not screw things up. Sometimes not screwing things up can be a formidable task. Fisher’s nickname should be Elmer because the guy has been glue for the Lakers. While Kobe was doing all his belly-aching last summer, Fisher came to town and settled into to work. While Steve Nash and the Suns couldn’t figure out how to incorporate Shaq into their lineup, Fisher made Pau Gasol right at home in a Laker jersey.

Enjoy the games.