Alright, so technically speaking, I can't just head on down to the US Airways Center today to try my luck against Goran Dragic in some shooting drills. But it almost seems like I could, given the list of potential backup point guard candidates that the team has invited in for a workout to try and fill their open roster spot.
Bright Side of the Sun has a nice little breakdown of the players and what they might bring to the table. Because we already know what the Suns are likely to get from players like Stoudamire and Armstrong who simply can't play anymore, my vote is for Walker Russell Jr.
Besides the entertainment factor of people inevitably confusing his last name for his first, Walker (see, I just did it) is the current D-League leader in assists. At least that's something, and it's more than you're likely to get from any of the other workout participants, which is a big helping of nothing.
Rajon Rondo has spent all season making his case to belong with the Big Three, and while he has done a good job on the court and been a vital part of Boston's success, I might call his most recent commercial ventures the highlight of his season. I know, strong words. But these things are freaking awesome. You have the phrase: Rondo'd, you have the stars: JoJo White, Dee Brown, Vince Wilfork and you have the dope beats.
Kudos to Reebok for a sick ad set and Odenized for the tip.
1. Rondo (v): To smoothly move between large objects with dexterity and purpose.
Next season I will be playing in Turkey and will be leaving this wednesday, yeah I know real soon and short notice. I was disappointed at first because I wanted to play on a NBA team and stay in the states so I can stay by my family. At the end of day though I'm blessed to play basketball and this is what I love to do. ... I will continue to work and believe that God wouldn't just give up on me this is just a small bump in the road. Playing overseas isn't as bad as I thought, great talent, and I will still be seen by NBA teams.
Turkey is awfully far removed from your average NBA stop, but (at least culturally) so is Salt Lake City. It's not yet known which team he's landed with, but he'll likely have at least a few American teammates. Turkish powerhouse Efes Pilsen (Mehmet Okur's former team), for example, has five Americans on the roster (including former NBAers Loren Woods and Rashad Wright), not to mention an Israel-American coach in David Blatt.
There are 16 teams in the Turkish Basketball League, including eight based in Istanbul, a city with more than 10 million residents. So while Brown may be going overseas, he's hardly playing in the sticks -- like he said, if he performs well, he will get noticed by NBA scouts, meaning his dream of playing in front of his friends and family is anything but dead. (Or, maybe this is a Charlie Bell-inspired ruse, announcing that he's headed overseas simply to renew league-wide interest ...)
That's Dee Brown, who doesn't have an NBA team to call his own but does have a new music mixtape. (It's called "Unwritten," and the first 100 to order will get an autographed copy!) Even though he found time to put down some tracks, don't think that his lack of a job is from lack of trying. He still has a standing offer to attend training camp with the Jazz and he recently worked out for the Bucks. Brown starred at the University of Illinois and went to high school just outside of Chicago, so playing for Milwaukee would allow him the chance to play within two hours of his home turf. From his blog (via the Salt Lake Tribune):
The Milwaukee Bucks workout went really well and felt like the location and their situation fit me very well. My fan base is right here in this area, so I know people who come out and support me all games. The Bucks say they are looking for a bigger guard and the opportunity for me to play close to home is unlikely, but it's still a chance.
Brown's dream to play in the land of beer and cheese isn't a complete lost cause, though, at least not following today's news that Charlie Bell has signed an offer sheet with the Heat. While there are understandable concerns about Brown's size (he's generously listed at 6-0, 185 pounds), he does bring a lot of hustle and enthusiasm to the table, not to mention a bit of Chicago street cred and fan appeal.
So earlier today, I revealed that Dee Brown's days in Utah might be through. You'd think it was because Brown's just not that good. But back in June, The Salt Lake Tribune's Ross Siler reported that Larry Miller thought Brown was a bad influence on Deron Williams:
Miller was encouraged about Brown's development but suggested off-the-court issues were discussed during the Jazz's organizational meeting Wednesday ... "Now Deron's married and Dee's not," Miller said, "and so if Dee is going out, who's he going to go with, and is that good for Deron?"
It's no secret that Miller is a serious right-winger who wants to run a tight and moral ship. And Brown is a marginal player who will be lucky to stay in the NBA. That said, this seems like a particularly petty reason for getting shown the door. I mean, Williams and Brown were among the four Jazz players cleared of rape accusations, but that case never even really got off the ground.
I suspect that it might backfire, and rub Williams the wrong way. Stay tuned for this imminent Salt Lake Soap Opera.
Let's face it, Dee Brown hasn't been much of a pro. Sure, it was cute that he and Deron Williams were on the same team, and everyone prayed for him when he busted his neck up on national television. But the truth is, he's the classic example of a college star whose game doesn't translate well.
Now, it's looking like he's without a team. We've already weighed in on the epochal Ronnie Price singing. But according every paper in Utah, Brown's now the odd man out in Sloan's House. The Salt Lake Tribune points out that Brown would be behind Williams, the newly-acquired Jason Hart, and now Price.
The Deseret News puts it thus: Brown didn't sign his qualifying offer because he wanted a guaranteed contract. Now the Jazz could in theory offer him another one. But what's lower than a non-guaranteed contract?
Things aren't going terribly well for the Athletics right now. They continue to lose players to the disabled list, and they've lost 12 of their last 16 games as they keep falling further and further away from the division leading Angels.
Oh, yes, the A's. Losers of 12 of their last 16, the traditional early summer sprint toward the front nowhere in evidence. The bullpen is in shards, with players going down left, right and center, and their rehab and return dates being pushed back almost weekly. Rich Harden has been activated from his own injury but has pitched only three times, including two innings of relief Saturday, and seems to be rehabbing on the fly.
Mike Piazza is rumored to be on the block after only 103 at-bats as the new Frank Thomas. And if he isn't moved, the A's apparently want him to catch about half the time, which leaves Jason Kendall in a sedentary predicament. Bobby Crosby and Eric Chavez play, but at nowhere near their established capabilities. And with Kurt Suzuki, Chris Snelling, Jack Cust and Travis Buck (freshly disabled and replaced by Dee Brown) already on board, Kevin Melillo making a brief cameo and Daric Barton savaging the Pacific Coast League, it seems increasingly clear that Billy Beane is thinking young, and thinking about it fast.
Ever since Beane took over in Oakland, the A's have been buyers at the deadline. Always finding that one under the radar player to put the team over the edge and get them into the playoff race. It seems that for all his knowledge of sabermetrics, Beane doesn't have a mathematical answer for players elbows exploding, and hamstrings being pulled.
As of right now Oakland finds itself in third place, 8.5 games behind the Halos, and if they don't make a run over this next week into the All-Star break there's bound to be plenty of changes in Oaktown come August 1st.
Via True Hoop, the latest update on Dee Brown's condition. In case you weren't watching, Brown got crushed by teammate Memo Okur, suffered a nasty impact with the floor, and left the arenas in a stretcher. Definitely scary stuff.
Brown scored two points in six minutes, and did not return to the game. He was taken to a local hospital where neurological tests and X-rays were normal, the Jazz said. Brown was expected to be released from the hospital before midnight, senior vice president of basketball operations Kevin O'Connor said."
All basketball aside, it's good to hear Brown is okay. Between his scare and Derek Fisher's heartfelt heroics, the Jazz seems to be stealing all of the Warriors' emotional momentum. Heading into this postseason, I think a lot of people were planning to hate on the Jazz because, well, they were coached by Sloan and worse that uniform. But Fisher, Brown, and Kirilenko's flight of self-discovery, all of sudden they've become the sentimental favorite.
This image is not of Brown leaving the hospital, but a healthy, smiling image of him seemed like the right choice.
Jazz guard Dee Brown made a friendly wager with Salt Lake Tribune writer Steve Luhm, though he refused to make it interesting with any money. From Luhm's blog Jazz Notes in the Salt Lake Tribune:
Two weeks ago after a game, I was talking to Brown. The brief discussion turned to Illinois and the upcoming NCAA Tournament. When I suggested the Illini would be lucky to be a No. 10 seed, he was horrified.
Seeing a chance to fleece a gullible young man who was blinded by loyalty to his alma mater, I suggested a friendly wager.
I suggested betting one dollar that Illinois would be seeded higher than No. 10, if it even got an at-large bid to the 65-team tournament. Perhaps because he doesn't make superstar money, Brown wanted to bet something other than one George Washington.
His idea: If Illinois made the tournament as something better than a 10-seed, I would have to bow down to him and his wisdom. On the other hand, if Illinois made the tournament as a 10-seed or higher, he would have to bow down to me.
Because the Jazz immediately embarked on a four-game road trip, I didn't see Brown until this week. Yes, he paid up. He walked out of the locker room prior to Monday's practice, bowed down, shook my hand and laughed. Typical Brown, although I would have preferred the $1.
Considering the league's crackdown on Gilbert Arenas over a ten-spot, it was probably a good idea for Brown to avoiding putting even a single buck on the line. And, on a side note, here's to hoping he put that dollar saved into a jar so he can save up for another totally awesome sport coat like the one pictured above.
In the coming weeks, I plan to start talking about what the Chiefs will likely do this offseason to help themselves at each position. This first blog will reference the easiest positions for the Chiefs to resolve. Punter: No mystery here. Dustin Colquitt stays.
Tight End / Fullback: The Chiefs already took care of business by signing Tony Gonzalez to a long-term deal. They will also return a healthy Ronnie Cruz to the roster, but there's no guarantee that he'll start. Ronnie Cruz turned out to be a bit of a disappointment. He was only an adequate blocker and very average on all other dimensions.
So what now? What the Chiefs do at the fullback position will ultimately determine what they will do at tight end. As of now, Kris Wilson is serving as the starting fullback. He is not a true blocker, but he proved to be a solid receiving option when he was switched into the role of H-back. The question is, are the Chiefs willing to continually sacrifice terrific blocking for a threat like Kris Wilson to serve as an H-back? I think they will. I think Wilson will only get better as a blocker, and he should figure better into a simplified gameplan. Then again, it would not surprised me if the Chiefs used a late round pick on a fullback prospect.
The Chiefs might also want to start looking for a run blocking tight end specialist. Jason Dunn is getting older and more beat up every year.
Alright, so technically speaking, I can't just head on down to the US Airways Center today to try my luck against Goran Dragic in some shooting drills. But it almost seems like I could, given the list of potential backup point guard candidates that the team has invited in for a workout to try and fill their open roster spot.
So earlier today, I revealed that 
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In the coming weeks, I plan to start talking about what the Chiefs will likely do this offseason to help themselves at each position. This first blog will reference the easiest positions for the Chiefs to resolve.
