First Cup: Monday

• Berry Tramel of The Oklahoman: "The NBA ticks toward a lockout. Friday is the deadline. The day pro basketball's business halts. It's a little disconcerting for us here in Oklahoma. Just when this NBA stuff is really getting good, there's talk of a shortened season. Or no season at all. I know how to insure an NBA season. I know how the players can scare the owners into settlement. I know how to make the owners want no part of hardball. The players union should hire Marvin Miller. Yes, he's still alive and kicking, 94 years old, 29 years retired from leading the baseball union. Still alive and kicking and undefeated in sports labor negotiating. I have no idea who has tried to hire Miller over the years. But the NBA players should give it another go. Appeal to Miller to sign up for what he obviously already sees as an attack on player freedom. Miller stressed unity in his 16 years leading the baseball union. When he took over the association in 1966, baseball players had a $6,000 minimum salary and an average salary of less than $20,000. By 1982, the minimum was $33,500; the average was $241,000. ... Miller still has the wisdom and fire to lead athletes at the negotiating table. Maybe not the energy, but that can be found elsewhere. Hire Miller, let the owners know you're taking your cues from him, and NBA ownership would sober up quickly. NBA commissioner David Stern casts an imposing shadow on his sport. But Stern would not overshadow Miller."
• Jerry Zgoda of the Star Tribune: "The reconstituted Timberwolves unofficially, incompletely convened at Target Center on Saturday, gathering for the first time on the court with newly added Ricky Rubio, Derrick Williams and Malcolm Lee running alongside Kevin Love, Wes Johnson, Anthony Randolph and Martell Webster in a pickup-game preview. By Friday, those gym doors very well could be padlocked to them in a NBA labor lockout for which Love has been preparing, hoping all along that it won't really come. That's why, three pro seasons into his rookie contract, he still hasn't gone and bought himself a house in Los Angeles, his offseason home. That's why he's joined the thoughtful crowd in anticipating what could be a lengthy interruption if seemingly united NBA owners get givebacks they seek from the players. 'The smart guys buried their cash and made sure they're ready for a lockout like this,' Love said. 'My cash is buried in the bank.' Maybe that's also why he has been lurking in strangers' showers. 'No,' he said, referring to a national commercial where he's scrubbing up in a couple's shower. 'That's why I'm trying to get those endorsements.' That's why Hall of Famer and TNT analyst Charles Barkley predicts the entire upcoming season will be lost."
• Mitch Lawrence of the New York Daily News: "The coaching carousel in Minnesota took an unlikely turn as Kurt Rambis was being thrown off and Bernie Bickerstaff was preparing to jump on. The ride operator, Timberwolves GM David Kahn, made a run at Mike Krzyzewski. Talk about a waste of time. Coach K once turned down a chance to go to the Lakers and coach Kobe Bryant in his prime. Did Kahn really think that he could get Krzyzewski to leave his Duke kingdom? He did. 'He tried to get him,' said one Kahn confidante. Kahn was looking for a miracle or two. The other miracle is turning Ricky Rubio into a first-rate NBA point guard. As he showed over the last two seasons in Spain, the T-Wolves' No. 1 draft pick of 2009 can't shoot consistently or beat people off the dribble. That was versus inferior competition in Europe. Now he's supposed to be able to do those things against the top players in the world? No wonder Krzyzewski isn't running to the Twin Cities anytime soon."
• Mike McGraw of the Daily Herald: "A true championship contender can’t afford to waste much time on rookies. So rather than have Brooks, Shelvin Mack or Travis Leslie sit and watch next season, the Bulls went in a different direction. By doing nothing to address the shooting-guard spot, the Bulls made a clear statement that they will be aiming for bigger names whenever the presumed lockout ends and the real off-season begins. A trade always is possible, but the most obvious move is to chase Orlando’s Jason Richardson or Denver’s J.R. Smith in free agency. Both are expected to seek new homes, but until there’s a new collective-bargaining agreement, the Bulls won’t know if they’ll have money to spend. Richardson, 30, is a mature player who has made the playoffs just three times in 10 NBA seasons. Smith, 25, is talented but erratic. The Bulls probably believe a veteran team with championship aspirations could keep him in line."
• Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon-Journal: "Sitting in the front row at Cleveland Clinic Courts on Friday smiling and chatting prior to a press conference were Cavs owner Dan Gilbert and Rich Paul. Nearly one year to the day of 'The Decision,' Paul and the Cavaliers have been reunited. Paul, of course, is close to LeBron James. He is also the first 'R' in LRMR -- James' marketing company. He is only loosely affiliated with it these days, however, since he is now working at Creative Arts Agency and breaking into the player-representation business. CAA has offices worldwide and is one of Hollywood's top talent agencies. It is also loaded with NBA megastars such as James, Carmelo Anthony and Dwyane Wade. One of its newest clients is Cavs rookie forward Tristan Thompson, which is what brought Paul back to the Cavaliers. Thompson does not have any ties to LRMR, but he is represented completely by CAA. Despite the falling out between James and the organization last summer, that never really trickled down to Paul. He has always maintained a good relationship with the Cavs, particularly General Manager Chris Grant. 'You have business and you have personal side,' Paul said. 'I never really got into the personal side of that [with James].' '
• Gery Woelfel of The Journal Times: "Sacramento coach Paul Westhead reportedly lobbied hard for Sacramento to acquire John Salmons from the Bucks. ... If Klay Thompson was good enough for Jerry West and his Golden State colleagues to select at 11 in Thursday's draft, shouldn't he have been good enough for the Bucks to pick at 10? ... More than a few NBA officials were scratching their heads when Cleveland, with the fourth pick, chose Texas forward Tristan Thompson. Nobody was down on Thompson's considerable talents, but they thought the Cavs should have selected center Jonas Valanciunas. As one longtime NBA official noted, you can get good power forwards in every draft but not good centers."
• Michael Cunningham of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "Al Horford was by far the team's most efficient scorer last season but ranked just fourth in field-goal attempts per game. 'It will be interesting because I've always been very team-oriented,' Horford said at his camp. 'If coach [Larry Drew] comes and tells me, ‘Listen, I want you to develop more [in isolation] and I want you to create plays,' I could adjust my game to that.' ... Horford's production and efficiency plummeted during the playoffs. Bulls center Joakim Noah's physical defense seemed to disrupt Horford's rhythm and timing and Horford appeared hesitant to shoot the mid-range jumpers he'd made at a league-high clip during the season. Horford said he plans to focus on improving his post game by developing a counter-move to go along with his right-handed hook shot. But he said he doesn't think his limitations in the post explained his rough postseason. 'I'm sure it would have helped but I don't think that was the difference,' Horford said. 'My game is predicated on how my team is doing as a whole and how we are playing together. When we play together and we have high assists you see my production go up usually. We had a couple games where we started to play the right way and we got away from it and it affected the way that I play.' "
• Marcus Thompson of The Oakland Tribune: "For Warriors fans, who have been hoping for Biedrins’ departure for some time, that means the Warriors just may be able to move Biedrins. That was once thought to be impossible considering the drastic decline in his production and the three years, $27 million he has left on his contract. But apparently, Houston is a taker. So why is Biedrins still a Warrior you ask? While this may seem the perfect answer to the Warriors’ ills, Golden State, according to multiple sources, are not at all enamored with the Rockets’ offer thus far. I’ve been told the Rockets have offered Hasheem Thabeet and Jordan Hill. Haven’t confirmed if they were offered as a package, but the figures add up. Thabeet, a former No. 2 overall pick, is widely regarded as someone who simply not good enough to play in the NBA and probably won’t be. There is still some hope for Jordan Hill, but he’s got a Post-It note on his back that says 'stiff.' Bottom line for the Warriors: that’s not enough."
• Dan Bickley of The Arizona Republic: "The Suns did nothing special in the NBA draft. They stood pat. They debunked trade rumors. They made a safe, smart choice on a power forward that will bring much-needed toughness. Yet, after their debut draft performance, their unconventional management team seemed overly pleased. Lon Babby raved about Lance Blanks, who then gushed over John Treloar. Collectively, they sounded like a relieved teenager who returned the family car without hitting a tree. Sorry, but trust will require more than words and slaps on the back. ... The general manager is cut from a different cloth, preferring to be neither seen nor heard. Some inside the organization have noticed that Blanks is much more general than manager, and he frequently alarms media members with requests to repeat the question. 'I think he doesn't have a high profile in part because of the way we structured the organization,' Babby said. 'It's not because of any inability on his part. As time goes by, he'll have more and more of a public profile.' That sounds odd, especially with an organization as regal as the Suns. Compounding the problem, Treloar never has worked in the NBA before. In fact, none of the three had any experience at the jobs they are now performing, prompting many to accuse the owner of more reckless conduct. That's not to say the brass trio won't produce great results. But for a fan base that has seen a potential dynasty imploded from the inside due to systematic frugality and abuse, cynicism is more than warranted. It should be expected. It should be cheered. It means that people still care."
• Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman: "Last Thursday night, however, Reggie Jackson's surprising selection sparked so much confusion that it clouded most of our minds and prevented many of us from being able to make sense of how Jackson fits. Jackson, the 6-foot-3 point guard out of Boston College, originally was viewed as a replacement to current backup Eric Maynor. That notion was quickly shot down by team management. And the more you think about it the more sense it makes. Because Jackson's game is much closer to Westbrook's than Maynor's. Call up any Internet clip of Jackson, and you'll see him soaring through the air for highlight dunks, flying through the lane for rebounds point guards have no business getting and virtually getting to any spot he wants on the court. Sound familiar? But even Thunder GM Sam Presti's stated motive for selecting Jackson seemed to be only a surface level explanation. Presti talked about how Jackson adds depth to the program. How his skills, given ample time and development, could really benefit the team. ... For four days, most of us have been blinded by what position Jackson plays. It's time for us to clean up that clouded judgment. It's time we realize, once and for all, that clearly defined, traditional positions are largely meaningless, especially on a team as versatile as the Thunder. Reggie Jackson is a fit, and it's perhaps taken most of us too long to see how."
• Ronald Tillery of The Commercial-Appeal: "One of Josh Selby's lasting impressions proved to be his greatest highlight. The Grizzlies' lone pick in last week's NBA draft -- 49th overall -- went end to end, used a crossover dribble and scored at the rim while absorbing contact. Selby, a 6-3 combo guard, then darted back on defense and deflected the inbounds pass. The play resulted in a steal. Selby, 20, mostly excelled during the Grizzlies' free-agent weekend-long minicamp in FedExForum. Selby also proved that he is the 50-50 proposition that comes with being a late-second-round draft pick. He struggled to guard smaller, quicker opponents and confirmed a need to improve his decision-making and passing ability at point guard. Selby acknowledged his deficiencies while Griz executives left impressed with the former Kansas guard's work ethic and offensive skills. ... Selby will continue to work out with the Grizzlies' coaching staff through Thursday."
• Jeff McDonald of the San Antonio Express-News: "Given a do-over, Cory Joseph certainly would have done something to change what became the unfortunate enduring moment of his one-season college career at Texas. Absent the ability to time-travel, Joseph has settled on the next-best option for dealing with crushing defeat. 'The Arizona game?' asked Joseph, the former UT point guard turned Spurs’ first-round draft choice. 'I can’t dwell on it. I put that one behind me.' With all that now lies ahead of Joseph, the 19-year-old taken by the Spurs with the 29th overall pick in last week’s draft, letting go and moving on seems to be as sound a strategy as any. Selected a little more than an hour after the Spurs dealt backup point George Hill to Indiana, Joseph arrives in San Antonio with what appears to be a clear shot at earning minutes behind Tony Parker. His ability to forget the infamous and controversial five-second call that all but ended UT’s NCAA tournament run in March will be almost as critical as his aptitude in picking up the complexities of a Spurs playbook notoriously hard on rookies. 'A game is a game,' Joseph said. 'You love to play, and you live and die by it. But after it’s over, you just have to let it go.' In tabbing Joseph the franchise’s first UT draftee in 24 years, the Spurs were willing to overlook his final collegiate moment and focus on others that had come before."
• Tom Enlund of the Journal Sentinel: "The Milwaukee Bucks aren't altogether sure yet exactly what they have in second-round draft choice Jon Leuer, but they're working on it. Leuer comes advertised as a versatile and deceivingly athletic power forward who has a nice shooting touch from the perimeter, but he may be able to play center in some situations. What position is he best suited for in the pro ranks? 'That's a good question,' said coach Scott Skiles. 'That's something we've talked about a lot. I think probably both (power forward and center), with his size. He's mobile. He moves around well. So that's something we have to kind of figure out a little bit. But I think both.' Second-round draft choices generally have a difficult time breaking into the rotation, and that will probably be the case for Leuer. The Bucks are deep at center and power forward since Andrew Bogut, Jon Brockman, Larry Sanders, Drew Gooden, Ersan Ilyasova, free-agent-to-be Luc Richard Mbah a Moute and first-round draft choice Tobias Harris can all play either or both of the 'big' positions. Even so, the Bucks like getting the 6-foot-10 Leuer at selection No. 40. He was being projected as a first-round pick and is an intriguing big man who can shoot from the perimeter."
• Benjamin Hochman of The Denver Post: "Nuggets assistant coach Adrian Dantley won't be back with the team next season, a source confirmed today. The Hall of Fame player had been with Denver for eight seasons and, most famously, became the fill-in head coach at the end of 2009-10, when George Karl left the team to battle throat and neck cancer. The Nuggets went 13-12 -- and still held on to win the division -- but lost in the first round to Utah. Karl now has two vacancies to fill on his staff, because assistant coach Stacey Augmon left to become an assistant at UNLV, his alma mater. The source confirmed that Dantley's contract was not renewed. Earlier this month, Karl brought in former players Ryan Bowen and Darvin Ham to work out with some of the draft prospects.' "

Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/truehoop/post/_/id/30750/first-cup-monday-160

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