One rookie was taken very early in the draft while the other drifted into the 2nd round. Both were McDonalds All Americans in High school and followed that up with brief yet successful college careers. One is projected to be a rookie of the year candidate while the other is just hoping to get into the rotation. Both surprised in their first games for opposite reasons.

Oj Mayo shot a whopping 5 for 20 in his first game as the Grizzlies got smoked. Mayo shot 0-7 from 3 point range and made a couple shots that weren’t dunks or layups. The other heralded rookie on his team, Darrell Arthur, got a double double opening night. Mayo will be fine and by playing 40 minutes showed that he has the job to lose. Most players, if given 40 minutes will consistently put up stats and Mayo will. He’s a gifted passer, ball handler and finisher so he’ll get his numbers naturally. I really think he’ll average in the mid to high teens with decent assists and rebounds totals.

On the other hand we have Mario Chalmers who really surprised me with his play opening night. I’m not saying that he will do this every game or that he will average a triple double throughout his career. I’ve been around basketball enough to know that he’ll have ups and downs and have some games he wont’ even play. Some games he’ll have more turnovers than points and minutes played and that’s the life of a rookie. Chalmers nearly put up a triple double against the Knicks and earned some respect. He put up his numbers against a team that isn’t very talented and will give up a ton of points this season. Great game though and I hope he keeps getting playing time in Miami.

My point is that OJ will get a much better look than Mario just because of the investment made in the player. Chalmers wouldn’t have been allowed to play 40 minutes and miss 15 shots because by the time he missed 3-4 three point attempts he would’ve been on the bench and DWade would’ve been in his ear. Rookies in the NBA have it tough and while I don’t think Oj will be rotten forever he sure was rotten opening night.

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You have to give the Celtics credit and put them atop any list that discusses the best NBA teams. They smoked the LAKERS last year and really truly earned their rings. They had the best record in basketball and slightly stumbled in the playoffs before crushing LA.

Out West everyone seems to think LA is a lock to get back to the finals and I just don’t see it that way. Nobody can sleep on the Hornets at all after improving by getting James Posey in the offseason and Chris Paul being a year older and wiser. I watched the Hornets early last year and they looked so good with David West, Tyson Chandler, Peja and Chris Paul all gellin well together and I predicted they’d be the sleeper out west and they were. This year people will be gunning for the Hornets and I think it will catch up to them a little bit. I expect them to be one of the top 4 teams in the WEst but nothing more.

The team I would look out for is the Spurs. Manu is out for a while and getting healthy. Duncan is getting older but still hasn’t dropped off. Last year he was great. Tony Parker is still very young and this team just knows how to win and Poppovich really knows how to coach. When Manu comes back this team will have Parker, Duncan and Manu all ready to prove something to the league and they will be there until the end. I just think they are being overlooked right now.

Others to watch out for: Jazz and Rockets. Houston acquired Artest and that should help but Artest hasn’t been on a lot of winning teams. McGrady is a proven top 10 talent but that’s where it ends. If they don’t get past the 1st round this year then TMAC needs to go.

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It isn’t confirmed yet but ESPN is reporting that Lute Olson is on his way out in Arizona. The story could revolve around a health problem but Olson was seen at practice Tuesday and was in great spirits. More on the story will come out today and tomorrow of course but this can’t be good for the program in Tucson.

Imagine being recruited by Arizona and not really knowing who the head coach would be. Olson has shown the ability to really develop guards and has brought a bunch of players to the NBA. We’ve seen the Stoudamire’s, Sean Elliott, Iguodala, Channing Frye, Gilbert Arenas, Jason Terry, Richard Jefferson…the list goes on and on. The guy has really brought excellent players into his program and helped them achieve their dream of being a pro so you can see that he hasn’t had a hard time getting kids in. The situation puts Arizona in a bit of a pickle because this same thing happened last year.

Olson is a hall of fame coach and is being handled with kid gloves right now. If he decides not to quit then Arizona is really on the spot because college coaches need stability because that brings recruiting success. Coaches get contract extensions all the time, if for anything, to breed stability in the program. How often do you see a coach who already has a 7 year deal get an extra one thrown on there? Every team that is recruiting against Arizona is going to use this to their advantage and each kid has to listen. The Arizona job, when it comes available, is going to be one of the most highly sought after jobs in the country. Only a handful of coaches wouldn’t be interested in the position and it will be a big deal. Arizona needs Lute to decide whether he is going to stay or go and stick to it or they are just better off letting him go. If they don’t you can pencil them in at the bottom of the PAC 10 soon right next to Oregon St.

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Last year I wrote about my fantasy basketball sleepers and I’ll do the same this season. I love fantasy basketball because of the constant games, injuries, back to back games and all sorts of things that make fantasy sports great. I’ve won my share of league and a lot of it has to do with picking sleepers out of thin air because titles are won on the waiver wire and in the middle to late rounds of every draft. Here’s who I think will still be around in later rounds that I think are worth picking.

5. Boris Diaw- This guy had a great season a couple years ago and struggled since. He has a new coach and Shawn Marion is gone. Diaw can play 3 positions and passes the ball extremely well. I look for Boris to be around later in every draft and provide a lot of depth. I actually see him just as valuable as a healthy Kirilenko.

4. Devin Harris- He’s one of those guys who has been drafted in the past and been a let down. He’s a 13 points 6 assist point guard which barely earns playing time on a good fantasy team. This year will be different because he’ll be counted on for so much. The Nets feature Devin Harris and Vince Carter and a bunch of fill ins. Jason Kidd is in Dalls and Richard Jefferson is gone. Harris will have to really pick it up. I look for him to be in the 18-20 ppg range with 8-10 assists. He’s also a very underrated defender who can guard both guard spots. Just stay healthy.

3. Kevin Durant- He burned a lot of gm’s last season because he didn’t rebound like expected and his shooting percentage really struggled and that hurt other gms’ in different kinds of leagues. He’s going to rebound better and score more this season. He’s very talented and it is all going to come out this season. He will be a mid 20’s scorer and average 8-10 rebounds a game for the Thunder. He’s a sleeper because gm’s got burned last year and becaus of that he’ll slide in the draft. He still is not worth a top 20 pick but he’s a safe bet to say “i told you so” to the other gm’s in your league.

2. Nate Robinson- This guy is now the point guard for a Mike D’Antoni team. He’s scoring in preseason and is showing he can put up some points in the NBA. He’ll get every chance to prove himself and he’ll be available in later rounds because he’s never done anything in the past. Serious sleeper here if you ask me.

1. Brandon Roy- He has always been a decent fantasy player but this year will be different. He’s playing with a real big man who will get better and better as the season goes and he is now getting surrounded by shooters in Fernandez and Webster. Roy is going to break out this season and get career highs in scoring, assists and rebounds and leave many gm’s wondering why they didn’t see it. Roy isn’t going to be Deron Williams or Chris Paul and isn’t in there category but he’s one of those guards who will start to develop into a triple double threat this year.

I may be wrong, but I highly doubt it. Confidence is what wins in fantasy sports and I’m right way more than not.

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I love when teams do things like this and really push the NCAA buttons. One of the rules the NCAA has implemented is allowing teams 2 hours worth of workouts a week starting in mid september. Illinois and Kentucky were two teams who took those two hours and put them to good use. Illinois held what was called the ‘WORLDS LARGEST BASKETBALL PRACTICE’ and actually put a mobile basketball court on the football field to take advantage of the homecoming events at the school that day. It was estimated that over 30,000 people attended the event and it will not happen again.

The NCAA has made it clear what the purpose of the 2 hours per week is for and it apparently isn’t to hold this type of event. They allowed the schools to do the event this time but this will be it. At Illinois, it is being reported that they had more recruits there than they would’ve ever had at a Midnightt Madness type of event and even had 6 of the 7 commits show up. The NCAA is very clear about getting a possible advantage but you can’t fault a school for taking advantage of a loophole and getting attention for it.

In fact, if I’m a recruit I’d be excited to play at a program who held this type of event because I would know they were about getting fans involved, being creative and willing to do what it takes to get kids at the school. All legal and all within reason.

I have to say that I am a giant Illinois fan and any advantage they get is alright by me.

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I think it is great that Greg Oden could actually win the rookie of the year this year. In baseball they have clear guidlines as to what qualifies for a rookie and what doesn’t but in basketball we don’t see this very much. Is Greg Oden in his 1st year or 2nd year as a player? Oden was paid last year but will still be considered a rookie after not playing for one minute last season and remaining inactive on the roster. It is the same as when David Robinson was drafted out of Navy in 1987 but never played until 1990 as a rookie. Oden is the front runner for rookie of the year along with Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley.

Would the Bulls have taken Oden with the top pick? of course they would’ve. Oden would’ve gone number 1 in nearly every draft for the past 10 years. He’s a gifted defender and evolving offensive player. He’s strong, athletic and physical and will be a great pro. I look forward to the Dwight Howard matchups a few years down the road when Oden is seasoned and his offensive game has developed.

In a preseason game yesterday, Oden scored 13 points and looked decent at times. He’s not in game shape and clearly didn’t have his legs. He got a nice ovation after he left the court having played 20 minutes but he shows signs that he’ll be a player. Big men win championships and Oden is just what they need in Portland. That is a team that has assembled some talent and getting Rudy Fernandez is looking to be an amazing pickup for them. I really expect the Blazers to improve on last season and be a tough team in the West, especially in Portland. They are still a few years away but the sun is going to shine in Portland very quickly.

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The Heat got very good overnight when the drafted Michael Beasley with the 2nd pick of the NBA draft. Beasley started his NBA career with 16 points and 6 rebounds in a preseason game against the Pistons. The PIstons didn’t play their regulars much at all as expected but Beasley still looked really good.

How good are the Heat going to be? That’s a tough question…they return DWAde, Shawn Marion and a few other guys but Beasley gives them that explosive 3rd option that every team needs. Sadly, outside of these 3 guys most of the roster is full of guys with either potential or never will be status. The Heat have a long way to go to get back to the top of the heap and they may not make the playoffs in the East but any team with Dwyane Wade needs to be taken seriously.

I expect Beasley to win rookie of the year and put up about 16-20 ppg with 8-10 boards a game. He doesn’t get flustered and can run the floor well. Wade will get him a couple dunks a game and Beasleys ability to get offensive rebounds will get him some more easy baskets. When the Sonics drafted Kevin Durant he came in as a great college rebounder but he didn’t get it done on the boards last year. He wasn’t strong enough and as a result he had to develop a stronger midrange game to do well. Durant didn’t get a lot of easy points but Beasley will. He’s physical, smart, athletic and confident and very very hungry. The Heat drafted the best player they could for their team and they’ll be glad they did for the next 12 seasons or so.

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I’ve been getting a lot of emails lately about jump stops and how to avoid being called for traveling. I think it is something that at the lower levels a lot of refs have different ideas of traveling and what it is. Make the time to talk to the ref before each game and get his understanding of traveling as it relates to the jump stop. Take a couple minutes and physically get their understanding of what a jump stop is what will they call for traveling.

I believe the jump stop is one of the best moves in basketball and of the most underutilized at lower levels. Players that are younger consistently get themselves in trouble by feeling they have to go off one foot for a layup or a floater and it usually leads to a charge call. If players can learn at a young age that a jump stop will keep them under control and allow them to gain a physical advantage over another player they will be that much better.

To practice the jump stop honestly just take a ball and bounce it once and practice coming to a jump stop by landing on both feet at the same time. Don’t worry about gaining distance on the jump stop, just worry about landing with both feet at the same time until you feel comfortable. Practice with both hands becase some players are more comfortable going into a jump stop off one hand more than another. Once you feel comfortable then start to add distance to the jump stop. That is when the move gets really powerful for you. When you are able to take one dribble from the foul line and end up under the basket or one dribble from the top of the key and end up in the middle of the key you will really start to learn how this move helps you. If i have a player on my hip i can take one dribble, jump and land and go right up into a shot or at least remain composed to be able to pass but you won’t get yourself into trouble.

I think it is important to add that the ref will most likely call you for traveling if you don’t land both feet at the same time. Dribble, jump, land, remain composed, power up for the shot all while understanding the point of the move is to gain an offensive advantage over the defender.

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The D league is some fun good basketball to watch and in a lot of places is the highest level you will find nearby. In our area we have the Utah Flash and I had the privilege of going to numerous games last season and take it in and I was very impressed. I got to see some really good guys that i had followed in college and some high draft picks also who were either on rehab or simply trying to get adjusted to the NBA type game.

Does the D-League work? I think it works and here is why. Today i was reading on NBA.com about the number of d-league players that are at NBA training camps and the number is over 100. That’s not bad at all. While it is rare that a d-league player sticks, the sign that this many players have been a part of program is a great sign.

In baseball you have the minor leagues where players can work their way through the system and earn a spot and it has worked for years. With basketball just starting out we are still yet to see a player who is undrafted, signed by the d-league and work up to become an all star. I don’t know if it will happen to be honest because of the amount of players. Baseball has so many players on the field at once and so many players in each system with some guys catching on later in life. IN the nba that is more rare because if you haven’t got it by the time you are 25-26 then good luck because they will invest in another 20 year old who they think will get it quicker. In baseball players don’t go overseas to get paid very often unless it is Japan but in basketball players can go overseas and make very good money so that is in direct competition.

I still think the D League works and I’ll continue to support it this season. In America, we love to see people earn what they have. We love to see the little guy fight his way up the ranks and that’s why the d league will always work if you ask me.

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