It’s the dog days of summer for NBA bloggers, with little news worthy of debate. I just look at the Countdown to tip-off at the right and think, “That long?!?†Still, there are a few things worth noting.
• The good news: Kobe, wearing a #24 jersey, will be on the cover of the NBA 07 game for Sony Playstation. That and his new marketing deal with Sony are signs that his reputation is starting to rehab, not so much with Laker fans (where it never ebbed as much) but with hoops fans and the general public.
• The bad news: Last season it was Amare Stoudemire on the NBA 06 cover. The last time Kobe was on the cover was 02, which was the last edition before his fateful trip to Colorado. Let’s hope there’s not a jinx involved.
• Brian Cook says he has been working out hard this off-season — and with good reason, he’s a free agent next summer.
“I’ve been watching a lot of game tape and working out, trying to make my body stronger and quicker. I’ve lost a lot of weight and am down to about 242 or 243 (pounds) right now,” said Cook, who was listed at 258 pounds last season. “I’ve learned I have to be able to run with these quicker guys.
“I’m watching film because I want to know how teams are playing me. Since I can shoot, they’re going to run at me, so I’m working on being able to put the ball on the floor to be a playmaker, to get the ball to the open man. I’m also working on improving my defense, being a good team defender and drawing charges, grabbing rebounds.”
• Roland Lazenby’s latest blog post is well worth a read, if for no other reason than to get a description of Phil Jackson’s Montana retreat. It sounds a little nicer than my digs.
• There have been a couple minor changes to the site — a new search feature and you can now click on the header at the top of the page and get back to the home page (finally). A few more things are in the works, but it will be a little closer to the season before they go live.
ian says
Why is the offseason so ridiculously long? I think they should play less often but lengthen the season. So 82 games but play less frequently
brian says
Looks like Al Harrington is an evaporating possibility … I didn’t really think he would fit well with Odom in Phil’s system anyway – but hey, the man does need to be guarded, which would have helped …
Despite his insanity, I’d like to see Bonzi Wells on the team ; The kid can still play, and can rebound like a mutha, and score in bursts. A motivated Wells in a lineup with Kobe and Lamar could be dynamite. Or it could be, well, dynamite – and blow up the team in puffs of smoke.
But hell – it would make for one entertaining season.
Let’s start campaigning for Jordan Farmar to hit the starting lineup this year!! I want to see a new starter on the team, man!!
NL says
First off there’s no such think as a jinx. Being on the cover of something has zero effect on the sucess and health of a player. Second, Harrington was never an option even if people said he was. Third, starting a rookie point guard when you don’t have to (we don’t because Smush really isn’t that bad) is nothing but stupidity in action.
Kurt says
There is only one person who can campaign for Farmar to start — Farmar. As I have said before, he showed some things at summer league and, if he gets stronger and works on his outside shot, I think you’ll see him get more and more minutes as the season wears on. But if he wants to start, he’s got to beat out Smush. It’s that simple.