HoopsHype.com NBA Blogs - Julius Hodge

Hi guys,

We will have to change the name of the blog in coming days to Training Camp Diary. It will not be Free Agent Diary anymore since I will no longer be a free agent at the end of the week. I’m signing a contract with the Nets in a few days and I’m very excited about the opportunity the team is giving me.

The third point guard spot is the one I’m definitely looking to fill. The two guys ahead of me in the depth chart, Devin Harris and Keyon Dooling, have been like big brothers for me here lately. You learn a lot from them just from watching, but also playing against them is a good thing. Besides, they give you tips of good stuff about how to handle the point guard position. They are winners and I’m very grateful to them.

They are not the only guys that have been good to me. I have to give a shoutout to my man Rick Dalatri, who’s been helping me so much in the weight room since I arrived here five months ago. I’m at 222 pounds, 6 percent body fat right now. Also I have to give credit to Howard Eisley, who is teaching me a lot of useful things about the PG spot… But really, everything and everybody has been Class A since I began my journey with the Nets in the spring. Hopefully it all ends up with me staying here.

This training camp is going to be a little different for me. With the Nuggets, I was the young, excited and impressionable new guy. Now I’m more mature and more prepared. And although I know this time around I know I have nothing guaranteed, I’m not nervous. I’m hungry. And when you’re hungry, what do you do? You eat. That’s my mindset. That’s what you learn growing up in the NYC playgrounds.

Talk to you when training camp begins. Bye!

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Hi guys,

For the past week I’ve been studying the game thouroughly, learning about some great point forwards. I’ve watched some old tapes of Paul Pressey when he played with the Milwaukee Bucks with coach Don Nelson. I’ve also watched a lot of the old Grant Hill when he played brilliantly with the Detroit Pistons. Also some of Penny Hardaway with the Orlando Magic.

I’ve watched a lot of tape about great defensive stoppers as well. Shane Battier has been a great defensive forward from Day 1. He can contain small guards but also small power forwards. I also like to watch how well Tayshaun Prince plays. His all-around game is awesome.

Trying to learn how these very talented players do on the court will help me improve my game. I’ve especially trained my pull-up off the dribble this week.

My feelings are still the same about making the Nets’ roster: very good. I think I have a good chance to make it.

I really appreciate the good feedback I’ve had in this diary. That said, in my last post a couple of readers talked about one incident I had with Chris Paul years ago. CP3 hit me in my groin area and they won the game. Then he was suspended and we played against them soon after. He didn’t play and we won. That’s it… Something that is part of the game.

Everybody is talking now about the Mario Chalmers/Darrell Arthur situation at the NBA’s rookie transition program. It was a very unfortunate situtation and the reaction of our commissioner David Stern was a good one. These guys will learn from this and I’m sure they will not committ the same mistake again.

Got to keep working out. Talk to you next week. Bye!

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