November 3, 2009 @ 6:45 am by Jorge Sierra · Filed under Draft, Joe Alexander
The old saying in the NBA goes, “After three years, you are who you are.” Some teams, though, don’t have the patience to wait that much time to get returns on their draft investments. Joe Alexander of the Milwaukee Bucks and JR Giddens of the Boston Celtics were some of the victims this week.
It’s probably devastating news for a young player… and with a reason. At least, based on history.
Research shows that first-round picks that didn’t get options of their first NBA contract picked up usually don’t last long in the league after that first deal expires. Probably not a big surprise, but these are the numbers…
Of all the NBA players drafted in the first round between 2003 and 2007, 24 became free agents sooner than expected after having contract options declined. Among that group, only eight remain in the league today. Those would be Marcus Banks, Antoine Wright, Shelden Williams, Patrick O’Bryant, Shannon Brown, Quincy Douby, Rodney Carney and Marcus Williams. Only Brown and Banks, who has barely ever played the past two years, have a contract in place for next season.
2004 Draft
Rafael Araujo (Paulistano, Brazil)
Luke Jackson (Ferrara, Italy)
Pavel Podkolzin (Lokomotiv Novosybirsk, Russia)
Sergey Monya (Dynamo Moscow, Russia)
2005 Draft
Yaroslav Korolev (free agent)
- Antoine Wright (Toronto)
Gerald Green (free agent)
Julius Hodge (free agent)
Wayne Simien (retired)
2006 Draft
- Shelden Williams (Boston)
- Patrick O’Bryant (Toronto)
Saer Sene (Hyeres-Toulon, France)
Cedric Simmons (Peristeri, Greece)
- Quincy Douby (Toronto)
- Rodney Carney (Philadelphia)
- Marcus Williams (Memphis)
- Shannon Brown (LA Lakers)
Maurice Ager (Cajasol Sevilla, Spain)
2007 Draft
Morris Almond (free agent)
* Ian Mahinmi, Oleksiy Pecherov, Acie Law, Sean Williams, Javaris Crittenton, Alando Tucker, Joe Alexander and JR Giddens had contract options declined too, but they are playing out their current deals.
The Celtics and Rajon Rondo’s agent Bill Duffy are scheduled to meet Tuesday in Cleveland, HoopsHype.com writer Peter May has learned. The two sides are not close on a contract extension right now. Unsurprisingly, the main issue is money and not the length of the contract.
Did you get the contract you were expecting this summer or were you expecting a little bit more?
PM: It’s hard to say with the economy we’re at. I mean, the contract I got is great. I’m pleased with it. It’s more than what I expected I was going to get in the market we’re in.
How was the whole experience of being a free agent? Were you nervous during the summer?
PM: There was a little bit of that. It was a little frustrating. I was hoping it would be over pretty soon. But in the end it worked out on my best interests. So now I’m really happy and pleased with the situation.
Who has been the best player so far in the preseason?
PM: Deron Williams, he has come to play every day. There’s a couple of guys who have made major improvements from last season, including myself. You got Carlos (Boozer), Memo (Okur)… Everybody has come with a chip on their shoulder and well in shape.
Is the atmosphere on the team affected in any way by all the speculation about Carlos Boozer?
PM: Not at all. We don’t really think about it until people bring it up. We forget about it when we get on the court. That’s just not our business. We get on the court and we play basketball.
Do you feel ready to play more at the small forward position this season?
PM: Yeah, I think I’m ready for it. I’m capable of doing that, extending my game out to the small forward position. I think I will help my team doing that. But there’s still a lot of things I got to work on and get better at to do that.
You said this summer you were expecting to be a starter this season. Maybe that’s not going to happen. How do you take that?
PM: It’s not a big deal to me. Starting or not starting, we’re still going to have a good team. I’m still going to be a major part of this team. Even if I come off the bench, I’m still gonna play a lot of minutes. Starting or not is not really going to affect the way I approach the game or anything like that.
You were drafted in the second round. I guess that had to give you extra motivation to succeed in the league. Is that right?
PM: Absolutely. I mean, I still keep a chip on my shoulder. I’m trying to make teams pay for that. Still got a point to prove. People still don’t think I should be where I’m at right now, so I always keep a chip on my shoulder.
How was camp with the U.S. team the past summer? Did you enjoy the experience.
PM: It was a great experience. I would love to be on that team. I would love to travel the world and play basketball. Overall, it was a great experience for me to pay with those guys out there and just get a look.
What was your reaction when you learned that you would have to travel all the way to Europe during the preseason?
Ronnie Brewer: It’s a great honor for me to be able to play in London and Madrid. Just thought it was a great experience for myself and the team to play against the Bulls and against this team (Real Madrid). And it’s good for the fans that they are able to experience the NBA throughout the world.
What is the toughest part of the preseason so far? All the flying or answering questions about Carlos Boozer all the time?
RB: (laughs) No, it’s good. The Carlos Boozer questions are not that bad. I just have a hard time adjusting to the different time zones. Salt Lake City to New York, New York to London, London to Madrid… I’m trying to get back on my sleeping schedule, but it’s your profession… You have to get used to it, be prepared, go out on the court and compete.
Do you expect to have a bigger role this season than the previous year?
RB: Hopefully it will be a little bit bigger. My goal is to improve and help the team in any way that I can. Just want to get better, like I think I did last year.
On the offensive end, do you think you’re the third option, fourth option…
RB: You never know whatever lineup we have in. We have a lot of guys on this team that can score a lot of points. Carlos Boozer, Deron Williams, Mehmet Okur, Paul Millsap… Ronnie Price can come off the bench and score a lot of points. Kyle Korver can knock them down. We have a lot of guys that can score. So it’s good for me to do my part. I’m going to play strong on the defensive end and on the offensive end, it’s going to come.
You’re starting on a playoff team and playing well, yet it seems you’re overlooked in the NBA. There’s not much talk about you. How do you feel about that?
RB: It’s good. Going into a game, there’s usually not much talk about me. So that allows me to go kind of under the radar and get into the offensive flow and get steals because a lot of people is not anticipating that I’m going to get steals. We’re a very good team and we have a lot of guys who are big-time players. For me just to be starting and competing on this team, that’s a blessing for me.
You have the possibility of signing a contract extension this month. How different is the season going to be for you having a new contract as opposed to going through the year without one?
RB: I prepare myself either way. You put the work in during summer time and get ready in the preseason. And when the regular season comes, you approach it like any other season. It’s not a lot of pressure. You just got to play basketball, perform well and hope for the best.
But you know, there’s guys out there, for example Andrea Bargnani, who was in your same draft class… He really has not played better than you in NBA and has already signed his extension. How do you feel when something like that happens?
RB: I think guys have different options in different situations. I can’t really focus on what other people are doing. I mean, doing that you’re always come with the short end of the stick sometimes. Like I said, you have to focus on how you can help this team out, play well and hopefully get that extension.
Are you optimistic it’s going to happen for you this month?
RB: Yeah, I hope it does. But it’s not the end of the world. Life still goes on. I can still step on the court, prove myself and compete on a playoff contender team. I like options.
If you had to convince a fan of the Utah Jazz that this season is going to be better than the previous one, what would you tell him?
RB: If you look at last year, we finished in the eight spot. We couldn’t have the same lineup for the most part of the season. Booz missed a lot of games, Millsap missed some games, Deron Williams missed the first 13, CJ Miles went down, AK went dow, Memo went down… We were like half a team, but at the same time we still competed. We still maintained the ship… If we’re healthy, we’re a very dangerous team. We can compete with anybody. We have guys 1 to 10 who can come on the floor and contribute at all times.
You very often have to guard some of the superstars in the league. Kobe, Wade, etcetera… Which is the toughest one for you to guard?
RB: I think they are all different in every aspect. LeBron is really tough to guard. Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade… They all do different stuff to score the basket. Kobe as a scorer has the most weapons on the court. He can shoot the three, hit the fadeaways and pass the ball really well. LeBron is just so strong and so good. They are are very different in how they do it, but they all have great talent, man.
Do you think you have a chance of playing for the U.S. team at the World Championship?
RB: You never know. Maybe if some guys go down…
If they ask you, you go?
RB: If they ask you, you have to accept. Hopefully if I continue to get better, they will take account of it.
You have only played for one coach in the NBA – Jerry Sloan. How many years do you think he has left as a coach?
RB: Man, I want him to continue doing it for as many years as he wants to. I know he does one-year extensions and still has passion for the game and he’s trying to compete. I don’t see him retiring that soon.
The bad economic climate has hurt a lot of players this offseason. Many marquee free agents have had to settle for low contracts and some others have been directly left outside in the cold with training camps already under way. The most storied of them all, with Stephon Marbury’s permission, would be two-time All-Star Jerry Stackhouse, who spent most of his last season in Dallas riding the bench and now finds himself without a team in October.
Needless to say, Stackhouse is none too happy about it.
“I didn’t expect it to go like this, but with this game you never know,” Stackhouse said. “I had a foot injury last season, couldn’t play in many games and now I’m in this situation. This past summer I have been working hard, working out in Atlanta, playing in some summer leagues and getting myself healthy and ready for the season. I’m disappointed because I think I can help a lot of teams.”
While Stackhouse worked out with the Hawks late in the summer – to rave reviews from beat writer Sekou Smith – Atlanta was never a very serious option for him. There was some contact with Houston, according to Stackhouse, but the Tar Heel is mostly looking to join a contender, which obviously the Rockets are not at this point.
“That’s my final goal. I’m trying to catch on with a team that’s close to winning a championship. I think after all my years in Dallas I have proved that I can accept a role and still help a team.”
The 6-foot-6 Stackhouse got close to winning the title in 2006 when the Mavericks blew a 2-0 advantage in the Finals against the Dwyane Wade-led Miami Heat. But he could have had another shot at it had the Hamilton-Stackhouse trade not materialized. To this day, Stack remembers the move with some grief.
“That was kind of a low point for me. I felt like we were building something good in Detroit and I couldn’t finish the work off. I was disappointed, but at the same time I’m a firm believer that things happen for a reason. Maybe if I don’t get traded to Washington then I wouldn’t have had the chance to play with the Mavericks and spend those great years there.
“I still feel like I’m a Piston and also a Maverick because of the great times there. From a winning standpoint, the years in Dallas were the best in my career, but from a personal playing standpoint Detroit was my golden age. I kind of have a chip on my shoulder with that because I think I could have also helped them get over the hump”
Even though not ready to retire, Stackhouse says he’s contemplating some other options for when his playing days are over – mostly broadcasting and coaching.
“I definitely want to be around the game. Being able to be work with young guys and help them develop, I would have a blast doing that.”
Another potential career choice could be singing. With Walter McCarty no longer around, the deep-voiced Stackouse is widely regarded as the best singer in the NBA. He doesn’t rule out the possibility of recording an album.
“Singing? That’s another career opportunity for me right there!” Stackhouse said tongue in cheek. “It’s something I like to do in my off time. And you know, I’ve sung the national anthem on games a couple of times and people would tell me, ‘You should do an album, you should do an album’ … And I may do it. But right now I have a other options first. I want to keep playing. I have something left in the tank.”
Blogger extraordinaire Rod Benson will get another shot at making an NBA team this coming month with the Indiana Pacers, agent Bill Neff told HoopsHype.com. The 6-foot-10 Benson went to camp with the New Jersey Nets two years ago and had four offers from NBA teams this summer, according to Neff.
An Internet sensation thanks to his blog toomuchrodbenson.com and his contributions to Yahoo! Sports, Benson has a chance to stick around with the Pacers as a rebounding specialist. He led the D-League in that department in the 2007-08 season with the Dakota Wizards.
Free agent guard Thomas Gardner will sign a one-year non-guaranteed contract with the Memphis Grizzlies and compete for a roster spot with them at training camp, the agency Mark Termini Associates Inc informed HoopsHype.com.
This would be the third stint with an NBA team for Gardner, who has previously played with Chicago and Atlanta, where he tooks part in 16 games last season.
Former Gopher guard Vincent Grier has been invited to training camp by the Washington Wizards, agent Bill McCandless told HoopsHype.com.
Grier, who averaged 10.0 ppg and 5.2 rpg for Cholet of France last season, went to camp with the Heat two years ago. He was the last player cut by Miami before the start of the regular season.
Tell me a little bit about your summer. What has been the focus for you during the offseason?
Stephen Curry: Well, I’ve been working with a lot of different NBA guys ever since summer league was over. I’ve been working on my ballhandling and point guard skills, and trying to make it in front of the best competition possible. Just preparing myself for training camp and stuff like that. Everybody knows I can shoot the ball, but they haven’t seen my playing the point. So I’ve been working on my ballhandling, working in the weight room to get stronger… With the way that we play in Golden State, you’ve got to be in shape and able to run. Being in top condition is something I’ve been working on. So I’ve been putting a lot of work in this summer.
Do you feel you’ve held your own against those NBA players this summer?
SC: Yes, no doubt. Guys like Chris Paul, Joe Johnson, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade… I’ve been working out with those guys, playing one-on-one all the time and they all see that I can play. It’s great competition and we have a lot of fun doing it. I definitely held my own and I’ve got a lot of confidence going into my first season that I can play with these guys.
How do you think you can contribute to a team like Golden State that already has so many scorers and guards?
SC: Just being another option. It’s nice, I think, to have a guy that can shoot the ball and be a playmaker for others. Whatever my role is on the team, wherever I fit, we have a lot of talent in our team with Monta Ellis and Stephen Jackson in the backcourt. Wherever coach Nelson thinks I fit, I’m gonna play up to the best of my abilities. My ability to shoot and spread the floor, I think that’s something coach Nelson values in his offense. So I’m looking forward to it.
Have you talked with Don Nelson about your role on the team?
SC: Yeah. I spoke a little bit about it with him in summer league. They just wanted to see if I could be a point guard, and I think that’s the position where they see me, playing alongside guys like Monta Ellis, CJ Watson, Jackson… Just to complement their game. They said training camp would define my role a little bit better.
Are you aware that for the most part Don Nelson doesn’t play the rookies much?
SC: That’s what I’ve heard. This team has a lot of young guys who already have a lot of experience, so I think he’s going to go first with them naturally. Hopefully I can convince him that I help win games when I’m on the floor and he’ll put me out there. I’m going with the attitude that if I work hard and prove that I should be on the floor, he’ll see that and I will play.
Golden State seems to be a team going through a lot of turmoil. Are you worried?
SC: Not really. NBA’s business is to win and there’s going to be a lot of drama in the offseason for teams that didn’t do so well the previous year. But when training camp starts, that’s all going out of the window. We’re going to have one goal and that’s to play hard and win. That’s the attitude I have, hopefully the attitude my teammates have… I’m sure they’ll come focused and ready to play, so all this stuff that happened over the summer will disappear.
You talked a lot about your desire to play in New York during the draft process in May and June. Why was that?
SC: It was just a system thing. Like Golden State, they like to run up and down, giving freedom to make plays. Mike D’Antoni has been known to develop point guards. He’s coached Steve Nash. That was a big part of it. But all that stuff goes out the door on June 25, when you’re at the mercy of the draft. I got a great team to play for now, with the same kind of system, which is up and down with a lot of freedom to shoot.
Do you think there’s any added pressure on you because you’re the son of a very good basketball player like Dell Curry?
SC: A little bit. It could affect me if I let it. There’s going to be a lot of comparisons between my career and his. It’s kind of weird, but there are a lot of guys in the league that played against my dad or with him. I just got to play through it and I’m hopeful I can make it in the NBA. I’m not really worried about living up to my dad’s career. Just want kind of make it on my own.
In which ways being the son of Dell Curry has helped you?
SC: This offseason, I’ve been able to ask him questions about things that I’ve got to go through that he went through. How he prepared for his first year, what things he would look out for… That kind of thing. I got that in my home with my dad. That type of advice is great for me in order to prepare myself for my first year. Even down the road, I can always go back to him and ask him, “How did you handle this?” or whatever.
Do you see yourself as a Rookie of the Year candidate?
SC: Definitely. If my opportunity comes, I’m going to take it and run with it. I feel like I’m one one the best guys that were drafted this year. Hopefully I’ll get the opportunity to play and show that.
You have talked in the past about how playing golf helps your basketball game a little bit. Can you explain that?
SC: Well, for me mentally the game of golf is a lot harder than basketball. If you want to be good at golf, you have to be able to focus for hours straight. That’s something I can transfer to basketball – being able to focus and being confident in your own game. For me it’s a mental relief kind of thing. I have fun out there and it takes your mind off the game of basketball, so when I come back and play I can focus on basketball a lot better. I play golf a lot. That something that helps me.
Do you think you could have been a pro golfer had you put your mind into it?
SC: I like to think so. I played a lot growing up, played a lot in high school… I was decent. If I had proper coaching and the time to play every day, I’d probably be very good. But who knows?
The Lakers will add even more international flavor to its roster with the signing of swingman Mickael Gelabale, who will be the second French player in franchise history after Ronny Turiaf. The former Sonic will join the team for training camp on a make-good contract.
Gelabale, whose career has been recently derailed by injury problems, is understandably excited about the prospect of playing for the NBA champions.
“It’s a dream come true for me,” Gelabale said. “It’s a legendary team, with guys like Magic, Kareem, Kobe… I was a fan of the team as a kid.”
Gelabale’s second season with the Sonics, where he averaged 4.5 ppg and 2.1, was cut short due to to an ACL injury. He’s been trying to recover from it for the last year and a half, even making an appearance in the D-League last season with the L.A. D-Fenders, the Lakers’ affiliate.
The French swingman claims he’s fully recovered now.
“The knees are very good. It’s 100 per cent,” Gelabale said. “We had some tests in Los Angeles and both of my knees are very, very strong. I’ve been working out a lot and now I’m even able to do things I couldn’t do before.”
The 6-foot-7 Gelabale has relied a lot on his athleticism throughout his career, so being completely healthy is key for him in order to have a chance to make the Lakers’ opening night roster. With a team stucked with scorers, he’ll have to earn his spot showing his defensive skills. There, Gelabale thinks he’s up to the task.
“I had other options in the NBA. Other teams invited me, but I chose the Lakers because I think I can make the team. I can bring my defense to the Lakers. I remember there have been times when I played against Kobe that he would congratulate after the game for being such a good defender. I know it’s going to be hard to make the team, but you have to start somewhere.”
Gelabale had a deal in place with Alicante of the Spanish League earlier in the summer, but it finally didn’t go through because of contract issues.
“They said they were going to pay me 400,000 euros, but they changed the contract to 350,000 without my knowledge. I’m not one to renounce my word, but I couldn’t take that. I didn’t go to Alicante, but I’m not closing the door to Europe.”
That would be Plan B. The No. 1 option right now, even if a long shot, is making the Lakers.
The old saying in the NBA goes, “After three years, you are who you are.” Some teams, though, don’t have the patience to wait that much time to get returns on their draft investments. Joe Alexander of the Milwaukee Bucks and JR Giddens of the Boston Celtics were some of the victims this week.
What was your reaction when you learned that you would have to travel all the way to Europe during the preseason?
