You’re spending most of the summer in Vegas, right?
Jared Dudley: I’m staying in L.A. and spending time in Vegas too, getting ready for the season.
Do you work out with any other players there in Vegas?
JD: Yeah, I’m working out with NBA players there. It’s guys like Chauncey Billups, Al Harrington… Who else was there? Jermaine O’Neal. A lot of people there!
How’s working out with NBA stars like that? Are you enjoying it?
JD: Yes, I’m enjoying it. It’s always good to face these NBA players. At the end of the day, it’s NBA competition and you learn their games. Overall, it’s good to get together to work on your game against guys like that.
Is it hard to focus on the basketball part with all the distractions you can have in Vegas?
JD: It’s not that hard because you go to Vegas with the mindset of training, not partying. You have the whole summer to party or gamble. When you get there, you’re thinking about getting ready for September, working on your body and fine-tuning parts of your game.
What parts of your game are you working on the most this summer?
JD: Most of all, I’m working on my range. Getting better to shoot the three, because you know in Phoenix we shoot a lot of threes. Also I’m working a lot on my conditioning because we’re a team that gets up and down the court. I’m going to get a lot of opportunities to shoot the three and a lot of opportunities to play.
What position comes more naturally to you: small forward or power forward?
JD: I’m a small forward. I think I can guard certain power forwards – guys like Rashard Lewis or Josh Howard. I find it harder to guard the Kevin Garnetts, the tall post-up power forwards. I’m more into guarding the guys that play outside.
Do you feel Phoenix is a better situation for you than Charlotte was?
JD: Oh, definitely. For one, the style of play is a better fit. Offensively, it’s unlimited. Phoenix is a place where you can run, shoot the three… For me it’s definitely a better situation as far as playing. Also, you have a point guard that will find you in Steve Nash. There are not too many point guards out there better than him.
You were productive on a bench role for the Suns last season. If you had more minutes on the court, what kind of numbers do you think you could be putting up?
JD: I think I would first have to be able to earn the playing time, which I did towards the end of the year. And I think this season backing up Grant Hill or possibly starting, I don’t think it’s out of the question that I could get 10-12 points per game and 5-6 rebounds. I think that would be big for Phoenix and big for my career.
How do you feel about the Suns’ offseason, especially the Shaq trade?
JD: As a teammate, I loved to have Shaq around. He’s one of the funniest guys I’ve ever been around and a great teammate. Court-wise, I think we’re going in the right direction, trying to go back to the old Suns’ style of run-and-gun. So I think making the transition to that will make us a better team on the court.
You’re one of the most active Twitter users among NBA players. How did you get into it?
JD: It was Shaq. He told us to get into it. Jason Richardson got into it. And one day, I said, “Let me try this thing out.” You know, now all my friends are out there hanging out. I talk to Mark Cuban every day on it… It’s just a cool website for fans to get involved in players’ lives. What I try to do is give the fans insight on what they really can’t see. Once the season starts, I’m gonna give them insight on training camp, what’s going on in the locker room, the team bus, hotels and everything.
You’ve even broken news about players like Steve Nash or Matt Barnes. Has the team told you anything about it, that maybe you shouldn’t be talking about stuff like that?
JD: I haven’t had a problem. Everything I’ve said is the truth. I have not put anything out there that’s false or make stuff up. Everything I’ve said, I’ve talked about it with the source. I have credibility. As long as you’re not talking about anything negative… But talking about Steve Nash getting an extension isn’t really bad, so I’m going to continue doing it. For example, next week in Vegas I’m going to talk about the workouts. I’m going to say who’s playing well, how the games are going… Just trying to get more a little more insight for the fans.
Some guys have already gotten in trouble because of their Twitter use. Do you think some players are going to be scared of it?
JD: I think you can get in trouble if you’re using Twiterr on a negative way. If you use it on a positive way to enlighten fans, have fun and interact, I don’t think you’re going to get in trouble. You just have to be careful. For example, I wouldn’t give out my exact location because you never know about getting robbed or something. I think this works well for fans and getting people to know what’s going on in your life.
You worked out for several teams that last few weeks. Why did you choose Sacramento and not any of the the other teams?
Sean May: Just because I liked the fact that Sacramento is a young team, with a lot of young guys that are also talented. They have a new staff coming in. They’ve always had great fan support and the community there is great. It was just a good fit. The other teams I worked out for, sure I could have gone there. I just thought it was a better opportunity in Sacramento.
Did you have other offers on the table aside from Sacramento?
SM: I did have an offer from Cleveland. We were also taking to Portland, but no offer on the table from them.
What kind of player do you see yourself becoming for the Kings?
SM: A guy that can come in and help them win games. I feel like I can play inside/out. I can help with my rebounding ability. I just think it’s a good fit. I just can help them.
You’ve had some injury problems that have kept you off the court. How would you rate your health now?
SM: Feel great. My knees are strong. It’s the best I’ve felt in a long, long time. Yeah, I’ve had knee injuries that have taken me long to overcome, but I’m fine right now. My career is hopefully going to be injury-free from this point on.
What are the learning experiences you take from your years playing with the Bobcats?
SM: I loved the city of Charlotte and I loved playing for the organization. It’s been great for me. They’ve always supported me. Unfortunately, I have been been injured and I wasn’t able to live up to the expectations for myself that I had and the ones the organization had for me. It was great while I was in Charlotte, but I just felt it was time for a fresh start.
What kind of relationship you had with Larry Brown and Michael Jordan there?
SM: Larry Brown and I were fine. Great coach. Tremendous teacher. I think he’s one of the few guys in the league who actually teaches. MJ, my relationship with him was great. I never had a bad relationship with anybody on the staff or the organization.
How different was Larry Brown to other coaches you’ve had in your career?
SM: He’s a little bit different. Obviously, he’s more old-school in certain ways. He teaches a lot more than other NBA coaches. He was great as far as his understanding of the game and his language with the players. But he can be difficult to play for at times ’cause he’s hard on all players.
When did you realize the conditioning/weight issues you’ve had were becoming a real issue for your NBA career?
SM: Honestly, I never felt like I had weight issues. You know, I asked them where they wanted me to play at. They said 260 and I was around 260 all year. Conditioning? When you don’t play, it’s tough to be in game shape. I felt like I’ve always been in pretty good shape. I don’t feel like the conditioning was the reason why I wasn’t playing. I just wasn’t playing.
There were fans in Charlotte that were very critical with you. Was it tough? How did you deal with that?
SM: Oh yeah. It’s always tough when people criticize, when they are critical of you. But you deal with it and you go on. I think that anything you do, people are going to have an opinion. If you can take the good, then you should be able to take the bad. I understand that people were critical with me. Yeah, it bothered me. But life will go on and I’ll do what I’ll do.
What do you say to all the people that have written you off?
SM: I would say that I understand that they have an opinion and I appreciate that. But that’s my goal, that’s what I will do… I will prove everybody wrong. Yeah, there’s people that have written me off and that’s fine. I understand that and I accept that challenge.
Do you stay in touch with your teammates at North Carolina?
SM: Oh yeah, without a doubt. I live in Chapel Hill in the summer with Marvin (Williams). I talked to Raymond (Felton) actually yesterday. Jawad Williams, I’m going to his wedding today. We are all really close. We always stay in contact with each other.
Which of those guys do you think have a better chance of becoming a star in the NBA?
SM: I think Marvin has a really good chance of becoming a star. He’s gotten better every year. He averages double figures. Once he gets in a situation when his role is a little bit bigger, you’ll see a lot more from him. Same situation with Raymond. I think he’ll end up being a real star in this league. Rashad (McCants) and I are in kind of in the same position right now. We’re fighting right now for an opportunity.
You think Raymond Felton is going to stay in Charlotte? What’s going to happen with that?
SM: I don’t know. And right now, he doesn’t now. Right now, it’s just a waiting game. As of now the situation in the NBA… A lot of teams aren’t spending money right now. You’re just waiting to see what happens. David Lee, everyone thought he’d be locked up right now, but he’s waiting for a contract. You see what happens and just go on.
Bostjan Nachbar: Overall it was a great experience. We had a great team, a great coach and we had high goals. The first half of the season was great. We played well. We were doing well in the Russian competition, doing well in the Eurocup… After New Year, as everybody knows, the financial situation got worse, problems started kicking in and there were a lot of players leaving. We lost Hollis Price, Jannero Pargo, Travis Hansen… They started leaving one by one and we didn’t finish well. We missed our goal, which was qualifying for the Euroleague… From a basketball standpoint, otherwise it was great. My season was good. I played well, had no injuries… So that was good. But there was a point where the team was unable to keep paying the players.
Dynamo Moscow owes you money right now?
BN: They still owe like 30-40 percent of my first-year salary. We are in negotiations to get that money. Worst-case scenario, I’m taking it to the court.
How different was the lifestyle you led in Russia compared to the NBA?
BN: It was different. First, there was not a lot of people in the stands. You’re used to playing in front of 15,000 or 20,000 people in the NBA and then you go to Russia and there are games where there’s barely 1,000. That was horrible. It was a big difference. That’s the biggest thing. Second thing, Moscow is very different to New York… Although it was not a bad city. I got used to living there. I got adjusted pretty well. Besides, the team had its own plane and we stayed in good hotels… Some things were good and some other things were not good, but it was a nice experience.
What advice would you give to NBA players thinking about leaving to play in Europe? There’s a rumor about Nate Robinson going to Greece today, for example. What would you say to guys like that?
BN: They have to be careful when choosing the team. That’s the most important thing. When I was choosing Dynamo, I spoke with players that had been there the previous three years and they had no financial problems whatsoever. They were getting paid on time and the club was organized… So when I was in that situation last July, there were no worries about that team having trouble. Anyway, it’s always a little bit of a gamble in Europe because there are not as many laws as you have in the NBA, where every team has a set budget and they know before the season how much money they are going to spend. In Europe, a lot of teams go month by month. They try to get more sponsors, try to get more money, so it’s a little bit of a risky thing. Anyway, I think most of the Euroleague teams, especially the top ones, they are OK. You’re out of trouble. And you’re not going to find much trouble with most teams in Spain, Italy, Greece… They are fine. But especially in Russia this year, a lot of players that went left disappointed because a lot of teams were just not able to fulfill the agreements.
So do you regret your decision a little bit right now?
BN: No, not really because, like I said, when I made the decision last July nobody knew that things were going to turn this bad. Not just in Russia, but all over the world! Look at the economy: How bad it went and how fast. Out of 10 times in the same situation, I would have made the same decision 10 times in a row. The contract was so good, the team was so well put together, the coach was great… It was a no-brainer for me at that time.
You announced on Twitter yesterday that you were going to make a decision on your new team today or so. Have you made a decision already?
BN: I’m really close to signing a contract with Efes Pilsen, the Turkish champion, for one year. They’ve been calling me for the last two weeks and I’ve been postponing it because I was trying to get a good NBA contract. But I don’t want to let go this offer from Efes because financially it was so much stronger than anything in the States, especially with the market in the NBA being so tight this year and good players getting such low contracts. It’s hard to get a long-term, solid contract. So it makes sense for me to wait one more year and go for free agency then. Unless something dramatic happens today, it looks like I’m going to sign with Efes Pilsen.
From the basketball standpoint your first choice was the NBA, though. Right?
BN: Yeah, yeah, of course. When problems started happening in Russia, I spoke to my agents and told them to start looking for a team in the NBA. There was a lot of interest. I had to say probably there was a lot more interest than last summer. Not probably; for sure. There were more teams calling, there were more teams in conversations. But it’s a tight market this summer. As you can see, a lot of teams are saving money for next year’s free agents. So it’s tough to get a long-term deal, which is what I was looking for. You know, a three- or four-year deal that would bring some security. I made my mind that it’s probably the best decision to play here one more year instead of landing just a one-year deal in the NBA. A lot of times, it’s just a matter of timing. Looks like this summer it was a bad time for me to do that.
Can you name any of the NBA teams that were expressing interest?
BN: There were really a lot. I don’t want to put anybody out there on the spot because I was asked not to talk about it. What I can say is, there were teams (interested) that I have played for before and some teams that I haven’t. You can figure out what those are. Let’s say that there were at least 10-15 teams that called last season or this offseason, so there was a lot of interest. But those teams were not able to offer anything at this point. What they were offering, I was not interested in.
You had a very good season with the New Jersey Nets. Why do you think that team was such a good fit for you?
BN: I think I fit in mainly because that team was constructed around Vince Carter, Jason Kidd and Richard Jefferson and they needed someone to come off the bench and bring a spark. And I think that’s a role I fit in perfectly. Most of the games I was coming in when the team was down a little bit. So I came in, made a couple of plays and turned the game around. That was my role and my teammates appreciated that. I felt comfortable and it was a perfect place for me. I was disappointed to see the team fall apart when Jason Kidd got traded, RJ got traded and so on and so on. I always thought that if we had been together for another season, we could have had a chance to go further in the playoffs. But it’s the NBA. Things like that happen.
Why have you decided to play with Slovenia this summer, as opposed to past seasons?
BN: You know, the last couple of seasons I was really tired. Those NBA seasons where I played a lot of games, I was tired and at the same time I wanted to get ready for the following year. I took those two summers off. Prior to that, I think I played five, six or seven summers in a row. I just needed the rest mentally and physically to get back ready for the following season. This season ended early for me and the (Slovenian) Federation was pushing strong to put all the great players together. With such a talented team, it would be a waste not to be with them and win one of the medals. Pretty much all the players that were healthy decided to play this summer and I didn’t want to be the exception, so I accepted the invitation. Hopefully we’ll have a good result.
What would be a realistic goal for the team? You have a shot at the gold medal?
BN: Gold medal is a long shot because we have never made it past the quarter finals. If we make it to the semifinals, that would be great. That would be the best result by far in Slovenian basketball. That’s my focus: To make it to the quarter finals and then make it to the semis. Whatever happens from then on it’s gonna happen. We’d all be happy with that result.
Finally, you’ve dunked on several great players in the NBA. Which dunk was your favorite?
BN: Oh, that’s a tough one. I don’t know. Maybe against Philadelphia, the one against Dalembert. It was a great dunk. My game always was about going aggressive into the basket and if I get fouled, I get fouled. If I dunk, I dunk. But I will always do my best to go strong to the basket.
How’s been your life ever since your season with the Raptors came to an end?
Jose Manuel Calderon: The first part, just resting. From then on, trying to recover and getting in shape to be at 100 percent for the coming season.
How’s the leg feeling?
JMC: Feeling better. I’m doing a little bit more every day. Not doing an awful lot, but’s looking good. Little by little, it seems like everything is moving forward.
The season came to an end early for you and the Raptors. What do you think are the main reasons the team took a step back?
JMC: I think we were doing well, but there were several things… We changed the coach. Jermaine O’Neal didn’t adjust as well and we were hoping. He was a player too similar to Chris Bosh. They did similar things and it’s like Chris and Jermaine canceled each other out. After that, there was always something. My injury, Chris’ injury… Every time it looked like we were going to be on a roll, something happened that didn’t allow us to finish off the work. At the end of the season, when Shawn Marion came, that’s when we started to play the way we wanted, more up-tempo, when everybody was 100 percent physically… That’s when we proved we’re not that far away. We beat very good teams and we can be up there with them. We just have to make a few changes and some of them are under way. If we do that, we can fight with everybody.
What do you think of the moves Toronto is trying to make?
JMC: So far, so good. Let’s see what happens in the end. There’s a lot of work to be done still. It all started with the Kapono-for-Evans trade, which gave us a physical presence in the paint that we were probably lacking. Now, let’s wait and see what else we can get.
What’s your opinion about Hedo Turkoglu and David Lee, the two main players Toronto is reportedly pursuing?
JMC: Well, both are very, very interesting players. With any of those, the team will be very competitive. Let’s see which of them we’re able to land. We have a little bit of economic flexibility to sign players of maximum quality. Like I said, I think we are very close. This could be a thrilling project after the disappointment of last season. We could soon be doing very interesting things because the organization, the city and the people is fully behind the team.
How do you and your teammates cope with the uncertainty on Chris Bosh’s future and the fact that he’s asked all the time about 2010?
JMC: Well, it’s stuff that’s always going to be around. The media is always focused on things like these. It’s one of the negative things this sport has. You make friends, but at the end of the day we all change teams for one reason or another. You just have to wait and see what happens. Chris has been here with me at my campus (Campus Jose Manuel Calderon - Marca Extremadura). He’s a great friend. We all have to focus on the present, get ready for next season and have a good year together.
You are close, right? Is he your best friend on the team?
JMC: It’s one of my best friends. I’ve always gotten along well with pretty much everybody. Anthony Parker is a great friend too. With Chris, it was special to bring a player that has been to the All-Star Game so many times, that has a golden medal at the Olympics… He’s been with me four years, which is longer than anybody else. I thought it was great to have him around the kids in Caceres and Extremadura. It’s been real, real special.
From being around him, you have a hunch about what his decision is going to be?
JMC: Like I said, we never talk about that. We just focus on next season, that we have to be ready, that we know what mistakes we made last season and we want to do good this year. It’s the same with me: I just go year by year.
About the Spanish National Team… When exactly did you decide to pass on playing at the Eurobasket?
JMC: I had a few tests and the leg wasn’t feeling as well as I was hoping after all the problems I had gone through previously. That’s when I saw my body was letting me know that I needed to rest and that I needed to take care of myself. I have to pass on this Eurobasket no matter how much I want to take part in it. There’ll be more opportunities in future tournaments.
So passing on the tournament is a decision you made on your own, not influenced in any way by the Raptors?
JMC: No, they found out at the same time as the Spanish Federation. When we had the exit interviews, everything was up in the air (because the tournament was very late in the summer) and I told them I would confirm if I was going to play or not. I wanted to go through the tests, because I’ve had a pretty tough year, and I made the decision after that.
Your last game with Spain was at the Olympics. Had you been able to play at the final, do you think you would have beaten Team USA?
JMC: (Laughs) Who knows? There’s always ifs like that. We may have won or maybe we lose by a bigger margin. You never know. Let’s see if we can claim revenge next year at the World Championship or another Olympic Games.
Finally, what’s your take on the messy Ricky Rubio situation?
JMC: I just want to see it come to and end when he decides where he wants to play and all the stuff around him stops. That’s what he deserves. It’s his decision and he knows if he’s ready or not to go to the NBA better than anybody else.
Former NBA players and undrafted free agents are already filling up the rosters of summer-league squads. Among the bigger names are former Pacer David Harrison, who’s joining the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Luke Jackson, who will be playing for the Dallas Mavericks, HoopsHype.com has learned.
A brief look at where some other players are going, according to various league sources:
Brandon Costner – Chicago Andre Brown – Dallas Aaron Miles – Dallas KC Rivers – Dallas Kareem Rush – Denver Jared Jordan – Golden State Jamal Sampson – Golden State Maarty Leunen – Houston Will Blalock – Indiana Derrick Byars – Indiana / Denver Davon Jefferson – LA Clippers Tony Gaffney – LA Lakers Russell Hicks – Miami Steven Hill – Minnesota Garret Siler – Minnesota Gary Forbes – New Jersey / Philadelphia Kyle Hines – Oklahoma City (in Orlando) Richard Roby – Oklahoma City (in Vegas) Courtney Fells – Orlando Ronald Dupree – Orlando / Denver Jeremy Pargo – Orlando CJ Giles – Orlando / Denver Thomas Gardner – Portland Carlos Powell – Phoenix Ekene Ibekwe – Toronto Josh Duncan – Utah Andre Ingram – Utah Wesley Matthews – Utah / Sacramento Jason Rich – Washington
You’re spending most of the summer in Vegas, right?
