ACCUMULATED MILES FOR GILES

Smart Gilas Team Pilipinas may eventually bade goodbye to naturalized citizen candidate C.J. Giles. The 6-11 former Alabama State stalwart is currently making waves in the 2009 NBA summer league in Las Vegas, Nevada. Giles, 23, is submitting norms of 7.2 ppg and 7.0 rpg in five outings for the Denver Nuggets. He posted a tourney-high of 13 points and 10 rebounds in a 107-105 victory over the New Orleans Hornets last July 19.

Yesterday, I saw Giles in action for the very first time on Basketball TV. He pumped in 10 points and hauled down 7 caroms in a 77-70 win over the Washington Wizards. I was really impressed with his over-all game especially on his quickness and leaping ability. He saw action in only 19 minutes but the NBA TV commentators were truly impressed with the quality minutes that he provided for the Nuggets.

It will be a big blow for Smart Gilas if ever Giles makes it to the Nuggets regular roster come the 2009-10 season. From the looks of it, Giles had only the training camp and pre-season games to hurdle to finally make it to the big leagues. Giles had been instrumental in the Gilas impressive stint in the FIBA Asian Clubs Championship in Jakarta, Indonesia. He led the National Developmental pool to a 5th place finish. Samahang Basketbolista ng Pilipinas (SBP) President Manny Pangilinan had already given the go-signal to SBP Executive Director Noli Eala for the naturalization process on citizenship for Giles.

With the recent developments on Giles, Gilas Serbian coach Rajko Toroman will have to immediately scout for another prospect to possibly take over Giles’ slot in the National pool if ever Giles decided to go all the way with his NBA aspirations. Losing Giles at this point is another drawback for Philippine basketball as Smart Gilas is being groomed to eventually represent the country in the 2011 FIBA Asian qualifiers and a shot at an Olympic berth for the 2012 London games.

*****

One of the most intriguing rookies to ever play in the NBA is Brandon Jennings, the first round draft choice of the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2009 NBA draft. The 6-1 Los Angeles native went directly from High School to play pro ball in Europe during the 2008-09 season. Now that he has finally made it to the NBA, let us know what are his plans and how does he feel being one of the rookies to watch this coming 2009-10 campaign. Herewith is the interview conducted by Joseph Woefel of hoopshype.com with the 19-year-old cage whiz:

In Monday’s NBA Summer League game in Las Vegas, you were struggling with your shot all game. Yet, you let the clock wind down and buried a contested 3 to seal the game. Did you have any doubt taking that shot?

Brandon Jennings: You know I just like to play with a lot of confidence. I’m not the best shooter, but once I get going, I get going.

Throughout the Summer League you played in-your-face, full-court defense and constantly pushed the ball on offense. Is that something we should expect in the regular season?

BJ: Yea, that’s my game. I like to go out there and push the ball. Get everybody going.

What are your expectations for your rookie season?

BJ: Just help the team. Do whatever I can to help the team win.

Describe the level of competition here versus the Euroleague. Which is tougher?

BJ: Well, overseas it’s more physical. That’s about it. This game over here is more open and has a lot of athletic and great, talented guys. The competition over here is way better.

Obviously, you played a lot against Tyreke Evans of the Sacramento Kings in your high school days. How did the matchup go on Monday and who do you think got the better end of it?

BJ: You know he played good for his team. I tried to do what I could do for my team. Fortunately, we won the game and that’s all I’m trying to prove. That I could run the team and win games.

You’ve been playing against the top draft picks the past few months in pre-draft workouts and the Summer League. Where do you think you would have been drafted if you had played in the NCAA last year?

BJ: I don’t know. I really don’t care. I’m in a great spot right now with coach Scott Skiles. He was a point guard so you know he’s been helping me out. You know I’m happy where I’m at right now.

With high school star Jeremy Tyler going overseas now, do you feel like a trend setter?

BJ: You know I have been getting that question a lot. It depends, if he stays all the years. I think it would be good for the kid so he can grow up. If he stays over there and develops, he could be the number one pick in the draft.

Milwaukee is a blue-collar town. Will your style bring fans back to the game?

BJ: Hopefully. I put on a show for them when I was at the McDonald’s All-American game and hopefully they were there watching and will come out and support.

What’s your impression of Milwaukee?

BJ: It reminds me of Oak Hill (where he went to prep school). It’s quiet and peaceful and laid-back. I like it.

A lot of critics have been tough on you. The commentators in the first Summer League game questioned if you could run a team. Jason Jones of the Sacramento Bee reported that you had tripped Kings forward Jason Thompson. Do you feel you have a target on your back with the media?

BJ: Umm, I don’t know. I really don’t listen to it. I just play basketball. The first game I was a little overhyped and was really anxious to get out there and play. I lost all my energy in the warm-ups, you know, dunking and all that. That’s why at the beginning, I was just trying getting back used to playing. On the incident with Jason Thompson, it was an accident. Its basketball, everyone makes a mistake.

You have many nicknames Boo De Boo, Young Money, and more. Which is your favorite?

BJ: I have a new one called Young Buck. I’m the young Buck right now, so I’m going to roll with that one right now.

What’s something you need to improve on to get your game to the next level?

BJ: Getting stronger and going to my right. I need to work on my shooting.

You already donated $50,000 to the National Italian American Foundation’s (NIAF)/Abruzzo Relief Fund after an earthquake in the town of L’Aquila. Is there any philanthropy project you are working on?

BJ: This summer I am giving back to the park that I grew up at. It’s called Rawley Park in Gardena, California. It’s where I first started playing basketball, and I just wanted to give back.

JONES CUP AFTERMATH: WHO IS GUIAO FOOLING?

The Powerade Team Pilipinas came home last Monday beaten black and blue from the recently-concluded 31st William Jones Cup Basketball Championship in Taipeh. The Nationals posted a shameful over-all record of two wins against six losses. Their only wins came at the expense of lowly squads Kazakhstan (represented by its develomental pool) and Chinese-Taipeh B (also a developmental team). Blowout defeats came at the hands of Tianjin-bound teams of Jordan, 90-59, Lebanon, 95-83 and Iran, 85-60.

And now, coach Yeng Guiao is singing a different tune as the Nationals take a week of rest before embarking on its main mission, the FIBA Asian Championship in Tianjin, China on August 6-16. Guiao stated that he feels confident as we will see a renewed Powerade squad come the qualifying tourney for the FIBA World Championships in Turkey next year. But who is he fooling? His arrogance in predicting a surprise finish for the Nationals in Tianjin is a big slap on the face of Filipino cage buffs. What does he think of his countrymen’s basketball minds? There is no way Powerade Team Pilipinas will reach the semis of the Tianjin tourney. This writer picks host China, defending champion Iran and the ever-improving Jordan to represent Asia in the World championships. Lebanon most likely shall finish a strong fourth place.

Politics and lack of preparations are the main culprits in the Nationals’ disappointing performance in Taipeh. The team was doomed from the very start or from the time it was assembled. The Jones Cup stint exposed the very poor outside shooting and the inability to adapt to international brand of play. Local sharpshooters like Jimmy Alapag, Renren Ritualo and Mac Cardona were left off from the team in lieu of Guiao’s former boys at Red Bull and current players from his Burger King team.

During the 2007 Jones Cup, the Nationals with coach Chot Reyes at the helm, finished with a record of 5-4 win-loss slate and a highlight of its stint was the lopsided victory over host Chinese-Taipeh squad. This time around, Chinese-Taipeh A team easily outplayed the Nationals in all aspects of the game. They came into the tourney oozing with a false sense of confidence after sweeping a third rate SEABA tournament featuring Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore. The team was praised to high heavens left and right upon returning home where in truth even a ragtag PBL selection could have easily bagged the championship.

Preparing for the Asian Championships should not be taken half-heartedly. Our strong Asian rivals had been playing together for the last three years at the very least. So how did Guiao and the Powerade Team Pilipinas conducted their preparations? In all, the team played a total tune-up games leading to the Jones Cup of nine games (3 games in the PBA All-Star festivities, 2 games against a second rate Aussie selection, 3 forgettable outings in SEABA and a game against the American bible-preaching team Soldiers-For-Christ AIA squad). On the other hand, the Middle-East powerhouses and eastern Asian giants geared up their preparations competing in the tough US and European circuits.

So just a piece of advise to Guiao, it will not hurt more if he just says that the least the team can do is to try its very best in the coming Tianjin joust. That would be enough for the intelligent Filipino basketball fans. The whole country had already accepted the fate of the Powerade Team Pilipinas. And for sure, there is no false sense of hope this time around.

TRANSACTIONS – JULY 18-27/09

Massive free agency movements are in full swing and each week brings surprises after surprises. So herewith is the list of completed NBA transactions from July 18 to 27, 2009 :

Monday, July 27

Phoenix signed guard Steve Nash to a contract extension.

Minnesota traded forward Etan Thomas, a 2010 second-round pick and a 2010 conditional second-round pick to Oklahoma City for guards Chucky Atkins and Damien Wilkins.

Saturday, July 25

San Antonio signed center Theo Ratliff.

Friday, July 24

Cleveland signed forward Jamario Moon.

Portland signed guard Andre Miller.

Thursday, July 23

Orlando signed forward Matt Barnes.

Wednesday, July 22

Miami re-signed center Jamaal Magloire.

Detroit signed forward Chris Wilcox.

Indiana re-signed forward Josh McRoberts and waived guard Jamaal Tinsley.

Tuesday, July 21

Philadelphia signed guard Jrue Holiday.

Toronto signed guard Jarrett Jack.

Monday, July 20

Chicago waived guard Anthony Roberson.

Atlanta signed guard Jeff Teague.

Miami re-signed center Joel Anthony.

Minnesota traded guard Sebastian Telfair and forwards Craig Smith and Mark Madsen to the Los Angeles Clippers for forward Quentin Richardson.

Sunday, July 19

Memphis signed center Hasheem Thabeet.

SUPERMAN UP CLOSE

Basketball is widely known as “the big man’s game”. Great centers from the NBA had become household names in the last six decades. From George Mikan in the 50’s to Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain in the 60’s to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Willis Reed and Bill Walton in the 70’s to Moses Malone, Hakeem Olajuwon and Patrick Ewing in the 80’s to David Robinson, Shaquille O’Neal and Alonzo Mourning in the 90’s. Except for Ewing, all these distinguished men, who made a living in the low post, are the anchors of their respective championship squads during their heydays.

During the turn of the century, the swingmen had taken over as the main architects of various championship runs such as Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat. Not to be outdone is the current NBA MVP LeBron James, who despite being title-less, had brought his Cleveland Cavaliers to the finals in 2006-07 season and the best over-all regular season record in 2008-09. But one big man stands in the horizon to continue the legacy of the great big men of the game. He is none other than Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic.

The 6-11 behemoth was picked number over-all by the Orlando Magic during the 2004 NBA draft out of Southwest Atlanta Christian Academy High School in Atlanta, Georgia. During the past campaign, he led the Magic to an unexpected Eastern Conference title and a bridesmaid finish in the NBA finals. The self-proclaimed “Superman” posted averages of 20.6 ppg and 13.8 rpg in 2008-09. But his finals stint also exposed flaws in his over-all game such as poor free throw shooting and inaccurate perimeter shooting. Still, the future remains bright as ever and potentials are seem limitless for the 23-year old Atlanta native.

Recently, three Hall of Famers were asked to dissect Howard’s game as a bigtime NBA center namely Jabbar, Nate Thurmond and Ewing. First the positives:

Jabbar: “Defensively, he is incredible. He rebounds, he blocks shots and he is very effective when it comes to helping his teammates. He erases a lot of mistakes the perimeter players make with his defense in the middle. He has gotten a much better feel for how to do that, and he learned quickly.”

Thurmond: “There has never been anyone stronger in the middle than Dwight Howard. He moves people out of the way just with his strength, without flinging them all over the place like Shaq would do. As great as Shaq was-and still is-he was mostly big, and he’d just bump you, bump you, bump you till you went flying. This kid Howard, he moves you because he is so much stronger.”

Ewing: “He is always wanting to learn. He is a very hard worker; I think that is the thing that stands out. He knows how good he is, but he isn’t satisfied, and if you look at how the great ones approach the game, that is how you have to do it. You have to want to get better all the time, and Dwight does. He’s a good student.”

And the negatives.

Jabbar: “He has no go-to move. He has worked a little bit on a hook shot, and I would like to see him do that more. But he needs not only that, not only one move that he can turn to, but a variety of moves. He is kind of predictable that way. It works; it is effective because he is so big. But if he really honed his offensive game, he could really be a dominant player.”

Thurmond: “If he can learn to make a 12-footer, forget it. He will be unstoppable. Now, it will take work ethic-it will take the work ethic of a Kobe, a Magic, a Larry Bird. It will take an awesome work ethic-he has to work on it extensively in the offseason. If he does, though, oh boy, look out.”

Ewing: “He has come a long way with his footwork, but he has work to do there. It’s just consistency, being able to trust it. He has some things he can do, but maybe he does not trust it enough yet to do it out on the floor.”

These observations and advises will just make Howard better and stronger as he continues his search for the elusive one that for sure will cement his legacy as the best big man of the new millenium.

ROOKIE SPOTLIGHT: STEPHEN CURRY, IS HE THE REAL DEAL?

During the recently-concluded 2009 NBA draft, seventh pick over-all Wardell Stephen Curry II or simply Stephen Curry of little-known Davidson College stole the thunder from top pick over-all Blake Griffin of Oklahoma Sooners. But what makes this kid special in the eyes of NBA scouts and hardcore fanatics? Did the Golden State Warriors made the steal of the year in the annual rookie draft spectacle?

Curry, a 6-3 shooting guard and son of NBA veteran Dell Curry and former Virginia Tech volleyball star Sonya Curry, made headlines during his junior year in college hoops as he led the nation in scoring with a 28.6 ppg norm. The 21-year-old sharpshooter finished his college career as Davidson’s all-time leading scorer with 2,635 points which is 25th over-all in NCAA Division one history. The Charlotte, North Carolina native is actually being eyed by the New York Knicks but the Warriors beat them to the draw in selecting him with the seventh pick of the first round. The Phoenix Suns is another team hot on his trail and even offered all-star slotman Amare Stoudemire as trade bait. But the Bay Area outfit did not want to part ways with the rookie sensation and immediately doused cold water on the Suns trade package.

"I did a sales job," Warriors General Manager Larry Riley said. "I was concerned that he might not be as interested in us as he should be. . . . All the other guys we interviewed, I was asking a lot of questions. We did do a lot of questions (with Curry), but I went in and I made statements. I felt like I was recruiting a college kid for a college team."

There are questions whether the small-framed Curry can handle the pressure in the NBA. "That run in the NCAA tournament, that's big stuff," Riley said. "I understand, you're only playing in front of maybe 6,000 at the Davidson games. But he steps on the big stage at the NCAA Tournament and handles it. Then he goes to Madison Square Garden this year and handles the Garden. He can handle it."

Being the son of an NBA veteran adds up more in the pressure cooker. "I'd say its innate just watching my dad," Curry said. "I've seen media exposure, following him, shadowing him. You see the cameras coming and how he handles it. I'm no stranger to pressure and handling that on the big stages. I can take that experience and turn it into confidence going onto the next level. I'm up for the challenge.”

Even with all the accolades that came his way during his college playing years and now as an incoming Warrior, Curry remains humble as ever. “He ain't changed one bit," said Warriors second-year guard Anthony Morrow, who has been friends with Curry since the two played against each other while at rival Charlotte high schools. "Not even exaggerating. He is the same Steph from when he was in high school. Great kid."

Riley is all praises and undeniably can’t hide his excitement with Curry’s entry to the Warriors rotation and in what he foresees as a deadly-backcourt combination with point guard Monta Ellis. "He never dropped his head through the worst of adversity and did everything he could to try to keep them in it," Riley said. "Some guys go out and make a double-bogey, it ruins their day. Not this guy."

If ever Curry runs away with the ROY award and propel the Warriors to greater heights next season, the six teams which bypassed him in the draft would surely scratch their heads in dismay.

With Riley and the Warriors having the last laugh.

*****

Herewith are the transactions completed covering the period July 10 to 17, 2009 :

Friday, July 17

Los Angeles Clippers traded guard Quentin Richardson to Memphis for forward Zach Randolph.

Oklahoma City waived guard Earl Watson.

Sacramento named Bryan Gates assistant coach.

Guard Cartier Martin signed with Benetton Treviso (Italy).

Thursday, July 16

Utah matched the offer sheet tendered to forward Paul Millsap by Portland.

San Antonio signed forward DeJuan Blair.

Wednesday, July 15

Phoenix re-signed forward Grant Hill.

Denver signed guard Ty Lawson.

Tuesday, July 14

Phoenix signed forward Channing Frye.

Atlanta traded the draft rights to forward David Andersen to Houston for a future second-round pick, cash and future considerations.

Utah re-signed guard Ronnie Price.

Chicago waived forward Tim Thomas.

Indiana signed guard Dahntay Jones.

Monday, July 13

Orlando matched the offer sheet tendered to center Marcin Gortat by Dallas.

Charlotte signed forward Derrick Brown.

Phoenix waived center Ben Wallace.

New Orleans named Rob Werdann assistant coach.

Atlanta re-signed guard Mike Bibby and center Zaza Pachulia.

Chicago re-signed guard Lindsey Hunter and signed guard Jannero Pargo.

Toronto signed guard Jarrett Jack to an offer sheet.

Detroit traded guard Arron Afflalo and forward Walter Sharpe to Denver for a 2011 second-round pick and cash.

Cleveland signed guard Anthony Parker.

Sunday, July 12

Los Angeles Clippers signed named Tony Brown assistant coach.

Saturday, July 11

New York signed forward Jordan Hill.

Dallas re-signed guard Jason Kidd.

Oklahoma City signed guard James Harden, forward Serge Ibaka and center BJ Mullens.

Friday, July 10

Utah re-signed center Mehmet Okur.

Portland exercised the contract option on head coach Nate McMillan through 2010-11 and signed forward Paul Millsap to an offer sheet.

San Antonio signed forward Antonio McDyess.

Memphis waived guard Jerry Stackhouse.

Minnesota signed guards Jonny Flynn and Wayne Ellington.

Orlando signed forward Brandon Bass.

Sacramento signed forward Omri Casspi.

Phoenix signed forward Earl Clark.

Toronto signed guard DeMar DeRozan.

SPANISH DELIGHT: ONE-ON-ONE WITH JMC

One of the most underrated Spanish players in the NBA is hotshot Jose Manuel Calderon of the Toronto Raptors. The 27-year-old, Villanueva de la Serena native is currently on his fifth season and starts at the number two spot for the Maple Leaf outfit. He submitted averages of 12.8 ppg, 8.9 apg and 2.8 rpg in 68 outings during the 2008-09 campaign.

So how is Calderon spending the off-season, his thoughts on the personnel revamp in the Raptors camp and the messy situation of compatriot Ricky Rubio? Herewith is an interesting interview done by Jorge Sierra of hoopshype.com with the 6-3 Spanish National team mainstay:

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 E urobasket 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.

POWERADE TEAM PILIPINAS GOES TO WAR

Let’s take a break from the wheeling and dealing world of the NBA off-season and momentarily shift our attention to the Philippine National squad which is taking part in the 31st William Jones Cup Basketball Championship in Taipei starting on Saturday, July 18.

This is the final test for Powerade Team Pilipinas before embarking on their main mission which is to finish in the top three spots of the FIBA Asian Basketball Championship in Tianjin, China on August 6-16. The top three finishers on the Asian joust will qualify for the World cage finals in Turkey next year.

Nine teams will see action in this year’s edition of the Jones Cup including eight National squads. Only South Africa will not be represented by its National team. Taiwan as host will be represented by two National selections (A and B). A notable absentee this year is the Athletes in Action team from the United States. The US-AIA squad had been a regular fixture in the tourney in recent years. Powerade Team Pilipinas will see action in nine straight grueling days without any rest. They will start their campaign against powerhouse Jordan on Saturday.

All games will be shown live on ESPN Philippines from July 18-26. Herewith is the complete schedule of the 31st William Jones Cup Basketball Championship:

July 18

1100 Iran-Kazakhstan

1300 Taiwan B-South Africa

1500 Jordan-Philippines

1700 Korea-Lebanon

1900 Opening Ceremony

1930 Taiwan-Japan

July 19

1100 South Africa-Jordan

1300 Japan-Iran

1500 Kazakhstan-Korea

1700 Lebanon-Taiwan B

1900 Philippines-Taiwan

July 20

1100 South Africa-Japan

1300 Iran-Jordan

1500 Philippines-Lebanon

1700 Taiwan B-Korea

1900 Taiwan-Kazakhstan

July 21

1100 Korea-South Africa

1300 Kazakhstan-Taiwan B

1500 Japan-Philippines

1700 Lebanon-Iran

1900 Jordan-Taiwan

July 22

1100 Lebanon-Japan

1300 South Africa-Kazakhstan

1500 Taiwan B-Jordan

1700 Philippines-Korea

1900 Taiwan-Iran

July 23

1100 Kazakhstan-Lebanon

1300 Iran-Philippines

1500 Korea-Jordan

1700 Japan-Taiwan B

1900 South Africa-Taiwan

July 24

1100 Taiwan B-Iran

1300 Philippines-South Africa

1500 Jordan-Kazakhstan

1700 Korea-Japan

1900 Taiwan-Lebanon

July 25

1100 Japan-Jordan

1300 Lebanon-South Africa

1500 Kazakhstan-Philippines

1700 Iran-Korea

1900 Taiwan B-Taiwan

July 26

1100 Kazakhstan-Japan

1300 Jordan-Lebanon

1500 Taiwan-Korea

1700 Philippines-Taiwan B

1900 South Africa-Iran

2130 Closing Ceremony

Competition format: Single round-robin

Venue: Sinjhuang Stadium, Taipei County

MOVING ON

Perennial arch rivals Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers leads the way in the off-season transactions as they locked up new vital pieces as both clubs shoot for a second title in three years. Rasheed Wallace broke away from Detroit to further bolstered a strong Celtic frontcourt while Ron Artest dumped his former team Houston Rockets for the defending champions Lakers and the chance to team up with former nemesis Kobe Bryant at Tinseltown. The free agent market formally opened last July 8 and expect more massive movements in the coming months leading to the 2009-10 season.

Herewith is a partial list of off-season transactions from June 23 to July 9, 2009:

Thursday, July 9

Detroit named John Kuester head coach.

Los Angeles Clippers signed forward Blake Griffin.

New York signed guard Toney Douglas.

Chicago signed forwards James Johnson and Taj Gibson.

Cleveland re-signed forward Anderson Varejao.

Dallas traded guard Jerry Stackhouse and cash to Memphis for guard Greg Buckner and traded guard Antoine Wright and forward Devean George to Toronto for forwards Shawn Marion and Kris Humphries, center Nathan Jawai and cash.

Orlando signed forward Hidayet Turkoglu and traded him to Toronto for cash from Dallas and Toronto, who traded a 2016 second-round pick to Memphis.

Wednesday, July 8

Golden State signed guard Stephen Curry.

Boston signed forward Rasheed Wallace.

Los Angeles Lakers re-signed guard Shannon Brown and signed forward Ron Artest.

Indiana signed forward Tyler Hansbrough.

Dallas signed guard Quinton Ross and signed center Marcin Gortat to an offer sheet.

Milwaukee signed guard Jodie Meeks.

Toronto signed forward Andrea Bargnani to a contract extension.

Houston signed forward Trevor Ariza.

San Antonio signed guard Malik Hairston forward Marcus Haislip.

Detroit signed guard Ben Gordon and Charlie Villanueva.

Sacramento signed guard Tyreke Evans.

New Orleans signed guards Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton.

Charlotte signed guard Gerald Henderson.

Tuesday, July 7

Dallas signed guard Rodrigue Beaubois.

Monday, July 6

New Jersey signed guard Terrence Williams.

Wednesday, July 1

Detroit waived center Fabricio Oberto.

Utah signed guard Eric Maynor.

Chicago named Randy Brown director of player development.

Toronto named Alvin Williams assistant coach.

Philadelphia named Mike O'Koren associate head coach.

Tuesday, June 30

Detroit fired head coach Michael Curry.

Los Angeles Clippers tendered a qualifying offer to forward Steve Novak.

Phoenix exercised the contract option on forward Louis Amundson through 2009-10.

Indiana tendered qualifying offers to guard Jarrett Jack and forward Josh McRoberts.

Monday, June 29

New Jersey exercised the contract option on guard Jarvis Hayes through 2009-10.

Milwaukee tendered qualifying offers to guard Ramon Sessions and forward Ersan Ilyasova.

Toronto tendered a qualifying offer to forward Pops Mensah-Bonsu.

Memphis tendered qualifying offers to guard Juan Carlos Navarro and forward Hakim Warrick.

Friday, June 26

Phoenix traded the draft rights to forward Emir Preldzic to Cleveland for cash.

Utah tendered a qualifying offer to forward Paul Millsap.

Thursday, June 25

Phoenix traded center Shaquille O'Neal to Cleveland for guard Aleksandar Pavlovic, center Ben Wallace, a future conditional second-round pick and cash.

New Jersey traded guard Vince Carter and forward Ryan Anderson to Orlando for guards Rafer Alston and Courtney Lee and center Tony Battie.

Golden State traded guard Jamal Crawford to Atlanta for guards Acie Law and Speedy Claxton.

New York traded guard Quentin Richardson and cash to Memphis for center Dako Milicic.

Sacramento traded the draft rights to forward Jeff Pendergraph to Portland for guard Sergio Rodriguez, the draft rights to forward Jon Brockman and cash.

Los Angeles Lakers traded the draft rights guard Patrick Beverley to Miami for a 2011 second-round pick and cash.

Washington traded the draft rights to guard Jermaine Taylor to Houston for cash.

New York traded a 2011 second-round pick and cash to the Los Angeles Lakers for the draft rights to guard Toney Douglas.

Minnesota traded the draft rights to guard Ty Lawson to Denver for a 2010 conditional first-round pick.

Dallas traded the draft rights to center BJ Mullens to Oklahoma City for the draft rights to guard Rodrigue Beaubois and a future second-round pick.

Denver traded the draft rights to guard Sergio Llull to Houston for cash.

Miami traded the draft rights to guard Marcus Thornton to New Orleans for two future second-round picks.

Detroit traded the draft rights to forward Chase Budinger to Houston for a future second-round pick and cash.

Dallas traded a future second-round pick to Portland for the draft rights to guard Nick Calathes.

Oklahoma City traded cash to Charlotte for the draft rights to guard Robert Vaden.

Wednesday, June 24

Minnesota traded guard Randy Foye and forward Mike Miller to Washington for forwards Etan Thomas, Darius Songaila and Oleksiy Pecherov and the 5th overall pick.

Portland traded the 24th and 56th overall picks and a second-round pick in 2010 to Dallas for the 22nd overall pick.

Tuesday, June 23

Milwaukee traded traded center Fabricio Oberto to Detroit for forward Amir Johnson.

New York extended qualifying offers to guard Nate Robinson and forward David Lee.

Charlotte extended a qualifying offer to guard Raymond Felton.

San Antonio traded forwards Bruce Bowen and Kurt Thomas and center Fabricio Oberto to Milwaukee for forward Richard Jefferson.

FROM MAGIC TO TRAGIC

With the ongoing personnel movement in the Disneyworld side of the NBA, the Orlando Magic is fast becoming the Orlando “Tragic”. With all the wheeling and dealing moves in the team, it’s a pity to see their future make a quick 180 degree turnaround. From fast becoming the future powerhouse team in the East now they’ve become the future also-ran team in the East.

Was it logical to rebuild the Magic after a rousing 2008-09 campaign in which they finished a strong runner-ups to eventual champs Los Angeles Lakers? No one in his right frame of mind would ever dismantle a very promising line-up and a possible return to the NBA finals next year and beyond.

In a draft-day trade, the New Jersey Nets gladly parted ways with the fast-fading Vince Carter and immediately sent him to the Magic for Rafer Alston, Courtney Lee and Tony Battie. To sweeten the pot, the Nets included Ryan Anderson in the package. Ryan Anderson who? My goodness, imagine taking away two vital pieces in their recent uprising for a washed-out dunking artist and a faceless forward. Not only that, a day after that damn trade, ace forward Hedo Turkoglu was visibly upset and opted out for free agency. Now make that three and possibly four if promising reserve slotman Marcin Gortat moves to the Dallas Mavericks wherein reports have it that the Polish giant had already made a verbal agreement with Mavs owner Mark Cuban.

Magic franchise player Dwight Howard was reported as terribly disappointed with all this nonsense movements by the Magic management. Sophomore pro Lee is his best buddy in the team and more importantly, he considered Turkoglu as one of his mentors and advisers in the squad. It would have been better if they traded overpaid forward Rashard Lewis and erratic guard Jameer Nelson to the Nets instead of Alston and Lee. Both Lewis and Nelson contributed a lot to the downfall of the Magic in the finals. Lewis with his inconsistency and Nelson with his ill-advised court decisions.

Everything is pointing south for the once-mighty Magic squad and everybody can feel the frustrations on the part of Howard. Maybe we can call them the Orlando “Lethargic” instead.