Bright Side Of The Sun: All Posts by Leiland Tanner

Goran Dragic Featured in the NOC Documentary Series, "Training Days"

2012-09-20T20:51:42Z

Goran Dragic is ready for the challenge and responsibility of taking this Suns team by the reins and stepping into the spotlight. Not an easy task to handle given that he's replacing two-time MVP Steve Nash. So how does somebody in Goran's shoes prepare for such a defining season? The NOC caught up with Dragic this summer in a documentary series they're producing called "Training Days" and they tagged along for one of his intense beach training sessions.

You may remember we've linked videos (a few funny Steve Nash ones) from the NOC before - they produce signature Youtube content featuring pro athletes doing a wide variety of things - some you'd expect and others you might not.

In this edition of Training Days that features the Dragon we get to ride right along side one of our own future stars here in Phoenix as he does some intense butt, leg, core, etc. exercises. He even does a 5 minute plank, and if you think that's easy - you should accept the NOC's challenge and attempt to plank along with Goran. How long do you make it?

There are four parts to the series, three of which are available now and the fourth will go up tomorrow some time. We'll update this post with that video as soon as we see it go live. Enjoy and subscribe to the NOC!

Dime Magazine Interviews Kendall Marshall

2012-08-30T13:30:06Z

Last Tuesday Dime Magazine caught up with Phoenix Suns' point guard Kendall Marshall at the NBA rookie photo shoot. It's always fun to learn more about and get to know new players on the team and Marshall to me seems like a really good kid.

A few highlights from the article:

Dime: A lot of turmoil this offseason with the Phoenix point guard situation. How do you feel about how it all turned out?

Kendall Marshall: I feel it's a great situation. Added a lot of youth to our team. Got rid of a couple players that were great assets. I feel like we're going to be good. Obviously a lot of growing pains were gonna go through, but we still want to get back to that elite level. We have full faith in the coaches and we know we gotta work hard.

And some things that should make you smile:

Dime: So are you worried at all about your rating in NBA 2k13?

KM: I am, definitely worried about it. In college I played for Twitter followers. I played well so I could get more followers. In the NBA, I gotta get my rating up. That's all I'm worried about.

***********

Dime: What kind of stuff do you do pregame? Music, rituals, etc.

KM: Music-wise, I listen to a lot of Wale pregame. He gets me hyped. The Eleven One Eleven Theory, mixtapes. And last year in college I played Angry Birds before every game. Right now I'm really feeling Bejeweled.

Catch the full article and Q&A over at dimemag.com.

My impressions shortly after the draft and after an underwhelming Summer League performance still stand. I'm not completely sold on his ability to be a player that I think can carry the Suns back to an elite level over the next few years. Yet I understand he has distinctly unique court vision and passing abilities and I hope he can develop and make me more a believer once actual NBA basketball begins in the coming months.

If Kendall's work ethic is at least the size of his personality - I'm very optimistic that he'll improve his NBA2K rating.

What did you think of the interview?

Hey Suns Fans - Get 'Real' and Look at the Bright Side: Part 1

2012-08-24T13:30:09Z

The Phoenix Suns refuse to rebuild the "traditional" way. You know what I'm talking about, the dump all your good players and fill your roster with local YMCA talent kind of rebuild. The one where you end up stinking really bad all in an effort to possibly luck out in the draft lottery and hopefully maybe land a high pick that probably might be the next LeBron James, Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant ... you know -- those players that come along once or twice every decade or so.

We've talked about this ad nauseam. The Phoenix Suns don't play that game.

They really haven't ever played that game. "Traditional" in many ways, just isn't the Phoenix Suns' style. Despite not owning an NBA Championship that's one of the reasons the Suns have been such a successful franchise in the sense that they are near the top of the league in overall winning percentage.

The front office has stated their modus operandi and they have executed -- they are going to rebuild in every way possible (through the draft, trades, or free-agency), all while trying to stay competitive. For now at least, gone are the days of selling draft picks for cash. The Suns have around 10 draft picks stockpiled over the next three years, they have displayed their interest and pitching ability in acquiring star players through free-agency and they have signed a wealth of talented players on very appealing contracts that put the Suns in a great comfort zone for potential trades. All of this has been done while maintaining and managing excellent cap space and flexibility.

The Phoenix Suns are doing everything they possibly can to give their franchise an opportunity to land a superstar player in the near future. It's not their fault that there are zero championship-caliber players currently available.

Yet as a long-time Bright Side author and a dude who keeps his ear constantly to Suns fans on social media, I hear a lot of dejection and frustration with the position in which the Suns franchise currently finds itself. I understand it ... but here is my advice -- wake up and get real. This article is for you.

It's curious to me too, because many of those who express their distaste for this off-season's moves are the very same fans that preface or post stamp their opinions with some variation of the expression, "I'm just being a realist."

If you really want to be a "realist," please take the following into consideration. I'm going to start out by rehashing this dead and rotting corpse of horse:

The Suns have stated all along that they are rebuilding and that their goal is to remain competitive while doing it.

There are two ideals up for fan-debate in that statement.

The way in which the suns are "rebuilding"
The definition of being "competitive"

Let's iron these down a little.

REBUILDING

The traditional method of rebuilding is a sad and potentially franchise-crippling process that takes years of suckage and isn't even guaranteed because the draft is a gamble. It sounds easy on a blog, "MAN, the Suns just need to throw in the towel and suck so we can get a top five pick in the draft."

Effects of Bottoming-Out

Take into consideration the fan culture of Phoenix Arizona. Do you really (and be "real") believe that the Phoenix Suns franchise could survive the financial fallout of 3-5 years of the worst Suns basketball in their history? I think with this ownership and the current state of the economy it can't.

In 2001, the swift departure of Jason Kidd (remember how fast he was ushered out after his domestic abuse issue?) and Cliff Robinson put the Suns in a small rebuilding mode similar to where they currently -- Stephon Marbury and Penny Hardaway were acquired in an attempt to similarly stay "competitive." Over the next three years the Starbury experiment failed with the Suns only making the playoffs once (and losing in the first round) and culminated with the mid-season firing of Frank Johnson and a 29-53 record in 2003-04, 27 games behind the Pacific Division leaders the Lakers. Here's the important part: over that short quasi-rebuild, arena attendance plummeted to franchise lows (since the new arena was built) and the franchise was sold off.

The rebuilding continued in a similar fashion as to what is happening now, more team assets were acquired through trades, the draft and free-agency. The 2004 Phoenix Suns sported the young unproven talent in Joe Johnson, Leandro Barbosa, Quentin Richardson -- mixed with budding young players Shawn Marion and Amar'e Stoudemire and sprinkled in the veteran presence 30-year-old Steve Nash.

The rest was history, the very next season the Suns went on to post a 62-20 record and took a trip to the Western Conference Finals. Arena attendance jumped nearly 10% and the Phoenix Suns scored a league-leading 40 Million in operating profit. That says something to the fan culture here ... and something we all already know -- lot's of fair-weather fans here in the desert. But that's just the nature of the socio-economic and demographic reality here in Phoenix. A lot of snow-birds and imports - so for the Phoenix Suns, going all "Charlotte Bobcats" isn't really a viable option.

Be realistic and ask yourself again -- can the team afford to be traditional?

Tanking Doesn't Always Work

Draft tanking doesn't always work ... in fact a majority of the time it doesn't. Just because you tank, or suck, and get a top five pick in the draft -- in no way solidifies the future of your franchise in a shiny double-rainbow of championship contention. Everyone and their dog wants to point to the OKC Thunder as evidence that bottoming out and rebuilding through the draft really does work but get this, the Thunder are pretty much the first team in the last 20 years to actually strike gold with their high (and some low -- see Ibaka) draft picks. Referencing the traditional model of rebuilding Matt Yoder of bloguin.com says,

"Theoretically, this is how you rebuild a basketball team through the draft... but it's not always that easy. Since the beginning of the 1992 season, 10 teams have held on to Top 5 picks in three consecutive seasons.

That's an incredible opportunity for a franchise, but amazingly, only Oklahoma City was able to reach the Finals with those top picks."

He continues in his article to break down the other nine teams and evaluate what having a top five pick for three consecutive years has done for them. I'll save you the time if you don't want to take a peek for yourself, it's a list riddled with what Yoder describes as, "busts, broken dreams, and ‘what could have beens'".

I'll assume I'm going to hear arguments about "Look at the Spurs! They drafted their big 3!" Very true -- but they sucked on accident for one year (96-97) and magically got the number one pick in the lottery which happened to be Tim Duncan. So COOL RIGHT?

The other members of the SAS Big Three? Manu Ginobili was the 57^th pick in the 1999 Draft while Tony Parker was the 28^th pick in 2001. By no means did the Spurs need to "bottom-out" in the traditional sense to acquire elite level talent in the draft. Just an additional Spurs observation ... going back 10 years prior to the Spurs 97' 1^st pick selection, the only other times the Spurs were bad enough to drop down into the lottery they were ‘lucky' enough to get a #3 pick (Sean Elliott -- 1989), a #10 (Willie Anderson -- 1988) and another #1 pick (David Robinson -- 1987). Sounds like "luck" is a necessity in something called a draft "lottery."

Another obstacle in the way of teams trying to "bottom-out" and rebuild is the prevalence of super-teams in the NBA today. Howard and Nash to the Lakers this offseason, Wade, James and Bosh in Miami, Even Deron Williams and Joe Johnson now on the Nets, or Chris Paul and Griffin and that other Los Angeles team and what they're doing. The Spurs and then the Celtics pretty much started the modern super-team era with Pierce, Garnett and Allen and all that jazz.

It's funny, until Kevin Durant and the OKC Thunder a few months ago, for the last 13 years only three teams had come out of the Western Conference to play in the NBA Finals -- the Mavericks, the Spurs and the Lakers.

Why? It's plain and simple; it is because of the quality of their superstars. Let's talk about that -- but first let's clear up that number 2 from our front office's current mission statement.

"COMPETITIVE"

Being "competitive" is not the same as being "in championship contention."

Being competitive in today's NBA is giving your team an opportunity to win on any given night and to fight for a playoff spot. The prevalence of super-teams like we've talked a bit about (teams with two, three and sometimes four All-NBA and/or All-Star caliber players) only amplifies some factors that haunt teams searching to move from just being "competitive" to "in championship contention"

So what are those factors? Take a look at the following statistics for NBA Championship teams provided by the research staff at 82games.com.

92% of all NBA Champions have had a recent All-NBA 1^st Team selection, 81% of NBA Champions have had a recent All-Defensive 1^st Team selection and 92% of NBA Champions have had a player ranked in the top eight in Efficiency the preceding season.

That means to have a chance to win a championship in the NBA you must acquire a top five caliber player -- or if you fail to do that, you've got have a top five caliber defender.

The writing is on the wall -- ZERO NBA teams have won a championship without a top five player or a top five defender. That kind of narrows down the list of teams that can actually compete for a championship, eh?

Let's take a look at the last few years' (recent) 1^st Team selections (All-NBA and All-Defense):

And let's check the last few years' top eight players in Efficiency:

Do the Suns have any of those players on their roster? Shucks. It doesn't look like it.

How many teams in the entire league this year have a top eight efficiency player from last year? Six. Six teams share the top eight players. The Miami Heat sport two (James & Wade) and the Clippers have two (Paul & Griffin).

Now note the colors -- of all the most efficient players over the last three years, five teams or 16% of the league this year own 88% (21 of 24) of the most efficient players in the league. The percentages are to help you get the idea -- let me explain it another way; 13 different players have taken up the top eight spots in efficiency, five teams share 10 of them. THAT ISH CRAY.

Take a look at those All-NBA and All-Defensive teams. Eleven players make up the 30 spots available over the last three years. How many different teams now own those 11 players? Seven, and newsflash -- the Phoenix Suns aren't one of them.

"Blablabla Leiland hey, but if we had kept Steve Nash..."

Let me cut you off right there, Steve is a great player but he didn't even crack the top 20 in player efficiency last year.

via basketball-reference.com

He ended up at 38^th with a PER of 20.3 and Marcin Gortat was 30^th in the league with a 21.2. You might try to come at me [bro] with the whole, "but he doesn't have the talent around him" argument ... I don't buy that completely -- Look at Kevin Love, or Chris Paul over the last three years. I'm sure more talent would help his efficiency rating some and I bet we'll see his PER rise a bit this year with the Lakers -- but it doesn't matter. He wasn't close to being top eight. Go back and look at the numbers if you think I'm crazy, teams that win championships have players who are in the top echelon of that statistic.

The point is this -- if your expectations of the Phoenix Suns this offseason was to come out this year and compete for a title, you are not being realistic.

The only free agents of note that were available this past season were Deron Williams (still not a top eight PER or an All-NBA/Defense player), Dwight Howard and Eric Gordon (also not a championship player yet).

The Suns went after the only one of those three elite players that they realistically had a shot at. There was zero chance of Howard coming to Phoenix and Williams signed early with the bazillionaire Russian after Joe Johnson's obese contract was gobbled up.

So please ... Mr. Realist -- how exactly did you expect the Phoenix Suns to jump from the "competitive" tier to the "championship contenders" tier this year?

By all accounts the Suns currently stand as the 2^nd best prepared team (behind the Cavaliers) in terms of cap space which puts them in a very advantageous position to spend big on free-agents in the coming season/s. Oh, not to mention we also have a very intriguing and talented roster for this year as well with which to remain competitive and entertaining.

This is where we'll take a break my friends, 'tis enough bomb dropping for one day methinks.

Stay tuned tomorrow for a much shorter part two of this essay of awesomeness which will include the following;

- A look at Championship caliber players of the Phoenix Suns rosters past

- A reason to stay positive and spit in the face of "experts"

Stalking Jared Dudley: Twitter Recap of Dudley's Off-Season

2012-08-14T23:54:23Z

As of today and while I write this, the off-season for the Phoenix Suns has been approximately 9,504,000 seconds long. That's somewhere in the neighborhood of 158,400 minutes, 2640 hours, 110 days, 15 weeks, or about 4 months.

During that period of time the Suns franchise initiated and carried out an extreme make-over - they removed their face (Steve) and shipped it out west to a place where surgical procedures of the nip and tuck variety are more commonly found. From Dragic to Scola, Beasley to Jermaine O'Neal - a lot has changed for the purple and orange. The new look Suns are younger and more athletic, but questions of leadership and curiosity of majestic chemistry once provided by cohesion experts Grant Hill and Steve Nash loom heavy.

Yet despite the flux of the offseason so far there are two things that Suns fans can count on remaining constant.

Jared Dudley's commitment to improvement and his off-season work ethics
The constant flow that is Jared Dudley's Twitter feed.

This post is dedicated to both of those constants. Year after year Jared Dudley has continued to improve some facet of his NBA skill-set through his hard work and dedication during the summer months. As a sports fan in today's world of technology and social media it's a pretty cool thing to be able to watch that off-season process unfold from the perspective of the player.

Now call me a stalker - or maybe we're just really starved for Suns related news... but I scoured over every single @JaredDudley619 tweet since the final game of last season. I studied all things Dudley to compile this ‘best of' post, I'm talking just under 1000 tweets spanning across at least seven countries six states a birthday party, two weddings, a marathon, basketball camps... like 4 vacations a bazillion restaurants, a trip to ESPN headquarters, and I lost count of who knows how many "Gym flows" and "late night cardios".

The last game of the 2011-12 season was an embarrassing loss at the hands of a coach-less Spurs on Apr 26. That's where our magical Journey begins.

Twitter is a cray. The subject-matter of tweets is endless but people usually stick to what they're comfortable with.

In the case of Jared Dudley a lot of his tweets are along these topical lines: tweets about favorite restaurants or tweets asking for suggestions in certain areas, movies, attending church, basketball and playoff talk, concerts and music, teasing teammates, and a whole lot of exercise tweets. Here's my ‘best of' compilation.

NOTE: I've added some of my own peanut gallery commentary. You should be able to easily spot it. I didn't change too much as far a grammar goes but I did fix some obvious spelling errors because even though he's got the most athletic hands in the universe... I'm sure typing on tiny smart phones is tough on 6'7"+ dudes.

Apr 26

I want to thank ALL the FANS for your support! You guys we're supportive to the end. You will be rewarded soon, Im goin to keeping working!!

RT @kirstijn: @JaredDudley619 what are you going to do with your offseason? ( Ball handling, posting up, and shooting off screen and rolls)

Apr 27 - Dudley's first Summer Twitter Q&A. He warned followers in advance that he was going to "blow up" their timelines. The following ensued.

What's your favorite thing about Suns Fans?

Their knowledge about the game

What do you think your biggest strength and weakness is?

Strength = bball IQ

Weakness = my athleticism

What's the best advice you've been given as a pro?

Live within your means! A million isn't really a million dollars

Do you see Nash and Hill staying with the Suns next season?

50/50 only they know that answer

What was it like to play with Steve Nash?

A dream come true

What's your favorite thing to do when you have free time?

Spend time with family and go to the movies

BC Alum here. What was your favorite part about being an Eagle?

Everybody was friends, small campus

Do you think it was lack of respect to the Suns and Gentry for Pop (Greg Popovich) not to show last night? (he didn't come to the final game of the season)

Yes

How are you able to keep yourself so grounded being a self made NBA player?

Having a relationship with Jesus Christ

If you could play with one player in the NBA who wouldit be?

King James

What's your favorite city to play in on the road?

LA then NYC, Miami is a close third

Who's the funniest guy on the team?

This year it's Bassy (Sebastian Telfair)

What is your favorite memory from your time at BC?

Graduating! No one can take that away from me

At what point during the offseason do you start to get in the zone for the regular season?

Early June

What is your favorite Denzel movie?

Man of Fire!

What is your favorite food?

Mexican

What did you think about the hologram Tupac?

Love it! Wanna go see it live

Who has the best car in the players garage and what is it?

Mike Redd - Ferrari

What did you feel when the fans were yelling "We want Steve"?

Well deserved for a guy who's done so much

Who's the best dancer on the team?

Ronnie Price and Josh Childress

Do you expect to still be a starter next season?

What u think?

Where's the first vacation to this year?

London/Paris... never been before

Do you play Xbox or PS?

Xbox

What's your ethnicity?

Half white/half black

Who was your favorite women's bball player from BC?

Sarah Marshall!! Great handle, played so unselfish at the pg position

Who is your celebrity crush?

J-Lo!! I know she older but those outfits she wears on American Idol!!!

Toughest to guard and toughest to go against?

Kobe!

Apr 27

Getting ready to head out of AZ for awhile..I'll be back soon enough..AZ is one of my favorite places tolive. Great city, fans, and people

He went to his hometown San Diego where he spends most of his summer.

May 2

On the suicide of San Diego native Junior Seau he had this to say;

Man!! Sad day for SD. Seau was the face for young athletes in San Diego to look up to. From Oceanside getting a scholarship to USC and then back to the Chargers he was one of the 1st to show myself and other young aspiring athletes from San Diego how to fulfill your dreams. He's an Icon to us. Seau restaurant was the one of the biggest sports bars ever built in SD. We thank you for the memories, prayers go out to his family

May 7

Heading to the gym to get a lift in. Starting to work my way back in my off season routine. Long Offseason so I should get even better!

May 8

Can't wait for my Hot Yoga today!!!! I'm starting to really like it. Helping me get flexible and strong in areas you didn't know existed lol

Later a follower tweeted Dudley to let him know about a comment that was said by Charles Barkley on TV.

JaredDudley619 RT @justinbraum: Barkley unfairly called you out on Inside the NBA last night. Said you and others run to the three point line( lol I do!)

JaredDudley619 RT @justinbraum: and said that you don't get better as players because of it. I guess he hasn't been watching Suns games.(numbers don't lie)

I love barkley! I'm alwaystrying to work on my game., in Charlotte I never shot 3's, in PHX i had to expand that to get min. Now starting I had to expand this yr.. I score close to a 3rd of my pts off pin down shots, I even started posting more. But Barkley right I need to expand even more.. I've started the process but far away from where I want to be. Time to Work

May 14

Heading to workout with @jimbrogan.. He's been my shooting coach since I was little; he only does his workouts at 6:30 am. Time to get better

JaredDudley619 RT @tremenduz: @JaredDudley619 how long did you take off? (2 weeks, then slowly starting to lift and shoot)

May 15

Flying out to London Tonight. Never been so I'm to hyped. Heard its been raining though. Also cool to see different places and ways of living

There are always haters on twitter, here's how Jared responded to one while on vacation -

JaredDudley619 RT @Loosh__: @JaredDudley619 You'd rather look at the Big Ben than look at the flaws in your game. Shame. (you're so right, can u train me? I've gotten better every year brother, U work hard so u can enjoy the fruits of Ur labor. u prob wouldn't know a thing about that)

JaredDudley619 RT @Loosh__: @JaredDudley619 i've been workin hard too. I'm in the gym with my my player everyday. ( I would destroy u and Ur player lol)

May 20

London thank you for everything. I've had way too much fun!!! Next stop Paris!!!!

May 23

Paris thank you for everything!! I had a great time, Europe was everything I imagine and more! Off to London then back to SD. #imcominghome

May 24 - the day he's back from his Europe vacation

Finally made it back home!! So good to be back in the states.. Bout to do some cardio then back to work tomorrow. Gotta get better

May 28

Great morning Workout session with @jimbrogan.I'm back to my full workout routine.I love this process in the summer, just working on Ur craft

May 29 - he's heading to ESPN studios

It's official!!! I will be heading to @espn to take on @RealSkipBayless on @ESPN_FirstTake in 2 weeks!! U know I'm an analyst in the summer!

The thing about @RealSkipBayless is everything he talks about, crazy or not, Tebow or Lebron, he truly believes! I can respect lol

Here are some samples of his time at the ESPN studios.

Radio interview

Skip Bayless Debate

May 30 - while taking some heat from ignorant people on Twitter during the playoffs for his twitter commentary

It's funny reading tweets from fans.. just cuz I'm in the NBA and not in the playoffs doesn't mean I'm not a fan SMH. I was (a fan) before and will after

Jun 3 - Jared helps hand out water at a hydration station in a San Diego Marathon while supporting friends and family who are participating.

Jun 6 - Bassy visits SD, besties 4 life

JaredDudley619 RT @BassyS31T: What's popping in San Diego tomorrow?? ( EVERYTHING!!!!! U with me homie don't trip I got u..)

Jun 13 - to New York for a quick trip with the bros

New York City what's good! I'm out here with my boys and want to try a new restaurant for dinner.. I need Ur help.We need something bomb lol

Jun 16 - back in SD for some comic relief

So excited to take my friends and family to see the one and only @KevinHart4real tonight in San Diego!!!!! Best Comedian in the game!!

Jun 18

Weight room flow!! I envy people who never lift but are naturally ripped and buff lol.. Oh well time to put some work in..

-he's obviously talking about me

Jun 21 - Dudley won the NBA BIG Award

JaredDudley619 RT @NBA: The BIG Award (Best In the Game) goes to @JaredDudley619 of the @PhoenixSuns for best utilizing social media. #NBASMA

JaredDudley619 RT @Channing_Frye: Congrats @JaredDudley619 who do you want to thank for winning this award? ( My teammates!! Without y'all this is no JMZ)

Jun 24 - another vacation, this time the whole family is going to Barbados. Must be nice :)

Whole Family vaca!! Use to dream about goin on these when I was a little kid.. Just Glad I'm blessed to now make it a reality. #Godisgood

Breakfast in heaven!! Well heaven on earth lol

Jun 27

Barbados its been real!!! Highly recommend this place. Look at the Sandy Lane Hotel!! Big Time. Now back to Cali and back to work!!

Jun 29 - then there was the draft

Congrats to Kendall Marshall!!! welcome to the Phx Suns family..

Just got done working out with @JChillin in SD.. look how he pulled up to the gym stunting on me!!

Leggo.

Jun 30 - been working out with JChill and Dan Majerle

Great workouts these last couple days with Thunder Dan and @JChillin!!! Beautiful Day here in San Diego now time to enjoy this. #blessed

THEN IT WAS D-DAY

Jul 5

1st off wanna thank @SteveNash for everything he's done for me as a player.He's def made me better and shown me how to be true professional. @SteveNash has not only been the Best but the most unselfish player I ever played with. I only wish him the Best. He's deserves everything

Jul 9 - b-day boy... almost

Can't believe I'm turning 27 on Tuesday! I'm I getting old?At what age do you start feeling old? I'm close, I have some people calling me sir

JaredDudley619 RT @AlexLaugan: @JaredDudley619 if you haven't been carded in more than a year, you are getting old (lol Ive been carded so I'm good then)

I included this tweet because of who he was responding too. Big time Alex. #TwitterSwag

Late Night Court Session!!!! Let's get it!!!

Jul 11

JaredDudley619 RT @DLHQ: Here's our interview with Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) from today's show: Really enjoyed it. (Me to!!)

Jul 17 - Swiss JD

Packing everything up for my Switzerland trip!!! Goin out there for a basketball camp, I'm very excited!!! Anybody been there?

Congrats to @realgranthill33 signing with the Clippers.Great teammate and Friend.I will remember everything he has taught me over the yrs

JaredDudley619 RT @BabyJeremyLin: Lon Babby just said on NBATV its time for you to take on a leadership role. Excited? (I agree! I'm a natural leader)

Jul 18

Off to the airport, next stop Switzerland! basketball camp and a little site seeing, nice way to wrap up my summer before training in Vegas

Jul 19

Had a great day with the Campers in Switzerland.. Very impressed with how the camp is run. These kids are nice and know multiple languages!!

Jul 21 - Grant Hill's wager

JaredDudley619 RT @Craig620: .@realgranthill33 w/@DougandWolf620 on what happens if @JaredDudley619 dunks on him, "I am retiring right there on the spot."

JaredDudley619 RT @realgranthill33: @JaredDudley619 @Craig620 @DougandWolf620 I said it (I'm doing calf raises as we tweet!!!!)

Jul 23 - God bless uhmerica

I love Overseas and everything they offer from the people, shopping, culture, history, and restaurants. BUT! Their breakfast is real WEAK lol

Jul 27 - NBA schedule released

JaredDudley619 RT @paulcoro:The Suns start the season with home games vs. GS Oct. 31(I'm giving away 10 tixs to start the season off!!! Be on the lookout)

Jul 29 - Vacations over, intensive training begins

Back in Vegas ready to work!!! Heading to @impactbball in a little bit to get some shots up..On Monday 2 a days start for 5 straight weeks!!

Gym flow...

Great workout with Alan Anderson..This week is goin to be a beast..getting the body ready for the grind.. It's process! can't rush it!

Jul 30 - Thought's on Jermaine O'Neal

Just finished my workout with @quietstorm_32 and A.Wright and now watching @jermaineoneal workout!! This man looking 5 yrs younger!!! Wow!!!

If any team brings @jermaineoneal in for a workout I guarantee he'll get signed.. Looking explosive and aggressive. Happy to see him healthy

JaredDudley619 RT @anthonyd_31: @lol are you serious? Plzz be realistic. Haha he hasn't been athletic since Indiana.(I know but he looks good)

Jared held his second Twitter Q&A of the summer

Where is Dwight Howard going? Is he going anywhere before the season starts?

I say the Nets in Jan!

Where's your favorite place to eat in Phx?

City Hall and True Foods

What advice do you have for someone trying to reach success like you have??

Work hard, smart, and never stop believing

What gets you motivated to workout and grind?

My family! The harder I work the less they have to

How do you feel about teaming up with Goran Dragic again?

Should be fun.. he's still developing and already good

Thoughts on this year's squad?

We're young, talented. Just have to find our roles and play hard!

Do you feel you can take over leadership of the Suns going forward?

I've always been a leader but there are different forms

Are you working on a new move?

A floater!! So I can finish over these bigs when I get into the lane

What Suns addition are you most excited about this year?

Probably Scola, he's a vet that can score and is very smart

What is your favorite song to get pumped up to?

I never listen to music at the arena only in the car driving to the arena

How does it feel not to have Steve Nash on your team?

I'm ok, lol, happy for him though. Excited for our new team

Who is your biggest role model?

My mom

Ur trash why are you doing this Q n A shit.

U follow me lol. I was a starter who avg double digits! Not trash

What's your favorite thing about playing for Phoenix?

Love our fans! They know the game and are loyal

Who is the fastest player you've played against?

Russell Westbrook or Derrick Rose

What was your favorite moment from your BC days?

Wow! Probably going 20-0 and ranked as high as #3 in the country. 4 straight NCAA appearances

How many dunks are you trying to get this season?

Goin for 20!

What influences, and keeps your spirit up most?

I love life!!

Who is the dirtiest player in the NBA?

Reggie Evans

Are you playing fantasy football this year?

Yes!! This will be my 1^st time

Who do you think is the most intense player in the NBA

Kevin Garnett

Who do you think is the best player in the NBA?

Did you watch this season and playoffs. Who u think? King James

What's your favorite football team?

Chargers!!!

Ever see yourself being a coach or analyst?

Definitely one of them!! Just have to see which one

Jul 31

Great Workout and hooping today!!! My legs are getting under me.. Love this time of year when you focus on your craft vs other pros

Aug 1

Time to go out that work in.. 1 month away from goin back to Phx. Focused!

Aug 3

Late night cardio..

Aug 5 - Jared attends his 1^st wedding. Seriously.

Great 24 hours in New Orleans.. From the food to my 1st Wedding, couldn't of been better. Now back to Vegas and back on the grind.

Aug 6

Felt great on the court today, feel like I'm getting better.. Very excited for this upcoming season.. Big Things coming!!

Aug 7

In the works on doing a FREE basketball clinic in PHX in Sept when I return!!!! Stay tune for details!!!

Great workouts today.. Got to catch up with coach @AlvinGentry at @impactbball today, can't wait to get back to phx and get to work!!

Aug 8 - What the...

My Recovery Machine! It's supposed to flush out your legs and help them recover faster! I might get 30 dunks this yr

Aug 10

JaredDudley619 RT @RyanReadThrive: Video of @JaredDudley619 gettin after it! 2 ball dribbling/reaction - Thrive!

Aug 12

Great Weekend in Humid San Diego!! Doesn't even sound right lol.. Now back to Vegas to train for 3 straight weeks until I head back to PHX!!

Aug 13 - Jared and the Sharks

What channel is Shark Week on again?!!!!!

I found it!!! I love SHARK WEEK!!!!

JaredDudley619 RT @SharkWeek: @JaredDudley619 Can we expect a JMZ special on Sharkzilla, Jared? He loves the spotlight. (lol MAYBE!!! Love this show!!)

JaredDudley619 @SharkWeek Maybe me in a Shark Cage doing the JMZ special lol

JaredDudley619 RT @SharkWeek: @JaredDudley619 The feeling is mutual. We'll have Sharkzilla's people call your people. (lmao! Yes!)

fin

----------

There's plenty to read into about a person's character and personality when it comes to twitter. The majority of Jared Dudley's tweets are focused on improving his craft and skill as a professional basketball player. Of course there are plenty of musing into his personal life as well and that's fine - it's Twitter. But it's inspirational to watch and witness his development through the eyes of a little blue bird, I can't tell you how many times I see a "gym flow" or "Late night gym session" tweet that I don't evaluate my own dedication to what's important in my life.

Step aside for a moment from the headaches of trying to speculate the unknown of the upcoming season, or what direction the Suns franchise is moving - and just appreciate the hard work and dedication of the players we have. Jared Dudley isn't the only hard working Phoenix Sun, he's just easy to follow because of his social media involvement.

Hope you enjoyed reading over these as much as I did compiling them. I left out A TON - so if you don't already follow Jared on Twitter get on that.

Oh yeah - and follow us on Twitter as well, we're not planning on heading to Europe anytime soon.. but we keep it 100. @BrightSideSun

Phoenix Suns Officially Welcome Wesley Johnson

2012-08-01T18:42:23Z

We all know about the trade and we've read all about what Wesley Johnson has (or hasn't) done and his potential. Yesterday at noon the whole situation was made official as the Phoenix Suns held yet another press conference to welcome a new face to the Valley. First it was Goran, then Beasley, Scola, Brown came back and now Wesley Johnson is happy to be back in the heat (He's from Texas) and excited for an opportunity to start anew.

The press conference was short and to the point and lasted all of about 12 minutes. Babby introduced Johnson as a great addition to the team because of his athleticism but spent some time also talking about his his character and how instead of meeting Babby for dinner upon arrival in Phoenix Monday night, he instead elected to go on a date with his (wife? Girlfriend? Baby's momma?) since they haven't been able to spend too much time together alone since the birth of their twins (Santana & Wesley) a few months ago.

Blanks took the mic and echoed Babby's thoughts and mentioned how since this transaction the Suns have stopped receiving calls from agents about beefing up their wing position.

Blanks also dropped a bit of insight as he mentioned that Wes played as a big in the front-court in high school and that he was still learning and developing as a perimeter player with regards to ball-handling and shooting. Take that for what it's worth since Johnson is now 5+ years removed from his high school playing days.

When Johnson spoke he explained that he was very excited, "When I first heard I was a Phoenix Sun, it put a huge smile on my face - bigger than what it is right now". Watching him sit there you can tell that he was truly overjoyed to be in a new place, with a new team and with a clean slate.

The floor was opened for questions and Bob Young of the Arizona Republic brought the point up that Johnson was a 'late bloomer' in college and really did well when he transferred schools from Iowa St. to Syracuse. He asked if Johnson felt like this was a similar situation. Johnson replied very quickly in agreement and said in college he felt like he was in a place that wasn't really a good fit until he went to Syracuse and felt like he was in "paradise". He also mentioned how he talks a lot with his family and his brother even brought that point up to him saying, "It's like history is rewriting it's self", Johnson then said - "I plan on having that success here".

When asked about why he feels he's a good fit in Phoenix, again without hesitation Wes gushed, "The syle of play it fits me well". I think it's every athletic player's dream to play in a Phoenix Suns style offense where the pace is up and down, fast, free flowing and where unselfishness is really a reality. I wouldn't have expected Johnson to answer the question any other way.

There were some other questions about how athletic he thought he was and what he likes most about Phoenix but nothing else of much importance. You can head over to the Suns website and catch video of the conference if you like.

His athleticism really is something I look forward to watching though. I read your comments about how much of a bust he is and how he's the worstever.com and how only his smile is good but I don't buy into that at all. Sometimes the statistics don't show the whole story.

It seems almost cliche now to compare any bad or under-performing player with potential who comes to Phoenix to Channing Frye and how his situation worked out coming from Portland (look at his stats.. prior then post arrival). Doing so makes a lot of people roll their eyes. Yet Channing Frye had the build and and the potential and that's something that both Wesley Johnson and Michael Beasley have coming to Phoenix this year. We're talking about top 5 picks in the draft. Top 5 scouted because of their talent and potential.

Don't be so quick to numb your emotions and invest nothing in the possibilities that both Johnson and Beasley could do special things here in Phoenix.

Wesley Johnson even knows what it means to be a Phoenix, he said about his opportunities playing in the Suns' sytem and with his new teammates,

"It's like a rebirth, a new beginning for me"

Shannon Brown Is Back and You Should Be Excited

2012-07-28T02:40:52Z

You probably heard the news on Wednesday, Shannon Brown is back and playing for the Phoenix Suns this year. Brown signed with the Suns last year on a one-year deal and after posting career highs in points (11.0), rebounds (2.7) and minutes (23.7), apparently earned his way back into Orange Purple for another two.

Many will say, "well, he was our plan 'C' after Eric Gordon and O.J. Mayo, so meh."

I hear you and "I feel your pain" (#BillClintonVoice). Sure, Eric Gordon would have been the ideal shooting guard acquisition of the off-season, but it didn't happen. There really was never a chance in Hades that the New Orleans Hornets wouldn't match our offer. Our front office went after a star and did everything they could to try and bring him to the desert - he even wanted to come, but the shackles of restricted free-agency pulled back and there he remains.

So then it was on to O.J. Mayo right? The Suns brought him in, courted him a couple of times on a few different occasions... he asked for like a bazillion dollars and we passed while Mark Cuban was all like, "BOOM. How about a Bazillion-Trillion" (#MarkCubanDrEvilVoice) End of story.

So Shannon is option C. Right? Wrong. Shannon should have and is a strong option B and no Suns fan should be disappointed in this re-signing.

With the departure of Grant Hill and the amnesty of Josh Childress, whether it was Gordon, Mayo, or Brown whoever was going to come in as the team's new shooting guard they were going to play a lot of minutes. Figure with Hill and Childress out of the lineup and the addition of Beasley (who is most likely to play SF with the acquisition of Luis Scola and the development of Markieff Morris), Jared Dudley will move back to his more natural position at SF along with Beasley and that opens up minutes at SG.

It's a foregone conclusion that Eric Gordon would have been the best option, but where the line blurs for me is when by fans and media alike O.J. Mayo was held on a pedestal seemingly so much more elevated than Shannon Brown. I don't get that. I believe there's a reason the Suns didn't offer O.J. Mayo a contract after his multiple visits to the Valley - but maybe our vision was clouded by familiarity.

To me it feels like a case of the proverbial, "The grass is always greener on the other side". We resigned ourselves to the fact last year that there were a lot of guys on the roster who were given short contracts with the idea that we were filling a broken roster due to the lack of an off-season smitten by the lockout and making cap space for big free-agent signings down the road. Telfair, Redd, Brown, Price... it was like, "Oh whatever, it's not like they really even matter... they're on one year contracts." Maybe for some it was true - but obviously Telfair earned his way back and Shannon Brown proved that when given consistent minutes he can produce and provide the youth and a controlled athleticism that everyone believed he could when he first arrived.

But that's the key. Consistent minutes. With the rotations in flux all season last year it wasn't until the second half of the that consistent minutes came for guys like Telfair and Brown. Now with Brown coming back there is little doubt that he will now get those consistent minutes.

"But we could have had O.J. Mayo.."

Right - but would he be better than Brown? I've done a little research and if you ask me - I choose Brown over Mayo hands down. I say that because of 3 conditions. Brown's experience, his offense, and his price.

Experience

From SB Nation Arizona's own Kristopher Habbas,

The sixth year veteran seems to have been in the league forever, but is only 26 years and will be only 28 when this two year (7 million dollar) contract ends. The Suns have signed a young, experienced, very athletic guard as he enters his physical prime to be a young veteran on this team.

Brown has been around the block in his six years in the NBA. First he was a part of the Cleveland Cavaliers led by LeBron James that lost in the Finals, then as a part of the Kobe Bryant led Los Angeles Lakers that won a championship, and finally to Phoenix where he got went to finishing school with Steve Nash and Grant Hill.

"I am not too big on bragging on myself, but I do know my resume," Brown referencing playing on good teams. "All I can say is that I am going to go out there and give it my all."

You can debate the impact of his contributions - but Shannon Brown is a champion.

When asked about what he's learned from the great players he's been able to play with, especially when he played with Kobe and the Champion Los Angeles Lakers, Shannon Brown alluded to the fact that the mentality was always about the Finals and winning it all. Not just making the Playoffs... and ‘seeing how far we can go'. A mantra that the Suns have touted for... forever.

Like Habbas said - he is in his physical prime and has been sufficiently schooled to provide the winning mentality the Suns will need to groom during this rebuilding process.

Offense

Now - I broke down both Shannon Brown and O.J. Mayo's stats last year - but I only took the games in which each received 25 minutes or more of playing time. You might be surprised

Now take a look at the Advanced Statistics.

From the numbers - O.J. Mayo is clearly the better defender and Brown is the better offensive threat. Would you have guessed that? Brown actually has all the tools to be a great defender but where he fails is in his discipline. More often than not Brown will gamble on a pass or on a steal be forced to chase his cover from behind. Things like that are correctible, his athleticism is a huge bonus that will help him to improve his defensive prowess. Another thing to consider is that team defense also plays a factor in what's reflected in an individual player's defensive numbers. We all know the Grizzlies were a far superior defensive team than the Suns last year, so keep that in mind.

Brown's 3-point shooting percentage could certainly be better - but another curious number can be pulled from the stats when you look at the final 17 games of last year. If you remember - those were the games that Shannon was promoted to the starting line-up. In those games to end the season Brown shot a blazing 40.2% from 3. He obviously feels more comfortable shooting when he starts.

Overall - with his finishing ability, his speed and when he's shooting well (or taking smart shots I guess is the key), he is in my mind a very good option to have at SG - better than O.J. Mayo.

MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY!

Remember when O.J. Mayo was cited for wanting 7M this offseason? Well he finally chose his destination in Dallas where Mark Cuban will pay him 8.5M over two years, the 2nd year being a player option. Not the outrageous price tag he apparently wanted to be purchased for, but more expensive than what the Suns ironed out with Shannon Brown.

The Suns picked up Brown for an awesome price of $7M for two-years but the difference is the second year is a team option and only 1.75M of the 3.5M is guaranteed. That's a great contract for a player with big upside this year and possibly next. Does losing out on O.J. seem that disappointing now?

Shannon Brown is a great pick-up for the Phoenix Suns - and there should be no one who is honestly disappointed in this acquisition given the circumstances of free-agency this year. On the contrary - we should be excited to watch Brown bloom and explode in his new role.

Telfair Ahead of Kendall Marshall on the Phoenix Suns Depth Chart

2012-07-24T02:57:30Z

Sebastian Telfair is ahead of Kendall Marshall on the Phoenix Suns depth chart at the point guard position. If he isn't - he should be.

"BUT BUT BUT... rabble rabble KENDALL MARSHALL... is the future -GASP- he needs the minutes to develop and become STEVE NASH reincarnate!"

When Marshall was drafted and Steve Nash was traded, some fans were (and many still are) calling for his development as a point guard to come by immersion, or in other words, throw him completely into the water of playing time and leadership responsibility and hope that he can learn to swim in that ocean.

And then Goran Dragic was signed. The conversation then swirled around how great of a back-up Marshall would be and that maybe he should even play more minutes than a normal back-up, or how awesome the Suns' second unit would be with 'KButter' at the helm this year.

All the while there has been little to no mention of our young 26 year old eight year NBA veteran Sebastian Telfair. Remember him? The young spark plug that struggled for the majority of the season, who even at one point lost the back-up point guard spot to Ronnie Price early in the season. Remember him? Or what about the player who after the all-star break started to understand Alvin Gentry's offense, who had something click like a light switch and who orchestrated as great of a second half of the season turn-around as we've seen in a while?

The guy who almost single-handedly kept the Phoenix Suns in the hunt for a playoff spot as the regular season wound down. Remember him? He won the Dan Majerle Hustle Award last year as well as the hearts of many Suns fans with his unrelenting defense and occasionally electric offense. Remember him yet?

Kendall Marshall is a rookie and we all need to be reminded of that fact. I'm not insulting nor am I trying to knock or discredit the talent or potential of our 13th overall lottery pick of 2012. Until training camp starts in three months and unless something crazy happens there - nothing Marshall has done up to this point has earned him a spot ahead of Telfair on the depth chart.

Basketball by Immersion?

Listen, I've heard the argument and I think I fully understand it a little more than most. The concept of development by immersion is a great one because it works really well with some things. One thing it works really well for is learning a new language. That's where my experience comes in.

At the age of 19 I served a volunteer proselytizing mission for my religion and was sent for two years into the depths of the southernmost states of Mexico. Now, I didn't pay much attention in high-school Spanish class so I was going in culturally blind and linguistically ignorant. I was given only nine weeks of intense Spanish studies at a training facility in the U.S. before I was shipped to Chiapas, Mexico - paired with a native companion (who did not speak English) and turned loose into the city to teach our beliefs to anyone who would listen.

I thought with my nine weeks of Spanish-all-day I would be able to understand and speak my mind somewhat - but when I actually set foot in Mexico and heard the language as it's spoken by people who aren't trying to teach me and dumb it down... I was completely lost. They spoke too fast and I couldn't keep up, they didn't use all the cookie-cutter words I had been taught. It was overwhelming. That's what learning by immersion usually is.

Did I eventually learn Spanish? Yes - actually really fast, within six months I was at a level where I felt I could understand almost everything and pretty much accurately speak whatever was on my mind. From there - it was a constant learning experience as I added new vocabulary, slang, axioms, accents and etc. to my Spanish repertoire. I can say that, though it was overwhelming - immersion was a great way to learn a new language.

But is it a great way to transition from college basketball to the NBA?

Some players are just ready - they have stormed into the NBA from college or high school and have no problem assimilating to the fast pace, the stronger bodies, the more elaborate scheming and the higher level of play overall. Those players are few and far between - those players had no troubles at all dominating in the lesser-venue that is the Summer League.

Kendall Marshall isn't one of those players. Rarely are point guards that type of player. It's been stated before and should be stated again, the Point is the hardest position to play in the NBA. It's going to take time for Marshall to develop his game and there is absolutely no need to try to rush it or create inflated expectation. Many if not most players crack and crumble at some point under the heavy expectations of performing in the NBA - if we can ease our young players into those responsibilities and expectations the load is more likely sustained than if we simply drop it on their shoulders.

But I don't even need to be explaining this... because regardless of what kind of potential Marshall has, Telfair has earned the back-up spot and Kendall will have to fight for minutes.

Bassy

If you don't think he's earned it please explain yourself in detail in the comments and expect my rebuttal/s.

I think fans don't take him seriously. Six different teams in six different years, the numbers aren't good... I get it. But let me remind of some of the things written about Sebastian's second half transformation.

Through April 1, Bassy ranked dead last on the Suns by producing a -0.083 WP48. During the team's final 14 games Telfair shot all the way up to first on the entire team with a 0.212 WP48 that was percentage points ahead of Steve Nash himself!

...

After being a major weakness early in the season, the Suns' bench transformed into a potent unit by season's end. Now all of a sudden fans no longer held their breath when Nash rested as the bench mob extended leads and dug into deficits, sometimes even outplaying the starters in April.

VotS - Michael Schwartz

The best endorsement on Telfair's turnabout came from Price, whose camp and practice battles with Telfair got so intense that they looked like they despised one another. Price lost the backup job and spent most of the season out of the rotation but sounded like Telfair's biggest fan as a free agent heading out the door.

"I'm a competitor and so is Bassy," Price said. "When you have two competitive guys going against each other at the same position every day, you're going to have some clashes. At the end of the day, we have so much respect for one another. I can push him. I can say things to Sebastian that someone else can't say. I can get on Bassy as a player getting on a friend. It's like a brotherhood. We learned from each other. The way he finished out this year, it was special."

AZ Central - Paul Coro

Even an endorsement from Steve,

"Other than Goran's (Dragic) stint, we haven't really had a real successful backup point guard," Nash said. "Bassy's done a good job. Alvin (Gentry) has done a fantastic job. Our coaches have been unbelievable this year. Our coaches deserve so much credit for us being in the position we're in. We've overachieved and then some. They have given Bassy the freedom to play his game and, at the same time, molding him and giving him the discipline to do what the coaches need. It's been a pivotal part of our season turning around."

AZ Central - Paul Coro

And from my own end-of-season evaluation,

I remember the game that Alvin put Telfair on Chris Paul in the final seconds of a tightly contested and important game against the Clippers - and Sebastian had proven through the course of the season that what Gentry did was the right move. I had no objection; in fact it made me smile because I believe it was the move that we all had been hoping would be made. Telfair's hustle and effort were unmatched by anyone on the team this year and that's why he was this year's Dan Majerle Hustle Award recipient.

BSotS Leiland Tanner

This is my point here - Sebastian has earned the spot and now it is only his to lose. Marshall doesn't magically take it unless it's because he earns it in practice or when given the opportunity in live game situations.

From observations taken during the five game Summer League in Las Vegas, Kendall has his work cut out for him if his goals are to be the back-up point to Dragic this season.

Just to cap this off I'll reiterate this, I'm not trying to knock Marshall - or prolong his development. I actually think he is in an ideal position to learn at a comfortable and less stressful level playing behind Dragic and Telfair who both have played with Steve Nash and are sure to teach the young rook as much as he can handle.

Earn your spot rook. Work on that jumper or those fancy passes will never work.

Poll

Do you agree? Should Telfair be ahead of Marshall on the depth chart?

Yes

592 votes

No

175 votes

767 votes | Poll has closed

Suns Fall to NBA D-League Select Team: Final Score 89-75

2012-07-21T04:51:34Z

Well our summer Suns got pummeled by an older and much more experienced NBA D-League Select Team. Once again there was not much offense and the team's energy seemed to be lacking greatly. I had extreme technical difficulties attempting to watch this game so I really can't give much analysis from my end. But I reached out to Bright Side friends and got some great info to recap for you.

From Kristopher Habbas of SB Nation Arizona -

The flow of a game is a direct effect of the point guard on leading the show. In terms of flow there was none tonight. The team ran in spots, settled in to the half court in others, and played street ball the rest of the time. Marshall looked comfortable when the Suns had shooters spread out in the corners for him to attack and create for, but that is hard to do with no elite shooters on the roster.

Check out more of his recap and evaluation of tonight's game over at the mother-ship.

For stats and Alex's thoughts on tonight's game, take the jump!

Here's the final Box score -

Here's Alex's take -

From What I saw:

The Suns looked uninterested in the game, and the pieces look ill-suited together. No one can make a jump shot - not one professional jump shooter on that team. So Morris just have to make something happen after getting the ball on the college 3-point line in post position. Rarely did that end with a good shot because the defense collapsed. Occasionally Morris located a cutter, but mostly guys just stood around watching.

Marshall looked unemotional - something we will have to get used to. But then after I turned the game off on my end, Coro tweeted some nice things. Apparently Marshall turned it on at the end, and finished with 10 and 6. Not bad compared to how he started.

In general the D-League guys were heavily experienced and seemed to know how to make shots. And a couple 7-footers made some threes as well as inside post-ups. Too bad they appeared 92 years old.

And here's one of the tweets from Coro that Alex was talking about,

Marshall is finishing strong tonight. He hit a J when the defender went under, got his third steal & is pushing the pace more.
— Paul Coro (@paulcoro) July 21, 2012

Check out Paul's other tweets as well.

There's one more game left in the Summer League - hopefully our team can pull it together and find some energy to make it competitive.