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The NBA lockout is over and the Phoenix Suns are assembling their roster and preparing for the shortened season.
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The Phoenix Suns completed their brief training camp and preseason and are just days away from starting the 2011-12 NBA season. He's our evaluation of the roster.
Phoenix Suns center Marcin Gortat had an interesting offseason. He originally tried to play for his national team in the 2011 Eurobasket Tournament but was unable to compete for Poland due to insurance issues. He later came close to signing with a team in Turkey just weeks before the NBA lockout ended. But before the lockout even began, the Phoenix Suns sent Marcin to spend some quality time with Hakeem Olajuwon to work on his low post game.
Gortat said that Hakeem had 100's of moves and that he managed to pick up a "couple of them". He hopes to use some of that improve skill this season, "We're going to have 66 games in the season so hopefully I'm going to be able to show what I can do."
The focus for Marcin, however, remains his defense and rebounding. Physically, he wants to get stronger in his lower back and continue to rely on what's made him successful so far -- heart and determination.
When Gortat arrived in Phoenix he fell into the rotation behind Robin Lopez but by the end of the year, he had secured both the starting job and the majority of the minutes. Lopez, who's been widely praised for his offseason improvement, sounds like he's going to battle Gortat for floor time.
"He's definitely better right now," Gortat said of his fellow center. "Physically, he get stronger. He got more confidence. He kind of hungry of playing. He wants to have the ball in his hands. It's good. It's going to help us. We're going to compete for the job and I'm looking forward (to it)."
Gortat prides himself on defense and was outspoken at times last season when the Suns weren't getting it done on that end of the floor. We've heard a lot this training camp about the renewed commitment to get stops but we've also heard coach Alvin Gentry temper expectations, especially for early in the season.
One reason to be patient is the changes the team is making with their defensive scheme with the arrival of new "defensive coordinator", Elston Turner.
From the defensive stand point, Gortat said this feels like his third NBA team due to the changes, "Obviously, Orlando first. Last year (with the Suns) second. And this year, everything is totally different. We'll see how it works during this season. I believe those changes are good for us. There's a lot of new rotations. I'm kind of familiar with everything we do because we had similar in Orlando, but end of the day, the results will show if we are better or not."
The Arizona Cardinals went through a very similar process this year. They hired hired a new defensive coordinator (Ray Horton) and also lost a lot of offseason prep time due to a lockout. The Cardinals defense struggled early in the season but by Week 9 of the NFL season, Arizona emerged as one of the better defenses in the league. Can the Suns do the same?
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Here's some video from media day, including Wil from Bright Side of the Sun who looks a bit too much like Marcin Gortat:
The Phoenix Suns are one evening practice away from the end of their training camp and with the Wednesday night scrimmage in the books we are starting to get a better sense of what head coach Alvin Gentry wants to accomplish this season.
Improvement on defense is a well-known and chronicled focus area. Supporting that is the need to rebound on the defensive end and not turn that ball over. On offense, however, we got a glimpse of one possible change -- more post play from the bigs. Then again, we've heard that in training camp before as well.
This time, however, the Suns centers each spent time in Houston with Hakeem Olajuwon, who Gentry said had the best footwork of anyone who's played the game.
"You can see some of it out here, especially with Robin (Lopez). I think he's done a good job," Gentry said when asked if he's seen any benefits the time with Hakeem. "Those guys seem a lot more comfortable catching in that mid-post area now and being able to make moves."
Gentry went on to explain his thinking about low post offense this season:
"I think we have to do that with all of our bigs. We've got to throw it in to Marcin (Gortat), we've got to throw it in to Channing (Frye), and we've got to throw it in to Robin (Lopez). That is one of the ways you get into a bonus situation and the only way that we can get our free throw percentage back up is that we get in the bonus a little bit earlier in the quarters."
Steve Nash also praised Lopez for how he's looked in camp, "I thought a lot of guys played well (in the scrimmage), the energy overall was good. I'm really happy with Robin (Lopez). I think Robin's taken a big step from last year. He looks physically great and he looks hungry. He's playing hard. I thought everyone had a pretty decent night."
Hakim Warrick at small forward?
Hakim Warrick could be squeezed out of the rotation at forward with Gortat and Lopez splitting time at center and Frye and possibly Markieff Morris playing the four (power forward). Warrick played quite a bit early in the season last year and proved to be a powerful pick and roll partner for Nash, but his rebounding and defensive issues due to his small frame make it difficult to play him extended minutes at the four.
This year, Gentry might try and use Warrick at small forward where he would have a size advantage and not be so easily pushed around by bigger players. A key to that is Warrick's ability to shoot from the perimeter.
So far in camp, Gentry said Hakim has shot the ball well. He went 5-7 from the field in Wednesday's scrimmage which he said is the result of being more comfortable with his role and the work he put in this offseason.
"One of the things we talked about is being able to stick him at three (small forward) a little bit so we're a really big team. We'll experiment with that a little bit," Gentry said.
It remains to be seen if Warrick will have the foot speed to defend the small forward position on a consistent basis.
Markieff Morris update
Markieff Morris sat out Thursday's morning practice with a sore knee suffered when he banged into Ronnie Price on Tuesday. He was up shooting around after practice, however, and could go during the evening workout.
Asked if this injury during camp would hurt his development, Gentry said, "We'll have to see the growing pains he goes through and see if he can get back from this quickly or is it just going to be a situation where it's going to be a slow process and we've just got to have the patience to understand that."
Gentry said it's hard to know how much Morris will contribute this season, "I don't think anyone knows. Obviously, that would be great if that would happen but if it didn't happen I don't see him as a failure. He's going to be a good player and it's just a matter of how quickly we can get him to that point."
"He's a Philly guy. I'm not sure if anybody is tough enough to ask him that," Gentry said when asked if Morris was having to carry bags and bring doughnuts as part of his rookie hazing.
Other scrimmage notes
Offensively, Gentry thought the Suns did some good things but there's growing pains defensively around being in the right place and "doing what we're supposed to do". The offense flowed well with good shots and unselfish play.
"I thought the effort was there though. Good effort and it's just a matter it becoming instinctive to us defensively. I love the effort, and like I said, as long as we play with that kind of effort we can correct all the other things," Gentry said.
The key takeaways for improvement will sound very familiar to Suns fans: Better defensive rebounding and limiting what Gentry calls "live turnovers" that lead to easy transition points.
"We've got to make sure we're not turning the ball over. That becomes really important because when we do, obviously it makes the field goal percentage go up dramatically when you're (giving up) layups," he said.
Right now, those turnovers can be explained by guys not having played together but some were just careless and unforced.
Here's a Gentry quote about Wednesday's scrimmage that easily could have been lifted from most any time last season:
"We can't play 24 seconds of really good defense and then all of a sudden not complete the possession by giving the ball back and then have to play another 24 (seconds). That's what will get you in trouble."
Steve Nash skipped Thursday's morning practice with flu symptoms. Knowing Nash, this is not likely to be a case of "training camp flu". Lets just hope he didn't infect anyone else on the team (or media who spoke with him Wednesday night).
For all the latest AZ sports news, follow us on Twitter @SBNArizona and "Like" us on Facebook. For more Suns discussion, visit Bright Side of the Sun.
Here's a bonus video produced by Bright Side featuring new Suns guard, Sebastian Telfair:
The Phoenix Suns held their intra-squad scrimmage on Wednesday night at the Grand Canyon University Arena in front of a select group of season ticket holders and students from GCU. The event was fully produced by the Suns Game Ops staff which meant plenty of music, videos, dancers and T-shirt tossing.
The game itself was what you might expect from a scrimmage. There were a few scripted plays and a lot of isolation. Steve Nash's team won 68-61 but mostly that was due to an early lead. The other team in the black jerseys were led by Shannon Brown (16 points, 7-15 FG) who who stood out.
"It felt good and I'm still getting used getting back to the old me where I feel like I can score the ball at any time without thinking about it or, 'I should have made that pass. I should have did this. I'm about to come out of the game.' or something like that. It just feels good. It's slowly but surely coming back," Brown said after the game.
Brown did take some flack for missing a wide-open dunk. He said he got in the air was thinking too much about which hand he was going to windmill the ball with. It's a problem we all struggle with at times.
Other stand outs included Robin Lopez (12 points, 6 rebounds) and Hakim Warrick ( 11 points). Warrick showed more confidence with his outside shot. He's always been a decent mid-range shooter but last season with the Suns was streaky.
"It's something I've got to be more consistent," Warrick said about his shooting. "It's something I've been working on and (Wednesday) I really, really had it going. I'll continue to work on it, feel more confident with the system, knowing where to be and getting used to my teammates, knowing where I'm going to get my shots. I was able to go and work on that in the offseason and really got my confidence up."
Here's a few more breakdowns of the game:
Phoenix Suns Team Scrimmage Game Recap: Suns Win! - Bright Side Of The Sun
The match-ups tonight included the Black Team (Steve Nash, Jared Dudley, Marcin Gortat, Channing Frye, Josh Childress, Marcus Landry, and Ronnie Price) verses the White Team (Grant Hill, Robin Lopez, Hakim Warrick, Shannon Brown, Sebastian Telfair, Garrett Siler, Dwight Buycks, and Jeremy Hazell).
The end result was a score of 68-61 (don't worry, it was only a 40 minute game) in which the black team won...but overall, we the fans were the real winners after finally getting to see our team back in live action again after a very long eight month hiatus!
And from a fantasy perspective...
Fantasy Basketball CP3 Analysis and Summary of Suns Scrimmage - FakeTeams
Phoenix Suns Intra-squad Scrimmage Notes Let's just attack this for each player:
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Phoenix Suns fans have been wondering all week, "Where in the world is Mickael Pietrus?" Pietrus, you will recall was traded from the Suns to Toronto only to see the deal fall through after concerns about his knee came up during his physical with the Raptors. Since that happened on Saturday, we've not heard from the french swingman with the big smile -- until now.
According to his agent Bill McCandless, as reported by Wendell Maxey, Pietrus has been in Ottawa, Canada waiting on a visa to return to the United States. He's expected back with the Suns on Thursday where he can continue his rehab with the Suns training staff.
But don't expect him to stay very long:
Over and Back: Mickael Pietrus Still On The Move After Failed Deal With Toronto Raptors
"I think he is on the move. The idea is for Phoenix to trade him," continued McCandless, with Suns' head coach Alvin Gentry having to juggle minutes for Grant Hill, Josh Childress, Jared Dudley and the newly signed Shannon Brown.
"That is Plan A. Lon, MP and I are partners in getting him ready so people are confident he will play 61 of the 66 games, rather than 49 of the 66 games this season. He thinks he can play. Players know their bodies."
McCandless remains optimistic that Pietrus will recover quickly and be ready to start playing by Christmas or the New Year. What remains to be seen is what uniform he will be wearing. It doesn't seem likely that it will be Purple and Orange.
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Late Monday night, Ronnie Price got word that he would be joining the Phoenix Suns. By 6:30 a.m. the next morning he was an airplane to Arizona. After taking his physical during the day, he was on the court with his new team for their evening practice session. Price was happy to be with his new team.
"I'm very thankful and fortunate that I have the opportunity to play for this organization and I'm looking forward to getting on the court and competing with these guys," Price said Tuesday evening.
After just one practice session, coach Alvin Gentry commented on the defensive intensity Price brings. He takes pride in his defense and enjoys checking both guard positions but what brought him to Phoenix over other options was the offensive style of play.
"This is a playing style that I've always wanted to be a part of. They really get up and down the floor and it's something that I wanted to do," Price said.
According to the newest Suns' point guard, every NBA player that can play the game should have a chance to make things happen in this offense.
Price will join Sebastian Telfair in a rotation behind Steve Nash. GM Lance Blanks explained how the two guards each bring something different to the floor:
"Bassy (Sebastian Telfair) fits into what I would call more of a traditional role and style of point guard where he's going to run the offense. He handles the ball extremely well, he can find people in the open floor. When you look at Price, this is a guy who is extremely athletic, can get to the rim, and he's going to be able to guard people from baseline to baseline."
The combination of Telfair and Price will give Coach Gentry different options for different situations according to Blanks.
One thing Suns fans will appreciate from Price is his animosity towards the Los Angeles Lakers. Price spent four years with the Utah Jazz and in three of those years his team was eliminated from the playoffs by L.A.
"I made that very clear," Price said when asked about his lack of fondness of the Lakers. Then he looked around for his new teammate, Shannon Brown who played for the hated Lakers.
"So yeah, I've had some problems with the Lakers," Price added. "Probably most of my technical fouls have been against the Lakers but you know, it's all part of competition. You want to beat the best and compete against the best. That's why I made those comments."
Suns camp notes:
Gentry said the team was still getting used to new pick and roll coverage schemes. The shooting is poor right now because the team is not basketball shape. That's typical for training camp.
Hakim Warrick and Robin Lopez were both singled out by Gentry for praise. In the portion of practice we watched, Warrick seemed energetic and was hitting outside shots. Lopez looked far more fluid and explosive than we saw last year. He also seemed more confident and relaxed on the court. It's just one practice but it will be interesting to see how he looks in Wednesday's intra-squad scrimmage as well.
Rookie Markieef Morris bumped knees with Price and sat out a portion of practice. Gentry said he never missed a practice in during his time in Kansas. "I think it scared him more than anything...He seemed to be OK. I'm sure it's going to be a little sore."
Josh Childress jammed a finger nail back in to the nail bed. He came off the floor, had it taped and finished practice. Here's a picture he tweeted out of the finger.
Unlike other wing players who've come to the Suns, Shannon Brown doesn't seem to be shy about shooting the ball according to his coach.
Here's video of Alvin Gentry talking to the media after practice.
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The Phoenix Suns are on their fourth day of training camp. They are working hard with two-a-days and doing everything they can to prepare for the season. Like every other team in the league, the NBA lockout cut into the normal preparation time but the Suns are dealing with that.
One challenge the coaching and training staff is facing with the abbreviated preseason is finding the balance between pushing the players to get into basketball shape but not pushing too hard.
"There's a fine line between going a little bit overboard and having a set back and slowly but surely making sure you're in better shape," Coach Alvin Gentry explained.
He stressed that the Suns have a good group of guys that came back in "pretty good shape anyway".
As Gentry said, the Suns have one of the best training staffs in the league (he actually said they are by far the best) and so they will certainly do everything possible to keep the players healthy and get them prepared for play.
Team scrimmage
The Suns typically hold an intra-squad scrimmage at the end of training camp that is open to the public. It's a training session but also is a bit of fun. This year with less time available the scrimmage will take on a slightly different role.
"We don't have that luxury really to pick a team and have a scrimmage. We've got to try and see if we can get some work out of it and see if we can see some things that might be beneficial to us when we go to Denver and play the first preseason game," Gentry said.
The scrimmage, which is closed to the public this year, will be held Wednesday evening and will have 10 minute quarters with seven or eight players on each team.
Instead of having a "draft" with an assistant coaching running each side, one team will be made up of guys projected to start and be in the rotation going against the rest of the training camp roster. Assistant coaches Dan Majerle and Igor Kokoskov will each coach one team while Gentry and new assistant, Elston Turner, will observe all the action.
Turner was added to the coaching staff to help bolster the Suns defense. Gentry stressed that while he expects the team to get better on defense this year, it's not something that's going to happen overnight. "I think you're going to see progress as the season goes on."
Rookie Markieff Morris
Suns rookie Markieff Morris is making progress and adjusting to life in the NBA. He said the practices are more intense than college but also there's more teaching here.
Morris said the schemes and rotations are more complicated than he's used to but he's working his way through that. At Kansas, the bigs played more inside on defense but here he'll be asked to play on the perimeter more and defend guards on switches. The Suns drafted Morris in part because of his mobility and effectiveness in that area.
Offensively, he's spacing the floor more than playing in the low post when partnered with with centers Robin Lopez or Marcin Gortat but he is down low when on the court with Channing Frye. That versatility and ability to play both inside and outside also makes him a valuable player.
Asked if he had range from the NBA three-point line, Morris said, "Definitely. It's really deep but once I get a lot more reps up, I'll be comfortable with it."
Morris is close to his twin brother Marcus who was drafted by the Houston Rockets and this will be the first time they are not on the same team. That's not a bad thing, though, "I need this time to find myself and find my game so I think it's best for us."
For more on the Phoenix Suns, visit Bright Side of the Sun blog.
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The Phoenix Suns will reportedly add veteran backup guard Ronnie Price to the team according to Hoops World. Price is said to be signing a one-year deal with the Suns as soon as Tuesday afternoon.
UPDATE: The Phoenix Suns officially announced signing Price at about 11:00 a.m. Tuesday.
Ronnie Price is a 6-2 combo guard who played the last four years with the Utah Jazz as the backup to Deron Wiilliams. He's known for being athletic and a strong, aggressive defender but his point guard and shooting skills are limited according to ESPN's player profile:
Ronnie Price Hollinger Stats - ESPN
Price also had the worst shooting percentage among point guards at a ghastly 35.2 percent, and the worst true shooting percentage too. Needless to say, his PER was the worst at the position and very nearly the worst in the league...
Defensively, Price had his moments. He pressures the ball, can guard bigger players and is very athletic...
The signing of Price replaces backup guard Zabian Dowdell who was waived by the Suns Tuesday morning. Dowdell spent most of last season on the roster as the third point guard and is also known for his defense but is perhaps more of a "pure point" than Price when it comes to running the offense.
Dowdell missed the start of Suns' training camp with a knee injury which seems to have come at a very bad time for him.
Price, 28, was undrafted out of Utah Valley State College and got his first NBA contract from the Sacramento Kings. He played for the Kings for two years before spending the next four with the Jazz. He recently told the media in Salt Lake City that he wanted to stay in Utah but they apparently were ready for a change.
He was described by the the Salt Lake Tribune as being, "Well-liked by his longtime friends and former teammates, a quiet-but-strong leader in the locker room, and a proven commodity on the hardwood..."
Price is a career 30 percent three-point shooter who averaged 3.6 points and 1.3 assists in six years as an NBA pro.
Price would compete for minutes with Sebastian Telfair. Telfair would seem to be more of a pure point who can push the ball and run the offense while Price is bigger, more athletic and a better defender. The combination of the two would give the Suns options behind Steve Nash depending on match-ups.
Price would bring more athleticism and NBA experience, including 28 playoff games, than Dowdell.
Here's a scouting report on Price from SB Nation's Utah Jazz blog, SLC Dunk:
Let's start with the down side. Ronnie Price is a phenomenal athletic talent that happens to play basketball. You'll probably be frustrated with his decisions and play. He had one of the worst PERs in the league last season with players over 700 minutes. You'll have one to two highlights per game surrounded by some otherwise lackluster play.
However, he will be an instant fan favorite. He's a self-proclaimed Laker-hater. He was one of the only Jazz players that made a difference in the playoffs against the Lakers the past few seasons. In fact, Jerry Sloan admitted later that he should have played Price more. You'll never question his dedication or effort on the floor. He's a fantastic person off the court as well and will be great in the locker room.
I don't think he's as bad as last year's stats would indicate. He was injured for most of the second half of the season but has been reliable in the past. He's been played at the PG spot and at the SG, neither of which is ideal for him. I think he can have a bounce back year and be more in line with his career averages.
Here's a look at Price's athleticism:
The Phoenix Suns will enter the 2011-12 NBA season with a fairly predictable starting lineup and depth chart. Four out of the five positions should be a given with Steve Nash, Grant Hill, Channing Frye and Marcin Gortat the heavy favorites. The one big question mark comes at shooting guard with Jared Dudley and newly acquired Shannon Brown battling it out for a spot.
As the incumbent with the bigger contract Dudley should have the edge. But as he says, you have to earn your spot on the floor.
"For me, you never want anything given to you. You have to work for it," said Jared after practice.
"How I feel is the best person should always play. Sometimes in the NBA it's not like that. There's a lot of politics, a lot of money. People are overpaid or get favored over you. If he deserves to start, he should start."
Shannon Brown brings a different type of game to the Suns back court than Dudley who at one point was considered a power forward.
Brown is one of the best athletes in the league with a reported 44-inch vertical and a long resume of YouTube dunks to his name. According to Coach Alvin Gentry, he also brings toughness and has the potential to be a good back court defender who should be able to handle both speedy points and bigger shooting guards.
Brown, 25, is coming off three seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers where he won two championship rings. He took a one-year deal to come to the Suns in large part because of the style of play.
"Coach Gentry lets his guys play," Brown said. "He doesn't focus on what you can't do, he tries to let you maximize what you can do out there on the court and that's what I'm here to do, to help the team win."
Shannon started last season shooting extremely well and seemed to show flashes of being a better all-around player. He tailed off after the New Year, however, but he has an explanation for that:
"I just turned into a jump shooter. I guess I was so stuck on proving, trying to prove to everybody that I wasn't just a dunker and just an athlete so when my shot wasn't falling I just stuck with it instead of becoming a basketball player. Nothing happened (injury, etc.), I just turned into a jump shooter instead of a basketball player."
The Suns system and Gentry's coaching style should benefit Brown. He'll be encouraged to be aggressive whether he's playing with Steve Nash and the starting unit or off the bench where he can provide a scoring punch.
Dudley has also played well in both a starting and bench role during his time in Phoenix and whichever direction Gentry goes, he's certainly going do what's asked of him.
But that doesn't mean Jared doesn't want the starting job:
"At the end of the day, I believe I'm the right guy to start but it's not about what I believe, it's about when you go out there and play. Obviously, I played well last year at the starting spot and I played well off the bench. I'm someone who's going to be here for awhile. But for me, just personally as an individual, I feel like unless it's an All-Star type player or someone who deserves a spot like J-Rich (Jason Richardson) who's not an All-Star player but is more deserving then you give it to him."
Should the decision between the former Charlotte Bobcat teammates come down to a dunk contest, Brown would seem to have the edge but Dudley wasn't ready to concede that either.
"I think it's going to be about 25-20, me," Jared said when asked who would have more dunks this year.
Other quotes:
In 15 games as a starter last season, Dudley averaged 16.3 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists. Brown, playing behind Kobe Bryant, didn't start any games last year. He averaged 8.7 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game in 19 minutes off the bench.
The Phoenix Suns opened their 2011-12 training camp Saturday night at Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, AZ. Due technical and timing issues related to the waiver of Vince Carter, the team was only able to field nine players for their first workout but according to Coach Alvin Gentry, it was good just to be back out on the floor.
"We had a good workout, got some things done," Gentry said.
Not available were free agents Grant Hill and Sebastian Telfair along with camp invitees, Marcus Landry, Jeremy Hazell and Dwight Buycks. Those players are expected to be available to begin practice with the team Sunday evening.
Also not practicing was backup point guard Zabian Dowdell who was out with a knee injury. It's not yet known how serious the injury is, but it would be unfortunate if he missed too much time as Dowdell is expected to compete with Telfair for the job backing up Steve Nash.
Gentry said the focus for the first workout was running and "doing it on every play". With the limited time to prepare for the season that's going to include more games per week than a typical year, Gentry stressed the need to be careful with conditioning during camp and yet still do enough to get in basketball shape.
"You have to be a little be careful right now thinking you can get everything done in 16 days," the Suns' coach said.
The plan is to cut back on some of the things that would put in offensively but put more time into defense during this abbreviated preseason. According to Gentry, the Suns don't run a complicated system so the new guys should adjust quickly.
The team is staying at a hotel and practicing at Grand Canyon University instead of working out at the practice facility at US Airways Center. The thinking is that the time away from families and the change of scenery will give the team time to bond and focus.
While several key players were missing from the first practice, new addition Shannon Brown was available. The 6-4 guard was described by his new coach as an "athletic guy" who can bring toughness and be a good defensive player.
"I'm loving it so far," Brown said. "All my teammates, fans, great owner, everybody's great, so I'm just ready to get out there and play."
Brown is expected to compete for a starting job with Jared Dudley.
We all expected the 2011 NBA Free Agency to be a bit crazy with the lockout forcing a condensed time frame and three big names potentially in play. No one, however, could have predicted what's gone on so far and those three big names (Chris Paul, Dwight Howard and Deron Williams) could all still be available and moving soon.
Perhaps it shouldn't come as a surprise, but the three wealthiest teams in the NBA have made the biggest moves so far. Here's a quick recap of where things stand. For more details check out the SB Nation NBA Free Agency Hub for all the latest news and rumors.
We'll start with the New York Knicks who used the new amnesty provision to jettison Chauncey Billups (who's very unhappy) and dumped some other salary so they could do a sign-and-trade with the Dallas Mavericks to get Tyson Chandler. Chandler will give Amare Stoudemire a big who can protect the paint and do the dirty work inside and, along with Carmelo Anthony, gives the Knicks one of the strongest front courts in the league.
The Mavericks received a trade exception in the deal that they quickly used to acquire Lamar Odom from the Los Angeles Lakers. They sent a future first round pick to the Lakers but that pick is highly protected and therefore has much less value.
Most feel the move clears room for the Lakers to now make a run at Dwight Howard who has told the Orlando that he wants to be traded...to the New Jersey Nets. If the Lakers do land Howard, he would join a seemingly endless line of superstar centers who've played for the Lakers.
Deron Williams is sitting in New Jersey essentially as bait for Howard to pick the Nets as his destination. If Howard, however, ends up in Los Angeles then some believe he will be open to moving to his hometown Mavericks who would have the cap space and trade pieces to get him from New Jersey.
Oh, and Chris Paul....twice the NBA nixed deals sending him to the Lakers which has prompted a law suit threat from Paul's camp. The Clippers are now thought to be the leading suitor for his talents but the Golden State Warriors probably haven't given up on him yet.
The Houston Rockets were a big player in the Chris Paul deal (they would have gotten Pau Gasol and sent Luis Scola and Kevin Martin and other parts to the Hornets). Now they will probably go after a free agent big man, either Nene or Samuel Dalembert.
Meanwhile, at home, the Phoenix Suns waived Vince Carter and Gani Lawal. Carter is supposedly going to sign with the Mavericks while Lawal is waiting to find a new home. Shannon Brown has been officially signed and Sebastian Telfair's deal should be done very soon.
Crazy times in the NBA and it's far from over.
The Phoenix Suns are set to get their new, shortened preseason training camp underway, according to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic.
Following the lockout, the 2011-2012 NBA season is scheduled to kick off on Christmas Day, which leaves teams precious little time to officially train and get ready. The Suns will begin two-a-day workouts on Sunday at Grand Canyon University. The workouts will take place in the mornings and evenings and will be closed to the public.
There will be four two-a-days and an invitation scrimmage before the Suns return to US Airways Center on Friday. From Friday, the team will have only four additional days to practice before facing the Denver Nuggets in Denver and at home in their only two preseason games, on December 20 and December 22, respectively. One of those downtown practices is set to be opened to the public, although no announcement as of yet what the date will be for that. The Suns will play their first regular-season game at home on December 26 against the New Orleans Hornets.
For all news and information regarding the Phoenix Suns, please visit Bright Side of the Sun.
The Phoenix Suns appeared to have made a substantial move earlier in the week, but according to multiple reports on Saturday morning, the deal that would have sent Mickael Pietrus to the Toronto Raptors is off because of a swollen knee. Paul Coro of AZ Central has the latest update:
McCandless (agent for Pietrus) said the trade has been "postponed" and that Pietrus did not fail his Friday physical exam. He said the Raptors medical staff determined that Pietrus needed two to four more weeks to be cleared for play. Toronto will likely move another direction to fill the roster slot.
Toronto's doctors flagged something they saw in Pietrus' MRI exam on his right knee, which underwent minor surgery this summer after he missed the final 12 games of the last Suns season too.
Once Pietrus' knee recovers and is able to undergo treatment, the deal could still go down in the coming weeks.
"This is just an injured player," McCandless said. "Mike says he will be ready. He's been working out for two weeks. Is he in game shape? No."
Stay tuned for updates from our StoryStream. For more on the Suns, head on over to Bright Side Of The Sun.
The Phoenix Suns made two roster moves on Friday, the first official day of the NBA free agency period according to this report in the Arizona Republic.. One move was expected and the other isn't all that surprising in retrospect. The first move, was waiving veteran guard Vince Carter. The second was waiving "rookie" Gani Lawal.
Lawal isn't technically a rookie since he was drafted in the 2010 class (46th overall) but he played just two minutes with the Suns last season before suffering a season-ending knee injury in January. Lawal, a 6-9 power forward / center out of Georgia Tech, worked hard and got himself back on the court with a team in Poland during the lockout.
Gani averaged 30 minutes in 10 games and put up big numbers in the Polish League. He averaged 11.7 rebounds and 16.5 points per game, shooting 63% from the field. If nothing else, the overseas stint proved he is fully recovered from the torn ACL and was an opportunity for him to showcase and develop his game.
The Suns were loaded in the front court with Marcin Gortat, Robin Lopez, Channing Frye, Hakim Warrick and this year's lottery pick, Markieff Morris. The writing was on the wall for Lawal when the Suns drafted Morris at the same position. The two players have a lot of overlap in what they provide but Morris is considered a more polished offensive player with more range.
By cutting Lawal on Friday, the Suns avoid having his contract become guaranteed by making the training camp roster. Lawal should have time and plenty of opportunities to get on with another team looking for a high-character, athletic, tough-minded forward off the bench.
Carter, of course, has had a long and interesting NBA career. He came to the Suns in the trade with Orlando last year and was almost certainly destined to be waived. If the Suns didn't cut him, Vince would have been due $18 million for this season. The waiver comes with a $4 million prices tag. It's not yet clear if Carter, 34, will hang it up or if he will sign with a team looking for some bench scoring from the wing position.
Carter averaged 13.5 points per game with the Suns last season. He played in 51 games, starting 41 of them.
For more on the Suns, visit Bright Side of the Sun. For more on all the NBA free agency news, visit SB Nation's hub page.
After several tense days of "will he or won't he", free agent Grant Hill has reportedly decided to keep his talents in Phoenix where he will be a Sun for another season. Arizona Republic's Paul Coro reports that Hill will accept a one-year deal worth $6.5 million from the Suns.
azcentral.com blogs - Coro's Orange Slices - PaulCoro - Grant Hill will re-sign with Phoenix
The Spurs offered him two years and the Clippers offered him more money but the Knicks' and Bulls' one-year offers were tempting because of the quality of teams and Hill's relationship with Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni.
Grant Hill was reported to have considered a variety of other teams that were all interested in his considerable remaining talents. The Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs, New York Knicks, Miami Heat and the Los Angeles Clippers were all at point or another said to be trying to land the 39-year-old Duke basketball legend.
This deal was a priority for the Suns who appear to want to try and compete for a playoff spot this season with a veteran core of Nash and Hill and then have significant cap space in 2012 to go after a new batch of players. Both Nash and Hill come off the books after this season which could give the Suns as much as $30m in cap space to use next summer, although it's not clear what big name players will be available.
For more on the Suns, visit Bright Side of the Sun. For more on all the NBA free agency news, visit SB Nation's hub page.
Welcome to the first official day of the NBA season. The new CBA has been signed and the league has wasted no time asserting it's authority with Thursday night's nixing of the Chris Paul deal. Superstars make the big noise, but there's plenty more "regular" business to be done and one example is a report from France that the Phoenix Suns are sending swingman Mickael Pietrus to the Toronto Raptors. According to the Toronto Star, the deal returns a conditional second round pick to Phoenix.
This comes as no surprise from the Suns' side. Pietrus had limited success in Phoenix and with a reported price tag of $5.3 million this season wasn't likely to provide value to the Suns. The Raptors appear to have room under the salary cap to absorb Pietrus' contract without having to send back matching salaries.
Pietrus came to the Suns in December 2010 in the trade that sent Jason Richardson, Earl Clark and Hedo Turkoglu to the Orlando Magic in return for Vince Carter, Marcin Gortat and Pietrus. Mickael in 38 games for the Suns where he averaged 7.4 points per game.
With the reported addition of guard Shannon Brown, along with swingmen Jared Dudley and Josh Childress under contract and the possible return of small forward Grant Hill, there was little room for Pietrus on the roster. The eight-year vet is known for being an athletic defender but also has shown the propensity for erratic shot selection.
Pietrus finished last season on the bench with a leg injury and then had knee surgery in the offseason that kept him off the French National Team. He's been listed as one guy the Suns could waive using the new amnesty clause so a trade, even one that doesn't bring anything back, would benefit Phoenix.
In deals like this, a "conditional second round pick" is only included to make the deal work under the rules. Often, the conditions are set such that the receiving team never receives the pick. It's not clear at this point if the Suns will get a usual draft pick in this deal.
The Suns may also get a "Traded Player Exception" they can use in future trades to help acquire other players. It is not clear, however, that Phoenix will get a TPE in this case and if so, how big it would be.
The trade is reported to be contingent on Pietrus passing a physical with the Raptors. The Phoenix Suns have not yet responded to a request for confirmation of the deal.
[UPDATE by Seth Pollack, 12/09/11 11:15 AM MST ]
More details emerge via Paul Coro at the Arizona Republic:
azcentral.com blogs - Coro's Orange Slices - PaulCoro - Pietrus trade, Carter waiver expected today
The Suns also would have to send about $1 million to Toronto for the Raptors to take on Pietrus' $5.3 million salary in the last year of his contract. It is possible the Suns would never receive the Toronto pick because of the conditions placed on it.
Grant Hill is one of the more talented veterans currently available through free agency and the 39-year old is reportedly getting closer to signing with a team. While Hill has been linked to various clubs around the league, this report from J.A. Adande indicates it is a two-team race right now:
Free agent Grant Hill is expected to choose a team this afternoon, according to a league source. The source said Hill will decide between the team where he has played the past four years, the Phoenix Suns, and a newly emerged contender: the San Antonio Spurs.
One thing the source ruled out: "It won't be New York."
The deciding factor in the negotiations could be the length of a contract the Suns and Spurs are willing to offer. According to the report, Phoenix is unwilling to give Hill a two-year deal, while the Spurs have recently indicated they will indeed give the veteran forward the second year he desires. Should San Antonio sign Hill, many believe the team will waive Richard Jefferson, who is owed $30 million dollars in the next three years.
Hill spoke with Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic about the situation:
"It has not been an easy thing," Hill said of negotiations, which have included meetings with Suns President of Basketball Operations Lon Babby, his former agent, in each of the past two days. "I've got to make sure I'm comfortable with whatever decision it may be. I'm not comfortable right now."
The Suns have reportedly offered Hill a one-year deal worth $5.5 million while the Spurs were offering a two-year deal of an unknown amount and the Clippers offered $8 million before they went a different direction and agreed to a deal with Caron Butler. It's not clear what the Bulls or Knicks are able to offer.
Regardless of which team Hill signs with, fans can expect the deal to be completed in the very near future with training camp beginning this weekend.
For more on Phoenix, head on over to Bright Side Of The Sun.
The Phoenix Suns have (reportedly) come to terms with former Laker guard, Shannon Brown. The deal is reported to be for one year and $3.5 million. Brown is an extremely athletic 6-4 combo guard who has five years experience in the NBA.
Here's the quickly evolving sequence of reports on Brown:
Twitter / @Chris_Broussard:
Shannon Brown in serious talks with Phoenix, says Brown's agent Mark Bartelstein. Not done yet but close. Likely tomorrow.
Twitter / @WojYahooNBA:
Shannon Brown will sign a one year, $3.5 million deal with the Suns, league sources tell Y! Sports.
Twitter / @paulcoro:
The Suns will sign guard Shannon Brown to a one-year, $3.5M contract, as @WojYahooNBA has reported. He will join the Suns tomorrow
Brown was the 25th overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2006 out of Michigan State. He bounced around in trades from the Cavs to the Bulls to the Bobcats before eventually landing with the Lakers in 2009. Current Suns GM Lance Blanks was part of the Cavs front office that evaluated and drafted Brown.
Brown is a career 34 percent shooter from behind the arc and 42.3 percent from two. As was discussed on the first episode of Sunscast podcast, Shannon started to show flashes of turning into a more well-rounded basketball player early last year with the Lakers but then regressed back to being a player who made poor decisions on the court.
At 25, he has the opportunity to come to Phoenix and continue working on his game. The deal is good for the Suns since it both fills the need for wing scoring and athleticism without tying up a lot of salary or impacting the teams plans for 2012. It's a good opportunity for Brown to play in a different system with a distributor like Nash who tends to make his teammates a lot better.
We'll see if Brown can continue the process of becoming a better basketball player and earn himself a better contract next year. In the mean time, he will be good for several big dunks like these:
For more on the Suns, visit Bright Side of the Sun.
It took a few days longer than anticipated, but we are finally seeing the massive NBA rumor machine starting to crank up. The early focus has been on the stars, Chris Paul and Dwight Howard, and the star teams, the Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics and the Miami Heat. But now, finally, the real business of free agency is getting going with teams able to actually make deals starting Friday and training camps starting this weekend.
Phoenix Suns' hero Grant Hill is getting plenty of attention and perhaps more than any other 39-year-old free agent in recent history. He's certainly proved his value to the NBA over the last few years with the Suns where's not only remained healthy (missing just three games in the last three years) but he also proved he can be a lockdown defender at an age where most players have moved on to other endeavors.
Hill also has an extremely valuable skill that doesn't show up on fantasy sports balance sheets: Veteran leadership. Teams like the New York Knicks or Chicago Bulls could certainly stand an upgrade in that area.
Hill, according to the NY Post, is reportedly on the "verge" of signing with the Knicks but as is often the case with reports from the New York Post, there's also contradictory information from other reliable reporters.
SI's Sam Amick reports that Hill has not made a decision and is not close to an agreement with any team but his short list includes Phoenix, Chicago, New York and San Antonio. Grant's a smart guy and will likely sit back and watch how things unfold before making the best decision for his situation.
The Arizona Republic's Paul Coro also reports that there's "continued optimism" that Hill will stay in Phoenix. Coro also reports the Suns are close to landing backup point guard Sebastian Telfair.
Phoenix Suns close to contract with guard Sebastian Telfair
"We are moving closer," Telfair's agent, Andy Miller, said Wednesday night. "I anticipate us being able to put something together on Friday. We're having advanced dialogue."
Telfair, cousin of former Suns' guard Stephon Marbury, would add needed depth behind an aging Steve Nash who missed seven games last season. Telfair has bounced around the league since being drafted out of high school by Portland in 2004. He's not a flashy addition but fills a need on the roster at a position that doesn't have a lot of free agent options which year.
For more Suns discussion, visit Bright Side of the Sun.
According to HoopsWorld's Alex Kennedy, free agent point guard Sebastian Telfair is considering signing with the Phoenix Suns once the free agency period begins on Friday:
Alex Kennedy Sebastian Telfair is leaning toward signing with the Phoenix Suns, according to a league source.
Dec 08 via webFavoriteRetweetReply
Telfair played in only 37 games for the Minnesota Timberwolves last season, averaging 19.2 minutes a game, 7.2 points per and 3 assists. Telfair has had some injury issues the last couple seasons as he played only 43 games in '09-10 with the Cavaliers and Clippers, about half of the games possible over the last two seasons.
The seven year veteran could make a nice (and likely relatively cheap) addition to the Suns bench as a backup point guard to Steve Nash.
For more on the Suns, head over to Bright Side of the Sun.
The Suns' official schedule for the 2011-2012 season has been released, giving fans an idea of what to expect in this lockout-shortened season. The official schedule matches a previously leaked schedule that was mentioned here, and as was pointed out, Phoenix will face the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers only one time apiece. This schedule altercation, thanks to the lockout, means the Suns avoid going up against some of the Eastern Conference powerhouse teams twice, as would happen in a normal season, but with all those games now on the road, Phoenix is left with some rough match-ups away from their home court.
Overall, the Suns' schedule is balanced between home and road games; no month has more than eight on the road or ten at home, and most weeks are limited to four games. Unfortunately, the Suns are one of eight teams with two back-to-back-to-back game stretches on their schedule: Feb 13th, 14th, and 15th, then again on Mar 14th,15th, and 16th.
The Suns will be on national TV 16 times - with five on NBA TV, nine on ESPN, and two on TNT. Check out the official schedule here.
For more on the Phoenix Suns, visit Bright Side of the Sun.
Markieff Morris, the Phoenix Suns' first-round draft pick this past summer, is picking up things quickly during the team's informal workouts leading up to the official start of NBA team training camps in the days ahead.
He's also picking up his feet. A lot. Morris walks back and forth between workouts at the US Airways Center and his temporary home in a downtown Phoenix hotel. And he runs plenty during those workouts.
"They (coaches) just told me I've got to run, just keep running," Morris said Tuesday after his workout. "When all else fails, you just run. When you don't want to do anything, just run. They want me in tip-top shape and they gave me some of the playbooks and the plays to watch and it just shows me where I need to be on the floor."
Morris, a 6-10 forward from Kansas, wants to show the Suns he can mix it up in the low post and rebound, plus step out for a long jumper or run the court on the break.
"To be able to play with Steve (Nash) and hit those open shots, that's my game," Morris said. "Just to find my spots on the floor and you know Steve's going to find me."
Morris is glad to even be having the conversation about playing in the NBA, it seems. He was worried over the lockout, and wondered while watching his Jayhawks play Duke and Kentucky why he wasn't still there with his college team. KU lost both games last month.
Morris didn't want to sign a contract for a year and play professionally overseas, so he took the risk and stayed home to wait for the lockout to end. Thanksgiving came and went, and Morris was discouraged.
"I was thinking about washing cars or something, but no, no, no," Morris kidded. "I was working out the entire time up until the week before Thanksgiving when they had the (lockout) talks and they fell (through). I was like 'Oh man, I'm going to take two weeks off because it isn't going to happen until next year.'"
Morris thought, at one point, that perhaps an entirely new 2012 NBA draft class would be selected before he'd even had his rookie season. Then the labor issues were resolved.
"It happened, and I'm just glad to be here," he said.
The good news with the lockout was that Morris got to spend more time with his twin brother Marcus, who went to the Houston Rockets with the pick after the Suns and with whom Markieff played at Kansas.
"It's a little different playing without my brother, but I'm getting used to it," Morris said.
Morris is learning on the job. He's tried his moves learned from former NBA pro Danny Manning on the other Suns big men and acknowledges that he'll need to put on some weight to bang inside with the "bruisers," as he labeled them.
"A lot of cheating vet moves he (Manning) showed me already that I can get away with," Morris said. "They laugh, and I just tell them I learned it from 'D.'"
The official NBA schedule release isn't until this evening. But according to the Arizona Republic's Paul Coro, the Phoenix Suns will have scheduling quirks that could have both basketball and financial implications.
Due to the shortened season, there will be teams that the Suns only play once in the Eastern Conference. In a basketball sense, not having to endure visits from the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and Indiana Pacers would seem like a good thing. That's six playoff teams that the Suns will only have to play once on the road.
But the team's pocketbook won't have the same reaction. Missing those games means missing out on visits from Derrick Rose, LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Dwight Howard, Carmelo Anthony and the always intriguing return of Amar'e Stoudemire. All those players are big draws and none of them will be making a visit to play the Suns.
The Suns will open the season with a home game against the New Orleans Hornets, followed by a Dec. 28th trip to Philadelphia before facing the Hornets and the Oklahoma City Thunder on the road on Dec. 30 and 31. The Bright Side of the Sun also pointed out their feelings about some of the scheduling quirks.
"Here are a few of the biggest challenges I see the Suns facing based on this schedule. First, like every NBA season, the Suns will play some back-to-back games, but, this season it happens 17 times. Not only that, they also have two stretches where they will play three games in a row (Feb. 13, 14, 15 and March 14,15,16)...and in both cases the Suns will have to travel between both home and away games during these stretches. Another potential pitfall of the schedule is that the Suns will face every eastern powerhouse team (Heat, Celtics, Bulls, Magic, Knicks) in an away game...doesn't exactly seem fair."
Every team will have scheduling quirks due to the short season. But hopefully for the Suns, they didn't get the even shorter end of the stick.
For the entire Phoenix Suns schedule, go here.
The Phoenix Suns, like the rest of the NBA, are still a few days away from the official start of the free agency period. According to multiple reports, the players will begin voting on the new CBA on Wednesday and barring any complications the lockout will finally and fully end on December 9. In the mean time, teams have been permitted to talk to players and agents about potential free agent deals and with that comes the inevitable rumors.
The Suns, as expected, made Grant Hill their top free agent priority. Hill has expressed a desire to remain in Phoenix but according to a report in Sports Illustrated, he still has other teams on his mind including the Knicks, Bulls, Spurs, Warriors, Celtics and Clippers.
Phoenix has also been linked in the same report to 31-year-old combo guard, Jamal Crawford. With restricted free agent Aaron Brooks stuck in China until February or March, the Suns have an obvious need at the point guard position backing up Steve Nash and providing points off the bench.
Crawford is said to have narrowed his list of desired teams, in order, to New Orleans, Phoenix, Chicago, Atlanta, New Jersey, and Indianapolis.
It's not clear how much Crawford would demand in his next contract or what teams will be willing to pay. Crawford last signed a seven-year, $56m deal in 2004 with the Bulls. He's since played in Chicago, New York, Golden State, and Atlanta. He's known as a dynamic scoring guard with a limited defensive reputation.
The Arizona Republic has obtained an early copy of the NBA schedule for the Phoenix Suns. The schedule is set to be officially announced by the league on Tuesday evening.
The leaked version has the Suns opening their season at home on December 26 against the New Orleans Hornets followed by a visit from the Philadelphia 76ers on the 28th.
With the compressed 66-game schedule this season, not every team will get a chance to host every other team. For the Suns, that reportedly means the league's biggest stars from the Eastern Conference won't be coming to town. Miami, Chicago, Boston, Orlando, New York and Indiana will all avoid a trip to Phoenix.
Stars like LeBron James, Derrick Rose and Amare Stoudemire will not visit US Airways Center this season which deprives Phoenix basketball fans and certainly doesn't help ticket sales for the team.
We have to wonder if 10 of 12 Eastern Conference All-Stars and all the biggest names being left of the Suns home schedule is mere coincidence or if the notoriously imperial commissioner, David Stern, is exacting some measure of revenge on the team or its owner for some slight.
For more on the Phoenix Suns, visit Bright Side of the Sun.
The NBA lockout has all but murdered the NBA preseason this year, though not entirely.
The Phoenix Suns and Denver Nuggets will play a two-game, home-and-home set starting on Dec. 20 at the Pepsi Center in Denver, then two nights later on Dec. 22 the two will square off again at the U.S. Airways Center in Phoenix, with tip-off set for 7 p.m.
Due to the lockout the NBA decided that a two game preseason would all they could manage, with the two closest teams in geographic proximity facing each other consecutively. Many an NBA fan isn't a huge fan of the preseason, but considering everything going on this year, I'd take any semblance of NBA action at this point.
And for those who can't wait, here's the official Christmas Day schedule:
9 a.m. PT (TNT) : Boston Celtics @ New York Knicks
11:30 a.m. PT (ABC) : Miami Heat @ Dallas Mavericks
2 p.m. PT (ABC) : Chicago Bulls @ Los Angeles Lakers
5 p.m. PT (ESPN) : Orlando Magic @ Oklahoma City Thunder
7:30 p.m. PT (ESPN) : Los Angeles Clippers @ Golden State Warriors
The assembled media unquestionably agreed the interview Robin Lopez gave on Thursday was the longest, happiest and most memorable in his time with the Phoenix Suns. Lopez, along with teammates Steve Nash and Zabian Dowdell, were back at the Suns facilities for the first time since the end of the NBA Lockout.
Needless to say, the fourth-year center isn't known for being "media friendly" and in the past has been downright gruff. A very different Robin Lopez talked about how he used the extended time off to refresh both mentally and physically.
Robin reports an increase in his lift and being quicker and "bouncier" than he was at the end of last season when he was hampered by lingering effects of his March 2010 back injury.
At the same time, Robin acknowledged his poor play last season and didn't put it all on his health.
"For the first time in a while, I'm hoping that I can contribute to a pretty good front line out here," Lopez said. "Obviously, we've got Marcin (Gortat) and I'm hoping I can contribute what I failed to contribute last year."
Robin, along with his brother Brook Lopez of the New Jersey Nets, went to Houston to work on post moves with Hakeem Olajuwon. The Suns paid to send centers Marcin Gortat and Garret Siler to work with Hakeem in June but Robin and Brook paid their own fare to learn from the master.
Lopez said he focused on a few moves but mostly wants to try and get back in the mentality of being more aggressive defensively and on the glass.
We saw over a few months in 2010 how good Robin Lopez can be when healthy and properly engaged and motivated. He possesses a rare combination of size and athleticism and has decent offensive skills facing the basket.
It will be very interesting to see if a new mentality and more time to recover his agility and lift will translate to improved rebounding and better all around play.
The NBA lockout is over and members of the Phoenix Suns are allowed back in the facilities. Steve Nash spoke with the media on Thursday.
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text: Arrested Development Series 2 - 3. Amigos Share: About this programme 3/18. Michael vows to find his father and give him a piece of his mind, while Buster spends time with Lupe's family - and starts to believe he has crossed the border. Comedy, starring Jason Bateman. Cast and crew Cast Michael Bluth Jason Bateman Lindsay Funke Portia de Rossi George Oscar `Gob' Bluth II Will Arnett George Michael Bluth Michael Cera Mae `Maeby' Funke Alia Shawkat Tobias Funke David Cross George Bluth Sr Jeffrey Tambor Buster Bluth Tony Hale Lucille Bluth Jessica Walter Ron Howard Categories Sitcom Share:

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Other Things I Do
Comics on Jezebel and Buzzfeed
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Writing on Lifehacker, Mashable
Past life as a chocolate expert + spokesperson
Speaking about comix and Alice in Wonderland
Selling stuff on Etsy.
And I sometimes like to draw faces.
And when I'm not doing any of the above activities, I'm a PR consultant with a special place in my heart for startups and technology. You can contact me about it if you like.


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For all Blue Mountains shelter enquiries, please call (02) 4782 2674. Search for RSPCA NSW Blue Mountains animals currently available for adoption on www.adoptapet.com.au.
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Our niece cannot wait to meet her new cousin! :)
That's so sweet.
Awww so sweet!
I have the feeling that she's going to be a BIG help!
Sweet! I love when kids embrace the new editions.
That's too sweet! <3
Oh so sweet!! Very cute
Adorable picture!
Too cute!
How precious! Great pic!
that is so sweet!
That is so sweet!
That's just precious!
That is a sweet picture!
SERIOUSLY . . one of the most adorable photos ever!
so sweet. I luv photos like that. I bet she's soo excited
Great picture! How incredibly sweet!
AWW that's a very sweet photo
So sweet!
What an adorable picture, love her blonde hair!
Adorable photo!
Sweet photo!
Such an adorable photo!
My three kids just became cousins for the first time last week. It's so wonderful to see them all bond!
Such a sweet picture.
What a sweet moment to capture! My son's cousin has white blond hair like your niece.
Aw, that is so sweet!
What a sweet picture.
It won't be that much longer and she can!
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WHITESBORO, TX - Students in Whitesboro are mourning the loss of a friend and classmate.
Sherman Police say Dale Everett Thomas, 18, of Sherman and Kendall Golden, 16, of Whitesboro died early Sunday morning on Highway 82, after crashing their car. A third teen from Sherman survived but was taken to Parkland Hospital with serious injuries.
It was an emotional and somber day for Whitesboro High School, as students returned from holiday break. Kendall Golden was a well-liked junior at the high school and very active in the Bearcat Band. She played the trumpet.
News of her death has hit the entire community hard, but especially her "band family."
"She's a great kid," said Jim Cude, Whitesboro Band Director. "Just full of life and great to be around. Such a bright kid and had a great smile. She made everybody feel good. So we're going to miss her."
Kendall was closest to those friends in band and spent many hours perfecting her music inside the band hall. Kendall's roots run deep in Whitesboro. Her older brother played in the band and graduated from Whitesboro High a few years ago. He is now in the military serving overseas.
Cude says he had to face her friends early Monday morning with the tragic news. Many of his students had already heard of her death on Sunday, but Monday gave them a chance to get together and talk openly about their loss.
"We talked about how life is not fair - and they understand that," said Cude. "For them it's hard because band is like any type of sports team or group. It becomes your family. We work together. We have fun together and when something happens like this it affects us all."
This is the second death of a Whitesboro High School student this school year. Another student passed away in November.
Whitesboro Superintendent Dr. Steve Kolb called Golden's passing a "heavy loss" for the community and district. Extra counselors were brought to the high school Monday and several students reached out to those adults for counseling and support.
Funeral services will be held Friday afternoon for Golden. In lieu of flowers the family is requesting donations be made to the "Kendall Golden Band Student Support Fund." The money will help Kendall's friends and future band members pursue band-related activities like paying for instruments or attending band camp.
Police have not released the name of the teenager seriously injured in the accident and saying the crash is still under investigation.
Katy Blakey, KTEN News


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Attempts to build a new arena on the site of Nassau Coliseum, the home of the New York Islanders, have failed at every turn. Whether it's the lack of approval from local government for the massive Lighthouse Project proposal or the lack of taxpayer support for a more recent arena plan that was voted down in August, owner Charles Wang and the Islanders have seemingly exhausted most of their options.
As a result, fans have worried about the future of their team on Long Island. But is there new found hope yet again? Via Newsday comes details of a new proposal, put forth by a group called Association of a Better Long Island, which calls for a minor league baseball park, an outdoor ice rink a parking garage and retail space on the land that surrounds the Coliseum.
The $346.5 million proposal would also include $100 million in renovations to the Coliseum itself, which Newsday says "would make the structure large and taller, with new seats and suites." The paper also reports that the plan would be privately financed, a huge detail in the wake of the failed referendum that hit the ballot on August 1.
Our Islanders blog, Lighthouse Hockey, is sure to have more on this story.


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Unlocking the Secrets of Getting FREE Groceries
By Kathryn Lui
Learn the tried and true, time tested secrets and rules to getting groceries at-or-near FREE, including organic groceries, using manufacturer coupons.
About the Author
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Publish Date December 23, 2008
Dimensions Pocket 102 pgs
Black and White printing (on cream uncoated paper)
Tags groceries, coupons, organic
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NASHVILLE (AP) - Police in Tennessee say the bodies of 3 people, including two adults and a child, were found dead inside a home in Middle Tennessee about a mile from the Alabama border.
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spokeswoman Kristin Helm said Monday afternoon that the three people were found dead shortly before noon inside the home on Huntsville Highway in Lincoln County, about 100 miles south of Nashville. Another child, who was alive, was found at the scene, but TBI didn't say whether the child was injured.
No arrests have been made. Helm says investigators are working to develop a suspect.
The TBI said that the causes of the deaths aren't yet known.
Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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I wrote about the death of Archbishop Mark Shirilau, the Riverside man who led the worldwide Ecumenical Catholic Church, many of whose members are gays and lesbians, divorced people and others who felt unwelcome in traditional Christian denominations.
Shirilau, 58, died from heart failure resulting from pneumonia, Bishop James Wilkowski, head of the Chicago-based Evangelical Catholic Church and a longtime friend of Shirilau's, told me (Shirilau was forming closer bonds with Wilkowski's denomination when he died).
Shirilau told me in a 2008 interview that he founded the Ecumenical Catholic Church in 1987 to provide a religious home to gays and lesbians, even though he said he never felt a strong need to attend a gay-oriented church.
Shirilau told me he was happy in the Episcopal Church even in the mid-1980s, when the denomination was more conservative on gay and lesbian issues. But he said he knew that other gays were not comfortable in traditional denominations and he wanted to provide an alternative place for them to worship Jesus and to attend services that were familiar to them and that they found meaningful.
The Protestant Metropolitan Community Church already existed, but the Ecumenical Catholic Church was different, because its services use a blend of Roman Catholic, Episcopal and Lutheran liturgy. About half of the ECC's members still identified as Catholic, Shirilau told me at the time.
Bruce LeBlanc, and ECC bishop from Rock Island, Ill., called Shirilau a "theological visionary."
"He started a denomination that was advancing inclusion before the mainstream churches were substantively discuss(ing) those issues…," LeBlanc told me in an email. "We minister to souls often not ministered to by others."
David Kalke, a former Lutheran minister in San Bernardino and now an ECC bishop, said the creation of the ECC was groundbreaking.
"Remember that this was in 1987, when there was a lot of discrimination against gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people," he said. "They were for equal marriage rights and for ordaining GLBT people. Creating the ECC was a radical step."
My 2008 story was on how the ECC, as well as the gay Catholic group Dignity, were losing members. That was largely because of increasing acceptance of gays and lesbians – including as clergy and bishops — from liberal Protestant denominations such as the Episcopal Church and the United Church of Christ, Shirilau and Dignity leaders told me.
Shirilau told me that did not bother him.
"We provide an option," he said. "We don't recruit people who are already happy in their church."
The ECC was strongest in more conservative areas, such as Tulsa, Okla., where there were few other congregations where gays and lesbians could feel comfortable, Shirilau said.
As time went on, Shirilau and the ECC expanded their mission beyond gay and lesbian people.
"The Holy Spirit brought Mark Shirilau to a specific ministry," Wilkowski said, referring to gays and lesbians, "and over time because the Holy Spirit was pleased with the work Mark did, it brought him to other people, and so his ministry and the Ecumenical Catholic Church grew in its diversity."
During 2010, Shirilau presided over services in the church at Central City Lutheran Mission in San Bernardino as bishop of the La Obra de San Martín religious community that Kalke founded. Many of the congregants were poor immigrants, some undocumented, and their struggles had an impact on Shirilau, Kalke told me.
Kalke was the founding executive director of Central City in 1996 and left in early 2010 after years of battles with Evangelical Lutheran Church in America officials – including over his 2004 hiring of an openly lesbian minister against church policy.
Kalke now lives in Guadalajara, providing an ECC presence in Mexico. Under Shirilau's leadership, the church also expanded to Italy and more recently to Dubai, where an Indian-born man who this month was ordained as an ECC deacon ministers to poorly paid guest workers there (including many from the Indian subcontinent), Kalke said.
On Friday, ECC's bishops elected Kalke as acting primate and archbishop of the denomination.
LeBlanc praised Kalke's social-justice ministry in Mexico and said Kalke "has the right pastoral spirit to lead the Ecumenical Catholic Church as we move forward after the tragic loss of our founder and Primate Archbishop Shirilau."
Follow me on Twitter: @DavidOlson11


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A Dallas woman on her way to work last week was robbed by two thugs on a Dallas Area Rapid Transit train. While DART acknowledges the incident happened, it said the trains are safer now.
Michelle Howard disagrees.
In fact, the unit technician at Parkland Hospital has decided to shop for a car rather than rely on DART to get around like she has since she moved to Dallas two years ago.
"Because I'm terrified of taking the train," she said.
Last week Howard took the DART green line to work the overnight shift.
As her train pulled into the Hatcher Station at about 9:30 p.m., two men who she said had been harassing her robbed her.
"We came to a stop at the Hatcher Station and the gentlemen snatched my backpack off of me, tore my backpack off my shoulder," she said. "I started screaming, 'They just robbed me. They just robbed me.'"
Though DART admits robberies like Howard's do happen, there are not as many as people think.
According to statistics from the transportation provider, there have been only 39 robberies through the first seven months of this year.
Robberies are down 43 percent from last year and overall crime is down 17 percent on the buses, trains and at train stations.
"Since February of this year we've had a uniformed presence on every one of those trains. It's either a police officer, a fare enforcement officer or an armed guard," said Mark Ball, a spokesman for DART.
February was when two people were killed and a DART officer was shot at the Arapaho Road Station. The officer's protective vest and a cross in her shirt pocket were credited with saving her life.
Ball said DART's security personnel on the green line the night Howard was robbed could have been in a different car and did not know what was happening.
He could not say if there was security posted at the station itself where the men took the backpack and bolted.
"We have cameras at every one of our stations. We currently have 58 stations and a minimum of 10 cameras at the stations, so we're looking at you at all times," he said.
DART would not release the video of the robbery because investigators want Howard to try to pick the two suspects out from a photo lineup.
Howard will cooperate, but she doesn't plan to spend any more time with DART in the future.
"I'm not gonna get on that train again because I'm buying myself a car and I'm so happy about it," she said.
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A Trust has been set up to allow those in the Milford community to help Kevin and Brenda Tanski, Jeremy Puckett of Milford, Kevin M. Tanski Jr. of New Haven, Jenny Tanski of Milford and Courtney Tanski of Milford.
Kevin and Brenda, husband and wife, were hit and killed by a motor vehicle following the recent snow storm in Milford. According to Milford Police, Kevin and Brenda were walking with two of their children in the street on Bridgeport Avenue because the sidewalks were covered with snow.
Kevin and Brenda's daughter, Jenny Tanski, was released from the hospital early last week.
Gary Johnson, of the United Way of Milford, says his office has received numerous calls from residents since the accident, wanting to know how they could help, according to News 12 Connecticut.
Below is the address for the children's trust:
The Tanski Children's Trust, 162 Lee Street, West Haven, CT 06516
The wake for Kevin and Brenda Tanski is Thursday, the funeral is Friday.


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Halloween City, a seasonal costume store, is setting up shop in Toco Hill Shopping Center.
The store, which is also hiring, hung its sign above the storefront at 2927 North Druid Hills Road on Wednesday evening. It's open from 10am - 8pm. The store operates a chain of more than 400 temporary stores nationwide, according to its website.
Head to the store to apply for jobs. Some are listed on the store's website as well.
Halloween City has also replaced .


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The Hoopeston Area girls basketball team ended play at the Iroquois West Tournament in exciting fashion, beating Gardner-South Wilmington 40-38 on a 3-point shot by Olivia Smith with four seconds left in the consolation championship game.
Before that, the Cornjerkers were down 20-14 at halftime and 27-25 after the third against GSW, but they scored 15 points in the fourth on with Shelby Holzinger getting seven of her team-high 14 points in the quarter.
Holzinger, along with Cayla Davis, each had 10 rebounds. Smith had seven while Davis and Tori Smock had five and Haley and Sarah Dixon each had four points.
Holzinger and Haley Dixon each made the All-Tournament team for the Cornjerkers, who went 3-1 in the tournament and will play Armstrong-Potomac today.
Ancilla 60
DONALDSON, Ind. — The Jaguars' bench was on display, scoring 56 points as the team cruised past Ancilla.
David Hicks led the bench players with 16 points, Ronnie White had 15 points, nine rebound and seven blocks, Kody Tucker had 11 points and Raheem Jackson added 10. Chris Whitehead led the Jaguars with 17 points while Evan Blackmon added 10.
DACC took a 19-6 run in the first half to go on to a 28-16 lead and would not trail again. The Jaguars shout 59 percent and out rebounded Ancilla 43-38.
The Jaguars will take on Lincoln Trail on Saturday.
Ancilla 53
DONALDSON, Ind. — Kamaren Cole had 21 points and seven assists as the Lady Jaguars had no problems against Ancilla.
Javonna Smith got 20 points off the bench for DACC, who had a 51-33 lead at halftime, while Megan Hiner had 17 points and Emily Montgomery had 12 points and four steals.
The Lady Jaguars will also play at Lincoln Trail on Saturday.
Illinois 80
Oregon 62
CHAMPAIGN — All Illini starters scored in double digits as they defeated the Ducks for their second straight win.
Karisma Penn had 17 points to lead Illinois while Ivory Crawford had 16; Amber Moore added 15, Alexis Smith had 14 and Kersten Magrum scored 12. Penn had 12 rebounds, while Smith had six assists.
The Illini are 6-4 and will play Illinois State on Dec. 21.


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Westar Energy pledges $125,000 to Wichita State
Dec 20, 2013 9:22 AM | Print
Westar Energy has committed $125,000 to Wichita State University to help the College of Engineering expand and update its laboratory for teaching power systems, the WSU Foundation announced today.
Existing lab space in Wallace Hall currently being used for undergraduate power systems education will be expanded to include new equipment and tools to teach students about smart grids, synchrophasors, power quality and advanced system modeling. The new space will be called the Westar Power Systems Lab for a period of five years in recognition of the gift.
"We are enormously pleased by the leadership Westar Energy is providing to further the success of our graduates in the power systems area," said Royce Bowden, dean of the WSU College of Engineering, who will begin his job on Jan. 16. "Westar Energy's willingness to invest in the communities they serve is commendable. We look forward to this important partnership."
Helping engineering students at Kansas schools get a high-quality education is one way Westar can meet the needs of its customers, said Don Sherman, vice president of community relations and strategic partnerships for Westar Energy.
"Our Kansas schools are our most reliable source of engineers who are knowledgeable and passionate about providing great service to our customers," Sherman said. "The Westar Energy Power Lab will create a strategic partnership between Westar and WSU that will help both Westar and its customers find technical solutions to their electrical supply needs. This partnership will also be a great addition to the engineering program at WSU and bring matching funds to WSU from the state."
The gift from Westar will allow Wichita State to qualify for matching funds from the state under the University Engineering Initiative Act.
The creation of the Westar Power Systems Lab will help deliver exceptional hands-on learning to students, said John Watkins, chair of the department of electrical engineering and computer science in the WSU College of Engineering.
"This donation will allow the department to provide more equipment and new types of equipment to students who use our power systems laboratory," he said. "As the lab will be used in a broad range of electric energy classes, it will provide many students more hands-on experience in the electric energy area."
In addition to funding power system equipment for the lab, Westar's gift will be used to expand the existing lab space, purchase new furniture and rewire the lab.
This story has been tagged College of Engineering, WSU Foundation. See all RSS feeds here
Created on Dec 20, 2013 9:22 AM; Last modified on Jan 3, 2014 11:46 AM
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Zack's Kernel News
Kernel News
Chronicler Zack Brown reports on the latest news, views, dilemmas, and developments within the Linux kernel community.
Global Hash Table Implementation
What can happen in big software projects is that developers implement the same low-level feature over and over again. Some sort of helper code would be useful, so they create it in their little area of the project and use it happily, never realizing that there are similar helpers scattered all over the codebase.
One such useful gizmo is the hash table. Sasha Levin recently submitted some code for a simple hash table implementation, specifically so it wouldn't need to be reimplemented all over the place by other kernel hackers.
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Tag Cloud
Knoppix 7.4 Released
Klaus Knopper announces the latest version of his iconic Live Linux system.
PHP Attack Puts WordPress and Drupal at Risk
All websites that use these popular CMS tools could be vulnerable to denial of service attacks if users don't install the updates.
Heartbleed Bleeds On
According to a report, many potential victims of the Heartbleed attack have patched their systems, but few have cleaned up the crime scene to protect themselves from the effects of a previous intrusion.
Drone Brain Goes Open Source
DARPA and NICTA release the code for the ultra-secure microkernel system used in aerial drones.
Password Management Services Vulnerable to Attack
Should you trust an online service to store your online passwords?
New Raspberry Pi Adds Two USB Ports
New B+ board lets you build cool things without the complication of a powered USB hub.
Microsoft Grabs No-IP.com Domains
Redmond rushes in to root out alleged malware haven.
Firefox Steps into 3D
New initiative will bring futuristic virtual reality effects to the web surfing experience.
New Trojan Targets Online Banking
Dyreza malware launches a man-in-the-middle attack that compromises SSL.
HP Rolls Out Massive Cloud Network
New cloud combines worldwide access with local attention to data security.


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4 posts tagged "Luca Guadagnino"
Ferragamo Takes Us To The Movies-------
Lauren Hutton is returning to the silver screen—or, rather, your computer screen—in Walking Stories, a romantic comedy created by Luca Guadagnino for Salvatore Ferragamo. The film captures a love story that unfolds in three cities near and dear to Mr. Ferragamo's heart: Los Angeles, where his brand flourished; Shanghai, where the future of fashion lies; and Florence, his beloved hometown. Alongside Hutton, fresh faces such as Kaya Scodelario, Billy Magnussen, and Nathalie Buscombe bring the tale to life (and the rising stars look good doing it—decked out in Ferragamo, naturally). Walking Stories premieres October 8 on www.ferragamo.com, and will be followed by eight biweekly episodes and behind-the-scenes footage. A series of film stills debuts here, exclusively on Style.com.
Body By Dior-------
Luca Guadagnino—who became fashion's favorite filmmaker after featuring Jil Sander by Raf Simons wares in his 2009 flick, I am Love (above)—has tapped Dior to costume his new movie, Body Art. Does that make Raf the body artist?
Kloss To Walk In Paris?; Christopher Kane Has Not Been Approached For The Dior Job; And More…-------
Karlie Kloss has been missing from the fashion week scene, but it appears she might be on the runways in Paris. Last night she tweeted a photo of the City of Light and gave a shout-out to all of her Paris fashion week ladies, Anja Rubik, Joan Smalls, and Jourdan Dunn included. [@karliekloss]
To show off its Spring collection, Giorgio Armani brought on I Am Love director Luca Guadagnino to do a three-minute film. The short, shot in Mantua and Cremona, stars Milou Van Groesen, Diego Fragoso, and Vinicius Sales. [WWD]
The Duchess of Cambridge is holding a footwear design competition for six lucky students. The winner from the group, all students at De Montfort University in the footwear designer program, will get to see Middleton wear their shoes. [Telegraph]
While Christopher Kane's name was recently added to the mix of designers rumored to be in contention for the Dior job, Kane told British Vogue today that he has not been approached for the job. "While it is incredibly flattering that I could be considered for a role at a house such as Dior at this stage in my career, I can confirm that I have not been approached," he says. [Vogue U.K.]
HERE, Now-------
Lately, model Agyness Deyn has been making headlines with her provocative role as a stripper in the upcoming Danish film Pusher, but she also has another acting role up her sleeve. Deyn is the star of Waris Ahluwalia's latest project for The Luxury Collection Hotels—a short film (which he told Style.com about a while back) entitled HERE. Deyn is part of an all-star cast Ahluwalia enlisted for the movie—Tilda Swinton conceived the short with the designer, I Am Love's Luca Guadagnino directed it, Heidi Bivens designed the costumes, and Jason Schwartzman created the soundtrack. The film, which follows a coast-to-coast romantic voyage between three of the Collection's hotels, doesn't go live (on TheLuxuryCollection.com/TheFilmHere) until January 24, but Style.com has the exclusive first look at the teaser (above).


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Better get on the bandwagon now, folks, because once Caleb goes 27-33 for 317 yards and three touchdowns, the Roweboat will have already filled up. Claim your spot at the front while you still can.
Game kicks at 1:00 on ESPN3. Bit disappointing that on a Saturday with only four ACC matchups you still can't get on actual TV, but look at the bright side: at least this means there won't be any blackouts, I guess.
Random, Baseless Prediction: Jeremiah Johnson gets his first pick, to go with all the PBUs.
Prediction: Caleb Rowe goes for 250+, Stefon Diggs scores twice, and Maryland's defense looks great. Because, really, why not? Last time Maryland's fanbase needed a win for morale, this happened. This team isn't going to shrink from anything, and they're still better all-around than Boston College. Terps 20-10.


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"The world speaks to me in pictures
my soul answers in music."
Rabindranath Tagore
Upcoming Shows
July 2nd, Cigar Bar, Trio Garufa
July 3rd, SF Jazz at Stanford, Western Territory Ensemble w/Adam Theis
July 7-11, Golden Gate Bass Camp, workshops and lessons all week!
July 10th, Musical Art Quintet, Yerba Buena Gardens Festival
July 11th, Tango Atípico, Trio Garufa
July 12th, Savanna Jazz, tribute to Horace Silver
July 18th, DeYoung Museum, Trio Garufa
July 24th, The Terrace, Oakland, w/Rob Reich
July 25th Alma de Tango, San Anselmo, Trio Garufa
August 2nd, Trio Garufa in Victoria B.C. at Alix Goolden Hall
September 26-28, The Brom Bones Tale & Ale, World Premier w/Island Moving Company, Newport R.I.
October 26th, Yoshi's SF, The Musical Art Quintet