League-wide news, notes and thoughts as NBA training camps get underway:
• New Orleans forward Anthony Davis, the top overall draft pick, and Charlotte swingman Michael-Kidd Gilchrist (the second), begin camp this week. Prediction: It’ll be a three-man race between those two, and Portland point guard Damian Lillard (No. 6 overall), for rookie of the year.
• Expect to read this line uttered by Trail Blazers forward Nicolas Batum by someone from every playoff-maybe on Monday: “I think we can surprise some people and a lot of people are counting us out already. Yes, I know we’re young, but I think we have the talent to surprise people this year. We’re just going to work hard and get better every day and we’ll see what happens. Playoffs? We’ll see.”
• Forward Josh Childress is fighting for a roster spot with Brooklyn. Childress just hasn’t been the same since returning from Greece a few years back. So much for guys using foreign clubs as leverage in American contract negotiations.
• Former Detroit forward DaJuan Summers is in camp with Charlotte.
• Ex-Xavier guard Tu Holloway is in camp with Dallas. Holloway had a nice college career but is basically an undersized shooting guard in the NBA. He did not get drafted.
• Former first-round picks Jonny Flynn and Terrence Williams are both attempting to cling to NBA life with the Pistons.
• Sam Young, once a part-time starter for Memphis, is in camp with Indiana. Young could turn into an underrated pickup.
• Former Central Florida scoring machine Jermaine Taylor is in camp with Minnesota. Taylor played in the D-League and China last season.
• Hollis Thompson, an undrafted forward out of Georgetown, is in camp with Oklahoma City. Thompson suffered a groin injury after the season. Otherwise, he likely would’ve been a mid-second-round pick.
• Former Ohio State big man Dallas Lauderdale is in camp with Portland. Every shot outside of five feet is an absolute thrill ride.
• Ex-Dayton forward Chris Wright is in camp with Toronto. Wright was a bench player last season (as a rookie) with Golden State.
• Darnell Jackson and Chris Quinn are two one-time NBA regulars trying to stick in Utah. Shavlik Randolph is doing the same in Washington.
• Everyone’s pick for the Finals: Miami, and either Oklahoma City or the L.A. Lakers. But don’t sleep on Boston (will be even better if healthy), San Antonio (at least as good if healthy), and even Indiana (league’s most physical team) and Memphis (a ratings nightmare — but driven, deep and talented).
• And is just me, or are the Heat the only postseason guarantee in the Southeast?
• I’ll have plenty more NBA posts on these pages later today, and all season long. So check FOXSportsOhio.com and FOXSports.com regularly. Thanks for reading and looking forward to providing coverage in 2012-13.
