- Kobe Bryant has tied Tiger Woods for America's favorite athlete , according to one poll. Those of you who think that LeBron's image has been irrevocably damaged should probably keep that in mind. Winning solves everything. Meanwhile, Cleveland fans are coming up with a way to help people with their deep, seething hatred. The American way.
- Andrew Bynum's knee surgery has been sheduled for July 28th , after being postponed from July 18th. The surgery is to repair a small tear in the meniscus he played through in the playoffs. Complications are unlikely, but Bynum does have a significant injury of not snapping back from surgery.
- SB Nation Arizona's Seth Pollack lays out the Suns' plan for the future . The hiring of Lon Babby and all of their short-term, mid-size contracts they've added are all part of a strategy to set themselves up for "the big trade" whenever that may be and whoever that may be for. It's a smart play if you have the money and patience for it. Owner Robert Sarver does not have the patience for the draft-heavy Blazers/Thunder approach and doesn't like rebuilding. It does fall in line with a thought process I tend to agree with, which is that there are always good players available if you're aggressive enough to get them. We've seen Al Jefferson moved in the last month. You just have to seize the opportunity. But with Steve Nash continuing into his mid-30s, time may be short for the window of opportunity before a true rebuilding era is needed.
- Matt Barnes has narrowed his list of suitors to five after the Toronto sign-and-trade deal collapsed. Toronto's still in the mix, along with Cleveland, Miami, Boston, and LA. Not tha he's chasing a ring or anything.
- It would not surprise me at all to see Alonzo Gee as the Spurs' starting small forward in a few years. Gee has an NBA frame, explosion, touch, range, and athleticism. The gaps in his game are hard to identify, even if he's incapable of taking over a game.
- Ben Gordon was in Vegas scouting as parting of the Players Association's leadership and development program, preparing himself or a career in basketball when his playing time is done. No word on if he put negative comments around every player that did not shoot 20 times a game regardless of the offense's context.
- An interesting take from Jeff Rabjohns at the Indy Star, who says that Lance Stephenson may be the right fit for the Pacers as starting point guard, whether he's sucessful or not .
