Dirk Nowitzki, Dime #32The 2008 Beijing Olympic field is set: Angola, Argentina, Australia, China, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Iran, Lithuania, Russia, Spain and Team USA. The last spot went to Dirk Nowitzki, Chris Kaman and the German squad (giving Europe a total of six teams; half of the field and more than any other region by far), who knocked off Puerto Rico in yesterday’s loser-out finale at the qualifying tourney in Athens. Dirk put up 32 points and nine boards, while Kaman added 10 and 12. Notice how Kaman got onto the German team last-minute, but slid right in, accepted his role (rebounder, interior enforcer for Dirk, occasional scorer) and played it well without rocking the boat? Sam Dalembert could learn a thing or two. Dirk’s designated layup-line rebounder with the Mavs, J.J. Barea, scored 18 for PR, who played without Carlos Arroyo (torn calf). Missing out on the Olympic berth is bad enough, but it’ll hurt Arroyo even more if this injury affects his free-agent possibilities. He’s already got to convince any team interested in him that he’s not gonna be a turnover machine; the last thing he needs are injury concerns attached to him … The Vegas Summer League wrapped up, but three of its standouts — Kevin Love, Robin Lopez and Jerryd Bayless — sat out their respective games after practicing with the USA Basketball select squad earlier in the day. That didn’t keep Bayless from copping MVP (29.8 ppg), but was he really just a product of the Blazers’ system? As soon as JB wasn’t around hogging all the two-guard minutes, J.R. Pinnock dropped 30 against the Hornets. Brandon Roy in the NBA, Bayless in the summer league, then Pinnock — Nate McMillan might be the NBA’s version of Mike Shanahan … Donte Greene scored 22 and Aaron Brooks had 20 and eight dimes in Houston’s win over the Kings, but Sacto fans have to like the stat lines turned in by their young bigs: Spencer Hawes (22 pts, 6 rebs), Jason Thompson (21 pts, 9 rebs) and Shelden Williams (20 pts, 9 rebs) all did their thing … Alando Tucker (25 pts) and D.J. Strawberry (20 pts) finished their run as the Vegas league’s most dominant 1-2 punch in Phoenix’s rout of the Wizards. And for someone who got a lot of NBA burn last year — much more than Tucker and Strawberry — Nick Young wasn’t impressive at all over the last couple of weeks. He averaged 11 points and shot 35 percent from the floor in five games … Carmelo Anthony, Deron Williams, Chris Paul and O.J. Mayo dropped by the gym to check out the games … Apologies are in order. With everything we’ve got going on in the Dime office lately (including being under deadline for an issue) and with so much focus on Vegas, we forgot to mention that the Rocky Mountain Revue — the summer league held in not-so-glamorous Salt Lake City — kicked off over the weekend. The Jazz, Spurs, Hawks, Mavs, Warriors and Nets have squads involved, there’s a team of “D-League Ambassadors,” and the Iranian national team is also there while they prepare for the Olympics … Acie Law went 3-for-13 and had five turnovers in the Hawks’ opener, then came back and dropped 17 points the next night. His inconsistency would be a bigger deal if ATL didn’t already have Mike Bibby, and if the entire franchise wasn’t paranoid about losing Josh Smith. Still, the Hawks need to get some production out of Law if they want to get back to the playoffs next year … Gerald Green dropped 20 and 15 points, respectively, in his first two RMR games. If you’re the Mavs, would you rather have Green or Devean George on your team? George is supposedly getting interest from a half-dozen teams on the market, most of them contenders. Is there some rule that any vet with a championship ring or two, no matter how ineffective he might be now, will always land on a good team? … We’re not expecting much from the D-League squad in this RMR run, considering that any D-League player worth an NBA look is already getting one on somebody else’s summer league team. Notables on the Ambassadors squad include Carl Elliot (George Washington), Errick Craven (USC), Scooter McFadgon (Tennessee) and James Lang (preps-to-pros pick in ‘03 who has played a total of 11 NBA games) … We’ll get our first look at Kosta Koufos in the RMR, but our next look at him might be in Beijing. He’s on the Greek roster, although he didn’t play with them in Olympic qualifying while he practiced with the Jazz. The Greeks are already nice, and adding a 7-footer with NBA talent who can shoot is gonna make them that much more of a threat … FYI, Sidney Moncrief is coaching the Warriors’ team in Utah, while Robert Pack is on the Spurs staff as an assistant … Over the weekend we started our series of looking at the needs of all 30 teams and seeing what they can do to fix them. So far we’ve gone over the Celtics and the Lakers. Come back to the site later today to see if your favorite team is the next one up … We’re out like Arroyo …
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July 21st, 2008 at 5:29 am
Donnie B says:
First!
July 21st, 2008 at 5:53 am
imngloloupaw says:
second! hahahaha let’s go germany!
July 21st, 2008 at 5:55 am
the_don_mega says:
i remember my friend had a roberd pack Upper Deck card back in the day…
July 21st, 2008 at 6:12 am
solomon (the artist formerly known as the real marcus) says:
well… robert pack as an assistant… what’s he gonna tell them, dunking on traffic? forcing a 4-on-1 fastbreak?
acie law = marcus williams (nj) = heralded college PG whose best chance to start in the L just flew out… at least ray-ray felton got a couple of years under his belt (at least, until DJ hooks it away from him)…
we’re out like some seniors starting in the L…
July 21st, 2008 at 6:17 am
jz_smoove says:
blazers are gonna be wicked this year. hopefully the raptors make some noise too, they have best 1-2 bigs in the east.
July 21st, 2008 at 6:25 am
josh says:
you mean 1-4 fast break…Pack was dope. especially ‘that’ sonics series.
July 21st, 2008 at 6:26 am
solomon (the artist formerly known as the real marcus) says:
nate mcmillan is in an messy situation, IMO…
who’s gonna be starting along roy? rudy? bayless? interim PG eminem?
who’s gonna man the 3 spot? travis “always potential” outlaw? webster? and rudy can always play the 3…
the paint? will they roll out oden early? the pryz / frye frontcourt aint gonna take them nowhere… and what to make of ike “always potential v.2″ diogu…
we’re out like a constant rotation in rip city…
someone’s definetely gonna be unhappy…
July 21st, 2008 at 6:28 am
solomon (the artist formerly known as the real marcus) says:
yeah 1 on 4… but gotta admire the guts and the freakish hops…
July 21st, 2008 at 7:32 am
AB_40 says:
I know the othe poule is good and 4 of the teams qualify but spain, greece and usa in one poule? With home favorites China and unpredictable Germany and… Angola.
The other poule is aight too with Lithuania, Russia, Croatia, Argentina, Australia and uhm Iran.
Still I think the first poule is a little bit stronger either way. If I can I will watch all the games possible. Can’t wait to see team usa vs greece and spain. Argentina Russia ohw my can’t wait:D
July 21st, 2008 at 7:35 am
Borgs says:
Olympics will rule!! So much talent. The USA are far from automatic, and you can get up to 1.40 (still the clear favourites) with some bookies for USA gold.
Interesting matchup between Kaman-Nowitzki and Howard-(someone other than Anthony) in the group stage. Now we’ll see if the USA has size issues.
July 21st, 2008 at 8:41 am
dmitry of jersey says:
anyone else wondering if all this bball over the summer will take a toll on Dirk?
if the mavs start the season slow I can see him in some serious trade rumors.
July 21st, 2008 at 9:12 am
Spliff 2 My Lou says:
Solomon you forgot to mention Aldridge in the front court in your breakdown of Portland. He was consistent last year and will compliment Oden nicely.
July 21st, 2008 at 10:22 am
MSkittle says:
Am I getting too far ahead of myself by saying Bayless could win ROY this year? I know he wasn’t playing against great comp, but I was so impressed with his athleticism and poise in the summer league.
And Robert Pack was a nice back in the day.
July 21st, 2008 at 10:24 am
K Dizzle says:
Anybody else hear that Chandler is hurt and can’t be an alternate for Team USA?
July 21st, 2008 at 10:35 am
isotope says:
Hey Dime,
so who won the summer close-out items?
July 21st, 2008 at 11:19 am
Borgs says:
dmitry, I wondered the same about Dirk last season after Eurobasket ‘07. Then, he injured his ankle toward the end of the reg season and came back weeks before he was supposed to. You have to hand to him, he’s tough. As for trade rumours… hasn’t there been enough said and refuted about Dirk being shifted? He’s the MVP one season removed! It’s not happening.
July 21st, 2008 at 11:34 am
C Burner says:
I feel bad for Greg Oden. You’d think with all that money, he’d have people around him to teach him how to dress himself.
July 21st, 2008 at 12:07 pm
daQUeSt?oN says:
we’re out like arroyo…thats cold
July 21st, 2008 at 12:27 pm
LakeShow84 says:
Acie Law is a bust.. and why is it any guards who go to Atlanta end up as busts.. can someone explain this to me?? Even when Bibby went there he lost even MORE of his stroke.. Must be ATL food..
Laws a waste of a draft pick.. Sad.. but i thought he went to high in the draft anyways.. he wasnt THAT good in college.. Clutch but not GREAT..
July 21st, 2008 at 12:27 pm
that's whats up says:
ice cold
July 21st, 2008 at 4:40 pm
doc says:
Get off Sammy back yall.If he was balling with Dirk he’d be doing the same shit Kamen doing.You cant when your whole team stinks.
July 21st, 2008 at 6:53 pm
. says:
.
July 21st, 2008 at 9:32 pm
solomon (the artist formerly known as the real marcus) says:
my bad… forgot about lamarcus (the slim version of eddy curry)…
and hell yeah,we’re out like arroyo, in the olympics and the L perhaps…