Rondo is ready to get buckets; The Mavs are already hurting

We’re finally getting close to actual NBA basketball. After an eventful yet long and drawn-out offseason — apparently a lot of basketball writers grow quiet when they don’t have LeBron James to kick around anymore — training camps are already underway some teams and right around the corner for the rest … Word out of Boston is that Rajon Rondo has improved his jumper and that he will be more aggresive taking that jumper and looking for his own shot this season. That sounds good and all, but everybody involved with the Celtics should be careful what they wish for. The franchise has been trying forever to get through to Rondo that he’s The Man, and while he appears to get it now, hopefully he doesn’t lose that pass-first playmaker’s edge that makes him truly special. Everybody is so stuck on having their superstar be a total-package player that sometimes they’ll accidentally break something that didn’t need to be fixed … Rondo’s partner in crime, KG, made headlines the other day when he told reporters that he’s no longer talking to the departed Ray Allen. Ray responded yesterday: “That’s a shame. I’m a good person to talk to on the phone.” Who’s ready for another over-hyped “rivalry” between a guard and a big man in which they rarely cross paths on the court? It’ll be like Shaq vs. Kobe, Part 2 … Jeff Green may be called upon to fill some of those minutes Ray left in Boston, and he says he’s ready for the challenge after missing all of last season with a heart condition. Green spent the summer playing pickup ball at Georgetown and said he asked the guys he ran with to hit him in the chest whenever he drove the lane. Risky, but probably necessary just to get over the psychological hurdle … Flip Murray is expected to be in Grizzlies’ camp. Even if he makes the team he probably won’t get much PT, but it’s interesting that between Flip and Zach Randolph, Memphis has two guys who aren’t athletic freaks but could be dropped in a cage with a basketball, a hoop and five hungry bears and still find ways to score … Raja Bell won’t be at Jazz camp, even though he’s on the roster and slated to make $3.5 million this season. Utah still hasn’t found anything to do with him, and at this point the options are either to trade him, waive him, sit him and pay him, or lock him in a room with Tyrone Corbin and see who comes out … … Hit the jump to hear about Chris Kaman’s first day in Dallas …

Day 1 of training camp, and Chris Kaman is already hurt. The lower back sprain he suffered in his first practice as a Maverick reportedly isn’t serious, but damn. Kaman might need to be put in a protective bubble just to make it to Opening Night. Which is weird because Kaman looks like he should be auditioning for the next Deadliest Warrior episode featuring vikings, but he’s more fragile than Chad Pennington‘s shoulder … Oh, and bad news for the Mavs if in fact Kaman’s body betrays him again: Dwight Howard has targeted the Lakers/Mavs opener on Oct. 30 as his return date from last season’s back injury … Raise your hand if you thought Mike Miller was gonna go out on top and retire with a ring after his incredible performance in Game 6 of the NBA Finals. Yeah, we thought so too. But Miller is back for another go-round with the Heat and now he isn’t even saying this will be his last season. “We got to see if I can make it through one,” Miller told reporters. And by “one,” he means one year, not one week … Remember when DeJuan Blair was kind of a big deal in the Spurs’ future plans? Now he might not make it through the trade deadline in San Antonio, and it has nothing to do with his infamous knees. Asked about Blair’s assertion that he thought he’d be traded this summer after falling out of Pop‘s rotation late last season, Spurs GM R.C. Buford said, “We understand the way he feels. If we were in his shoes we may feel similar. Having said that, DeJuan helped us win a lot of games and we have not had anything presented to us that puts our team in a better position than moving forward with DeJuan.” Doesn’t sound like a ringing endorsement, more of a soon-as-a-good-offer-comes-along type of thing … We have no issue with the Nets being profiled on NBA TV’s The Association, but can we at least get somebody to set up a live video stream of every Clippers practice? Between Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, Travis Leslie and camp invitee Marqus Blakely — a former NCAA dunk contest champ — it’s gonna be the greatest highlight montage you’ll never see … Nets GM Billy King weighed in with his pick for the NBA’s best backcourt and, surprise, he chose Deron Williams and Joe Johnson. This is gonna be a hot argument all season long. Kobe and Steve Nash have the names and the resumes; Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili have the rings; D-Will and Joe have the pure talent; Russell Westbrook and James Harden have youth on their side and the most potential. How do you rank them? … We’re out like Arkansas football …

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