Knicks vs. Lakers opens day four
BUSY DAY
Day Four of the NBA Summer League is about to tip off and it’s the start of the shuttle between Cox Pavilion and the Thomas & Mack Center. With seven games today, fans can go back and forth between the two gyms which should relieve some of the congestion.
But the real action is taking place two miles away at the Palms as the league’s board of governors are meeting at this hour and there are several owners, namely Dallas’ Mark Cuban, who are not happy with the way the LeBron James free agent scenario went down. Charges of collusion and tampering have been bandied about.
Commissioner David Stern will brief the media at 4 p.m. and we; will let you know what he said. Oh, and if you’re wondering about Vegas’ NBA future, it’s not happening anytime soon and Stern won’t even bother addressing it.
The Knicks and the Lakers are today’s first game and it’s a late arriving crowd as the Cox is not even half full at tipoff. Normally, this is a marquee matchup given the popularity of the Lakers and the large number of ex-pat New Yorkers in Vegas. Maybe it’s simply too hot to venture from home over to UNLV.
O.J.’S HERE
The Memphis Grizzlies debut tonight and O.J. Mayo is expected to play. He’s making the switch from shooting guard to the point so the Griz want to see how he handles the transition in a live game. Mayo is p;laying at 7:30 p.m. in the Thomas & Mack against Atlanta. The Hawks are making their first-ever summer league appearance in Vegas fans of the ATL will be interested to see how first-round draft pick Jordan Crawford performs in his debut. Crawford played at Xavier but he’s probably more famous for dunking on LeBron James at James’ camp a couple of years ago.
STICKING AROUND
Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni said he’s going to remain in Vegas throughout the rest of the summer league as he prepares for USA Basketball’s minicamp at Cox Pavilion. The team, which will be without all of the members of the gold-medal winning team of 2008, including James, Kobe Bryant,.Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and the others, will be led by Oklaoma City’s Kevin Durant. Players are expected at Wynn Las Vegas on July 19 and the workouts begin the next day at the Cox. As always, practice is closed to the general public.
NO GRIFFIN
The Clippers are in action for the first time this summer league tonight against John Wall and the Wizards but Blake Griffin, last year’s No. 1 overall pick, isn’t participating. His surgically repaired left knee is fine and he’s working out. But the Clips decided to hold him out of the summer league.
Too bad. a Griffin vs. Wall matchup would have been entertaining to see.
