Four free agents to compete for mav's final roster spot - Dallas-Mavs.com Forums

dude1394 · 08-11-2006, 09:10 PM

Free agents compete for Mavs' final roster spot

07:49 PM CDT on Friday, August 11, 2006

By CHUCK CARLTON / The Dallas Morning News

Former first-round pick Ndudi Ebi will be among four free agents competing for a Mavericks roster spot in training camp.

The players and the team have reached agreements on training camp contracts.

Ebi, 22, will be joined by 6-5 swingman Pat Carroll, 23, and two point guards, 6-2 Darius Washington, 20, and 6-0 Juan Jose Barea, 22. The four are vying for the 15th and final spot on the roster, assuming the team does not sign a veteran.

"What you have are four young guys with upside who are worth investing in," president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson said.

Ebi, a 6-9 forward who played at Houston Westbury Christian, jumped to the NBA from high school. He was taken 26th by Minnesota in 2003, three spots ahead of Josh Howard.

But he played just 19 games in two seasons before being released in November. Ebi spent last season with Fort Worth in the National Developmental League and attended Hakeem Olajuwon's big man camp in Houston this week.

"I think Ndudi was too young, too unprepared for the NBA the first time," Olajuwon told the Houston Chronicle. "Now I see stronger, more confident moves. ... I think he's ready."

The Mavericks also are intrigued by the point guards. Washington was undrafted after his sophomore year at Memphis, where he was a two-year starter in a strong program. A scorer first, Washington is still learning his position.

Barea is a more traditional point guard. He excelled at mid-major Northeastern (2,290 career points) and was impressive in three appearances for Puerto Rico at the Global Games. He must prove he can play against NBA competition.

Carroll, who played at St. Joseph's, is the younger brother of Charlotte's Matt Carroll and has a similar game – including a nice perimeter shot. He rebounded from a serious shoulder injury to average 16.4 points for Houston in the Vegas Summer League.

E-mail ccarlton@dallasnews.com

chumdawg · 08-11-2006, 09:17 PM

Oh, my God. This just MADE my summer!! I can't believe they got JJB into their camp. What a coup!!

If they manage to land BOTH Pops and JJB, I will be ecstatic beyond belief. I also like Darius and have some hope for Ebi. But let's face it. If they are bringing Berea to camp, there is no way he is not winning a roster spot. That dude is a freakin' basketball player.

It's awful fun in Mavsland, these days.

dirno2000 · 08-11-2006, 09:31 PM

I'd go with Carroll. Darius Washington can play in this league but we're loaded at the point. Carroll's was a career 45% 3-point shooter at St. Joes. I like the idea of the 15th man being a specialist who may be able to contribute in select situations.

dude1394 · 08-11-2006, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chumdawg

Oh, my God. This just MADE my summer!! I can't believe they got JJB into their camp. What a coup!!

If they manage to land BOTH Pops and JJB, I will be ecstatic beyond belief. I also like Darius and have some hope for Ebi. But let's face it. If they are bringing Berea to camp, there is no way he is not winning a roster spot. That dude is a freakin' basketball player.

It's awful fun in Mavsland, these days.

Nah they won't sign him, cubes will screw it up somehow, he won't pay the money required to sign him or something like that.

scorched03 · 08-11-2006, 09:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dirno2000

I'd go with Carroll. Darius Washington can play in this league but we're loaded at the point. Carroll's was a career 45% 3-point shooter at St. Joes. I like the idea of the 15th man being a specialist who may be able to contribute in select situations.

hmm. man thought darius washington would at least be drafted. have a hard time see JJB at his size w/o super quickness. tough call. i thought mavs were interested in ebi that year too.

nah-vit-ski · 08-11-2006, 10:06 PM

Anybody Wanna Start a Jose Barea bandwagon?

Male30Dan · 08-11-2006, 10:33 PM

Oh please JJB...

StackAttack · 08-11-2006, 10:50 PM

God I wish we weren't so deep.

mqywaaah · 08-11-2006, 11:28 PM

I'd go for Caroll, I dont think they'd sign JJB, we already got 3 PGs.

purplefrog · 08-11-2006, 11:34 PM

I agree that JJB is an intriguing player and that Washington has alot of potential, but I just can't see these guys having a future with the Mavs unless we have a long term plan to put JET exclusively at the 2. It is the same problem we had with P-Pod at center. Too many players ahead of him on the depth chart. With Pops developing at the 4, the same goes for Ebi. I am with Dirno. Carrol at least gives us another shooter so I would think he has the inside track.

destroy ALL · 08-11-2006, 11:40 PM

who the f@%! is Juan Jose Barea? gimme ebi.

craggmac · 08-11-2006, 11:42 PM

Take Your Pick!

dude1394 · 08-11-2006, 11:44 PM

This spot is not about need imo. it's about an investment. it's about finding a couple of guys who have some possibly unusual potential. Pops has that. I haven't seen JJB play but if he's lightning quick, possibly he's a boykins or something. With the continued premium the nba is putting on perimeter "fouls" really fast dudes are more useful than before.

Chicago JK · 08-12-2006, 12:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dude1394

This spot is not about need imo. it's about an investment. it's about finding a couple of guys who have some possibly unusual potential. Pops has that. I haven't seen JJB play but if he's lightning quick, possibly he's a boykins or something. With the continued premium the nba is putting on perimeter "fouls" really fast dudes are more useful than before.

Right Dude. The position doesn't factor in. This player will be the 15th man. In all liklihood he isn't going to get court time. It is just a calculated gamble that you are willing to invest in a player for one year in hopes that he could develop into a rotation player in the future. It is a low cost gamble and one that is unlikely. Although sometimes you get lucky.

If Ebi shows he has matured and is willing to work for his spot, I think he is the most intriguing player. If I were to draw up my perfect small forward build it would be Ebi's. His arms reach down to the floor.

Not sure how Barea's game translates to the NBA. Although he was impressive in the summer league. He knows how to play the point guard position and really gets his teammates baskets. I think him and Ebi are the clear favorites for the 15th spot.

Washington should have gone back to school. He isn't ready and will wind up in another league and probably won't ever play in the NBA. Carrol can shoot but he is limited in other areas.

craggmac · 08-12-2006, 12:27 AM

The fact that I haven't really heard of any of these guys doesn't make me very confident about making a decision between the four of them. If it were my ultimate decision Id probably look elsewhere. Maybe even think about re-signing Queef.

nashtymavsfan13 · 08-12-2006, 12:57 AM

I don't want Ebi, I'd prolly go with JJB since he's the only one I've really heard stuff about, and since chummy is so pumped up about him

spreedom · 08-12-2006, 02:50 AM

Tell you what.. Ebi is probably the best choice here. If nothing else, he'll rot on the bench as the 4th-string SF/PF for most of the season. The guy is still hella athletic, and I feel like, at this point, considering how injury-prone this team seems to be, that a guy that can play a couple minutes here and there at a position where there will certainly be more opportunities would make the must sense to sign. (Yes, that was probably a hell of a run-in, and maybe noun/pronoun splicing too or whatever, but it's like 3 in the morning.)

A guy like JJB likely won't see any court time at the 2-spot, with Jet, Stack, and Ager taking up the 48mpg there.. and likely none at the point either, with Devin, AJ, and Jet taking all of that court time. A guy like Ebi could have pretty decent value if Stack AND Josh are out with injuries.. which, quite frankly, is really goddamn likely considering their recent track records.

nashtymavsfan13 · 08-12-2006, 03:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by spreedom

Tell you what.. Ebi is probably the best choice here. If nothing else, he'll rot on the bench as the 4th-string SF/PF for most of the season. The guy is still hella athletic, and I feel like, at this point, considering how injury-prone this team seems to be, that a guy that can play a couple minutes here and there at a position where there will certainly be more opportunities would make the must sense to sign. (Yes, that was probably a hell of a run-in, and maybe noun/pronoun splicing too or whatever, but it's like 3 in the morning.)

A guy like JJB likely won't see any court time at the 2-spot, with Jet, Stack, and Ager taking up the 48mpg there.. and likely none at the point either, with Devin, AJ, and Jet taking all of that court time. A guy like Ebi could have pretty decent value if Stack AND Josh are out with injuries.. which, quite frankly, is really goddamn likely considering their recent track records.

I think we go with JJB and send him and Ager to the D-League for at least the first half of the season.

grndmstr_c · 08-12-2006, 04:31 AM

Some intriguing names in there. Awesome.

Darke · 08-12-2006, 05:25 AM

I still think the Mavs will try to get a vet for the 15th spot - prob. Bonzi. Bonzi won't get the money he want anywhere so he will take a one-year contract with a contender: Mavs, Heat, Spurs (prob. Suns or Cavs).

If the mavs don't get a vet, then Barea should get the spot.

aexchange · 08-12-2006, 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darke

I still think the Mavs will try to get a vet for the 15th spot - prob. Bonzi. Bonzi won't get the money he want anywhere so he will take a one-year contract with a contender: Mavs, Heat, Spurs (prob. Suns or Cavs).

If the mavs don't get a vet, then Barea should get the spot.

pigs will not only fly out of your ass, but they'll fly out of mine if bonzi's takes a one year vet. minimum deal from the mavs.

scorched03 · 08-12-2006, 07:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by aexchange

pigs will not only fly out of your ass, but they'll fly out of mine if bonzi's takes a one year vet. minimum deal from the mavs.

http://www.nbadraft.net/profiles/ndudiebi.htm
ebi looks good to take a flyer on

if really looking for a shooter: Eddie House. but i doubt he'd come to be the 15th man.
how about.. jay williams? :P

joebobbill · 08-12-2006, 07:56 AM

58 days until the first pre-season game.

bobatundi · 08-12-2006, 09:29 AM

correct me if i'm wrong, but Ebi is the one guy out of those three who can't be sent to the d-league, while the others can all go there this year and next. think we'd want someone that we can get into some game situations as much as possible. if we rotate Ager, Pops & one other guy in the D-league (call up the appropriate player to support whatever position is "most injured" at the time), we'll maximize development for our young guys.

If that's the case, I'd like to see Barea get the shot. I haven't seen him play, but a lot of folks on this board think he's a player, and his summer league stats seem to support that.

fluid.forty.one · 08-12-2006, 12:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dude1394

This spot is not about need imo. it's about an investment. it's about finding a couple of guys who have some possibly unusual potential. Pops has that. I haven't seen JJB play but if he's lightning quick, possibly he's a boykins or something. With the continued premium the nba is putting on perimeter "fouls" really fast dudes are more useful than before.

spot on. how often are we really going to play our last person.. heck wasnt ppod on the roster last year?

dirno2000 · 08-12-2006, 01:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bobatundi

correct me if i'm wrong, but Ebi is the one guy out of those three who can't be sent to the d-league, while the others can all go there this year and next. think we'd want someone that we can get into some game situations as much as possible. if we rotate Ager, Pops & one other guy in the D-league (call up the appropriate player to support whatever position is "most injured" at the time), we'll maximize development for our young guys.

If that's the case, I'd like to see Barea get the shot. I haven't seen him play, but a lot of folks on this board think he's a player, and his summer league stats seem to support that.

You are correct. Ebi can no longer be optioned to the D-league by an NBA team. Minnesota tried to get an exception last year and when it was denied they cut him.

I like Barea's game. He's a true PG and he's fun to watch. At this point I don't think he has enough in his repertoire to overcome the lack of height.

dude1394 · 08-12-2006, 01:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dirno2000

You are correct. Ebi can no longer be optioned to the D-league by an NBA team. Minnesota tried to get an exception last year and when it was denied they cut him.

I like Barea's game. He's a true PG and he's fun to watch. At this point I don't think he has enough in his repertoire to overcome the lack of height.

It all depends what type of shot he has. A really short guys almost has to have some sort of shot.

dirno2000 · 08-12-2006, 01:39 PM

That's the thing, his shot is really shaky. Last year he shot 40% from the field, 29% from the three point line and 76% from the FT line.

Earl Boykins will kill you if you give him a open look so you have to kind of play him close. Barea's not at that point. Maybe he will be one day and you take the gamble.

My gut tells me that Washington will have the best NBA career of these four. Not this year but with a season in the D-league and another summer in John Lucas's camp, he could be next summer's John Lucas III

nashtymavsfan13 · 08-12-2006, 01:45 PM

If we get Bonzi or House they won't be the 15th man, others players would just move down. There's no way we get Bonzi, and we don't need House. I say we go for one of these young guys other than Ebi.

Male30Dan · 08-12-2006, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Darke

I still think the Mavs will try to get a vet for the 15th spot - prob. Bonzi. Bonzi won't get the money he want anywhere so he will take a one-year contract with a contender: Mavs, Heat, Spurs (prob. Suns or Cavs).

If the mavs don't get a vet, then Barea should get the spot.

Dude, are you serious? You think Bonzi would be a 15th man for minimum money?

Yeah... You are probably right... I guess I COULD see guys like Pops, Ager, and MBenga beating him out for playing time!!! :SARCASTIC AS HELL ICON:

SeriousSummer · 08-12-2006, 03:27 PM

Ebi will have to show he's a legitimate NBA talent to make the Mavs. If he doesn't look like he's ready to play in the league, then the Mavs keep the best of the other three and send him to the D league.

With undrafted rookies, you're looking for potential, something the Mavs have done pretty well at the last few years. DJ MBenga and Marquis Daniels were both undrafted guys that showed they could play in the NBA. Even Powell and Marshall look like they might be able to stick in the league.

Darke · 08-12-2006, 04:51 PM

Well, the chance is slim @ Bonzi, sure, but 50% would take him for cheap, or not? (the other 50% won't touch him because he could be a cancer) and he would get the last spot but he wouldn't be the 15th player, of cause. I'm not dumb ; )

Where can Bonzi go now? Where can he get the money he wants? (as Free Agent or with a S&T) And what will he do if he can't get the amount of money he wants? Either he signs for the most he can get for a year (or the longest contract with decent money, but that I doubt) or he will sign with a contender.

Darke · 08-12-2006, 05:00 PM

Oh, and that wasn't my own idea - read it there first and thought "could be good":

http://sportsline.com/nba/story/9593201

EricaLubarsky · 08-12-2006, 05:08 PM

Pat Carroll, Saint Joseph's:

Quote:

He's getting no mentions -- none -- on any mock drafts, and there's a reason for that. At 6-feet-5, Carroll doesn't seem quick enough to guard anyone on the next level. Then again, he's not all that different from his brother, former Notre Dame scoring leader Matt Carroll, and the elder Carroll became a solid NBA two-guard this season with Charlotte. Pat Carroll averaged 18.3 points and led the A-10 at 43.4 percent on 3-pointers. Maybe he's not NBA material, but someone's going to have to make him prove it on the court.

http://cbs.sportsline.com/collegebas.../story/8426370

Juan Jose Barea, Northeastern:

Quote:

Strengths: Barea is a tough point guard with excellent all around skills. More importantly, Barea plays at a higher level when facing quality opposition. Barea is a true point guard that can penetrate at will against any player. He has the ability of controlling the tempo of a game at halfcourt or in the fastbreak. Even though he doesn't have prototipical size for a point guard he is a terrific rebounder. He can shoot the ball from outside the 3 point college line. A proven winner at every level, Barea was named the best point guard at the junior World Championships in Greece. He followed that performance earning MVP honors at the 2004 21 and under Centrobasket tournament. Also, was the leading scorer in the Global Games and the Tournament of the Americas outplaying players from Serbia Montenegro, USA and Argentina. Very good court vision.

Weaknesses: Without being a freak athlete, he'll have a tough time at 5-11. Barea's outside shot doesn't look very good but he gets the job done. A little bit streaky from the outside. At times seems to get out of control especially when the opposition plays physical defense. Barea is more of a scorer than a high percentage offensive player. Because of this he tends to shoot at a high volume, therefore avoiding a cohesive team game. This area could be corrected with experience. His size will hurt him at the NBA level, but his hard nosed style will certainly help him.

http://www.nbadraft.net/profiles/josejuanbarea.asp

Quote:

"Passion, determination, and nerve..."

Quote:

PORTSMOUTH, Va., April 9 -- Jose Juan Barea had just shattered the single-game and single-tournament assist records at the PIT, dishing out 18 assists for Beach Barton Ford in a 118-100 victory over Norfolk Sports Club, giving him 41 assists in three games.

Though his height (5-10) and outside shooting ability raise questions, Barea makes the players around him better, and never stops competing. In a draft that's short on point guards, Barea should get a strong look in the second round.

The primary beneficiary of Barea's unselfishness was Cincinnati's Eric Hicks, who had one of the best single games of the tournament, finishing with 27 points and 17 rebounds. Not bad, considering he wasn't even supposed to be playing.

http://www.nba.com/features/portsmouth_060410.html

Quote:

Physically, Barea makes up for his smallish stature to a certain extent with his excellent quickness as well as his outstanding basketball instincts. If needed, Barea can surprisingly go to the hoop and dunk the ball with authority as he has extremely strong legs and a very nice vertical leap. It would not be a huge surprise to see him do his in the NBA, as he has a Pitbull’s mentality, and is constantly in attack mode.

As a point guard, Barea is very much adept at finding the open man, as his outstanding 8.4 assists per game will attest. He’s your consummate modern day floor general who can score as well as run his team effectively, showing very good court vision finding his teammates unselfishly, particularly on the drive and dish. Barea is a quick thinker who sees plays as they happen, and will feed his man instaneously with a lob or backdoor bounce pass for an easy layup, showing very good timing in the process. It’s the tougher and flashier passes that he actually excels the most in.

Playing alongside better teammates than he had at Northeastern, for example at Portsmouth or with the Puerto Rican national team, Barea showed to be an even better point guard than anyone could have predicted based on what was seen in college.

http://www.draftexpress.com/viewprof...od=pprof&p=171

One heck of an assist guy, but won't get anyone open if he doesnt learn to shoot better. Better on this team with a couple of shooters out there, but still needs HUGE improvement on his scoring. Often people forget that there isnt such a thing as a pure passing point. A point (especially at his size) needs to be able to get the floor opened, and needs to penetrate

Darius Washington, Memphis:

Quote:

One of the nation's top point guards ... A talented, natural scorer with a competitive fire ... Wants to win at everything he does ... Has the ability to become a great defender with his quickness and toughness ... Has natural leadership abilities.

Has started all 38 games of his career ... Averaging 15.4 points and 3.8 assists and 3.6 rebounds ... Shooting 46 percent from the field, 39.5 percent from the arc and 73.3 percent from the foul line ... Has 63 steals ... Has netted double figures 32 times.

Then again, he didnt look like anything special when I saw him play in the Vegas Summer League.

johndacs · 08-12-2006, 05:13 PM

Frank Rutherford is best known as the first Bahamas native to ever win an Olympic medal. He accomplished the feat in 1992 in Barcelona, where he won the bronze medal for his ability in the triple-jump. What is not as well known is that he is a good friend of Hakeem Olajuwon from their days at the University of Houston. Rutherford helped Hakeem with his footwork and his patented quickness. Now he and Hakeem are working together to help develop the next generation of young NBA athletes.

This past week Hakeem was in Houston doing his now-annual workout with Emeka Okafor, and this time he and Rutherford decided a few more guys might benefit from the experience. We'll talk about the work that Mavericks centers DJ Mbenga and Gana Diop did in our next issue of SWISH Magazine, but what we can talk about here is the work that Mavericks' camp invitee Ndudi Ebi did at the Memorial Hermann HBU Wellness Center last week.

Before the workout was over Rutherford told us that the Mavericks would do well to lock-up Ebi for three seasons while they could still get him at a bargain price. My first thought was about how Ebi made brief appearances with the Minnesota Timberwolves over two seasons and didn't play well enough to stay on the team. He did get significant minutes with the NBDL's Fort Worth Flyers last season, but averaged only 11.4 points per game.

And then he swatted a shot attempt by Hakeem Olajuwon.

Honestly, there weren't too many guys at HBU who impressed. Even Emeka Okafor was taken to school by the retired Olajuwon, who frankly looked like he should be back in camp for the Rockets in October. The Dream Shake was in rare form, he rejected nearly every shot that his young prospects dared to attempt, and the few people who were in attendance at the private workout couldn't help but exchange smile and laughs as Hakeem put on a show. For the span of a couple of hours we enjoyed a flashback to a decade ago, when the league was terrorized by the man affectionately known (in Houston) as "The Nigerian Nightmare." Ebi drew a similar reaction when he sent back one of Dream's drop-step up-and-under shots. We were all looking at each other wondering who that guy was.

Ebi, who attended Westbury Christian High School in Houston, was more than familiar with the exploits of Olajuwon, and was understandably excited at the prospect of working out with the Hall of Famer.

"I'm very good friends with Frank Rutherford and Seki (Hakeem's personal assistant)," says Ebi. "They told me that Hakeem was coming to town and asked if I would like to work out with him. I couldn't resist."

So what has Hakeem's advice been for his new protégé?

"Every day he shows me moves and basic fundamentals. He tells me not to try anything fancy, but to stick with the basic fundamentals of the game that I can perfect. He's teaching me the importance of having one go-to move so that I can feel more comfortable on the offensive end."

Frank Rutherford commented jokingly that Ebi is "too quick," following a play in which Ebi tried to make one move too many and tripped over himself. He had gotten by Hakeem on that particular play, but he also lost the ball out of bounds.

"Hopefully I'll be too quick by the time camp starts," laughed Ebi. "I'm working hard, still trying to get there."

Before he started working with Hakeem Ebi spent a month working with Rutherford on quickness drills and ways to improve his footwork, much like the work Hakeem himself did with Rutherford early in his career.

"I've been working hard with Frank. In fact, I'm still tight in my legs because I gained eight pounds of muscle in my legs during the past month. So I've been a little slower than usual this week. I do stretching with Frank in the morning and then we do some track workouts. In the afternoons I workout with Hakeem, then I take a break, then I go workout with John Lucas for the rest of the day. That's helping me really to just get back in shape so I can hopefully become an NBA player."

Where does Ebi see himself fitting in with an NBA rotation? Rutherford says he sees Ebi as a more athletic, more defensive-oriented Marquis Daniels.

"I've been a little bit out of my game for the past month because I've really just been working on one or two positions. Right now I just want to go out and be an active player, both defensively and offensively at the two, three, four. I want to be active, play hard-nosed team defense, whatever the team needs. That's where I really see myself, as somebody who can defend some twos, some threes, and some fours. Maybe not all twos, maybe not all threes, maybe not all fours, but I do believe that I can create matchup problems on both ends of the floor."

And a little more about Ebi?

"I was born in London, England, but I'm Nigerian to the heart. My parents are Nigerian, my mom and my dad, so I feel that I am Nigerian to the heart."

If Ebi can adopt even a little bit of the mastery of the NBA game that his fellow countryman adopted, Ebi's future in the NBA will be bright. He has faced some challenges since coming out of high school with the 26th overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, but it seems he is doing everything possible to get himself on the right track. Hakeem Olajuwon? John Lucas? Frank Rutherford? That's a list of coaches any athlete would love to have in his corner.

The Mavericks should be in for a pleasant surprise.

http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_18419.shtml

johndacs · 08-12-2006, 05:14 PM

The Houston Rockets are certainly getting done from outside in this year's edition of the Las Vegas Summer League. Coming in boasting a clean sweep in 2005, the Rockets seemed to have their work cut out for them to maintain that pristine record. Now, having played three straight days, the Rockets are still undefeated and have a surprising person to thank for at least part of their success.

Everyone expected second-round pick Steve Novak to be able to shoot the ball - maybe not as well as he has thus far, but when Novak is drawing the bulk of the defensive attention on the perimeter there's another guy just itching to drill a three. No, that's not Matt Carroll out there. It's his little brother Pat, and he's raising some eyebrows in Las Vegas.

"I feel really good being here again," said Carroll. "I played for the Rockets here last year and I feel like I've grown a lot since then. It was a valuable experience, and I think it prepared me for the work I have to do here this year."

Carroll, like Novak, comes with a reputation for being a pure shooter. He graduated from St. Joseph's as the all-time leader in three-point field goals made (294), three-point percentage (.445) and three-point attempts (661). What's surprising is that this young man separated his shoulder six months ago and is still able to come out and perform like he never had the injury.

"I've done a lot of work rehabbing the shoulder and it feels completely fine now," says Carroll. "The ball's dropping for me, the shots feel good, and this is a great gym for shooting, too."

"It's amazing that he can shoot so well and that he has recovered so fully after that kind of injury," says Rockets acting head coach Tom Thibodeau. "We've been very pleased with his performance out here and he's give us a much-needed lift."

For the record, Carroll is indeed shooting the lights out. He scored 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting in the Rockets' opening day win over Portland. In Game Two he improved on his first game with 24 points against a very physical Denver team. The Nuggets blew out the Mavericks in their first game and gave the Rockets call they could handle, but while the Nuggets focused on stopping Novak and penetrating point guard John Lucas III, Carroll made them pay for every ounce of inattention.

"Pat's playing terrific," said Lucas. "He's been unbelievable. I know when he's open I gotta give him the ball because he's gonna knock it down. That's what he's known for is knocking down shots. We really couldn't ask for any more than what he's been giving us. As a point guard you can't ask for anything better than having Pat and Steve (Novak) on the wings. Something good's always going to happen on the kick-out."

One area that the Rockets are lacking in is shooting guards. Free agency doesn't appear to be much help, as the only guard they're talking to right now is the 6'1" Mike James. Rockets GM Carroll Dawson mentioned Pat as someone who might take advantage of that situation.

"We've got a lot of work to do in the back court," admits Dawson. "Most of our guys have retired and we're working very hard. We got Battier and I think that shored up our front court really well and Bobby Sura is still a question mark. Now we're working real hard to shore up the back court. Some of these guys here might be in camp with us. Pat Carroll shot the ball like mad today like he was back at Notre Dame I guess. A lot of these guys have a chance, so that's what they're doing. They're working to get to veteran's camp and then see if they can make the league. The two is the biggest thing for us right now. David Wesley is 35 now and his contract's up. Jon Barry retired, we traded Derek Anderson, so all of our twos are gone. Someone's going to get a real opportunity to play."

Dawson's GM-in training Daryl Morey agrees that Pat could be someone who gets a shot.

"Pat's someone we're excited about having on our summer team. Obviously shooting is his greatest skill, but he's got size for the position and he plays smart on defense, so he's been probably the difference maker in our first three summer league games along with Steve Novak and John Lucas. He's been good."

John Lucas III did get some time with the Rockets last season, and he likes Pat's chances at making it on the big league roster.

"Absolutely, I think he could definitely make it. Pat was a terrific college basketball player, I played against him in college, and I know he's eager to play because he was out with that injury last year. You can tell that he's really focused and he's really been working on his game since last year. He has a really good shot."

"I've been getting a lot of shooting in," confirms Carroll. "I've been working on my conditioning, and really trying to get into great shape for this summer. I'm hoping to make it hard for this team not to invite me to training camp."

At this point if the Rockets don't invite Pat, someone else will.

http://www.hoopsworld.com/article_18048.shtml

DevinHarriswillstart · 08-12-2006, 09:26 PM

Nice articles on Carroll and Ebi, but I saw Barea in action in some summer league games, and he looks like a poor-man's Steve Nash at times. He can run the break like a wizard, score, pass....it's Barea's to lose in my opinion.

Tokey41 · 08-12-2006, 10:07 PM

Poor not homeless?

dirno2000 · 08-12-2006, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tokey41

Poor not homeless?

haha...I'm going with homeless

nashtymavsfan13 · 08-12-2006, 11:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DevinHarriswillstart

Nice articles on Carroll and Ebi, but I saw Barea in action in some summer league games, and he looks like a poor-man's Steve Nash at times. He can run the break like a wizard, score, pass....it's Barea's to lose in my opinion.

Yeah, I'm thinking we should go with him. Anyone that can be legitimately compared to Steve Nash is okay in my book