-PS-

Jason Whitlock's latest.

In recent years, Kenny Donaldson gently reminded some of UCLA’s former basketball stars that he could help them return to school to finish their degrees. As UCLA’s athletics assistant director of academic services, Donaldson hoped that any former Bruins who had left school early to play in the NBA would eventually find their way back to campus and work toward graduating. Thanks, in part, to the NBA lockout, Donaldson’s had a handful of players take him up on his offer this summer. UCLA’s American Popular Culture class now has four out-of-work NBA players – Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook, Minnesota Timberwolves forward Kevin Love, New Orleans Hornets forward Trevor Ariza and Cleveland Cavaliers guard Baron Davis – among its students. In addition, Milwaukee Bucks forward Luc Mbah a Moute is taking two classes this summer. Having begun their professional careers, all of the players are paying for their tuition and books. http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=mc-spears_nba_players_ucla_080911

LOS ANGELES -- The game between league leaders Hank's Blazers and Cheaters II at the Drew League on Saturday was tight, but the game inside the game was even tighter. It was an unexpectedly classic one-on-one battle between an established NBA'er and college player that attracted most of the attention at Colonel Leon H. Washington Park in South L.A. Detroit Pistons forward Austin Daye and Long Beach State forward Edis Dervisevic went at it on both sides of the court for possessions on end, much to the delight of a packed house at the park gymnasium, an attendance again boosted by rumors that Miami Heat stars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade planned to attend (the superstars were not there). http://espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles/lakers/post/_/id/21444/drew-league-features-classic-one-on-one-matchup

Microsoft’s assault on Google in Internet search and search advertising may be the steepest competitive challenge in business today. It is certainly among the most costly. Trying to go head-to-head with Google costs Microsoft upward of $5 billion a year, industry executives and analysts estimate. As the overwhelming search leader, Google has advantages that tend to reinforce one another. It has the most people typing in searches — billions a day — and that generates more data for Google’s algorithms to mine to improve its search results. All those users attract advertisers. And there is the huge behavioral advantage: "Google" is synonymous with search, the habitual choice. Once it starts, this cycle of prosperity snowballs — more users, more data, and more ad dollars. Economists call the phenomenon "network effects"; business executives just call it momentum. In search, Google has it in spades, and Microsoft, against the odds, wants to reverse it. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/31/technology/with-the-bing-search-engine-microsoft-plays-the-underdog.html

If you drive blottoed, you down’t want to land in the court of Judge Kimberly Small in Bloomfield Hills. Here, you are pretty sure to end up in the slammer, even for a first offense. In other areas, you must be a repeat offender to do time. And in Detroit, the stays are short, and the fines are affordable. If you are a low income drinker, Judge Marylin Atkins in Detroit will give you a discount. See, downtown Detroit isn’t all that bad. And some enterprising soul really should put that information into the navigation system. http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/2011/07/where-to-drive-drunk-in-detroit/

These little bundles of joy are actually chow chow dogs that have been dyed black-and-white to look like pandas. Dyeing pets has been a trend in pet pampering for quite some time. At last summer's Pets Show Taipei, there was a fierce dog-dyeing competition. But dyeing your pets to look like other wild animals is a more recent development. http://www.globalpost.com/dispatches/globalpost-blogs/the-rice-bowl/china-panda-pet-culture-dog-tiger-economy

When DeMarcus Cousins becomes a very good NBA player, some people are going to have to apologize for writing him off prematurely as a hot-headed malcontent incapable of behaving like an adult within a team context. But for now, Cousins is just making it too easy. While we were all barbecuing and playing beach volleyball and otherwise celebrating America’s independence, Cousins was busy earning a technical foul during a streetball game in Washington, D.C.’s legendary Goodman league, according to the Afro. Again: He earned a technical during a streetball game in a league that, according to every description I’ve read this morning, is part serious (there is lots of talent every summer) and informal, with some running trash-talk play-by-play from the commissioner and lots of the highlight showboating you normally see in streetball action. Cousins got called for traveling and threw the ball out of the gym. In a streetball game. SI STORY: http://nba-point-forward.si.com/2011/07/05/cousins-gets-td-up-in-a-streetball-game/ ORIGINAL REPORT: http://afro.com/sections/sports/story.htm?storyid=71744

Recent census figures show that Detroit’s overall population shrank by 25 percent in the last 10 years. But another figure tells a different and more intriguing story: During the same time period, downtown Detroit experienced a 59 percent increase in the number of college-educated residents under the age of 35, nearly 30 percent more than two-thirds of the nation’s 51 largest cities. These days the word "movement" is often heard to describe the influx of socially aware hipsters and artists now roaming the streets of Detroit. Not unlike Berlin, which was revitalized in the 1990s by young artists migrating there for the cheap studio space, Detroit may have this new generation of what city leaders are calling "creatives" to thank if it comes through its transition from a one-industry. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/03/fashion/the-young-and-entrepreneurial-move-to-downtown-detroit-pushing-its-economic-recovery.html?ref=fashion&pagewanted=all

An air of giddy anticipation hung over the arena as the first pick of the 2011 draft was announced. As expected, Kyrie Irving, a 19-year-old point guard from Duke with a choirboy smile, was selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 8,400 spectators erupted into applause. Irving coolly exchanged hugs with family and walked onstage with the studied calm of the Oscar winner for Best Actor. He wore a sleek navy pinstripe suit with a lavender striped necktie — courtesy of Giorgio Armani, and fitted at the designer’s megastore on Fifth Avenue a few days before. .... Perhaps the most GQ-ready look was found on Tristan Thompson, the fourth player selected, also by the Cavaliers. The forward from the University of Texas wore a custom charcoal suit by Paper Brown Bag, a Harlem label, that called to mind a very fashionable Pee-wee Herman with tapered pants and a shrunken jacket. Thompson, 20, comes to the league with a taste for Ferragamo, YSL and Comme des Garçons. "I definitely like a European look, pride myself on the European style," he said. http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/30/fashion/nba-draftees-know-how-to-dress.html

The CBA: My Last, Best Offer by Tim Donahue A few days ago, David Aldridge published his ideas to avert the work stoppage. While the NBA Blogosphere and Twitterverse were both very receptive to Mr. Aldridge’s ideas, I was not. The unfortunate few who follow me on Twitter (@toothpicksray) saw my criticisms. These primarily centered around the $20 million exception and the bi-annual amnesty clause. Though I still would not like to see his proposals implemented, my complaints were unfair in two aspects. First, I did not give sufficient weight to his 50/50 BRI split. Second, I committed the sin of attacking someone’s ideas without offering alternatives of my own. What follows are my alternatives for a 10-year CBA. http://www.eightpointsnineseconds.com/2011/06/the-cba-my-last-best-offer/

Former New York Knicks president Dave Checketts is serving as a basketball consultant to new Detroit Pistons owner Tom Gores, according to sources close to the situation. The news of Checketts' involvement coincides with former Knicks great Patrick Ewing's emergence late last week as a candidate for the Pistons' coaching vacancy. Pistons president of basketball operations Joe Dumars continues to serve as Detroit's lead basketball decision-maker, with Gores announcing when he officially took control of the franchise earlier this month that "we're going to lean on [Dumars] pretty heavily." Yet sources said that Gores is also taking a level of input from Checketts, who headed up New York's management structure when the Knicks were built around Ewing. http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=6709060

DUNKS: http://www.nba.com/bobcats/video/2011/06/22/110622biyombodunking-1741471 DUNKS and Mikan drills: http://www.nba.com/bobcats/video/2011/06/22/110622biyombohighlights-1741567 Interview: http://www.nba.com/bobcats/video/2011/06/22/110622biyombointerview-1741624

Matching up with Josh Harrellson, Joe Trapani, Talor Battle, Malcolm Delaney and Travele Jones, Bismack Biyombo had an excellent workout for the Raptors in New York City, where he showed a significantly better offensive arsenal than he had last week in Treviso, according to multiple sources who were present to see him dunk on opponents repeatedly. http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_ylt=Amlgbf_6T_tEgWS8FJwKbqq8vLYF?slug=ycn-8674693

Box-scores don't always tell us everything we need to know about what happened in an actual game, and seasonal stats can be misleading at times in attempting to project what type of NBA player a NCAA or international prospect will become. That's why it makes sense to branch out and explore other alternatives that are available to us, including those offered to us by Synergy Sports Technology, who've logged virtually every individual possession of every game this year's NBA draft class has taken part of. .... Like Valanciunas, Biyombo saw more than 80% of his shots at the basket, but he finished them at a 12% lower rate, making just 56.1% of them last season. He also turned the ball over on 25.8% of his half court possessions, the highest mark in this group, showing that, despite his ridiculously large hands, he struggled to hold onto the ball in traffic at times. Considering this was Biyombo's first taste of high level basketball, it isn't surprising to see a player with so many physical tools, still struggle. There were a couple of bright spots for Biyombo though. Seeing 33% (1st) of his touches as the roll man on the pick and roll, he finished at a solid 65% (6th) and draw fouls on nearly 31.8% (2nd) of those possessions. The Congolese center has a remarkable frame, and that shined through at times when he bowled his way through contact or finished a lob pass with a dunk. Part of Biyombo's problem revolves around his desire to do too much at times. When he wasn't turning the ball over, he managed to finish his post-up plays (63% FG, 1st) and cuts (73%, 3rd) at a solid rate, getting fouled about 20% of the time in the process, so picking and choosing his spots will likely be a key for him. Considering he played just over a dozen games before opting to attend the Hoop Summit, Biyombo's sample size skews his data a bit, but the raw aspects of his offensive game are clear. Ball security and experience are two priorities for Biyombo as he aims to play efficiently in a simple offensive role to match his elite defensive ability. http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Situational-Statistics-the-2011-Big-Men-Crop-3761/

Every year, the NBA tips its hand as to who it believes are the top 14 or 15 prospects in the draft with its annual "green room" invitations. These players are invited by the league to sit in a special room with their families and agent on draft night. When their names are called, they leave the room and go up on stage to shake commissioner David Stern's hand. .... The only conspicuous name left off the list is Bismack Biyombo from Congo.

As much as Biyombo's ability to alter shots off-ball is great, it's his ability to change them on the ball that was especially impressive. Of the 21 charted defensive post plays for Biyombo on Synergy Sports Technology, he blocked 6-7 shots on the ball and severely altered 3-4 more shots. Nasty. Granted, a limited sample size, but still nasty. Overall, Biyombo's post defense was stellar this year. On those aforementioned 21 post plays, his opponents managed to shoot just 22% (according to Synergy). Holds his position well, even against veterans, shows good balance and shuffles his feet well. Very sound in his approach. Also, seems competent guarding outside the painted area. Shows hard on pick/roll and moves his feet well on the perimeter. Can legitimately guard both frontcourt positions. Though, he's not without his flaws defensively. Sometimes loses sight of the ball and has a tendency to over-help. Biyombo might struggle a little adjusting to defending NBA talent, which is expected of any newcomer. But he will be much more prepared than any college prospects to defend against NBA offenses thanks to his time dealing with the talent and precision of many of the ACB teams.

Since...the year Bismack Biyombo was born...low post defense related deaths have increased 1,000 percent Biyombo's wingspan is so long that his left hand has only seen his right hand in pictures. http://www.nbadraft.net/forum/bismack-biyombo-facts

Scott Howard-Cooper, NBA.com: The closer the draft gets, the more some teams believe Joe Dumars needs the safe pick with better odds on a nice return with a new owner and a new coach. Biyombo is definitely not a safe-pick guy,but he projects as a game changer more than anyone still on the board. http://www.nba.com/2011/news/features/scott_howard_cooper/06/14/mock-draft-part-iii/index.html

Scott Howard-Cooper, NBA.com: Biyombo makes direct, if not challenging, eye contact and in clear English explains specifically what will happen. He will lead the NBA in rebounding. He will lead the NBA in blocks. It is more declaration than explanation, really, with peppered references to hard work softening arrogance into determination. .... The age issue, from differing reports about the validity of his earliest documents from the Republic of Congo, has basically faded. One general manager who has looked into the issue is asked how old Biyombo is and answers, "Your guess is as good as mine," but also stresses it is not a major concern. The difference between being 18 and, say, 25 or 27? That's a big deal because it indicates in stronger terms what Biyombo's ceiling is and it reduces the potential length of his career. But the difference between 18 and the 21 or 22 some suggest is minor by comparison. "At some point, it becomes like a little fun to me," he said. "I watch a lot of players. I watch a lot of guys. So why they trust the other guys in the Draft and they don't trust me? That's my question." We get up from the table in the coffee shop and Biyombo, with the largest wing span of any player measured here or at the Chicago pre-Draft combine, extends his right arm. He shakes hands and maintains eye contact in a way few with 10 years in the league do. He says he appreciates the chance to tell people about his story. There is no mystery man here. http://www.nba.com/2011/news/features/scott_howard_cooper/06/14/bismack-biyombo-euro-workout/index.html -- Aran Smith, NBADraft.net: The workout was a little painful to watch as he missed shot after shot from within 10 feet of the basket. At one point it seemed a little foolish to have him shoot so many shots when it's not the strength of his game. We counted his shots after the first couple minutes and he went something close to 12-of-35 from within 10 feet playing 1-on-none. He was able to redeem himself somewhat by knocking down 9 free throws in a row at one point to finish 14-of-20 towards the end. To be fair, this type of workout is difficult as the player is being asked to exert a ton of energy without a break and it's extremely intimidating knowing that so many scouts are watching every move and dissecting your game. It can start to play tricks with a player's head if they aren't mentally tough. Biyombo didn't look nervous but his shooting may have been thrown off to a degree. http://www.nbadraft.net/2011-adidas-eurocamp-day-1 -- David Aldridge, NBA.com: A couple of NBA veteran personnel men compare Biyombo to Saer Sene, who rocketed from Senegal, seemingly overnight, and wound up being taken 10th overall by Seattle in the 2006 Draft, but never lived up to his high status and lasted just three seasons in the NBA. "This kid's way better than Saer Sene," the Central exec said. "He played big minutes on a good team. This kid's gonna go pretty early. He's got the mystery thing going for him, which is really important. Because we're all looking for upside, right?" But like the others, Biyombo could be both helped and hurt by moving up in the Draft will all the withdrawals. Helped in that he may be taken higher in the first round than he would have otherwise. But hurt because of the high expectations that are placed on top-10 picks. http://www.nba.com/2011/news/features/david_aldridge/05/02/big-board-power-forwards/index.html?ls=iref:nbahpt1

MIAMI—Broadcasters covering the NBA finals for Spanish-speaking fans from different parts of the world do it from a Tower of Babel where a dunk is not a dunk, but the play-by-play guys disagree about just what to call it. As the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks vie on the basketball court for the championship title, two of their broadcasters are duking it out with each other. "Some say donquear. That'd be Spanglish," says José Pañeda, the announcer calling the play on Miami's WQBA-AM radio. But donquear doesn't work in Argentina, where dunk is volcada, he says. In Spain, it's mate, which literally means "the kill," as when a matador administers the lethal thrust in a bullfight. None of those terms work for Victor Villalba, radio KFLC's Latino basketball jock, who is handling the finals this week for the Dallas Mavericks. Spanglish, a mixture of Spanish and English, makes his Texas audience uneasy, says the 51-year-old broadcaster. So for the word dunk, he prefers clavada, which comes from clavo, the noun for "nail." Messrs. Pañeda and Villalba are just two of the broadcasters who are confronting the vagaries of Basketball Spanish for an immigrant audience increasingly interested in the game. Basketball in English is already tricky, full of arcane terms like "cross-over dribble," "tomahawk dunk" and "alley oop pass." In Spanish, the challenge is magnified because listeners to Spanish broadcasts hail from or live on three different continents where language and dialects vary. http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304906004576369841345801116.html