With the MLB pennant races heating up and the NFL season getting underway, the NBA will have to have some pretty major news to grab some headlines. And I think all the, "Sources say Melo wants to play in (insert city)" rumors are no longer going to get the job done. What about Erick Dampier's newfound free agency? Well, that should get the Stiffs talking.
Let's take a quick look around the NBA landscape and see what kind of news we find …
Charlotte Bobcats waive Erick Dampier: Link here
What does this mean for the Nuggets? Well, Denver could get in on the Dampier sweepstakes with their bi-annual exception of $2.1 million and the 6’11” and 265 pound center could give the Nuggets some valuable minutes as he averaged 6 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in roughly 23 minutes a game (55 games played) for the Dallas Mavericks last season. One of the most annoying aspect of Dampier’s game, if he’s your opponent, is the volleyball tap rebounds he sends out to keep offensive possessions alive. The 35 year-old Dampier doesn’t have a ton of gas left in the tank, but he knows how to do enough to be still be an effective player for a playoff team.
The downside for Denver is that Damp might be looking for an easy title and he may throw all his eggs into the Miami Heat basket.
Golden State Warriors sign Louis Amundson to a two-year $5 million deal. Link here
What does this mean for the Nuggets? Well, as soon as Denver announced the signing of Al Harrington any chance of signing the Colorado product Amundson went right out the window. Lou isn’t a very big guy and the Nuggets were probably better off waiting for a Dampier type release then they were inking Birdman Junior.
The Warriors now possess a couple of hustling forwards with Amundson joining David Lee in Golden State.
Allen Iverson might play in China this season. Link here
Iverson's personal manager Gary Moore said he was "astonished" that NBA teams are not lining up to get the 35 year-old guards services. With that being the case, Iverson is apparently considering playing in China. I guess Iverson might need a paycheck more than we realize.
Plenty of Americans have been heading overseas and we’ve heard names like Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and LeBron James perhaps one day playing ball overseas, but thus far a big star has yet to jump at the opportunity (I don’t consider Stephon Marbury to be a big star). Iverson could be a pioneer.
Melo is a tennis fan. Link here
Thanks to reader CaddyJack for posting the above link in another thread. When I heard the news that Melo was attending the U.S. Open I thought, "Does this mean he's going to demand a release from Denver and take up tennis?" Figured I'd post that since any news on Melo is major news now. I wonder what he's planning on having for breakfast tomorrow?!?
Nuggets Intrasquad Scrimmage. Link here
Click the above link for tickets for the Nuggets scrimmage on October 5th. Should be a great opportunity to get some up close seats and a rare look the team you follow. If anyone attends this event, I'd love to be able to share some pictures and stories of the scrimmage.
So there isn't a lot going on in the NBA right now, but there is a free agent to watch for with Dampier now on the market. Can the Nuggets front office talk Damp into joining the team? Is he even on the radar? We'll find out.
ntimmons73@yahoo.com
Twitter: Nate_Timmons
