Paul George, the top pick of the Indiana Pacers in the 2010 NBA draft, talks about his first NBA action and his response to people who said he was a “risky” draft pick for the Pacers.

George is a player who had a pretty strong summer league showing and is another reason that Pacer fans are hopeful for the future.

***

Hey, if you like this kind of basketball coverage, do yourself a favor and sign up for the BasketballElite.com newsletter, which is free for basketball lovers.

By Marcus Shockley

Every summer across the country, basketball players who are in their offseason play in Pro-Am events and tournaments across the country, getting a chance to work on specific skills that they want to improve for the coming season. The Triad Pro-Am is one such event, with past seasons featuring Chris Paul, James Johnson, Rusty Larue and this year’s lottery pick Al-Farouq Aminu.

Here’s some video of a few highlight from the 2010 playoffs, specifically the final four, in games which featured former UNC star Rayshawn Terry, several current Wake Forest players including Tony Woods, JT Terrell, Travis McKie and C.J. Harris, former Wake players such as Craig Dawson and L.D. Williams, and several other college and pro players.

Impressive play from Jahron Giddings, Rashaun Davis, Justin Manns and several others. A.J. Highsmith, Reyshawn Terry and Craig Dawson were impressive outside shooters.

Also, any players who are in this video and are not mentioned by name, hit me up and I’ll make sure you get credited. You can find me on Twitter, or email me directly.

***

Hey, if you like this kind of basketball coverage, do yourself a favor and sign up for the BasketballElite.com newsletter, which is free for basketball lovers.

Justin Manns is a 6’11” center, playing for Kent State and is a redshirt junior.

Justin is agile and plays his game in the paint. Slight of build, he runs the floor well and has good timing on shot blocking and put backs. He needs to add strength to keep from getting pushed out of rebounding position, but he has a lot of potential and already is a factor in paint.

Justin is not a big stiff center, his natural agility and excellent timing mean he can get to offensive alley oops and can get free for jump shots. Did not see much in the way of a drop step or other back-to-the-basket moves during this game, which could be the issue with strength and being able to establish position under the paint.

During the game he was in foul trouble late, but the fouls were somewhat questionable, as it appeared he had good position and did not bring his arm down across the player’s body as he went for shot blocks. With more aggressiveness on rebounds, improved footwork with his back to the basket and more bulk, he could be a beast in the post.

With continued work, definitely a pro player at some level. A player to keep an eye on.

Strengths

Agility
Shot-Blocker
Runs the Floor

Areas for Improvement

Strength
Aggressiveness
Traffic Rebounding

Danny Ainge is a guy who has really made as much of a mark as a basketball executive as he did when he played on the same legendary team as Larry Bird, Kevin McHale and Robert Parrish.

With the latest acquisition of Shaquille O’Neal and Jermaine O’Neal (how great is it that that two big men for the Boston Celtics have the last name O’Neal), and the drafting of Luke Harangody looking like a good pick, Danny is making moves to keep the Celtics relevant. Here’s our exclusive interview with Danny Ainge, GM of the Boston Celtics, who talks about what he thinks the team needs and what factor a player’s age has in his decision.

***

Hey, if you like this kind of basketball coverage, do yourself a favor and sign up for the BasketballElite.com newsletter, which is free for basketball lovers.

A few weeks ago, we interviewed Texas big man Thomas Gipson, a solid post player with a lot of D1 interest.

Yesterday, Thomas, a 6’7″ PF from the upcoming 2011 class, decided to join Kansas State, giving them depth in the paint and strength under the glass. Thomas has a solid frame that’s ready for the college game and should get playing time quickly.

***

Hey, if you like this kind of basketball coverage, do yourself a favor and sign up for the BasketballElite.com newsletter, which is free for basketball lovers.

Brian Zoubek finished up his career at Duke by playing center for a national championship team. As an undrafted rookie, Zoubek faced the uphill battle with casual ease and acceptance, and won himself a contract with the rebuilding New Jersey Nets, where he will be alongside Derrick Favors, a player he battled in post last season during ACC matchups.

Here’s our exclusive discussion with Brian on his thoughts on moving into the pro game and what he needs to work on in order to stick in the NBA:

***

Hey, if you like this kind of basketball coverage, do yourself a favor and sign up for the BasketballElite.com newsletter, which is free for basketball lovers.

Darius Miles is not the typical summer league player. Most of the players in the NBA basketball summer league are younger, playing in their first two or even three years in the league. Miles, having been the third pick in the 2000 draft, doesn’t fit that profile.

After a career of promise, injury and controversy, Miles was back in the summer league trying to get himself back into the mix after an injury this season. However, he never stepped on the court, and BasketballElite.com James Blackburn talked with Miles in Orlando about his appearance in the summer league and his career.

“My [injury] is back, fully recovered, but we’ve decided that we should not take a chance on playing right now”, says Miles, “I’m just working out, but it’s summer league, so it’s not worth hurting it again.”

When asked about where he came up for his infamous “double fisted head bump”, he laughed and called another player over to talk about it. Finally, he said “I know where I came up with it, but I can’t tell you”, leaving that question for another day.

Finally, when asked about his experience in Charlotte, and playing around Michael Jordan, Darius responds, “you know, I’ve been knowing Jordan since I was sixteen. I’ve had a relationship with them for years, so going back to see them is just like going back to see family.”

***

Hey, if you like this kind of basketball coverage, do yourself a favor and sign up for the BasketballElite.com newsletter, which is free for basketball lovers.