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Title of the Article
Author's Name
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The legal means of watching or listening to NBA games are NBA League Pass Broadband (for US, or for International; both cost money) and NBA Audio League Pass (which is free). Look for them on NBA.com.

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Provocative statements in a signature, or as an avatar, or as the 'tagline' beneath a poster's username (where it says 'Member' or 'Administrator' by default, if it is not altered) are an unwanted distraction that will more than likely be removed on sight. There can be shades of gray to this, but in general this could be something political or religious that is likely going to provoke or upset people, or otherwise something that is mean-spirited at the expense of a poster, a group of people, or a population.

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We do make exceptions if we feel the content is both innocuous and unlikely to cause social problems on the forum (such as wishing someone a Merry Christmas or a Happy Easter), and we also also make exceptions if such topics come up with regards to a sports figure (such as the Lance Stephenson situation bringing up discussions of domestic abuse and the law, or when Jason Collins came out as gay and how that lead to some discussion about gay rights).

However, once the discussion seems to be more/mostly about the political issues instead of the sports figure or his specific situation, the thread is usually closed.

Rule #8

We prefer self-restraint and/or modesty when making jokes or off topic comments in a sports discussion thread. They can be fun, but sometimes they derail or distract from a topic, and we don't want to see that happen. If we feel it is a problem, we will either delete or move those posts from the thread.

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Rule #10

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Corey Brewer Article

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  • #1

    Corey Brewer Article

    http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draft...CMP=ILC-INHEAD

    CARSON, Calif.-- You'd think two straight NCAA titles and Most Outstanding Player awards for Joakim Noah in 2006 and Corey Brewer in 2007 would be enough to shore up the credentials of both players heading into the NBA draft.

    But watching the former University of Florida stars work up a sweat from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, you'd think they were fighting for their NBA draft lives.

    I spent Monday at the Abunassar Impact Basketball training center here watching Noah, Brewer and a number of other prospects work furiously throughout the day in preparation for the 2007 NBA draft. President and co-founder Joe Abunassar took Noah and Brewer through state of the art training that included customized meals, strength training, skills work and five-on-five work.

    Abunassar, along with Tim Grover of A.T.T.A.C.K. Athletics in Chicago, is widely regarded as one of the elite trainers in the NBA. He trains Kevin Garnett, Chauncey Billups, Baron Davis, among others, in the offseason.
    Here's a look at one long, grueling day for a couple of future NBA stars.
    8:30 a.m: Brewer and Noah go through intense strength training. Almost all of the training is sport specific. This isn't curls and squats. They use muscle groups the way a basketball player would. Everything includes movement with the exception of the bench press.

    While Abunassar says the bench press has little to do with basketball prowess, he gets his players working on 185-pound reps every day because the NBA tests for it at the draft combine in Orlando.

    9:45 a.m.: Brewer and Noah are done with strength training and Noah comes out of the back room with a huge protein shake with two fish oil capsules perched on top. Both are obsessed with gaining weight for the draft and Abunassar has them on a high-caloric diet to up their weight.
    Noah says the shake tastes like "s---." Brewer just laughs and says it isn't so bad. I give in and try one myself.

    I'm with Noah on this one.

    Afterward Noah hits the scales and proudly announces that he's up to 224½ pounds -- up roughly five pounds since he arrived a little over a week ago. Brewer tells me later he's gained five pounds, too; he's now around 190 pounds.


    In the ultra competitive world of the NBA draft … every pound, or even half pound, counts.
    10 a.m.: Brewer and Noah head to the court to begin individual skills work. Noah is at one end working with Nevada forward Nick Fazekas. Brewer is down on the other end along with Oregon State's Marcel Jones.
    Brewer looks great.

    He's stroking the ball from 18 feet and showing range out to the NBA 3-point line with good accuracy. He has great form on his jump shot with a high, quick release. He gets great lift on his shot and shows the ability to shoot off the dribble, too.

    He's most impressive, however, getting up and down the basketball floor. He has excellent speed for his size and is very explosive getting off the floor.

    Meanwhile, down on the other end, Noah is grunting and huffing with every post spin and dunk. Somehow, that frenetic energy he brings to the court every night also translates to the practice court. At one point Abunassar tells Noah that he doesn't need to grunt so hard in the workouts. Noah smiles and says that's the way he rolls. It's pretty clear it's not an act.

    Dripping with sweat, Noah looks more skilled in the post than he's been given credit for. He has good footwork and is quick. He explodes off the floor and likes to finish with either a dunk or a short hook shot. His balance looks a little off at times, making his spins a little unorthodox, but he's very effective.

    Noah backs down a trainer on a post-up isolation and dunks the ball emphatically. "I'm kicking your a--," he screams.

    But when Noah steps back and starts working on jump shots, everyone in the gym begins to cringe a little. Noah has a wacky release. He puts the ball on the left side of his head and then shoots it across his face in a diagonal motion. It's not Shawn Marion ugly. But it's close. The crazy thing about the shot is that it goes in pretty regularly from 15 feet in.
    Abunassar says at this point he's not going to try to fix it, saying there isn't enough time to change his shot. The key, according to Abunassar, is that he has a consistent release point on his shot. While his shot release is far from ideal, his lower body mechanics are good and he does get the ball in the basket. The fact that he shoots the ball the same way every time, according to Abunassar, means that his shot isn't nearly as problematic as it looks.

    What's interesting is comparing Noah to Fazekas.

    Fazekas has been working here for six weeks. He has gained some muscle, improved his athleticism and he looks much better running the floor. But he's not in the same league as Noah with his quickness and explosiveness. For the most part, he's a ground hog with pretty heavy feet.

    However, put the guys on the perimeter and the entire thing is reversed. Fazekas is a dead-eye from the NBA 3-point line. His release is picture perfect and he nails 3 after 3 after 3. Noah? Not so much. While his shot goes in from 15 feet in, his accuracy dips greatly the farther he ventures from the basket.

    The thought crosses my mind: Combine the skill of Fazekas with the athleticism and energy of Noah and you have the perfect big man.

    12:30 p.m.: The guys get a break for lunch. Their breakfast, lunch, dinner and three different snacks arrive each day in a beige insulated bag. Everyone is on a different diet. But each meal is packaged in a black plastic tray with sections resembling a TV dinner. Neither Noah or Brewer is a fan of the food. Brewer says he misses fast food as he picks at some boneless, skinless chicken.

    The room they eat in has a widescreen plasma TV, Internet and an Xbox 360. Several players are gathered around the Internet watching Baron Davis highlights on YouTube -- even when they're not playing basketball, they're thinking basketball.

    1:30 p.m.: Abunassar is back on the court doing a special session with just Noah and Brewer. It's another hour of shooting and post drills. Each player does 30 reps. Then the next one is on. In between the reps, Noah admits that this has turned into the hardest work of his life.

    "It's all day, every day," Noah says. "In college you have class and life. Here it's basketball all day." He says this not with disdain, but with a grin. The two Gators seem to be loving the work.

    "The NBA is a dream, Noah says. "How could you focus on anything else? Nothing else matters."

    Abunassar says that despite their near-star status in the college basketball world, Noah and Brewer are working relentlessly. "They're winners and this is the next challenge," he says. "They want to beat everyone at this, too."

    2:30 p.m.: Noah is done for the day. Brewer joins a group to play five-on-five. The Blazers' Martell Webster and the Rockets' Kirk Snyder are here. They're joined by USC's Gabe Pruitt, San Diego State's Brandon Heath, Iowa's Adam Haluska, Creighton's Nate Funk, Oregon State's Marcel Jones and Wright State's Dashaun Woods.

    The play is fast and furious. Webster was the No. 5 pick in the draft two years ago. He would've been just a sophomore in college this year. He has an NBA body and two years of pro experience. But he still doesn't have the game of Brewer, who clearly outshines everyone else on the floor. His smooth game, from pull-up jumpers to alley-oop dunks, shows just how destructive he could be in an open-court game.

    The other four players who stand out are Pruitt (who possesses great athleticism and a beautiful shooting stroke), Woods (great speed and the ability to get to the basket), Heath (who is intriguing as a combo guard, a guy who does just about everything in the backcourt well, but not great) and Jones (an athletic small forward who scored several big buckets from midrange with Brewer on him).

    4 p.m.: The day is almost over. Noah and Brewer will get rubbed down, drink another shake and go chill out at the beach for the rest of the day. For six days a week, until the Orlando predraft camp, the drill will be the same. The goal is to improve their showing at the predraft workouts. From the looks of things, both should be a success.

    From my conversations with NBA GMs and from what I saw with my own eyes on Monday, I think Brewer could go as high as the No. 3 or No. 4 pick in the draft. How often do you find a 6-foot-9 guy with the wingspan of a 7-footer who can play lock-down defense at the 2 or the 3, shoot the basketball and slash to the basket? Brewer has a chance to be a totally unique player at his position.

    I've pegged his teammate, Noah, with the Suns at No. 4, but I've reconsidered. In my latest version of our Mock Draft I think it's Brewer who could go to the Suns. He'd be a perfect fit in their system and he'd help them with his defense, shooting and ability to get up and down the floor. He'd be a big upgrade over Raja Bell at the position.

    Noah is still a possibility with Phoenix at No. 4. He, too, would fare well in its up-and-down style. But the Suns already have one facilitator in Boris Diaw and, to a lesser extent, Marion. Could they afford to play Noah on the floor as well?

    I think Noah will show in workouts that he's more skilled than NBA GMs think he is. His relentlessness in his workouts will impress. He has a magnetic personality. Even his grunting and shouting have a positive psychological effect; if all the other guys on the floor were working as hard as Noah, he would just sound like he's doing more.

    I think Phoenix at No. 4, Minnesota at No. 7, Sacramento at No. 10 and Atlanta at No. 11 are all possibilities for Noah. If somehow he slips past there, it's hard to imagine the Pistons at No. 15 or the Wizards at No. 16 passing on him. I know some scouts think he'll be a bust, but I have a hard time believing that a 7-footer with that much athleticism, energy and skill can't succeed in the pros. As long as he keeps playing frenetically, I think he'll be good.

    As for the rest of the crew, I want to see more of Pruitt, but I think he has a chance to be a first-round sleeper. He has all the skills to succeed in the NBA. I'm not sure he's a pure point guard, but I think he could be a Devin Harris-type player (with a better jump shot) in the pros.
    Fazekas is very, very skilled. But compared to a guy like Colorado State's Jason Smith, he's going to struggle.

    I'll also be intrigued at how Wood and Heath do at the predraft camp. Both could help their positions with good performances.

    -----------------------------------------------------------------

    I'd love to see Brewer in a Pacers uniform. I don't know if it could happen, but he'd be the answer at the 2 for a long time if we could wind up with him.

    Fazekas sounds like a slower version of Troy Murphy.

    If Gabe Pruitt is around in the late twenties he may be worth trading up for.
    "A man with no belly has no appetite for life."

    - Salman Rushdie
    Tags: None
  • #2
    Re: Corey Brewer Article

    Originally posted by mellifluous View Post
    http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/draft...CMP=ILC-INHEAD

    CARSON, Calif.-- You'd think two straight NCAA titles and Most Outstanding Player awards for Joakim Noah in 2006 and Corey Brewer in 2007 would be enough to shore up the credentials of both players heading into the NBA draft.

    But watching the former University of Florida stars work up a sweat from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Monday, you'd think they were fighting for their NBA draft lives.

    I spent Monday at the Abunassar Impact Basketball training center here watching Noah, Brewer and a number of other prospects work furiously throughout the day in preparation for the 2007 NBA draft. President and co-founder Joe Abunassar took Noah and Brewer through state of the art training that included customized meals, strength training, skills work and five-on-five work.

    Abunassar, along with Tim Grover of A.T.T.A.C.K. Athletics in Chicago, is widely regarded as one of the elite trainers in the NBA. He trains Kevin Garnett, Chauncey Billups, Baron Davis, among others, in the offseason.
    Here's a look at one long, grueling day for a couple of future NBA stars.
    8:30 a.m: Brewer and Noah go through intense strength training. Almost all of the training is sport specific. This isn't curls and squats. They use muscle groups the way a basketball player would. Everything includes movement with the exception of the bench press.

    While Abunassar says the bench press has little to do with basketball prowess, he gets his players working on 185-pound reps every day because the NBA tests for it at the draft combine in Orlando.

    9:45 a.m.: Brewer and Noah are done with strength training and Noah comes out of the back room with a huge protein shake with two fish oil capsules perched on top. Both are obsessed with gaining weight for the draft and Abunassar has them on a high-caloric diet to up their weight.
    Noah says the shake tastes like "s---." Brewer just laughs and says it isn't so bad. I give in and try one myself.

    I'm with Noah on this one.

    Afterward Noah hits the scales and proudly announces that he's up to 224½ pounds -- up roughly five pounds since he arrived a little over a week ago. Brewer tells me later he's gained five pounds, too; he's now around 190 pounds.


    In the ultra competitive world of the NBA draft … every pound, or even half pound, counts.
    10 a.m.: Brewer and Noah head to the court to begin individual skills work. Noah is at one end working with Nevada forward Nick Fazekas. Brewer is down on the other end along with Oregon State's Marcel Jones.
    Brewer looks great.

    He's stroking the ball from 18 feet and showing range out to the NBA 3-point line with good accuracy. He has great form on his jump shot with a high, quick release. He gets great lift on his shot and shows the ability to shoot off the dribble, too.

    He's most impressive, however, getting up and down the basketball floor. He has excellent speed for his size and is very explosive getting off the floor.

    Meanwhile, down on the other end, Noah is grunting and huffing with every post spin and dunk. Somehow, that frenetic energy he brings to the court every night also translates to the practice court. At one point Abunassar tells Noah that he doesn't need to grunt so hard in the workouts. Noah smiles and says that's the way he rolls. It's pretty clear it's not an act.

    Dripping with sweat, Noah looks more skilled in the post than he's been given credit for. He has good footwork and is quick. He explodes off the floor and likes to finish with either a dunk or a short hook shot. His balance looks a little off at times, making his spins a little unorthodox, but he's very effective.

    Noah backs down a trainer on a post-up isolation and dunks the ball emphatically. "I'm kicking your a--," he screams.

    But when Noah steps back and starts working on jump shots, everyone in the gym begins to cringe a little. Noah has a wacky release. He puts the ball on the left side of his head and then shoots it across his face in a diagonal motion. It's not Shawn Marion ugly. But it's close. The crazy thing about the shot is that it goes in pretty regularly from 15 feet in.
    Abunassar says at this point he's not going to try to fix it, saying there isn't enough time to change his shot. The key, according to Abunassar, is that he has a consistent release point on his shot. While his shot release is far from ideal, his lower body mechanics are good and he does get the ball in the basket. The fact that he shoots the ball the same way every time, according to Abunassar, means that his shot isn't nearly as problematic as it looks.

    What's interesting is comparing Noah to Fazekas.

    Fazekas has been working here for six weeks. He has gained some muscle, improved his athleticism and he looks much better running the floor. But he's not in the same league as Noah with his quickness and explosiveness. For the most part, he's a ground hog with pretty heavy feet.

    However, put the guys on the perimeter and the entire thing is reversed. Fazekas is a dead-eye from the NBA 3-point line. His release is picture perfect and he nails 3 after 3 after 3. Noah? Not so much. While his shot goes in from 15 feet in, his accuracy dips greatly the farther he ventures from the basket.

    The thought crosses my mind: Combine the skill of Fazekas with the athleticism and energy of Noah and you have the perfect big man.

    12:30 p.m.: The guys get a break for lunch. Their breakfast, lunch, dinner and three different snacks arrive each day in a beige insulated bag. Everyone is on a different diet. But each meal is packaged in a black plastic tray with sections resembling a TV dinner. Neither Noah or Brewer is a fan of the food. Brewer says he misses fast food as he picks at some boneless, skinless chicken.

    The room they eat in has a widescreen plasma TV, Internet and an Xbox 360. Several players are gathered around the Internet watching Baron Davis highlights on YouTube -- even when they're not playing basketball, they're thinking basketball.

    1:30 p.m.: Abunassar is back on the court doing a special session with just Noah and Brewer. It's another hour of shooting and post drills. Each player does 30 reps. Then the next one is on. In between the reps, Noah admits that this has turned into the hardest work of his life.

    "It's all day, every day," Noah says. "In college you have class and life. Here it's basketball all day." He says this not with disdain, but with a grin. The two Gators seem to be loving the work.

    "The NBA is a dream, Noah says. "How could you focus on anything else? Nothing else matters."

    Abunassar says that despite their near-star status in the college basketball world, Noah and Brewer are working relentlessly. "They're winners and this is the next challenge," he says. "They want to beat everyone at this, too."

    2:30 p.m.: Noah is done for the day. Brewer joins a group to play five-on-five. The Blazers' Martell Webster and the Rockets' Kirk Snyder are here. They're joined by USC's Gabe Pruitt, San Diego State's Brandon Heath, Iowa's Adam Haluska, Creighton's Nate Funk, Oregon State's Marcel Jones and Wright State's Dashaun Woods.

    The play is fast and furious. Webster was the No. 5 pick in the draft two years ago. He would've been just a sophomore in college this year. He has an NBA body and two years of pro experience. But he still doesn't have the game of Brewer, who clearly outshines everyone else on the floor. His smooth game, from pull-up jumpers to alley-oop dunks, shows just how destructive he could be in an open-court game.

    The other four players who stand out are Pruitt (who possesses great athleticism and a beautiful shooting stroke), Woods (great speed and the ability to get to the basket), Heath (who is intriguing as a combo guard, a guy who does just about everything in the backcourt well, but not great) and Jones (an athletic small forward who scored several big buckets from midrange with Brewer on him).

    4 p.m.: The day is almost over. Noah and Brewer will get rubbed down, drink another shake and go chill out at the beach for the rest of the day. For six days a week, until the Orlando predraft camp, the drill will be the same. The goal is to improve their showing at the predraft workouts. From the looks of things, both should be a success.

    From my conversations with NBA GMs and from what I saw with my own eyes on Monday, I think Brewer could go as high as the No. 3 or No. 4 pick in the draft. How often do you find a 6-foot-9 guy with the wingspan of a 7-footer who can play lock-down defense at the 2 or the 3, shoot the basketball and slash to the basket? Brewer has a chance to be a totally unique player at his position.

    I've pegged his teammate, Noah, with the Suns at No. 4, but I've reconsidered. In my latest version of our Mock Draft I think it's Brewer who could go to the Suns. He'd be a perfect fit in their system and he'd help them with his defense, shooting and ability to get up and down the floor. He'd be a big upgrade over Raja Bell at the position.

    Noah is still a possibility with Phoenix at No. 4. He, too, would fare well in its up-and-down style. But the Suns already have one facilitator in Boris Diaw and, to a lesser extent, Marion. Could they afford to play Noah on the floor as well?

    I think Noah will show in workouts that he's more skilled than NBA GMs think he is. His relentlessness in his workouts will impress. He has a magnetic personality. Even his grunting and shouting have a positive psychological effect; if all the other guys on the floor were working as hard as Noah, he would just sound like he's doing more.

    I think Phoenix at No. 4, Minnesota at No. 7, Sacramento at No. 10 and Atlanta at No. 11 are all possibilities for Noah. If somehow he slips past there, it's hard to imagine the Pistons at No. 15 or the Wizards at No. 16 passing on him. I know some scouts think he'll be a bust, but I have a hard time believing that a 7-footer with that much athleticism, energy and skill can't succeed in the pros. As long as he keeps playing frenetically, I think he'll be good.

    As for the rest of the crew, I want to see more of Pruitt, but I think he has a chance to be a first-round sleeper. He has all the skills to succeed in the NBA. I'm not sure he's a pure point guard, but I think he could be a Devin Harris-type player (with a better jump shot) in the pros.
    Fazekas is very, very skilled. But compared to a guy like Colorado State's Jason Smith, he's going to struggle.

    I'll also be intrigued at how Wood and Heath do at the predraft camp. Both could help their positions with good performances.

    -----------------------------------------------------------------

    I'd love to see Brewer in a Pacers uniform. I don't know if it could happen, but he'd be the answer at the 2 for a long time if we could wind up with him.

    Fazekas sounds like a slower version of Troy Murphy.

    If Gabe Pruitt is around in the late twenties he may be worth trading up for.

    For a team that needs perimeter defense he would be a perfect fit.He'd also be great in a uptempo team.

    Comment

    • #3
      Re: Corey Brewer Article

      I agree that if the Suns have pick 4, there could be a good chance they take Brewer. It depends on how this playoff series turns out, but I think they'll move Marion this offseason.

      Comment

      • #4
        Re: Corey Brewer Article

        Brewer should work out nicely for somebody. But Noah - it's nice that he's 7', has quite the motor, and gets all hyped up - but all that will be severely neutralized when he's no longer the biggest or most athletic man on the floor.

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