Tag: Toronto

Neal set for Goodman-Drew All-Star Game on Aug. 20

Spurs guard Gary Neal will be among the NBA standouts who will participate in an all-star game involving top players from the Los Angeles and Washington area.

Pro Basketball Talk reports that the a venerable pro-am summer league from the area that has seen a lot of NBA players come through it over the years.

They will be meeting NBA players who will represent the Drew League from Los Angeles in a game that will be played Aug. 20 and will be available through live streaming on the web.

Among Neal’s teammates for the Goodman League will include Oklahoma City’s Kevin Durant, Washington’s John Wall, Sacramento’s Tyreke Evans, DeMarcus Cousins and Donte Green, Minnesota’s Michael Beasley, Memphis’ Josh Shelby and Sam Young, Hugh ”Baby Shaq” Jones of the AND1 Tour and Emanuel “Duce” Jones and Warren “D-Nice” Jefferson.

Among the Los Angeles-area players for the Drew League will include Oklahoma City’s James Harden, Toronto’s DeMar DeRozan, Washington’s Nick Young and JaVale McGee, Sacramento’s Dorrell Wright and Pooh Jeter, the Los Angeles Clippers’ Craig Smith, Milwaukee’s Brandon Jennings, Memphis’ Marcus Williams, Bobby Brown of Aris BC and a couple of other players to be named.

For NBA junkies in need of a hoop fix, it should be an entertaining game. But Neal’s perimeter-heavy game might be a tad out of place, considering this contest’s potential for rim-rattling slam dunks and transition excitement.

The first team to 200 will win this game, trust me.

Spurs’ Joseph could play with Canada

Worrying about Manu Ginobili playing for Argentina in international competition has become a summertime tradition among Spurs fans. Tony Parker is a regular with Les Bleus, the French national team, and Tiago Splitter remains the centerpiece for Brazil.

The hypochondriacs among Spurs Nation now have another international player to anguish over: , newly drafted point guard Cory Joseph — a Toronto native — is expected in training camp with that country’s national team, if and when insurance issues are cleared up.

If he makes the team — almost a foregone conclusion, judging from the above article — Joseph would play for Canada in this summer’s Olympic qualifier.

At 19 years old, and without any NBA wear-and-tear on his body, Joseph isn’t quite the injury risk his older international counterparts are.

In fact, with the lockout threatening to cut into training camp and perhaps the start of the season, the former University of Texas standout could use the experience that playing on the international stage might bring.

Certainly, any sort of organized basketball will be beneficial in keeping Joseph in game shape at a time when he and other players are forbidden from the Spurs’ practice gym.

If nothing else, Joseph’s presence on the Canada’s national team might make Matt Bonner jealous.

The Red Rocket — so nicknamed because of his reliance on Toronto’s public transit system while with the Raptors — has been trying for years to join the Canadian team, but has so far been unable to secure citizenship.

Report: Raptors to target Lindsey for GM opening

For the third time in as many summers, Dennis Lindsey’s name has come up in connection with another team’s general manager search.

, the Toronto Raptors are preparing to target Lindsey, who just finished his fourth season as the Spurs’ assistant GM, as a candidats in their front-office hunt.

Bryan Colangelo currently holds dual titles of president and GM in Toronto but, according to the report, is willing to surrender GM duties to the right candidate.

Lindsey is believed to be on that list, along with former New Orleans general manager Jeff Bower and Philadelphia GM Ed Stefanski.

According to the Yahoo! report, Toronto has not scheduled interviews with any candidates, and might not commence with a formal search until next month.

Lindsey has been a hot commodity almost since joining the Spurs prior to the 2007-08 season. In the past two summers, he turned down GM positions in Minnesota and Phoenix.