From our courtside reporter:

The organisation over here is on par with local basketball association standards (lost count how many times I’ve been told to sit down etc) but the games have been awesome.  Watched all 15 pool games in Kayseri where Aus were playing. Back in Istanbul now and went to the first knockout games last night, got Aus and Turkey games tonight (sellout) and got tickets for the next 2 nights which will have US, Arg, Lithuania, Russia, NZ, China, Brazil etc. Hopefully the German fans will lend me their drum again tonight.

The fans that have come over are awesome, Greece vs Spain last night was the best I’ve seen so far, they each took up a section behind the basket right next to each other. No trouble though. Looking forward to a Lithuanian game.

The Aussie fans are mainly family and gf’s of the players, so we’ve been sitting with them, but they’re a bit quiet. We really need some good Australian sporting chants, Aussie Aussie Aussie and D-Fence is getting a bit tiring…

1. For the stat geeks, a take on True Shooting Percentage on the Orlando roster.
2. Karl Malone has deservedly been inducted into the Hall of Fame.  Here’s a question though: who’s better, Tim Duncun or KM?  A Utah fan shares his view, we’d love to hear yours.
3. Reason #735 why more Aussies should be in the NBA…
4. Nancy Lieberman, winner.
   “The only pressure on me is the pressure that’s self-inflicted. I’m used to winning. I’m not really sure I know much about losing, so I expect to be successful and I expect our franchise to be successful. I haven’t spent my life aspiring to be on an NBA bench. My focus has been to change the lives of the people who need me. I’m not going to get into a situation where it’s, “Oh my God, what if we lose?” We are going to be successful and we’re going to win and I’ll tell you how: 20 percent of the NBA are players who have experience in the D-League — guys like J.J. Barea, Chris Andersen, Sundiata Gaines. Look at the coaches who have moved up. Look at the referees who have moved up. So 80 percent of my guys I’m coaching for life. We’re going to make them better men. We’re going to give them great information so they’re better decision-makers. We’re going to build their character and self-esteem. And we’re going to make them better basketball players. Does that translate into our winning a D-League championship? It very well could. But more than anything we’ll coach our guys up.”
5. Steve Adamek is not too hyped about the USA Men’s Team…
6. Excellent Scottie Pippen article.
7. Scottie finally gets the limelight he deserves.
8. Brandon Jennings is focused.
9. Back to Scottie – J.A. Adande’s take.
10. And Sam Smith’s take.
11. Don’t you dare sleep on the D-League.  Next season’s schedule is up, and Matt Hubert has some impressions.
12. Speaking of which, I love eloquent players.  Add this to your list of must-reads.  Another D-League alumni.
13. Just so you know, if you’re in Australia the World Championships will be shown on FOX Sports.
14. A Stern Warning breaks some interesting news – Leroy Loggins to bring back the Brisbane Bullets?
15. Another Scottie article:
    “Pippen, regarded as perhaps the top individual defender in basketball history, also shared his thoughts on the hottest topic of the NBA offseason, LeBron James’ ‘decision’ to sign with the Miami Heat in free agency. ‘You know what? The way it went down, it was a little bit classless,’ said Pippen, not exactly a stranger to controversy himself during his playing days. ‘He’s a great player and we all love him as a player, but you don’t change spots by going on TV and announcing where you’re going as a free agent. I think that really hurt him a little bit, but it’s over and it’s history.”
16. Say it ain’t so TP…
17. Aimless Ballin.  Must Read.
18. Team “B” (see item 5) beats Les Bleus.
19. Ok one last Scottie article.

1. The NBA heads to London.
2. Ricky Grace, the basketball legend, is to be inducted into the NBL hall of fame.  Via A Stern Warning.
3. The NBA is losing money?  That’s bad news for fans…
   “If the NBA owners and player’s union don’t reach an agreement with the collective bargaining agreement that expires after next season, the NBA could lockout on July 1st, 2011. Insiders and experts are anticipating a lock-out which would delay training camps and possibly the season.”
4. Must be because of contracts…
5. Who wants to go to the Basketball Australia Hall of Fame Dinner?  On hand will be Ricky Grace, Patty Mills, Andrew Gaze, and the Australian Men, Women and Wheelchair teams.
6. The Dream Team is cheaper than before.
   The average 2009-10 NBA salary for the 15 players now on the roster is about $5.8 million, just 30% above the average annual salary of all NBA players. There’s never been a gap that small in the eight other major international events that featured NBA stars. The next-cheapest team was in 2002, when the average salary was 56% above the league average. That team came in sixth place.  The 1992 Dream Team’s average NBA salary was about $3 million, more than triple the league average. Via Wall Street Journal.
7. Social change through hoops.
8. DO.  NOT.  MISS.  THIS…
9. Games to watch out for in the next NBA season.
10. Isaiah Thomas as a Knicks consultant.  Lots of buzz and discussion about this controversial re-hiring.
11. Speaking of which, buried among the bad blood there is still love for Thomas.
12. Scottie Pippen will be inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame this month.  Guess who’s introducing him?  Now there’s a speech to look out for.
13. Rasheed is retiring.  Could he be the most underrated PF in history?
14. No.  I refuse to post this link.  It’s just trash gossip, with no real impact on the game we love.  Nope.  Will not.  Cleveland will win a championship before I post this link.  (Sorry Dan Gilbert.)  No No No.  Dammit.
15. Kevin McHale had a temper.  Via Basketbawful.

1. Best dunks from the NBA Summer League.
2. Making the jump to NBA officiating.  Via Truehoop.
3. Australia beat the USA in wheelchair basketball.  Nice write-up from A Stern Warning.
4. Remember the Starbury shoes?  Stephon was the first guy who decided to make his shoes really cheap, around $19.99 from memory, and mass market them… and people went nuts for them!  Basketball shoes that looked good at a great price?  Might as well have sprinkled a little crack on them, they were THAT addictive.  Yet somehow, despite great press, signing other NBA players to endorse (Wallace, anyone?) and a reputation for being surprisingly decent shoes, the company just couldn’t last.  Now the latest:
   “Stephon Marbury — who once made tens of millions to ride the NY Knicks‘ bench — is now in a legal battle over the sale of his company … for the grand total of $1, according to court documents.  In the lawsuit, filed Friday in L.A. County Superior Court, a woman named Thuymai K. Ungclaims Marbury agreed to sell her 100% of his company — which includes a piece of property in L.A. — back in December … for the sum of one American dollar.”  Via Slam.
5. Penny Hardaway wants to play for Miami?  Sorry homie, that reeks a little of desperation…
6. Are you a stat geek like us?  Check out ALL of the NBA’s salaries and cap situations on one glorious spreadsheet.
7. We love a great, heated, animated discussion over the value of players.  Joe Posnanski and Dan Shaugnessy go at it over how good Tim Duncun is.  Posnanski with the last word:
   “Great players influence games, seasons, championships. And few in basketball history have influenced games, seasons and championships more than Tim Duncan. You could argue about his place in the Top 10, and there are enough great players in NBA history to put an imposing Top 10 out there without Duncan on it. But, and it’s just my opinion I think he’s the best power forward in basketball history and the indispensable player on a four-time champion.”
8. Remember this name: Jeremy Lin.  This kid took over the crowd in the recent Mavs – Wizards Summer League game, taking it to John Wall and co in a variety of ways, earning not only the support of the locals, but also commentators around the League:
   “”The kid from the Ivy League refused to back down from the YouTube sensation and while Wall walked away with the highlight reel, Lin walked away as the fan favorite”.  From the Washington Post.