Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 7:30 pm Post subject: Official 2008 Spurs Summer League Thread:
Ex-MTSU hoopster Cuffee in NBA summer league
When Michael Cuffee watched last week’s NBA Finals, he had a unique reaction — “I can do that.”
Cuffee, a former MTSU basketball standout, will get his chance, at least on a preliminary basis. He has landed a spot on the San Antonio Spurs’ summer league team.
“This is the opportunity for me that I’ve been waiting for and working for,” Cuffee said. “I just think God has blessed me. I’m excited and nervous at the same time. But the way I look at it, at the end of the day everybody laces up their shoes the same way on the basketball court.
“Basketball is basketball, and I’m excited about this opportunity to compete against some of the best.”
Cuffee, who worked at MTSU’s team camp last week, reports to San Antonio on July 5 and summer league play begins July 11 in Las Vegas.
It marks Cuffee’s third NBA tryout this summer, as he recently worked out for the New Jersey Nets and Miami Heat. He has played for two NBA Development League teams in the last year.
“This summer league is my best opportunity so far,” Cuffee said. “I’m already guaranteed to play on the team, and I think I’ll get a chance to play a lot. Even if things don’t work out with San Antonio, there’s going to be a lot of scouts and coaches from other teams watching the games. So maybe I can get picked up by somebody.”
Cuffee has played for a half-dozen professional teams in three countries since leaving MTSU as a 2005 All-Sun Belt selection. He will turn 25 years-old on July 12, and earning the summer league spot is his basketball pinnacle thus far.
“In my opinion, every guy who plays basketball has that dream of playing in the NBA,” Cuffee said. “If the NBA is not their ultimate goal, then they’re lying. It’s my dream, and I’ve actually got a shot.”
Cuffee, who was an undersized forward at MTSU, has developed into a 6-foot-5 shooting guard at the professional level. He has shot around 40 percent from 3-point range in his professional stints.
“When I was overseas, I had a lot of free time and I didn’t know anybody, so I had a lot of time to work on my game,” said Cuffee, who played in Denmark and Finland. “We practiced twice a day, and I worked real hard on my shot. Overall, I came back a better player. Now I want to take that next step.”
There were a couple of packages waiting for me today after practice. I was a little mystified as to where they came from, especially considering the fact that I hadn't bought or sent off for anything recently. Maybe someone had sent me a Valentine or something. It could have possibly been one of the five women who sent me Facebook and MySpace messages referring to the blog. Was that even possible?
As we finished up our last drill, I headed over to the boxes. One package said that it was from "Flex-Power." OK, that was an easy one. My homie, Rashean, sends me some of this miracle warm-up cream from time to time. Lucky for me I'm a fellow Cal guy or I might have to go to great lengths to get my hands on this stuff. I might lead a life of crime.
The second box was still a mystery. I saw who it was from. It clearly read "San Antonio Spurs" on the return label. Really? I picked it up and that bad boy was heavy. I could also clearly hear heavy things inside bumping up against one another. I didn't want to open it up in the gym because it seemed that whatever was inside the box was better contained in the box than in my hands for the time being.
When I got back to the apartment, I still had no clue as to what the Spurs could have possibly sent me. Besides the what, the more important question was the why. Why in the world would anyone send me a heavy box? Well, I could keep asking questions, or I could just open that bad boy up, so I did just that.
On the end that I first opened up was a pair of Spurs workout shorts and a shooting shirt. Once I got past those, there were something like 20 Gatorade Nutrition shakes. If I was confused before, I was now bewildered. I searched the rest of the box and there was nothing else. It had to be some sort of joke. Maybe Kevin Hart was getting back at me, that guy is good from what I've seen.
When I got up to put the shakes away, I stepped on a piece of paper. It must have fallen out of the box with the shakes. It was handwritten on a small piece of Spurs stationary. I picked it up and started reading:
"Rod,
Great blog. I am a fan.
We would like for you to come to our summer league and mini camp. You can have as many shakes as you want.
Have a good season. Keep playing the right way.
Dell Demps"
I sat back and looked at all the shakes. I kind of even ignored what may have been the only handwritten camp invite I'll ever get. I had 20 Gatorade shakes and a handwritten letter from an NBA Director of Player Personnel. Awesome.
I put two and two together and assumed that he must have read my Denver workout post about how there was a two-shake limit. Like a child at Christmas, he wowed me with promises of unlimited shakes and summer league dreams. If there ever was an advertisement for blog writing, this would be it, although I think that my numbers had a little to do with it.
If you're reading this, thanks, Dell. My teammates stole about five shakes already, but the rest have been phenomenal. Yeah, that's right, I drank them today. Something is seriously wrong with me. I can't control it. I can't explain it. I just love those things.
Too much Rod Benson: Impressing the son of a legend
By Rod Benson
I had been promised something and I intended to collect. I had a handwritten letter as my proof. I boarded my flight to San Antonio with my proof in hand. I was not going to be denied my Gatorade Nutrition Shakes. I was told I could have as many as I like. It had been weeks since I was in Seattle, where I last tasted the sweet nectar.
There were things I had to do first, though. Upon arrival, all the guys had a meeting with Dell Demps, director of player personnel/GM of the Austin Toros. It was nice to know that one of the guys running this thing was a guy who used to be in the same position as me. Dell was in the minor leagues for a while before getting his crack at the NBA. He now has a lot of respect amongst the minor league players because we all feel that he, and the San Antonio Spurs for that matter, wouldn't bring anybody into camp that they didn't think had a legitimate shot.
I think it is this level of respect that leads so many high level players to attend their camp. The competition was so ferocious out there. Maybe it's just something about that team or that staff or all those championship banners in the practice facility that leads everyone in there to play like there's no tomorrow. Spurs camp felt like I was a hungry dog, among many other hungry dogs, and someone threw one steak in the middle of us and said, much like the NBA commercials, "there can only be one."
It's funny though, because at this stage in our careers (despite the fact that we are relatively young), all us guys competing for spots have a lot of love for one another. These things become sort of a reunion for so many of us. And for those of us who have never met some of the other guys, a free agent mini-camp is a place where some of the future friendships are formed.
It doesn't hurt to have three music videos and a movement to break the ice. Quite a few of the guys already knew what was up with the movement. Darius Rice was mad that his cameo was cut out of the "Boom Got Them DOS." I had to explain to him that it ain't easy to get in there like swimwear.
On the second day, I happened to notice that Patrick Ewing jr was around for a workout. He was just chillin' in the hotel with Curtis Sumpter (Curtis mentioned that they could have used me at 'Nova. Shoot, we could have used him at Cal). I guess Pat noticed me too.
"Yo are you the dude on YouTube talkin bout 'boom got those'?" he asked me.
I've never had a reason to feel so hyped by recognition from a college guy, but this seemed different. This was Patrick Ewing now. Yea, Pat Ewing Junior, but still, Patrick Ewing! My mind clearly only recognizes Patrick Ewing as one person. If Jr. likes it, pops must love it!
The next day I was on the phone with my old teammate Richard Midgley. I told him that Patrick Ewing knew all about the movement. After about ten minutes of us talking about it, I informed him that it was P.E. Jr. Rich laughed at me.
On the second day of workouts I went into the weight room instead of the lounge where breakfast was waiting. I sat down on the bench press bench and popped open four Gatorade Nutrition shakes. I guzzled those things like a Hummer guzzles regular unleaded. Oh yea, and we're talkin' city driving baby, not highway. I took about ten of them with me when the workout was over. The only problem was that we went straight to the airport from the facility. I was able to drink five before going through security, but I refused to throw the rest away. I gave them to the TSA guy and told him that he was sitting on 50 ounces of liquid gold.
I only had to go to the bathroom 4 times on the way to Toronto, which was good considering how much I had just had to drink. It was time to start the Raptors camp.
NO. PLAYER
POS. HT. WT. DOB COLLEGE NBA EXP.
29 Kenny Adeleke F 6-9 245 02/10/83 Hartford R
10 Michael Cuffee G 6-5 200 07/12/83 Middle Tennessee R
24 James Gist F 6-9 235 10/26/86 Maryland R
22 Devin Green G/F 6-7 212 10/25/82 Hampton 1
30 Anthony Faqua C 6-11 225 02/16/83 UTSA R
26 Malik Hairston G/F 6-6 220 02/23/87 Oregon R
3 George Hill G 6-2 180 05/04/86 IUPUI R
28 Ian Mahinmi F/C 6-11 245 11/05/86 France 1
18 Brian Morrison G 6-2 192 07/25/82 UCLA R
23 Maleye N’Doye F 6-8 240 08/19/80 Furman R
16 Dan Nwaelele G 6-5 205 03/05/84 Air Force R
19 Roger Powell F 6-6 220 01/15/83 Illinois 1
8 Daniel Ruffin G 5-10 162 12/26/84 Bradley R
1 Jamaal Tatum C 6-2 175 09/09/84 Southern Illinois R
31 Anthony Tolliver F 6-8 240 06/01/85 Creighton R
14 Tim Whitworth F 6-6 200 07/25/81 Drexel R
COACHING STAFF: Mike Budenholzer, Mike Wells, Chad Forcier, Quin Snyder, Roy Rogers, Robert Pack, Patrick Spurgin
TRAINERS: Chad Bergman, Nixon Dorvilien
2008 VEGAS SUMMER LEAGUE SCHEDULE
July 14 Memphis 9:30 p.m.
July 15 New Orleans 7:30 p.m.
July 16 New York 3:00 p.m.
July 17 Phoenix 7:30 p.m.
2008 ROCKY MOUNTIAN REVUE SCHEDULE
July 18 Utah 8:00 p.m.
July 19 D-League Ambassadors 5:30 p.m.
July 21 Dallas 1:00 p.m.
July 22 Atlanta 3:15 p.m.
Las Vegas, July 14 – Ian Mahinmi's 18-point performance led San Antonio to a 78-76 win Monday night in the team's first game at the 2008 NBA Summer League Presented by EA SPORTS held in the Thomas & Mack Center on the campus of UNLV. Memphis fell to 2-2 on the league.
Mahinmi's effort was complimented by George Hill who finished with 17 points while Memphis' Darrell Arthur led all scorers with 23 points on 10-of-15 shooting from the floor.
First-round draft selections O.J. Mayo and Arthur kept Memphis close in the first period as the two comprised 13 of the squad's 17 first-quarter points. Mayo punctuated the quarter with a long-range buzzer-beating three pointer to bring his Grizzlies within three; 20-17. Arthur continued to dominate in the second period, scoring nine points to finish the half leading all scorers with 15 as Memphis led San Antonio by four; 35-31.
Following a close third quarter, the Spurs recaptured the lead in the game's final stanza. Spurs guard Michael Cuffee tried to put the game on ice with a pair of free throws with 13 seconds to play, before P.J. Tucker of the Grizzlies stepped to the stripe and hit two of his own, bringing Memphis back within two; 75-73. Following several more trips to the free throw line for both squads and a Mayo three-pointer with 3.1 to play, the Spurs clung to a two-point lead as time expired; 78-76.
Notes: San Antonio returns to action on Tuesday July 15, when they face the New Orleans Hornets at 5:30 p.m. at Thomas & Mack, while Memphis takes squares off against the L.A. Clippers on Wednesday, July 16 at 7 p.m. in the COX Pavilion.
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