I Bleed Blue and White

Thought I’d update anyone that’s interested in the status of the ‘Nova players in the NBA.

• After a strong 3 game start Randy Foye, and the Wizards for that matter, have cooled off considerably.  In his last 5 games Foye has only 4 assists.  He’s had point totals of 7, 6, 16, and 16.  He sprained his ankle against the Heat Tuesday night and did not return.  The Wizards have lost all 5.
• Kyle Lowry remains a player off the bench for the surprisingly strong Rockets considering their situation.  He gets about 25 minutes a game, and playing an efficient game as a back seat option to Aaron Brooks and Carl Landry.  In his last 4 he’s averaged 8 pts, 5 asts, and 3 rebs.  He also had 4 blocks against the Thunder.
• Dante Cunningham, as you know if you’ve seen the recent posts, got his first NBA game time action.  He scored 6 pts in 6 minutes against the Timberwolves on 3-4 shooting.  No other box stats.
• Tim Thomas is still in Limbo.

To give up something you enjoy a great deal is definitely tough, but when it’s for another person, especially a loved one, it might be a little easier.  Brian Lynch, former Villanova basketball player and husband to tennis phenom Kim Clijsters, had to give up his basketball career, at least for now, in order for Kim to get back into tennis.  He takes care of daughter Jada, representing the so called “stay at home dad” these days.  Allowing his wife to get back into tennis certainly paid off, as she won the U.S. Open a few weeks ago.  But what has it been like since dropping basketball?  Frank Fitzpatrick, a writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer, details how Lynch has dealt with the transition.  Some interesting quotes from the article are below.

On his basketball ability:

I knew I wasn’t good enough for the NBA, but I felt like I was a solid player who might be able to go to Europe.

On the sacrifice he made:

But when Kim got back into tennis, we decided I’d hang it up to care for our daughter and to give Kim a normal family life.

Definitely a true family man Lynch is.  It must have been that much sweeter seeing his wife win the prestigious U.S. Open.  Hopefully, he gets the chance to pick up basketball again, whether it’s as a player or a coach. 

For most 22 year-olds, a guaranteed large sum of money would most likely turn into a spending spree.  Dante Cunningham is not a part of most 22 year-olds though.  With his contract officially signed with the Portland Trailblazers, Dante remains humbled, as all he continues to think about is the upcoming season and helping the team win.  Center Court, the official Trailblazers blog written by Casey Holdahl, caught up with Cunningham, and he discussed his thoughts on certain topics now that the contract is signed.

Dante, on what he plans to do with his big salary:

I really don’t want much.  I just really, really want to play ball.  I’m going to bring out my old truck from college out here.  I live in a townhouse so I really don’t need much here.  It’s kind of a laid back kind of place.  You really don’t need to be flashy or anything like that out here.

On what he’s been up to lately, Cunningham states:

I got here Wednesday, signed on Friday, found a house Saturday, so I’m moving in today.  It’s rolling along right now.  Guys are coming in.  It’s clicking.  I’m liking Portland a whole lot.

Regarding rookie hazing:

Jerryd Bayless talked to me a little bit about it at summer league.  He informed on a couple of tricks, who to stay away from.  Everyone goes through it.  It’s a rite of passage.  Hey, I’m ready for it.  Hopefully no one gets too crazy, too overboard on me.

It’s great to see that Dante hasn’t changed one bit since moving on to the NBA.  Humbled, poised, hard-working.  No glamour.

Dante Cunningham, who was selected #33 overall in the NBA Draft, has officially signed with the Portland Trailblazers on a multi-year deal. Terms of the contract have not been disclosed.

“I am so grateful and happy to be a Trail Blazer,” said Cunningham. “This is a dream come true and I can’t wait to get to work with my teammates. I’m looking forward to moving to Portland and helping this team in any way that I can.”

“We are really excited about the versatility and determination Dante brings to our team,” said Pritchard. “Dante had a great summer league and we believe he has the potential to become a very good player in this league.”

Cunningham became the 12th player on Portland’s roster, and will wear #33 for the team in the upcoming season.

…Great news…congrats to Dante…you earned it!…nod to VUHoops for the link…

If you went to Villanova, chances are you’ve been on the move in the past 6 months. For Malik Allen, this makes it twice in the last couple of weeks. Allen was again traded, this time from Milwaukee to Denver in exchange for Sonny Weems, Walter Sharpe and cash considerations.

…At least Allen is heading to a team with playoff aspirations for next year…

Just 2 weeks after being bought out by the Chicago Bulls, former Wildcat Tim Thomas is on the verge of signing a contract with the Dallas Mavericks.

Thomas would join the Mavericks in a reserve role, but would add some much needed frontcourt depth and some outside shooting for a team that is looking to make a deep playoff run next year.

…Good move for both sides…Thomas will definitely help on the outside, and having Jason Kidd setting you up isn’t the worst scenario to have if you’re Tim…

Former Villanovan Malik Allen has been traded to the Denver Nuggets from the Milwaukee Bucks. Allen averaged 3.2 points per game off the bench last season for Milwaukee, and will help fill a reserve role for the Nuggets next season.

Allen was a 4 year player for the ‘Cats and went undrafted, but has been a mainstay in the league since 2001

By now we’ve already seen that Dante Cunningham has been turning a few heads in Portland with his performance, but it appears that he’s starting to get some league-wide recognition as well. Drew Packam of NBA.com put his Top-10 rookie list together following the Summer League, and slots Cunningham in at #7.

With as much depth as the Trail Blazers have, it’s unlikely Cunningham will have much impact in his rookie season. But that didn’t stop Portland’s second-round pick from showing off his potential in Las Vegas. Cunningham’s performance — the Villanova product was fifth among rookies with an 18.6 scoring average — came as no shock to teammate Jerryd Bayless. “I’ve said it from the start — I think Dante has a chance to be special,” the point guard said earlier this week.

Cunningham was one of only two 2nd round picks to make the list (the other was DeJuan Blair at #8), and 5 or the 6 players ranked ahead of him were lottery picks. So yeah, keep it up Dante!

According to The Oregonian, Portland Trailblazers GM Kevin Pritchard has indicated that both Dante Cunningham and Jeff Pendergraph will receive contracts and roster spots following their strong Summer League performances.

…Awesome to hear…he worked hard and showed up during the games and earned his spot…keep working hard Dante…we’re all behind you…hat tip to reader Larry Harris for the heads up…

And just for nostalgia’s sake, here’s a clip of Dante’s name getting called this year in the draft. Props to RFC for the clip, as always.

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In some more NBA news, ex-Nova star Tim Thomas was bought out by the Chicago Bulls today, effectively making the veteran a free agent.

Thomas had 1 year left worth nearly 6.5 million on his contract.

…Thomas is a veteran who will get another contract, no doubt about that…some team will be looking for a veteran big man who has an outside game…