Wednesday notes
Back in November, I visited the Peak Performance Project in Santa Barbara, Calif., for a story. The center's director, Dr. Marcus Elliott, has been working with Jazz players the past two summers and is very much a man in demand in NBA circles.
Ronnie Brewer and Paul Millsap have been two of P3's success stories, with Elliott working with Brewer to translate his leaping ability and natural athleticism into horizontal force, which can make him a more explosive player and improved defender.
Kyle Korver and Kosta Koufos also spent time in Santa Barbara last summer, with Korver saying it was the first time in his basketball life that he'd trained smarter, rather than just training harder. In fact, there's not even a traditional bench press to be found at P3.
Trading e-mails with Elliott this week, he's set to welcome another group of Jazz players next week, including Andrei Kirilenko. It'll be Kirilenko's first trip to P3 and Elliott wrote that he considered it a "big win" that Kirilenko was interested in taking part.
If you remember, the Jazz made a big issue about Kirilenko dropping weight during the season, even though Kirilenko insisted he had not. Elliott wrote: "I look forward to seeing how he is put together and what we can do for him."
It certainly appears as if Kirilenko is making an increased commitment to the Jazz's off-season program and suggests that Kirilenko will be back in Utah next season.
* * *
ESPN.com's Chad Ford has his latest mock draft out, with Tyreke Evans going No. 4 to Sacramento and Tyler Hansbrough all of a sudden a lottery pick. Ford has Hansbrough going No. 11 to New Jersey.
With Hansbrough and the Jazz no longer a destiny paring, Ford has Utah selecting Pittsburgh's Sam Young at No. 20.
We've covered Young previously in the blog. He would be an old rookie at age 24, but might be able to help the Jazz immediately. The Jazz were impressed with Young's play in the Big East and NCAA tournaments.
Ford mentions Wake Forest's James Johnson and Florida State's Toney Douglas as two other possibilities for Utah.
Given the Jazz's struggles at finding a consistent backup for Deron Williams between Jason Hart, Brevin Knight and Ronnie Price the last two seasons, I have to imagine they'll consider a point guard, especially given the depth at the position in this draft.
In Ford's mock draft, the Jazz would be leaving both North Carolina's Ty Lawson and UCLA's Darren Collison on the board to draft Young. Both play in the type of systems that the Jazz value.
--Ross Siler
Ronnie Brewer and Paul Millsap have been two of P3's success stories, with Elliott working with Brewer to translate his leaping ability and natural athleticism into horizontal force, which can make him a more explosive player and improved defender.
Kyle Korver and Kosta Koufos also spent time in Santa Barbara last summer, with Korver saying it was the first time in his basketball life that he'd trained smarter, rather than just training harder. In fact, there's not even a traditional bench press to be found at P3.
Trading e-mails with Elliott this week, he's set to welcome another group of Jazz players next week, including Andrei Kirilenko. It'll be Kirilenko's first trip to P3 and Elliott wrote that he considered it a "big win" that Kirilenko was interested in taking part.
If you remember, the Jazz made a big issue about Kirilenko dropping weight during the season, even though Kirilenko insisted he had not. Elliott wrote: "I look forward to seeing how he is put together and what we can do for him."
It certainly appears as if Kirilenko is making an increased commitment to the Jazz's off-season program and suggests that Kirilenko will be back in Utah next season.
* * *
ESPN.com's Chad Ford has his latest mock draft out, with Tyreke Evans going No. 4 to Sacramento and Tyler Hansbrough all of a sudden a lottery pick. Ford has Hansbrough going No. 11 to New Jersey.
With Hansbrough and the Jazz no longer a destiny paring, Ford has Utah selecting Pittsburgh's Sam Young at No. 20.
We've covered Young previously in the blog. He would be an old rookie at age 24, but might be able to help the Jazz immediately. The Jazz were impressed with Young's play in the Big East and NCAA tournaments.
Ford mentions Wake Forest's James Johnson and Florida State's Toney Douglas as two other possibilities for Utah.
Given the Jazz's struggles at finding a consistent backup for Deron Williams between Jason Hart, Brevin Knight and Ronnie Price the last two seasons, I have to imagine they'll consider a point guard, especially given the depth at the position in this draft.
In Ford's mock draft, the Jazz would be leaving both North Carolina's Ty Lawson and UCLA's Darren Collison on the board to draft Young. Both play in the type of systems that the Jazz value.
--Ross Siler
1:26 PM
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