Dixon Working Overtime
posted: 9/21/2006 at 9:38 PM
Thursday night our company held its annual picnic out at the Trail Blazers' practice facility in Tualatin. This has been held at various sights during the past few years, and they always do a great job with the events. Having it at the team's practice site was a great decision, and with the two basketball courts, shooting hoops was an option for staff members. However, one of the hoops was occupied the entire time, and no one was about to ask this gentleman to leave.
Juan Dixon, who I've talked about several times in the past couple of weeks, was back at the facility for his evening workout. He had played in the morning pick-up games, and now was back to shoot jumper after jumper. So, while people mingled around him, ate barbeque, listened to music, and conversed, Juan continued to work. There's an automatic rebounding machine that fires passes out to the perimeter, so that players can work alone. Juan wore this thing out last night. The machine not only rebounds and passes, it counts your makes and misses, and even gives you your shooting percentage. During the time I was watching Dixon he was 46 for 50 from the top of the key area(see photo). He didn't even seem to notice the people around him.
A couple of days ago I talked about Dixon's off-season workout program, and passed along how good he has looked in the pick-up games. He's heading into his second season as a Trail Blazer, and has worked as hard as anyone, according to those who are at the practice facility all the time. The players, by the way, have access to the facility 24-hours a day, and it's not uncommon to hear of guys pounding away late into the night. It just so happened, Dixon's evening workout on this night was on display for the staff to see.
I had a proud moment during the evening's activities. I was the first to fire a fastball on the money and knock Blazers director of player personnel Kevin Pritchard into the icy water of the dunk tank. Art Sasse, our CMO, fell victim to a Barrett slider moments later. By the time president Steve Patterson took his turn on the dunk-tank chair, I was icing my arm, and let someone else have the glory. I must say I wasn't the only one to send Pritchard to a chilly bath. Head coach Nate McMillan purchased several throws (with the money going to charity) and probably downed Pritchard at least five times. There you go, behind-the-scenes info you just can't get anywhere else.
Now to some quick news of the morning workout. I've informally been giving you my "star of the day" during the pick-up games. It's just been my opinion of who's looking really good on a particular day. Thursday morning I asked several of the participants who they thought had the best session. The consensus was Sergio Rodriguez. Trail Blazers' coaches, who have worked with Sergio in individual drills, have been very impressed.
Obviously, the rookies have returned from New York, where they were involved in the NBA's five-day rookie orientation. After the morning games ended I talked to Brandon Roy about the experience. He said the toughest part of the seminar was its length. Not that the subject matter wasn't important, but there just wasn't time for any of these guys to get a workout in. I told Brandon that I'd heard the sessions were from 9am until 9pm.
"We started at 8:30, and went until 10 o'clock at night," Roy said. "Some guys would try and go hop on an exercise bike at the hotel when we got back, just to try and get some cardio work in. But, it was just tough. I was dying not being able to play at all. Now that I'm back, I'm going to be in here twice a day until training camp begins."
Roy did say the rookie orientation was very well done, and very informative.
"They talked to us about what to expect, how to handle money, how to deal with outside influences, everything," said Roy. "They covered things you would never even think about. They had referees talk to us, union reps, judges who have had various cases involving players, former players, and league executives. I know it's been called the most-detailed, best-designed program of its kind, and now I see why."
Speaking of Roy, I mentioned earlier this week that insidehoops.com was getting set to publish an interview with Brandon. That's now up on their site.
Click here to for the link to that.
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No more veteran point guards in the roster. Let's give a oportunity to Sergio Rodriguez
"...held at various sites..." not "...held at various sights..."
Good stuff on Juan, do you know if he works this hard every season, or do you think he's kicked it up a notch because he's hearing footsteps?
How (and when and where) was Martell's off-season workout? Did he work out with Kobe, and/or Kobe's trainer?
Is Darius in town yet? If so, how does he look? If not, when is he expected to report? Any word from anyone who played against him or watched him play in pickup games in Chicago?
THB, maybe 'sights' is meant as a pun. as in the view was grand at the places that the events were being held at.
maybe they were held at Council Crest, or Ecola Park..or something.
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