Life in the Offseason with the G-Man:

I just spent an incredible five days at the K Academy in Durham which is Mike Krzyzewski's fantasy camp for middle-aged hoopsters. There was great participation from past players that came back to coach- Jay Bilas, Mark Alarie, David Henderson, Trajan Langdon, Christian Laettner, Johnny Dawkins, Quinn Snyder and Jason Williams just to name a few. Everyone brought a lot of enthusiasm to the week and made it a special time for all the campers involved.

I had the chance to speak with Coach K and he is very excited about coaching the National team as it prepares for the World Championships in Asia this month. Every player on the team has been extremely professional and prepared in their approach to camp. The team is much better structured than it has been in a decade, especially with regard to winning international events. Dwayne Wade has been special and will be a leader on this team. He has the respect and the character that has been missing from recent USA teams. The surprise of the camp has been Carmelo Anthony. He came to camp in great shape and is committed to remaking his image with his participation. The one thing everyone has bought into is the defensive end of the floor. Coach K wants to be aggressive on ÒDÓ and this group has accepted this style. I'd be surprised if this team didn't win the Worlds, which is important as it would automatically qualify them for the Olympics in 2008.

One of the most intriguing stories of the camp was that Jason Williams was back on the court playing. I was in camp two years ago when Jason made his first public appearance after the motorcycle accident. It was great to see him but the sight of his leg was grotesque and almost made me physically ill. It is truly a miracle that he can even play pick up after what he went through. He has several teams interested including Seattle, New Jersey and Philly. I remain skeptical because he really struggled to defend in the pickup games I saw. I respect his desire to return to the NBA but I don't think he'll be able to compete on that level. Jason, I hope you prove me wrong.

Most of Coach K's Duke team was around, attending summer school and playing pickup at night. I had a chance to spend some time with Greg Paulus and he is fired up for the upcoming season. He seems ready to make this team his early and be more aggressive on the offensive end. He said he really deferred to Redick and Williams last year but seems ready now to handle more of the scoring load. Gerald Henderson, Jr. will come in as a freshman and shine. He was incredible in the night games and should fit into Duke's system well. I'll be interested to see how center Greg Zoubek fits in as Duke has never had a seven footer like him under Coach K. Zoubek has a great feel for the game, is athletic and has a nasty streak in him.

The N.C. State fans seem to be thrilled with how new head coach Sidney Lowe has thrown himself into his new job. They love his personality and charisma in selling his vision for the future. As I've said before, there is not a good track record of coaches who have spent a career in the NBA and then have attempted a move to the collegiate ranks. Lowe was smart in assembling a staff that is compromised of college veterans. Larry Harris and Wolf pack great Monte Towe should provide a nice safety net for Lowe as he makes his transition.

The biggest question I have about the hiring process conducted by State was the lack of interest in Derrick Wittenberg. He has a proven and successful track record on the collegiate level and an obvious tie to the University and its basketball program. Wonder if there was some internal blow back against his candidacy?

Charlotte Bobcats- A ton of turmoil preceded a very good draft day for the Bobcats. Ed Tapscott resigned over philosophical differences with owner Bob Johnson. Tapscott labored long and hard to build this franchise from the ground up. He is a good basketball man and will be missed by the community. It will be interesting to watch Michael Jordan and long time friend Fred Whitfield grows into their new roles. Whitfield's primary responsibilities will be marketing the team to increase their season ticket holder base and find a name for the new building, both tasks that will be made easier if Jordan builds a winning franchise quickly.

The drafting of Adam Morrison should help on both counts. On the court, he gives this team the scoring punch it lacked last year. Off the court, he should be one of their most marketable commodities.