Monday Morning Bullets

Well, the weekend was crazy for me, ending with me sick and blinking like mad because something is stuck in my left eye.  So, because I don't want to look at a computer screen for long, you're getting bullets today.  Act happy.

• Our pals over at 48 Minutes Of Hell were in Chicago last week for the pre-draft "camp", if that's still what it's called.  Lots of good pieces on prospects over there, but the one that caught me eye examined the way players that were projected to go later in the second or undrafted.  Big ups to Timothy Varner on that one.
• Mario Austin, who I have no recollection of but was a second round pick in the 2003 NBA Draft, will be playing for the Chicago Bulls in Vegas.  He also has a girlfriend who lives in Woodbury, Minnesota.  Interesting, no?  Jon L isn't as big on him though, as he went in the last spot of his 2003 re-draft.
• A bit bigger name that could play in Vegas is Gilbert Arenas.  He told the Washington Times back in January: "I'm definitely playing summer league so I can get my rhythm back," Arenas said.  (H/T to Bullets Forever)
• Semih Erden, the last pick in the draft last season for the Boston Celtics, isn't expected to get permission from his team in Turkey to play for Orlando this summer.
• Former Toro Brock Gillespie did an interview recently, saying he will play in the Summer League with either Dallas or Orlando.  The interesting part I saw in the interview, though, was when he said this about the D-League back in 2006: The NBA Development League was so strong then (before expansion of new teams, there were fewer number of players then), the league was designed to improve and develop top NBA prospects from the USA and European players who had been drafted by NBA teams and needed to learn the different style of play.   I don't know if I would say that D-League talent has gotten weaker since expansion.
• Nick Calathes went to play in Greece and his brother, Pat Calathes, is coming back from Greece to play in the Summer League, according to Hoopsworld.  Oh, the irony.
• I don't know what this says, but I'm all for something comparing Blake Ahearn, Linas Kleiza and Kobe Bryant.
• Yuta Tabuse, who is a bit like Sun Yue in that the D-League promoted him like crazy back when he played for Bakersfield because he's from Japan, is going to tryout for the Dallas Mavericks in June for a spot on their Summer League team.  His Wikipedia page says he's the Japanese Michael Jordan, so I'd be surprised if I don't see Yuta in Vegas.
• After doing some research, I'm going to guess the three finalists in Sioux Falls are Bob MacKinnon (Colorado head coach), Randy Livingston (Idaho assistant coach) and Tony Fritz (assistant last season).  Not even these guys know, apparently, but I'm assuming I'm hitting at least 2-for-3 on this one.