While most of the attention at the Pepsi Pro Summer League was on top picks Adam Morisson and Tyrus Thomas, former Fondy star Travis Diener showed his team and others that he deserves a spot in the NBA.
Diener averaged 20.3 points and 6.5 assists in four games, including a 34-point performance against his childhood favorite team, the Chicago Bulls. Now, he's not playing against all-star competition, but it's a great showing from someone that was in danger of making the Magic's roster next year. Orlando brought in Syracuse guard Gerry McNamara to challenge Diener, and whether it was that or something else, it lit a fire under him.
"This was probably the best thing that could have happened to me,'' Diener told a reporter for ESPN.com. "My confidence is really high. I can go back home now and just get myself ready for training camp.''
Diener told me earlier this summer that he expects to remain in Orlando and from different reports I've read, that seems to still be the case. However, there was a story in the Orlando Sentinel that said other teams may make a push for him.
I'll see if I can get a hold of Diener this week for an update in The Reporter.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment