NBA NOTES (TUESDAY)

Just when you thought that the NBA Off season was going to slow down we get a flurry of activity like we have had over the last few weeks. Now there have been no big moves like earlier in the off season when we had Elton Brand and Baron Davis switching up teams, but there have been some smaller moves that should not go unnoticed.

• Baron Davis's new Clippers team has not sat still since his addition by also adding Marcus Camby and Ricky Davis. Camby was stolen from the Nuggets for some 2nd round picks, and while he will not give you the offense that they lost when Elton Brand left, he will provide rebounding and shot blocking. Camby is not a great on ball defender, but he is one of the best weak side help defenders in the league. It was only two seasons ago that he was hoisting the defensive player of the year trophy, so expect good things in that regard. One of the reasons that Camby's numbers could rise is newly acquired swingman Ricky Davis. Davis is a defensive nightmare for both his squad and opposing teams. He can get you 15 points just as easily as he can give it up. His second go around with the Heat further showed his inability to take coaching. He was never an attitude issue, but the guy could not stay within the offense at all. Coach Dunleavy will have his hands full trying to get both Davis's to play with any structure, but if he can do so, this team could be dangerous. Chris Kaman and Al Thorton are two young studs who will benefit strongly from Baron and Camby's veteran leadership, and this should allow the team to sneak up on some people. Look for the team to put up high scoring marks night in and night out.
  
• The Charlotte Bobcats reached a six-year contract worth at least $72 million with restricted free agent Emeka Okafor. That is a lot of money for a guy who only averaged 13 points per game, but Okafor's real strength is his shot blocking and rebounding. The Bobcats did the right thing in keeping him on the squad, because they could not afford to lose him, with the lack of depth they have in the frontcourt. If they could ever find a big man to place alongside Okafor that could score the Bobcats would be very good. Nazr Mohammed and Sean May are not the answer up front, so maybe they could try to utilize Raymond Felton in a trade for someone like Zach Randolph. Coach Larry Brown might be a bad fit with Randolph, but he did make it work with Rasheed Wallace in Detroit so I would not think it is out of the question.
• Speaking of Detroit, by adding Kwame Brown to their squad they shore up their depth in the frontcourt. They needed a young replacement for Theo Ratliff who can come in and give them some quality minutes. Brown will forever be associated with the word "bust", cause he was a picked #1 in the 2001 draft, yet he is a solid addition to a veteran team like the Pistons that suffered in the playoffs against the Celtics size and length.
• Their seems to be a trend out there in the NBA to get longer in the frontcourt, after seeing what the Celtics trio of Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins, and PJ Brown did in the Finals to the Lakers combo of Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. It is a copycat league, so look for more teams to try this model, if they can, while the others will settle for the small ball approach that the Suns employed for so long.