SH Blog: Cavaliers guard duo impressive in win over Clippers

Other news and nuggets from around the NBA:

Dejuan Blair played very well in a win over the Indiana Pacers, writes Jeff McDonald of Spurs Nation:”‘DeJuan’s been very professional,’ Popovich said. ‘I haven’t played him very much at all, and he stayed in shape and ready to go. He’s part of this team, and he’s not going to let anything get him down.’ There were moments Monday in which Blair played with the controlled energy that hallmarked his All-Rookie campaign of 2009-10. At the end of the first quarter, he scored the first four points of a 15-0 spurt the Spurs would use to break the game open. Elsewhere during that run, Blair used a deft passing touch to find Kawhi Leonard for a pair of layups, half his four assists.”

Is Brandon Jennings auditioning for other teams? What’s the deal in Milwaukee? Bill Ingram of Hoopsworld has the scoop and more: “Brandon Jennings made headlines recently with his comments surrounding his failure to reach an agreement with the Milwaukee Bucks on a contract extension, but before we get too carried away let’s make sure things are in perspective. ‘Now I guess I’m kind of auditioning for other teams,’ Jennings said of the situation. There’s no denying that’s true, but don’t take it to mean that Jennings is not on the Bucks’ long-term plans.”

Nobody is rushing Iman Shumpert back from his injury, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post: “The reasons are clear. Shumpert, the lone, young, rising star on the Knicks’ ancient roster, doesn’t want any dropoff from his rookie season of excellence. ‘What you all are saying is not what we’re going by,’ Shumpert told The Post before last night’s 110-88 victory over the 76ers that improved the Knicks to 3-0. ‘January, February is what we’re aiming for. I’m just trying to get healthy. When I get healthy, I’ll return to the court. I’m not going to come back and not be able to do the things I did last year and a little more. I want to come back and add something.’’’

Greivis Vasquez has an excellent chance to learn and improve his game in New Orleans, writes Joel Brigham of Hoopsworld:  “Granted, Vasquez started 26 games for the Hornets last year, most of which came when Jarrett Jack was injured, but it wasn’t until Jack was traded in the offseason that it became clear Vasquez would be running the team in 2012-13. In fact, other than rookie Brian Roberts, he’s the only true point guard currently on the Hornets’ roster. It’s the kind of opportunity young players can only dream about, and Vasquez is certainly aware of what he’s been gifted. ‘It’s a good opportunity for me to take advantage of these minutes and keep growing, keep learning,’ Vasquez said after a win over the Chicago Bulls that pushed the surprising Hornets to 2-1 on the young season. ‘It will help me learn the bigger picture at a faster pace, so it’s a really good opportunity for me.'”

It’s early, but Jeff Goodman of CBS Sports has already posted his first 2013 NBA Mock Draft: “Some have gone with Nerlens Noel, others have projected fellow freshman Shabazz Muhammad. Not us. Instead, we’ve decided to go with a skilled big man who can do virtually everything — Indiana sophomore big man Cody Zeller. The youngest of the trio of Zeller brothers sits atop our 2013 Mock Draft and NBA Draft Top 101 while we have Muhammad lower than just about everyone else. We’re not quite buying into the hype of a big, strong wing who isn’t an exceptional athlete – or a lights-out shooter. Instead, size dominates the top spots in our mock draft.”

Jeremy Bauman is a 2011 Indiana University alum who is an aspiring scout and shooting coach. After covering last June’s NBA finals for this site, he’ll be blogging for SheridanHoops.com weekday mornings during the 2012-13 basketball season. Follow him on Twitter.