Kevin Durant wears the Goodman League All-Stars jersey during a game in August at Morgan State University. (GETTY IMAGES)

Kevin Durant has been one busy dude this summer and fall. He has been involved in seemingly every exhibition game since the NBA lockout started on July 1, showing up in player-organized events in Baltimore, Miami, New York’s Rucker Park, Long Beach and Philadelphia.

The beat goes on for the Oklahoma City Thunder all-star and Washington, D.C., native as he hosted his own star-studded pickup game Sunday night at Cox Convention Center in Oklahoma City. Durant didn’t disappoint the announced crowd of 13,000 as he scored 42 points, grabbed 26 rebounds and had 10 assists to lead his White Team to a 176-171 overtime victory.

Durant’s triple-double overshadowed a scorching performance from Minnesota Timberwolves forward Michael Beasley, who lit up Cox Center with 56 points. But in the end of a long shootout, Durant got plenty of help from LeBron James (40 points) and Russell Westbrook (34) to pull out the win. The Blue Team was led by New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony, who had 43 points and seven rebounds, and Oklahoma City’s James Harden, who is playing with a ton of confidence. Check out his alley-oop dunk off a bounce pass from New Orleans Hornets point guard Chris Paul.

The White Team also included Portland Trail Blazers forward LaMarcus Aldridge, Boston Celtics forward and ex-Thunder Jeff Green and Atlanta Hawks guard Jamal Crawford. Aside from Anthony, Beasley, Paul and Harden, the Blue Team featured  Hawks guard Damien Wilkins and Houston Rockets guard Jonny Flynn.

There were several no-shows, including Golden State Warriors guard Monta Ellis and Knicks forward Amar’e Stoudemire. Memphis Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay showed up late and sat on the bench much of the game. Gay said his flight was delayed.

The game was a carbon copy of the other exhibition games during the summer: lots of threes, lots of one-on-one, and very little defense. There were a few highlights, such as Westbrook’s breakaway dunks and follow-ups, but for the most part the game resembled a Rookie Game All-Star contest. Maybe the players need to include Hollywood celebrities to spice things up.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star forward and Washington, D.C. product Kevin Durant has been on a tear this summer, but his OKC teammate Los Angeles native James Harden has been straight up ballin too.

Harden, who attended Artesia High School (Calif.), went head-to-head with Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant and held his own. But Kobe got the last shot over Harden, hitting the game-winner at the buzzer during a Drew League game in L.A.

On Sunday night at the Long Beach Pyramid, the 6-foot-5 Harden, wearing the colors of the L.A.-based Drew League, was matched up with his good friend Durant. Others who participated in the Drew-Goodman exhibition game were Washington Wizards standouts John Wall, JaVale McGee and Nick Young, Milwaukee Bucks guard Brandon Jennings, Golden State Warriors forward Dorell Wright, Houston Rockets forward Trevor Ariza, Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan, Memphis Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay, Minnesota Timberwolves forward Michael Beasley and Lakers forward Matt Barnes.

For those who were keeping score at home, Team Drew featured all the L.A. boys (minus Baron Davis and Paul Pierce): Harden, Ariza, McGee, Barnes, Jennings, DeRozan, Wright and Young. Representing the Washington, D.C.-based Goodman team were Durant, Wall, Beasley, Gay. Wall dropped a game-high 55 points and Durant had 50. However, it was the L.A. boys – led by Harden’s 48 points – who prevailed in the end. For one night, L.A. hoops hold center court. Final score: Drew 151, Goodman 144.

Popularity: 2% [?]

With the absence of a new NBA collective bargaining agreement – and neither side isn’t budging at this point – basketball fans are stuck with glorified scrimmages organized by the league’s superstars.

The latest installment of this very expensive pickup game is Saturday night’s exhibition game in Miami featuring a team led by LeBron James against a squad headed by Heat teammate Dwyane Wade.

Team LeBron has some serious star power on its roster. Scheduled to play with LeBron are Heat forward Chris Bosh, Boston Celtics guard Rajon Rondo, Atlanta Hawks guard Jamal Crawford, Memphis Grizzlies forward Rudy Gay, Houston Rockets guard Jonny Flynn, Philadelphia Sixers guard Lou Williams, guard Damon Jones (LeBron’s former teammate with the Cleveland Cavaliers), Cavs rookie forward Tristan Thompson, and Oklahoma City Thunder stars Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant. It’s interesting that LeBron picked up Durant on his squad because the last high-profile exhibition game had James going head-to-head with Durant, who has been on a tear this summer.

Team Wade features Heat guard Mario Chalmers, Dallas Mavericks forward and D-Wade’s good friend Caron Butler, Wade’s former Heat teammate and current Golden State Warriors forward Dorell Wright, New York Knicks stars Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire, New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul, Washington Wizards guard John Wall, and Thunder guard James Harden.

In the end, Team Wade outlasted Team LeBron, 141-140, in overtime. It was a typical offseason exhibition game. Lots of dunks, lots of alley-oops, lots of breakaways, lots of one-on-one, and very little defense. Somewhere in New York, David Stern is chuckling.

Popularity: 7% [?]

Kevin Durant will be the leader of USA Basketball at the 2010 FIBA World Championship in Turkey, beginning Aug. 28. (GETTY IMAGES)

Not a single player from the 2008 U.S. national team will compete in the 2010 FIBA World Championship, so Team USA will have a brand new look.

If the 2008 U.S. squad – a group that included Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade – was nicknamed the Redeem Team, then the 2010 U.S. team should be branded the Rebuild Team.

USA Basketball president Jerry Colangelo and head coach Mike Krzyzewski will have their work cut out for them as they reconstruct the U.S. men’s national team that will not only represent the country in the World Championship starting on Aug. 28 in Turkey, but be the core of the squad that will participate in the 2012 Olympics in London.

To win the World Championship, USA Basketball must have the following:

1) Big, strong point guards. Because FIBA allows hand-checking in international competition, it is important to have ball-handlers who can handle heavy pressure and physical play.

2) Shooters. You can’t have enough of them on your roster. The international 3-point line is three feet shorter than the NBA line so NBA snipers should be able to feast on this advantage.

3) Versatile big men. European big men possess guard skills so you want your power forwards and centers to be able to guard out in the perimeter.

4) Physical and mental toughness. In a single elimination tournament, players who can rise above pressure are essential. Having Kobe Bryant on the 2008 Olympic team was key to winning gold in Beijing. You need rugged and tough-minded players to beat battle-tested teams such as Spain, Greece, Argentina, Russia and Croatia.

5) Zone busters. At the international level, zone defenses are not just a gimmick. It’s important to have players who can defeat a zone on offense and play a little zone on defense.

Center JaVale McGee and forward Jeff Green were cut last week and Rajon Rondo decided to withdraw from the team this week. Here’s the scouting report on Team USA:

GUARDS

Chauncey Billups, PG-SG: At 33, the Denver Nuggets point guard is the elder statesman of this group and his value will come off the floor, acting as an extra coach on the roster. Billups is also a clutch outside shooter, which always comes in handy during international competition. His championship pedigree is a luxury Coach K and the rest of the coaching staff should utilize, especially on a team loaded with 21-year-olds.

Derrick Rose, PG: To be an effective point guard at the international level, you must be able to be physical enough to handle hand checking on the perimeter and quick enough to dart through the zone defenses. Rose fits the mold. It would be interesting to see who Coach K will start, Rose or Billups, because during the scrimmage in Las Vegas Rose blended well with Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry, while Billups meshed well with Rajon Rondo.

Stephen Curry, PG-SG: Versatility will be a theme on this year’s U.S. team, and Curry is one of those guys who can play more than one position. The son of Dell Curry is a shooting guard in a point guard’s body. He can play both positions very well, but his forte is shooting the basketball. Curry is an absolute sniper; one of the best in the league. During his rookie season with the Golden State Warriors, he averaged 17.5 points per game and made 43% of his 3-point shots. Steph Curry is a pure shooter, make no mistake about it. He hould get plenty of open looks if he’s paired with Rose, who excels in the drive-and-kick game.

Stephen Curry made 43% of his 3-point shots as a rookie with the Golden State Warriors. Barring an injury, Curry should make the 12-man roster for Team USA. (GETTY IMAGES)

Russell Westbrook, PG: Though Westbrook doesn’t possess the long-range shooting of Billups or Curry, he makes up for it with his defense and incredible ability to get to the basket. During the scrimmages and the exhibition circuit, Westbrook hounded the other team’s point guards and forced a lot of turnovers and poor decisions. The OKC PG is one of the quickest players on the squad and he’ll be used as a situational player by Coach K.

Danny Granger, SG-SF: You can’t have enough shooters on the team, and Granger is one of the best in the NBA. The 6-foot-7 Indiana Pacers All-Star forward can also play some shooting guard, which affords Coach K more options. Granger didn’t have a particularly good camp in Las Vegas, but the coaching staff will give him every opportunity to make the roster. He redeemed himself with a better effort at the Nike World Basketball Festival.

Kevin Durant, SG-SF: Durant is the only sure thing to make the team. In fact, he might be named one of the team captains. With Kobe Bryant resting his knees and LeBron James and Dwyane Wade hosting parties in South Beach to celebrate their union, Durant is now the face of USA Basketball. The Oklahoma City Thunder All-Star and reigning NBA scoring champion has the game and the right mind-set to lead Team USA. During the week-long training camp in Las Vegas, Durant was easily the best player on the court.

Rudy Gay, SG-SF: Fresh off an offseason that proved to be very lucrative for the Memphis Grizzlies forward, Gay adds scoring, defense and versatility to the squad. Gay played well during the scrimmage in Las Vegas and at the World Basketball Festival in New York. His length (he’s got freakishly long arms) will come in handy on defense. Coach K has mentioned that he might use Durant and Gay at the 4 position to create some mismatches on offense.

Lamar Odom, PF: Odom not only brings NBA championship pedigree but he also brings plenty of international experience with his stint with Larry Brown’s Olympic team in 2004. Odom is one of only four players 6-10 and taller on the 15-man roster, and one of them is Durant, which tells you everything about the 2010 U.S. squad. So, because of the team’s lack of size, Odom should be a cinch to make the squad. And depending on certain matchups, Odom will be asked to play center.

Lamar Odom was part of the 2004 U.S. Olympic team that finished a disappointing third in Greece. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

Kevin Love, PF: Because of the dearth of big men in the U.S. camp, Love has a very chance to make the roster. Love is not very big (he’s listed at 6-10, but probably closer to 6-8) but he’s a wide body (250 pounds) who carves out a lot of space in the paint. Love’s game may not be as fluid or as versatile as Odom’s, but he’s the type of player who can thrive at the international level. He’s tough, he’s gritty, he’s physical and has a nose for rebounds.

Tyson Chandler, C: The U.S. currently has just two 7-footers on the roster and Chandler is one of them. So, there is no way Coach K will cut Chandler because that leaves the U.S. extremely vulnerable inside. Chandler may not possess great offensive skills, but he makes his money on the defensive end. He’s a very good shot-blocker and rebounder, and is battle tested. He participated in the Tournament of the Americas in 2007 and actually played well. Chandler also adds a veteran presence in the locker room. Expect TC to be Team USA’s starting center at the World Championship.

Andre Iguodala, SG-SF: Iguodala could be used as one of the defensive stoppers for Coach K. The Sixers’ leading scorer can be a very good perimeter defender, and brings more versatility to the squad. If anything, Iguodala could be used as insurance policy in case Granger doesn’t pan out. Iguodala is not a pure shooter, but he can occasionally make a 3-point shot. But his ability to crowd people with his speed, length and athleticism will be his role for Team USA.

Eric Gordon, SG: Gordon has made it extremely tough to cut him because he has been so effective during practices, scrimmages and exhibitions. Gordon is a natural shooting guard and has shown that he can make wide-open threes as well as take the pounding inside on off dribble penetration.

Popularity: 35% [?]

According to reports, Dirk Nowitzki will remain with the Mavericks.

For those keeping score, it’s 4-1 in favor of teams retaining their own free agents.

As of July 5, four big-time free agents have have decided to stay with their old teams: Dirk Nowitzki, Paul Pierce, Rudy Gay and Joe Johnson.

The only free agent who has officially signed with another team is Amare Stoudemire. Yahoo! Sports and TNT’s David Aldridge have reported that Stoudemire has accepted the Knicks’ contract offer worth $100 million spread across five years. Stoudemire will be reunited with coach Mike D’Antoni, who coached him in Phoenix.

Yahoo! Sports also reported that Johnson will re-sign with the Atlanta Hawks, a six-year maximum deal that is close to $120 million.

Nowitzki recently accepted a four-year deal worth somewhere in the neighborhood of $80 million to remain with the Dallas Mavericks and Pierce agreed to a four-year, $60-million deal to stay in Boston. Gay was the first big-name free agent to agree to terms, as he reportedly received a five-year, $80-million contract from the Memphis Grizzlies last Thursday when the free-agency period officially got underway.

The return of head coach Doc Rivers certainly persuaded Pierce to stay put, and the Celtics are also in negotiations with shooting guard Ray Allen, who has also expressed his desire to stay in Boston. This means that the Celtics’ vaunted starting five are all expected to be back next season to make another run at a title (barring center Kendrick Perkins fully recovers from knee surgery).

What was supposed to be the summer of massive exodus has turned into an offseason of status quo. Of course, things could change in a heartbeat especially if that someone – ahem! LeBron James – decides to spurn his hometown team and play elsewhere next season.

But, that hasn’t happened yet and it’s not expected to happen until the end of the week, according to several reports. James is mulling over offers presented to him by NBA teams with a ton of salary cap room: New Jersey, New York, Miami, the L.A. Clippers, Chicago and Cleveland.

Wade met with the Bulls twice and has told people close to the situation that he is seriously considering playing for his hometown team. The Heat have already told Wade that they are prepared to give him the max deal and have promised him a roster upgrade.

Others who are noncommittal are Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Amare Stoudemire, although Stoudemire recently was offered the maximum contract of five years, $100 million by the Knicks. Stoudemire is reportedly meeting with Knicks head coach Mike D’Antoni, his old coach in Phoenix, on Monday to hash out some past issues.

The Suns have reportedly re-signed forward Channing Frye and also acquired forward Hakim Warrick, so it is highly unlikely that Phoenix will bring back Stoudemire, who has played his entire career with the Suns.

Joe Johnson has a standing six-year max offer from the Atlanta Hawks, a deal that could be worth $120 million. Johnson remains mum about his situation, obviously waiting for LeBron and D-Wade to make their moves. Johnson has also drawn interest from the Knicks, as D’Antoni prepares to go to Plan B in case LeBron signs with Chicago or Cleveland – which is more and more apparent.

ESPN’s J.A. Adande wrote that the Toronto Raptors have not been enamored with the way Bosh has been publicly “enjoying himself” too much and using his Twitter account to tell his followers on his status. Bosh is asking for a max contract, but he can only get it if the Raptors agree to a sign-and-trade deal.

At the end of this long, drawn-out process, money will prevail. Players are taking advantage of the current labor deal because they are anticipating that the new collective bargaining agreement won’t be as player friendly.

Popularity: 11% [?]

Since trading Pau Gasol to the L.A. Lakers in 2008, the Memphis Grizzlies and their owner Michael Heisley have been getting grief from opposing players and coaches, the media, barbershop critics, season-ticket holders, school children and their grandmas, grandpas, aunts, uncles, friends and neighbors for basically gift-wrapping an NBA championship to the Lakers.

That may be true but the Grizzlies didn’t exactly come out of the deal empty handed. Lost in the whole gift exchange between L.A. and Memphis was the not-so-highly publicized fact that Memphis in return got Gasol’s younger brother, Marc, in the deal.

Marc Gasol, drafted by Lakers in the second round in 2007, was sent to Memphis without much fanfare, but the soon-to-be 25-year-old Spaniard has developed into one of the top young centers in the NBA and he now anchors a young Grizzlies team that is beginning to make some noise in the Western Conference.

Through Jan. 19, the Grizzlies are 22-18 and 16-6 in December and January.

The foundation of the Grizzlies’ recent success is built around nine-year veteran Zach Randolph and their three young studs: Gasol, Rudy Gay and O.J. Mayo.

The quartet may not be as popular as Elvis Presley’s Memphis Mafia but they are evolving into one of more entertaining teams in the Association, averaging 104.2 points per game (fourth in the league) and shooting 47.9 percent from the field (sixth).

Randolph is one of just three players who is averaging more than 20 points and 10 rebounds for the season and he is complemented inside by the 7-foot-1, 270-pound Gasol, nicknamed “El Tanque” (which means The Tank) for the way he dishes and absorbs heavy contact in the low block.

Grizzlies center Marc Gasol is second in the NBA with a 61.1% field goal percentage.

“Zach Randolph may have the better numbers, but I believe Gasol is their most efficient big man,” said Covers expert Sean Murphy, who recently moved up Memphis seven spots from 19 to 12 in his latest NBA Power Rankings.

“One of the biggest reasons for their struggles in recent seasons has been their awful interior defense,” Murphy explained. “Gasol has done an excellent job of plugging that hole.”

Gasol is fourth on the team in points (14.6), second in rebounds (9.6) and first in blocked shots (1.5) and field goal percentage (61.1 percent). His shooting percentage is second-best in the NBA.

The evolution of Gasol as a force on offense and defense, as well as the steady hand of Randolph, have definitely taken pressure off Gay – the team’s budding star and emerging leader.

Now in his fourth season, Gay has become a complete player and is enjoying career highs in points (20.2), rebounds (6.2) and steals (1.5).

“We saw signs of this two years ago before he struggled last season,” Murphy said of the former UConn star. “Not only is he leading by example, but he’s also done an excellent job of helping the younger players such as Mayo.”

Like every young team in the league, the Grizzlies are far more comfortable playing at home than on the road. Their recent surge can be attributed to a 15-5 mark at FedEx Forum and greatly aided by a nine-game home winning streak.

“They’re a high-scoring team, but at home is where their strength is. It’s still more of a shake-and-bake team than a power team,” said John Avello, sportsbook manager at Wynn Resort & Casino in Las Vegas.

“They’re on a nice streak, but they’re in a tough conference. In the West, everybody is difficult to handle.”

So, are the Grizzlies finally getting enough respect?

“I think the key thing to watch will be whether they can keep it rolling through the All-Star break, that’s often when young teams start breaking down,” Murphy noted.

This article also appears on Covers. com.

Popularity: 3% [?]

Second-year guard Rodney Stuckey is ready for a breakout season with the Detroit Pistons.

The Detroit Pistons traded away Chauncey Billups because GM Joe Dumars wants to clear cap space and thinks very highly of second-year guard Rodney Stuckey. The 6-foot-5 guard from Eastern Washington showed flashes of stardom in last year’s playoffs, averaging 9 points and 3 assists, and parlayed that into a successful stint with the U.S. select team that drilled The Redeem Team while preparing for the Beijing Olympics. Several players and coaches associated with USA Basketball raved about Stuckey. With Billups gone and Allen Iverson headed for free agency at the end of the season, Stuckey should be an even bigger presence in Detroit’s plans and his meteoric rise gives the Pistons a bright future.

Stuckey is just one of several rising studs, who are either in their second or third season in the NBA, ready for a breakout season. A look at the others:

KEVIN MARTIN, guard, Sacramento Kings: With Mike Bibby, Chris Webber, Vlade Divac and Ron Artest all gone, the 25-year-old Martin is now the face of the Kings. Last year, he averaged 23 points a game. This year, he should flirt with 24 or 25 points per game considering the Kings don’t have much of a team, nor a coach, running with him.

DAVID LEE, forward-center, New York Knicks: His name always came up whenever teams inquired about trading with the Knicks. But the Knicks held their ground and kept Lee on the roster. The 6-10 third-year man, who was a walking double-double in limited action last year, has been named starter and should thrive in Mike D’Antoni’s free-wheeling system.

RUDY GAY, guard-forward, Memphis Grizzlies: With Pau Gasol gone, Gay becomes the focal point of the Grizzlies offense. He should surpass last season’s 20.1 average and will get serious all-star recognition. If general managers had to do it all over again, Gay probably would have been the first or second player chosen in the 2006 NBA draft. Seven players were taken before Gay: Andrea Bargnani, LaMarcus Aldridge, Adam Morrison, Tyrus Thomas, Shelden Williams, Brandon Roy and Randy Foye.

LaMARCUS ALDRIDGE, forward, Portland Trail Blazers: How can the Chicago Bulls get this wrong, again. The Bulls had Eddy Curry and Tyson Chandler in their fold and dealt both away for, basically, a round-trip fare to the Bahamas. In 2006, the Bulls had the No. 2 pick in the draft and smartly selected Aldridge and then (head-scratcher) moved him to Portland. Hmmm. With the return of Greg Oden, Aldridge will face less double teams and can slide back to his more natural position, power forward.

DEVIN HARRIS, guard, New Jersey Nets: When Harris was traded from Dallas to New Jersey last season for Jason Kidd, the happiest man in the Western Conference was San Antonio’s Tony Parker. The Spurs point guard admitted that he hated playing against Harris, who defused Parker’s quickness during the 2006 playoffs. In 25 games with the Nets last season, Harris averaged 15.4 points and 6.5 assists. With a full training camp and a big endorsement from Coach Lawrence Frank and star guard Vince Carter, Harris is ready for a breakout season as full-time starter.

RAJON RONDO, point guard, Boston Celtics: We all saw him grow up during the playoffs. He just got better and better as the Celtics kept advancing. His performance in Game 6 of the NBA Finals against the Lakers was legendary. Another member of the draft class of 2006, Rondo has been given the keys to the Celtics’ sports utility vehicle and GM Danny Ainge is hoping he can drive them back to the NBA Finals.

AL HORFORD, forward-center, Atlanta Hawks: He’s a bit undersized as a center but plays a lot bigger than his listed height and weight (6-9, 245). You can argue that Horford had a much bigger impact last season than Rookie of the Year Kevin Durant because Horford led his team to the playoffs. The Hawks love Horford’s intensity and he brings toughness to a team ready to become a perennial playoff contender.

AL THORNTON, forward, L.A. Clippers: Thornton, an all-rookie honoree last season, is an exceptional athlete who never stops working. He should benefit from the extra playing time now that Elton Brand is in Philadelphia and Corey Maggette is in Golden State.

JORDAN FARMAR, guard, Los Angeles Lakers: Last season, Farmar showed flashes of what he can do. This season, Farmar will severely push incumbent Derek Fisher as the Lakers’ starting guard opposite Kobe Bryant. It’s similar to what Coach Phil Jackson had to deal with in Chicago with B.J. Armstrong and John Paxson. The younger Armstrong eventually won the job over the veteran Paxson.

JULIAN WRIGHT, forward, New Orleans Hornets: This 6-8, 225-pound former Kansas Jayhawk won’t make a dent on the stat sheet but his contribution will be on defense. His length and quickness is ideal for what Coach Byron Scott wants in the Hornets’ pressure defense.

NICK YOUNG, guard, Washington Wizards: While Gilbert Arenas heals from his knee surgery, the Wizards will be asking this former USC Trojan to fill in. Young is a capable scorer and his size (6-6) allows Coach Eddie Jordan to play him at guard or small forward.

Popularity: 22% [?]