http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/bk/bkn/3270182 July 17, 2005, 11:33PM Glover outclasses competition Guard, Baxter trying to make it back to NBA with Rockets By JONATHAN FEIGEN Copyright 2005 Houston Chronicle RESOURCES GLOVER'S STATS Year-by-year averages for Rockets hopeful Dion Glover: Season, team Pts. Reb. Ast. '99-'00 Atlanta 6.5 1.3 .9 '00-'01 Atlanta 5.9 2.3 1.2 '01-'02 Atlanta 8.9 3.1 1.5 '02-'03 Atlanta 9.7 3.7 1.9 '03-'04 Atl./Tor. 9.0 3.9 1.9 '04-'05 San Ant. 3.6 1.6 .6 MINNEAPOLIS - Dion Glover was living at the line for the Rockets summer league team when point guard Joe Crispin walked over to Rockets assistant head coach Tom Thibodeau and said, "He can't cover him at all. There's no way." This was praise. But Glover might have found no compliment in being unguardable in a summer tournament built for draft picks and dreamers. These are dues he had paid, and ground he had covered. But here he was, back in another summer league, trying to impress another team enough to get to training camp and play his way back to the league. Lonnie Baxter knew how he felt. Baxter, a forward/center had seemed every bit the NBA player with the Bulls. He had not done as much for as long as Glover, but his days in the summer leagues seemed over. But there they were. So Glover blew past former Westbury Christian forward Ndudi Ebi until he seemed as out of place as Al Pacino doing summer stock. Baxter, at 6-8, 260, overwhelmed the Timberwolves' summer team frontcourt. And with Glover scoring 11 of his 17 in the first half, and Baxter pouring in 25 of his 31 in the second half, the Rockets beat the Timberwolves 85-79 on Sunday as their veterans looked to bigger and better things with the real team. "I've always remained humble," said Glover, a veteran of six NBA seasons now a free agent hoping to play his way to the Rockets training camp. "We all go through the processes that life deals us. I'm 26. I'm still young. Hopefully I can stick with the Rockets. I'm back. And I think I'm better." Glover, a 6-5 guard/forward was averaging career best 10.1 points and 4.3 rebounds for the Hawks when, still struggling to come back from twice breaking his right foot, was cut during the 2003-2004 season. Hindered by injury "I went through that whole period, trying to get a feel back for the game," Glover said. "And every time I got it back, I had another injury. But that's life. I'm right here right now trying to make a roster." He could bring the Rockets the quickness and athleticism they have sought at the position. But his ability to break down summer league players, even NBA players off the dribble likely won't come up much if he gets a chance to play with Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady. "That would be a question mark, that and passing ability," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said. "But certainly he's got a hard-driving game. He can get to the free throw line. "What can help him is develop a complementary player's type game. He's more of a go-to player in the summer where the ball is brought to him as a first option. Most likely that wouldn't be his role as a roster player." Like Glover, Baxter has a similar chance to be around in the fall, and like Glover, was recruited to the summer league team. He has also been impressive in all three games, all Rockets wins, in Minneapolis. Bull of a player "This is what you have to do sometimes," Baxter, a second-round pick of the Bulls, said. "As long as I'm on the court, I'm going to play hard, just try to be the best player I can be. I got traded to Toronto and released. It was kind of a disappointment. But I'm still here, and I'm looking for work, doing what I can do." Just as Glover was too quick, Baxter has seemed too powerful for the summer league competition. "He's very strong," Thibodeau said. "He knows how to get position. He holds position very well. He's clever inside. He knows how to get a shot off. He's more explosive than people realize. And the thing that makes him so hard to guard, he's very good with his back to the basket and can make that face-up shot. "The fact they're both playing summer league says a lot about them. They're professional. They're serious. "They love to compete. You're always looking for guys like that. These guys have played in the NBA. They're looking for opportunities and they're ready." jonathan.feigen@chron.com
Cool. I allways liked glover's game since he played at georgia. I actually wanted Dion Glover to become a Rocket when he was a resticted free-agent awhile ago when he played for the Hawks. He played for the Spurs and Raptors since then. but he has some game though. i havent seen much of lonny baxter though to say anything.
I've watched Glover have some big offensive games and then disappear the next. I never saw a consistent Dion when I watched him play on the Hawks. If he could put it together, he could be that 2-3 sub we need.
