Carlesimo likes what he sees

New Sonics coach P.J. Carlesimo had a whirlwind 72 hours leading into the summer league. The Spurs' assistant was named Seattle coach on Thursday, then showed up in Vegas on Friday to get a first-hand look at top draft picks Durant and Jeff Green. Carlesimo let assistant Ralph Lewis coach the team on the floor, while he watched from the stands.

Carlesimo, who faces a rebuilding job after winning three NBA rings in five seasons in San Antonio, said he was pleased with the debuts of his two young stars. He also sounded excited about the progress of center Robert Swift, who is recovering from major knee surgery. Swift isn't participating here, but the 7-footer showed up to support his teammates. He reportedly is up to 285 pounds and looks noticeably bigger in the upper body, and more menacing with a long ponytail. Carlesimo said Swift will likely need about eight more weeks of rehab before he can begin full-scale basketball drills, but that he expects him to be ready for training camp.

Iguodala lends his support

One thing about having the summer league in Vegas is that one never knows which NBA vets might stop by just to take in a game or two. Like Seattle's Swift, Sixers forward Andre Iguodala showed up over the weekend to show his support for teammates Louis Williams, Randolph and Rodney Carney. He also said he wanted to get a look at rookie draft picks Thaddeus Young (No. 12) and Jason Smith (No. 20).

Young had five points and two rebounds in 25 minutes in his debut Friday, a 65-61 win over the Spurs, and 11 points (on 5-of-11 shooting) and three rebounds in 34 minutes Saturday in Philadelphia's 91-89 loss to Detroit. The 6-8 forward from Georgia Tech is still very raw but could eventually play a role for the Sixers, giving them another athletic swingman on the perimeter.

"He's going to be good," Iguodala said. "I think it might take him a little while because he's so young, but you can see he's got game. He can handle the ball a little bit, he's got a nice pull-up jump shot, he's very athletic. Once he learns how to run the lanes hard, pick up on how to cut and get open for easy baskets, he's going to be real good. I just can't wait to get on the same court as him. Once training camp starts, it's going to be a lot of fun."

Iguodala, by the way, said he wasn't putting too much stock in the Sixers' strong finish to the season. While he said it was definitely something to build upon, he doesn't want his teammates to get complacent.

"To me I say, 'Forget about it happening. Let's start all over again,' " he said. "This year, coming in, we've got to believe we're a good team and that we can make the playoffs. But at the same time, we've got to come out ready. Everybody's got to come back a little bit better. If everybody comes back a little bit better, I think we'll be all right."

When in Vegas ...

Just how much impact have Oden and Durant had on the expectations for their new teams? A week before the draft, Portland and Seattle were both listed at 80-to-1 to win the 2008 title, according to the oddsmakers at the Luxor Race & Sports Book. They're both now listed at 30-1, the biggest single jump by far.

Here are the current odds to win the '08 championship, according to the Luxor (as of July 3, 2007):