A blog entry on the web site of The Oregonian newspaper in recent days says recent ‘Nova grad Dante Cunningham is off to a good start with the Portland Trail Blazers’ summer league team. The story mentions how Cunningham’s work ethic developed as a result of the no-nonsense approach taken by his parents, both of whom are career Air Force officers. It also points out that the Blazers have signed free agent Paul Millsap to an offer sheet, a fact that could leave Cunningham out in the cold once cuts are made. But not so fast. More after the jump.

Here’s a rather length quote from the story, which pretty much sums up our point in posting it:

Cunningham hasn’t been guaranteed a regular season contract, although early indications from team management are that it will happen before a mid-September deadline.

Don’t expect Cunningham to bemoan his situation. Quite the contrary, the uncertainty has only made him hungrier. He wasted little time offering the Blazers a taste of his potential in his first game in a Blazers uniform, when he finished with 21 points and nine rebounds in the team’s summer league opener.

[...]

It’s premature to inflate expectations after two summer league games, but the 6-foot-8 forward appears to be a deft rebounder, capable defender and superior pick-and-pop player off pick-and-roll sets. He’s the Blazers’ leading scorer thus far, averaging 21.5 points.

“I think he’s a very confident kid,” Blazers summer league coach Joe Prunty said. “It’s because he’s smart, picks things up easily and works hard. … We’ve very pleased with what we’ve seen over the first week.”

Link: Cunningham might make Blazers after all [Oregonian.com]
Photo credit: [Villanova University]