Let's round up a few links from around the Western Conference on Tuesday night:
- Despite already inking a two-year year deal with the Mavericks last month, Brandan Wright has vowed to return to the court in the upcoming season as a drastically improved player, writes Earl K. Sneed of Mavs.com. Wright averaged career highs in points, rebounds, blocks and minutes last season and shot nearly 60 percent from the field. At only 25, the Mavs are hoping he has finally tapped into the potential that made him a top-10 selection in 2007.
- It's been two months since he was selected with the 29th pick in the draft, but Suns rookie Archie Goodwin says his existence as a player in the NBA has yet to sink in, writes Matt Petersen of Suns.com. Goodwin, 19, was the youngest American player to declare for the draft and second youngest overall behind Greece's Giannis Antetokounmpo. He was drafted by Oklahoma City and then traded twice before ending up in Phoenix, where he signed on in July.
- Despite his long list of Utah ties, Alex Jensen was added to the Jazz coaching staff on merit alone according to general manager Dennis Lindsey, writes Bill Oram of the Salt Lake Tribune. Jensen, the reigning D-League Coach of the Year, was hired last month by Utah as a player development assistant. Before coaching in the D-League, Jensen spent four years on Rick Majerus' staff at Saint Louis University. He played for Majerus at Utah and grew up in the beehive state.