Just a quick congratulations to "future NBA champion" — you heard it here first — Julius Hodge for landing himself a much-deserved training camp spot with the New Jersey Nets. Hodge, via his HoopsHype blog, reports:

The third point guard spot is the one I'm definitely looking to fill. The two guys ahead of me in the depth chart, Devin Harris and Keyon Dooling, have been like big brothers for me here lately. You learn a lot from them just from watching, but also playing against them is a good thing. [...]

This training camp is going to be a little different for me. With the Nuggets, I was the young, excited and impressionable new guy. Now I'm more mature and more prepared. And although I know this time around I know I have nothing guaranteed, I'm not nervous. I'm hungry. And when you're hungry, what do you do? You eat. That's my mindset. That's what you learn growing up in the NYC playgrounds.

Hodge's "contract" is obviously non-guaranteed, but there is no doubt in my mind that he'll lock up the Nets' third point guard during training camp. He's just too good not to, especially with that Paul Bunyan-sized spirit.

(Thanks to BDL reader Colin for the heads up.)