First taste of NBA good for MSU trio

When he's hanging out with Hollywood director Michael Bay or rubbing shoulders with Snoop Dogg, Paul Davis appreciates the sideshow that comes with playing NBA basketball in Los Angeles.

But when some of his acquaintances - actually, former acquaintances - are out with Lindsay Lohan on the night of her well-publicized car wreck...

"You realize these people are in a whole other world," Davis said last week from his condo in Marina Del Ray. "It's incredible how these people (celebrities) live their lives. Everybody's always putting on a show, it can wear on you. But it's a nice place to live."

The NBA draft is Thursday, marking a year since Davis and Michigan State teammates Maurice Ager and Shannon Brown - the "Big Three" of 2005-06 - were drafted within moments of each other.

In that year, Davis got a few glimpses of L.A.'s wild side; Ager settled into suburban Dallas, renting his mother a condo just 15 minutes away from his; and Brown took a ride to the NBA Finals with the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James, albeit from the bench.

All three played sparingly as rookies and are working this summer to change that. All three will play on their respective summer league teams, which typically consist of a franchise's rookies, young players and prospective free agents.

"I just have to work as hard as I've ever worked and get better at every aspect of basketball," Brown said.

"It was a learning year for me, kind of like my freshman year at MSU," Ager said of his season with the Dallas Mavericks. "Avery Johnson is a good coach, he wants a lot out of me next year. He wants me to be more aggressive, score, defend and rebound. Make plays."

Johnson has said he expects a bigger role next season for Ager, who scored 10 points in the last game of the season, a loss to Golden State that completed a shocking first-round upset of the No. 1-seed Mavs.

Cleveland coaches have said the same of Brown, who was set back in part by an ankle injury this season. And Davis is confident that he'll do more in an L.A. Clippers frontcourt that includes Elton Brand, Chris Kaman and Tim Thomas.

"Coach (Mike) Dunleavy is high on me, but he wants me to develop more of a low-post game," Davis said. "He's confident in my ability outside and he wants me to be able to do both. He likes my game and hopefully I'll be able to show my improvement in the summer league."

As first-round picks, Ager and Brown got guaranteed two-year contracts, with team options for a third and fourth year. As a second-round pick, Davis agreed to a deal that was guaranteed for his first year and half of his second year. So 2007-08 will be big for him.

"I really think next year is gonna be a good year, for the team and me," he said.

All three are in similar positions on the court. Off it, they're in very different places.

Brown lives in downtown Cleveland, in the same apartment complex as several teammates, including James. Ager has a quiet condo, sees his mother all the time and finds time to be active in his church.

Davis glances around during pre-game warm-ups and sees Snoop, Denzel Washington, Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore. He also got a chance to chat up Bay, who directed "Pearl Harbor" and "Armageddon," among other hits.

Davis lives in a high-rise condo on the water, with a stunning view of greater Los Angeles. He hangs out with Kaman, Cuttino Mobley and other teammates, and has made new friends as well - amid some strange characters.

"Sometimes you just have to leave it there with some people," Davis said. "You don't want to get mixed up with the wrong people. People out here are a little different than in the Midwest, but I like a lot of it."

Contact Joe Rexrode at jrexrode@lsj.com.