MUSCLEWATCH (Update 3)

ALL BALL NERVE CENTER — We are deep into training camp and media days, which can mean only one thing: MUSCLEWATCH 2013 is fully upon us. And even as I am knee-deep in MUSCLEWATCH reports, coming in from around the NBA, imagine my surprise last week when I flipped on NBA TV and found MUSCLEWATCH reaching its largest audience yet:

What is MUSCLEWATCH? MUSCLEWATCH is our in-depth look at the weight gains and losses of NBA players as the season starts. And we’re not just talking weight, we’re talking any kind of size, really.

Before we get to the latest reports, don’t forget that for all your MUSCLEWATCH needs, be sure to check out our previous posts on the topic. And as always, if you see any MUSCLEWATCH news, drop me an email or hit me on Twitter (using #MUSCLEWATCH).

Let’s all get jacked, you guys…

• Thus far, our MUSCLEWATCH leader has to be Indiana’s Roy Hibbert. During media day interviews, Hibbert detailed exactly how much weight he’s put on this season…

According to Pacers.com, this is a remarkable 30 POUNDS MORE than Hibbert’s listed weight of 260. Hibbert says he focused on the upper body. Check the pictures at the top of this post, and you’ll see that it’s rather difficult to tell the two Hibberts apart.

• Perhaps we need an embedded MUSCLEWATCH correspondent in Chicago, where guys are gaining weight like crazy. Last week we learned that Derrick Rose had gained 10 pounds of muscle. But after media day last weekend, it appears that Rose has been sharing his secrets with his teammates…

First of all, shoutout to Taj Gibson for nailing the vaunted 15 pounds of muscle. And then Tony Snell adding 18 pounds of muscle since joining the team means he’s on pace to add something like 100 pounds of muscle by the end of his rookie season. Which would be awesome.

• Special attention needs to be paid to Orlando’s Maurice Harkless, who somehow managed to get bigger this summer, not by adding weight, but by…getting taller?

Last season Harkless was listed at 6-8, and most listings I’ve seen had him at 6-8. Then again, his NBA Draft profile from a year had him at 6-9, so either he grew an inch or The Powers That Be here at NBA.com had some sort of advance understanding that he was actually 6-9 but maybe with just bad posture or low shoes.

• According to reports out of Toronto, Raptors big man Jonas Valanciunas has put on “many pounds” of muscle. We need details, Canada!

• In other vague MUSCLEWATCH news, Detroit’s Greg Monroe lost an indeterminate amount of weight this summer in preparation for playing more power forward. “I got a chef, changed my eating,” Monroe said. “I just wanted to get in the best shape I could. I wanted to make sure my body was in great condition. I think I did a good job of that and the people I work with did a great job of getting me on the right path.”

• Knicks PG Raymond Felton says he has lost between 10-15 pounds this summer. Way to keep people guessing.

• Rockets F Chandler Parsons says he has added 8 pounds this summer. No clarification if it’s 8 pounds of muscle or just regular weight.

• Wizards G Bradley Beal said he put on 4-5 pounds this summer. Well, which is it?

• And finally, in general MUSCLEWATCH news, new Sixers coach Brett Brown is out here talking in generalities about how important muscle and fitness is to him. “As a professional athlete, it’s your responsibility to get in great shape,” said Brown. “Your skin-fold test (measuring body fat) is this and your weight is this. That’s non-negotiable.”

I admire Coach Brown’s attention to detail, but when we start talking about things like skin fold tests, I just wonder if we’ve lost the true meaning of MUSCLEWATCH.