Summer league round-up: Houston Rockets
View the Rockets summer league roster.
- Hassan Adams: Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo struck gold in 2007 when he signed Jamario Moon right at the start of free agency, after a fine performance in a Raptors mini-camp. In 2008, he went for it again with Hassan Adams...and he struck out. He signed Adams to a guaranteed contract in July, then watched on as Adams (perhaps complacent due to the guaranteed money) showed up out of shape and with as few ball skills as ever. Adams was later salary dumped onto the Clippers, who cut him.
After that, Adams went to Serbia to play for Vojvodina Srbija Gas Novi Sad, a team that badly needs its name abridging if it's to make any catchy jingles. He totalled 11 points in 2 games before leaving in what I believe was acrimonious circumstances. He won't make the Rockets roster; they didn't sign Trevor Ariza, turn down Von Wafer's advances and spend all that money on Jermaine Taylor just to let Saddam take their roster spot. But it's nice to see him again anyway.
- Rodrique Benson: Rod Benson had a great year in 2007-08, starting out in the Nets training camp, then going to the D-League and leading it in rebounds. But 2008-09 was far crapper: Benson went to France and signed with Nancy, but averaged only 2.3/2.3 in 8 games before being released. He returned to the D-League, and averaged 7.3 points and 6.0 rebounds for the Dakota Wizards, before being traded to the Reno Bighorns (giggidy) where he averaged a far better 16.6 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks.
Rod Benson fact: I accidentally typoed Rod Benson's name while compiling this post, and in doing so I stumbled across a Florida International University female player called Liene Bernsone, who is as Latvian as her name suggests. If you like girls, you might like her.
And here is her team mate, the equally Latvian Lasma Jekabsone:
So that's why Isiah's working at FIU for free; the bevy of Latvian hotties. Fair play to him.
- Chase Budinger: Budinger is but one other on my list of "Players I would totally have rather the Bulls had drafted instead of Taj Gibson at #26," an increasingly long list that's getting a bit extreme and now includes Levance Fields and Byron Eaton. I will get over it eventually, though. (Think of it as a good thing though, Taj. The less I expect of you, the more I'm going to like it when you turn out to be brilliant. And you will. Never forget that. If I have no expectations for you, they can't be dashed. You're like the anti-Eddy Curry. Make me love you.)
- Will Conroy: Conroy put up lots of everything for the Albuquerque Thunderbirds in the D-League last year. 49 games, 44.7 mpg (lead the league), 26.5 ppg (also lead the league), 8.0 apg (5th), 4.8 rpg, 2.0 spg, 4.20 topg. He stuffed that CV like a CV stuffing bitch. And it's a shame that it's more than likely only getting him as far as Spain. But still. A good effort. Have some time off, you must be knackered.
- Marcus Cousin: Cousin averaged 10.9 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game for Houston last year, That's the University of Houston, though, not the Rockets. Those are good numbers. Shame about the crap conference that they came in. Mind you, Robert Loggia got drafted while getting slightly worse numbers in the exact same conference. And he's a lot smaller. So that makes total sense.
- Joey Dorsey: Dorsey's rookie year was pretty crap. He signed late -not before losing a game that he wasn't even in - yet ended up getting a way bigger than usual contract for a second rounder. Then it went downhill; Dorsey played all of 6 minutes for Rockets last year, and spent only 7 games in the D-League,. Down there, he played disinterested and largely sucked, averaging 9.7 points and 9.0 rebounds per game, which are pretty tame numbers in relative terms. He's also going to turn 26 later this year, which makes him 18 months older than Darko Milicic. And we all know how much potential he has - none. Still, there's some good news; someone wrote a fluff piece, and his contract isn't guaranteed after this season. So that's something.
- Charles Gaines: Gaines got a training camp contract with the Spurs to start the year, and after getting waived he was assigned to their D-League affiliate, the Austin Toros. The D-League is a slightly strange place for a 27 year old to go, and Gaines perhaps unsurprisingly beasted, averaging 14.9 points and 10.3 rebounds a game. He left before the end of the season to sign with Israeli powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv, for whom he averaged 8.0ppg and 6.4rpg. He won't win a roster spot.
- Mike Green: Green played for the Cavaliers summer league team last year, where he started at point guard, took lots of shots and shot 30%. Can't say I was duly impressed, really. More impressive was his follow-up season in Turkey, where he averaged 11.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists for Antalya, but he shot only 31% from three point range, again in love with his sub par jumpshot. Hone that, and we'll talk.
- Maarty Leunen: Leunen, a draft pick of the Rockets last year, also spent the season in Turkey, playing for the immortally named Darussafaka C.Tires Istanbul. There, he averaged 31 minutes, 12.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, shooting 44% from two point range and 44% from three point range. And he took a whole lot more threes than twos. If there was ever an outside chance of Leunen making the Rockets roster this year - and there wasn't, really - then the incumbent Brian Cook just took it away from him.
- Brad Newley: Another unsigned Rockets second rounder, this time from 2007, Newley has spent the two years since being drafted in Greece. Last year, he moved from Panionios to Panellinios, although it's plausible that he just boarded the wrong bus or something and no one sought to correct him. Newley averaged 10.4 points and 3.1 assists in 24 minutes a game, but his jumpshot wasn't really with him all year. He, like Adams, has very little chance of making the team this year, partly due to this next guy.
- Jermaine Taylor: The Rockets bought Taylor's rights on draft night for $2.5 million, which is a hell of a lot of money to give up for a second round pick, even a high 30's one. As a result, I think you can pretty much go ahead and assume that he's making the team.
- Garrett Temple: Temple was the tall point guard to Marcus Thornton's undersized shooting guard, and averaged 7.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists in his senior season. For some reason, I have a bit of a thing with offensively challenged tall combo guards who want to be point guards - see also, my views on Cedric Bozeman - but the fact that Temple didn't shoot over 40% in any of the four years of his college career means that his NBA prospects don't really exist.
- Darryl Watkins: Darryl Watkins's middle name is "Finesse", but don't read too much into that. Like Gaines, he went to camp with the Spurs last year, but didn't make the cut, and spent the rest of the year in China, averaging roughly 20/14. Good numbers, but it is China.
- James White: White has an unguaranteed contract with the Rockets for next season, and, if they're truly going to go young (and I don't see as though they have a choice), then the arrival of Ariza won't necessarily be the death of White. Nor will Budinger, either.
Views on NBA stuff will come soon. Really.
- Hassan Adams: Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo struck gold in 2007 when he signed Jamario Moon right at the start of free agency, after a fine performance in a Raptors mini-camp. In 2008, he went for it again with Hassan Adams...and he struck out. He signed Adams to a guaranteed contract in July, then watched on as Adams (perhaps complacent due to the guaranteed money) showed up out of shape and with as few ball skills as ever. Adams was later salary dumped onto the Clippers, who cut him.
After that, Adams went to Serbia to play for Vojvodina Srbija Gas Novi Sad, a team that badly needs its name abridging if it's to make any catchy jingles. He totalled 11 points in 2 games before leaving in what I believe was acrimonious circumstances. He won't make the Rockets roster; they didn't sign Trevor Ariza, turn down Von Wafer's advances and spend all that money on Jermaine Taylor just to let Saddam take their roster spot. But it's nice to see him again anyway.
- Rodrique Benson: Rod Benson had a great year in 2007-08, starting out in the Nets training camp, then going to the D-League and leading it in rebounds. But 2008-09 was far crapper: Benson went to France and signed with Nancy, but averaged only 2.3/2.3 in 8 games before being released. He returned to the D-League, and averaged 7.3 points and 6.0 rebounds for the Dakota Wizards, before being traded to the Reno Bighorns (giggidy) where he averaged a far better 16.6 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks.
Rod Benson fact: I accidentally typoed Rod Benson's name while compiling this post, and in doing so I stumbled across a Florida International University female player called Liene Bernsone, who is as Latvian as her name suggests. If you like girls, you might like her.
And here is her team mate, the equally Latvian Lasma Jekabsone:
So that's why Isiah's working at FIU for free; the bevy of Latvian hotties. Fair play to him.
- Chase Budinger: Budinger is but one other on my list of "Players I would totally have rather the Bulls had drafted instead of Taj Gibson at #26," an increasingly long list that's getting a bit extreme and now includes Levance Fields and Byron Eaton. I will get over it eventually, though. (Think of it as a good thing though, Taj. The less I expect of you, the more I'm going to like it when you turn out to be brilliant. And you will. Never forget that. If I have no expectations for you, they can't be dashed. You're like the anti-Eddy Curry. Make me love you.)
- Will Conroy: Conroy put up lots of everything for the Albuquerque Thunderbirds in the D-League last year. 49 games, 44.7 mpg (lead the league), 26.5 ppg (also lead the league), 8.0 apg (5th), 4.8 rpg, 2.0 spg, 4.20 topg. He stuffed that CV like a CV stuffing bitch. And it's a shame that it's more than likely only getting him as far as Spain. But still. A good effort. Have some time off, you must be knackered.
- Marcus Cousin: Cousin averaged 10.9 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game for Houston last year, That's the University of Houston, though, not the Rockets. Those are good numbers. Shame about the crap conference that they came in. Mind you, Robert Loggia got drafted while getting slightly worse numbers in the exact same conference. And he's a lot smaller. So that makes total sense.
- Joey Dorsey: Dorsey's rookie year was pretty crap. He signed late -not before losing a game that he wasn't even in - yet ended up getting a way bigger than usual contract for a second rounder. Then it went downhill; Dorsey played all of 6 minutes for Rockets last year, and spent only 7 games in the D-League,. Down there, he played disinterested and largely sucked, averaging 9.7 points and 9.0 rebounds per game, which are pretty tame numbers in relative terms. He's also going to turn 26 later this year, which makes him 18 months older than Darko Milicic. And we all know how much potential he has - none. Still, there's some good news; someone wrote a fluff piece, and his contract isn't guaranteed after this season. So that's something.
- Charles Gaines: Gaines got a training camp contract with the Spurs to start the year, and after getting waived he was assigned to their D-League affiliate, the Austin Toros. The D-League is a slightly strange place for a 27 year old to go, and Gaines perhaps unsurprisingly beasted, averaging 14.9 points and 10.3 rebounds a game. He left before the end of the season to sign with Israeli powerhouse Maccabi Tel Aviv, for whom he averaged 8.0ppg and 6.4rpg. He won't win a roster spot.
- Mike Green: Green played for the Cavaliers summer league team last year, where he started at point guard, took lots of shots and shot 30%. Can't say I was duly impressed, really. More impressive was his follow-up season in Turkey, where he averaged 11.6 points, 4.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists for Antalya, but he shot only 31% from three point range, again in love with his sub par jumpshot. Hone that, and we'll talk.
- Maarty Leunen: Leunen, a draft pick of the Rockets last year, also spent the season in Turkey, playing for the immortally named Darussafaka C.Tires Istanbul. There, he averaged 31 minutes, 12.1 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, shooting 44% from two point range and 44% from three point range. And he took a whole lot more threes than twos. If there was ever an outside chance of Leunen making the Rockets roster this year - and there wasn't, really - then the incumbent Brian Cook just took it away from him.
- Brad Newley: Another unsigned Rockets second rounder, this time from 2007, Newley has spent the two years since being drafted in Greece. Last year, he moved from Panionios to Panellinios, although it's plausible that he just boarded the wrong bus or something and no one sought to correct him. Newley averaged 10.4 points and 3.1 assists in 24 minutes a game, but his jumpshot wasn't really with him all year. He, like Adams, has very little chance of making the team this year, partly due to this next guy.
- Jermaine Taylor: The Rockets bought Taylor's rights on draft night for $2.5 million, which is a hell of a lot of money to give up for a second round pick, even a high 30's one. As a result, I think you can pretty much go ahead and assume that he's making the team.
- Garrett Temple: Temple was the tall point guard to Marcus Thornton's undersized shooting guard, and averaged 7.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.8 assists in his senior season. For some reason, I have a bit of a thing with offensively challenged tall combo guards who want to be point guards - see also, my views on Cedric Bozeman - but the fact that Temple didn't shoot over 40% in any of the four years of his college career means that his NBA prospects don't really exist.
- Darryl Watkins: Darryl Watkins's middle name is "Finesse", but don't read too much into that. Like Gaines, he went to camp with the Spurs last year, but didn't make the cut, and spent the rest of the year in China, averaging roughly 20/14. Good numbers, but it is China.
- James White: White has an unguaranteed contract with the Rockets for next season, and, if they're truly going to go young (and I don't see as though they have a choice), then the arrival of Ariza won't necessarily be the death of White. Nor will Budinger, either.
Views on NBA stuff will come soon. Really.
Labels: Brad Newley, Charles Gaines, Chase Budinger, Darryl Watkins, Garrett Temple, Hassan Adams, James White, Jermaine Taylor, Joey Dorsey, Maarty Leunen, Marcus Cousin, Mike Green, Rod Benson, Will Conroy
posted by Sham at
7:41 AM
5 Comments:
Wow. If you take Liene Bernsone and Lasma Jekabsone's names and put them together, you get a third FIU player, called Liene Jekabsone. And she's hotter than both of those two:
http://www.fiusports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=49087&SPID=4765&DB_OEM_ID=11700&ATCLID=1286939&Q_SEASON=2008
Good freaking team. Good freaking team.
The rest of the team is butt ugly, but, in the words of Steve-O, "Dude. The chicks in Latvia are all pretty much hot."
Since the above link didn't work.....
Liene Jekabsone.
If you like Latvian girls, you should see Estonian ones: a mixture of slavic and scandinavian that tends to perfection.
(Although I must admit that I once met a girl in Riga that I would have loved to see more of. But that was mostly because she reminded me an awful lot of another -Spanish- girl).
Pics or it didn't happen.
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