Where Are They Now, 2009; Part 24
January 31st, 2009
– Richard Hendrix is in the D-League, after being waived by the Warriors earlier this season, despite signing a guaranteed contract in the summer. I don’t really understand why, considering that they waived him while preferring to keep Rob Kurz and DeMarcus Nelson, whom they then waived three weeks later to avoid guaranteeing his contract, but whatever. Hendrix is still there if the Warriors want him, and apparently they don’t. Hendrix averages 13.6 points, 10.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.9 blocks in 32 minutes a game for the Dakota Wizz.
– Axel Hervelle is still with Real Madrid in Spain, and will be for at least two more years after this one. I got in trouble last time we talked about him, when I said that he hadn’t really gotten very far, so I’ll instead cop out this time and just give you his numbers: 6.5 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 0.8 apg, 0.9 spg, 0.7 bpg in the Spanish league, and 5.3 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 0.2 apg, 0.8 spg, 0.4 bpg in the EuroLeague. He’s a defensive role player.
– Tyrone Hill is now an assistant coach with the Atlanta Hawks.
– Kyle Hill is playing for Lucentum Alicante Costablanca in Spanish second division, alongside Taylor Coppenrath. Hill averages 12.4 ppg, 2.2 rpg and 1.6 apg, and is also about to turn 30; I don’t think the NBA beckons any more.
– Herbert Hill is unsigned, after a tryout with Le Mans in August showed only that he hasn’t recovered from his knee surgery yet.
– Steven Hill is back with Tulsa in the D-League after being waived by the Thunder. Hill averages 7.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game in total, but here’s the thing; as intriguing as Hill is as a prospect (and he is – athletic seven-footers with shot-blocking instincts like that are always worth tracking) there are some better-skilled big men in the D-League. Rod Benson, for example, can’t seem to get a shot in the NBA outside of one training camp spot. Courtney Sims got a ten-day contract with the Suns, but it was one and done. Pops Mensah-Bonsu can’t seem to get another shot in the NBA. Et cetera. These fellas are outproducing Hill in the D-League, so why is Hill the one who got the lengthy run on the Thunder’s roster, even if he did spend most of it on assignment? Basically this is just a long way of saying that I just want Pops back in the NBA. Let’s make it happen.
– Kyle Hines is signed with Prima Veroli in the Italian second division. In keeping with tradition, Hines is putting up beastly numbers, averaging 16.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 3.1 steals and 2.1 blocks in 31 minutes a game. Here’s the thing – he absolutely beasted in college, and while UNC Greensboro isn’t the biggest name school in the world, the list of names that feature on the 2000/1000 list is predominantly good NBA talent. Now in Italy (admittedly the second division), Hines again continues to beast, with simply awesome defensive statistics. My question, then, is this – a training camp spot somewhere? Yay? Nay? Pops Mensah-Bonsu? Who cares how short you are, when you can flat-out produce. Height factors, sure, but when you’re good, you’re good. And Kyle Hines looks to be good.
– Robert Hite started the year with Tau Vitoria in Spain, totalling 2 points in two games. He then left (Tau didn’t need him; they lead the Spanish league comfortably anyway), and later joined BC Oostende in Belgium, for whom he has totalled 40 points, 11 rebounds and 0 assists in two further games.
– Julius Hodge, the Jules of Harlem, was on his way to stardom in Australia earlier this season, averaging 26.3 points, 8.0 points and 6.0 assists (albeit 1-6 from three-point range) in eight games for the Adelaide 36ers. However, he then reportedly walked out on the team before a game, and there’s not been a real reason given as to why. Either way, it ended ugly, and the team only agreed to let Hodge out of his contract once he agreed to refund a sum of roughly $30,000 AUS that the team had forwarded him. Why they did this, I am not sure, but since Hodge had previously claimed that the team was behind on its payments, I guess he was wrong. Hodge was replaced by former Wizard, Rod Grizzard (it rhymes!), and Julius has since signed with Besancon Basket Comte Doubs, but hasn’t played a game for them yet.
– Fred Hoiberg is still an assistant general manager in Minnesota’s ever-confusing hierarchy of executives.
– Randy Holcomb hasn’t played since leaving his team in the Phillipines in July.
– Jared Homan is signed with Cibona Zagreb, averaging 4.0 points, 3.2 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in the EuroLeague, along with 6.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 0.7 blocks in the Adriatic league.
– And finaly, Antoine Hood is just as out of basketball as the last time you asked. It’s been roughly two years since he was last in the D-League with the Colorado 14ers, and he hasn’t signed anywhere since. I don’t know why.
