Lester Hudson

Lester Hudson - 17 games, 30.6 mpg, 21.6 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 4.2 apg, 2.9 spg, 0.6 bpg, 2.4 TOpg, 44% FG, 33% 3PT, 82% FT

Last year's imports were former NBA players, David Harrison and Smush Parker. The duo stayed for the whole season, providing the kind of stability that is always needed (and that, as seen above, bloody helps). To open this season, Guangdong were set to replace Parker with Harrison's former Pacers team mate, Fred Jones, whilst keeping Harrison as their centre. However, Harrison broke his leg in the preseason, and has not played all season. Guangdong therefore played the first 13 games with Jones as their only import.

Guangdong went 10-3 in those 13 games before bringing in ex-NBA and Euroleague forward Haislip, who has starred offensively both inside and outside with his James Singleton-like efficiency. They were initially going to sign Ike Diogu, but the L.A. Clippers beat them to it. Haislip and Jones played only game together before Jones was replaced by Hudson, from whom the Washington Wizards had finally moved on. [Jones has not signed elsewhere since, and, by all accounts, has lost his athleticism.]

In some additional related bookkeeping, the reason for many of the players listed in the previous list was due to the NBA's contract guarantee date. All players on NBA rosters on or after January 10th have their contracts guaranteed for the remainder of the season (future seasons are unaffected); this also includes waivers. In-season waivers are 48 hours long and do not include weekends; therefore, with the 10th of January being a Monday, players had to be waived by close of business on Wednesday 5th in order to have cleared waivers before the deadline date.

Eleven players with not fully guaranteed contracts were waived in the hours before that deadline: Steve Novak, Damien Wilkins, Jarron Collins, John Lucas III, Ime Udoka, Lester Hudson, Ronald Dupree, Brian Skinner, Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Sundiata Gaines and Rodney Carney. Twenty seven unguaranteed players survived; Delonte West, Von Wafer, Brian Scalabrine, Samardo Samuels, Manny Harris, Alonzo Gee, Brian Cardinal, Melvin Ely, Gary Forbes, Jeremy Lin, Ish Smith, A.J. Price, Ike Diogu, Luc Richard Mbah A Moute, Ben Uzoh, Didier Ilunga-Mbenga, Shawne Williams, Malik Allen, Garret Siler, Patty Mills, Sean Marks, Darnell Jackson, Chris Quinn, Sonny Weems, Jeremy Evans, Cartier Martin and Hamady Ndiaye. Players with contracts who had already become guaranteed due to specific guarantee stipulations in their contracts were Sherron Collins, Derrick Brown, Josh McRoberts, Willie Warren, Derrick Caracter, Luther Head and Joey Dorsey.

Lester Hudson - Hudson has had a couple of stints with the Wizards this season, but played only 73 total minutes. He shot only 25% from the field and put up a 6.1 PER, and is yet to bring his jumpshot to the NBA.

Another player from the summer league team to impress was Hudson, who averaged 11.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.4 steals in 22 minutes per game, shooting 48% from three point range and turning it over only 6 times in 111 minutes. In summer league, that's quite impressive. (For comparison's sake, John Wall turned it over 21 times in 129 minutes.) As a full court point guard, pesky defensive player, and three point jumpshooter, Hudson can be useful. He has $25,000 in guaranteed money to that end. However, he's also already 26.

Lester Hudson - Hudson made the Celtics roster out of training camp, but did not make it beyond the contract guarantee date with the team. However, he got his money anyway when the Grizzlies claimed him off waivers, and Hudson saw out the rest of the season there. The Grizzlies waived Hudson as well at the start of this month, and he's now without a team. However, he went to summer league with the Wizards, where he impressed with averages of 11.2ppg and 2.8apg, and is now a candidate for a roster spot with the team. In his NBA career thus far, Hudson proved he could score in transition, but the rest of his game remains in question, particularly his skills in the half court.