Brian Zoubek

Brian Zoubek - As was fairly well know, Zoubek spurned what could have been a good professional career in order to open a pastry shop. Less well known is the fact that it closed a month ago to go do some real estate.

Brian Zoubek - Zoobs failed to make the Nets roster out of training camp, and has not signed elsewhere in the two months since. Through sheer size and rebounding alone, he has something to offer an NBA team, and could easily what Aaron Gray does without interspersing the occasional moments of offensive grandeur (and even more occasionally, effectiveness) that Gray does. He could do this for the Nets, who could still use a centre.

Straight after the draft, on the first possible day, the Nets signed Tulsa guard Ben Uzoh and Duke centre Brian Zoubek. Uzoh has $35,000 of his $473,604 contract guaranteed, and Zoubek has $50,000 guaranteed.

Brian Zoubek

Zoubs led the NCAA last year in defensive rebounding percentage, and by quite a long way. Zoubek pulled in 21.4 percent of all defensive rebounds; the only other players over 17% were DeMarcus Cousins (5th overall) and Justin Rutty from Quinnipiac (an athletic 6'7 lefty who is doggedly persistent, but who bleeds turnovers and struggles to score). Zoubek is six inches taller than Rutty at a huge 7'1, and will prolifically grab rebounds wherever he goes; for this reason, it's somewhat amazing that he didn't get drafted. The era of the big slow clunky backup centre is dwindling, yet there should still be room for the good ones. Zoubek's offense is awkward and his defense is post-specific (which is not the same as being post-modern), but he wins your team the ball.

Isn't that the purpose of centres?

EDIT - Uzoh and Zoubek have both signed official contracts with the team. Good signings, and both may stick.