Chucky Atkins

Chucky Atkins - Atkins has taken up coaching. He first volunteered at USF, then worked with the NBA Player's Association at high school camps, before starting his first season this year at Evans High School in Orlando, his alma mater.

Chucky Atkins - Atkins went to camp with the Suns this offseason, needing to catch a second wind. He didn't do this, however, and lost out on a roster spot to undrafted rookie Matt Janning. Atkins managed a full NBA season as recently as last year, but he hasn't managed a productive full NBA season for four years. There has been no official word as to his employment status, but aged 36 and unsigned, his career may be over.

Atkins spent last year with Detroit, but showed only that, at age 35, he was probably done. Chucky kept the turnovers down, but he didn't shoot the ball well, and hasn't done in the three seasons since his unexpected but genuinely effect career year at the age of 32. With that one anomalous exception, Chucky's play has declined for a decade; as thoroughly solid as he once was, the last three years have seen a significant decline in his speed and skills. His only chance of a redux now is if he starts shooting again as well as he did in his first Pistons stint. This does not seem likely.

Chucky Atkins - Not satisfied with only having two point guards that aren't really point guards, the Pistons brought in Chucky Atkins last summer. Chucky did not impress, putting up a PER of only 8.3 and shooting 36% on the season which was an improvement on his marks the previous two seasons of 34% and 30% respectively. Incidentally, 36 is also how old he turns next month.

It also goes largely unspoken that Chucky Atkins put up his career at aged 32. In 2006/07 with the Grizzlies, Atkins averaged 13.2 points, 4.6 assists and only 1.7 turnovers per game, shooting .434% from the field (second best mark of his career), .379% from three, attempting 4.1 free throws per game (his career high by a long way), putting up a PER of 17.4, and doing all this in only 27 minutes per game. Needless to say, it was a contract year. (Hey, I'd try harder in a contract year, too. Believe that.)