Marcus Haislip

Marcus Haislip - 14 games, 33.4 mpg, 24.3 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 0.6 apg, 0.4 spg, 1.9 bpg, 1.5 TOpg, 68% FG, 73% 3PT (24-33), 91% 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.]

Marcus Haislip - Haislip was today released by Spanish giants Caja Laboral. He averaged 6.3 points and 1.9 rebounds in ACB play, but was released and replaced by Esteban Batista. Haislip was in the NBA to begin last season with the Spurs, but asked for a midseason buyout to return to Europe as he could not find minutes in their stacked front court. Haislip is certainly capable of playing in the NBA, and gave up doing so only because he wanted to seek high level European basketball employment (which for him offer more playing time, stardom, and money). However, now that he doesn't have high level European basketball employment - not this week, at least - might he want to come back?

- Marcus Haislip - Haislip returned to the NBA with the Spurs last year, but could only find garbage time in their deep frontcourt. He asked to be let go midseason, and went and joined Panathinaikos to replace Jurica Golemac (who himself was going to make the second installment of this list, until he signed with KK Zadar earlier this week). Jonathan Givony then reported that Haislip was going to join Caja Laboral this summer, but Caja have signed Pops Mensah-Bonsu instead. And no team ever needs both Marcus Haislip and Pops Mensah-Bonsu. They're just too similar. If Lior Eliyahu leaves, however, Haislip may still go there.

- Marcus Haislip

An established and productive forward in the Euroleague these last couple of years - if kind of disliked by certain sections of the European audience who abhor athleticism when it comes at the expenses of pick and roll defense - Haislip left Unicaja Malaga this summer after two seasons to return to the NBA to play for the Spurs for the minimum salary. This represented about a 75% paycut for Haislip, yet he did it anyway, because American citizens like playing in America. It didn't work out for him, though - in three months with the team, Haislip played all of 10 games and 44 minutes. Then in early January, Panathinaikos came in for him, looking for a short injury reinforcement. Haislip negotiated a buyout with San Antonio (which wasn't difficult; "you can forget what you owe me if you let me leave") and signed with Pana, for whom he is averaging 11.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in the Greek league.