January 5, 2011

Blake Ahearn - Ahearn started the year in Italy, playing for struggling Serie A team Bancas Teramo. He averaged 9.3 points and 1.3 assists in 24 minutes per game, but shot only 35% from three point range and 28% from two point range whilst being largely signed for his scoring. He was then released and returned to the D-League for a fourth season, rejoining the Erie BayHawks, with whom he averaged 26 and 6 down the stretch of last season. Ahearn has only 25 points and 19 assists through his first three D-League games of this season, but should have his shooting numbers return to the median in short order.

Ahearn was a recipient of two ten day contracts from the Heat back in 2008, eventually sticking around for the remainder of the season and helping them to a 15-67 record. He hasn't changed a lot since then, not getting any quicker or becoming any more of a purist's point guard. But he didn't lose his jumpshot either.

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July 30, 2010

Blake Ahearn - Ahearn is the shooter from Missouri State who has played a few games for the Miami Heat. He's a rather unique little sausage; an extremely brilliant shooter from the foul line and from three point range, and who can masquerade as a point guard reasonably well, but who is unathletic and doesn't contribute much elsewhere. The most notable part of all that is the efficiency; Ahearn always shoots over 40% from three and over 90% from the line, and I do mean always.

Last year was no different. Finally leaving the D-League to go and get some proper money, Ahearn signed with ACB team Estudiantes Madrid, for whom he averaged 14.2 ppg in 24 mpg with absolutely no other statistical contributions other than fouls. He shot only 30% from two point range, but he hit his customary 41% from three, and also shot 98% from the line (57-58). When his contract expired, Ahearn returned to the D-League, where he averaged 44.5 mpg, 26.2 ppg, 6.0 apg and 4.7 rpg for the Erie BayHawks, shooting 45% from the field, 43% from three and 96% from the line. He's about as good of a shooter as there can be, and yet he can't get back in the NBA.

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July 14, 2010

Blake Ahearn

Ahearn is the shooter from Missouri State who has played a few games for the Miami Heat. He's a rather unique little sausage; an extremely brilliant shooter from the foul line and from three point range, and who can masquerade as a point guard reasonably well, but who is unathletic and doesn't contribute much elsewhere. The most notable part of all that is the efficiency; Ahearn always shoots over 40% from three and over 90% from the line, and I do mean always.

Last year was no different. Finally leaving the D-League to go and get some proper money, Ahearn signed with ACB team Estudiantes Madrid, for whom he averaged 14.2 ppg in 24 mpg with absolutely no other statistical contributions other than fouls. He shot only 30% from two point range, but he hit his customary 41% from three, and also shot 98% from the line (57-58). When his contract expired, Ahearn returned to the D-League, where he averaged 44.5 mpg, 26.2 ppg, 6.0 apg and 4.7 rpg for the Erie BayHawks, shooting 45% from the field, 43% from three and 96% from the line.

In these posts, when I say about someone that "he's a good shooter, but not good enough of one to make the NBA" - and I've had to say it a lot - Blake Ahearn is my yardstick for that. He's about as good of a shooter as there can be, and even he can't get in. Strange times.

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December 28, 2009

- Blake Ahearn

Blake Ahearn was in Spain as well until this week, when he was released by Estudiantes Madrid. In the last two years in the D-League, Ahearn has boasted true shooting percentages of .670% (in 2007-08) and .629% (in 2008-09), which is absolutely freaking ridiculously good from a 6'2 guard. This year with Estudiantes was not really any different; Ahearn shot 41% from three point range (36-87), and a typically Blake Ahearn-like 98% from the foul line (57-58), on his way to averaging 14.2 points per game. However, he only shot 29% from two point range (10-34), and he also averaged only 0.8 assists a game to go with that. As shooting specialists go, you can't be much more effective than that, but a specialist is as much as he was.

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