2010 Summer Signings, Part 4
June 19th, 2010
– In Italy, Bucks draft pick Szymon Szewczyk signed a two-year extension with Air Avellino. He ranked second the team in rebounds last year behind Chevon Troutman, was second in points behind Dee Brown, and also managed not to get arrested in a drunken car wreck unlike the other two. Another NBA draft pick signed in Italy, Petteri Koponen, is to remain in Bologna for at least one more season. And ex-NBA player Jumaine Jones is staying with Pepsi Caserta for at least one more season, which really crippled this otherwise infallible post. – Another ex-NBA draft pick to have signed in Italy is Milovan Rakovic, whose rights are owned by the Magic. Rakovic was one of the best players in the Russian Superleague last year, averaging 15.2 points and 6.4 rebounds in 25 minutes per game for Spartak St Petersburg. He’s cashing in on that and moving to Italy to play for Italian powerhouse Montepaschi Siena. There’s lots of upheaval in Russia at the moment; the Superleague teams have all signed a pact vowing to break away from the current governing body, with whom they are thoroughly disenfranchised, and to begin running operations on their own. Amidst this upheaval, many players have left; Spartak also released James White (14.8/3.7) and Goran Suton (played 94 minutes all season). Additionally, UNICS Kazan have released veteran Lithuanian jump shooter Saulius Štombergas, and Lokomotiv Kuban have released their imports James Gist, Andre Owens and Gerald Green. It’s probably fair to say that Green will not be returning to the Dallas Mavericks. – Not everyone is suffering, though. Khimki have taken advantage of the situation by signing ex-Blazers forward Sergei Monia from cash-strapped rivals Dynamo Moscow, and have also signed ex-Nets guard Zoran Planinic from the other Moscow team, CSKA. CSKA can […]
Where Are They Now, 2010; Part 72
May 31st, 2010
– Robert Whaley After about two years off the scene, Whaley re-appeared on it again in March…..but in a bad way. For a longer breakdown of the life and times of the Fail Whale, click here. – Davin White Former Cal-State Northridge guard White was once signed by the Suns, which is why his progress continues to be monitored. He spent much of this year on the shelf, but at the start of last month he signed with Mexican team Mineros de Cananea (with whom White also played in 2006 and 2008). Cananea play in the CIBACOPA, the “other” Mexican league that starts upon the completion of the superior LNBP. Nonetheless, even though the league is not of a high standard, White made up for it by starring quite nicely, averaging 22.6 points and 4.8 assists per game before getting injured. – Jahidi White and Chris Whitney Former teammates White and Whitney are both now retired, and have gone into business together. They have started an employment agency called Staffing Across America, which aims to staff across America, and the duo are trying to take their staffing business global, with the aim of staffing around the world. Whitney has also done some TV work Comcast Sportsnet, and bizarrely, White has done some acting, playing the role of an alien in a made-for-TV move called “Showdown At Area 51”. White is listed as playing a character called “Kronan” – a quick Google search reveals that Kronan is an alien character within the 3.6/10 rated film. There follows a screen cap of an alien character in the movie. Is that really Jahidi White? God, I hope so. IMDB carries a trailer of said film; if you pause it at the 12 second mark, you will clearly see through the grippingly […]
2009 NBA Summer League round-up: Houston Rockets
July 9th, 2009
– Hassan Adams: Raptors GM Bryan Colangelo struck gold in 2007 when he signed Jamario Moon right at the start of free agency, after a fine performance in a Raptors mini-camp. In 2008, he went for it again with Hassan Adams…and he struck out. He signed Adams to a guaranteed contract in July, then watched on as Adams (perhaps complacent due to the guaranteed money) showed up out of shape and with as few ball skills as ever. Adams was later salary-dumped onto the Clippers, who cut him. After that, Adams went to Serbia to play for Vojvodina Srbija Gas Novi Sad, a team that badly needs its name abridging if it’s to make any catchy jingles. He totalled 11 points in two games before leaving in what I believe was acrimonious circumstances. He won’t make the Rockets roster; they didn’t sign Trevor Ariza, turn down Von Wafer’s advances and spend all that money on Jermaine Taylor just to let Hassan take their roster spot. But it’s nice to see him again anyway. Hope he can get his mojo back. – Rod Benson: Rod Benson had a great year in 2007-08, starting out in the Nets training camp, then going to the D-League and leading it in rebounds. But 2008-09 was far worse: Benson went to France and signed with Nancy, but averaged only 2.3/2.3 in eight games before being released. He returned to the D-League, and averaged 7.3 points and 6.0 rebounds for the Dakota Wizards, before being traded to the Reno Bighorns where he averaged a far better 16.6 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.5 blocks. – Chase Budinger: Budinger is but one more on my list of “Players I would rather the Bulls had drafted instead of Taj Gibson at #26,” an increasingly long list that’s […]
