NBA: Rondo, Humphries, & Wallace Ejected in Celtics-Nets Fight

(Photo Courtesy: Jared Wickerham/Getty)

Last night, the Brooklyn Nets beat the Boston Celtics on the road 95-83 as Rondo's double-digit assist streak was broken. However, the story of the night was a brawl/fight between Celtics and Nets players that left Kris Humphries, Rajon Rondo, and Gerald Wallace ejected.

The fight started with less than 30 seconds left in the second quarter. After Kris Humphries committed a shooting foul on Kevin Garnett, Rondo ran over and started shoving Humphries. After Humphries started shoving back, the rest of the players and the refs ran in to throw in some shoves and try to break up the fight. After the refs reviewed the altercation, they ejected two Nets players (Humphries and Wallace) and one Celtics player (Rondo).

Here is a video of the foul/altercation/brawl/fight/aftermath:

I will spend the rest of this article analyzing the roles of all of the players involved and critiquing the decisions made by the officials:

Rajon Rondo, Celtics (Ejected)

I agree 100% with Rondo's ejection and think that he should also be given a multi-game suspension from the league. He ran up and shoved Humphries unprovoked and had no good reason to start a fight. I think that he was the instigator of the fight, not Humphries. Rondo left the game with 6 points, 3 assists, and 3 steals.

Kris Humphries, Nets (Ejected)

Humphries' foul on Garnett is debatable. You could make an argument that it was incidental contact, but I'm pretty sure that he hit KG in the face on purpose. Of course it wasn't a very hard hit that yielded much force. I don't think that Humphries deserved to be ejected. All he did was defend himself while Rondo attacked him. I think that a technical foul would have been enough. I don't think that Humphries should be suspended or fined. He finished with 3 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks.

After the game, Humphries went to Twitter and uploaded a photo showing scratches on him from Rondo:

Gerald Wallace, Nets (Ejected)

Wallace's role in the brawl was also debatable. When watching the footage, it's hard to tell if he ran in to try to break up the fight or to attack Garnett for some reason. Either way, Wallace and Garnett ended up in a short shoving match before both going in and trying to break up the fight. He received a technical foul, his second one of the game, and was ejected. Wallace finished with 5 points, 3 assists, and 3 steals.

Kevin Garnett, Celtics (Technical Foul)

KG was given a technical foul and played the rest of game. I agree with that decision by the referees.

I also think that the NBA should fine him or at least give him a warning for flopping. There was no way that he should have fell down after being lightly hit in the face by Humphries. Garnett obviously fell on purpose in an attempt to sell the contact.

Jason Terry, Celtics

Terry got right in the middle of Rondo and Humpries during the initial shoving match, but didn't contribute to the fight. He was not ejected or anything like that, which I agree with. After the game, Terry criticized Humphries:

From the Boston Herald:

Jason Terry, who played with Humphries during the 2009-10 season in Dallas, later tore into his former teammate. “That was unnecessary,” Terry said of Humphries’ foul on Garnett. “Some guys are tough and some guys pretend to be. He’s one that pretends to be. Maybe that’s the role Avery (Johnson) wants him to have.”

Asked what kind of player Humphries was in Dallas, Terry said, “Soft.”

Reggie Evans, Nets

Evans was on the floor when the fight started and followed the players behind the basket to play peacemaker. Evans finished with 5 points and 10 rebounds off-the-bench. After the game, Evans shared his thoughts on Rondo:

From nydailynews.com:

"That's just like a mosquito in your face. Eventually, you are going to swat at the mosquito, right?” Evans told reporters. “You aren't going to let mosquitoes in your face. You are going to get bumps all over your face. So you have to knock the mosquito down."

-

For the Nets, Joe Johnson scored a team-high 18 points and dished out 6 assists. Deron Williams finished with 8 points and 7 assists. Brook Lopez was one point short of a double-double with 9 points and 10 rebounds. Off-the-bench, Andray Blatche scored 17 points and grabbed 13 rebounds and Jerry Stackhouse scored 17 points in the win.

For the Celtics, Kevin Garnett finished with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Paul Pierce had 16 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists in the loss. Brandon Bass scored 16 points and Jason Terry scored 13 points.

Other players that were on the court when the fight happened include Deron Williams and C.J. Watson of the Nets and Brandon Bass and Paul Pierce of the Celtics.

On a positive note, I enjoyed watching the footage from the fight. I found it entertaining. It was one of the rare NBA fights these days that actually qualifies as a fight/brawl, and not just an altercation/skirmish.

Have any thoughts on the Celtics-Nets fight? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

NCAA: Analyzing Jack Taylor's Crazy 138-Point Performance

News has spread quickly about a player's performance during a division III college basketball game last night. Sophomore Jack Taylor of Grinnell College in Iowa scored a new NCAA record 138 points against Faith Baptist Bible. Here are some thoughts and observations I have on this game/story/performance:

-Considering that Taylor played 36 minutes and shot 108 attempts, he averaged exactly 3 shot attempts per minute. With a 35-second shot clock in college basketball, that's crazy. Needless to say, Taylor dominated the ball the whole game.

-A year ago, in November of 2011, Griffin Lentsch of Grinnell College, a current teammate of Taylor, broke the NCAA DIII points in a game record with 89 points in a win against Principia. In last night's game, Lentsch scored 7 points in 14 minutes off-the-bench. You would think that scoring 89 points would have made him a lock-starter for the rest of his career there, but apparently not.

-Before that, in February of 1998, another Grinnell College player, Jeff Clement, set the DIII record for points in a game with 77 points in a win over Illinois College.

-Before that, in 1994, Steve Diekmann, also of Grinnell College, broke the DIII record for points in a game with 69 points.

-Taylor made an astonishing 27 three-pointers off of 71 attempts from long-range. That calculates to about 38%, which doesn't sound great, but considering that there were 71 attempts involved and this was in a collegiate basketball game, that's really good.

-Taylor's assist to turnover ratio was terrible. He had 0 assists and 6 turnovers.

-He also had 3 steals and 3 rebounds, which no one cares about.

-You would think that since he scored 138 points, he had to have made more than half of his field goal attempts. Nope. He went 52-for-108 from the field. Of course, 48% from the field is still great, especially since he scored 138 points!

-Taylor is a 5'10" white guy. That makes this feat even more spectacular.

-The second-leading scorer of the game, sophomore David Larson of Faith Baptist Bible, scored 70 points. Larson is barely receiving any credit or recognition for arguably an equally-great performance. Larson's shot selection was stellar and he shot 34-for-44 from the field. That calculates to 77% from the field compared to Taylor's 48%. 66 of Larson's 70 points from last night were layups, according to USA Today. Larson's 70-point performance has been mentioned/acknowledged on TV, but he hasn't actually been referred to by name from what I've seen. Let's give some Larson some credit, it'll cheer him up considering that his team is now 0-5 this season.

-Faith Baptist Bible had a crazy-high amount of turnovers in the game: 49. That's more than 1 turnover per minute. That's pretty bad. Eric Young led the game with 16 turnovers in 33 minutes. Tyler Betz turned the ball over 15 times in 36 minutes. Both of those players were on Faith Baptist Bible.

-On the Faith Baptist Bible Eagles official website, the headline for last night's game was "Larson Has Record Setting Night." I thought it was funny that they didn't mention "Taylor" or "138 points" in the title to the article.

-Grinnell won the game 179-104 in a blowout. Grinnell is now 3-0 (undefeated), while Faith Baptist Bible has an 0-4 (winless) record. Faith Baptist is 0-8 this season if you count exhibition games.

-Taylor's performance has earned praise from Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant:

Bryant: "Wow ... Really? Wow. That's impressive. That's crazy. I don't care what level you're at. Scoring 138 points in pretty insane. ... That's incredible. ... That's amazing."

Durant: "Jack Taylor you deserve a shot of Jack Daniels after that performance lol...wow" (via Twitter)

Here are some highlights from the game (in case your haven't seen them already):





-Did anyone else notice that the shots Taylor was making were all contested and off-the-dribble? Those 138 points weren't from breakaway layups, free-throw attempts (he was 7-10 from the line), and uncontested shots. He made some difficult shots.

-Does this 138-point outburst by Taylor make him a serious NBA prospect? I'm not sure. It's obvious that some NBA executives and general managers will take a look at Taylor now, but last night was only one game. Considering that he is 5'10" scorer, he would obviously be at a disadvantage in the NBA. Who knows? Maybe this is just the beginning for Taylor. I'm rooting for him to succeed.

-3 games into the season, Taylor currently averages 61.7 points per game.

Two days ago, I wouldn't have thought that my next blog entry would be about some player from a D3-school named Jack Taylor. That's how quickly Taylor has jumped onto the radar of basketball fans country-wide.

For more information and footage, read/watch:
-Grinnell College guard shatters scoring record with 138 points in a game - sports.yahoo.com (The Dagger)
-Grinnell's Taylor pours in NCAA-record 138 points - d3hoops.com
-Jack Taylor Player Profile - pioneers.grinnell.edu
-Box Score - d3hoops.com
-Video of game in full - stretchinternet.com

-The quietest 70 points in college basketball history (Larson) - USA Today
-Grinnell player (Lentsch) breaks D-III scoring record - d3hoops.com (2011)
-Clement sets single-game scoring record - d3hoops.com (1998)

Have any thoughts on Jack Taylor's crazy performance last night? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

NBA: 2012 Preseason Stats, Recap, Analysis, & Awards

The NBA preseason has officially wrapped up and the 2012-13 regular season is set to tip off tomorrow on October 30th. Instead of a preview for the regular season and playoffs, let's recap the highlights of the preseason:

Standings -

Best Teams: Philadelphia 76ers (6-1), Toronto Raptors (6-1), Golden State Warriors (6-2)
Worst Teams: Los Angeles Lakers (0-8), Charlotte Bobcats (1-7), Orlando Magic (2-6)

Statistical Leaders -

Points Per Game (minimum 5 games played):
1 - Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks (20.4)
2 - Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers (20.4)
3 - David Lee, Golden State Warriors (17.3)
4 - Glen Davis, Orlando Magic (16.9)
5 - Kevin Martin, Houston Rockets (16.5)

Assists Per Game (minimum 5 games played):
1 - Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers (8.8)
2 - Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics (8.3)
3 - Greivis Vasquez, New Orleans Hornets (7.4)
4 - Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder (6.8)
5 - Jrue Holiday, Philadelphia 76ers (6.5)

Rebounds Per Game (minimum 5 games played):
1 - Omer Asik, Houston Rockets (11.5)
2 - Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls (10.1)
3 - Anthony Davis, New Orleans Hornets (9.9)
4 - Enes Kanter, Utah Jazz (9.4)
5 - Tie between Kosta Koufos, Denver Nuggets/David Lee, Golden State Warriors/Nikola Vucevic, Orlando Magic (8.7)

Notes:
-Dwight Howard of the Los Angeles Lakers committed 10 turnovers over the 2 games he played in. That's a preseason-high average of 5 turnovers per game.
-Ray Allen of the Miami Heat made all 12 of his free-throw attempts and led the preseason with a perfect 100 percent free-throw percentage.

Rookies -

The Good/Great (minimum 3 games played):

-Anthony Davis, New Orleans Hornets (1st pick, 1st round, 2012)
14.9 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 1.6 bpg, 46.6 FG% - 32.4 minutes per game
The first overall pick of the 2012 draft played about up to par with his expectations.

-Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers (6th pick, 1st round, 2012)
16.2 ppg, 5.8 apg, 2.5 rpg, 45.8 FG%, 95.0 FT% - 31.5 minutes per game
The co-MVP of the 2012 NBA summer league is off to a hot start and is currently my pick for Rookie of the Year in 2013.

-Harrison Barnes, Golden State Warriors (7th pick, 1st round, 2012)
10.4 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 49.2 FG%, 48.0 3P% - 25.1 minutes per game

-Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons (9th pick, 1st round, 2012)
9.0 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 1.4 bpg, 62.3 FG% - 16.5 minutes per game

-Meyers Leonard, Portland Trail Blazers (11th pick, 1st round, 2012)
6.4 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 76.2 FG%, 86.7 FT% - 15.7 minutes per game
Rookie bigman's averages aren't overwhelming, but he played efficiently and demonstrated superior shot selection.

-Andrew Nicholson, Orlando Magic (19th pick, 1st round, 2012)
10.6 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 47.1 FG% - 20.3 minutes per game

-Jared Sullinger, Boston Celtics (21st pick, 1st round, 2012)
10.9 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 56.1 FG%, 84.6 FT% - 26.1 minutes per game

-Perry Jones III, Oklahoma City Thunder (28th pick, 1st round, 2012)
9.8 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.5 apg, 57.1 FG% - 21.3 minutes per game

-Jae Crowder, Dallas Mavericks (34th pick, 2nd round, 2012)
11.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.9 spg, 1.6 apg, 47.2 FG% - 22.1 minutes per game

-Quincy Acy, Toronto Raptors (37th pick, 2nd round, 2012)
1.8 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 0.5 spg, 100 FG% (3-3 FG's) - 6.0 minutes per game
This bigman from Baylor made excellent use of limited preseason minutes with the Raptors. He strikes me as hard-working.

-Tyshawn Taylor, Brookyln Nets (41st pick, 2nd round, 2012)
8.0 ppg, 3.0 apg, 50.0 FG% - 17.7 minutes per game
I've gotten some good vibes from this rookie point guard that almost won the 2012 NCAA Championship with Kansas earlier this year.

-Brian Roberts, New Orleans Hornets (Undrafted, 2008)
9.1 ppg, 3.8 apg, 2.6 rpg, 80.0 FT% - 23.4 minutes per game
This 26-year-old guard particularly impressed me from what I saw from him in the preseason. In my opinion, he outplayed lottery pick Austin Rivers.

-Chris Copeland, New York Knicks (Undrafted, 2006)
15.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 51.7 FG%, 81.3 FT% - 24.8 minutes per game
This 28-year-old rookie came out of nowhere to have a solid preseason with the Knicks. His best game was a loss to Boston in which he scored 34 points and grabbed 6 rebounds.

Rookies Who Struggled (minimum 3 games played):

-Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Charlotte Bobcats (2nd pick, 1st round, 2012)
5.8 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 1.5 apg, 1.0 spg, 1.2 turnovers per game, 31.9 FG% - 20.9 minutes per game
I am a fan of Kidd-Gilchrist's game and I think that he should still have a solid rookie season.

-Austin Rivers, New Orleans Hornets (10th pick, 1st round, 2012)
7.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.1 spg, 27.1 FG%, 11.8 3P% - 27.0 minutes per game
I haven't felt very good about Rivers since he was in high school. He strikes me as a player who wants to control the ball and be a star, but he doesn't seem to have the talent to do that at the NBA level. He doesn't seem like he's in any shape to be a contributor and actually help an NBA team win games.

-Royce White, Houston Rockets (16th pick, 1st round, 2012)
2.3 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 1.0 apg, 1.5 turnovers per game, 27.3 FG% - 12.3 minutes per game
This rookie who is afraid of flying and suffers from anxiety didn't impress during the preseason.

-Fab Melo, Boston Celtics (22nd pick, 1st round, 2012)
0.3 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 1.0 turnovers per game, 12.5 FG% - 5.9 minutes per game

-Marquis Teague, Chicago Bulls (29th pick, 1st round, 2012)
0.6 ppg, 0.4 rpg, 0.3 apg, 1.0 turnovers per game, 18.2 FG% - 5.6 minutes per game

Notable Players Who Got Cut -

-Jonny Flynn & Terrence Williams, Detroit Pistons (Free Agents)
Both young players who were first-round draft picks in 2009. Though both of them have had trouble playing up to their expectations, I'm surprised that both of them were waived.

-Darnell Jackson, Utah Jazz (Free Agent)
Personally, I'm a fan of the 26-year-old bigman who won an NCAA Championship in college with Kansas, but he didn't play very well and even got ejected at the end of one game.

-Chris Smith, New York Knicks (Free Agent)
The younger brother of J.R. Smith was held back by an injury that has him out for 3-6 months.

-Anthony Carter, Denver Nuggets (Free Agent)
I'm guessing that this last preseason was the 37-year-old's last taste of the NBA. However, I am a fan of Carter's scrappy playing style.

-Derrick Brown, San Antonio Spurs (Free Agent)
Brown is a talented, young forward that I feel is being overlooked because he was on that awful Bobcats team last season.

-Blake Ahearn, Indiana Pacers (Free Agent)
This 28-year-old guard hasn't quite been able to make it in the NBA, but has played very well in the D-League. He averaged 23.8 points and 5.1 assists with the Reno Bighorns last season.

-Chris Douglas-Roberts, Los Angeles Lakers, then the Dallas Mavericks (Free Agent)
This talented young player got a bit unlucky and hasn't been able to capture a spot on an NBA roster. CDR was a member of the Derrick Rose-led Memphis squad that lost to Kansas in the 2008 NCAA Championship.

-Eddie Gill, Milwaukee Bucks (Free Agent)
The 34-year-old point guard hasn't played in the NBA since 2009.

-Adam Morrison, Portland Trail Blazers (Free Agent)
Read: "NBA: Blazers Waive Adam Morrison"

Preseason Awards (Opinion) -

MVP: David Lee, Golden State Warriors
-He averaged 17.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game while shooting 50.5 percent from the field. His team finished with a 6-2 record, third best in the preseason.

Rookie of the Preseason: Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers

Have any thoughts on the 2012 NBA Preseason? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

NBA: Blazers Waive Adam Morrison

The Portland Trail Blazers have trimmed their roster to 15 players, the maximum amount of players an NBA team can have for the regular season, by waiving Adam Morrison along with four other players (Dallas Lauderdale, Demonte Harper, Coby Karl and Justin Holiday).

Morrison, 28, played for the Brooklyn Nets and then the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2012 NBA Summer League before accepting a training camp invitation from the Blazers. According to an interview with Dime Magazine, he also got training camp invitations from the Miami Heat and the Clippers, but chose Portland because it was closer to home and he thought it was a better situation.

On October 10th, his preseason debut with the Blazers, Morrison had a stellar performance in a win against his former team, the Los Angeles Lakers. In less than 12 minutes of play, he scored 9 points off of 4-of-6 shooting from the field. He also grabbed one rebound and was 1-of-2 from three-point range.



However, he struggled in his next games with the team. Morrison went scoreless in the next 2 games he played in and never quite found his shot again. He finished the preseason with underwhelming averages of 3.2 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 0.6 assists in 11.4 minutes over 5 games. He also shot 33.3% from the field and 28.6% from beyond-the-arc. However, he made all two of his free-throw attempts and finished with a perfect free-throw percentage.

Morrison released a statement to CSNNW.com:

"I want to thank the Blazers' organization for giving me a chance. I'm sorry things didn't work out, but I wish them nothing but success. Right now, I'm just going to talk to my agent and see where to go from here."

After originally saying that he might retire, finish school, and start coaching, he might not be ready to quit yet.

By waiving Morrison, the Blazers are placing his contract on waivers, which means that he can be claimed by another NBA team. Recently, when the Spurs waived Eddy Curry, the Mavericks claimed him off waivers. Last season, in 2011, the Knicks claimed Jeremy Lin after he was waived by the Rockets. Morrison still has a chance to catch on with a team for the 2012-13 NBA season.

The Heat and the Clippers, who both reportedly invited Morrison to training camp, are unlikely to claim him because they don't currently have any roster spots open and are in the process of trimming their rosters down to 15 each.

A wild card team that could end up claiming Morrison would be the Los Angeles Lakers. Their current roster stands at 15 players, but only 13 of those players are on guaranteed contracts. Rookies Robert Sacre and Darius Johnson-Odom, both 2012 second-round draft picks, are on playing on unguaranteed contracts. One or both of them could be waived in order to sign or claim Morrison. Considering how well he has played against the Lakers in the summer league and preseason this year, they might take a chance on him and give him a shot.

Hopefully, the Lakers, or another team, claims Morrison off waivers or signs him to a contract.

Have any thoughts on the Blazers waiving Adam Morrison? Do you think he will catch on with another NBA team? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

NBA: Teammates Reunited This Season (2012-13)

The NBA is back for another season. The preseason is wrapping up and the regular season starts on October 30th. Through trades and free agent signings, a number of former teammates are being reunited with each other this season:

Marcus Camby & Carmelo Anthony
Denver Nuggets (2003-2008, 5 seasons) New York Knicks (2012-present)

Chris Kaman & Elton Brand
Los Angeles Clippers (2003-2008, 5 seasons), Dallas Mavericks (2012-present)

Ray Allen & Rashard Lewis
Seattle SuperSonics (2003-2007, 4.5 seasons), Miami Heat (2012-present)

Marcus Camby & Kurt Thomas
New York Knicks (1998-2002, 4 seasons), Portland Trail Blazers (2011-2012, 0.5 seasons), New York Knicks (2012-present)

 

Aaron Brooks & Chuck Hayes
Houston Rockets (2007-2011, 3.5 seasons), Sacramento Kings (2012-present)

Ben Gordon & Tyrus Thomas
Chicago Bulls (2006-2009, 3 seasons), Charlotte Bobcats (2012-present)

Kwame Brown & Andrew Bynum
Los Angeles Lakers (2005-2008, 2.5 seasons), Philadelphia 76ers (2012-present)

Andre Iguodala & Andre Miller
Philadelphia 76ers (2006-2009, 2.5 seasons), Denver Nuggets (2012-present)

Marquis Daniels & Mike Dunleavy
Indiana Pacers (2007-2009, 2.5 seasons), Milwaukee Bucks (2012-present)

Kyle Korver & Louis Williams
Philadelphia 76ers (2005-2007, 2.5 seasons), Atlanta Hawks (2012-present)

Michael Beasley & Jermaine O'Neal
Miami Heat (2009-2010, 1.5 seasons), Phoenix Suns (2012-present)

Matt Barnes & Lamar Odom
Los Angeles Lakers (2010-2011, 1 season), Los Angeles Clippers (2012-present)

Antawn Jamison & Steve Nash
Dallas Mavericks (2003-2004, 1 season), Los Angeles Lakers (2012-present)

Jarrett Jack & Brandon Rush
Indiana Pacers (2008-2009, 1 season), Golden State Warriors (2012-present)

Raymond Felton & Tyson Chandler
Charlotte Bobcats (2009-2010, 1 season), New York Knicks (2012-present)

Al Harrington & Quentin Richardson
New York Knicks (2008-2009, 0.5 seasons), Orlando Magic (2012-present)

Anthony Tolliver & Anthony Morrow
Golden State Warriors (2010, 0.5 seasons), New Jersey Nets (2012-present)

(Photo Courtesy: Getty Images, Google Images, etc.)

Have any thoughts any reunited teammates this season? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

Baller Bio: Kenny Satterfield

Kenny Satterfield is 31 years old. He only played a few seasons in the NBA, but he's been able to make a career out of professional basketball.

Satterfield was born on April 10, 1981 in New York City. He played at Rice High School in the Big Apple. He was named a 1999 McDonald's All-American in his senior year. In that same year, he was also named to the Parade All-American Third Team and USA TODAY's All-USA Third Team. He was also named the 1999 New York City Player of the Year.

He committed to Cincinnati and joined the Bearcats as a freshman in 1999 and put up averages of 9.2 points and 5.4 assists in 33 games. That season, he helped them reach the second round of the NCAA Tournament. He was an early entry in the 2000 NBA Draft, but withdrew before the deadline. In his sophomore season, Satterfield received more minutes and saw most of his averages and percentages go up. He played 35 games and averaged 14.4 points, 5.1 assists, 4.7 rebounds, and 1.7 steals. Satterfield shined in his second season with the Bearcats and helped lead Cincinnati to the Sweet 16 of the 2001 NCAA Tournament before losing to Stanford.

Satterfield's draft stock was as high as ever and he decided to apply for the 2001 NBA Draft. He was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks with the 53rd pick of the draft in the second round. After being drafted, he played in the Rocky Mountain Summer League with the Mavs. Later, on September 25, 2001, he was traded to the Denver Nuggets for a future second round draft pick before the season started.

As a rookie with the pre-Melo Nuggets, Satterfield mostly played a back-up role, but saw his minutes steadily increase over the course of the season. He was hit with a few injuries, left knee patella tendinitis and a sprained left thumb, and missed more games than he would have liked to.

In his first career start (on March 30th, 2002), he took advantage of the opportunity and finished with 12 points and 11 assists, the first and only double-double of his NBA career, in a win vs. the Bulls in Chicago. He made a statement and proved that he could be trusted with a starting role. He started the next game and scored 17 points and dished out 7 assists in a loss in Detroit. He wouldn't start again until the second-to-last game of the season in which he scored only 6 points on 3-of-11 shooting, but finished with a career-high 12 assists. In the last game of the season, he scored a career-high 21 points and dished out 6 assists as the Nuggets lost to the playoff-bound Timberwolves on the road.

After gaining momentum at the end of his rookie campaign, Satterfield re-signed with Denver and received solid minutes at the beginning of his second season as a Nugget. However, as the season went on, his minutes and stats went up and down until he was waived by the team on December 18, 2002.

His NBA career was in jeopardy, but he bounced back and was picked up by the Iverson-led Philadelphia 76ers less than a week later on December 23rd. Satterfield played 19 minutes off-the-bench in his first game as a Sixer, a blowout loss to the Jazz, but that ended up being the last game that he would ever play more than 10 minutes. Coach Larry Brown gave Satterfield only limited minutes and not enough time to prove that he could help the team. In his last NBA game, Satterfield went scoreless and finished with 2 assists in a bittersweet win against his former team, the Nuggets. It marked nine wins in a row for the 76ers, but Satterfield played in less than 10 minutes or didn't play at all in each game during the winning streak.

He was placed on waivers by the the Sixers before the regular season ended as they signed free agent Tyrone Hill. He probably hoped to be claimed, but wasn't and officially became a free agent on March 5, 2003.  In his 17-game stint with Philly, he had produced only 9 points and 15 assists. As the playoffs eventually started and ended (with the Spurs winning the title), Satterfield was hoping to get another chance to play in the NBA.

He got that chance later that year and signed a contract with the Washington Wizards in September. He was named to their training camp roster and hoped to become a member of their team for the upcoming season. This post-Jordan Wizards squad included a newly-signed Gilbert Arenas, a struggling, young Kwame Brown, Jerry Stackhouse in the prime of his career, and others. However, the Wizards didn't see Satterfield in their future and waived him in October of 2003 before the season started.

Satterfield decided to go overseas and sign with a team in France (Limoges) in November. He was waived in January of 2004.

He later brought his talents back to the U.S. and signed with the now-defunct Fayetteville Patriots of the D-League on February 18th. He emerged as their starting point guard and averaged 18.6 points, 6.9 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 2.0 steals in 18 games with the team. Satterfield hoped to be called up by an NBA team, but he wasn't and the Patriots lost in the semifinals of the playoffs to the Asheville Attitude, despite a great game from Satterfield in which he scored 33 points, dished out 6 assists, grabbed 6 rebounds, had 6 steals, blocked 5 shots, shot perfect from the free-throw line, and made six 3-pointers in 44 minutes. A bright spot was that he led his team in points per game and finished second in the D-League in assists per game behind Omar Cook.

For the next years, after his stint in the NBA's official minor league, Satterfield played professionally all over the world in foreign countries like Greece, Venezuela, Lebanon, Cyprus, and Argentina. He even played for the Brooklyn Comets of the ABA from 2006-2007. During the summers he would come back to the states and play in NYC, his old stomping grounds. He played in the Rucker Park Summer League, the Hoops in the Sun Summer League, and the Dyckman League. He became known on the streetball circuit as "Serious Satellite."

He received an opportunity for an NBA comeback and played in the Reebok Las Vegas Summer League with the Chicago Bulls in 2005. He played okay and averaged 5 points, 3.2 assists, and 2 rebounds in 19.6 minutes over the course of 5 games, but didn't play well enough to separate himself from the rest of the players on the team and score an invitation to training camp. He was not signed by the Bulls.

In 2010, he returned to New York again, but traveled upstate to the capital region to join the Albany Legends of the IBL for their inaugural season. He quickly emerged as a team leader and had some great games: 13 points, 13 assists, and 12 rebounds in a loss to the Tacoma Tide on April 30th and 31 points and 18 assists in a win against the Holland Blast on May 22nd.

He helped lead the Legends to the 2010 IBL Championship and led them to victory over the Bellingham Slam. He led the team in points, assists, and free throws made that game (30 points, 7 assists, 8-17 field goals, 12-for-12 free throws, 2-for-2 three-pointers), but was snubbed as big-man Deandre Thomas, who finished with 21 points, 10-of-14 field goals, and 19 rebounds, was named the Championship MVP instead of Satterfield. I was on the court at the Washington Avenue Armory during the celebration and remember seeing Satterfield after Thomas was named the MVP. From what I could tell, there wasn't a look of disappointment on his face. He just casually walked off the court, probably thinking about what his next basketball-playing gig would be.

He went off to Japan to play more pro ball later that year and is still on the grind today. He's 31 years old and another shot at the NBA is too unlikely to consider, but Satterfield will be remembered as a local legend in New York. In my opinion, he had the talent to be productive in the league, but got a bit unlucky, lost in the shuffle, and the NBA just didn't work out for him. Here's a short promo video of him for Team NIKE back in 2011:



While Sattterfield's stint in the NBA wasn't as long as he would have wanted it to be, his legacy could live through his daughter, Kaelynn. Earlier this year, she won top honors among 9 and 10 year old girls at the NBA/WNBA FIT Dribble, Dish & Swish competition in Orlando, Florida during the 2012 All-Star weekend. Kaelynn said she hopes to play in the WNBA with the New York Liberty or become a doctor.

As the years go by, Kenny Satterfield will continue to age and eventually retire, maybe even trying a run at coaching, but his daughter may just be beginning a career in basketball.

Sources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenny_Satterfield
http://www.nba.com/playerfile/kenny_satterfield/printable_player_files.html
http://statsheet.com/mcb/players/player/cincinnati/kenny-satterfield/game_stats
http://basketball.realgm.com/player/Kenny_Satterfield/Summary/675
http://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/satteke01.html
http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/transactions/league/2003
http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/teams/Washington_Wizards/30/Rosters/Training_Camp/2004
http://www.basketball-reference.com/nbdl/players/s/satteke01d.html
http://www.nba.com/dleague/news/transactions_03-04.html
http://www.basketball-reference.com/nbdl/years/2004.html
http://www.basketball-reference.com/nbdl/teams/FAY/2004.html
http://www.streetbasketballassociation.net/management/proplayer/index.html?player_id=15
http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-03-01/news/31112047_1_girls-basketball-dish-swish-basketball-court
http://basketball.realgm.com/nba/teams/Chicago_Bulls/4/Rosters/Summer_League/2005

Have any thoughts on Kenny Satterfield or any suggestions for who I should do a Baller Bio on next? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

NBA: Clippers Should Sign Adam Morrison

(Photo Courtesy: thefrontofficenews.com)

After last playing with the Washington Wizards in the 2010 preseason, Adam Morrison returned to the NBA competition a month ago in July by signing with the Brooklyn Nets summer league team. He played five games with them and averaged 5.2 points in 19.2 minutes a game. Besides scoring 6 straight points in a game against the Magic and recording a double-double in another game, his stint with the team was forgettable. Overall, Morrison's play in Orlando was inconsistent. He showed flashes of supreme offensive prowess, but also mediocre defense and questionable effort.

As the 2012 NBA Summer League moved on to Las Vegas, Morrison was named to the Los Angeles Clippers summer league squad. The next five games that he played with his new team proved to be much more productive and memorable. His first game wasn't great. He scored 11 points off of 5-13 field goals and grabbed 5 rebounds in a loss to the T'Wolves. He then scored over 20 points and shot above 50% from the field and from 3-point range in each of his next 2 games against the Spurs and the Lakers. In his second-to-last summer league game, he scored 18 points and had 5 rebounds.

His final game with the Clippers was by far his best game of the entire summer league. He led the Clips to a double-digit victory over the Celtics. He scored 26 points, pulled down 6 rebounds, and dished out 3 assists. He also shot 9-for-15 from the field and shot 4-for-6 from beyond the arc. The fans in Las Vegas chanting "MVP" for him at the end of the game was a great way to cap off the summer league.



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The Los Angeles Clippers made it to the Western Conference Semi-Finals last season before being swept the Spurs. As a franchise that has been known for losing in the past, they have improved their roster significantly in recent years. In 2009, they drafted Blake Griffin who ended up being named the NBA's Rookie of the Year in 2011 after missing the entire 2009-10 season due to a knee injury. The Clippers also traded for All-Star point guard Chris Paul before the 2011-12 season.

During the current offseason, the Clips have made a flurry of moves in an attempt to build a roster that could win the 2013 title. They signed former All-Star Grant Hill and former Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford and traded for 2-time NBA champion Lamar Odom and underrated shooting guard Willie Green. They also signed journeyman center Ronny Turiaf who won a championship with the Heat earlier this year.

The Clippers are looking like contenders for the upcoming 2012-13 season and are hoping to win it all for the first time in franchise history next June.

As a team, they have one roster spot left to fill. They have 14 players on contract that includes 3 point guards, 3 shooting guards, 3 centers, and 5 forwards. Of the forwards that they have, Caron Butler and Grant Hill are small forwards, Blake Griffin and Trey Thompkins are power forwards, and Lamar Odom is a combo forward. If they want to fill every position equally, then they should probably sign another forward to fill up their roster completely.

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Adam Morrison is a small forward. He is, in my opinion, perfect to be the final add-on to the Clippers' roster for the upcoming season. He would likely accept the veteran's minimum and give Los Angeles the first shot to sign him out of loyalty. Morrison would be a great scoring kick off the bench and would probably be rejuvenated on the defensive end if he was given a role on a contending NBA team. The general manager of the Los Angeles Clippers needs to make this happen and sign Adam Morrison! Or at least invite him to training camp....

If not, there are other teams that could use Morrison's services. But I think he would be a great fit for the Clippers and I hope that he ends up on their squad for the regular season.

According to multiple online sources, Greg Anthony may have said on NBATV that Morrison had already signed a contract with the Clippers. However, no reliable sources have confirmed this and nothing is official to my knowledge.

Should the Clippers sign Adam Morrison? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

2012 NBA Summer League: Day 1 Recap

The 2012 NBA Summer League in Orlando officially began yesterday. In this article, I will share my thoughts, opinions, and observations on aspects of each game.

Game 1: Orlando Magic 92, Brooklyn Nets 88

I watched most of this game. By the time I got up and finished breakfast and turned on NBATV, the game had already started. I was hyped up because Adam Morrison is one of my favorite players. At first, I just watched Adam Morrison. He seemed sluggish and his teammates weren't passing to him. But then at the end of the third quarter, he went into beast mode and scored 6 straight points in a span of about 55 seconds.



The Nets came back from a double-digit lead and tied the game late in the fourth after a 3 by Tyshawn Taylor, but the Magic pulled it out.

For the Magic, Andrew Nicholson led the game with 26 points and 12 rebounds. Kyle O'Quinn, who played with the 15th-seeded Norfolk State team earlier this year, went 8-10 from the field and finished with 16 points.

For the Nets, Morrison finished with 10 points off of 4-7 shooting from the field, had 3 rebounds, and went 2-2 from the free throw line. He utilized himself well. Al Thornton was active and finished with 18 points and 7 rebounds. MarShon Brooks had an awful shooting day and finished the game 0-10 from the field. He also had 4 turnovers, but had 4 assists, 4 rebounds, and shot 3-3 from the free throw line.

Game 2: Boston Celtics 73, Oklahoma City Thunder 65

I only watched some of this game. For the Celtics, Jared Sullinger had a great game off the bench and finished with 20 points and 6 rebounds. He shot 6-12 from the field and went 7-7 from the free throw line. Sean Williams, who I like because I think he's a great energy player, had 6 points and 4 rebounds. Craig Brackins, who's played the first 2 seasons of his career with the 76ers, was given only 2 and a half minutes of playing time and didn't get a good chance to showcase his skills. Dionte Christmas was active and had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. He also had a +/- rating of +15, the highest of anybody in the game.

For the Thunder, Reggie Jackson led the team in points and assists (19 points, 2 assists) and shot 7-15 from the field. He also had 3 rebounds, and shot 5-6 from the free throw line. No one else on the Thunder particularly impressed me.

Game 3: Detroit Pistons 76, Utah Jazz 73

I'll be honest. I didn't watch a second of this game. But looking at the stats, I was interested by the performance of Deron Washington, who I'd never heard of. In less than 9 minutes of play, he scored 13 points. He shot 4-5 from the field and was 3-3 from three-poimt range. He did have 5 fouls and 2 turnovers though.

Game 4: Indiana Pacers 69, Philadelphia 76ers 63

I was disapointed by this game because of how Reggie Hamilton never got a chance to show his talent. Out of everyone on the Pacers who saw playing time, Hamilton got the least amount of minutes. In less than 5 minutes of play, he was set up to fail. Though he brought the ball up most of the time, once he passed it in an effort to spread the ball around, he never got it back. His teammates never passed it to him. Orlando Johnson, who had a seemingly good statistical performance with 19 points and 9 rebounds, hogged the ball while Hamilton was on the floor. Hamilton finished with 1 rebound and was 0-1 from the field (he missed a floater), but he had the highest +/- ratio in the game. The Pacers were +9 when Hamilton was on the floor.

For the 76ers, Jacob Pullen led the team with 15 points off the bench in the losing effort. He also had 2 assists and 3 rebounds. I like Pullen's game and was disapointed when he went undrafted in last year's draft.

Have any thoughts on day 1 of the 2012 NBA Summer League? Disapointed that I didn't show Lance Stephenson any love? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

Prospect: Reggie Hamilton

With the 2012 NBA Draft happening tomorrow, fans and bloggers are going a mile-a-minute with speculation and trade rumors involving draft picks and prospects. A lot of names are going around. Anthony Davis, who was featured on the most recent SLAM cover wearing a Hornets jersey even though he hasn't been drafted yet, is the consensus number 1 pick. With the next picks, scouts are saying that Thomas Robinson, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Bradley Beal, and Harrison Barnes will be lottery selections. Here's a name you probably haven't heard: Reggie Hamilton.

Hamilton, a 23 year-old senior, led the NCAA in points per game this year with an average of 26.2 ppg. Here's a list of other players who have recently done the same thing: Jimmer Fredette, Stephen Curry, and Reggie Williams. All of those players are in the NBA currently. Fredette was a first-round draft pick to the Kings a year ago, Curry is a rising star who has only been held back by ankle injuries, and Williams has been in the league since 2009.

However, Hamilton is expected to go undrafted tomorrow. Even though he is 23 years old, played in what most would call a weak conference, and is only about 5-11 or 6-0, he averaged 26.2 points, 5.1 assists, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.0 steals a game last season with Oakland. He also shot 44.7% from the field, 42% from 3-point range, and 87.6% from the free-throw line. That's great in my opinion. If I was an NBA gm, I'd draft him.

Despite him probably not being drafted, Hamilton has worked out with a bunch of teams including the Pistons, Jazz, and Pacers, among others. If one of those teams doesn't take a chance on him with a second round pick, he could still sign with an NBA team. He could play in the Summer League, get invited to a training camp, be named to their preseason roster, and then make the squad for the regular season.

I'm pretty high on Hamilton right now. Unlike most bloggers, I don't care to look at the draft too much as a whole, but instead focus on a few prospects that I think are underrated. During last year's draft, I particularly liked Talor Battle, Scotty Hopson, Jacob Pullen, Isiah Thomas, and Josh Harrellson. I was right on the money with what I speculated about Thomas and Harrellson. Battle, Pullen, and Thomas went undrafted and haven't really been given a chance with an NBA team.

This year, I'll say this. Reggie Hamilton is my sleeper pick. I think he's underrated and could blossom into a star or a solid role player in the NBA. If he ends up with the Miami Heat, he could be a reserve point guard or a role player like Norris Cole and help them repeat in 2013. With the New York Knicks, he could end up being Jeremy Lin 2.0, especially if Lin signs with another team this offseason. With a team like the New Orleans Hornets, he could emerge as a starter and put up Kemba Walker-like stats in his rookie year. Other teams that I think he could be a starter on are the Los Angeles Lakers (if Ramon Sessions leaves), the Phoenix Suns (if Steve Nash leaves), the Toronto Raptors, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Portland Trail Blazers.

I hope that Hamilton gets drafted tomorrow, but if he doesn't, I hope he can prove the doubters wrong. Here are a few point guards who went undrafted that Hamilton could end up like: Jeremy Lin, Mike James, Earl Boykins, David Wesley, Avery Johnson, Mike Wilks, Troy Hudson, and Darrell Armstrong.

Have any thoughts on Reggie Hamilton or this year's draft? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

Chris Grant: "(Albany Legends) Told Me They Didn't Need My Services"

(Photo Courtesy: The Record - troyrecord.com)

Back in March on opening night this season, the Albany Legends debuted an all-new squad, with only three returning players from the season before (Gallup, Mayben, & Morton) and no players from the 2010 title team (Lloyd Johnson returned to the team later). I didn't know what to expect from this team without the core of players that led Albany to IBL championship glory just two years earlier.

Fast-forward two months, I had a very interesting conversation yesterday with former Albany Legends player Chris Grant. I commented on one of his pictures and casually suggested that he should come back to the Legends. I said in the comment, "Come back to the Legends, we could use you up in Albany!"

Grant and I then exchanged a few messages that I'm very grateful he is letting me disclose. Here's what he told me:

"I wanted to come back. They (asked me several times) to come to the tryout and I did, then they hit me with the head fake and told me they didn't need my services."

"Like I said I wish the legends nothing but the best and I wish things would have turned out different but thats the nature of the business."

"So no more Albany for me."

If you don't remember Chris Grant, he played for the Legends in 2010 and 2011. He was a key player on their inaugural squad led by Kenny Satterfield and Gordon Klaiber that won the IBL Championship. He was a multidimensional player who couldn't be labeled as a scorer, a distributor, a rebounder, or a defender. He did everything and utilized himself well. He wasn't the best Legends player ever, but (in my opinion) he was their most versatile player. He could play point guard, shooting guard, and small forward well. Here are some highlights of Chris Grant when he was with the Legends:



It would be one thing if the Legends had a lot more talent this season, but no. No offense to any of the following players, but Grant is better than T.J. Czeski and Guy Dupuy. He was a glue guy who went out to help the team and never played for stats.

It would be another thing if the Legends did this with someone like Charles Henson (if you actually remember him, then good for you - I don't remember ever seeing him without his warmups on, but I digress), but Grant was a good player who would help the team. Sure, the Legends went 7-0 without him to start the season, but they could be 10-0 right now instead of 8-2 if he was still on the team.

Maybe there is more to this story that I don't know about, but I think the Legends made a bad decision to leave Grant in the dust. This is right up there with the Legends waiving Toby Smith back in 2010 (I'm never gonna let that one go).

Hopefully this isn't the same reason that Lloyd Clinton, Scott McRae, Damone Morris, and Deandre Thomas aren't on the team this season.

Have any thoughts on Chris Grant's comments on his departure from the Albany Legends? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.

IBA: Guy Dupuy Leaves Albany Legends for China

The Albany Legends announced yesterday via Facebook that guard Guy Dupuy is "headed for China" and will be playing on "the Chinese Mainland Tour of the SKY 'Street Ball' Syndicate sponsored by SHEMGOD & VOIT."

Guy Dupuy confirmed this, also via Facebook. He thanked his fans and his teammates on the Legends.

Dupuy played in 8 games with the Legends this season. The Legends were 6-2 when he played and 2-0 without him. His highlights included scoring 13 points in a game on April 13th against the Lansing Capitals, getting ejected and then suspended a game because of an altercation with an opposing player, and doing an off-the-bounce, between-the-legs dunk over a girl at halftime during a game:



He left the Legends on odd terms. During Saturday's loss to the Soldiers, he left the bench during the 3rd quarter and changed into street clothes after exchanging words with head coach John Coffino. He was later seen talking to General Manager Nick Dean outside the gym and spent the rest of the game sitting in the bleachers with Dean. Dupuy was not at Sunday's game and the Legends announced his departure from the team on Tuesday.

Albany Legends head coach John Coffino (left) and Guy Dupuy (right)

My theory is that he was going to leave the team anyway. I sit behind the Legends' bench at games and on Saturday, I heard Dupuy say to Coffino that it was his "last game." I think that whatever Coffino said to Dupuy set him off and provoked him to go back to the locker room and change out of his uniform mid-game. From what I heard, Coffino said something about to Dupuy dunking during halftime and said, "now everyone's fooling around." Dupuy took offense to his remarks and talked back. Coffino told him he could leave and Dupuy left after saying a few words (One of them was the f-word).

Dupuy didn't play overly well during his stint with the team and even had a few scoreless games. However, he was never given enough playing time, in my opinion, to show what he was made of.

Dupuy was one of my favorite players on the Legends. I thought he was cool and he is the best dunker that I have ever seen. Although his contributions to the team were sporadic (He was about as good at shooting as I am, and that's not saying much for either of us), I'm still sad to see him go.

Now that Dupuy is gone, the Legends could add another player to their roster if they want to. I would suggest that they bring back Scott Morton. He is a very energetic athlete who would help the Legends on both sides of the floor. Or the Legends can bring back Toby Smith!

Have any thoughts on Guy Dupuy leaving the Legends? Who do you think the Legends should sign, if anyone? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.