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.
I'm Marshall Ulrich. I love basketball and always keep up with the latest news, so I'll keep this blog filled with interesting stuff. I mostly cover whatever I feel like, as long it involves basketball. Please follow!
Monday, October 29, 2012
Saturday, October 27, 2012
NBA: Blazers Waive Adam Morrison
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.
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Thursday, October 25, 2012
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.
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)
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.
Monday, October 8, 2012
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.
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.
Thursday, October 4, 2012
Who Wore It Before Them #3: Memphis Grizzlies
Welcome to the third edition of "Who Wore It Before Them" in which I show what players wore jersey numbers on teams before the current players of those teams. This entry will feature the Memphis Grizzlies. Enjoy! (Click on the pictures to make them bigger.)
Darrell Arthur - #00 (2008-present)
Benoit Benjamin (1995)
Josh Selby - #2 (2011-present)
Wayne Ellington - #3 (2012-present)
Brian Skinner (2011), Jason Williams (2011), Allen Iverson (2009), Darius Miles (2008-2009), Javaris Crittenton (2008), Jeremy Richardson (2007-2008), Chucky Atkins (2006-2007), Anthony Roberson (2005-2006), Troy Bell (2003-2004), Shareef Abdur-Rahim (1996-2001)
Marreese Speights - #5 (2012-present)
Ishmael Smith (2011), Marcus Williams (2009-2010), Will Conroy (2007), Elliot Perry (not pictured, 2002), Milt Palacio (1999-2000), Chris Robinson (1996-1998), Darrick Martin (1995-1996)
Jerryd Bayless - #7 (2012-present)
Leon Powe (2011), Greg Buckner (2008-2009), Tarence Kinsey (2006-2007), Eddie Gill (not pictured, 2002), Sam Mack (1998-1999), Anthony Peeler (1996-1998), Lawrence Moten (1995-1996)
Tony Wroten - #8 (2012-present)
Michael Dickerson (1999-2003)
Tony Allen - #9 (2010-present)
Ronnie Brewer (2010), Isaac Austin (2000-2002), Dennis Scott (1999-2000), George Lynch (1997-1998)
Mike Conley - #11 (2007-present)
Damon Jones (not pictured, 2000-2001), Lee Mayberry (1996-1999)
Hamed Haddadi - #15 (2008-present)
Cezary Trybanski (2002-2003), Aaron Williams (not pictured, 1997), Rich Manning (not pictured, 1995, 1996-1997)
Quincy Pondexter - #20 (2011-present)
Damon Stoudamire (2005-2008), Chris Owens (2002-2003), Brent Price (1999-2001)
Rudy Gay - #22 (2006-present)
Brevin Knight (2001-2003)
Marc Gasol - #33 (2008-present)
Mike Miller (2003-2008), Antonio Daniels (1997-1998), Pete Chilcutt (1996-1997)
Zach Randolph - #50 (2009-present)
Bryant Reeves (1995-2001)
Click to see the "Who Wore It Before Them" entries for the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat.
Have any thoughts on the Memphis Grizzlies? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.
Darrell Arthur - #00 (2008-present)
Benoit Benjamin (1995)
Josh Selby - #2 (2011-present)
Acie Law (2010), Trey Gilder (2009), Juan Carlos Navarro (2007-2008), Jason Williams (2001-2005), Doug West (1999-2001), Greg Anthony (1995-1997)Wayne Ellington - #3 (2012-present)
Brian Skinner (2011), Jason Williams (2011), Allen Iverson (2009), Darius Miles (2008-2009), Javaris Crittenton (2008), Jeremy Richardson (2007-2008), Chucky Atkins (2006-2007), Anthony Roberson (2005-2006), Troy Bell (2003-2004), Shareef Abdur-Rahim (1996-2001)
Marreese Speights - #5 (2012-present)
Ishmael Smith (2011), Marcus Williams (2009-2010), Will Conroy (2007), Elliot Perry (not pictured, 2002), Milt Palacio (1999-2000), Chris Robinson (1996-1998), Darrick Martin (1995-1996)
Jerryd Bayless - #7 (2012-present)
Leon Powe (2011), Greg Buckner (2008-2009), Tarence Kinsey (2006-2007), Eddie Gill (not pictured, 2002), Sam Mack (1998-1999), Anthony Peeler (1996-1998), Lawrence Moten (1995-1996)
Tony Wroten - #8 (2012-present)
Michael Dickerson (1999-2003)
Tony Allen - #9 (2010-present)
Ronnie Brewer (2010), Isaac Austin (2000-2002), Dennis Scott (1999-2000), George Lynch (1997-1998)
Mike Conley - #11 (2007-present)
Damon Jones (not pictured, 2000-2001), Lee Mayberry (1996-1999)
Hamed Haddadi - #15 (2008-present)
Cezary Trybanski (2002-2003), Aaron Williams (not pictured, 1997), Rich Manning (not pictured, 1995, 1996-1997)
Quincy Pondexter - #20 (2011-present)
Damon Stoudamire (2005-2008), Chris Owens (2002-2003), Brent Price (1999-2001)
Rudy Gay - #22 (2006-present)
Brevin Knight (2001-2003)
Marc Gasol - #33 (2008-present)
Mike Miller (2003-2008), Antonio Daniels (1997-1998), Pete Chilcutt (1996-1997)
Zach Randolph - #50 (2009-present)
Bryant Reeves (1995-2001)
Click to see the "Who Wore It Before Them" entries for the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat.
Have any thoughts on the Memphis Grizzlies? Leave a comment below and tell me what you think.
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