Euroleague 2009 - Once again, Je'Kel Foster gave Asseco Prokom of Poland nightmares in Euroleague play, but this time EWE Baskets Oldenburg fell in a tough 82-80 home loss on December 3rd. Je'Kel finished with 10 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and two steals. The jack of all trades guard provided a suitable floor game for this back and fourth contest. Foster patiently waited on his offense with only three points in the first half, but in this time he played great on ball and help defense registering 2 steals (although I saw more than two), and finding teammates with great looks good for four assists. 3 of Foster's 10 points included a huge three from deep off the glass in the fourth quarter. But with the game at 82-80 with 7 seconds left, Je'Kel & Oldenburg could not deliver a buzzer beating shot for the tie or win. EWE's next Euroleague contest will be in Italy vs Milano on December 9th.
Conley lights up Minnesota - Mike Conley Jr. rebounded from a brief left shoulder injury by scoring a season high 20 points at Minnesota on December 2nd. The improved jumper that we heard about all offseason was on display as Conley hit four three pointers, finishing with 8-12 day overall from the field. But more importantly, his team got a 87-85 win to put them at 7-12 for the season. Considering all that Memphis has been through this year, it kind of feels like their overall record should be worse..yet Memphis fans would argue that their it should actually be the opposite if they would have played better basketball late in the 4th quarter of some games. The great thing about the NBA is that realities can change quickly by just winning games. Conley & the Grizzlies still have ample time to avoid a disappointing season.
O Still looking for some run - 2nd year pro Othello Hunter has yet to log any regular season minutes. He almost certainly would have played in Atlanta's 146-115 romping of the Toronto Raptors if he was in uniform. But his major obstacle is activation, as the 13th player on the roster Hunter is the one man who will not suit up if everyone else in healthy. Atlanta is currently one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference at 13-5. Their welcomed new-found depth does not currently call for Hunter to be anything more than an emergency big & good practice player. Only time will tell when Othello will get his first minutes, but their definitely be a time in this marathon NBA season where Atlanta may need some extra energy.
NBA D-League - Rookie Byron Mullens is averaging 13 points & 10 rebounds after four games into his D-League Stint. The 2-2 Tulsa 66ers will play Rio Grand Valley on Fri. December 4th. Meanwhile it is taking a little longer for the 'Microwave' Ivan Harris to heat up in cold Erie, Pennsylvania. The big time shooting threat has not been able to make a three in the Bayhawks' first two contests. Some of his early season struggles are stalked in about in Duane Rankin's latest Bayhawks review. 1-1 Erie plays Sioux Falls on December 4th at 8:00 pm eastern. All live games can be seen for free on NBA D-league Futurecast.
What about the other Mike? - It has been a tough going for Michael Redd in the early NBA season. A successful October preseason made it seem like the veteran was on the verge of a promising comeback. However Redd would suffer another setback on Oct 31 with a knee strain. Mike eventually gave it a go for three games, but felt re-aggravation after a loss to the Thunder on November 27th. The worst thing about Redd's injury status is the subsequent questions about his role and future with the Milwaukee Bucks. Now anyone who saw a little bit of Redd in those three games know he did not look that good. Everyone knew that it takes sometime to perform at a certain NBA level following an injury. But at least you have that opportunity to perform when healthy. Here is hoping Redd gets more chances to prove his critics wrong.
Lady Buckeye Update - Former guard Marscilla Packer currently plays for a club called Ceyhan Belediyespor in Turkey. She is averaging 10 points in 6 games so far. Packer was selected by the Phoenix Mercury in the 2008 WNBA Draft before moving on to play in Sweden.http://www.eurobasket.com/player.asp?Cntry=USA&PlayerID=88164
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