Former Kentucky Wildcats in the NBA: Season Recap Edition
By Danielle
In today’s edition of Former Wildcats in the NBA, we’ll go over the seasons played by Chuck Hayes, Jamaal Magloire, Jodie Meeks, Nazr Mohammed, Tayshaun Prince, Rajon Rondo, Kelenna Azubuike, and Keith Bogans.
At the start of the lockout-abbreviated season, it seemed that Chuck Hayes would be out for the season and possibly forced into retiring from the NBA. He underwent some more tests and was cleared to play this season–his 7th in the NBA. Hayes was a valuable leader for the Sacramento Kings despite low averages. This past season, while averaging 19.2 minutes a game, he finished with averages of 3.2 points per game, 4.3 rebounds per game, and 1.4 assists per game.
Jamaal Magloire played 34 games this past season for the Toronto Raptors. The center averaged 11 minutes a game and put up 1.2 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and 0.2 APG in his 12th NBA season. Magliore’s efficiency rating for this past season was + 3.06.
Jodie Meeks finished his third regular season playing for the Philadelphia 76ers. Meeks started 50 of 66 games this past season. While averaging 24.9 minutes a game, Meeks put up 8.4 PPG, 2.4 RPG, and 0.8 APG. The guard, who owns the all-time single game scoring record for Kentucky, owned an EFF of +7.59.
Nazr Mohammed, the veteran of the former Cats, now has 15 NBA seasons in the books. Playing center for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Mohammed came off the bench in 62 of 63 games that he played. In 63 games, he averaged 11 minutes per game, where he averaged 2.7 PPG, 2.7 RPG, and 0.2 APG. His EFF was +4.54 this past season.
Tayshaun Prince just finished his 10th NBA season playing for the Detroit Pistons. The forward started all 63 games that he played in, averaging 33.1 minutes per game. Prince averaged 12.7 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 2.4 APG. His EFF was +11.59 this past season.
Kelenna Azubuike only played in 3 games this season after he signed late into the season with the Dallas Mavericks. In those 3 games, he only averaged 6 minutes a game coming off the bench. The guard averaged 2.3 PPG, and an EFF of -0.33 in a very limited NBA season.
Keith Bogans, who started every game of the 2010-11 season for the Chicago Bulls, only played in 5 games this season for the New Jersey Nets. All of which came in February. Playing against the Pistons on February 8th, Bogans injured a deltoid ligament and the Nets subsequently waived him. In those 5 games, Bogans averaged 18.8 minutes a game. His numbers over the 5 games were 4.2 PPG, 2.2 RPG, and 0.6 APG. His EFF was +3.60.
Rajon Rondo is probably the best of the former Cats playing in the league right now. He just finished his 6th season for the Boston Celtics. The Celtics have been on a tear since the All-Star break and Rondo has helped play a huge part of it. While Rondo never really got along well with the Tubby Smith style of play, he has thrived in the NBA under Doc Rivers’ system. In playing point guard this season, Rondo became the first player for the Celtics to lead the NBA in assists since Bob Cousy did it during the 1959-60 season. He finished the season with a 24 game streak of having double-digit assists. The streak is on hold for now as the playoffs have started but it will resume when next season starts. Rondo started at the point for all 53 games that he played. Towards the end of the season, Coach Rivers started resting the starters to get them read for the playoffs. Rondo averaged a double-double this season with 11.9 PPG, 11.7 APG, and 4.8 RPG. His EFF was +19.30. As a sidenote, during the Sunday afternoon games on ABC, Rondo averaged a triple-double (22.5 PPG, 14.8 APG, and 10 RPG). Triple-doubles were no stranger to Rondo. He put up 6 of them this season.