Former Kentucky Wildcats in the NBA
By Wayne
Credit to kings.com
Of the 22 former Kentucky Wildcats currently on an NBA roster, a little more than half (13) played last night and the results were a mixed bag, with some playing well while others struggled. We even lost one to an injury a mere two minutes into the game. Check it out.
Memphis Grizzlies-94
San Antonio Spurs-101
In a matchup of two top teams out West, the Grizzlies and Spurs were locked in a heavy weight battle. Though the outcome wasn’t what Tayshaun Prince wanted, he finished with 9 points, 2 rebound and an assist in the loss. He is going to have to be more aggressive in order to play more than the 20 minutes he did tonight. He has the talent necessary to dominate the ball but his laid back attitude tends to get him in some trouble.
Oklahoma City Thunder-101
Utah Jazz-98
With the loaded Western Conference, this was a matchup of two more heavy weights. This one was a bit closer and Enes Kanter showed Tyrone Corbin why him starting at the PF position is the right move. He finished with 14 points, 10 rebounds and an assist in 29 minutes in a losing effort.
New Orleans Pelicans-90
Indiana Pacers-95
Anthony Davis has shown flashes of his former self since he was drafted #1 overall last season. This game was among his most complete, despite the losing team effort. He finished with 20 points, 12 rebounds and 2 assists in 38 minutes. He’s added some muscle and continues to improve in all facets of the game but he wasn’t any match for the mass that the Pacers have with Roy Hibbert and David West.
Houston Rockets-96
Charlotte Bobcats-83
This was a tough game for Michael Kidd-Gilchrist from a scoring standpoint. Yes, I know that the NBA wasn’t fond of his jumper, or lack thereof, so he’s been working to improve it but it’s not quite there yet. He finished with 7 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists in 31 minutes.
New York Knicks-90
Milwaukee Bucks-83
The Milwaukee Bucks lost much more than this game tonight; they lost their starting PG, Brandon Knight. Just two minutes into the game, he strained his right hamstring and missed the remainder of the game. In his short time, he managed to pull down a rebound. We will keep you updated as more information becomes available.
Washington Wizards-102
Detroit Pistons-113
This wasn’t John Wall’s best game from a shooting percentage standpoint (8-21) but he was able to keep them in the game late. He did play 39 of 48 minutes and finished with 20 points, 2 rebounds and 11 assists to notch another double-double. He’s improving game by game and looks to show that he was worth every dollar of the max contract he signed this offseason.
Philadephia 76ers-114
Miami Heat-110
This game was shocking on two fronts: 1) Daniel Orton is still in the NBA and 2) the 76ers beat the Heat. What’s more is that Orton logged 15 minutes on the court and scored 4 points and pulled down a rebound. Sure the numbers don’t jump out but he’s still playing and his team just defeated the 2-time defending NBA Champs in a game of runs. Kudos to both.
Sacramento Kings-90
Denver Nuggets-88
The Sacramento Kings should be renamed “Kentucky West” since their roster boasts 3 former Kentucky Wildcats. DeMarcus Cousins is on a mission this season and he dominated tonight. In 39 minutes, he finished with 30 points, 14 rebounds, 1 assist, 2 steals and 2 blocks while shooting 13-26. That’s a man’s man game right there. And playing alongside Patrick Patterson for 27 minutes opened the floor up for him a bit, even though Patterson only scored 3 points, he did grab 6 rebounds. Chuck Hayes spelled them on occasion and finished with 4 rebounds in 11 minutes. But most importantly, the Kings won the game.
Los Angeles Lakers-94
Golden State Warriors-125
This game was a disaster from the jump. The Lakers were outscored by 10 in the 1st quarter and down 19 by the half. Instead of regrouping at the half, the decided to lose the 3rd quarter by 14 points which put them down 33 going into the 4th quarter. With Steve Nash out, Jodie Meeks got the start and he played well despite the blowout loss. In 21 minutes of action, he scored 14 points and pulled 3 rebounds.
Portland Trail Blazers-91
Phoenix Suns-104
A couple of former Kentucky Wildcats made their debut tonight with the Suns, Eric Bledsoe and Archie Goodwin. Phoenix set the tone early by going up 14 in the 1st quarter then 8 in the 3rd. Bledsoe had a monster game with 22 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists in 39 minutes in the victory. Rookie Archie Goodwin played only 8 minutes and missed all 3 of his shots but did manage to secure a rebound.