Former Kentucky Wildcats in the NBA
By Wayne
Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Well another night, another plethora of former Kentucky Wildcats back in action. Of the 10 games played, 6 included former Cats and, as in inevitable when you have 22 former players in the NBA, a couple played one another so not all the Cats won. Here’s a break down.
Charlotte Bobcats-92
Toronto Raptors-90
Much has been said about MKG’s shooting stroke, or lack there-of, in recent weeks but last night he seemed to manage alright. He went 6-7 for 14 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists in 29 minutes of action. What’s more important, though, is that the Charlotte Bobcats won and are now one game over .500 at 3-2.
Chicago Bulls-80
Indiana Pacers-97
The Pacers ended last night at 5-0 for the first time since Moses was a baby. The Bulls were outmanned and having Derrick Rose back hasn’t really helped them much. Not saying he’s bad but he did miss an entire season so it’s gonna take a while. In the meantime, Nazr Mohammed and Marquis Teague are soldiering on. Mohammed played 13 minutes, finishing with 2 points and 2 rebounds. Teague only played one minute, missing his only shot.
Washington Wizards-116
Philadelphia 76ers-102
This matchup featured a pair of former teammates on John Calipari’s first UK team in John Wall and Daniel Orton. Unfortunately this is one of those games where both teams can’t win as John Wall and the Wizards bested Orton and the 76ers in every way imaginable. Wall played 36 minutes and finished with 24 points, 3 rebounds and 9 assists while Orton left in the 1st quarter, after scoring 5 points and grabbing 3 rebounds in 7 minutes, with some tightness in his knee. He didn’t return.
Utah Jazz-87
Boston Celtics-97
In a matchup of winless teams from separate conferences, the Jazz came up short again. Utah dropped to 0-5 while Boston won their first game of the season to come in at 1-4. Kanter had another strong game, scoring 22 points and grabbing 8 rebounds in 38 minutes. Keith Bogans was a DNP Coach’s Decision for the Celtics.
New Orleans Pelicans-99
Memphis Grizzlies-84
This game featured two of my all-time favs going at it in Tayshaun Prince and Anthony Davis. Unfortunately they couldn’t both win but Anthony Davis continued low post domination on both sides of the ball. He finished with 18 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals, and 3 blocks. Yes, he’s doing this to other NBA players. He’s not the biggest guy on the floor most night, but his freakish length and incredible instincts make him such a force. Tayshaun finished with 4 points, 2 rebounds and an assist in the loss.
Phoenix Suns-96
San Antonio Spurs-99
This was a “youth vs. age” game and age prevailed this time, though not by much. The Suns are loving their newly acquired PG Eric Bledsoe. Perhaps you’ve heard of him? And since his arrival, Eric has been more than they could have hoped for. He’s a creative PG who can have a pass first mentality. He finished with 14 points, 2 rebounds and 5 assists in 30 minutes. Rookie Archie Goodwin played a little and finished with 4 points and a rebound, assist and steal. As the season rolls along, expect both numbers to improve.