Wake Forest Athletics
Deacons in the NBA
2/25/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 25, 2011
By Currie McFayden, WakeForestSports.com
Here is a player-by-player look at how the former Demon Deacons have performed in the NBA during the month of February.
SF Al-Farouq Aminu, Los Angeles Clippers
For the month of February, Aminu has been averaging just under 19 minutes per game and has recorded 10 or more minutes in each of his 11 appearances this month. He has not recorded a start since November, but the rookie has been a great weapon for the Clippers when coming off the bench. He has been held scoreless only twice in 25 appearances since Jan. 1 and also has just two games in which he was held without a rebound, two stats that show his tenacity for getting to the basket on key possessions. Although he notched a month-high 12 points in a 111-88 loss to Oklahoma City on Feb. 22, his best overall game came on Feb. 8 when Aminu had nine points, four rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block despite a 101-85 setback to the Magic. The Clippers are 21-37 and hold the fourth position in the Pacific Division.
PF/C Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
Because of the injury to Yao Ming, Duncan was named to his 13th All-Star Game in 14 seasons and was given a starting position on the team by coach Gregg Popovich. The veteran had a solid game despite playing just 12 minutes, with two points, two assists, two steals and three rebounds. For the entire month, he is averaging 12.9 points per game and has recorded four double-doubles. Duncan is currently ranked ninth in the NBA in rebounds per game (9.2) for the season and is seventh in total blocks (114) and blocks per game (2.0). To the surprise of some experts, the Spurs did not make any personnel moves prior to the trade deadline. San Antonio still boasts the league's best record at 47-10, but the Mavericks have closed the gap in the Southwest Division and are now just six games back.
SF/SG Josh Howard, Washington Wizards
Howard appears to have finally shaken off the lingering issues following his knee surgery after being limited to just one game in January. He returned to the court for his first start of the season on Feb. 13 against the Cavaliers and has started three games since then. The eighth-year forward was solid in each game and scored 16 in the game against Cleveland and 14 on Feb. 22 in a 113-96 loss to the Pacers. If Howard has fully recovered from the after-effects of his surgery, and it appears that he has, he will be a valuable asset for the Wizards as they close out the season. They currently sit fifth in the Southeast Division with a record of 15-41.
F James Johnson, Toronto Raptors
The second-year forward was acquired from Chicago by the Raptors on Feb. 22 in exchange for the Miami Heat's first-round draft pick. He previously had a brief stint in the NBDL with the Iowa Energy, an affiliate of the Bulls. Immediately after being traded, Johnson suited up against his former team on Feb. 23 and received his first start of the season en route to upsetting the Bulls in a 118-113 victory. He enjoyed a great all-around game with nine points, five rebounds and three blocks, and already seems to be carving a place for himself in Toronto's starting lineup. The Raptors are fifth in the Atlantic Division with a 16-42 record.
PG Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets
As a team, the Hornets have had a rough stretch throughout most of February, but Paul continues to excel with his play. The point guard is averaging 14.5 points and 9.1 assists per game for the month and has racked up four double-doubles, including a 21-point, 15-assist showing in a 101-95 loss to the Lakers on Feb. 5. He leads the league in both total steals (146) and steals per game (2.47) and trails only Jose Calderon of the Raptors in the all-important assists per turnover category with a mark of 3.99. Paul was also chosen as the starting point guard for the Western Conference in the All-Star Game and performed very well, scoring 10 points and recording seven assists, five steals and four rebounds in only 29 minutes of action. New Orleans holds a 34-25 record and is third in the powerful Southwest Division.
PG Ishmael Smith, Memphis Grizzlies
Like James Johnson, Smith was also dealt at the trade deadline in a deal that sent him, along with Shane Battier, from Houston to Memphis in exchange for Hasheem Thabeet, DeMarre Carroll and a future first-round draft pick. The rookie has played in just two games this month but registered an impressive outing in a 108-103 win over the Nuggets on Feb. 7. Smith did not score, but tallied six assists and three rebounds in only 12 minutes on the court. He will likely maintain his role as a backup point guard in Memphis behind fourth-year pro Mike Conley. Memphis also has point guards Greivas Vasquez and Jason Williams on its roster. The Grizzlies are 32-27 on the season and are fourth in the Southwest Division but would claim the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoffs if the season ended today.
PF/C Darius Songaila, Philadelphia 76ers
Songaila has seen his most extensive action of the season this month, coming off the bench in five games. He played nine minutes in a 117-83 win over the Hawks on Feb. 8 and recorded four points, two rebounds and an assist. Philadelphia has continued to surprise this season and has improved its record to 28-29 with a 7-3 run so far this month. They would claim the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs at this point in the season.
PG Jeff Teague, Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta's former starting point guard Mike Bibby was dealt to the Wizards at the trade deadline, opening the opportunity for Teague to step up and seize the position. In his first career start on Feb. 23, the second-year guard had 10 points and two assists while playing 19 minutes in a 105-97 loss to the Suns. He also recorded ten points on Feb. 8 against the 76ers. It will certainly take some time for Teague to adjust to becoming the starter, but his talent gives Atlanta a potentially long-term solution at the point guard position. The Hawks are third in the Southeast Division with a 34-23 record, the fifth-best in the Eastern Conference.
Deacons Playing in Other Professional Leagues
Randolph Childress - San Severo (Italy)
Taron Downey - Nantes (France)
Chris Ellis - Dusseldorf (Germany)
Justin Gray - PAOK (Greece)
Jamaal Levy - Lanus (Argentina)
Trent Strickland - Antwerp (Belgium)
Kyle Visser - NY Phantoms (Germany)
David Weaver - Ilysiakos Athens (Greece)
Eric Williams - Pepsi Caserta (Italy)
