Published: February 6, 2010
Kris Humphries’ basketball career has taken him from being a high school standout and a freshman sensation at Minnesota to being a basketball vagabond during the first six seasons of his NBA career.
Sure, he’s shown flashes of potential in Utah, Toronto and Dallas, but he hasn’t been able to put together a solid string of games to warrant a consistent role in the NBA. Before he landed in New Jersey the highlight of his NBA career came during the 2007-08 season where he averaged 13.2 minutes and 5.7 points while playing for Toronto.
It took a mid-season trade this year which landed him in The Swamp for the gritty forward to finally make his mark in the NBA.
Since he landed in New Jersey he’s averaged an impressive 11.1 points and 7.3 rebounds in 24.0 minutes of burn.
“Kris (Humphries) has been great for us,” interim head coach Kiki Vandeweghe raved to Hoops Addict. “He always plays hard. He plays with force and is a very physical player. When he’s aggressive doing the dirty work he’s a very, very good player. He’s still young and has a lot to learn, but I like what I see out of him.”
It’s not only the coaching staff that has noticed the hustle and grit Humphries brings to the team. One of the faces of the franchise, Devin Harris, was quick to boast to the media this week about what the talented big man is bringing to the Nets.
This season the Nets rank 28th in the NBA in rebounding so Humphries snagging 11 rebounds while coming off the bench turned some heads of fans and earned the respect of his teammates.
“That was huge,” Harris admitted to Hoops Addict when asked what Humphries’ 11 rebounds meant to the team. “Rebounding is something we’ve had problems with and obviously one of the big reasons we got him is his ability to rebound and go in there and do some of the dirty work. He’s the kind of player that likes to grind and fight for position and he’s good at it. That’s what we need right now.”
It’s kind of ironic that a guy who became known for his offense in high school and college has been able to remake his image as a gritty, energy guy in The Swamp. But after being stuck behind Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh and Dirk Nowitzki he’s learned what it takes to see the court.
If Humphries continues to crash the glass and do the dirty works it appears he will have finally found a home in The Swamp.
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NBA Rumors, Player Updates, and News | Empty the Bench on Mon, 8th Feb 2010 3:31 am
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