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twitter5 NBA players with Las Vegas ties to begin season
Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2009 | 2:15 a.m.
AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta
Dallas Mavericks’ Shawn Marion, right, scores on a layup past Washington Wizards’ DeShawn Stevenson during the first half of an NBA preseason basketball game, Friday, Oct. 9, 2009, in Washington. The Mavericks won 123-115.
The new NBA season starts today, which means one of a quintet of professional basketball players with ties to Las Vegas will be working tonight.
When Dallas plays host to the Washington Wizards, veteran wing and former UNLV Rebel Shawn Marion will be starting his 11th season in the league.
He’s 31 and has made a mint in the NBA, and his new deal with the Mavericks is guaranteed for five more seasons.
The rest of the players with connections to Las Vegas will play Wednesday night. A look at the quintet:
Louis Amundson, Phoenix
The former Rebel made YouTube fame last season by piling all those little white pesky popcorn packaging things into Shaquille O’Neal’s SUV. This is his final season on a contract worth $855,189.
The Suns open the season Wednesday in Los Angeles against the Clippers.
Joel Anthony, Miami
The left-handed Canadian swatter has done pretty well for being a specialist. He averaged 3 rebounds and 1.4 blocked shots last season, and he started a career-best 28 times.
He started twice in the playoffs, too. The 27-year-old low-post player from UNLV has two years left on a deal that will pay him $1.7 million.
The Heat plays host to the New York Knicks on Wednesday night.
Marcus Banks, Toronto
The former UNLV guard has six years of NBA experience, and he has two seasons and $9.4 million left on his contract.
A month after being traded from Miami last season, he was shelved for good after undergoing surgery on his right foot. Banks turns 28 next month.
A nasty flu bug reportedly has zapped Banks recently.
The Raptors play host to Cleveland on Wednesday.
Shawn Marion, Dallas
The ex-UNLV high-flying wing is starting a five-year pact, worth almost $39 million, with the Mavericks after a complicated July trade from Toronto landed him in Dallas.
He returned after missing four games to score 14 points in the preseason finale against Houston. He has made almost $93 million in his career.
Marion has tallied 14,363 points in his career, including playoff games.
C.J. Watson, Golden State
The former Bishop Gorman High star and Tennessee Volunteer has been hampered by a knee injury, but that didn’t stop Golden State coach Don Nelson from starting him in the Warriors’ final preseason game against New Orleans.
That didn’t go so well, as the combo of him and Monta Ellis wasn’t effective. Still, the Warriors are high on Watson, who inked a $1 million deal for this season.
He turned down a three-year contract worth $5.4 million in the summer. The Warriors even included a player opt-out clause for the third season.
The 25-year-old Watson also turned down a one-year deal worth $2.3 million from Philadelphia over the summer. Orlando is interested in Watson, who becomes a restricted free agent after the season.
Golden State plays host to Houston on Wednesday.
Discussion: 13 comments so far…
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Why would Watson turn down a 2.3 mill one season offer to take a 1 mill one season contract?
Maybe it had something to do with being on the East Coast? Odd that he would turn down a longer-term deal with GS, too, especially when the Warriors gave HIM the third-year option. Maybe he believes he'll parlay a superb 09-10 into greatness??? we'll see
know thats love for basketball he prefers to play in the team he wanna play then getting more money in another team
Will Banks ever find a home in the NBA? He had such promise coming out of UNLV but has never seem to find his place in the league.
After next season, Marcus will have made $26 million in the NBA. Not bad for not finding your place in the league.
Not debating the fact that Marcus made good money with his contract but I think he has generally been considered an overpaid bust to this point....don't think his next contract, if there even is one, will be anywhere near the same neighborhood.
Just concerned this will make NBA teams think twice about using a high draft pick on a Rebel in the near future if this is the type of performance they can expect.
alum, I don't think that's something that is so held against a program ... that was a different regime at UNLV, for what that's worth. It just takes the right spot, the right club and the right coaching for it all to click. Marcus might not have produced the way others, especially him, would have liked ... still, others thought enough of him to secure him, if not the next generation or two of Banks's, for life ... not shabby
Again, not debating the fact he has made good money with his contract and frankly I have no opinion on that. My concern is on his quality of play in the association versus where he was drafted at and what that says about UNLV; obviously those "others" you speak of thought enough of him to draft him 13th and give him the large contract. For all of this they have been rewarded with 6 points per game and 42% shooting from the field, not to mention he has played in less than half of the games the last 3 seasons.
I'm not trying to send negative, I always pull for all former UNLV players, just expected more from Banks to this point.
FYI, at his current rate IF he plays in all 82 games this season and averages 6 points it will cost the Raptors nearly $10,000 per point....
I think that Alum might be a little tough on Marcus. I believe he has been put into some tough situations and has had to fight hard for everything he has accomplished. I can name a few other former Rebs that haven't lasted as long as Marcus. Let's hope he has a break out season and brings some additional exposure to UNLV.
I tend to side on the part of Marcus not living up to his potential. Yes, Danny Ainge kind of screwed him in Boston. He also had a guy by the name of Delonte West he was battling for PT against there.
He would've been good with the Lakers (in place of Smush Parker) in 2004 if Gary Payton wouldn't have screwed that whole deal with his failed physical.
However, he did go on to become a starter in Minnesota and rather than continue that momentum he chose to sit behind Steve Nash in Phoenix. Then, he squandered an opportunity in Miami by letting Mario Chalmers, a rookie, out-work him. Could've done better player-wise in my opinion.
If one guy doesn't work out that means they'll be wary of drafting someone from that school again? hahaha are you serious? The NBA is about individuals, that's why I don't watch it much, I prefer team sports.
If you repeatedly went to a restaraunt and consistently overpaid for mediocre food, would you return? I realize players aren't food and teams are not diners but I think it is naive to think professional teams, in any league, do not take into account where the player is coming from and how others from there have performed.