Amundson still unsigned, but several teams interested
There’s not many free agents left on the market today. Teams like the New Orleans Hornets, Golden State Warriors and Indiana Pacers have set their sights on one player: free agent forward Louis Amundson.
Amundson is one of the most underrated players in the league today. The California-born and Colorado-raised player is not a sensationalist like LeBron James. He honed his basketball talent in Boulder, Colorado and spent his college career in UNLV. He spent four years playing for university but put on a medical red shirt in his sophomore season because of a thumb infection. He was awarded Second Team All-Mountain West Conference honours in the NCAA before he graduated.
Besides being a sportsman in college, he was also focussed on his education. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in English and Philosophy and graduated with c*m laude accolades.
He decided to continue his hoop dreams and entered the NBA D-League. He played for his home town team, the Colorado 14ers in 2006, and showed potential to play in the NBA. He won the Rookie of the Year award and All NBA D-League First team honours at the same time in his first season.
After two years with the 14ers, he caught the attention of NBA team Phoenix Suns. He signed a two-year contract with the Suns and played along with veteran point guard Steve Nash.
Amundson played minimal minutes for the Suns but showed potential of improving in the future. He is an energetic role player from off the bench that provides both ends. He is also known to be an athletic forward and a great finisher inside the paint. He can also be a beneficial addition to the team’s defence because of his ability to block shots.
One of Amudson’s memorable rejections was against the Toronto Raptors where he blocked forward Anthony Parker in a fast break. He responds quickly to plays, be it set or in transition.
Colorado is a rare spot for basketball talent so Amundson initially did not draw attention from scouts. Nobody even showed interest in drafting the kid so he settled in the D-League and waited for his chance to earn recognition.
Steve Nash is one of the key reasons Amundson stepped into the limelight. Nash is known to bring the best out of his team mates and help them make a name for themselves. Amundson responded to Nash perfectly and became a recipient of the ”Nash magic”.
The Warriors and the Hornets are making moves to acquire Amundson to their respective teams but Indiana would possibly be the perfect fit to his game. The Pacers gave away forward/ centre Troy Murphy, landing him to the New Jersey Nets.
Now the Pacers need additional size in the team. They must fill the spot vacated by Murphy. If possible, Amundson will be the third addition to the team along with newbies Darren Collison and James Posey. Both players were members of the four-way trade that happened last Tuesday.
The off-season is a great time to improve Amundson’s game. With training, hard work and help from his team mates, he could do a good job next season. He showed a great performance with the Suns through Nash last season, so next season could turn out to be even better.
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