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First-Round Draft Picks Seeing Limited Minutes

April 5th, 2013 at 5:53pm CST by Chuck Myron

We're familiar with the stories of Damian Lillard, Anthony Davis, Bradley Beal and others from the first round of the 2012 draft who've made significant contributions to their teams this season. Less well-known is what's happened to the five first-rounders who entered tonight having seen fewer than 100 total minutes all year.

The list is a little shorter than it was going into Wednesday, when the Rockets gave 18th overall pick Terrence Jones 29 minutes worth of run in a win against the Kings, pushing his total for the season to 120 minutes. The team had been pleased with Jones' most recent work in the D-League, according to Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle, and Jones responded with 14 points and 12 rebounds against Sacramento (Twitter links). Still, Jones had 12 points and eight rebounds in 30 minutes against the Jazz on November 19th and was in the D-League 11 days later, so we'll see what happens this time.

Other teams, particularly those whose playoff fates have been determined, may also start giving minutes to their little-used rookies during the season's final two weeks. Yet even though the rookie-scale contracts that first-round picks must sign to enter the league are some of the most team-friendly pacts in the NBA, it's hard to argue the clubs that drafted these five players are getting their money's worth this year:

  • Royce White, Rockets (No. 16 pick, zero NBA minutes): Most of the guys on this list have been out of the spotlight, but White's back-and-forth with the Rockets over their handling of his psychological ailments has been one of the most well-documented stories in the NBA this season. It's unclear how long White will remain with the team's D-League affiliate, but so far he hasn't been impressive for the Vipers, averaging 10.1 PPG and 5.5 RPG in 25.1 minutes across 14 games.
  • Fab Melo, Celtics (No. 22 pick, 19 NBA minutes): Melo has spent most of the season with Boston's D-League affiliate, appearing in just five NBA contests. His offensive game clearly could use improvement, as he's put up just 9.9 PPG in 26.5 minutes per game for the Maine Red Claws, and the center's work on the boards benefit from an upgrade, too, since he's only pulling down six rebounds per night at the D-League level. Still, the 7'0" Melo has shown a knack for protecting the basket, blocking 3.3 shots per game for the Red Claws.
  • Jared Cunningham, Mavericks (No. 24 pick, 26 NBA minutes): Cunningham is out for the season with tendinitis in his right knee, and hasn't played at any level since a February 13th game for the D-League's Texas Legends. The 6'4" shooting guard only saw action in 15 D-League games before the injury, averaging 15.3 PPG in 34.5 minutes per contest. Cunningham has been outperformed by second-round picks Jae Crowder and Bernard James, both of whom have spent time in the Mavs' rotation.
  • Miles Plumlee, Pacers (No. 26 pick, 46 NBA minutes): Plumlee has appeared in 12 games for the Pacers this year, but no stint lasted as long as six minutes, and none of the games he entered were decided by fewer than 10 points. He's shown a knack for rebounding in 15 D-League games, averaging 10.2 RPG in 30.5 minutes per contest for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, and he's totaled 20 rebounds in his limited time on NBA courts — a small sample size, to be sure, but enough to pique curiousity about what he could do if the Pacers gave him more exposure.
  • Jeremy Lamb, Thunder (No. 12 pick, 93 NBA minutes): The only lottery pick on this list, Lamb found himself in a tough place to earn playing time after the James Harden trade sent him to Oklahoma City. The Thunder have taken advantage of their proximity to their wholly owned D-League affiliate in Tulsa, cycling Lamb and others back and forth throughout the season. In 20 games across seven D-League stints this season, Lamb is averaging 21.4 PPG and 5.2 RPG.  

Five more players have seen fewer than 500 minutes this season, though predictably they were all picked late in the first round:

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Team Facebook/Twitter/RSS

April 5th, 2013 at 3:06pm CST by Luke Adams

If you want to keep tabs on all of Hoops Rumors' stories and updates, you can follow us on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or subscribe to our feed through your RSS reader of choice. However, if you prefer to only receive news about your favorite NBA team, we have you covered. Below are links to our Facebook, Twitter, and RSS pages and feeds for all 30 teams.

Atlantic

Central

Southeast

Southwest

Northwest

Pacific

Transactions only: Twitter / RSS

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Players With Most Guaranteed Long-Term Salary

April 5th, 2013 at 12:28pm CST by Luke Adams

Many of the NBA's most overpaid players, such as Hedo Turkoglu, Kris Humphries, Corey Maggette and others, will see their contracts come to an end this year or next, but that doesn't mean that there aren't still plenty of teams with long-term commitments on their books. Many of these long-term deals were signed within the last year or two, meaning the players are still performing at a high level.

A good percentage of those players will continue to play well throughout their contracts, but the success rate is unlikely to be 100%. A handful of these big-money four- or five-year deals could go south before they eventually expire.

Listed below are all the players who will still have $30MM or more in guaranteed money remaining on their contracts, starting next season. Non-guaranteed money and/or team options aren't included in these amounts, but player options are, since a team has little to no control over whether those options will be exercised.

Here are the players with the most guaranteed money remaining on their contracts beyond this season:

Blake Griffin, Clippers: $94,314,376** (five years)
Deron Williams, Nets: $81,594,530 (four years)
Derrick Rose, Bulls: $77,911,876 (four years)
James Harden, Rockets: $69,710,623** (five years)
Joe Johnson, Nets: $69,542,371 (three years)
Russell Westbrook, Thunder; $64,926,560 (four years)
LeBron James, Heat: $61,770,000 (three years)
Chris Bosh, Heat: $61,770,000 (three years)
Dwyane Wade, Heat: $60,492,000 (three years)
Kevin Durant, Thunder: $56,986,873 (three years)
Serge Ibaka, Thunder: $49,000,000 (four years)
Ty Lawson, Nuggets: $48,000,000 (four years)
Brook Lopez, Nets: $47,157,188 (three years)
Kevin Love, Timberwolves: $47,157,186 (three years)
Carmelo Anthony, Knicks: $46,759,398 (two years)
Amare Stoudemire, Knicks: $45,090,881 (two years)
Roy Hibbert, Pacers: $44,696,813 (three years)
Eric Gordon, Hornets: $44,696,813 (three years)
David Lee, Warriors: $44,383,680 (three years)
Stephen Curry, Warriors: $44,000,000 (four years)
Jrue Holiday, 76ers: $41,000,004 (four years)
Nene, Wizards: $39,000,000 (three years)
DeMar DeRozan, Raptors; $38,000,000 (four years)
Rudy Gay, Raptors: $37,206,256 (two years)
Joakim Noah, Bulls: $36,700,000 (three years)
Al Horford, Hawks: $36,000,000 (three years)
Nicolas Batum, Trail Blazers: $35,296,500 (three years)
Zach Randolph, Grizzlies: $34,300,000 (two years)
JaVale McGee, Nuggets: $34,000,000 (three years)
Taj Gibson, Bulls: $33,000,000 (four years)
Danilo Gallinari, Nuggets: $32,561,000 (three years)
Carlos Boozer, Bulls: $32,100,000 (two years)
George Hill, Pacers: $32,000,000 (four years)
Marc Gasol, Grizzlies: $30,690,211 (two years)
Kobe Bryant, Lakers: $30,453,805 (one year)
LaMarcus Aldridge, Trail Blazers: $30,384,000 (two years)
Gerald Wallace, Nets: $30,317,565 (three years)

(** Griffin and Harden signed maximum-salary deals, so the exact figures for 2013/14 and beyond aren't known yet; these amounts are based on '12/13's max salaries.)

Storytellers Contracts was used in the creation of this post.

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Colleges That Produce Highly Paid NBA Players

March 28th, 2013 at 10:10pm CST by Chuck Myron
As scouts focus on the NCAA tournament in preparation for June's draft, it's worth noting which colleges have been most effective at not just producing NBA players, but highly paid NBA stars. One way of measuring this is looking at players who are making at least $10MM this season. Since rookie-scale contracts limit the earning power of the most recent entrants in the league, players making eight-figure salaries have already either established themselves as marquee pro talents or shown enough glimpses of their promise over their first several seasons to convince a team to open its checkbook. 

The influx of high school players, starting with Kevin Garnett in 1995 and ending in 2006, when the NBA instituted its age limit that sends most players to college for at least one season, led to a boatload of stars with no college experience. The rise in the number of international players has thinned out the college crowd, too. Three of the top four highest-paid players have no college experience, and 20 of the players making $10MM or more never stepped foot on campus.

Aside from a few bluebloods, highly paid NBA players come from a diverse range of schools. Connecticut, Duke and Florida lead all schools with three $10MM+ players each, not surprising considering all three have won multiple national championships within the last 15 years. Arizona, Texas and UCLA each boast two $10MM+ guys, but no other school can claim more than one NBA player making at least $10MM this year. The club isn't limited to NCAA tournament regulars, either. Western Carolina, Nevada, and even Butler County Community College, the alma mater of Stephen Jackson, have all produced big-money NBA talent.  

The list excludes players receiving money this season from contracts that teams removed from their books using the amnesty clause. It also doesn't include Rashard Lewis, who signed a minimum-salary deal with the Heat after the Hornets waived him over the summer, leaving his $13,765,000 cap hit on their payroll. Lewis would be the 21st player among those who didn't attend college.

No college

Connecticut

Duke

Florida

Arizona

Texas

UCLA

Arkansas

Butler County Community College

Georgetown

Georgia Tech

Illinois

Indiana

Kansas

Kentucky

Marquette

Memphis

Michigan State

Minnesota

Nevada

New Mexico

Stanford

Syracuse

Texas A&M

Utah

Wake Forest

Western Carolina

Xavier

HoopsWorld and ShamSports were used in the creation of this post.

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Hoops Rumors Features

March 28th, 2013 at 2:45pm CST by Luke Adams

Hoops Rumors passes along the latest news and rumors on NBA player movement 365 days a year, but those aren't the only updates you'll see on the site. On our right sidebar, you'll find a number of additional features and featured posts. Here's a rundown of a few of them:

  • In addition to our list of 2012/13 free agents, we also have free agent lists for both next summer, and the summer of 2014, which will continue to be modified as needed.
  • Our Free Agent Tracker, which features data sortable by team, position, contract years, and contract amount, currently includes last summer's signings and will be used to track the upcoming summer's deals as well.
  • Speaking of those upcoming signings, we've started looking ahead to a number of free agent cases in our Free Agent Stock Watch series, which we'll continue through July.
  • Throughout the season, we've been keeping tabs on roster counts for each NBA team, the year's D-League assignments and recalls, and all the in-season trades consummated this year.
  • Our tentative 2013 draft order tracks this season's "reverse standings," allowing for an early look at what next June's draft order might look like.
  • NCAA underclassmen who have declared for June's draft are rounded up on our list of 2013 early entrants.
  • Using our 10-day contract tracker, you can find any 10-day contract signed since 2007, sorting by player, team, year, and other variables.
  • On Mondays at 4:00pm CT, returning on April 8th, I answer readers' questions in a live chat. You can check out transcripts of our past live discussions here.
  • Our list of outstanding traded player exceptions is updated whenever a trade exception is created, is used, or expires.
  • We're also tracking teams' amnesty provisions — using our complete list, you can check to see which clubs have used the amnesty clause and which will carry it into the summer.
  • The Hoops Rumors glossary helps explain some of the more complex concepts in the NBA's Collective Bargaining Agreement.
  • Zach Links rounds up the best of the blogosphere every Sunday in his weekly Hoops Links feature.
  • If you're looking to catch up on a few days worth of content, our Week in Review posts round up the week's news and rumors, while our Hoops Rumors Originals posts recap the site's original content for the week. Both round-ups are published every Sunday.
  • Be sure to check out the Featured Posts section on the right sidebar for more original pieces from the Hoops Rumors writing team. Recently, we previewed the offseason's rookie-scale extension candidates, explained playoff eligibility for late-season signings, and broke down a few maximum-contract scenarios for this summer's free agent class.
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Players Turning 10-Days Into Rest-Of-Season Deals

March 28th, 2013 at 11:35am CST by Luke Adams

Few contracts in professional sports are as fleeting as the NBA's 10-day deals, which give players just a week and a half, usually no more than four or five games, to prove they deserve a chance to remain on a team's roster. As Jannero Pargo, who is currently playing on his fourth 10-day contract of the season, told Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer earlier this month, "Fourth quarter, down two points, is a lot less pressure than playing on a 10-day contract."

While many players don't receive a shot at a second 10-day deal or a guaranteed contract, a number of guys this season have parlayed these temporary contracts into something more permanent. When Terrel Harris and Maalik Wayns finalize their reported agreements with the Hornets and Clippers, respectively, they'll be the 13th and 14th players in 2013 to be locked up to guaranteed deals after starting on a 10-day contract.

With the help of our 10-day contract tracker, here's a round-up of the players to sign rest-of-season deals following 10-day contracts this season:

While most of these players signed a pair of 10-day contracts before their clubs locked them up for the season, the Sixers and Celtics apparently saw enough from Jeremy Pargo and Terrence Williams during their first week and a half with their respective teams to not require that second 10-day stint. Additionally, a number of these guys, including the Celtics trio, were locked up to non-guaranteed contracts for 2013/14, giving teams a chance to get an extended look at them over the summer.

One more note: Although many of these players have become a part of their teams' regular rotations, that's not always the case. For every Mike James, who has started the Mavericks' last 12 games and played 20+minutes in each contest, there's a Jarvis Varnado, who hasn't appeared in a game for the Heat in over a month as he shuffles back and forth between the NBA and the D-League.

The difference between James and Varnado highlights the difference ways in which teams can employ 10-day deals. James, a 37-year-old veteran proved during his 10-day contracts that he had enough left in the tank to help the Mavs immediately. Varnado, meanwhile, showed enough promise that the Heat wanted to keep him on their roster into the summer, even if won't contribute at all on the court during the team's playoff run.

To keep tabs on all of this year's 10-day contracts, be sure to check out our tracker, which allows you to sort 10-day deals by type, team, player, and more.

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Following Specific Players On Hoops Rumors

March 27th, 2013 at 11:22am CST by Luke Adams

As we've outlined before, there are a number of different ways to follow Hoops Rumors via Facebook, Twitter, and RSS. If you don't want to follow all the site's updates, you can follow team-specific or transaction-only Facebook, Twitter, and RSS feeds. Although we don't have Facebook pages or Twitter feeds for specific players, you can also easily follow all our updates on your favorite player.

If, for instance, you want to keep track of all the latest news and rumors on Josh Smith as his free agency approaches, you can visit this page. If you're interested in whether the Raptors will revisit trade talks involving Andrea Bargnani this summer, all Bargnani-related updates are located here.

Every player we've written about has his own rumors page. You can find your player of choice by using our search box (located in the right sidebar); by clicking his tag at the bottom of a post where he's discussed; or, by simply typing his name in your address bar after hoopsrumors.com, substituting dashes for spaces. For example, Smith's page is located at hoopsrumors.com/josh-smith.

In addition to players and teams, there are a number of other subjects you can track by clicking on the tags we use at the bottom of posts. Items related to the 2013 NBA draft, for instance, can be found on its rumors page. If you want to check out the latest updates on whether Chris Hansen's Seattle investment group remains the frontrunner to buy the Kings, those are all available here.

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10-Day Contract Trends

March 18th, 2013 at 11:00am CST by Chuck Myron

There have been 44 10-day contracts signed in the NBA this season, and we've documented them all here at Hoops Rumors. We've also indexed them in our 10-day tracker, a tool that lets you mine data on every 10-day contract signed from the 2006/07 season on.

Using the tracker, we can identify a few trends and other noteworthy developments involving 10-day deals this season. Usually, defending champions capable of lengthy winning streaks don't find themselves turning to 10-day contracts too often, but the Heat have signed four players to the short-term deals this season, more than any other team in the NBA. Two of those players, Jarvis Varnado and Chris Andersen, wound up with contracts for the rest of the season, but only the Birdman has made his way into Miami's rotation.

Some of the movement has simply been confusing. At the same time Chris Johnson, the big man from LSU, was on a 10-day contract with the Timberwolves, Chris Johnson, the small forward from Dayton, had a 10-day deal with the Mavericks. Jannero Pargo was finishing up his second 10-day contract with the Hawks when younger brother Jeremy Pargo inked a 10-day deal with the Sixers.

There's a month left in the season, and plenty more 10-day contracts are sure to come. Still, there's plenty to be gathered from the ones that have been signed since they became available January 7th. Here's a look at some of the info:

Teams signing multiple players to 10-day contracts

Players signing 10-day contracts with multiple teams

Players who've parlayed a 10-day contract into a rest-of-the-season deal with the same team

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Early Look At Rookie-Scale Extension Candidates

March 15th, 2013 at 9:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

With little more than a month to go before the final night of the regular season on April 17th, there's not much time left for soon-to-be free agents to make a final impression, and little chance for teams to evaluate their play, especially for guys who won't make the playoffs. The same is true for third-year players who'll be up for extensions on their rookie-scale contracts this summer. Since the deadline for those players and teams to agree to those extensions is at the end of October, right before next season begins, the former first-round picks will be judged on their resumes through the 2012/13 season. Many of last year's extension decisions came down to the wire, but ultimately teams committed more than $400MM to keep their key young players around long-term.

We'll look at these players more in-depth in our extension candidate series in the offseason, but here's an early look at the top candidates for rookie-scale extensions in 2013: 

  • Eric Bledsoe, Clippers — The Clips were wary of trading Bledsoe at the deadline in case Chris Paul bolts in free agency this summer. If Paul leaves, the fear that Bledsoe could sign a lucrative offer sheet elsewhere in the summer of 2014 could motivate L.A. to ensure it keeps at least one of its point guards long-term. Prediction: No extension, since Paul seems likely to stay.  
  • John Wall, Wizards — Washington has played better since his return from injury, and Wall's per-36-minute points and assist numbers are up for the second straight season. Still, his lack of an outside shot (six made three-pointers in the last two years) is a glaring weakness. The Wizards probably don't see him as a maximum-salary player, but they surely don't want to lose the former No. 1 overall pick for nothing if another team signs him to a fat offer sheet. Prediction: Four years, $42MM. 
  • Avery Bradley, Celtics — His defensive prowess doesn't show up well in statistics, but his numbers are up since Rajon Rondo went down with injury and he's one of the best young players on an aging Celtics team. He could draw an extension similar to fellow defensive stalwart Taj Gibson's four-year, $33MM package with the Bulls. Prediction: Four years, $35MM.
  • Paul George, Pacers — The swingman picked the right time to make his first All-Star Game, emerging in the absence of Danny Granger. The Pacers have held steady despite Granger's absence and Roy Hibbert's regression. Indiana could get cold feet after committing so much money to Hibbert, and the habitually thrifty Pacers also have free agent David West to worry about this summer, but I don't think George slips through their fingers. Prediction: Four years, $50MM.
  • Gordon Hayward, Jazz — He was removed from the starting lineup this season and is seeing fewer minutes than last year, but playing with the second unit has meant more shot opportunities and a significant uptick in scoring, from 11.8 PPG last season to 14.1 this year. His PER is up as well, to 16.9. That increased production is belied by a shooting percentage that's declined each of the past two years. Prediction: No extension.
  • Derrick Favors, Jazz — Utah's decision not to trade either Al Jefferson or Paul Millsap means the team won't get an extended look at Favors as a starter. He's averaging 15.0 points and 10.6 rebounds per 36 minutes with a robust 17.7 PER, but it's unclear whether he'd be able to keep those numbers up if he actually received starter's minutes every night. Still, he represents a younger, cheaper option than either Jefferson or Millsap, and that value could be increased with a team-friendly extension. Prediction: Four years, $48MM. 
  • Larry Sanders, Bucks — Before the season, it seemed there was no way Sanders would get an extension, but his growth as a defensive anchor this season has put him on the map. He's leading the league with 3.2 blocks per game, but with the club's top three guards all potential free agents this summer and Ersan Ilyasova on a long-term deal, the frontcourt might not be a priority for Milwaukee. Prediction: No extension.
  • DeMarcus Cousins, Kings — The future of the mercurial Cousins could be the hardest to predict, especially considering the equally tumultuous situation surrounding him in Sacramento. It seems likely new management will be in place for Sacramento/Seattle by the end of the summer, and they'll probably want to see how Cousins fits in under their watch before committing to him long-term. Talented centers are hard to come by, but a long-term deal with the wrong player can wreak havoc on a team's payroll. Prediction: No extension.
  • Greg Monroe, Pistons — Monroe's agent, David Falk, said two weeks ago that his client was unlikely to sign an extension. That could simply be a negotiating ploy for a player who seems like one of the cornerstones of the Pistons' rebuilding effort, even as his per-36-minute numbers and shooting percentage have gone down this season. Perhaps Falk is trying to put pressure on the Pistons to increase any extension offer they might make after a down season for Monroe, but for now, we'll take Falk at his word. Prediction: No extension. 
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Best One-Year Contracts Of 2012/13

March 15th, 2013 at 3:34pm CST by Luke Adams

As our 2012 Free Agent Tracker shows, the majority of one-year deals signed by players last offseason didn't amount to a whole lot. That's partly because our tracker took into account summer contracts and non-guaranteed deals, meaning many of the guys signed to so-called one-year contracts haven't been on NBA rosters for months. Still, even the guaranteed one-year deals on the list didn't have a particularly high success rate.

Most of the bigger names on last year's free agent market were able to secure multiyear contracts, or at least one-year deals with a second-year option. But some of the one-year contracts signed for the 2012/13 season have worked out remarkably well, not just for the teams that benefited from a player's solid production (often at a discount rate), but also for the players that have set themselves up to land a bigger contract when they hit the free agent market again this summer.

Here are my picks for 10 of the best one-year deals of 2012/13:

  • Chris Kaman ($8MM, Mavericks): The most expensive player on the list by far, Kaman still turned into a reasonable value for a Mavericks team that refuses to be eliminated entirely from the playoff hunt. Even playing a career-low 22.2 minutes per game, Kaman is averaging 11.3 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and a 16.4 PER, the third-best mark of his career.
  • J.J. Hickson ($4MM, Trail Blazers): Hickson couldn't do better than one year and $4MM on last year's free agent market, and the Blazers couldn't land a first-round pick for him on the trade market last month. But at some point, Hickson's play will force a team to pay a decent price for him. He has averaged a double-double with Portland this season, posting 13.3 PPG and 10.7 RPG, while shooting an extremely efficient 56.9% from the floor.
  • Marco Belinelli ($1.96MM, Bulls): Although his overall numbers may not be quite as strong, Belinelli's price makes him a better one-year value than other scoring guards like Randy Foye ($2.5MM) and Nick Young ($5.6MM). His 9.8 PPG and .369 3PT% have been crucial for a Bulls team whose "Bench Mob" was overhauled last summer.
  • Martell Webster ($1.75MM, Wizards): More than in any of his previous seven seasons, Webster has shown some of the promise that made him the sixth overall pick in 2005. His 11.1 PPG, .455 FG%, and 13.7 PER aren't exceptional, but they're all career-highs for the 26-year-old.
  • Alan Anderson (Minimum salary, Raptors): Even with all the new small forwards arriving in Toronto this season, Anderson has made a strong case for regular playing time, averaging 11.6 PPG off the bench while playing just 24.5 minutes per contest.
  • Matt Barnes (Minimum salary, Clippers): Earning a minimum salary, Barnes has been such a nice pickup for the Clippers that Grantland's Zach Lowe recently made a case for why the former Laker could be the key to the Clips' playoff run. Like Webster, he's on track to record new career-bests in PPG (10.8) and PER (15.9) as perhaps the NBA's best second unit.
  • Andray Blatche (Minimum salary, Nets): While players like Luis Scola, Elton Brand, and Brendan Haywood were claimed on amnesty waivers last July, Blatche passed through unclaimed, and was out of work for weeks before eventually landing a minimum deal with the Nets. There are probably a few teams kicking themselves now for passing on the ex-Wizard, who has bounced back in a big way in Brooklyn, averaging 10.1 PPG on a career-best .501 FG%. Blatche's 22.3 PER is also far and away a career high.
  • Antawn Jamison (Minimum salary, Lakers): Although Jamison's numbers have taken a major dip across the board now that he's no longer a primary scoring option, he's still been a nice value for the Lakers at the veteran's minimum. Jamison's 15.0 points per 36 minutes and 15.1 PER may be the worst marks of his career, but they're still more than you'd expect from a minimum-salary bench piece.
  • Jermaine O'Neal (Minimum salary, Suns): No one on this list has seen the court less in 2012/13 than O'Neal, who has played just 17.3 MPG in 45 contests. Still, considering how he looked in Boston over the last couple seasons, it's been a solid bounce-back campaign for the veteran big man, who has shot 50.6% from the field and is rebounding like he did in his prime.
  • Nate Robinson (Minimum salary, Bulls): Kirk Hinrich received a larger and longer-term contract with the Bulls, and was expected to bear the brunt of the point guard load while Derrick Rose recovered from ACL surgery. But with Hinrich battling injuries over the last month and a half, it's Robinson who has taken over as the starter. He's been a little inconsistent, but the 5'9" guard has still averaged 11.9 PPG, 4.2 APG, and a 17.3 PER.
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