Von Wafer Parts Ways With Olympiakos; Next Stop Memphis?
What started as a rumor early Friday morning came to fruition over the weekend: Von Wafer has parted ways with Olympiakos. And while the rumor mill has been churning that Wafer may sign with the Grizzlies once he is back stateside, the Memphis brass might want to reconsider after the following statement from Olympiakos head coach Panagiotis Giannakis:
“He had a playing philosophy that didn’t allow him to make the adjustments needed,” explained Giannakis on Saturday. “If somebody is not eager to try to change himself, then it is better for him and the club to part ways.”
After taking part in only thee of the seven Euroleague games the club played this season, management didn’t want to have a $2 million investment sitting on the bench. And just like any other former NBA player that heads to Europe, Wafer didn’t want to sit their either.
As Chris Herrington wrote in the Memphis Flyer on Friday, Wafer is a good signing. For the Rockets last season, Wafer shot 45% from the floor and 39% from three while averaging 9.7 points in fewer than 20 minutes per game. After seeing limited minutes with the Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets and Blazers to start his career, the 24-year-old from Florida State was just coming into his own.
To tell you the truth, I was surprised that Wafer wasn’t signed this summer. On July 15th, I had him as the No. 3 best available unrestricted free agent left on the market, and teams could have signed him for next-to-nothing like Sean May or Shelden Williams.
Why aren’t the Sixers interested while Lou Williams is on the DL? What about the Nets, Bobcats, Bulls, Timberwolves, Pistons or Clippers? They are all averaging less than 95 points per game and could use a young gun like Wafer to come in off the bench and score. Wherever Wafer signs, I hope he picks up where he left off last season.
What do you think? Should the Grizzlies sign Wafer? Should your squad be interested?
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December 14th, 2009 at 11:56 am
Ducky The Truth says:
i think they should. he’s a good quality role player.
December 14th, 2009 at 11:58 am
loganlight says:
Where would he fit in??? Memphis already has several shoot first players in Gay, Mayo, and Randolph…
Bad fir for the Grizz. Maybe the Bulls could use him off the bench, the Heat, the Suns would make him a star.
LL
December 14th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
LakeShow84 says:
I agree..
It was a travesty he wasnt signed by a NBA team.. he helped keep Houston together when Tmac went down last year.. Problem seems to be his attitude..
Gimme 2milli and ill clean everyones sneakers before the game and cook a meal for everyone after..
EVERY NIGHT..
December 14th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
Diego says:
Concur with post 2. I think the Bulls could definitely use him. It seem the loss of Gordon has really, really hurt the Bulls. Salmons just does not seem that explosive a scorer to me, and Pargo doesn’t seem to be delivering enough either.
December 14th, 2009 at 12:16 pm
Gunner J. Matthews says:
I wouldnt mind seeing Von come back to Houston
December 14th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
isotope says:
He’s been found out. Now everybody knows why he wasn’t resigned in Houston. He thought he was more than he was worth. I disagree with the person that said he kept the rockets together when TMac was out. Not that case at all. He was a great spark plug off the bunch that could put up points in a hurry. But he’s a defensive liability, not a great team player, and had a major run-in with the coach.
December 14th, 2009 at 12:46 pm
FrannyDavis says:
His basically (pre-Chauncey) J.R. Smith lite…
December 14th, 2009 at 12:51 pm
obert says:
Houston did a lot more than keep together last year, that huge win streak featured a significant amount of DNPs fo Yao and McGrady when the team was supposed to fall apart. I think Wafer would be a great 2 guard off the bench for pretty much any team in the NBA. If you arent relying on him for too much, he’ll be golden. I can see his ceiling being what Crawford is for Atlanta right now, his basement being Marquis Daniels on the Celtics.
December 14th, 2009 at 1:07 pm
Celtics10 says:
No for what? They have Gay Mayo Conley, saw tinsley last night an they drafted sam young who can play 2,3,4 sometimes. They have enough decent young talented wings let them gel
December 14th, 2009 at 1:14 pm
control says:
There, their or they’re? Which witch is which? I hate being a grammar cop, but come on Dime, quit being lazy…
December 14th, 2009 at 2:27 pm
bfears says:
i think he should go to the bulls.
December 14th, 2009 at 2:55 pm
chris says:
a defensive liability? not according to 82games.com, where 08/09 rockets were .2 points a game better with wafer on the floor than off…that’s better than lowry, or landry, or barry, or hayes, or mcgrady, and the same as brooks. HE ASKED FOR TOO MUCH MONEY… his agent told him he was worth it…half a season and a few million later, i hope he gets the opportunity to put up good nba numbers again, before he blows a knee…lots of teams need a shooter this good who plays adequate D…
December 14th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
karizmatic says:
Someone should sign him, Von Wafer is a quality player. It really was a shame no one signed him in the offseason. Perhaps a team like the Jazz or Hornets could use him to give them a shot in the arm.
December 14th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
K Dizzle says:
A nineteen year old made it thru the euro league and came back to tear it up for the Bucks and a 24 year old man who should be one of the best players over there can’t make it. This is about more than just hoops. Dude can obviously play, but there’s some issues that’ll come out eventually. That bein said, Philly, Cleveland, Jersey, Houston again Spurs and Minny should be callin
December 14th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Seven Duece says:
^Co-signn KDizzle. He’s a known headache who happens to be able to score very well. If Vernon Maxwell could hold a job in the L, then Wafer will be getting calls as well.
December 14th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
POPPI GEE says:
Either he on some Kanye stuff in digging his own hype, or either people in his ear telling him he is more than he is.
I am saying dude is a nice roll player and all, but he apparently has this notion that he should be a starter and the man on a squad or something.
That is 1 run in in the states and 1 overseas. Take dude at your own risk.
I don’t want to see him back at Houston and he need to get his head right and understand his star power still has to grown so he needs to take what he can get and make the most of it with no fuss. Dude actin like he Iverson and ain’t did nothing close to what Iverson has done.
Did that last remark just for the Iverson haters (haaaa).
December 14th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
Guitar Hero says:
Instant buckets.
Apparently very low IQ as well.
December 14th, 2009 at 8:01 pm
Pet Society Help says:
Let the ungrateful bum play the next 5 years of his life in the cba/aba/usbl.
December 14th, 2009 at 10:42 pm
ProphetGK says:
Bulls, Cavs, hell even Lakers…
December 16th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
Bjorn says:
Does no one here remember him fighting with his coach and storming to the locker room in the playoffs last year? Attitude way out of whack.
I guess some people view it as a quality in today’s NBA, but Von is a guy who is always in “heat check” mode. He does not possess the ability to pass.
Someone mentioned the spurs above. Like them or not, the spurs have found success in staying away from players like this.
January 14th, 2010 at 1:32 pm
Anony says:
Guys Von wafer is a straight gangster from the ghetto of LA. He is not going to listen to anyone or play to the coach’s needs. He left both teams for the same reason JR Smith is still on the bench in Denver.