The Motor City Auto Project

[Hornso]

MCAP Auto #21 - Zach Lofton
2018-19 Panini Chronicles - Rookie Signatures Red

Zach Lofton started his college career at San Jacinto College in Texas. The shooting guard then transferred to Illinois State University for his sophomore season and averaged 11.3 ppg. Lofton then transferred to the University of Minnesota, however due to NCAA rules was forced to sit out a year and ended up being dismissed from the program for "failing to meet the expectations and obligations of the team”.

As a result, Lofton then found himself at Texas Southern University where in 2016–17 he averaged 16.8 points per game and was named the Southwestern Athletic Conference Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year in 2017 as the Tigers qualified for the NCAA Tournament as a 16 seed. Lofton nominated for the 2017 NBA Draft but ultimately withdrew.

He subsequently transferred to New Mexico State for his senior year of college basketball where he averaged 20.1 points and 5.0 rebounds per game on the way to being named All-Western Athletic Conference First Team.

Lofton was overlooked in the 2018 NBA Draft but signed with the Pistons for Summer League and his performances earnt him an NBA deal with the franchise, but it was later converted to a two-way G League deal.

He made his NBA debut as a 26 year old in the Pistons opening night win against the Brooklyn Nets playing just under 4 minutes, registering 1 steal, 1 turnover and 1 missed 3 point attempt. He was then inactive for 99.9% of the rest of the season until the Pistons waived him in January 2019. He remained with the Pistons G League team until February 2020 when he signed for the German club Rostock.

In Germany he averaged 27.7 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game and is now in Kuwait playing for Kazma.

 

[Hornso]

Another big name coming up...

MCAP Auto #22 - Louis King
2019-20 Panini Select - Rookie Signatures 92/149

Louis King was a highly rated high school basketball player, with the small forward named on the Naismith Prep Player of the Year Award watch list, however he suffered a knee injury which cut his senior year short. As a result he was unable to participate in the 2018 Nike Hoop Summit, but was still named a 2018 McDonald's All-American.

Deemed a top 25, 5 star prospect by scouts King committed to playing college ball for Oregon. He averaged 13.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game as a freshman and nominated for the 2019 NBA Draft. Overlooked he signed a two-way G League contract with Detroit. He took to the court 10 times for the Pistons in the 2019-20 season, averaging 2 points & 1 rebound in 6.2 minutes per game and signed another two-way deal with the Pistons but was waived in December 2020.

The Knicks then immediate signed King to an Exhibit-10 contract but waived him the following day! A month later, in January 2021 he linked up with their G League team, the Westchester Knicks.

Late in the 2020-21 season, King signed another NBA deal with the Sacramento Kings with 9 games left to play. He featured in 6 of them, including exploding for 27 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals & 2 blocks in a 1 point defeat to the Grizzlies. He started the Kings last game of the season putting up 12 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and a block in a heavy defeat to the Jazz.

After being overlooked for the first 20 games of the current season, King has recently featured off the bench three times for the Kings but has sat the last two games.

As it stands, his NBA career reads - 19 games, averaging 10.3 minutes, 4.6 points & 1.8 rebounds per game.

 

[TAB1980]

Sounds like you've picked up some absolute gems there mate!

 

[Hornso]

MCAP Auto #23 - Cheikh Samb
2007-08 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection - Rookies Gold 38/50

Senegalese Center Cheikh Samb was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 51st pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, however was instantly traded to the Detroit Pistons for Maurice Evans. He'd been playing for WTC Cornelia in the Spanish 2nd Division and once Summer League was completed he returned there on loan.

The following year Samb played another Summer League with the Pistons and was signed to a NBA deal. He played 4 games for Detroit in the 2007-08 season, averaging 1.8 points & 1.8 rebounds per game. In November 2008, Samb was traded along with Chauncey Billups & Antonio McDyess to the Denver Nuggets for Allen Iverson.

In Denver, Samb played 6 times averaging 0.7 points and 1.5 rebounds before being traded to the Los Angeles Clippers with cash considerations for a 2nd round draft pick. He played 10 games for the Clippers averaging 1.1 points and 1.3 rebounds per game, but was waived in February 2009. The following month he signed a couple of 10 day contract with the New York Knicks, which enabled him to appear in another 2 NBA games before being released.

Samb headed back to Spain after his NBA career, signing with Real Madrid however he was released after only 1 month. The Raptors gave him a look in the 2010 Summer League and despite an impressive performance it did not lead to an NBA recall.

The 7'1" shot blocker then signed in Iran for Mahram Tehran, before spending 2011-2017 with Al-Ahli Dubai.

His NBA career spanned 22 games in which he registered 22 points, 31 rebounds and 12 blocks.

As a side note, in his time spent with the Pistons D-League affiliate, he registered a triple double scoring 12 points, 12 rebounds and 11 blocks.

 

[Hornso]

MCAP Auto #24 - Will Blalock
2007-08 Fleer Ultra - Autographics

Will Blalock was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the last pick of the 2006 NBA Draft. Coming off 3 seasons of college ball at Iowa State, the point guard joined a Pistons squad trying to get back to the NBA Finals.

As you'd expect, playing time was hard to come by for Blalock but he did get a run of games from mid-December to early-January. At the end of his one season in the NBA he had totaled 14 appearances, averaging 1.8 points, 1.2 assists and 1.1 rebounds.

Released at the end of his 1 year contract, Blalock spent time in Israel, Germany, Puerto Rico & Canada when not playing for various D-League teams. He also spent a season in Australia, playing for the Townsville Crocs in 2010-11 where he averaged 10.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 31 NBL games.

 

[Hornso]

MCAP Auto #25 - Walter Sharpe
2008-09 SP Authentic 011/499

Sharpe came out of Parker High School in Birmingham, Alabama as a 4 star recruit. He signed with Mississippi State University however he was dismissed in his sophomore year for violating unspecified rules. He transferred to the University of Alabama where he averaged 14.2 points & 6.8 rebounds per game in 12 appearances before being declared academically ineligible.

Sharpe was selected by the Seattle Supersonics with the 32nd pick in the 2008 NBA Draft, however his draft rights were traded to the Detroit Pistons along with Trent Plaisted for DJ White. He appeared 8 times for the Pistons in the 2008-09 season registering 8 points, 3 rebounds and 2 blocks in 20 minutes total.

At the end of the 2008-09 season Sharpe was traded to the Denver Nuggets along with Arron Afflalo for a 2nd round pick. The Nuggets on traded him the same month with Sonny Weems to the Bucks for Malik Allen. The Bucks ended up waiving Walter before the start of the 2009-10 season.

In December 2011 Sharpe signed with the Memphis Grizzlies but was waived less than a fortnight later. Since leaving the NBA Sharpe has plied his trade in China, the Philippines, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Venezuela, Mexico and Taiwan.

Shortly after being drafted to the NBA, Sharpe was diagnosed with narcolepsy.

He's played with some interesting team names throughout his career, my favourite of which has to be:

 

[Hornso]

MCAP Auto #26 - Deividas Sirvydis
2019-20 Panini Prizm Sensational Signatures

Sirvydis, son of European professional basketballer Virginijus, starting playing professional basketball in Lithuania at the age of 16. Becoming the youngest player to represent Rytas Vilnius, taking the mantle from Jonas Valanciunas. Deividas was drafted with the 37th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks who immediately traded him to the Pistons for Isaiah Roby and two future second-round draft picks but other than Summer League remained in Europe for the time being.

After a couple of seasons in Lithuania, he signed in Israel with Hapoel Jerusalem in 2020, however did not spend long there as the Pistons called him over to the States for training camp in November, which resulted in a 3 year deal for him. The 6'8" shooting guard managed 20 appearances in his debut season averaging 2.1 points and 1.5 rebounds...his scoring boosted by a 16 point showing against the Nuggets in the 2nd last game of the season.

After Summer League 2021, the Pistons waived Sirvydis, before signing him again in September, before waiving him the following day. The organisation did sign him to a G League contract in October however, and with the COVID-19 pandemic playing havoc with rosters around the league, he was signed to a 10 day contract in December as Detroit lost many players to league protocols and to this point has made a further 3 appearances.

 

[Hornso]

MCAP Auto #27 - Michael Gbinije
2016-17 Panini Totally Certified - Rookie Roll Call Autographs

Ranked approximately 25th in his high school class, Gbinije elected to attend Duke University, however after only being played sparingly as a freshman, opted to transfer to Syracuse. Once again not seeing much court time after being forced to sit out a season Gbinije had very good junior and senior years with the Orange and helped the school go to the NCAA Final Four in 2016.

Finished with his college career, "Silent G" was selected with the 49th pick in the 2016 NBA Draft by the Pistons and was offered a contract despite missing all of Summer League with a sprained ankle. During the 2016-17 season he featured 9 times for Detroit, registering 4 points (shooting 10% from the field), 3 rebounds and 2 assists in 32 minutes of court time. At the end of the season he was waived.

The Nigerian national then scored a training camp deal with the Warriors in 2017 and a Summer League showing with the Knicks in 2018 but ultimately couldn't get out of the G League so headed to Germany where he spent 2018 with Mitteldeutscher and 2019 with Lithuanian side BC Nevėžis.

He has since returned to America and the G League where he is playing with Oklahoma City Blue.

 

[Hornso]

MCAP Auto #28 - Darrun Hilliard
2015-16 Panini Select - Signatures Rookie 090/199

A two-time Associated Press first-team selection as a high schooler, Hilliard committed to playing for Villanova University. His coach was considering redshirting Hilliard but opted not to due to injuries to his Wildcat squad. As a freshman Hilliard averaged 4.8 points, 2.4 rebounds & 1 assist in 18 minutes per game which led to Hilliard question whether he made the right choice in coming to Villanova. This was quickly dismissed as, as a sophomore he averaged 11.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.6 assist and was named Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week in late January 2013.

He finished his final two years at Villanova improving his 3 point shot (he shot 41.4% from deep as a junior) and averaged 14.3 points per game in both seasons. He led Villanova to an excellent 33-3 record as a senior however the Wildcats crashed out in the Round of 32 in the NCAA tournament to underdogs NC State.

Despite being projected to be in the 55-70 range for the 2015 NBA Draft, the Detroit Pistons drafted Hilliard with pick 38. The 6'6" shooting guard, featured 38 times for the Pistons in his rookie year, averaging 4 points and average 38% from deep. A stress fracture of his lower back meant he was unable to participate in Summer League as a sophomore but Hilliard remained on the roster. However he failed to progress in his 2nd season, averaging 3.3 points per game in 39 appearances, with his 3 point percentage plummeting to 26%.

In the off-season the Pistons traded Hilliard to the Rockets for cash considerations. The Rockets immediately threw him into another deal with a whole bunch of assets (including Pat Beverley, Lou Williams, Sam Dekker & Montrezl Harrell in order to acquire Chris Paul from the Clippers. The Clippers subsequently waived Hilliard the next day.

Hilliard was thrown a lifeline by the San Antonio Spurs who signed him to a two-way deal in September of that year. In his 14 appearances for the Spurs, his shot continued to desert him. He failed to hit a 3 point shot in 6 attempts and shot only 26% from the field. Hilliard was a major contributor to the Austin Spurs winning the G League that season.

After San Antonio Hilliard spent 2018 in Spain, before moving to Russia in 2019 to play for CSKA Moscow where he won the Russian Cup and League. As of 2021 he currently plays for Bayern Munich in Germany.

 

[Hornso]

MCAP Auto #29 - Peyton Siva
2015-16 Panini Replay - Buyback Autographs 64/99

A Seattle, Washington native of Samoan descent, Peyton Siva grew up in troubling circumstances. The son of a mostly absent, drug & alcohol addicted father, Siva's mother had to work 3 jobs to keep the family afloat, whilst "Pey-Pey" learnt to drive at 13 and as a 15 year old, talked his father out of committing suicide.

He through himself into the sports of football and basketball with a relentless aggressive attitude, whilst proving himself to be youth leader in his local neighbourhood by keeping peers out of gangs and not involved with the vices he'd seen his father fall victim too.

Siva's high school basketball career was littered with personal and team success including being named a McDonald's All American and Washington's Mr Basketball in 2009. Deemed a 4 star recruit, Siva committed to the University of Louisville. As a freshman he was back up to the established senior point guard, however in his sophomore season he averaged approximately 10 points & 5 assists per game as a starter, a standard he would maintain throughout the rest of his college career.

In his 3rd year at Louisville, Siva was named MVP of the Big East Tournament and led the Cardinals to the NCAA Final Four where they lost to eventual champions Kentucky. As a senior, Siva would once again win the Big East Tournament MVP, however his squad would go 2 steps better in the NCAA Tournament and were crowned National Champions with a 82-76 win over Michigan. In the Final, Peyton recorded 18 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals. Siva received the 2013 Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award for the top Division I college senior under 6'1' and was also recognised for his academic achievements and leadership in the community.

Siva was drafted by the Pistons with the 56th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. His rookie year he averaged 9.3 minutes, 2.3 points and 1.4 assists in 24 appearances off the bench but was cut after the following season's Summer League. Orlando gave him a look in pre-season but once again waived him after a few weeks.

From there Siva played some G-League with the Erie BayHawks before travelling to Italy to play for Juvecaserta Basket. After one season he moved to Germany where he spent 5 seasons with Alba Berlin, winning the German league twice as the team's starting point guard.

In August of last season Siva signed with the New Zealand Breakers and has just returned to action a few days ago after a hamstring tear in the second game of the season meant he missed the early part of the season.

 

[Hornso]

MCAP Auto #30 - Mateen Cleaves
2000-01 EX - Rookie Memorabilia 0194/1250

Flint, Michigan native Mateen Cleaves spurned Michigan in favour of rival school Michigan State and as it would turn out would later become a Spartan legend.

A 1995-96 McDonald's All American, Cleaves had an excellent freshman year averaging 10.2 points and 5.0 assists as a 6'2" point guard. As a sophomore he averaged 16.1 points and 7.2 assists in statistically his best season as a college athlete. As a senior, Cleaves would lead Michigan State to the NCAA Championship, defeating Florida 89-76 winning Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four in the process.

As a college athlete he received many awards. He is the only Michigan State player in history to be a three-time All American. He is also the school's all time assist leader (and conference) with 816 and steals leader with 193. He is one of 19 college players to register 20 assists or more a Division I game and in 2007 has his #12 jersey retired and hung from the rafters.

He was unable to transfer this success into the pro game however, despite being drafted by his home state Pistons with the 14th pick in the 2000 NBA Draft. He started well, playing 78 games his rookie year, averaging 5.4 points and 2.7 assists in 16 minutes, but before his sophomore season, the Pistons traded Cleaves to Sacramento for Jon Barry and a first round pick (Carlos Delfino).

Cleaves court time decreased significantly in California as he joined a Kings' squad who had Mike Bibby & Bobby Jackson ahead of him in the PG position and were gunning for a title. They would controversially lose to the Lakers in 7 games in the Conference Finals in his first season on the West Coast.

Not offered a new contract, Cleaves signed with the Celtics but was waived before the start of the 2003-04 season. The Cavs signed him to a 10 day contract late in the season but he was waived after 4 appearances.

He finished his NBA career across 2 seasons in Seattle, once again being used sparingly. After playing 78 games as a rookie, he would manage only 167 appearances in total across 6 seasons. In total he averaged 3.6 points, 1.9 assists and 1 rebound in 11.2 minutes per game.

He spent the remainder of his professional career either in the D-League (as it was known then) or in Europe with seasons in Russia & Greece.

In 2010 Cleaves was hired as a studio analyst for Pistons' games and also owns a record label.

In 2015 Cleaves was accused of sexually assaulting a 24 year old woman and keeping her against her will in a motel. Legal proceedings dragged on for 4 years before Cleaves was eventually acquitted of all charges, however footage has since emerged of Cleaves pulling the half-naked woman back into his hotel room. Cleaves legal representative maintains he was doing the right thing by pulling her back in and letting her leave when fully dressed. For more details of this disturbing situation click here.

Cleaves is now a leadership coach for America's largest wholesale mortgage company.

 

[Hornso]

MCAP Auto #31 - Dwight Buycks
2017-18 Donruss Optic - Fast Break Signatures

A native of Milwaukee, Buycks attended a local high school and become their first ever play to score 1,000 points. He also led them to the state championship and was named the top AAU prospect in Wisconsin. After high school he attended Indian Hills Community College where he spent two seasons until he transfer to Marquette. As a guard, in his senior year he averaged 8.8 points, 3.4 assists, 3.1 rebounds and 1.1 steals per game.

He was passed over in the 2011 NBA Draft and signed with the Tulsa 66ers of the D-League. The Phoenix Suns signed him in December but waived him a week later. At the end of the D-League season he travelled to Europe where he spent a season in Belgium and a season in France between Summer League appearances for Oklahoma City and San Antonio. Whilst he was in Europe he won the league in Belgium, the cup in France and was named the foreign MVP of the French league.

Oklahoma City had another look at him in the 2013 Orlando Summer League, but it was in the Las Vegas League, where he played for the Raptors where he made his impression. The Raptors signed him to a 2 year deal as a result. In between D-League deployments, he managed 14 games for the Raps, averaging 3.1 points in 10 minutes per game.

The Raptors waived him after one season however and he headed to Spain to play with Valencia Basket, however he mutually parted way after only 8 games due to poor results. Buycks' next destination was China. Upon the conclusion of the Chinese season in April he headed back to Oklahoma to play D-League, however was signed by the Los Angeles Lakers on a injury hardship exemption. He played 6 games for the Lakers averaging 8.7 points, 2.3 assists and 2 rebounds in 20 minutes per game, but was cut when he suffered a broken hand against the Dallas Mavericks in April.

Buycks continued to split his time between Oklahoma and China for the following two years, until the Pistons signed him to a two-way deal in September 2017. In January of that season his deal was converted into a regular contract as he played 29 games for Detroit, averaging 7.4 points, 2 assists and 1.4 rebounds. The Pistons waived him at the end of the season and he headed back to China. He then spent time in Greece and France and was last rumoured to be looking for another two-way NBA deal which doesn't seem to be forthcoming.

 

[Hornso]

MCAP Auto #32 - Thon Maker
2019-20 Panini Court Kings - High Court Signatures 093/179

Born in South Sudan, Maker was helped escape to Uganda along with his brother and Aunt by his uncle in order to escape the civil war in his home country. They then made their way to Australia as refugees and landed in Perth at the age of 5. At the age of 14 he was discovered playing soccer by Edward Smith who helps children from migrant backgrounds. Smith offered to look after Maker in Sydney before later taking him to the States in 2013.

Maker attended several high schools in America and Canada. He was invited to the 2015 Nike Hoop Summit in Portland where alongside Ben Simmons he helped the World team defeat Team USA. He was also named the MVP of the National Basketball Player's Association Top 100 camp and was being recruited by colleges such as Arizona State, Florida Stata, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Notre Dame, St. John's and UNLV. Instead Maker opted to enter the NBA Draft and thanks to a successful ruling was able to, becoming the first player to make the transition straight from high school since 2005.

Considered a 5 star recruit, Maker attended the NBA Combine where he recorded the highest standing jump of any player over 6'11" in combine history. NBA teams were put off by rumours that Maker wasn't actually 19 years old and believe he was actually anywhere from 21-23, however the Bucks took him with the 10th pick in the 2016 Draft (one selection ahead of future multiple time all-star Domantas Sabonis.)

Thon played 57 games his rookie season, starting in 34 of them. However he only averaged 9.9 minutes, 4 points and 2 rebounds per game. He did manage however to register, what would remain, a career high of 23 points in a OT win over the Pistons in March 2017. He also started all 6 playoff games for Milwaukee, registering 5 blocks in Game 6 as the Bucks lost to the Raptors 4-2.

In his 2nd season, he featured in 74 games, but he only managed to start 12. A decent increase in minutes to 16.7 per game, didn't translate into an increase in output as he put up 4.8 points and 3 rebounds per game. The Bucks would once again lose in the first round of the playoffs, this time to Boston in 7 games. After barely seeing any court time as the Bucks went down 2-0, Thon got burn for the rest of the series after an impressive 14 point, 5 rebound, 5 block display in Game 3. His output would decline in the remaining games, despite logging another 5 blocks in Game 4.

Prior to his third season, Thon made his international debut for Australia, ignoring interest from Canada. Maker saw his game time decrease under new coach Mike Budenholzer he requested a trade. The organisation obliged, sending him to Detroit in a three-way trade involving the Pelicans, with Stanley Johnson & Nikola Mirotic being the other significant pieces moved. Less than 2 weeks into his Pistons' career, Thon hit a game winning three pointer against the Atlanta Hawks, it was an early peak to his time in the Motor City.

Thon & Detroit would run into the Bucks in the first round of the Playoffs and would promptly sent packing in a sweep. In the series Maker averaged 5.5 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 block.

The following season with the Pistons, Maker continued to average numbers he had managed to put up as a rookie, showing little improvement over his 4 years in the Association. At the end of the season, new GM Troy Weaver elected not to offer him a qualifying offer and Maker became a free agent. He signed a training camp deal with Cleveland, playing 8 games before being waived in January 2021.

Thon signed a deal with Hapoel Jerusalem in August, but was let go in December and rumours of a return to Australia to play in the NBL are currently heating up. Not where the 24 year old (?) expected to be, just five years ago.

His NBA career currently stands at 263 games, averaging 4.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 0.7 blocks.

 

[Hornso]

MCAP Auto #33 - Sviatoslav "Svi" Mykhailiuk
2018-19 Panini Chronicles - Momentous Rookie Autos 98/99

Playing in the Ukrainian Super League as a 15 year old, and becoming a Ukraine National Team Player as a 17 year old, Svi Mykhailiuk received numerous offers from colleges in the States to develop his game. He opted to become a Jayhawk by joining the University of Kansas. His game developed throughout his time in Lawrence and at the completion of his senior season he was averaging 14.6 points per game on 44.4% shooting from beyond the arc to go with 3.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists.

In the 2018 NBA Draft he was selected with the 47th pick by the Los Angeles Lakers and signed a 3 year, $4.6m contract. As a rookie he made 39 appearances for the Lakers off the bench but failed to make much on an impact, averaging 3.3 points, shooting under 32% from deep. Looking to add pieces to surround LeBron James, the Lakers traded Svi and a future 2nd round pick for a more experienced deep threat in Reggie Bullock. The Pistons shelved Mykhailiuk for the rest of the year as he only managed 20 minutes across 3 games. This would change.

In his 2nd year in the league, Svi shot greater than 40% from deep on his way to 9 points, 1.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game, however his long ball dropped back down to 33% the following season and new GM Troy Weaver traded Svi and a future 2nd round pick to OKC for one of 'his guys' (Hamidou Diallo). With the OKC roster in flux as much as Detroit's, Svi got plenty of opportunity as he averaged 10.3 points, 3 rebounds & 1.8 assists in 23 minutes per game.

The Thunder opted not to sign Svi and he became a free agent, opting to sign a 2 year, $3.6m deal in Toronto before the 2021-22 season. North of the border, Svi is averaging 6.3 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists & 32.4% from deep as the Raptors look to get back into the playoffs.

 

[Hornso]

MCAP Auto #34 - Tobias Harris
2016-17 Panini Select - Signatures Orange 53/60

A 2010 McDonald's All American and Mr. New York Basketball, Harris was a 5 star prospect coming out of high school, ranked between 4th-7th in the country by scouts. He committed to Tennessee and averaged 15.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game in a point forward role. His performances enough to earn him Second Team All-SEC and SEC All-Freshman Team.

On the back of this success he nominated for the 2011 NBA Draft and was selected by the Charlotte Bobcats with the 19th selection, only to be traded on draft night to the Milwaukee Bucks in a three-way trade with the Sacramento Kings. In a shortened season due to the lockout, Harris got limited opportunities his rookie season, averaging 5 points and 2.4 rebounds in 11 minutes.

Little changed the following season, until the Bucks sent Harris to Orlando in February. Packaged with Doron Lamb and Beno Udrih, the Bucks return was JJ Redick, Gustavo Ayon & Ish Smith. His playing time exploded and with it, his stats. In 27 apperances with the Magic, the forward averaged 17.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.4 blocks in 36 minutes. Harris also tied a career high for points (30) and set a career high for rebounds (19) in getting a late season revenge win over the Bucks.

After his second season breakout in Orlando, Harris' production seemed to level off at a rate of 15 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists per game. The Magic rewarded Harris in 2015 with a 4 year, $64m contract, only to seemingly instantly regret it and traded him 49 games into his new deal to Detroit for Ersan Ilyasova & a washed up Brandon Jennings.

This failed to deter Tobi who keep doing his thing, scoring 21 points on debut and helping the Pistons reach the playoffs for the first time since 2009. It was his first playoff appearance in his career and despite struggling early in the series, recovered to average 14.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3 assists per game as the Pistons were steamrolled by LeBron James and the Cavs.

Harris played a full 82 games season for the first time in his career the following season, as a 24 year old but it wasn't long before the Pistons wanted to move on from Harris like Orlando. Midway through his 3rd season in Detroit, despite putting up a new career high 18.1 points per game and earning a Eastern Conference Player of the Week award, Harris found himself being traded to the Los Angeles Clippers as a major piece of the deal to acquire Blake Griffin.

Once again, Harris found himself as a key part of a team that wasn't quite good enough to make the playoffs. He continued to produce, averaging 19.3 points per game for the remainder of the season and a career high 20.9 points per game at the beginning of the 2018-19 as her earned another Player of the Week award along with a Player of the Month award!

The Philadelphia 76ers liked what they were seeing and Harris was once again traded, this time to be paired with Joel Embiid & Ben Simmons as the Sixers looked to challenge for the title. Harris high level of production continued in Philadelphia as the organisation finished 3rd in the East. He struggled out of the gate again in the Playoffs as he managed a paltry 4 points in the Game 1 loss to Brooklyn, however he bounced back with games of 19, 29 & 24 the next three as the 76ers advanced in 5. Harris failed to put up these numbers for the rest of the playoffs unfortunately and the 76ers lost to the eventual (& unlikely) champion Raptors in 7 games.

It was a disappointing end to a solid season by Harris & the Sixers, and the organisation doubled down on him being a key part of the trio being asked to lead the franchise to glory by offering him a 5 year, $180m contract. The organisation would have a disappointing season however. In the COVID-19 interrupted season, they only managed to finish 6th in the East and got swept in the first round by the Boston Celtics with Simmons missing the series with a knee injury. Harris averaged 15.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 4 assists per game in the Playoffs but shot 38% from the field & 13% from deep.

The organisation needed a shake up, a new coach in Doc Rivers came onboard, as did a new GM in Daryl Morey and Harris kept on keeping on being his consistent self in the regular season. The Sixers finished first in the Eastern Conference and faced the Wizards in the first round. Harris was determined to silence his critics of playoff performances and came out with a 37 point Game 1 on his way to averaging 25 points per game in the five game series victory. All that stood in the way of the 76ers breaking through to the Eastern Conference Finals was a plucky, young Atlanta Hawks squad. Things didn't start well with the Hawks taking Game 1 in Philly, but the 76ers corrected course with back to back 16 point victories. Atlanta came back to level the series in Game 4 where Harris top scored for the Sixers with 20 points. He had been remarkably consistent through the first 4 games, averaging 21 points but in Game 5 he struggled scoring only 4 points in the home loss. He made amends on the road in Game 6, equal top scoring for Philly with 24 points as they headed home for Game 7. Once again Harris put up 24 points, but Philly weren't able to execute down the stretch behind confidence issues with All-Star point guard Simmons and they were once again out in an upset.

The 2021-22 season has started under a cloud of uncertainty for the 76ers. With the organisation and Simmons at an impasse. Still Harris keeps doing his business, although he is starting to feature in trade rumours in a deal for Ben Simmons. Once again it seems Harris has been determined to be a very good player, but not a good enough one to deliver playoff success as your 2nd or 3rd guy.

To date Harris has averaged 16.4 points, 6.2 rebounds & 2.2 assists over his NBA career, scoring 11,625 points in the process.

 

[Hornso]

MCAP Auto #35 - Langston Galloway
2018-19 Panini Noir - Sneaker Spotlight 27/99

Louisiana native Galloway moved to Philadelphia to play college ball for Saint Joseph's. He left the school as a three-time team MVP winner, 2nd all-time leading scorer (behind Jameer Nelson) and all-time three point shots made.

After being passed over in the 2014 NBA Draft, Galloway attended Summer League & pre-season with the Knicks and joined up with their D-League team. After two months in the D-League he earned himself a call up to the Association, earning a 10 day contract. He scored 7 points on debut and 19 points the following night earning himself another 10 day contract and eventually a multi-year deal with the franchise on minimal money. His rookie year he ended up starting 41 games, averaging 11.8 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.2 steals which was enough to earn him All-Rookie Second Team honours.

His second year with the Knicks he played all 82 games, but his minutes and production took a hit as he settled into a role coming off the bench. At the end of his second season the Knicks who originally had offered Galloway a qualifying offer, rescinded their offer to create room to sign Brandon Jennings. Instead Galloway returned home to Louisiana, signing a deal with New Orleans earning him $5.2m in his first year. He continued his role coming off the bench, netting close to 38% from deep and putting up a handful of 20+ point games before being traded to Sacramento as part of the deal for DeMarcus Cousins. He only made 19 appearances for the Kings but he was lights out from beyond the arc, hitting nearly 48% of his attempts.

This prompted the Pistons to pounce when he once again became a free agent at the end of the season. He signed with Detroit on a 3 year, $21m deal...not bad for a player who was overlooked by the league just 3 years earlier. Galloway initially struggled in the Motor City, with his deep ball deserting him, however by the time he reached the last year of his deal he was back to shooting 40% and he was averaging double digit points for the first time since his rookie season.

On the market again, Galloway signed a 1 year, $2m deal with the Phoenix Suns. A deal that saw him have his first extended playoff run of his career as the Suns went all the way to the NBA Finals before losing to the Bucks in 6, although he only played 14 minutes in total which came in blowout victories in earlier series.

He found himself looking for a team again. He signed with the Warriors for the 2021-22 season, however was cut in pre-season. In December, he signed with the College Park Skyhawks of the G-League, but he only played once before the Association came calling again. COVID-19 was once again wrecking havoc around the league and Galloway signed a 10-day contact with the ailing Brooklyn Nets which was extended for a following 10 days. Next it was the Bucks who required COVID relief provided by Langston, but he struggled in his 3 appearances shooting 8% from the field before, he himself caught the virus.

As it stands he's made 452 appearances in the NBA, averaging 8.1 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists, shooting 36.8% from three point land.

 

[Hornso]

MCAP Auto #36 - John Salley
2018-19 Panini Impeccable - Victory Signatures 69/99

Born in Brooklyn, New York, Salley played college basketball for Georgia Tech. He spent his full 4 years with the Yellow Jackets averaging 12.7 points, 6.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.9 blocks per game. He helped them win the ACC & the ACC Tournament in 1985, as well as helping them reach the Elite Eight & Sweet Sixteen in back to back NCAA Tournaments. He left Georgia Tech as their all time block shot leader (currently 4th) and had his #22 jersey retired.

He was drafted by the Pistons with the 11th pick in the 1986 NBA Draft and was taken under the wing of "the Teacher" Adrian Dantley who taught him about conditioning, nutrition and life off the court. Salley joined a Pistons squad just as they started transforming into the famous "Bad Boys", know for their defensive & aggressive style of basketball. Salley played an important role as a Bad Boy with his excellent shot blocking skills and his calm head which was required to settle down other members of the team.

His rookie year, "Spider" came off the bench to average 5.3 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.5 blocks as the Pistons finished 3rd in the East. He also managed to put up what would remain a career high 28 points against Milwaukee. He was the squad's 7th man as they crashed out to the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals in 7 games (the series where Isiah Thomas' turnover cost the Pistons Game 5 and probably turned the series).

For the remainder of his time in Detroit, he settled into a role, mostly coming off the bench, of putting up about 7.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.5 blocks in about 22 minutes per game. In his second season, the Bad Boys went to the Finals, losing to the Lakers in 7 games despite Thomas' heroics in Game 6 on one leg. Salley stepped into Mahorn's shoes for Game 7 and put up 17 points and 10 rebounds but the Pistons lost by 3 points in the Finals decider.

However, the wait for a ring would only last another season as the Pistons won championships in 1989 & 1990, getting revenge on the Lakers in '89 via a sweep and taking care of the Blazers in 5 the following year. That's only half the story though as the Bad Boys would have epic battles with Jordan & the Bulls in both seasons to get to the Finals. Spider actually played a pivotal role in Detroit beating the Bulls in 1990 as he put up 14 points and registered 5 blocks in the Game 7 decider.

SIDE NOTE: Salley actually had a superb defensive season in 1989/90 as he was 2nd in the NBA for Defensive Box Plus/Minus (behind Olajuwon) and 3rd in the NBA for Defensive Rating (behind Olajuwon & David Robinson).

Of course, the run would come to an end and the Bulls would sweep the Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals in 1991, which ended in the infamous walk-off. However, Salley was one of the few Bad Boys who stayed on the court to congratulate the Bulls.

The following year Salley started half his games for the Pistons and had a career high for points, averaging 9.5 per game. On the back of this performance, the Pistons traded Salley to the Miami Heat (only in their 5th year) for Isaiah Morris & a 1993 first round pick (Lindsay Hunter).

Salley spent 3 seasons in Miami averaging 7.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.2 blocks per game. The Heat made him available for the 1995 Expansion Draft and he was selected by the newly formed Toronto Raptors whom were part owned by former teammate Isiah Thomas. After only 25 appearances, Salley negotiated with Thomas to be waived by the Raptors, forgoing $750k he would have been owed by the Raptors to become a free agent mid-season to sign with the Chicago Bulls, initially on 10-day contracts until signing permanently. He would join former teammates Dennis Rodman & James "Buddah" Edwards as well as, of course, Michael Jordan & Scottie Pippen. At the time of signing the Bulls had a 52-6 record, on their way to a then NBA records 72-10 regular season record. Salley didn't see much court time in Chicago, but picked himself up a 3rd ring as the Bulls beat the Sonics in the Finals before retiring.

Salley's retirement only last 3 months as he joined Greek side Panathinaikos, but issues with their coach meant he left after only 7 games. He then didn't play for 2 seasons, before being picked up as a 35 year old by the 1999-2000 Shaq & Kobe Lakers, reuniting with coach Phil Jackson, once again used sparingly off the bench as the Lakers beat the Pacers in 6 games to become champs for the first time since the they defeated Salley's Pistons in 1988.

Picking up his 4th ring, Salley became the first player to win 3 rings with different franchises, he has since been joined by Robert Horry, Danny Green & LeBron James. Spider is also the first player to pick up an NBA Championship in 3 different decades (Tim Duncan has achieved this also).

Salley's post-basketball career is just as accomplished as his NBA career as he as appeared in several films including Bad Boys & Bad Boys II and the basketball film Eddie with Whoopi Goldberg. He has also appeared on TV for over 2 decades, hosting and appearing on numerous shows - some basketball related, many not. He is also a famous Vegan and has started up his own cannabis brand "Deuces 22".

His NBA career finished with 4 championships from 748 games, averaging 7 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.3 blocks.

 

[Hornso]

MCAP Auto #37 - Killian Hayes
2020-21 Panini Contenders Optic Rookie Ticket Red 113/149

Killian Hayes was born in Florida but spent his early life in France as the son of professional basketballer DeRon Hayes. He played basketball for Cholet in France and after impressing for junior side and made his senior debut at the age of 16, spurning the idea to going back to America for high school basketball on the advice of his American father.

After two seasons with Cholet, Hayes moved to Germany to play for Ulm where he would get the opportunity to play in the EuroCup and become the 2nd youngest player to register a double-double in the competition after Ricky Rubio. When COVID-19 hit Europe in March 2019, with the league suspended, Hayes moved back to Lakeland, Florida to be with his family and nominated for the 2020 NBA Draft.

The Detroit Pistons took the 6'5" point guard with the 7th pick in the Draft and combined him with fellow first round picks Isaiah Stewart & Saddiq Bey to form the foundation of the franchise's rebuild, but life in the NBA has gotten off to a rough start for Killian. Immediately the team's starting point guard Hayes suffered a labral tear after just 7 games resulting in him missing over half of his reduced rookie season. At the end of the season Hayes averaged 6.8 points, 5.3 assists, 2.7 rebounds and 1 steal in 26 appearances but was outshined by Bey & Stewart who made All-Rookie 1st & 2nd teams respectively.

Hoping to make a leap in his second season, Hayes' future became further clouded when the Pistons won the 1st pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and selected a fellow ball handler in Cade Cunningham. Sharing the back court with the #1 pick, Killian continued to start for Detroit but his court vision and on ball defence has been overshadowed by his inability to finish, especially at the rim, which hasn't been helped by a hand injury which he is fighting through. Hayes recently moved into a back up role coming off the bench which has seen an improvement in production as he's getting the ball in his hands and getting to run the offence with the other reserves.

Currently in his sophomore season Hayes has made 36 appearances, averaging 6.3 points, 3.9 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.2 steals in 25 minutes but whether his future lies in Detroit remains very much up in the air.

 

[Hornso]

MCAP Auto #38 - Saben Lee
2020-21 Donruss Optic - Rated Rookies Signatures Holo

Born in St. Louis, but raised in Phoenix, Saben Lee committed to Vanderbilt University after being named first team All-State as a high school junior.

Lee was the Commodores starting point guard as a freshman and elected to nominate for the 2020 NBA Draft after averaging 18.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game as a junior.

Saben was selected with the 38th pick by the Utah Jazz however was traded on draft night to the Detroit Pistons along with Tony Bradley for cash. Lee subsequently signed a two-way contract with the Pistons.

Helped by a long term injury to Pistons rookie starting point guard, Killian Hayes, Lee played 48 games his rookie season, including 7 starts, in which he put up 5.6 points, 3.6 assists and 2 rebounds per game in 16 minutes. He managed to score over 20 points, three times.

After his rookie season, Lee signed a 3 year, $5.1m deal with the Pistons and has continued to bounce between NBA & G-League in his second year as a pro. So far this season he is averaging 5.1 points, 2.4 assists and 2.4 rebounds, but he has established himself as too good for the G-League with averages of 26.5 points, 8.3 assists and 5 rebounds in his 4 appearances this season.

 

[Dodgydave]

So many cool names here!

I remember that Spartans Tournament run — Cleaves was an absolute boss.

Have been looking forward to seeing Siva with the Breakers, but, man he can not stay on the court.

I always remember Langston Galloway as being a guy who had one huge game every year and people getting excited about his "potential", then, realising he wasn't very good in the other 81!

I am hoping Saben Lee gets some more consistent run in Detroit post trade deadline if Cory Joseph or Frank Jackson get moved.

Keep up the good work.