Former Wisconsin Basketball star Nigel Hayes earns a place at New York Knicks mini camp
Former Wisconsin Basketball players but Nigel Hayes is one step closer to securing a place in the NBA. Hayes did enough during a brief NBA Summer League season to score an invite to the New York Knicks mini camp.
Hayes was not picked during the 2017 NBA Draft but he quickly was snapped up by the New York Knicks following the draft. The Knicks played its summer league ball the first week of July down in Orlando.
Unlike the NFL, the NBA is not stuffed with For one thing, there are a a lot more NFL jobs available than NBA ones. For another, the Wisconsin Basketball system emphasis on fundamentals like defense, rebounding, and lack of blue chip recruits does not lend itself to the NBA shopping list.
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But Hayes offer some positional versatility being able to play at both forward spots depending on the size lineup desired. His defense, rebounding, passing, and post scoring made him one of the cleaner prospects out there. Badger of Honor argued before the draft the Knicks would be a good destination for Hayes.
Justin Feldkamp, the Sports Director for WTVG 13abc in Toledo, Ohio (where Hayes is from) posted a video on twitter with Hayes’ reaction.
https://twitter.com/BadgerMBB/status/885963761311506432
The Knicks went 1-4 in the NBA Summer League winning just five total quarters in its first four games. Hayes was at his best in his final games showing a good progression throughout the short competition.
- July 1st: New York Knicks 75 Dallas Mavericks 80
- 14 Minutes, 0-6 FG, 0 Points, 6 Rebounds (3 offensive), 2 Assists, 1 Foul
- July 2nd: New York Knicks 78 Detroit Pistons 103
- 11 Minutes, 1-2 FG, 2 Points, 4 Rebounds (1 offensive), 0 Assists, 1 Foul
- July 3rd: New York Knicks 87 Oklahoma City Thunder 97
- 10 Minutes, 2-4 FG, 1-2 FT, 5 Points, 4 Rebounds (3 offensive), 0 Assists, 1 Foul
- July 5th: New York Knicks 73 Orlando Magic 84
- 17 Minutes, 3-5 FG, 6 Points, 5 Rebounds, 3 Assists, 3 Steals, 2 Blocks,
- July 6th: New York Knicks 91 Miami Heat 72
- 23 Minutes, 8-12 FG, 13 Points, 6 Rebounds (1 offensive), 3 Assists, 1 Block, 4 Fouls
Related Story: NBA Summer League Update: Nigel Hayes
The Knicks apparently have “paused” trade talks about Carmelo Anthony but he does not appear long for New York. The SF positional depth chart opens considerably without Anthony in the picture. Best wishes to Hayes in New York as he continues his NBA journey.