Reaching the NBA is the ultimate dream for really any aspiring basketball player, especially those who are sitting in the D-League right now. On Tuesday, a former D-Leaguer got his wish, a guaranteed NBA contract.
The Boston Celtics announced on Tuesday that center Greg Stiemsma survived the waiver deadline for those with non-guaranteed contracts, and will remain with the team for the rest of the season. Stiemsma was the only player on the C's roster without a guaranteed contract.
Stiemsma, 26, made the team out of training camp after being signed from the D-League in the offseason. While he currently sits behind both Jermaine O'Neal and Chris Wilcox on the depth chart, he's shown that he's a proven shot blocker and rebounder off the bench. As many remember, Stiemsma burst onto the with a bang, as he had 13 points in an early season start against the Washington Wizards.
Even though Stiemsma doesn't log a lot of minutes on a nightly basis, Doc Rivers is very happy to have him on his bench.
"First of all, he's a good spirit," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "The guy never complains, does his work every single day. And secondly, he does give us an option. He's a shot blocker, and he can actually make shots as well. We have a great group. We really do. Our locker room is absolutely phenomenal, and he just adds into that. He can play. That's the main thing. If he couldn't play, but he's a great guy, we'd probably send him on his way, but he can actually play. And he's a big guy that can play, and we're just hope we can keep developing him to make him a better player." (via WEEI)
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