Before we take a further look at the Rookie Draft prep, let’s take a look at the current roster.
Last year’s main starting five all return at this point:
PG - Joe Chadwick (22 years old) - 3 years in the league. Last year he averaged 33.4 minutes per game, and 10.1 PPG, 6.0 APG, and 3.5 RPG. Coming off of his best season thus far. He was the 11th pick in the 1976 draft.
SG - Arthur Good (23 years old) - 2 years in the league. Our top player. Averaged 20.8 points per game last year, along with 4.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game. Averaged 20.0 points per game in his rookie season. All-Star last season as well as the All-Star Weekend 3 Point Champion. Was the 4th pick in the 1977 draft.
SF - Michel Sory (21 years old) - 1 year in the league. Rookie year interrupted by a couple long-term injuries. Missed 55 days with a broken arm and then 47 days with patellar tendonitis. When he played, he compiled numbers of 16.8 points per game, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game. Still played enough to be named to the All-Rookie Team. Was the 2nd pick in the 1978 draft.
PF - Shannon Larios (35 years old) - 13 years in the league. Averaged 14.4 points per game last season, with 5.6 rebounds per game. Age is catching up with him though, as these numbers were his lowest since his rookie season. Signed as a free agent before the 1977 season.
C - Herminio Pacau (30 years old) - 9 years in the league. Averaged 7.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 0.4 blocks per game last season. Mediocre defender. Signed a 4 year contract with us before last season.
Other Players
Guards - Virgil Gates and Calvin Vaughn. Gates is 36 years old, and averaged just 4.9 minutes in 13 games last season. Adds a veteran presence and not much else at this point of his career. One more season remaining on his contract. Vaughn did not see any action last season.
Forwards - Karl Molina (28 years old), Chris Hall (27 years old), and James Verdugo (34 years old). Molina was our first man off the bench this past season, averaging 26.9 minutes per game after coming over from Milwaukee midway through last season. In his time on the floor he averaged 12.4 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists per game. Hall averaged 27.5 minutes per game, and 13.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists per game. Verdugo averaged 19.5 minutes, 8.0 points, 3.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists per game. Hall is probably our best inside scorer, while Molina may have the best jumper on the team. Verdugo is our strongest interior defender, though that is not saying much. Hall is a very strong perimeter defender.
So that’s it. Ten players currently under contract. Power forward and Center are our biggest areas of need. We need to get much better at those two positions if we are going to improve.
Here are last season's stats for informational sake as well:
