Article Contributed on: 12/29/2006 2:27:47 PM
After going away for college, many young adults like to come home after graduation before setting out to find their place in the real world.
This doesn't usually work out for pro basketball players, who either are at the mercy of a draft or are willing to fly to the ends of the earth for a roster spot.
Boulder native
Louis Amundson is an exception.
The Monarch High School graduate and four-year letterman at Nevada-Las Vegas is the starting power forward for the
Colorado 14ers, a new team in the NBA's Development League that plays at the new Broomfield Events Center.
"It's cool," he said of coming back to Colorado. "It's kind of weird, but it's good to be back here to see family and friends that are still here."
Knowing Amundson's ties to the area, the NBADL offered to allocate him to the 14ers and he jumped at the chance. But he's not letting local distractions keep him from his basketball goal.
"I'm still doing to do what I need to do," he said.
He's staying with the rest of the team in a hotel, and his schedule is crowded with practice, games and road trips.
After the Dec. 27 game against the
Anaheim Arsenal, Amundson was averaging 8.9 points and 5.9 rebounds a game. He said the 14ers' uptempo style that has lead to a 103 point per game scoring average is perfect for him.
In the Dec. 27 game, Amundson helped lead the 14ers back from an 18-point deficit against Anaheim in a 112-110 victory. He scored a team-high 15 points and pulled down six rebounds before leaving the game with a hip pointer, according to head coach
Joe Wolf.
Wolf, an 11-year NBA veteran with two stints with the Denver Nuggets, said Amundson's 6-foot 9-inch and 225-pound frame combined with his quickness and agility is his greatest asset.
"He provides a big match up problem with athleticism and energy," Wolf said, adding that Amundson just needs more experience to acclimate to the speed of the game, so he can read and react faster on the court.
Amundson has also spent plenty of time on free throws. He's made 11 of 36 to start the season.
Wolf said Amundson's knowledge with the area has helped with Amundson's comfort level on and off the court. Amundson said many of his teammates don't even have a car, so often he piles a bunch of his mostly 6-4 and taller players into his truck for shopping runs.
Most of the players either didn't bother to bring a car to Broomfield or just can't afford it. Top salary in the NBA Development League is $24,000. Both Amundson and Wolf said pay is what separates an NBADL player and the 11th or 12th man on an NBA roster.
"The last guy on the roster on an NBA roster is no different than a D-League player," Amundson said. "It comes down to the right situation, to the right team. It's a lot more than if you can play or not."
By playing in the NBADL, he's under constant watch of NBA scouts, in case a team finds itself in need of an athletic power forward.
Amundson spent the preseason with the
Sacramento Kings before being left off the regular season roster.
"It was a great opportunity for me," Amundson said. "It was disappointing for me when they made that final cut. It built some confidence and I know I can compete up there."
Colorado 14ers official Web site