Basketball New Zealand

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Cartridge World Otago Nuggets

The Cartridge World Otago Nuggets have made the first in-season import switch, ushering in American guard Lemar Gayle for outgoing American Rashaan Smith.

Gayle, a 27-year-old 1.95m (6ft 5in) guard who played under Nuggets coach Don Sims with the Seattle Mountaineers in the International Basketball League last year, arrived in Dunedin on Monday and will play in Otago’s Dominion Finance NBL double-header against the Youthtown Auckland Stars and Appliance Shed Harbour Heat tomorrow night.
Gayle – who most recently played for the Astana Tigers in Khazakstan with former Nugget import Justin Bailey, and received his clearance to play on Wednesday – averaged 30 points and nine rebounds per game with the Mountaineers, and was the ABA MVP early last year, averaging 32 points and 14 rebounds for the Maywood Buzz.
“The motivation’s to be as competitive as we can in the League and we saw getting Lemar as a chance to improve our position in the League,” said Mark Rogers, Otago Basketball CEO.
“Hopefully he’s an exciting prospect and by all accounts he should be.”
Gayle was drafted by the Bakersfield Jam with the 13th pick in the ninth round of the 2007-08 NBA Development League last November, but was waived two weeks later before the regular season started.
Waikato Pistons import Brian Wethers started out the D-League season with the Jam but was waived 12 days after Gayle.
Smith did not live up to Sims’ expectations of a 2.14m centre, averaging 8.5 points and 4.0 rebounds in the Nuggets 0-2 start.
The move does leave the Nuggets – who lead the league in rebounding (47.5) – light of big men, with fourth-year Nugget Jason Greig at 2.10m now their tallest, but Gayle’s scoring ability should help a team that ranks last in scoring (78.5).