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Rockets Sign Pops Mensah-Bonsu
Team inks forward to one-year deal
Mensah-Bonsu (6-9, 235, George Washington) has averaged 4.1 points and 3.9 rebounds in 34 career games with the Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors. In 2008-09, Mensah-Bonsu averaged 5.0 points, 5.1 rebounds and 12.9 minutes in 22 total games with the Spurs and Raptors.
Mensah-Bonsu hopes to bring a high-flying, athletic presence to the Rockets' frontcourt.
Rockets.com Staff
Houston -Houston Rockets General Manager Daryl Morey announced today that the team has signed forward Pops Mensah-Bonsu. Per team policy, financial terms were not released.
Signed to a 10-day contract by San Antonio on Feb. 25, Mensah-Bonsu averaged 5.0 points and 3.3 rebounds in 6.7 minutes over three contests with the Spurs. He was waived by San Antonio on Mar. 4 and was signed by Toronto for the remainder of the season on Mar. 6. In 19 outings with the Raptors, Mensah-Bonsu averaged 5.1 points and 5.4 rebounds in 13.8 minutes per game. He set career highs for points (21), free throws made (11) and free throw attempts (13) with Toronto vs. Indiana (3/15/09).
Mensah-Bonsu also averaged 26.6 points, 13.0 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in eight games (eight starts) with the NBA D-League Austin Toros. He actually began the season with DKV Joventut in the Spanish League, averaging 18.5 points in two contests (one start).
He began his NBA career with Dallas in 2006-07, averaging 2.4 points, 1.8 rebounds and 5.9 minutes in 12 games with the Mavericks. Mensah-Bonsu also averaged 15.8 points, 10.4 rebounds and 30.7 minutes per game in 26 contests (21 starts) with the D-League Fort Worth Flyers in 2006-07. His play with the Flyers earned him selection to the Eastern Division All-Star Team, where he was named MVP of the 2007 D-League All-Star Game after posting 30 points (11-13 FG) and seven rebounds. A native of London, England, Mensah-Bonsu has also played overseas with Benetton Treviso and CB Granada.
Mensah-Bonsu finished his four-year collegiate career with averages of 11.7 points and 6.0 rebounds in 112 games at George Washington University. He averaged 12.6 points and 6.7 rebounds as a senior, pacing the Colonials in field goal percentage (.564) and blocks (38). Mensah-Bonsu was named to the NABC All-District 4 First Team and to Atlantic 10 All-Conference First Team in his final campaign at George Washington
Where the have you been forum...
Brits’ Pops Joins Team With EuroBasket Approaching
Great Britain have received a shot in the arm ahead of the EuroBasket following the late arrival of Pops Mensah-Bonsu from the NBA.
Mensah-Bonsu, prevented from joining the national team this summer while he negotiated a contract with the Houston Rockets, also needed to be properly insured before showing up for national team duty.
Once his insurance was in place, Mensah-Bonsu joined training on Wednesday.
It remains to be seen how his inability to play in any of the friendly games affects the player, and team chemistry.
"We're really excited to finally have Pops with us," Britain coach Chris Finch said.
"Adding him is a boost; it keeps on strengthening the front line. The challenge now is to make sure we get him in as quickly as possible and hope he is in some sort of shape."
If there is a strength for Great Britain, it is their depth at power forward and center.
Andy Betts, Robert Archibald and Joel Freeland were already in the group and now Mensah-Bonsu should make the front court even stronger.
At his best, as he was during Britain's successful qualifying campaign for the EuroBasket, Mensah-Bonsu is a beast.
The 2.06m power forward/center averaged 12.2 points and 10 rebounds per contest.
He would have been a no-show in Poland were it not for Britain's ability to get him properly insured.
Ron Wuotila, head of basketball operations for British Basketball, said: "Thanks to the help from the Rockets and Pops we were able to put a policy in place in short order. This is a complicated process and was only possible with the help from many key people."
At the EuroBasket in Warsaw, Poland, Britain will play in Group C against Serbia, Slovenia and world champions Spain.
Yes, we also established that among the Pops and Blair fans, the first time Pops and Blair meet on the floor will be like Jordan vs Ditka.
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