DG147 - Part 1

Not willing to put in the extra effort, I kept telling myself I was going to do a nice, quick dread gallery on pro basketball. And then I went through all the pictures I saved ....... Well, so much for nice and quick. Instead, dread gallery #147 will be a nice, not very quick look in two parts at basketball players with dreads who play for pay. We'll look at all 10 of the NBA's players with dreads in action from the 2012-13 season (which I will still refer to as this season even though it's already finished) along with a few (and only a few) of the many playing in minor leagues around the world. No doubt there will be several players with dreads not featured here. I don't have the time to check every single league worldwide. So if I don't include some of your favorite players, I'm sorry; it will be up to you to please let us know about them.

We'll lead off part 1 of DG147 with Gerald Wallace.

Prior to this season Wallace on many occasions had his hair in braids hanging loosely from his head, making them look like they were dreads. And on many other occasions he had braids that looked like braids, such as in the photo above from March 2011. But this season was different.
In just about every picture of him from December on, there is no sign of braids. It truly looked like his hair was twisted into dreads. No, I can't say for sure that they are dreads, but they look like dreads enough for me to welcome him to the house as a full-fledged dreadhead. If I'm wrong, well, I guess we'll have to show him the door next season.
As usual, dreads or no dreads, Gerald's high-flying, high-energy style of play makes for some interesting photos.
.
.

1. With the game tied at 80 on Feb. 5, Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant, after beating Nets F Gerald Wallace off the dribble, gets to the rim and dunks the ball on Wallace and F Kris Humphries with 2:45 remaining in 4th quarter. Obviously this didn't make Gerald's highlight reel, but I'm leading off with this photo because it gives you a good look at his dreads. I kept the photo at it's original size; so if you save it, you'll get a close look.

.
.

2. Early in 1st quarter on Feb. 5, Wallace loses the ball to Kobe Bryant, the first of 4 turnovers he had in the game. Wallace also finished with 9 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals, but Lakers ended the game on a 10-0 run in the final 2:25 to get the road win 92-83.
.
.

3. As Gerald Wallace drives to the basket against F Carmelo Anthony and G Raymond Felton during 1st quarter on Dec. 11, he loses his balance and shoots an air ball - and accidentally kicks Anthony in the face. Carmelo ended up with a bloody lower lip but was OK (he scored 45 points). F Reggie Evans rebounded Wallace's air ball and laid it in to give Nets a 23-7 lead, but Knicks came back to win. Despite 17 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists by Wallace, Nets lost their 5th in a row (after an 11-4 start) 100-97. 
.
.

4. The Nets hosted the Celtics on Christmas Day - and renewed hostilities from their first meeting of the season a month earlier in Boston during which there was a brawl. After being fouled by F Kevin Garnett with 9:30 remaining in 4th quarter, Gerald Wallace was knocked off balance and grabbed a hold of Garnett's shorts to keep from falling. But then he wouldn't let go (left photo), making KG more than a bit irritated and almost starting another brawl. Double technical fouls were called on Garnett and Wallace. About 3 minutes later Wallace was on the receiving end of a flagrant foul by F Jared Sullinger (right photo), but no further unpleasantries ensued. Wallace finished with 15 points and 6 rebounds but was a game worst -16 (meaning Nets were scored by 16 points during his 28 minutes on the court) as Nets suffered an embarrassing 93-76 defeat.
.
.

5. Heat F Udonis Haslem fouls Gerald Wallace rather than let him have an easy basket late in 4th quarter at Miami on Dec. 1. Wallace made both free throws for the last 2 of his 13 points. But Nets were outscored 52-30 in 2nd half of a 102-89 defeat that ended their 5-game winning streak.
.
.

6. With Nets leading by 1 and with a foul to give during closing seconds on Feb. 19, Gerald Wallace puts the clamps on G Brandon Jennings to keep him from shooting. But Bucks scored anyway after a timeout to take the lead. Wallace finished with 6 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists as Nets, after sending the game into overtime on a Joe Johnson 3-pointer with 1.3 seconds to play, won 113-111 for their first win over Milwaukee in almost 4 years (ending a 13-game losing streak in the series). The game was during a 12-game span (Feb. 13-Mar. 11) in which Gerald failed to score in double figures in any of the games and shot 31% from the field.
.
.

7. Arriving too late to prevent Gerald Wallace from scoring on a driving layup, 290-pound F Glen Davis of Orlando politely catches the 6-7, 220-pound Wallace in midair and sets him down gently rather than sending him crashing to the court during 3rd quarter at Brooklyn on Jan. 28. The layup, 2 of Wallace's 6 points, gave Nets a 62-44 lead, and they went on to win 97-77. Here is a video of the play:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WKFyxb_umQQ
.
.

8. Gerald Wallace soars to the basket for a dunk in front of F Tayshaun Prince, giving Nets a 49-38 lead in 2nd quarter on Dec. 14. Nets would up the lead to 17, but Pistons came back to send game into overtime. Wallace finished with a season high 25 points (one of only two 20-point games he had this season) and 10 rebounds in 50 minutes as Nets won 107-105 in double OT. 
.
.
Brooklyn went 7-2 in April to clinch home court advantage for the 1st round of the playoffs, but Wallace continued his late-season slump, scoring a total of 14 points in those 9 games.

9. Gerald Wallace and G Marco Belinelli look to the referee for the call while battling for possession on the floor during 2nd half as Nets host Bulls in Game 1 of a 1st round playoff series on Apr. 20. In 12 NBA seasons, Wallace has been on teams that made the playoffs in 6 of those seasons.
.
.

10. Gerald shows off his incredible leaping ability, but this isn't the time for that, as F Luol Deng drives past him late in 2nd quarter. The play resulted in Deng assisting on a 3-pointer by Belinelli, cutting Nets lead to 50-31. Wallace had 14 points (his most points in a home game since Christmas) and 6 rebounds as Nets won Game 1 easily 106-89.
.
.

11. I can't remember exactly what happened on this play late in Game 4, but this might be Wallace picking up his 6th foul after a steal by G Nate Robinson during the 2nd overtime. Thanks to an incredible performance by Robinson (23 points in 4th quarter), Nets blew a 14-point lead with 3 minutes remaining. Wallace had 17 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 assists before fouling out, but Nets lost a thriller 142-134 in triple OT to fall behind 3-1 in the series.
.
.

12. Gerald Wallace takes advantage of an open lane after taking a pass from Reggie Evans and dunks over C Joakim Noah to cut Bulls lead to 74-67 during 3rd quarter of Game 7 at Brooklyn. Wallace scored 11 points in the 3rd to help the Nets close within 5 after trailing by 17 at halftime ......
.
.

13. ..... But the Nets never got closer than within 4 points of the Bulls throughout 4th quarter. Knowing the end is near, here Wallace waits while the Bulls shoot free throws during the final minute. Wallace played 40 minutes and played well, finishing with 19 points and 5 assists, but Nets' season ended with with a 99-93 home loss to Bulls in Game 7.
It would be Gerald's last game in a Nets uniform. About three weeks ago he was traded to the Celtics, and will likely will be dealt again before the start of next season. After averaging at least 13 PPG for 9 seasons in a row, Wallace scored just 7.7 PPG this season and shot just 39.7% from the field (his worst since 2004). He also averaged 4.6 RPG, 2.6 APG, and 1.4 SPG in 30 MPG. Even though he's been in the league for 12 years, Wallace is still only 31 years old. So even though he's obviously in decline, he still should have at least a couple more productive seasons in him. At least I hope so. I've been a big fan of Wallace ever since first finding out about him in SLAM magazine back when he was in high school, and it'd be great to see his career continue - and his dreads get longer - in the seasons ahead.  
.
.

14. Utah Jazz F DeMarre Carroll finds out the hard way that Hornets rookie F Anthony Davis (the top pick in the 2013 draft) is really good at blocking shots on this layup attempt midway through 2nd quarter at New Orleans on Nov. 2. Carroll took 6 shots in 14 minutes off the bench, finishing with 4 points in an 88-86 loss to the Hornets. 
.
.

15. DeMarre Carroll tries his luck at stopping Heat superstar LeBron James on Jan. 14 at Salt Lake City. James hit 6 of 7 from the field during Carroll's 15 minutes on the floor (and 13 of 19 overall), although I can't confirm how often Carroll was covering LeBron during that time. But DeMarre did better offensively, finishing with 11 points (all in 1st half), 4 rebounds, and 2 assists as the Jazz, after having their 21-point lead late in 3rd quarter cut to 93-91, held on to beat the Heat 104-97, the 2nd win during a 4-game winning streak.
.
.

16. Here's DeMarre Carroll on defense again, trying to knock the ball away from Pacers star Paul George during 1st half on Dec. 19. Carroll had 5 rebounds and 2 points as Jazz, after scoring only 8 points in 2nd quarter to trail by 22 at the half, went on to lose 104-84.
.
.

17. I never knew diving on the floor could be so much fun. DeMarre Carroll and Wizards G Jordan Crawford seem to be enjoying this battle for a loose ball during 1st half on Dec. 19. Carroll finished with 7 points and 7 rebounds in 23 minutes. Despite 20 points by Crawford, Wizards dropped to 0-8 with an 83-76 home loss to the Jazz. 
.
.

18. DeMarre Carroll, 6-8 and 212 pounds, is harassed by 6-3 G Ben Gordon of Charlotte while handling the ball on Mar.1. DeMarre scored a season high 19 points and added 3 rebounds and 3 steals in 20 minutes as the Jazz picked up an easy 98-68 home victory.
.
.

19. After playing a total of just 19 minutes during an 11-game span between Mar. 16 and Apr. 3, DeMarre Carroll celebrates after a play during his 26 minutes on the court on Apr. 5. DeMarre was a team best +21 during those 26 minutes, finishing with 6 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals as Jazz defeated Hornets 95-83. But despite going 9-3 down the stretch, the Jazz missed the playoffs, their 43-39 record falling 2 games short of the Rockets and Lakers in the battle for the final two playoff spots in the West. Carroll, a 1st round draft choice in 2010 whose strengths are defense and hustle, had the best season of his career, playing a career high 1,111 minutes (17 per game) - almost as many as in his first 3 seasons combined - and finishing with career high averages of 6.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 0.9 assists, and 0.9 steals. And slowly but surely, his dreads are getting longer. This was the second season they've been long enough for him to have to ponytail them. When next season begins, Carroll will be wearing his 5th different NBA uniform after recently signing as a free agent with the Atlanta Hawks. 
.
.

20. After playing his first 5 professional seasons for teams in Europe, 6-8, 225-pound F Chris Copeland signed a contract with the New York Knicks after an impressive showing in the NBA Summer League last year. He began this season as a 28-year old rookie but didn't get much playing time early. This dunk in front of Pacers F Miles Plumlee on Nov. 18 were his only 2 points of the game and the Knicks' last 2 points of the game in an 88-76 home victory. Copeland played only 28 minutes in the Knicks' first 13 games and scored 21 points.
.
.

21. The return of G Jeremy Lin to New York was the feature attraction at the Knicks' home game against Houston on Dec. 17. And Lin (guarding Copeland in left photo) gave his former team a reminder of what they were missing after they let him leave as a free agent following the 2011-12 season, finishing with 22 points and 9 assists to help lead the Rockets to a 109-96 blowout victory. But it also was a big night for Copeland, who had a breakout performance, scoring 29 points (11-19 FG) in 28 minutes in his 2nd NBA start. Here's more on Copeland  from the New York Times after he played 23 minutes in the Knicks' next game: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/20/sports/basketball/knicks-chris-copeland-waited-a-long-time-for-his-shot.html?_r=0 
.
.

22. Chris Copeland and G Gordon Hayward battle for a loose ball during 2nd half at MSG on Mar. 13. After not playing at all in 12 of the previous 13 games, Copeland scored 12 points in 7 minutes in the Knicks' 113-84 blowout of Utah, a performance that finally convinced Coach Woodson to put him in the game more often. From this point on Copeland played in every game for the rest of the regular season, playing at least 19 minutes in 16 of the Knicks final 22 games.
.
.

23. Chris Copeland drives to the basket between Celtics forwards Shavlik Randolph (left) and D.J. White on Mar. 31. Looking at the game play-by-play, this is probably Copeland's missed layup with 2:52 remaining in 4th quarter. However, Chris had a strong game, finishing with 22 points and 5 rebounds in 20 minutes as Knicks won 108-89 to finish March on an 8-game winning streak.  .
.

24. Five nights earlier in Boston on Mar. 26, Chris Copeland tries to rip F Paul Pierce's arm off rather than letting him shoot an easy layup with 8:26 remaining in 2nd quarter. Pierce made both FT to tie the game at 33. Copeland scored only 1 point in the game, but Knicks won easily 100-85.
.
.

25. It looks like Nuggets G Evan Fournier has a lot of ball here but is called for a foul (and takes a shot to the groin to boot) while trying to block a shot by Chris Copeland, with C Timofey Mosgov also defending, midway through 4th quarter at Denver on Mar. 13. Copeland had 7 points and 6 rebounds in a 117-94 loss to the Nuggets, part of a dismal 4-game losing streak on a western road trip right before Knicks went on their 13-game winning streak.
.
.

26. Chris Copeland drives to the basket past Bobcats F Bismack Biyombo (left photo) on Apr. 15 and past Hawks C Johan Petro (#10) on Apr. 17. With Knicks resting their most important players, Copeland went wild in the last two games of the regular season, scoring a season high 32 points in a 106-95 loss to Bobcats and then topping that with a new season high 33 points in the 98-92 victory over Hawks. Knicks finished 54-28, 2nd best record in the East. 
.
At that point Copeland had proven he could score big in games that didn't matter much. But could he score in the playoffs? At first, the answer was a resounding no, as he went scoreless (0-5 FG) in 24 minutes in the first 3 games of the 1st-round series with the Celtics and didn't play at all in the last 3 games. But he did much better in the 2nd round.
.
.

27. Chris Copeland steals the ball from Pacers G D.J. Augustin early in 2nd quarter of Game 5 on May 16, one of his 2 steals in the game.
.
.

28. After grabbing an offensive rebound, Chris Copeland hits a layup in front of F David West, giving the Knicks their biggest lead of the game 59-48 with 4:23 to go in 3rd quarter of Game 5. Trailing 3-1 in the series, Copeland sparked the Knicks, finishing with 13 points (including 3 of 4 from 3-point range) and 4 rebounds in 19 minutes as Knicks stayed alive with 85-75 home victory. 
.
.

29. Chris Copeland tries a driving layup during Game 6 but has it rejected by C Roy Hibbert with 5:07 remaining during 2nd quarter on May 18 at Indianapolis. Copeland had this look, with his dreads held back by just a single band close to the head, for most if not all of the games this season; but they're getting long enough that he might have to go to a ponytail in the near future. Copeland scored 9 points (on 3 3-pointers) in his final game in a Knicks uniform, as Pacers won 106-99 to take the series 4-2. Even though he didn't play a lot this season, Chris showed he can be an effective scorer both inside and out, just as he did in Europe. With his ability to hit 3-pointers (he made 59 of 140 attempts), he likely has found a permanent home in the NBA - although it will not be in New York. After averaging 8.7 points (47.9 FG%) and  2.1 rebounds in 15 MPG, Copeland signed as a free agent with the Pacers. 
.
.

30. While Chris Copeland put Belgium in his rear view mirror, veteran F Brent Wright was back for his 4th season in a row in the BLB and his 2nd in a row playing for Telenet Oostende. In the left photo Wright, a 6-8, 235-pounder, defends against a player even older than he is, as now 40-year former Kentucky C Andre Riddick puts up a shot in Belgacom Spirou's 77-65 home win over Oostende on Feb. 15. I didn't spend much time look for better photos than this, but you can tell they're from this season because Wright is wearing jersey #21 after wearing #14 last season. Wright, who has made it a habit of winning championships, did it again this season - his 8th championship in 12 seasons in Europe. Oostende finished in 1st place with a 20-8 record and won their two playoffs series, 3-1 and 3-0. Brent played 42 games (all starts) this season, averaging 9.6 points (48.1 FG%) , 5.2 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 23 MPG.
.
.

31. With his talents no longer needed after 6 seasons in the NBA, F Renaldo Balkman had to go elsewhere for employment this season, first signing with the Petron Blaze in the Phillipines ..... He wasn't there for long. As you might expect from a former NBA player, Balkman was dominant in the PBA, scoring at least 23 points in his first 6 games, including 28 points and 15 rebounds in a 98-73 victory over San Mig Coffee (left photo) on Feb. 13. But things went all wrong in his 7th game. Struggling through a terrible game (3-16 FG, 0-4 FT) and frustrated by the terrible officiating, Renaldo had a truly ugly incident near the end of the game, which you can see (if you haven't already) by clicking the link below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFXTe-JMJDU
Oh wow, Renaldo, what on Earth caused you to act like that? A bunch of people tried to calm him down, but he just refused to calm down. A couple of days later he appeared on TV to apologize ..... http://ph.sports.yahoo.com/news/nba--balkman--i-m-not-a-bad-guy-131128710.html ..... but it was too late - he was kicked out of the league. Balkman ended up averaging 25 PPG, 13.4 RPG, and 2.7 BPG during his one month (Feb. 8-Mar.8) in the PBA; then he averaged 18.3 PPG and 8.6 RPG in 13 games (Mar. 30-Apr. 25) for Venezuelan club Guaiqueries de Margarita before finishing his season playing 30 games (May 7-July 17) for Puerto Rican club Brujos de Guayama, where he averaged 16.6 PPG and 8.7 RPG. Hopefully his next season will be a little less eventful. 
.
.

32. If you watched any of the NBA Summer League games a few weeks ago, you might have caught a glimpse of 6-11, 250-pound C Gary McGhee. McGhee spent this season playing for BBC Bayreuth in the BBL in Germany, here defending against former Xavier C Kenneth Frease on Oct. 6. McGhee had 12 points and 9 rebounds in an 83-75 victory over Walter Tigers Tubingen, the 2nd win in a season-opening 4-game winning streak by Bayreuth.
.
.

33. Gary McGhee slams home 2 of his 10 points in front of F Dino Gregory during a 103-96 home victory over Phoenix Hagen on Jan. 26. Despite the good start, Bayreuth finished tied for 13th place (out of 18 teams) with a 14-20 record. McGhee started all 34 games, averaging 9.4 points (52.9 FG%) and 6.5 rebounds in 26 MPG. I haven't heard of him signing with any NBA team yet, so Gary might be looking at another year in Europe next season.
.
.

34. A couple of players with dreads clash in the German BBL as Gary McGhee blocks a layup attempted by veteran G Julius Jenkins of EWE Baskets Oldenburg during a battle of 5-2 teams on Nov. 11. McGhee had 4 points and 6 rebounds, while Jenkins scored 6 points in EWE's 71-50 victory.
.
.

35. 32 year old Julius Jenkins, the 6-2, 175-pound G with sick dreads, defends a last-second shot (but not at the end of 4th quarter) by Fraport Skyliners G Quantez Robertson on Dec. 8. Jenkins scored 10 points in a 63-61 home victory. Jenkins has played 9 of his 10 pro seasons in Germany, although this was his first with EWE.
.
.

36. Julius Jenkins drives to the basket past G Lance Jeter (left photo) and drives past F Steven Esterkamp (right) of Ratiopharm Ulm during Game 5 of a semifinal playoff series on June 6. After playing for and winning the championship with Brose Baskets Bamberg last season, Jenkins finished 1 game behind Brose during the regular season this year, as EWE finished in 2nd place with a 25-9 record. After a 3-2 series victory in the quarterfinals, EWE also eliminated Ratiopharm 3-2, as Julius had 27 points and 7 rebounds in Game 5 and averaged 23 PPG in the series.
.
.

37. I don't know if Julius Jenkins was called for an offensive foul here, but he sure should have, as he gives Brose G Alex Renfroe his version of a facial (left photo) in Game 2 of the finals on June 12. On the right Julius thrills the home fans with a 2-hand slam. JJ had 9 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists in Game 2, but EWE blew a 40-26 halftime lead and lost 63-61. Brose swept the series 3-0 - winning by 2, 3, and 3 points - to win their 4th straight championship. Jenkins played 63 games this season (10 starts), averaging 13.5 points (45.3 FG%), 2.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists in 26 MPG. He'll be back with EWE for the 2nd season on his 2-year contract in 2014. 
.
.
Fans in the Ukranian Superleague no doubt missed seeing the super long dreads of Brian Greene this season, but the two teams Greene played for the last two seasons - Mykolaiv and Goverla - each had a player with (much shorter) dreads in 2012-13 ......

38. As Goverla G Kyndall Dykes takes it to the basket, F Dwayne Mitchell (with his dreads reduced) of Mykolaiv gets out of his way in a game on Dec. 7. Dykes outscored Mitchell 23-16, but Mitchell and Mykolaiv got the 86-79 road win.  
.
.

39. Dwayne Mitchell, the 6-5 former Louisiana-Lafayette star, drives against F Leonid Stefanishin (left photo) on Oct. 28. Mitchell had 17 points, 4 rebounds, and 9 assists, but Mykolaiv lost at home to Politekhnika-Halychyna 90-75. And on the right Dwayne puts up a shot against Ferro-ZNTU on Mar. 3, a game in which he had 14 points and 10 rebounds but which Mykolaiv lost at home again, 78-76 in OT. Mykolaiv missed the playoffs, finishing in 10th place (out of 14 teams) with a 16-23 record. Dwayne, playing his first season in Ukraine after the previous three in Israel, played 37 games (all starts) and averaged 13.7 points (45.0 FG%), 5.9 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 32 MPG. He's going back to Israel for next season.  
.
.

40. Evidently, 6-3, 190-pound G Kyndall Dykes, the former Univ. of New Orleans star, likes driving to the basket - in a Mar. 17 game against Mykolaiv (left), a game in which he scored 16 points in a 74-68 victory, and in a playoff game on Apr. 17 (right) against F Leo Lyons of Budivelnyk. Dykes had 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists, but Goverla lost a tough one at home 78-77 in Game 4 of the 1st-round series. After finishing in 8th place at 21-18, Goverla drew #1 seeded Budivelnyk in round 1 and lost the series 4-1. Dykes, who played in Romania last season, had a very good first season in Ukraine, finishing 2nd in the league in scoring at 17.5 PPG (48.1 FG%). He played all 44 games (41 starts) and also averaged 5.2 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.6 steals in 34 MPG. He'll be back for another season in Ukraine - in a Halychyna uniform.
.
.

41. There was at least one other player with dreads in Ukraine this season, and he's blocking Kyndall Dykes' path to the basket on this play in the season opener on Sept. 28. Both G Darrel Mitchell, making his debut in a Halychyna uniform, and Dykes starred in Goverla's 79-76 home win. Mitchell, no relation to Dwayne Mitchell, had 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 8 assists. Dykes did him one better, finishing with 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists. Dykes will be taking Mitchell's roster spot for Halychyna next season.
.
.

42. Here's a little better look at Darrel Mitchell's dreads, as the 5-11, 175-pounder drives to the basket in Haylchyna's other road game against Goverla on Mar. 20. Halychyna won this meeting 76-63, with Mitchell contributing 16 points and 7 assists. Darrel finished 10th in the league in scoring and was 8th in assists. He played 45 games (all starts) and averaged 15.9 points (43.7 FG%), 3.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 1.5 steals in 33 MPG. Halychyna finished in 5th place with a 24-15 record, swept Khimik (the team Mitchell played for last season) 4-0 in the quarterfinals, but then got swept 4-0 by eventual champion Budivelnyk in the semis. Darrel has not signed with any team yet for next season.
.
.

43. After deciding not to pursue a career as a tight end in the NFL in 2009, former Cleveland State star F J'Nathan Bullock has been traveling around the world - to teams in Australia, Belgium, Iceland, and this season to Finland, where he played for Kauhajoen Karhu in the Korisliiga, here driving past ex-dread F Devonne Giles of KTP Kotka on Dec. 30. Bullock had 19 points and 13 rebounds in a 118-108 loss in the highest scoring game of the season. Bullock, who has the size to play tight end at 6-5, 240 pounds, played 42 games (all starts) for Kauhajoen, averaging 16.9 points (50.3 FG%), 6.7 rebounds, and 1.2 steals in 28 MPG.
.
.
And while I was searching for photos of J'Nathan ......

44. ..... I found out that another player with dreads was his teammate for part of the season. 6-8 F Haminn Quaintance, whom I vaguely remember from when he played at Kent State, joined Kauhajoen (and btw, you think they got enough ads on their uniforms?) in mid-February after beginning the season on a team in Iceland. Quaintance reaches to try to block a shot by Nilan Bisons G Jeb Ivey (right photo) on Mar. 6. Quaintance had 7 points and 15 rebounds in a 90-84 road victory. But Nilan Bisons would get the last laugh.
.
.

45. Haminn Quaintance gets fouled by F Ville Makalainen on the way to the basket (a good idea because Haminn hit free throws at only 47% for Kauhajoen), as J'Nathan Bullock looks on with his dreads reduced during Game 3 of a semifinal playoff series on Apr. 29. Quaintance had 22 points and 12 rebounds, and Bullock added 25 points and 7 rebounds as Kauhajoen won at Nilan Bisons 96-84 to avoid being swept. But Kauhajoen lost Game 4 at home and was eliminated 3-1, and Nilan Bisons went on to take the title. Quaintance averaged 19.9 PPG and 10.0 RPG in 11 games for UMF Skallagrimur Borganes in Iceland before playing 16 games (15 starts) for Kauhajoen, averaging 13.6 points (63.2 FG%), 9.2 rebounds, 2.3 steals, and 1.4 blocked shots in 28 MPG. Neither he nor Bullock are signed for next season yet.
.
.
Let's head back to the states now for a trip to the ABA - the new ABA, that is. They may play with the same colorful ball as the old ABA did back in the 1970's; but they don't pay like the old ABA. Were talking about low minor league basketball here. The only reason I'm mentioning them was that I noticed that dreads are very prominent on the best team in the league, the Jacksonville Giants. 

46. 6-4 G Currye Todd handles the ball (left photo) in a 138-104 victory over Memphis on Jan. 26 and puts up a shot (right photo) in a 117-94 semifinal victory over Colorado Kings on Apr. 11, a game in which he scored 18 points.
.
.

47. I had never heard of Todd before, but 6-10 C Bernard Toombs is a familiar face. He appeared in some of my dread galleries while he was in college at Troy .....
.
.

48. ..... And so did 6-2 G Kevin Thomas when he was at Murray State. Thomas' dreads were already sick at Murray and now have reached incredible length. 













.
.

49. Kevin Thomas defends against #6 for a team called the Bahama All Pro Show on Feb. 17 at Jacksonville. The Giants won 155-115. I'd like to tell you who #6 is, but I don't know. The team doesn't have a web site, and I can't find any ABA box scores.
.
.

50. The Jacksonville Giants - where even one of the coaches has sick dreads. As Bernard Toombs and the long braids of G Anthony Jackson sit on the bench during a timeout, in the background standing is assistant coach and former minor league pro player Jerry Williams, who also happens to be the older brother of Rashean Mathis. I can't find any stats, but the Giants went 32-1 this season, winning their 2nd straight title as they won the championship series 2-0 over North Dallas Vandals, winning both games at home and both by 1 point.
.
.

51. To my great disappointment (and I still haven't gotten over it) 6-7 F Mickael Gelabale cut off some of the best dreads ever to appear on a basketball court in May 2011 late in the season while playing for a team in France. But he's been growing his hair back since then, getting it long enough so that he could debut the 2nd edition of his dreads while playing for France at the Olympics last summer. Apparently not satisfied with this look, Mickael untwisted the dreads even before the Olympics were over but continued to keep his hair growing. He started this season in Croatia, averaging 11.7 PPG in 22 games for Cedevita before moving on to Valencia in Spain just before Christmas. Then. after 6 games there (10 PPG), the injury-ravaged Minnesota Timberwolves came calling, signing him to a 10-day contract. He played his first game on Jan. 19 (his first NBA game since tearing his ACL in March 2008) and played well enough to stay with the T-Wolves for the rest of the season, and ......
.
.

52. ..... at some point late in February or at the beginning of March, he re-debuted the 2nd edition of his dreads, this time with crooked locks. Gelabale tries a layup against Heat F Chris Bosh (left photo) but misses during 1st quarter on Mar. 4, a game he started and finished with 6 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 steals in a 97-81 home loss. On the right, Mickael defends against Rockets G James Harden on Mar. 15, a game in which he had 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists in a 108-100 road loss. Gelabale played regularly in his first 29 games with Minnesota, scoring in double figures 10 times, but hardly played at all in the last four weeks of the season. In all, he played 36 games (13 starts), averaging 5.0 points (51.8 FG%) and 2.3 rebounds in 18 MPG. Unfortunately the Timberwolves did not want him back for another season, and he has decided to go back to Russian club Khimky Moscow, a team he played for in 2011-12, next season.
.
.

53. There was one other NBA player with dreads in last summer's Olympics at London. Veteran Washington Wizards C Nene of Brazil tries to defend Great Britain F Pops Mensah-Bonsu on a drive to the basket on July 31. Nene averaged 8 points and 7 rebounds in 5 games in the Olympics. Brazil lost to Argentina in the quarterfinal round.
.
.

54. After missing the first 8 games of the season with a foot injury, Nene made his 2012-13 debut on Nov. 21, here defending against C Al Horford early in 4th quarter at Atlanta. Nene had 12 points in 20 minutes, but Wizards fell to 0-10, losing 101-100 to Hawks after a video replay review confirmed that their would-be game-winning basket came after the buzzer.Wizards would have to wait one more week before getting their 1st victory ......
.
.

55. ..... With Wizards leading Blazers by 2 in the closing seconds on Nov. 28, Nene tries to secure the victory but is called for an offensive foul as he runs over G Damian Lillard on his way to the basket with 9 seconds to go. Nene finished with 6 points and 6 rebounds in 19 minutes, and Wizards survived a scary final 9 seconds to beat Portland 84-82 and end their 12-game losing streak.
.
.

56. Nene, a 6-11, 250-pounder, dunks for 2 of his 9 points, as Knicks forwards Steve Novak and Chris Copeland look on, cutting Knicks' lead to 30-21 early in 2nd quarter on Nov. 30 at MSG. Nene also had 7 rebounds in the game, but Wizards did not make it 2 wins in a row, losing to New York 108-87.  
.
.

57. This time Nene gets dunked on, as F Kyle O'Quinn gives the Magic a 31-21 lead with 38 seconds remaining in 1st quarter at Washington on Dec. 28. The rest of the game went much better for Nene, as he finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds (both season highs to that point). Wizards gave their fans a Christmas present three days late, defeating Orlando 105-97 to snap an 8-game losing streak and improve to 4-23.
.
.

58. A couple of cancer survivors, Nene and Nuggets Coach Karl, meet before the game on Jan. 18 at Denver - Nene's first career game against the Nuggets, the team he played for during the first 10 seasons of his career before being traded to Washington in March of last year. 
.
.

59. Nene looks to make a move against C Kosta Koufos during 1st half on Jan. 18. Nene had just 7 points and 4 rebounds, but Wizards pulled off the upset anyway, picking up just their 2nd road win of the season and dealing the Nuggets' only their 3rd home loss, 112-108.
.
.

60. Nene attempts a short shot while off balance against Blazers F J.J. Hickson on Jan. 21 at Portland. It was Nene's best game of the season as he shot 10 for 17 from the field, scoring a season high 24 points and adding 9 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 steals in the Wizards' 98-95 road victory. As you may recall, Nene had his hair in braids for most of his career, but he's had dreads for the past three seasons now, and they're starting to get really long. And hopefully we'll be seeing them get even longer. Now about a month away from his 31st birthday, he should be able to play several more seasons - if he can stay healthy. Even after missing the first 8 games, he missed 12 more games during the season. A 56.1% FG shooter coming into this season, he shot only 48.0% this season, but the rest of his numbers were close to his career averages. In 61 games (49 starts) he averaged 12.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 2.9 assists in 27 MPG. 
.
.

61. Nene was not the Wizards' only player with dreads this season. 6-7 F Cartier Martin, playing his 5th NBA season, his 4th season with the Wizards, and his 2nd season with dreads, defends against Hornets C Robin Lopez on Dec. 11 at New Orleans. Even though his dreads aren't very long and don't need to be reduced, Martin often (too often) had them reduced, making it look like he had braids. But in this DG, we'll only see him in the games he had his dreads the way they should be. 
.
.

62. Cartier Martin pays the price but gets the job done, drawing a charging foul from rookie F Anthony Davis, as F Kevin Seraphin also defends, early in 4th quarter on Dec. 11. 13 seconds later Martin hit a 3-point FG to cut Hornets' lead to 62-61. Martin played 31 minutes off the bench, finishing with 6 points and 4 rebounds as Wizards picked up their 1st road win of the season, 77-70 over Hornets.
.
.
Martin scored in double figures 6 times between Dec. 8 and Jan. 6 but then suffered a knee injury (hyper extension) that kept him out for 2 months. He hit double figures in points 5 more times during the Wizards' final 23 games.

63. Nets F Gerald Wallace is fouled by Cartier Martin as he hits a short jumper, cutting Wizards' lead to 62-56 early in 3rd quarter on Apr. 15 at Brooklyn. Cartier hit 4 of 7 from 3-point range, finishing with 14 points and 8 rebounds, but Wizards lost to Nets 106-101 in their second to last game of the season.




.
.

64. 3 days earlier 76ers F Thaddeus Young goes down but is able to get a pass off under Cartier Martin during 1st half of Wizards' final home game on Apr. 12.
.
.

65. Cartier Martin has his layup rejected by C Spencer Hawes, keeping 76ers' lead at 67-59 with 3:35 remaining in 3rd quarter on Apr. 12. Martin played a season high 37 minutes but shot just 2 for 8 from the field, finishing with 6 points and 4 rebounds in a 97-86 defeat. Wizards ended the season on a 6-game losing streak to finish at 29-53. Cartier was even less successful than that, as Wizards went 8-33 in the 41 games he played (not that it was his fault). For the season he shot better on 3-pointers (39.7%) than 2-pointers (35.8%) and ended up averaging 6.6 points and 2.4 rebounds in 17 MPG. After 5 seasons in the NBA Martin is a career 38.9 FG% shooter, which isn't too bad considering most of his attempts are 3-pointers. With his scoring ability, I'm hoping the best is yet to come for Cartier in his career, but it might not be with Washington. He is currently a free agent.
.
.

66. Ever so briefly in early December it looked like the Wizards were going to have three players with dreads, as F Kevin Seraphin broke out the baby dreads for games against Atlanta (left photo) and Golden State (right photo) on Dec. 7 and 8. But unfortunately Seraphin, a teammate of Mickael Gelabale with France in last summer's Olympics, apparently decided dreads weren't for him, and a week later he not only lost the dreads, he completed shaved off his hair. And that's too bad, because the 6-9, 23-year old forward looks like he's going to be a decent player.
.
.

67. Another disappointment this season was Dominique Morrison - disappointing that he didn't get a longer look in training camp (the Hornets cut him after just one week) and disappointing that he kept his dreads reduced for almost every game this season. Morrison, a 6-6, 213-pound F, hardly held his dreads back at all during his stellar career at ORU; but I couldn't find any photos of him looking like that this season. In this shot Morrison, looking to drive against G Gabe Pruitt in the D-League opener on Nov. 24, appears to have his dreads bunched into a ponytail; but in all the other photos of him I saw, they were reduced. Morrison averaged 5.7 PPG and 2.4 RPG for Iowa in the D-League before leaving after 12 games and signing with Ilisiakos BC in Greece, where he finished the season. Ilisiakos finished in a 3-way tie for 11th place (out of 14 teams), and in 11 games (8 starts) he averaged 6.5 points (37.1 FG% - back-to-back games of 1 for 9 and 0 for 7 on Feb. 24 and Mar. 2 killed his percentage) and 2.5 rebounds in 17 MPG. Hopefully his play and his dreads will have a better showing next season, wherever that is (he's currently not signed).  
.
.

68. In addition to seeing the reduced dreads of Dominique Morrison, fans in the Greek HEBA A-1 league got to see the beginner dreads of F Brent Petway - for a while anyway. Petway, a 6-7, 225-pound high flyer, playing his 2nd season for AGO Rethymno Aegean and his first season with dreads, takes an elbow to the face (almost, hopefully) and a knee to the groin (left photo) while trying to draw a charging foul on Olympiacos F Kyle Hines on Dec. 9 and tries to block a shot by Panathinaikos F Jonas Maciulis (right photo) on Feb. 9. AGOR finished 5th with a 17-9 record, but unfortunately late in the season Petway cut the dreads off. After leading AGOR in points, rebounds, and blocked shots this season, Petway is moving to the best team in the league, Olympiacos, next season. To replace him AGOR has signed another high flyer with dreads, Kwame Alexander.
.
.

69. When last season ended, it looked like Courtney Fortson had found a home with the Houston Rockets; but instead about a week before training camp began he was cut. And so it was back to the D-League for another season for the 5-11, 185-pound lefthander, with the Los Angeles D-Fenders. On Nov. 30 in the first road game of the season Courtney goes to the basket for a layup against Maine Red Claws C Fabo Melo (right photo) and watches G Shelvin Mack take a jump shot (left photo). (The Red Claws are the Boston Celtics' affiliate and occasionally wear replica Celtics uniforms instead of their own). Fortson had 21 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 5 turnovers in the D-Fenders' 97-94 victory.
.
.

70. Courtney Fortson slams home 2 of his 20 points in the D-League All-Star Game on Feb. 16 at Houston. The team he was on, the Futures, lost to the Prospects 139-125. Fortson played 46 games (all starts) for the D-Fenders, who finished at 21-29 and missed the playoffs, averaging 17.8 points (39.8 FG%), 5.0 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 2.0 steals, and 3.6 turnovers (ouch) in 38 MPG. The 7.1 assists led the league. Despite those numbers, he didn't even make the honorable mention list when the all-D-League team was announced. Courtney had 10 double-doubles, including the game on Mar. 24 in which he had 35 points and 10 assists, only for the D-Fenders to incredibly blow a 32-point lead and lose to Bakersfield. You can see the highlights from that game here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8s66SjQlG0U
.
.

71. Courtney Fortson finished the season in Venezuela, wearing the uniform of Trotamundos de Carabobo, signed in early April at the same time they released Warren Carter. He played 15 games (all starts) and averaged 21.5 points (48.8 FG%), 3.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 2.5 steals in 32 MPG. He scored 45 points (and had 1 assist) in his final game on May 12 before having to leave the team due to "family related issues". I'm still holding out hope that Courtney's sick dreads will one day be a fixture in the NBA; but sad to say it's looking more and more like he's going to be a career minor leaguer. We'll see.
.
If you're still with me, that was only Part 1 of DG147. The dreads are even better in Part 2.