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PF Othello Hunter (Maccabi Tel Aviv BC)

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Othello Hunter made me feel a lot better about raving about his uncanny knack for being in the right place at the right time around the rim a couple weeks ago by doing exactly that in his 17-plus minutes of action. He was 3-for-5 from the floor and finished with six points, three rebounds, an assist and a block. He didn?t jump out at anybody with his play but it?s interesting to see if the things you see from a guy in practices and scrimmages translates into games. Hunter?s a keeper and a guy that could end up being a great find if he develops his game over the next couple of years.
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Hunter impressing Hawks
By SEKOU SMITH

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Friday, October 17, 2008

Othello Hunter wasn?t within earshot Friday when several of his Hawks teammates were arguing over who would get the rookie free agent on their side in scrimmages during practice.

?He?s our No. 1 draft pick,? Josh Smith said, speaking for the starters.

?If we get ?O? we?re coming at y?all every day,? Flip Murray said, serving as the spokesman for the second unit.
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Hunter impressing Hawks | ajc.com
 
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Canton

THE OTHER BUCKEYE BIG MAN

Othello Hunter played in the shadow of Koufos last year and Greg Oden the previous season. But after signing with the Hawks as a free agent, Hunter is earning the respect and praise of his new teammates.

The team's first and second units argue over who gets Hunter during scrimmages in practice. Coach Mike Woodson loves his work ethic and compares the 6-foot-8 Hunter to Cavs forward Ben Wallace.

"Like Ben at the same stage of his career, Othello does things you don't think he can do because he doesn't look that physical," Woodson told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "but he's stronger than what you think."
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BUT BEFORE YOU GO: In the spirit of full disclosure, I have to share an email that was sent to me recently by a former Hawks staffer that wanted to get me straight on how Othello Hunter came to be a part of this franchise.
In a story last weekend I wrote about Hunter receiving a glowing recommendation from Bobcats coach Larry Brown in the summer and the Hawks snapping him up after that. But according to retired Hawks scout Herb Livsey, who set me straight with an email (cut and pasted below) earlier this week (and I don?t mind getting told by someone who has the details from the other side when I don?t):
Dear Mr. Smith:
Othello Hunter came to the Atlanta Hawks? attention way before Larry Brown may have called Mike Woodson about Othello?s play in Charlotte.
I scouted for the Atlanta Hawks for the past four years, retiring at age 72 at the close of the 2008 draft week. Each summer I have been working for Nike at, first, the All America Camp in Indianapolis, and most recently at the LeBron James Skills Academy in Akron. My assignment has been with the college players, serving on that teaching staff. College players come to the Nike summer program as counselors, and have classes each day as well. I work with the inside players. In July of 2007, Othello Hunter was in my class. He had had a so-so junior year at Ohio State, after an outstanding career at a Florida Community College. Someone from the Ohio State staff attended each of my sessions with the inside players; Othello had come to Akron to work on his skills in a setting away from the Ohio State campus. At the end of each of the five days a member of the Ohio State staff and I discussed what had taken place with Othello that day.

Continued............
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Good read............Othello has not played a minute yet so far....

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Othello Hunter finished his senior year at Ohio State University this past May, and after going undrafted in June he latched on with the Hawks for summer league play, garnering honorable mention All-Revue. Hunter impressed the Hawks so much that they signed him to a contract in August, and after a successful training camp and preseason, he is officially a member of the Atlanta Hawks. He agreed to keep a blog about his experiences during camp exclusively for Hawks.com.

10/28/08
The regular season tips off tomorrow, and I am still here, which is great news. It was funny, I actually got a call from my mom yesterday saying congratulations, and I was like, "what for?". She told me she had seen all over the internet that I had made the team. I didn't even know it was out there. I actually heard a few days ago, when Hawks GM Rick Sund called me and Thomas Gardner over to tell us he was keeping 15 guys on the roster to start the season and that we had made it. It was definitely a good feeling. Ever since I started playing this game, I wanted to make it to the NBA, so it's really a dream come true. I've talked to a lot of my friends and family and my old assistant coach from Ohio State, Dan Peters, and they all are very happy for me.

Continued..................
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OSUBasketballJunkie said:
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im going to highlight something interesting...
My assignment has been with the college players, serving on that teaching staff. College players come to the Nike summer program as counselors, and have classes each day as well. I work with the inside players. In July of 2007, Othello Hunter was in my class. He had had a so-so junior year at Ohio State, after an outstanding career at a Florida Community College. Someone from the Ohio State staff attended each of my sessions with the inside players; Othello had come to Akron to work on his skills in a setting away from the Ohio State campus. At the end of each of the five days a member of the Ohio State staff and I discussed what had taken place with Othello that day.
At the conclusion of the Academy I submitted a report evaluating Othello Hunter as a player for the Atlanta Hawks’ roster, as I could see his potential, and predicted he would continue to grow as a player under the excellent Ohio State staff. I saw him as a 2nd round draft pick. I asked each scout on our staff to follow up, watch Othello when possible, and order film on him so that we could stay updated as to his progress. When we traded for Mike Bibby and lost our second round pick, I made a presentation to our staff and to our administration and to one of our owners: if we do our homework, we can get a player at “61” — someone not drafted, but whom we know and would have a possibility to still make our roster. Not knowing what might happen with him, we kept Othello Hunter at the top of our list for pick #61.
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Hunter activated
With Smith out with a high ankle sprain and in need of another forward to add to playing the rotation, Woodson tapped rookie Othello Hunter. ?I won?t hesitate to put him in the game if we need him,? Woodson said. Woodson needed him Tuesday night, and he put Hunter in to start the second quarter against the Bulls. But Hunter lasted only two minutes in his first regular-season action as a pro, replaced by Johnson before he could work up a good sweat.
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Hawks assign Othello Hunter to D-League
February 17, 2009

The Atlanta Hawks today assigned forward Othello Hunter to the Anaheim Arsenal of the NBA Development League, according to Hawks Executive Vice President and General Manager Rick Sund.

A rookie from Ohio State, Hunter has averaged 0.6 ppg and 0.7 rpg (.429 FG%) in 10 games with the Hawks.

The Arsenal is the D-League affiliate of the Hawks, as well as the Los Angeles Clippers.
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Hawks assign Othello Hunter to D-League : InsideHoops.com’s Basketball Blog
 
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Buckskin86;1415807; said:
McGrady goes for surgery today | ajc.com
The Hawks recalled guard Thomas Gardner and forward Othello Hunter from the NBA Development League. Gardner appeared in two games with the Anaheim Arsenal and averaged 23.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.0 assist. Hunter appeared in two games and averaged 8.3 points, 10.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks? .
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Well that was a quick cup of coffee. :) Get a free trip out to Cali and break a little sweat in a couple games. As one of the last guys on the roster, this was probably good for Othello to get his legs moving in a game again. I'm eagered to see some of the knowledge and skills he has aquired while practicing against guys like Al Horford and Josh Smith. I was just watching the St. Joes NIT final and still get amazed when he hits the clutch three. He's improved so much over the years, and is only scratching the surface.
 
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Hunter thrilled just to be in NBA
By John Delong
JOURNAL REPORTER
Published: March 9, 2009

CHARLOTTE
Othello Hunter may not play another minute for the Atlanta Hawks this season.

Barring a slew of injuries, he is likely to remain at the end of the bench as one of the Hawks' three nightly inactives.

It's frustrating in one sense, for sure.

But in another sense, Hunter is happy just to be in the NBA.

He beat the odds to make the Hawks' 15-man roster as an undrafted free agent, and now he's paying his rookie dues.

"I know right now I'm not going to get any playing time because it's my first year, and the way our coach coaches, it doesn't seem like I'll be able to get in," Hunter said recently when the Hawks played the Charlotte Bobcats.

"But you can't look at it like, ?I'm not playing.' You've got to stay happy, and you've got to think of it as a good experience. Most people want to be here. They want to be in your position. So I'm like, I'm here and I want to stay here and I'm going to continue to work hard and improve in practice."

Hunter graduated from Reynolds in 2004 and is one of three players from Winston-Salem currently in the NBA. He'll run into another of those tonight when the Hawks face Chris Paul and the New Orleans Hornets in Atlanta.

For the season, Hunter has appeared in 10 games with minimal statistics -- 0.6 points, 0.7 rebounds and 0.3 blocked shots per game.

He has not played since Jan. 31. There have been times since then when he has suited up as one of the Hawks' 12 actives, but most of the time he has been inactive.

There was also a three-game stint in early February with the Hawks' Anaheim affiliate in the NBA Developmental League. He averaged 8.3 points, 10 rebounds and 1.3 blocks in those three games.

"It was a good experience," Hunter said. "I got a lot of playing time out there and some of the stuff I've learned this year, I actually got to use. I was around a bunch of good people, so it was a good thing.

"But I'm a lot better off being in the NBA."
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Hunter thrilled just to be in NBA
 
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