The Sacramento Kings just made a big move, literally. In the 2014 draft the 7-foot-5, 360-pound center, Sim Bhullar went undrafted out of New Mexico State. Bhullar played for the Kings team that won the summer league title in Las Vegas back in July. Terms of the contract have not yet been announced.
Bhullar quickly made an impact on the Kings, including coach Tyrone Corbin and majority owner Vivek Ranadive. Ranadive said the following in an official statement to NBA.com about the first player of Indian decent to garner an NBA contract.
I’ve long believed that India is the next great frontier for the NBA, and adding a talented player like Sim only underscores the exponential growth basketball has experienced in that nation
Bhullar was born in Toronto, Ontario and in his two seasons for New Mexico State, he averaged 10.2 points per game, 7.2 rebounds and 2.9 blocks. He won Western Athletic Conference tournament MVP honors twice for the Aggies and and led them in 2013 and 2014 to back-to-back NCAA tournament appearances.
Bhullar in Sacramento could be great if he develops properly. His size is just going to cause problems down low but he must stay healthy. He could learn a few things from starting center DeMarcus Cousins but I think his biggest opportunity might be to learn a few things from former MVP and future Hall-of-Famer Shaquille O’Neal, who recently bought a stake into the Kings ownership. Might have to give the big boss a call.
1 comment
He has to lose some weight before playing in the league. He has potential but, needs a lot of work and proper ethic.