by Brandon Call
Daily Lobo
The NBA started last week without too much fanfare.
Ho-hum.
As I was sifting through my seemingly endless sea of e-mails from major sporting affiliations, something caught my eye.
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To my surprise, two former Lobo basketball players are making headlines in the NBA - and for different reasons.
Indiana Pacers forward Danny Granger was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week on Monday.
Granger, drafted 17th in the first round in 2005, averaged 22.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals to lead the Pacers to a 3-0 start.
With wins over Washington, Miami and Memphis, Indiana starts the season with three straight victories for only the second time in the last 12
seasons.
The third-year forward leads the league with 10 3-pointers and is shooting 50 percent from the field.
The award is a first for Granger, who also notched 20 points in three straight games for the first time in his career.
However, Granger was no stranger to success at UNM. He was a two-time All-Mountain West Conference honoree and named an Honorable Mention All-American in 2005.
Transferring to UNM from Bradley in 2003, Granger finished six points shy of 1,000 for his Lobo career, despite playing in only 52 games. He recorded 31 double-doubles in his collegiate career, 20 as a Lobo.
Granger averaged 19.1 points per game and 8.9 rebounds per game during his career at UNM, and his 91 blocks is sixth in school history.
On the other side of the coin, Sacramento Kings forward Kenny Thomas is struggling to find his game early in the season.
After recording 25 points in the Kings' 105-91 preseason win over the Utah Jazz at The Pit on Oct. 18, Thomas averages a mere 0.7 points and two rebounds per game this season.
Thomas, in his ninth season in the NBA, has seen just 33 minutes of action for the 0-3 Kings.
The veteran blew an easy layup during the first quarter of the San Antonio Spurs game Friday, prompting Sacramento head coach Reggie Theus to bench him with 8:20 left in the first quarter in favor of Mikki Moore.
Despite the early hardships, Thomas started in two games for the Kings as Theus decides which power forward to go with.
Thomas was drafted in 1999 by the Houston Rockets as the 22nd pick.
He averages 10.0 points and 7.3 rebounds per game in eight seasons in the NBA.
As a Lobo, Thomas averaged 15.7 points and 8.4 rebounds per game in four years for the cherry and silver. His 1,931 points is second all-time.
Regardless, UNM should celebrate its former Lobos during their ups and downs.
So, here's to Granger and Thomas for being great alumni and making a name for UNM basketball at the next level.
And as for another exciting year of the NBA - well, we can always hope.
