Free-agent power forward Jeff Adrien has yet to play in the NBA, but he drew a little closer to achieving that goal yesterday when he agreed to join the Golden State Warriors for training camp. Gary Washburn reports the former UConn forward will indeed join the Ws when training camp begins.
Adrien went undrafted in 2009 and played in the Spanish league. Last month, as SB Nation’s Scott Schroeder reports, he said he’s open to going through the NBA’s D-League and forgoing playing overseas again.
Adrien, 24, played for the Orlando Magic’s summer league team in early July. Stats available on the Magic’s website indicate Adrien averaged 8.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game during summer-league play.
Though the 6-foot-7 Adrien doesn’t have the size of the typical NBA power forward, he’s nonetheless able to score against taller defenders thanks to his agility, soft touch, and ability to draw fouls; that he attempted 35 free throws in his four games with Orlando attests to that last fact.
The Warriors have a better track record than most teams when it comes to identifying overlooked talent such as Adrien—look at how C.J. Watson, Anthony Morrow, and Anthony Tolliver turned out—so there’s a chance he could stick. We’ll see what happens when training camp convenes in early October.