Steve Blake

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Steven Hanson Blake (born February 26, 1980 in Hollywood, Florida) is an American professional basketball player at the point guard position. Currently, he plays for the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers; previously he played for the Washington Wizards, Portland Trail Blazers, Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets.

[edit] High school career

Blake attended Miami High School, where he was a central figure in one of the biggest recruiting scandals in Florida high school history.^[1] After being banned from playing again anywhere in the FHSAA, he then attended Oak Hill Academy before coming to Maryland.

[edit] College career

After high school, he attended the University of Maryland. Blake was the team's starter the first day of his freshman year and was the first ACC player to compile 1,000 points, 800 assists, 400 rebounds and 200 steals. Finished his career 5th in NCAA all-time career assists with 972, behind Bobby Hurley who is number one all-time with 1,076 assists. Widely known for his superb passing ability, Blake helped lead the Terrapins to a Final Four appearance (2001) and the 2002 NCAA championship; less well-known for his scoring, Blake did average eleven points per game in his senior year. He averaged over six assists per game in each of his four years, including averages of 7.9 and 7.1 in 2002 and 2003, respectively. For his efforts, he was named to a variety of all-ACC teams during his career, including the rookie and defensive squads, capped by a first-team All-ACC spot his senior year. At the start of the 2003-04 basketball season, Blake's uniform number (25) became only the 15th to be retired to the rafters of Maryland's Comcast Center.

[edit] NBA career

[edit] Washington

Blake was selected by the Washington Wizards with the 38th pick in the 2003 NBA Draft. He averaged 5.9 points, 2.8 assists, and 18.6 minutes per game while playing in 75 games his rookie season with the Wizards. In his second season Blake's playing time decreased to 14.7 minutes and only 44 games played.

[edit] Portland

In September 2005, Blake (then a restricted free agent with the Wizards) was offered a contract by the Portland Trail Blazers, which the Wizards declined to match. This became the second reunion with former Maryland Terrapin and Washington Wizards backcourt teammate Juan Dixon, who also signed with the Trail Blazers in the 2005 off-season.

In Blake's first season with the Blazers, he became a starter and played a significant role when Sebastian Telfair was injured. Blake's playing time increased from 14.7 minutes and 44 games with only 1 start in 2004-05 to 26.2 and 68 games with 57 starts in 05-06. Blake reestablished himself as a terrific passer and fundamental point guard claiming 3rd in the NBA in assists per turnover ratio. He also increased his field goal percentage by 11%.

[edit] Milwaukee

In July 2006, Blake was traded (along with Brian Skinner and Ha Seung-Jin) to the Milwaukee Bucks for Jamaal Magloire.^[2]

[edit] Denver

On January 11, 2007, Blake was traded to the Denver Nuggets in return for Earl Boykins and Julius Hodge.^[3] Blake started in 40 of the 49 remaining games of the Nuggets' 2006-07 season, and in five playoff games in a 4-1 first-round loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

[edit] Portland

Blake became an unrestricted free agent on July 1, 2007, and agreed to a three-year deal with the Portland Trail Blazers on July 13, 2007.^[4]

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• Steve Blake Info Page at NBA.com
• Steve Blake Statistics at Basketball-Reference.com
• Steve Blake's college stats