Steve Blake
Steven Hanson Blake ( born February 26, 1980 in Hollywood, Florida ) is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Golden State Warriors on the position of the point guard in the NBA.
After graduating from high school he attended from 1999 to 2003, the University of Maryland. With the Maryland Terrapins basketball team of the University, he won the championship of the National Collegiate Athletic Association in 2002. In the NBA Draft in 2003 it chose the Washington Wizards from the 38th of the draft. Since Blake playing in the NBA, he reached three times the play-offs, but came out only once on the first round.
Biography
High school
Blake attended two years, the Miami Killian High School. He then left school and moved to Miami High School and met Udonis Haslem, a future NBA player. With the basketball team in high school, he won two championships of the U.S. state of Florida in series and took while also participating in the U-18 World Junior Championship. After the Miami New Times had elicited that Blake and other students had enrolled under false names, the championship from 1998 has been revoked. Therefore, he has been banned from the Florida High School Athletic Association for basketball games across the country. Because of the lock, he moved again to school and attended for one year the Oak Hill Academy in Virginia.
College
After he had completed his degree at the high school in 1999, he attended the University of Maryland. There he played for the Maryland Terrapins, the basketball team of the college, and began in his freshman season in 33 of 35 games. He was the best passer of the team ( 6.2 assists per game ) and was appointed to the ACC All- Freshman Team. With the Terrapins this season he reached the Final Four and lost there against the Duke University. After his first season, he participated in the FIBA Americas Championship U-20 part and won with Team USA a silver medal. The following season, he was again the best passer of the ACC and was appointed to several ACC selection team. He also reached the Terrapins for the second time in a row the Final Four and won this time the NCAA tournament. In his senior year, he scored an average of 11.6 points and 7.1 assists. After he has always scored in his four college years, more than six assists on average, he has a total of 972 assists the player with the fifth- most assists in the history of the NCAA. In addition, he is the first player of the ACC, which has reached the mark of 1,000 points, 800 assists, 400 rebounds and 200 steals. His jersey with the number 25 is not assigned when the Terrapins.
NBA
Washington Wizards
On 26 June 2003 Blake was selected in the NBA Draft the 38th of the Washington Wizards. After he had convinced the authorities in the Summer League of himself, he signed on 21 August 2003 his first professional contract. In his first season with the Wizards, he started 14 games in the starting lineup. He scorte double figures 16 times, scored a double-double and scored in a game against the Miami Heat 21 points. In his second season he was less successful, as he was slowed by several injuries. With the Wizards this season, he reached the second play-off round and came there four times for use. After this season, Blake became a restricted free agent, and extended his contract with the Wizards.
Portland Trail Blazers (2005-2006)
After leaving Washington, Blake signed on 28 September 2005 a contract with the Portland Trail Blazers. There he met his former teammate from college, Juan Dixon, who had in the off-season also signed a contract with the Trail Blazers. In his first season with the Trail Blazers, he was promptly to the starter, since Sebastian Telfair had hurt. Since Blake was able to convince through better services, he kept his place in the starting five. Therefore, he also played more frequently than before in Washington and launched in a total of 57 games. Furthermore, he showed again, as before at the college that he is an outstanding passer and finished at the end of the season in third place in the assist -to- turnover ratio. Statistics Trail Blazers occupied at the end of the season in last place in the Western Conference and missed qualifying for the play-offs.
2006-2007 season
After a season with the Trail Blazers, he was traded along with Brian Skinner and Ha Seung -Jin to the Milwaukee Bucks and the Blazers got in return Jamaal Magloire. In the Bucks he did not make the final leap into the starting lineup and started in only two games as a starter. Therefore, he was traded on 11 January 2007 to the Denver Nuggets, who received in return, Earl Boykins, Julius Hodge and money. The Nuggets Blake showed better performances and started in 40 of the 49 remaining games. He distributed an average of 6.6 assists per game and reached the Nuggets to the playoffs. There, the Nuggets lost in the first round with 1:4 in games against the San Antonio Spurs, where Blake started in all five games.
Portland Trail Blazers (2007-2009)
After Blake Free to a Unrestricted Agent was on 1 July 2007, he signed on 13 July for the second time in his career a contract with the Portland Trail Blazers. In his first season he was just a regular player and started in 78 matches. He himself brought this average performance, reaching the Trail Blazers an even balance of 41:41, which was not enough for a playoff participation. In his second season, he started in all 69 games he played, and showed improved performance. In a regular season game against the Los Angeles Clippers 22 February 2009 Blake set with 14 assists in the first quarter of an NBA record. At season's end he reached with the Blazers to the playoffs, where they lost in the first round with 2:4 wins the Houston Rockets.
2009-2010 season
In the new season with the Trail Blazers, he fell more and more into the background and started in 28 of 51 games. Since the Blazers Blake no longer needed they were trading him during the regular season along with Travis Outlaw and 1.5 million U.S. dollars in exchange for Marcus Camby to the Los Angeles Clippers. For the Clippers, he played 29 matches and started doing in ten games, stayed with the Clippers, however, unsuccessful and extended to the end of the season not his contract.
Los Angeles Lakers
Instead, he signed for the new season with the Los Angeles Lakers a doped with 16 million U.S. dollar contract over four years. With the Lakers, he is a role player who comes off the bench and usually acts as a substitute for Steve Nash.
Golden State Warriors
February 2014 Blake was transferred from the Lakers in a trade with the Golden State Warriors to Oakland. There he is to act as a back up of Allstar Stephen Curry.
Game style
Steve Blake has been playing high school on the position of the point guards. He radiates calm in the game design. In addition, he is a good passer, as the statistics show. Offensively, he is described as too soft and as the statistics show a player who passes himself rather than to take the throw. He has a good three- point shot or throw distance and is described as a solid scorer. Overall, he applies to his position as an experienced player who never was one of the top playmakers the league and is currently viewed as an important supplement in the Lakers players.