#30 Troy Daniels, Shooting Guard
Height: 6'4"
Weight: 204 lbs
College: VCU
2013 NBA Draft: Undrafted
Twitter: @MrSuPeRsTar_30
When Chandler Parsons fouled out with 3:40 remaining in overtime last night, Kevin McHale brought in Troy Daniels, causing Jeff Van Gundy to applaud the Houston Rockets head coach for believing in the rookie at such a pivotal moment. Eventually, that faith was rewarded with a clutch, late-game three-pointer, which helped the Rockets secure a much needed Game 3 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. But where did this guy come from?
Much like his NBA career, the Roanoke, Va. native didn't burst onto the scene when he decided to play for Shaka Smart at Virginia Commonwealth University in 2009. Instead, Daniels took his lumps and limited playing time in his first two years. When the shooting guard was a junior, his career finally started taking shape, averaging a respectable 10 points per game. Then, as a senior, he continued to improve his game, averaging 12.3 points per game and setting a school record for three-pointers made in a season with 124.
After going undrafted in the 2013 NBA Draft, Daniels was picked up by the Charlotte Bobcats the very next day and joined their Summer League team in Las Vegas. Before the start of the preseason, he was signed by the Bobcats only to get waived by the team after their first game. Eight days later, Troy signed with the Rockets who decided to waive the rookie less than two weeks later. Eventually, the seemingly undesired guard landed on the D-League's Rio Grande Valley Vipers who are affiliated with the Rockets. While there, dude balled out, breaking the D-League record for three pointers made in a single season with 153, as well as tying the D-League record for three-point field goals made in a game with 10 against Idaho on January 4.
On February 21, the Rockets took notice of 22-year-old and signed him. But, once again, he was sent back down to the D-League. Then, on March 3, the Rockets came calling again and two days later, Daniels made his NBA debut, playing all of 92 seconds. In Houston's very next game, the VCU product was back on the court and this time, he took a couple shots. In a blowout against the Indiana Pacers, Troy got six minutes and scored five points on 2/4 shooting (1/3 from beyond the arc) from the field.
After a little over a month, that guy in a No. 30 Rockets jersey was back on an NBA court. In the last week of the regular season, Daniels was able to string together some nice games, including a 22-point game against the New Orleans Pelicans in the regular season finale. That performance alone may have convinced McHale and Co. to keep him on the playoff roster. It turned out to be a very smart move.
