Maurice Evans (basketball)
Encyclopedia
Maurice Eugene Evans is an American professional basketball
player who most recently played with the Washington Wizards
of the National Basketball Association
. A 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) guard
/forward
, Evans weighs 220 lb
(100 kg
). He is also the Vice President of the NBA Players Association.
for two seasons, but philosophical differences with then-coach Randy Smithson caused him to transfer to the University of Texas at Austin
.
, he signed as a free agent for the Minnesota Timberwolves
, where he played in only 10 games. In 2002, he moved to Greece to play for Olympiacos
, and in the following, 2003-04 season he played for the Italian
power Benetton Basket Treviso
(winning the Italian Cup). In 2004, he made the roster for the NBA's Sacramento Kings
, and became a rotation player. He started 11 of 65 games, and played 19 minutes per game on the season, contributing 6.4 points. In 2005, he was signed as a free agent by the Detroit Pistons
, where he was reunited with his former coach and close friend Flip Saunders
, and played a rotation role of 14 minutes per game, averaging 5.2 points per game.
On June 28, 2006, the Pistons traded Evans to the Los Angeles Lakers
for the draft rights to Cheikh Samb, following Evans' request to be moved to a team where he would be given more playing time. He served as a bench player for the Lakers, largely as the back up to Kobe Bryant
.
On November 20, 2007, he along with teammate Brian Cook
were traded to the Orlando Magic
in exchange for Trevor Ariza
. He became the Magic's starting shooting guard, contributing to the team's 52-30 record and landing the 3rd seed in the Eastern Conference for the 2008 Playoffs.
Evans agreed to terms on a 3-year contract from the Atlanta Hawks
worth about $7.5 million on July 25, 2008. At the time, he was on the verge of signing a three-year deal with the Golden State Warriors
.
| align="left" | 2001–02
| align="left" | Minnesota
| 10 || 0 || 4.5 || .474 || .000 || .750 || .4 || .4 || .0 || .0 || 2.1
|-
| align="left" | 2004–05
| align="left" | Sacramento
| 65 || 11 || 19.0 || .442 || .329 || .756 || 3.1 || .7 || .6 || .1 || 6.4
|-
| align="left" | 2005–06
| align="left" | Detroit
| 80 || 1 || 14.2 || .452 || .371 || .800 || 2.0 || .8 || .5 || .2 || 5.0
|-
| align="left" | 2006–07
| align="left" | L.A. Lakers
| 76 || 10 || 22.8 || .432 || .361 || .787 || 2.9 || 1.0 || .5 || .2 || 8.4
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | L.A. Lakers
| 7 || 0 || 13.7 || .321 || .143 || .800 || 1.3 || 1.7 || .7 || .1 || 4.4
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Orlando
| 68 || 47 || 23.9 || .489 || .396 || .691 || 3.1 || 1.0 || .6 || .1 || 9.3
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
| align="left" | Atlanta
| 80 || 25 || 23.0 || .432 || .395 || .822 || 3.0 || .7 || .6 || .1 || 7.2
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
| align="left" | Atlanta
| 79 || 5 || 16.7 || .445 || .337 || .754 || 1.9 || .6 || .4 || .2 || 5.7
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
| align="left" | Atlanta
| 47 || 12 || 17.8 || .393 || .315 || .857 || 1.8 || .6 || .3 || .1 || 4.5
|-
| align="left" | 2010-11
| align="left" | Washington
| 26 || 12 || 27.4 || .439 || .346 || .933 || 2.8 || .6 || .7 || .4 || 9.7
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 538 || 123 || 19.7 || .444 || .363 || .785 || 2.5 || .8 || .5 || .2 || 6.7
| align="left" | 2004–05
| align="left" | Sacramento
| 3 || 0 || 18.7 || .600 || .500 || .800 || 2.3 || 1.0 || .7 || .0 || 6.0
|-
| align="left" | 2005–06
| align="left" | Detroit
| 16 || 0 || 6.3 || .533 || .636 || .875 || .9 || .2 || .1 || .1 || 3.3
|-
| align="left" | 2006–07
| align="left" | L.A. Lakers
| 5 || 0 || 16.4 || .385 || .385 || .000 || 1.6 || .6 || .4 || .0 || 5.0
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Orlando
| 10 || 10 || 28.2 || .507 || .417 || .625 || 2.5 || .7 || .8 || .1 || 9.0
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
| align="left" | Atlanta
| 11 || 8 || 24.1 || .431 || .286 || .667 || 1.5 || .9 || .6 || .3 || 6.2
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
| align="left" | Atlanta
| 11 || 0 || 13.5 || .297 || .300 || .000 || 1.2 || .2 || .8 || .0 || 2.3
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 56 || 18 || 16.7 || .447 || .392 || .771 || 1.5 || .5 || .5 || .1 || 5.0
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player who most recently played with the Washington Wizards
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
of the National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
. A 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) guard
Shooting guard
The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team...
/forward
Small forward
The small forward, or colloquially known as three, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically somewhat shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers, but on occasion are just as tall...
, Evans weighs 220 lb
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
(100 kg
Kilogram
The kilogram or kilogramme , also known as the kilo, is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units and is defined as being equal to the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram , which is almost exactly equal to the mass of one liter of water...
). He is also the Vice President of the NBA Players Association.
College career
Known for his strong defense and athleticism, Evans played collegiately at Wichita State UniversityWichita State University
Wichita State University is a NCAA Division I public university in Wichita, Kansas with selective admissions. WSU is one of six state universities governed by the Kansas Board of Regents. The current president is Dr. Donald Beggs....
for two seasons, but philosophical differences with then-coach Randy Smithson caused him to transfer to the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
.
Pro career
After not having been selected in the 2001 NBA Draft2001 NBA Draft
The 2001 NBA Draft took place on June 27, 2001 in New York City, New York. Kwame Brown became the first high school player drafted with the first overall pick...
, he signed as a free agent for the Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
, where he played in only 10 games. In 2002, he moved to Greece to play for Olympiacos
Olympiacos BC
Olympiacos B.C. , also known simply as Olympiacos and Olympiacos Piraeus, is a Greek professional basketball club, part of Olympiacos CFP, based in Piraeus. The basketball club, founded in 1931, is one of the most successful in Greece and a traditional powerhouse in European competitions...
, and in the following, 2003-04 season he played for the Italian
Serie A (basketball)
Lega Basket Serie A is the highest level club competition in Italian professional basketball where play determines the national champion. The season consists of a home-and-away schedule of 30 games, followed by an eight-team playoff round. Quarterfinals and semifinals series are best-of-five, and...
power Benetton Basket Treviso
Pallacanestro Treviso
Pallacanestro Treviso, more often known by its sponsorship name of Benetton Basket, or Benetton Treviso, is an Italian Serie A League professional basketball club from Treviso, the headquarters city of its longtime owner Benetton Group...
(winning the Italian Cup). In 2004, he made the roster for the NBA's Sacramento Kings
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
, and became a rotation player. He started 11 of 65 games, and played 19 minutes per game on the season, contributing 6.4 points. In 2005, he was signed as a free agent by the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
, where he was reunited with his former coach and close friend Flip Saunders
Flip Saunders
Phillip "Flip" Saunders is an American basketball head coach of the Washington Wizards. He previously coached the Detroit Pistons and the Minnesota Timberwolves.-High school and college player:Saunders was born in Cincinnati, Ohio....
, and played a rotation role of 14 minutes per game, averaging 5.2 points per game.
On June 28, 2006, the Pistons traded Evans to the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
for the draft rights to Cheikh Samb, following Evans' request to be moved to a team where he would be given more playing time. He served as a bench player for the Lakers, largely as the back up to Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bryant
Kobe Bean Bryant is an American professional basketball player who plays shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . Bryant enjoyed a successful high school basketball career at Lower Merion High School, where he was recognized as the top high school...
.
On November 20, 2007, he along with teammate Brian Cook
Brian Cook
Brian Joshua Cook is an American professional basketball player. Cook was drafted out of the University of Illinois with the 24th pick of the first round of the 2003 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Lakers...
were traded to the Orlando Magic
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
in exchange for Trevor Ariza
Trevor Ariza
Trevor Anthony Ariza is an American basketball player in the National Basketball Association who plays for the New Orleans Hornets. Primarily a small forward, he is listed at tall and 210 pounds.-Biography:...
. He became the Magic's starting shooting guard, contributing to the team's 52-30 record and landing the 3rd seed in the Eastern Conference for the 2008 Playoffs.
Evans agreed to terms on a 3-year contract from the Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
worth about $7.5 million on July 25, 2008. At the time, he was on the verge of signing a three-year deal with the Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. They are part of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
.
Family
His parents are George and Cathy Evans, and he has a sister, Gayletha . Evans and his wife, Alexandra, have a daughter.Regular season
|-| align="left" | 2001–02
| align="left" | Minnesota
Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . Founded in 1989, the team is currently owned by Glen Taylor...
| 10 || 0 || 4.5 || .474 || .000 || .750 || .4 || .4 || .0 || .0 || 2.1
|-
| align="left" | 2004–05
| align="left" | Sacramento
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
| 65 || 11 || 19.0 || .442 || .329 || .756 || 3.1 || .7 || .6 || .1 || 6.4
|-
| align="left" | 2005–06
| align="left" | Detroit
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
| 80 || 1 || 14.2 || .452 || .371 || .800 || 2.0 || .8 || .5 || .2 || 5.0
|-
| align="left" | 2006–07
| align="left" | L.A. Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
| 76 || 10 || 22.8 || .432 || .361 || .787 || 2.9 || 1.0 || .5 || .2 || 8.4
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | L.A. Lakers
| 7 || 0 || 13.7 || .321 || .143 || .800 || 1.3 || 1.7 || .7 || .1 || 4.4
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
| align="left" | Orlando
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
| 68 || 47 || 23.9 || .489 || .396 || .691 || 3.1 || 1.0 || .6 || .1 || 9.3
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
2008–09 NBA season
The 2008–09 NBA season was the 63rd season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 28, 2008, and ended on Wednesday, April 15, 2009...
| align="left" | Atlanta
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
| 80 || 25 || 23.0 || .432 || .395 || .822 || 3.0 || .7 || .6 || .1 || 7.2
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
2009–10 NBA season
The 2009–10 NBA season was the 64th season of the National Basketball Association . The 1,230-game regular season began on Tuesday, October 27, 2009, and ended on Wednesday, April 14, 2010....
| align="left" | Atlanta
| 79 || 5 || 16.7 || .445 || .337 || .754 || 1.9 || .6 || .4 || .2 || 5.7
|-
| align="left" | 2010–11
2010–11 NBA season
The 2010–11 NBA season was the 65th season of the National Basketball Association . The 2011 NBA All-Star Game was played on February 20, 2011 at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Miami Heat in six games, 4 games to 2, to win their first NBA title, and...
| align="left" | Atlanta
| 47 || 12 || 17.8 || .393 || .315 || .857 || 1.8 || .6 || .3 || .1 || 4.5
|-
| align="left" | 2010-11
| align="left" | Washington
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
| 26 || 12 || 27.4 || .439 || .346 || .933 || 2.8 || .6 || .7 || .4 || 9.7
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 538 || 123 || 19.7 || .444 || .363 || .785 || 2.5 || .8 || .5 || .2 || 6.7
Playoffs
|-| align="left" | 2004–05
2005 NBA Playoffs
The 2005 NBA Playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2004–05 season.The San Antonio Spurs, the number two ranked team in the Western Conference, won the 2005 NBA Playoffs by defeating the defending champions, the Detroit Pistons, 4-3 in the NBA Finals...
| align="left" | Sacramento
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
| 3 || 0 || 18.7 || .600 || .500 || .800 || 2.3 || 1.0 || .7 || .0 || 6.0
|-
| align="left" | 2005–06
2006 NBA Playoffs
The 2006 NBA Playoffs was the postseason of the National Basketball Association's 2005–06 season. The Miami Heat won the first championship in the history of the franchise by defeating the Dallas Mavericks 4-2 in the 2006 NBA Finals...
| align="left" | Detroit
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
| 16 || 0 || 6.3 || .533 || .636 || .875 || .9 || .2 || .1 || .1 || 3.3
|-
| align="left" | 2006–07
2007 NBA Playoffs
The 2007 NBA Playoffs was the postseason to the National Basketball Association's 2006–2007 season.There were four rounds of postseason action, all of them in a best-of-seven format, with teams seeded on a bracket. The team with the better record wasn't necessarily the basis of seeding teams in...
| align="left" | L.A. Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
| 5 || 0 || 16.4 || .385 || .385 || .000 || 1.6 || .6 || .4 || .0 || 5.0
|-
| align="left" | 2007–08
2008 NBA Playoffs
The 2008 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2007–08 season which ended with the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics defeating the Western Conference champion Los Angeles Lakers 4–2....
| align="left" | Orlando
Orlando Magic
The Orlando Magic is a professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. They play in the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association and are currently coached by Stan Van Gundy...
| 10 || 10 || 28.2 || .507 || .417 || .625 || 2.5 || .7 || .8 || .1 || 9.0
|-
| align="left" | 2008–09
2009 NBA Playoffs
The 2009 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2008–09 season. The playoffs started on April 18, 2009 with ABC, ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...
| align="left" | Atlanta
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
| 11 || 8 || 24.1 || .431 || .286 || .667 || 1.5 || .9 || .6 || .3 || 6.2
|-
| align="left" | 2009–10
2010 NBA Playoffs
The 2010 NBA Playoffs was the postseason for the National Basketball Association's 2009–10 season. The playoffs started on April 17, 2010 with ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, TNT, and NBA TV broadcasting the games in the United States...
| align="left" | Atlanta
| 11 || 0 || 13.5 || .297 || .300 || .000 || 1.2 || .2 || .8 || .0 || 2.3
|-
| align="left" | Career
| align="left" |
| 56 || 18 || 16.7 || .447 || .392 || .771 || 1.5 || .5 || .5 || .1 || 5.0