Will Conroy Returns to ABQ, Quickly Traded for RGV's Kurt Looby

Will Conroy, the reigning Jason Collier Sportsman of the Year (seriously), was traded for Kurt Looby, the most under-utilized player currently in the D-League. 

 For the Rockets Vipers, they are able to pick up another of their preseason, along with Garrett Temple.  Conroy, talent wise, is also an upgrade over Georgetown product Jonathan Wallace, but it'll be interesting to see how Conroy's attitude fits in with the team.  Their current lineup now has four potential NBAer's (Antonio Anderson and Joey Dorsey the others) and this immediately makes them the most NBA ready team in the D-League.

Conroy himself has been put in the best situation possible.  In RGV, he'll run the same offense he did this Summer and during the preseason for the Rockets.  It's a bit interesting that he's chosen to return to the D-League since his ridiculous numbers last season (26.5 ppg, 8.0 apg, 4.8 rpg and 48% FG) didn't earn him a call-up, but playing in the Rockets system probably helps quite a bit.

Albuquerque needed a big man because Kevin Pittsnogle is terrible when he has to defend anyone down low.  I mean, I'm fairly certain Dwayne Jones was averaging something like a 45-30-7 line against Albuquerque thus far this season.  Not to take anything away from Jones, he can ball, but I nearly e-mailed Dan Reed this afternoon to ask if he could put an asterisk next to numbers when matched up with Pittsnogle in the post (PITP).  Albuquerque also was able to turn nothing (the rights to Conroy) into something, which is always nice and since Keith McLeod is already playing well at the point, he wasn't as valuable as Looby can be.

Kurt Looby is probably the biggest victor in this whole deal, simply because he was (unfairly?) buried beneath Joey Dorsey in one of the few downsides of the D-League/NBA hybrid affiliation system.  Last season, Looby's per 36 averages were 11.4 boards, 9.0 points and 3.6 blocks per game, earning him a spot on the D-League's Vegas Summer League team as well as a camp invite with the Denver Nuggets.  This season, he's averaging 16 minutes, 5.4 boards and 2.6 blocks.  He's not a great scorer, but he'll work his ass of on the boards and block shots, which is what the Albuquerque frontcourt needed.