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RGV Vipers Forward Tony Bishop Prospering Overseas Following NBA D-League Campaign

Following a solid campaign with the RGV Vipers, the ever-improving Tony Bishop has excelled since taking his talents overseas for the offseason.

By Keith Schlosser
NBAE / Getty Images

While some NBA D-League alumni use their time in the minor league to cash in on a more lucrative opportunity overseas the following season, other prospects prefer to do it all.

If they can sacrifice and manage accordingly, such athletes can benefit by receiving the exposure that comes along with remaining stateside in the D-League, in addition to flocking overseas when the offseason comes during the spring and summer months to earn more money then, instead.

Just ask Tony Bishop. Following a progressive campaign with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the forward has since moved on to cash in on a more lucrative opportunity in Puerto Rico. Since joining Atleticos de San German, Bishop has averaged an impressive 25.3 points on 56% from the field and 43% from deep, to go along with 8 rebounds, 2.7 assists, and 1.3 steals per contest thus far.

Serving as more of an assertive presence for the Rockets' D-League affiliate this past season, Bishop should have garnered some "Most Improved Player" consideration, even if his numbers didn't fully support such a claim. Still, he saw small increases across the board in categories including points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks.

The 25 year old is a rather physical player who can crash the boards and make his presence felt down on the low block with the best of them. Nevertheless, his improvement has come on the offensive end in RGV's high octane, run and gun offense. In addition to honing his skills and understanding how to fight his way inside, Bishop is also making progress towards serving as a long range threat from each respective corner.

Just this past season, one D-League coach told RidiculousUpside.com that he believed Bishop was the Vipers' most underrated player.

His efforts didn't go unrecognized by us, however. By season's end, the 6'7", 220 pounder was named to RidiculousUpside.com's NBA D-League All-Defensive Third Team for the 2014-15 campaign.

There's no doubt that his continued improvement should garner the minor league and international veteran consideration for any number of NBA Summer League squads in the coming months. Nevertheless, in the meantime, it's great to see him shine as a staring attraction abroad, all the while able to strut his stuff to the fullest.