Will Warren's Basketball Journey: From Start To Stardom

will warren basketball

Will Warren is the name of a basketball writer who covers the sport on his website, statsbywill.com. However, there are also two well-known basketball players by the name of Willie Warren and T.J. Warren. Willie D. Warren is an American professional basketball player who was born on October 22, 1989, and last played in 2011. T.J. Warren is also an American professional basketball player who last played for the Westchester Knicks of the NBA G League.

Willie D. Warren

Characteristics Values
Full Name Willie D. Warren
Date of Birth October 22, 1989
Height 6'4" (193 cm)
Weight 203 lbs (92 kg)
Position Point Guard, Shooting Guard
Teams North Crowley High School, University of Oklahoma, Los Angeles Clippers, Bakersfield Jam, Maccabi Rishon LeZion, Chongqing Fly Dragons, Zhejiang Golden Bulls, Petrochimi Bandar Imam, Shanxi Brave Dragons, Texas Legends, Mineros de Zacatecas
Notable Achievements McDonald's All-American, No. 4 point guard and No. 10 player in the nation in 2008, Career-high 69 points in a game

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Willie Warren's career in the Chinese Basketball Association

Willie D. Warren is an American professional basketball player. After a successful college basketball career at the University of Oklahoma, he was drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2010 NBA draft. However, his stint with the Clippers was short-lived, and he was waived in December 2011. Over the next few years, Warren played for various international teams, showcasing his talent in multiple leagues.

In September 2014, Warren embarked on a journey to the Chinese Basketball Association, signing with the Chongqing Fly Dragons. This marked the beginning of his career in the Chinese league. The following year, on August 6, 2015, Warren switched teams but remained in China, signing with the Zhejiang Golden Bulls for the 2015-2016 season. He impressed enough to earn a contract extension for another season with the Zhejiang Golden Bulls.

During his time with the Zhejiang Golden Bulls, Warren's performance stood out, earning him a place in the Asia-Basket.com All-Chinese CBA First Team in 2016. He also made the Asia-Basket.com All-Imports Team in the same year, highlighting his impact in the Chinese league. Warren's skills as a combo guard, including his ball-handling, athleticism, and shooting abilities, were on full display during his time in China.

After his successful two-year stint with the Zhejiang Golden Bulls, Warren moved on to other leagues, including the Iranian Basketball Super League and the NBA G League. However, his journey eventually brought him back to the Chinese Basketball Association. On December 9, 2017, Warren signed with the Shanxi Brave Dragons, returning to the league where he had initially found success.

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T.J. Warren's college basketball career

Anthony "T. J." Warren Jr. is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Westchester Knicks of the NBA G League. He played college basketball as a small forward for the NC State Wolfpack in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

Warren graduated from Brewster Academy, where he was a small forward for his varsity basketball team. He also attended Riverside High School and Word of God Christian Academy prior to Brewster. He averaged 14 points per game on Word of God's team, and his team finished the season with a 24-3 record. During his senior year, Warren was viewed by multiple colleges, including North Carolina State University, Georgetown, and the University of North Carolina. He officially committed to North Carolina State University on November 2, 2011.

As part of the 2012–13 NC State Wolfpack men's basketball team, Warren averaged 12.1 points a game and 4.2 rebounds in 27 minutes per game during his freshman year. This earned him a spot on the ACC All-Freshmen Team. Warren's best game that season came against Florida State on February 19, 2013, where he scored 31 points and had 13 rebounds. He helped lead the Wolfpack back into the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Tournament.

In his sophomore year, Warren averaged 24.9 points and 7.1 rebounds per game while playing an average of 35.4 minutes per game. He led his school to a 22–14 record and went 9–9 in the ACC. Warren had career-highs in points with 41 against Pittsburgh, followed by a 42-point performance versus Boston College. He was also the first player from the school to win ACC Player of the Year since Julius Hodge.

In the 2013–14 season, Warren earned consensus second-team All-American honors and was named the ACC Player of the Year after leading the conference in scoring with 24.9 points per game. In April 2014, he declared for the NBA draft, foregoing his final two years of college eligibility. He was picked in the first round of the 2014 NBA draft with the 14th overall pick by the Phoenix Suns.

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Willie Warren's NBA draft selection

Willie D. Warren, born on October 22, 1989, is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the University of Oklahoma, where he was ranked as the No. 4 point guard and the No. 10 player in the nation in 2008. Despite being a projected lottery pick after a successful freshman year, Warren remained at OU, aiming to be the primary option following Blake Griffin's departure for the NBA draft.

During his sophomore year, Warren faced challenges with injuries and averaged over 16 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, and just over 1 steal per game, while shooting above 30% from beyond the arc. Despite his solid statistics, Warren's sophomore campaign was marred by concerns about his attitude, decision-making, and defensive focus, which likely impacted his draft stock.

In the 2010 NBA draft, Willie Warren was selected late in the second round as the 54th overall pick by the Los Angeles Clippers. On July 13, 2010, he officially signed with the Clippers. However, during the 2010-11 season, Warren was assigned to the NBA D-League, where he played for the Bakersfield Jam. In six games, he averaged an impressive 21.0 points, 7.0 assists, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game, shooting efficiently from the field and beyond the three-point line.

Following his brief stint in the D-League, Warren returned to the Clippers' lineup but was later reassigned for another D-League spell on March 2, 2011. Unfortunately, on December 19, 2011, the Clippers waived Warren. This began a journeyman phase of his career, which included stints with various international teams, such as Maccabi Rishon LeZion of the Israeli Super League (2012-13), Zhejiang Golden Bulls in China (2015-17), Petrochimi Bandar Imam of the Iranian Basketball Super League (2017), and the Shanxi Brave Dragons of the Chinese Basketball Association (2017-18).

shunwild

T.J. Warren's NBA draft selection

T.J. Warren, born Anthony "T. J." Warren Jr., is an American professional basketball player. He was selected by the Phoenix Suns as the 14th overall pick in the first round of the 2014 NBA draft.

Warren played college basketball as a small forward for the NC State Wolfpack in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). He had a successful sophomore year, leading his school to a 22-14 record and going 9-9 in the ACC. He averaged 7.1 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game, and his points per game more than doubled from his freshman to his sophomore year, from 12.1 to 24.9.

Warren's scoring ability was a key factor in his draft selection. He was one of the top scorers in the ACC, averaging nearly 25 points per game, and was named the ACC Player of the Year in 2014. He also showed improvement in other areas, such as offensive rebounds, overall rebounding, and steals.

There were some questions about where Warren would fit on an NBA roster due to his size and quickness. However, his scoring ability and potential to develop other areas of his game made him a valuable prospect. Warren spent five seasons with the Phoenix Suns before being traded to the Indiana Pacers in 2019. He then signed with the Brooklyn Nets in 2022 and was traded back to the Suns in 2023.

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Willie Warren's career statistics

Willie D. Warren, born on October 22, 1989, is an American professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the University of Oklahoma, where he was ranked the No. 4 point guard and the No. 10 player in the nation in 2008. Despite a successful freshman year, Warren stayed at OU for his sophomore year, hoping to be the primary option after his teammate Blake Griffin left for the draft. Unfortunately, his sophomore year was plagued by injuries, but he still managed to average over 16 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds, and just over 1 steal per game, with a 3-point shooting percentage of above 30%.

In the 2010 NBA draft, Warren was selected by the Los Angeles Clippers as the 54th overall pick. During the 2010-11 season, he was assigned to the NBA D-League, where he played 6 games for the Bakersfield Jam, averaging 21.0 points, 7.0 assists, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.0 steals per game. He shot above 50% from the field and 46% from beyond the arc. After his stint in the D-League, Warren returned to the Clippers' lineup but was later reassigned and eventually waived by the team in December 2011.

In August 2012, Warren took his talents to Israel, signing with Maccabi Rishon LeZion of the Israeli Super League for the 2012-13 season. The following summer, he moved to Hungary, signing with Szolnoki Olaj KK. However, his time in Hungary was short-lived, as he was waived in February 2014. Warren quickly found a new team, joining Virtus Bologna in Italy for the remainder of the 2013-14 season.

Warren's journey continued in Asia, signing with the Chongqing Fly Dragons of the Chinese Basketball Association in September 2014. The next year, he had a brief stint with Club Sagesse of the Lebanese Basketball League, but an injury prevented him from playing for them. He then returned to China, signing with the Zhejiang Golden Bulls for the 2015-16 season and re-signing with them for another season. In August 2017, Warren joined Petrochimi Bandar Imam of the Iranian Basketball Super League, followed by a move to the Shanxi Brave Dragons of the Chinese Basketball Association in December 2017.

Warren returned to the United States in February 2018, signing with the Texas Legends, but his stint was short-lived as he was waived after just three games.

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