Marcin Gortat
No. 4 – Washington Wizards | |
---|---|
Position | Center |
League | NBA |
Personal information | |
Born | Łódź, Poland | February 17, 1984
Nationality | Polish |
Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) |
Listed weight | 240 lb (109 kg) |
Career information | |
NBA draft | 2005: 2nd round, 57th overall pick |
Selected by the Phoenix Suns | |
Playing career | 2003–present |
Career history | |
2002–2003 | ŁKS Łódź (Poland) |
2003–2007 | RheinEnergie Cologne (Germany) |
2007–2010 | Orlando Magic |
2007 | →Anaheim Arsenal (D-League) |
2010–2013 | Phoenix Suns |
2013–present | Washington Wizards |
Career highlights and awards | |
| |
Stats at NBA.com | |
Stats at Basketball Reference |
Marcin Gortat (Polish pronunciation: ['mar.t͡ɕiŋ 'ɡɔr.tat]; born February 17, 1984) is a Polish professional basketball player who currently plays for the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 6 ft 11 in, 240-pound center is the son of boxer Janusz Gortat. He was a second-round draft choice of the Phoenix Suns in the 2005 NBA draft and was traded for future cash considerations to the Orlando Magic. In 2010, he was traded back to Phoenix.
Gortat started his career with ŁKS Łódź, then played three seasons for RheinEnergie Cologne in Germany's Basketball Bundesliga. With them, he won the domestic championship in 2006 and played in the 2006-07 Euroleague season for the first time in the team's history.
Early life
In his youth, Gortat was frequently involved in athletics such as high jump and soccer. His father Janusz Gortat was a Polish boxer and a bronze medalist in light heavyweight during the Munich 1972 and Montreal 1976 Olympics, and his mother Alicja Gortat was a representative of the Polish national team in volleyball. He has an older brother Robert, who is also a boxer.
Gortat grew up in Łódź, Poland together with his brother Filip. He graduated from Technical School in Łódź. Apart from Polish, he is fluent in English, German and Serbian. He was also a professional swimmer for the national team of Poland.
NBA career
Orlando Magic (2007–2010)
After being drafted no. 57 overall in round 2 of the 2005 NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns, Gortat elected to keep playing with RheinEnergie Cologne in Germany. On November 20, 2007 he was assigned to play with the Anaheim Arsenal in the NBA Development League.[1][2] He was recalled from the D-League on December 2,[3] and he played his first NBA game, for the Orlando Magic, on March 1, 2008 against the New York Knicks. As of the end of the 2007–08 season, Gortat had appeared in 14 NBA games for the Magic, including eight playoff appearances. On April 16, 2008, in the Magic's last game of the 2007–08 NBA season, little-used Gortat played 28 minutes[4] and registered 12 points and 11 rebounds in a 103–83 Magic win over the Washington Wizards.[5] On December 15, 2008, starting in place of the injured Dwight Howard, Gortat played 28 minutes[6] and recorded 16 points and 13 rebounds.[7] On April 13, 2009, again starting in place of Howard, Gortat played almost 43 minutes and topped his career high in rebounding with 18 rebounds and had 10 points. On April 30, 2009, Gortat made his first playoff start in Game 6 against the Philadelphia 76ers, replacing Howard, who was suspended because of his actions in game 5. He had 11 points and 15 rebounds as the Magic eliminated their opponent 4–2. Later that year, the Magic made a run all the way to the NBA Finals, making Gortat the first Polish-born player to ever appear in the championship series.
On July 8, 2009, Gortat, a restricted free agent, signed an offer sheet for five years and $34 million with the Dallas Mavericks. However, Orlando prevented Gortat from going to Dallas by matching the offer sheet on July 13, 2009. Gortat was said to be "very disappointed" to stay with the Magic, since continuing as backup to Dwight Howard would mean limited playing time, whereas playing for Dallas would likely have meant being the starting center.[8]
Phoenix Suns (2010–2013)
On December 18, 2010, Gortat was traded to the Phoenix Suns along with Vince Carter, Mickaël Piétrus, a 2011 first-round draft pick (which would become Nikola Mirotić), and $3 million, in exchange for Jason Richardson, Earl Clark, and then-former Magic player and former teammate Hedo Türkoğlu.[9] Due to Steve Nash wearing the #13 jersey, which was the number that Gortat had worn in Orlando and Poland, he decided to wear #4 for his tenure with the Suns. During his first season with the Suns, his numbers increased immediately due to gaining more minutes off the bench, and then eventually starting at center in place of Robin Lopez. During his time in Phoenix, Gortat also acquired the nickname "The Polish Hammer".
During the lockout-shortened 2011–12 NBA season, Gortat averaged 15.4 points and 10.0 rebounds per game. He was the only Suns player to start and play every game of the regular season. Gortat also joined the likes of former Magic teammate Dwight Howard, Andrew Bynum, and DeMarcus Cousins as the only centers to average a double-double in that season. After the season ended, he was named to the Polish national basketball team for the FIBA EuroBasket 2013 qualification round. In the second game against Finland, he scored 27 points and grabbed 21 rebounds to help Poland qualify for 2013's FIBA Eurobasket tournament.
On November 7, 2012, he scored 23 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and had a career-best 7 blocks in a 117–110 victory against the Charlotte Bobcats. During the end of February, Gortat had an injury towards his knee that left him off the team for the rest of the season.
Washington Wizards (2013–present)
On October 25, 2013, Gortat was traded, along with Shannon Brown, Malcolm Lee, and Kendall Marshall, to the Washington Wizards in exchange for Emeka Okafor and a 2014 protected first-round draft pick.[10]
On February 27, 2014, Gortat recorded a career high 31 points, along with 12 rebounds and 4 blocks, in a 134-129 triple overtime win over the Toronto Raptors.[11]
On May 13, 2014, Gortat recorded a playoff career high 31 points (also matching his regular season career high) and 16 rebounds to win Game 5 and avoid elimination in the second round where the Indiana Pacers lead the series 3-1. He became the first Washington Wizards player to record at least 30-points and 15-rebounds in a playoff game since Moses Malone in 1987.[12]
On July 10, 2014, Gortat re-signed with the Wizards to a reported five-year, $60 million contract.[13][14]
Career statistics
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | PIR | Performance Index Rating |
Bold | Career high |
NBA regular season
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2007–08 | Orlando | 6 | 0 | 6.8 | .471 | .000 | .667 | 2.7 | .3 | .2 | .2 | 3.0 |
2008–09 | Orlando | 63 | 3 | 12.6 | .569 | 1.000 | .578 | 4.6 | .2 | .3 | .8 | 3.8 |
2009–10 | Orlando | 81 | 0 | 13.4 | .533 | .000 | .680 | 4.2 | .2 | .2 | .9 | 3.6 |
2010–11 | Orlando | 25 | 2 | 15.8 | .543 | .000 | .667 | 4.7 | .7 | .3 | .8 | 4.0 |
2010–11 | Phoenix | 55 | 12 | 29.7 | .563 | .250 | .731 | 9.3 | 1.0 | .5 | 1.3 | 13.0 |
2011–12 | Phoenix | 66 | 66 | 32.0 | .555 | .000 | .649 | 10.0 | .9 | .7 | 1.5 | 15.4 |
2012–13 | Phoenix | 61 | 61 | 30.8 | .521 | .000 | .652 | 8.5 | 1.2 | .7 | 1.6 | 11.1 |
2013–14 | Washington | 81 | 80 | 32.8 | .542 | 1.000 | .686 | 9.5 | 1.7 | .5 | 1.5 | 13.2 |
Career | 357 | 144 | 22.3 | .547 | .154 | .670 | 6.9 | .7 | .4 | 1.2 | 8.6 |
NBA Playoffs
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2008 | Orlando | 8 | 0 | 6.0 | .833 | .000 | .000 | 1.0 | .0 | .0 | .5 | 1.3 |
2009 | Orlando | 24 | 1 | 11.3 | .654 | .000 | .625 | 3.2 | .1 | .4 | .6 | 3.3 |
2010 | Orlando | 14 | 0 | 15.1 | .654 | .000 | .727 | 4.4 | .6 | .2 | .3 | 3.0 |
2014 | Washington | 11 | 11 | 34.7 | .429 | .000 | .659 | 9.9 | 1.5 | .5 | 1.4 | 13.0 |
Career | 57 | 12 | 16.0 | .564 | .000 | .662 | 4.5 | .5 | .3 | .6 | 4.8 |
Euroleague
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG | PIR |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2006–07 | RheinEnergie Cologne | 14 | 14 | 27.7 | .594 | .500 | .667 | 5.6 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 10.4 | 12.6 |
Career | 14 | 14 | 27.7 | .594 | .500 | .667 | 5.6 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 10.4 | 12.6 |
See also
References
- ^ Magic Assign Marcin Gortat to NBA D-League
- ^ Magic Assign Marcin Gortat To Anaheim Arsenal
- ^ NBA Development League: 2007-08 Transactions
- ^ Magic 103, Wizards 83 - box score
- ^ Magic rest starters, ride Redick, Gortat to blowout of Wizards
- ^ Magic 109, Warriors 98 - box score
- ^ Nelson gets hot in second half to carry Magic past Warriors
- ^ Magic to retain center Gortat
- ^ "Suns, Magic Complete Six-Player Trade". NBA.com. 2010-12-18. Retrieved 2010-12-18.
- ^ "Wizards Acquire Gortat From Suns". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. October 25, 2013. Retrieved October 25, 2013.
- ^ Notebook: Wizards 134, Raptors 129 (3OT)
- ^ Notebook: Wizards 102, Pacers 79
- ^ "Gortat re-signs with Wizards for five years, $60 million". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. July 10, 2014. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
- ^ "Wizards Re-Sign Marcin Gortat". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. July 10, 2014. Retrieved July 10, 2014.
External links
- Career statistics from NBA.com and Basketball Reference
- Template:Basketball-reference
- Euroleague.net Profile