[NBAD]Vipers deal Temple to gain some inside help

The Rio Grande Valley Vipers acquired some much-needed inside help on Thursday when they traded 6-6 guard Garrett Temple to Erie for 6-7 power forward Jeff Adrien.

Adrien, who finished his college career with UConn in 2009, started the season with the Golden State Warriors of the NBA. He averaged 2.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 10.8 minutes in 15 games with the Warriors before being waived in December. Adrien was picked up by Erie, where he averaged 11.2 points and 8.0 rebounds in five games.

“He fits an obvious need for rebounding and strength in the middle of our lineup,” Vipers coach Chris Finch said of Adrien. “We’re gutted to have to give up Garrett Temple, but we needed to make a significant improvement in our frontline and we feel that, with this move, we have a chance of doing that.”

The trade indeed comes with a price. Temple, in his second season with the Vipers, is averaging 12.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.2 assists in nine games. He scored a career-best 27 points against the Texas Legends on Monday.

Temple was the only player on the Vipers’ roster with significant NBA experience. Temple played with the Vipers for the first half of last season before heading to Houston, Sacramento and San Antonio in the NBA. He finished last season with the Spurs and started this season with them before he was waived in November. The Vipers acquired him in early December.

“He’s been a big part of what we’ve done here,” Finch said of Temple. “We appreciate his professionalism, his work ethic and his attitude.”

Adrien is expected to be available for the Vipers back-to-back home series against Sioux Falls that starts Friday is unknown. Adrien, in effect, replaces another UConn product Stanley Robinson, who is likely out for the season with a staph infection.

Adrien could potentially bring the Vipers an inside presence they have severely lacked since Houston Rockets’ assignee Patrick Patterson was recalled by the big team after nine games. Two players the Vipers had hoped to pick up some of Patterson’s slack – 6-11 center Mickell Gladness and 6-9 power forward Mouhammad Faye – haven’t asserted themselves as inside forces on a consistent basis.

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