[Editor's Note: I am updating this post from yesterday, and moving it up to the top. Thanks, jasonsuns1, for finding some links with more information about Alando Tucker.]
Looks like Alando Tucker is headed to Albuquerque. I'm sure fellow rookie D.J. Strawberry will miss having his buddy around, but it's probably better for Alando to be playing than just sitting on the inactive list indefinitely waiting for someone to get injured. Here is the link to the Albuquerque Thunderbirds website.
Here are some links that jasonsuns1 found:
- Article from Alando's college days
- Q&A from August 2006
- Here's what a Mavericks blogger thought about his prospects
The above-linked Arizona Republic article has also been updated with a lot more information than it had yesterday when I first posted this. Here's a David Griffin quote from that article:
"What we've asked them to do with Alando is focus on his two (shooting guard) and three (small forward) game, his outside shooting and try to discourage him from going down to the block. He has a tendency to focus on what he does well. He tries to go to the post too much. We need him to be more comfortable facing the basket."
That article also confirms a couple of things that were discussed in the comments here: Alando still gets his NBA salary, "and gets an NBA per diem ($106 per day vs. the D-League's $25) on road trips." He can be brought back to the Suns at any point during the season, and likely would be in the event of an injury that kept someone out for a bit. Here's a little more about life in the D-League.
One more note I forgot to mention yesterday: The Albuquerque Thunderbirds won the D-League championship last season. If they could repeat and the Suns manage to pull it off too, would winning two rings make up for having to temporarily give up all the fun that comes with being an NBA rookie?