Hudson No Longer Merely a Temp

Clipper Coach Chris Ford was not alone when he said he didn’t know much about Troy Hudson when the Clippers signed him to a 10-day contract late last month. The energetic guard was known better around the Continental Basketball Assn. than the NBA.

But in his short time with the Clippers, Hudson gained enough attention in his back-to-back 10-day contracts to be given a multiyear deal Tuesday for the remainder of this season and a roster spot at training camp next season.

Not bad for a player who left Southern Illinois after his junior season and then played eight games with Utah as a rookie free agent last season. He spent most of the last two seasons playing in the CBA before hooking up with the Clippers.

“I always tried to leave my opportunities open and just pray for the best,” said Hudson, who averaged 4.7 points and shot .526 from the field in 11 games before Tuesday.

“I came in for an injured player [when Sherman Douglas was put on the injured list] and I understood when he came back that my minutes would go down. I really didn’t get worried.”

Before Douglas’ return last week, Hudson had been a regular contributor as a backup for Darrick Martin.

“I’ve been telling him all along, don’t worry about your minutes. Just continue to show the signs of things I think you can do,” Ford said.