Rodney Rogers has a game that breaks the mold. A muscular 6-7 forward, he has played at anywhere from 225 to 255 pounds and been effective at either forward slot. His greatest strength is his soft shooting touch.
2002-03: Averaged 7.0 ppg and 3.9 rpg while shooting 40.2% from the field in 68 games… Missed a total of 14 games on the season…Missed 13 due to a strained left calf and one to a Coach’s Decision... Was on the injured list with a strained left calf from 1/21/03- 2/12/03 (11 games)…Recorded a DND-strained left calf on 1/17 and 1/20… Recorded a DNPCoach’s Decision on 3/19/03…Scored in double figures in 19 games…Led the team four times in rebounds and nine times in blocks… Averaged 15.6 ppg on 57.5% shooting from the field from 12/3/02-12/9/02…Tallied 16 points on 7-16 shooting from the floor, while pulling down a team-high eight rebounds in a season-high 31 minutes off the bench at New Orleans on 4/2/03…Scored a season-high 18 points on 8-14 shooting from the floor, while dishing out three assists in 22 minutes off the bench vs. Phoenix on 12/9…Tallied 17 points on 6-8 shooting from the field, including 4-4 from downtown, seven rebounds and a season-high six assists in 19 minutes off the bench vs. Orlando on 12/7/03… Scored seven points while grabbing two rebounds and dishing off three assists off the bench in 21 minutes in Nets debut vs. Atlanta on 10/30/01.
2001-02:
Played in 77 games overall, (50 with Phoenix and 27 with Boston) averaging 11.9 ppg and 4.5 rpg while shooting 47.1% from the field and 37.4% from three point range ... Was traded on 2/20 from Phoenix, along with Tony Delk, to Boston for Joe Johnson, Milt Palacio and a first round pick ... Scored 10+ points in 49 games and 20+ points in seven games ... Notched three double-doubles on the year ... Made 10 starts (nine with Phoenix and one with Boston) ... Scored 25 points, his season-high as a Celtic, to go with nine boards vs. Atlanta on 4/17... Had his best game of the season vs. San Antonio on 12/14, recording season-highs with 29 points and 12 rebounds.
2000-01:
Had another solid season in Phoenix, where he averaged 12.2 ppg and 4.4 rpg in 82 games for the Suns ... Three-point shooting average dipped to .296 ... Eclipsed the 20-point mark eight times during the regular season ... Saw action in all four of the Suns' playoff games, averaging 8.8 ppg and 3.5 rpg in 20.5 mpg.
1999-2000:
Became a free agent at the end of the 1998-99 season and quickly signed with the Phoenix Suns, where he was hoping his career would undergo a revival ... Simply put, it did ... Averaged 13.8 ppg and 5.5 rpg and shot .439 from three-point range in 82 games played ... Rogers' resurgence was noticed by the league, as he was named the winner of the 1999-2000 NBA Sixth Man Award on 5/1, honoring the league's premier player in a reserve role ... Registered a then career-high of 36 points (14-19 FG) in a 117-108 win in Sacramento on 2/15.
1998-99:
The 1998-99 season was a bit of a disappointment for Rogers. He made just seven starts, losing his spot in the starting five to Maurice Taylor, and he averaged a career-low of 7.4 ppg ... Totaled 14 points (6-10 FG, 2-2 FT), 9 rebounds and a team-high 7 assists in a 100-85 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on 3/21 ... Recorded 11 points, a team-high 11 rebounds and 3 assists against the Phoenix Suns on 2/5.
1997-98:
His fifth season was his best as a pro as he ranked second on the Clippers with 15.1 ppg and third in rebounding at 5.6 rpg, both career highs. He started 70 of the 76 games he played ... Posted game-highs of 30 points (4-5 3FG), 12 rebounds and 7 assists in a 107-102 win over the Golden State Warriors on 3/17 ... Registered a season-high 34 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists against the Washington Wizards on 2/11 ... Totaled 29 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists in a 105-103 victory over the Denver Nuggets on 12/27.
1996-97:
Rogers continued to improve in his fourth pro season and his second with the Clippers. He played 2,480 minutes and appeared in 81 games, both then career-highs, and made 62 starts ... He averaged 13.2 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 2.7 apg, 1.09 spg and 0.75 bpg. He ranked third on the team in scoring, assists and three-pointers (65) and fourth in rebounding, steals and blocks. He also was third among Clippers regulars with a three-point shooting mark of .361 ... Rogers scored a then career-high 34 points in a 123-119 loss at Houston on April 15. He had 20+ points 13 times and 30 or more twice within the final six games of the season. He grabbed a season-high 14 rebounds with 24 points in a 108-86 win over the Lakers on Feb. 4 ... Rogers started all three playoff games against Utah and averaged 10.7 ppg.
1995-96:
Rogers started 51 games at forward in his first season with the Clippers and played in 67 games overall, averaging 11.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.12 steals in 29.1 minutes per game ... He came on strong late in the season, averaging 15.9 ppg over the final 19 games. He scored in double figures in 23 of the last 28 games, averaging 15.0 ppg and 5.1 rpg in that span ... Rogers scored 20 points or more 11 times, getting a season-high 25 points on 9-for-14 from the field at Minnesota on March 31. He twice grabbed a season-high 12 rebounds, at Phoenix on Jan. 9 and against Milwaukee on March 26. He also had 17 points on 8-for-10 shooting and a season-high eight assists in that game at Phoenix.
1994-95:
Rogers not only became a starter in 1994-95, but he also became one of the keys to the Denver Nuggets' playoff chase. When Rogers scored in double figures during the season, Denver was 27-18. When he scored fewer than 10 points, the Nuggets were just 12-23 ... Rogers established career highs in every offensive category, leading Denver in scoring 14 times. (Only Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf had more games as the Nuggets' top scorer.) He again came on strong in the second half of the season, notching his second career double-double (19 points, 21 rebounds) on March 10 against the Detroit Pistons and equaling his career high with 31 points on April 16 versus the San Antonio Spurs. Rogers shot well, with a .488 field-goal percentage and a respectable .338 three-point field-goal percentage. A capable passer, he led the Nuggets' non-guards with 161 total assists on the year ... Rogers appeared in each of the Nuggets' three playoff losses, and, like most of the other Denver players, he saw his production fall. He averaged 8.7 points and 4.0 rebounds in a first-round series against the San Antonio Spurs.
1993-94:
Rogers's most memorable outing as an NBA rookie occurred on February 8 against the Utah Jazz, and his exploits hit the highlight tapes of just about every sportscast in the country. Near the end of the game Rogers hit three three-pointers in a span of nine seconds to bring the astonished Nuggets from a 94-86 deficit to a 95-94 lead. However, Utah's Jeff Malone spoiled Rogers's night by hitting a jumper with 12 seconds remaining to put the Jazz back on top for good ... For the season, Rogers hit 35 of 92 three-point attempts for a .380 percentage. In 79 regular-season appearances, 14 as a starter, he tallied 8.1 points and 2.9 rebounds per game ... Rogers showcased his talents on January 27 against the Indiana Pacers when he scored a season-high 25 points, adding 9 rebounds, 4 steals, 3 blocks, and a three-pointer. He saw limited action during Denver's remarkable postseason run, averaging 15.8 minutes in 12 appearances. The Nuggets shocked the Seattle SuperSonics in the first round before falling in the conference semifinals to the Utah Jazz.
COLLEGE:
A superstar in college, Rogers left Wake Forest after a junior season in which he was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year and an Associated Press Second-Team All-American. As a junior in 1992-93 Rogers averaged 21.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.3 assists, leading the Demon Deacons to a 21-9 record and a spot in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. He also shot .555 from the floor for the season. He was at his best in the tournament, exploding for 33 points and 10 rebounds in a first-round victory over Iowa. Rogers also picked up some valuable experience by playing for the USA Basketball developmental squad that scrimmaged against the original U.S. Olympic Dream Team in the summer of 1992 ... The Denver Nuggets, picking ninth, were delighted that a player of Rogers's caliber was still available when their number came up. In the weeks prior to the draft his stock had fallen slightly when it was discovered that he measured only 6-foot-7-not 6-foot-9 as he had been listed in college-and when his weight tipped the scales at more than 260 pounds. Still, his package of all-around skills was too strong for the Nuggets to ignore.
