NBA Free Agency 2017 Player Profile: Nene Hilario

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Apr 23, 2017; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Houston Rockets center Nene Hilario (42) reacts to a play against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the fourth quarter in game four of the first round of the 2017 NBA Playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-USA TODAY Sports /

Weaknesses

Nene has always struggled to stay healthy. In 2010-11, he played 75 games. His total games played in following seasons are, respectively: 39, 61, 53, 67, 57, and 67. Any team signing Nene knows they aren’t getting 80 games of him.

As he ages, the risk becomes even greater. Nene will be 35 in September, and were it not for his fantastic campaign in Houston many might wonder if his career was winding down. Still, was he simply the beneficiary of a great offense making things easy for the backup center?

That grit Nene brings can get a little ugly sometimes. He got suspended in the postseason for choking Dewayne Dedmon, which is never a good look. That’s not the first time the Brazilian has pushed a little too hard — he’s racked up 53 technical fouls and six flagrant fouls over the course of his career.

Nene is kind of like a less subtle Zaza Pachulia in a lot of ways. The comparison would be perfect if Zaza went by just Zaza. Still, the man shot 60 percent from the field last season. Does that mean more than the red flags?

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