Will Bynum joins Maccabi Tel Aviv

American guard to replace Will Solomon in the team's starting lineup.

By ALLON SINAI
will bynum 88 (photo credit: AP)
will bynum 88
(photo credit: AP)
The rebuilding process at Maccabi Tel Aviv continued on Wednesday morning when the team announced the signing of American guard Will Bynum. The 23-year-old will be experiencing European basketball for the first time with the yellow-and-blue and is expected to replace Will Solomon in the team's starting lineup. Bynum played 15 games for the NBA's Golden State Warriors last season averaging 3.6 points and 1.3 assists per game. The guard began last season with the Roanoke Dazzle of the NBA Development League averaging a leaguehigh 24 points and 6.7 assists per game. Bynum signed his first NBA contract with the Boston Celtics in the offseason of 2005, but after participating in preseason play was subsequently waived before the start of the season. The 1.83 meter guard is a playground legend in the Chicago area and starred for Crane High School in the city. The American played for the University of Arizona for two seasons but never started for the NCAA team and left after a disagreement with head coach Lute Olsen. Bynum played the next two seasons with Georgia Tech, helping the team to reach the NCAA Final Four in 2004. The guard, who averaged 9.4 points, 2.1 assists and 2.1 rebounds per game at Georgia Tech, hit a last second shot against Oklahoma State in the Final Four semifinals but couldn't prevent his team losing to the Connecticut Huskies in the final. The American is the fourth player to join Maccabi this season following the signings of Simas Jasaitis, Lior Eliyahu and Rodney Buford.