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| D-League Power Rankings – December 2nd |
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| by: Jim Hlavac, Richard Walker - D-League Scout |
| December 2, 2008 |
The D-League is underway and most teams already have a couple of games underneath their belt. With an eye on overall roster strength, players returning from last year, the talent teams were able to acquire in the draft, NBA assignees, and overall chemistry, we take a stab at our very first post-draft D-League Power Rankings. The defending champions lead the way so far.
Potential callup candidates are marked with an asterisk.
nba.com/dleague
#1 Idaho Stampede (2-0)
Starting Five:
Coby Karl*
Brent Petway (Jamaal Tatum)
Ernest Scott
Jermareo Davidson*
Lance Allred*
Coby Karl got off to a nice start as the Idaho Stampede took a pair of home games from the Anaheim Arsenal. Karl dropped 25 and 24 on Anaheim, while adding 12 assists total. While his long range shooting wasn't on (2-for-7), his ability to draw fouls was on full display. Karl went to the free throw line 28 times in the two games. He gives them tremendous versatility as he can play a number of positions offensively, which really helps in this league. Along with Karl, two other Stampede players have a good chance of returning to the NBA this season - Jermareo Davidson and Lance Allred. Davidson had a productive weekend, averaging 17 points and 13.5 rebounds per game while his frontline counterpart, Lance Allred, added 17.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.
Idaho’s blend of returning players, their outstanding coaching staff, and the infusion of former NBA players in the mold of Karl and Davidson gives them the early nod at the top spot of our rankings—not to mention their status as defending champs.
#2 Bakersfield Jam (2-0)
Starting Five:
Mateen Cleaves
DeMarcus Nelson (GSW)
Trey Johnson
Richard Hendrix (GSW)
Nick Lewis
Bakersfield went 2-0 on the road this week, seeing outstanding play from Golden State assignee Richard Hendrix. Hendrix was a beast on the offensive glass, using his strong body to muscle his opponents out of position, managing to snare 4.5 offensive rebounds per game. Hendrix grabbed 14 rebounds in each of his 2 games, despite playing just 27 minutes per game due to foul trouble. Against Los Angeles, he scored 31 points in a variety of ways. Along with some easy baskets around the rim and in transition, Hendrix showed nice form on his midrange shot and was a remarkable 3-for-3 from behind the NBA 3-point line.
Bakersfield has a terrific blend of veteran experience, fresh NBA talent, an excellent frontcourt, and plenty of depth. Their intangibles also look quite solid, and there are skilled players at nearly every position on the roster.
#3 Austin Toros (1-1)
Starting Five:
Blake Ahearn (SA)
Malik Hairston*
Marcus Williams*
Anthony Tolliver (SA)
Charles Gaines*
The Toros received a big boost this week when the Spurs assigned guard Blake Ahearn to the team. He did not play in either of their games this past weekend, but will be in the line up for their next game. Ahearn will join Malik Hairston in the back court. Hairston had 17 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists in his debut for the Toros and followed it up with 33 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists against Tulsa. Marcus Williams was also big for Austin averaging 23.5 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. Starting center Ian Mahinmi missed the Tulsa game with a sore right ankle, and was later recalled in favor of fellow Spur Anthony Tolliver. He gives them arguably the top shooting power forward in the D-League, even if they might miss Mahinmi’s size down low.
#4 Dakota Wizards (0-1)
Starting Five:
Maurice Baker
Denham Brown
Renaldo Major
Quemont Greer
Hamed Haddadi (MEM)
Dakota surrendered an 8-point 4th quarter lead in 106-103 home loss to the Iowa Energy. Renaldo Major led the Wizards with 19 points in his first regular season game in over a year after recovering from heart surgery. Maurice Baker had 16 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists in Dakota's lone game last week. Hamed Haddadi was assigned to the Wizards by Memphis and dropped 14 points on 5-for-11 shooting in 21 minutes. Haddadi also grabbed 6 rebounds.
Dakota will be a very tough team this year, particularly if the players decide to buy in on the defensive end. Haddadi will help them out tremendously in that regard, while Renaldo Major’s credentials as a stopper are pretty clear.
#5 Utah Flash (1-1)
Starting Five:
Dontell Jefferson*
J.R. Giddens (BOS)
Bill Walker (BOS)
Bennett Davis
Brian Jackson
The Flash have a pair of Celtics on their roster and could expect to see a couple of players assigned from the Utah Jazz later in the season. Boston teammates Bill Walker and J.R. Giddens were the leading scorers for the Flash with 24.5 and 18 points per game respectively. Giddens hit a shot at the buzzer in Austin to give the Flash an overtime win on Friday. He also is Utah’s leading rebounder with 9 rebounds per game. Dontell Jefferson who was acquired in a trade with Dakota leads the team with 5.5 assists per game, but countered that by committing 6 turnovers per game.
Utah got a big shot in the arm with the additions of Giddens and Walker, and will be competitive for as long as they stick around. Excluding Jefferson, the talent on this roster is a bit lacking otherwise.
#6 Iowa Energy (2-0)
Starting Five:
Curtis Stinson
Larry Ayuso
Patrick Sanders
Cartier Martin
Courtney Sims*
Iowa also went 2-0 on the road this week, staging 4th quarter comebacks in both games. Nobody made a bigger splash this opening weekend than Courtney Sims. He opened with a triple double (22 pts, 17 reb and 11 blocks) at Sioux Falls and followed it up the next night with 23 points, 12 rebounds and 5 blocks at Dakota. The 16 blocks are already more than he had in 15 games with Iowa last season. Sims was also effective getting to the line, making 19 of 24 free throws (.792) in the two games. D-League veteran Curtis Stinson also starred for Iowa averaging 19.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists this weekend.
Iowa looks good early on, but there are some questions to be answered about how they’ll be able to hold things together in the chemistry department over the course of the long D-League season.
#7 Anaheim Arsenal (0-2)
Starting Five:
Tierre Brown*
Cedric Bozeman
James White*
T.J. Cummings
Noel Felix
First round selection Tierre Brown was Anaheim's most consistent player in their two losses at Idaho. Brown had 12 points and 11 assists in Saturday's contest and then came back with 25 points and 7 assists on Sunday. Fellow guard Cedric Bozeman scored 16 points each night while leading the team in rebounding with 9.5 boards per game. Bozeman also shot well from downtown, going 4-for-8 in the two games. Anaheim's lack of size was exposed against Idaho's big front line of Jermareo Davidson and Lance Allred. None of their forwards or centers had more than six rebounds in a game.
Anaheim has one of the most athletic teams in the league, and should rebound nicely from their two very early losses once the players learn to play together.
#8 Sioux Falls Skyforce (1-1)
Starting Five:
Carl Elliott
Frank Williams
Bobby Jones*
Michael Joiner
Chris Alexander
Four Skyforce players are currently averaging 18 points or more per game, after the team is coming off scoring 119 points in a double overtime thriller. Frank Williams leads the way with 27.5 points per game, but is only shooting 40.0% from the field. Bobby Jones is averaging 18.5 points and 13.5 rebounds per game. Gary Forbes (19.0) and Carl Elliott (18.0) are the other two players for the Skyforce.
This team can obviously score with the best of them, and possesses a great deal of talent at the 1-3 positions. The question marks are in the frontcourt.
#9 Rio Grande Valley Vipers (2-0)
Starting Five:
Smush Parker*
Quin Humphrey
Trent Strickland
Alton Ford
Kendall Dartez
Trent Strickland was RGV's best player as they got off to a 2-0 start. Strickland averaged 24 points per game while shooting 65.4% (17-for-26) from the field and 60.0% (3-for-5) from the 3-point line. Strickland, however, struggled from the free throw line, shooting 68.8% (11-for-16). NBA veteran Smush Parker added 20 points, 6.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game. Alton Ford averaged 8.5 points and 8.0 rebounds per game as he works his way back in to basketball shape.
Without much depth, and with a number of players who sat out extensively over the past year, the jury is still out regarding whether RGV can keep up their hot start.
#10 Colorado 14ers (2-0)
Starting Five:
Marlon Parmer
Dominique Coleman
Josh Davis*
James Mays*
Jamar Brown
The high-flying Colorado 14ers took a home and home series from the Albuquerque Thunderbirds this past weekend. Six Colorado players averaged 14 or more points per game led by James Mays' 22 points per game. Mays also added 8.5 rebounds per game while shooting 54.8% (17-for-31) from the field. Josh Davis missed the road contest but came back big at home with 26 points and 10 rebounds. Backup center Joe Dabbert contributed a big double-double off the bench averaging 14 points and 13 rebounds per game. Dominique Coleman was hot from outside the arc connecting on 6 of 9 attempts as he dropped 21.5 points per game.
Colorado is holding things together for now, but they desperately need to add more talent to their roster, particularly in the backcourt. They could very well struggle from here.
#11 Tulsa 66ers (0-2)
Starting Five:
Terrell Everett
Derrick Dial
Jeremy Kelly
Chris Ellis
Chris Richard*
Veteran Derrick Dial has been the lone bright spot offensively for the 66ers early on. Dial is averaging 21.5 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. Portland assignee Steven Hill will likely not look like an NBA player on most nights, thus far scoring only 6.5 points and grabbing 7.5 rebounds per game. Top pick Chris Richard has been a mild disappointment at this extremely early juncture. He was 0-for-7 from the field in Tulsa's opener, but did bounce back with 11 points on 5-for-6 shooting in their loss to Austin.
Tulsa has some young players they will need to be patient with as they learn the ropes at the professional level. They do have nice potential to continue making strides down the road, though.
#12 Albuquerque Thunderbirds (0-2)
Starting Five:
Will Conroy
Cheyne Gadson
David Noel*
David Monds
Cory Underwood
Will Conroy led the Thunderbirds with 21 points and 9 assists per game in their two losses to Colorado last week. Conroy has never been known as a shooter and made only 10 of 30 shots. One bright spot was David Monds, who grabbed 20 boards in the road loss. He also averaged 17 points, 15.5 rebounds and 3 blocks for Albuquerque. Cheyne Gadson chipped in totals of 24 and 16 on 50% shooting from the floor.
Albuquerque has a lot of talent on the perimeter, but they are sorely lacking in the frontcourt.
#13 Fort Wayne Mad Ants (1-1)
Starting Five:
Walker Russell
Ron Howard
Shawn Hawkins
Coleman Collins
Chris Hunter
Point guard Walker Russell leads the D-League in assists with 9.5 per game. Russell also added 14 points per game in Fort Wayne's home split last weekend. Ron Howard led the team in scoring with 21.0 points per game while the two big men, Chris Hunter and Coleman Collins, averaged double doubles for the Mad Ants. Hunter had 15 points and 12.5 rebounds per game while Collins had 14.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game.
#14 Erie Bayhawks (0-1)
Starting Five:
Cliff Clinkscales
Maureece Rice
Jackie Manuel
Ivan Harris
Erik Daniels
The expansion Bayhawks had a 9 point lead at halftime at Fort Wayne but eventually lost by 5 in their first game ever. Oliver Lafayette was the high scorer with 31 points on 10-for-20 shooting. Erik Daniels had a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds but connected on just 5 of his 17 shot attempts.
This team has some decent options on the perimeter, but is lacking any type of effective size up front. Their starting center, Erik Daniels would probably prefer to be playing the small forward position, even if he can definitely log minutes at the 4. Expect them to struggle until they can add some big men to their roster.
#15 Los Angeles D-Fenders (0-2)
Starting Five:
Brandon Heath
Joe Crawford*
Dwayne Mitchell
Johnny Dukes
Jasper Johnson
The D-Fenders have three solid shooting guards and that's about it. Their leading rebounder is a guard, Dwayne Mitchell, who averages 10.5 boards per game. Mitchell also leads the team in assists with 5.5 per game and added 10 points per game as well. Joe Crawford is the leading scorer in the D-League at 31 ppg. Crawford is shooting 55.3% (21-for-38) from the field, 46.2% (6-for-13) from the 3-point line and 93.3% (14-for-15) from the line. Brandon Heath also shot well for the D-Fenders averaging 22 points per game on 46.2% (18-for-39) from the field and 50.0% (6-for-12) from behind the arc. First round pick Jasper Johnson is not getting the job done as an undersized center, relying on turnaround fade away jumpers to get his shot off against the consistently taller defenders. Johnson is shooting just 37.5% from the floor and is only averaging 9.5 points and 4 rebounds per game.
#16 Reno Bighorns (1-1)
Starting Five:
Russell Robinson
Dave Noel
Damone Brown
Antonio Meeking
Jesse Smith
D-League veteran Damone Brown had a pair of double-doubles as Reno split their first two games in franchise history. Brown had 18 points and 13 rebounds in their home loss to Bakersfield and 27 points and 15 rebounds in their win at Los Angeles. Antonio Meeking led the team in scoring with 25.5 ppg while also grabbing 8 rebounds per contest. Jesse Smith averaged a double-double with 11.5 points and 14 rebounds per game. |
Feedback
for this article may be sent to
jim.hlavac@draftexpress.com richard.walker@draftexpress.com |
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| Call-Up #1: Blake Ahearn to the San Antonio Spurs |
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| by: Jim Hlavac, Richard Walker - D-League Scout |
| November 15, 2008 |
According to DraftExpress D-League scout Jim Hlavac, the San Antonio Spurs are calling up guard Blake Ahearn from the Dakota Wizards of the NBA Development League, making Ahearn the first Gatorade Call-Up of the 2008- 2009 season.
Ahearn was in training camp with the Wizards as the D-League season doesn't begin for another two weeks. Last year, there was one call-up before the season started when the New Jersey Nets called up guard Eddie Gill from the Colorado 14ers.
Coming out Missouri State last season, Ahearn started the year with Dakota and then finished up with the NBA's Miami Heat, playing in ten games and averaging 6.5, 1.5 and 1.5. While with Dakota, Ahearn averaged 19.0, 2.0 and 3.5 while shooting .439 from behind the arc.
Prior to joining the Wizards, Ahearn was with the Minnesota Timberwolves for training camp after playing for them during the Las Vegas Summer League. Ahearn is likely being called up to replace Spurs guard Desmon Farmer. |
Feedback
for this article may be sent to
jim.hlavac@draftexpress.com richard.walker@draftexpress.com |
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| 2008 D-League Draft DIARY |
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| by: Richard Walker - D-League Scout |
| November 8, 2008 |
11/07/08 – 2008 D-League Draft
D-League Draft Eligible List / Top Available Players
D-League Pre-Draft Power Rankings / Allocation List
Tonight is the 2008 NBA Development League draft, and I’m psyched. On the edge of my seat in fact. Does this surprise you? It shouldn’t. I love drafts and I love the D-League. What’s not to get excited about? That’s probably why I write about the D-League for a draft website. As far as I’m concerned, this is the greatest job in the world.
Actually, at this very moment, it’s the second greatest job in the world, because my cohort, and D-League scouting partner, Jim Hlavac is living the good life: eating free food, telling inside-basketball stories, and hanging out with uber-coach Sam Vincent and the rest of the staff in the Anaheim Arsenal draft war room. But I’m not jealous. And to prove it, I’ve decided to live blog my thoughts about this year’s draft as they come to me. A draft diary of sorts. Sound fun? I think so. We’ll find out anyway.
All right, away we go…
6:30pm – Well, this certainly hasn’t started out well. I flip on over to NBATV to catch some pre-draft coverage and, who knows, maybe even learn a thing or two about the prospects. Except, wait a minute, there is no pre-draft coverage. Instead it’s the 500th replay of I Am A Celtic. As I watch Doc Rivers run wind sprints against Glen “Big Baby” Davis, I remember: Oh right, it’s the D-League.
(Does the 47 year old coach and former All-Star beat the 300lb sophomore? You betcha.)
You would think that it being the second biggest day of the year for the league, after the Showcase, that they would dedicate a little more coverage to it. Especially considering they have their own channel and all. But: nope. In fact, not only is there no pre-draft coverage, but they’re only dignifying us with the first round. Nothing after those first 16 picks is televised, after that rounds 2 – 10 are only available via the D-League website. But where, pray tell, is a poor Sioux Falls fan supposed to find Internet access?
7:00pm – I’m back and, now fortified with beef jerky and a Code Red during my half hour pre-draft intermission, the coverage finally begins. Rick Kamla, a diehard D-League homer which I find incredibly endearing (seriously, you should have heard him gush during the Vegas Summer League), joins sophomore president of the league Dan Reed at the generic NBATV headquarters gray desk, where they dish out a plethora of cherry-picked statistics reminding us how well the league is doing, and how it is definitely, absolutely not, no way, no how, going under any time soon.
(It’s not actually going anywhere, and in fact it has only gotten stronger since it’s inception, but I’ve got to keep those front office guys on their toes.)
7:02pm – Dan Reed says the Rockets had six D-Leaguers on their roster during their 22 game win streak last season? Really? Somebody needs to verify that fact.
7:03pm – I know you thought this update was going to be me verifying it, but I’m just not that motivated.
In the meantime, Reed reminds the fans that the Showcase this year is in Orem, Utah. Just in case you were thinking of flying a few thousand miles to a city in the dead of winter to catch some games. Not that I would make fun of you, because I’ll be there with bells on. And probably a ski jacket, long underwear and three pairs of socks. Now I just need to find a hip flask to match my Roanoke Dazzle jersey. So, anyway, see you there...
7:04pm – As the R&D leg of the NBA, the NBADL gets to test all sorts of fun things. Some successful (cheerleaders in skimpier outfits) and some less successful (a promo where fans ostensibly throw Nerf balls into a box but instead start pegging the aforementioned cheerleaders, regardless of the amount of clothing they’re wearing). This will be the third type of ball in three years, and I just hope it’s an improvement on the one that, when asked about it, Thunderbird guard Majic Dorsey famously retorted to Jim, “I don’t like sweaty balls.”
Also, there’s a new playoff format wherein the top seeds actually get to choose their opponents from the bottom seeds. That’s the first I’ve heard of this, but it sounds intriguing. Man, if only the Celtics could have taken advantage of this rule last year, instead of getting stuck in a seven game series with the Atlanta Hawks they could have picked the worst team in the conference. Like, say, the Atlanta Hawks. Oh well, it was a nice thought.
Kamla seems to think that being able to pick your opponent will make for “spicy playoff matchups”, but I suspect it’s more likely it makes for a slaughter.
Apparently in addition to being able to send down players to their D-League affiliate NBA teams can now send… wait for it… coaches! That’s right, they can send their assistant coaches down to sit on the bench and be mentored by… vastly less qualified head coaches? I think that’s where they’re going with that.
7:06pm – They head off to commercial and when we come back: the draft!
Seeing as how this is the Super Bowl of D-League events (well, maybe the Pro Bowl) you would think we would get improved commercials to commemorate the event, but instead it’s the same foreclosed homes and retractable awning ads you always get on NBATV. Who’s got money on a Better Basketball commercial before this hour is up? (If you don’t you’re a sucker.)
7:08pm – We’re back and Dan Reed has been magically transformed into Vice President of Basketball Operations (and DraftExpress Super Friend) Chris Alpert along with Assistant Director of Scouting for the NBA, Ryan Blake. But wait a second: “assistant director”? Where’s Marty Blake? Already this year’s draft has been downgraded from last year’s and we haven’t even had a pick yet. We’ve been bamboozled!
Kamla informs us that Marty Blake is having health issues and couldn’t make it. Ryan chimes in that he’s recovering and will be back soon. Just not soon enough to save their draft coverage.
7:10pm – Over to Dan Reed and…
“With the first pick in the 2008 Development League draft the Tulsa 66ers select: Chris Richard.”
This wasn’t a mortal lock by any stretch, but he was definitely going in the top two. He played 52 games for the T-Wolves last year and almost made their roster out of training camp. He’s also played in the D-League before (averaging a double-double in only 28 minutes) which means there’s a chance he sticks around until he gets called up rather than bolting to Europe for the cash. A commodity not to be undervalued in this league.
Ryan Blake informs us that in college he averaged “6 and 6, or whatever” which is, well, wrong, but close enough I suppose. I mean, we’re deep into the draft here and these guys being picked now are scrubs. It’s not like the Assistant Director of Scouting for the NBA should know what kind of stats a recent NBA 2nd round pick and current NBADL number one overall pick put up two years ago while playing for a national championship team, right?
(Get well soon, Marty!)
For what it’s worth, everybody I talked with around the league said that this pick was up for grabs, and: it still may be! Stay tuned.
7:12pm – In a fun gaff the crack NBATV graphics department points out that the Tulsa 66ers used to be the Asheville Attitude, but luckily D-League vet Rick Kamla breezes right past it and makes a point to say Asheville Altitude. Good job Rick.
7:13pm – So far my favorite thing about this draft is when they put up a map of the United States to show us where the heck some of these teams are. I mean, sure I think most people can figure out where the Los Angeles D-Fenders are at, but the Rio Grande Valley Vipers? Not a chance.
Meanwhile, the Colorado 14ers (that’s the suspiciously rectangular state just East of Utah) pick James Mays at number two. Also not a surprise as it was a virtual certainty that he and Richard would go one-two. The only question was in what order. A lot of people thought he would make the Nuggets out of training camp, but his loss is the D-League’s gain. Though not for long as he’s sure to be one of the top call-up candidates.
Alpert makes the point that he was in training camp with the Nuggets and was drafted by the Colorado 14ers so there might be a connection there. I’m inclined to think it’s just a coincidence and that even the Erie Bayhawks or Fort Wayne Mad Ants would have taken him at two.
7:17pm – Our first Better Basketball commercial! All you suckers who bet against that just lost. Double-or-nothing that there’s at least one more before the half hour mark. C’mon, I dare you.
7:20pm – 07-08 D-League champions, the Idaho Stampede, use the third pick to grab the number one player in our pre-draft rankings, Jermareo Davidson. We should note that our pre-draft rankings were not who we thought would go where, but who we thought the best players were. There was a chance that he fell further than this, but it’s still a solid pick from a talent standpoint. In addition to playing for the Charlotte Bobcats last year he averaged 18 and 10 for the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Davidson in the frontcourt with Reggie Leary could be an interesting combination, and if there’s any coach in the league that can maximize that it’s Bryan Gates, not to mention newly appointed assistant coach Randy Livingston. It’s only the first round and already the Stampede have a very interesting team assembled when you toss in their returning and allocation players.
By the way: congrats to Livingston on finally becoming a full-fledged coach. Your knees thank you.
Blake says that Davidson is at the top of his call-up list out of the players potentially drafted tonight, and we agree. In fact it’s almost certainly why he wasn’t in the running for picks one and two.
7:23pm – In anticipation of the Sioux Falls Skyforce making their pick, Kamla asks Alpert and Blake if Amir Johnson is the best D-League player ever. It’s something that is often said about Johnson, and in this instance Kamla attributes it to Detroit Pistons head coach Michael Curry. Regardless of who first said it, I think it’s important to mention that the reason they point to Amir Johnson as the best ever isn’t because he put up the best numbers, or completely dominated the competition, it’s because he took advantage of the D-League system to improve his game.
7:24pm – The Skyforce snag Gary Forbes at 4, a guy who impressed our scouts enough in the Orlando Pre-Draft Camp that he was a First Team selection. Blake was surprised that Forbes didn’t get drafted thinking he had a chance to even sneak into the first round. The reason he went undrafted had nothing to do with the type of player he is, and that’s why we had him firmly slotted into the second round of our mock.
7:27pm – As Rick Kamla is continuing the discussion of how good Gary Forbes is, the camera starts zooming in past him and panning towards a TV with the NBADL Draft logo in the background clearly intending to go to commercial as he talks. To his credit, he realizes what’s going on and somehow manages to spin his Forbes discussion into a clean break to commercial. Maybe the guys in the NBATV control room were sent down from the NBA on TNT broadcast?
Wait a second, so Rick Kamla is Ernie. And I suppose Ryan Blake is Kenny. Which make Chris Alpert… Charles Barkley? I don’t know where this is going, but I like it.
(If Alpert says “turrible” and calls Blake a “knucklehead” I’m outta here.)
7:30pm – Back from commercial and not a single one talked about bettering your basketball. It’s too bad none of you suckers took that double-or-nothing bet from earlier.
7:31pm – The Bakersfield Jam use their fifth pick to select Derrick Byars, a former second rounder who suffered through some injuries and headed off to Europe last season to prove he could still play. The Jam need all the help they can get, and while there may be some guys with more upside still on the board, he’s a good fit for them.
7:33pm – Next up is the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, which Kamla rightly points out have one of the best logos in professional sports. Not only is this true, but so far as I know they’re also only team ever to be featured in a primetime network TV show followed exclusively by devoted tweens. (Speaking of which: I like totally wish Nathan would have accepted his career was over and like took that job coaching the Mad Ants!! I mean, OMG they’re the Mad Ants!! How cool is that, LOL!! )
Sorry. Moving on…
The Mad Ants select Coleman Collins at six, which is, well, a bit of a reach. It’s entirely possible that he would have still been on the board when they selected again in the second round. Big men are always in short supply in the D-League, but I think there are better players on the board.
7:38pm – Expansion team, the Erie Bayhawks, start their inaugural season off right by selecting one of the most interesting talents in the draft in Erik Daniels. After bouncing around in Europe the last couple of years, it looks like Daniels is taking another shot at the NBA. He’s a versatile power forward that can create mismatches offensively and really rebound the ball. A solid pick for Erie, if he sticks around…
7:40pm – Cleveland Cavaliers GM Danny Ferry speaks with Kamla about how having a team in Erie benefits them. The most intriguing part of this conversation is trying to figure out how in the world Jawad Williams made their squad out of training camp. Maybe he’s a cyborg assassin sent back in time to prevent Jay-Z from stealing Lebron in 2010?
7:44pm – With the 8th pick the Anaheim Arsenal select Tierre Brown. I totally missed this one. Since intrepid D-League super scout Jim Hlavac is actually in the Anaheim draft war room tonight I’ve been bugging him to tell me who they were going to pick without getting a peep out of him. I had actually guessed Denham Brown, which I’m going to count as me being half right.
Former league MVP Tierre Brown has the potential to be hell on wheels for opposing guards in the D-League. Or he could be a total train wreck. Either way, I guarantee he’s going to be fun to watch.
I guess this means Cedric Bozeman is now a shooting guard? What’s funny is he averaged 15/7/10 for the Albuquerque Thunderbirds two seasons ago, but I guess Sam Vincent is a former point guard and knows what he’s doing.
7:47pm – Finally Better Basketball gets its due, and exactly 30 minutes after the previous commercial. Coincidence? I think not.
7:50pm – Ah-ha! Denham Brown! I was only one pick off. I’m going to count this as also half right and then combine it with the half point from the Tierre Brown pick and call it plus one to me.
I watched Denham play quite a bit a couple of years ago for Tulsa, where he shot the lights out from behind the arc. Depending on how much he grew while playing in Italy last year he could be a very good pickup for the Utah Flash at nine. They certainly need all the scoring they can get, which will suit Denham just fine.
7:53pm – The other expansion team, the Reno Bighorns, use the 10th pick on Antonio Meeking and Dan Reed quickly makes sure to insult him by declaring him to be from Louisiana State before correcting himself with Louisiana Tech. And with that Meeking is already the frontrunner for the Elton Brown Memorial Conditioning Award. Way to go Bighorns.
As a side note: where did Bighorns come from? I realize it’s the name of a few old WBA and CBA teams, but even still. I suggested the Reno Hustlas, which is clearly superior. I suppose we should be grateful they didn’t choose something weird like Mad Ants. (Just kidding, the Mad Ants is a freakin’ great name.)
7:58pm – These Bamzu commercials weird me out. How can a site dedicated to selling products advertised on TBS and TNT make any money? Who goes there to buy stuff? “Why yes indeed, I sure could use a die-cast replica of a 1941 Chevy Ajax Flatbead truck. Thank god for Bamzu!”
7:59pm – Perennial favorites, the Dakota Wizards, take Marcus Hubbard at 11. I don’t know a thing about him, and he’ll be fighting for minutes by joining an absolutely loaded squad, but if he’s half as funny as former Wizard Rod Benson he’ll be my new favorite D-Leaguer.
Will Benson make a cameo in the D-League this season? We should be so lucky.
8:01pm – Dan Reed is already back with the 12th pick, which means the Rio Grande Valley Vipers had little interest in fully using their allotted 4 minutes. I guess they’re excited.
And they pick… Smush Parker. He’s been all over the place, but his talent is pretty undeniable. He owned the D-League several years ago while playing for Florida and has since put in a couple of years starting for the Lakers, where he was the second prettiest Parker playing basketball in Los Angeles.
Luckily for Parker and the Vipers, there is no valet parking in Rio Grande Valley.
At this point Kamla asks Alpert his opinion and there’s dead silence while Parker’s graphic is on the screen. Is Alpert flummoxed? Shocked? Does he know who this mysterious six year NBA veteran is? Of course he does, but somebody in the booth has forgotten to turn on his mic. Oh D-League, how we love thee.
8:06pm – The Los Angeles D-Fenders are a team loaded with guards, so at 13 they select 6’7” power forward Jasper Johnson. I was texting back and forth with a scout in the Lakers war room, but still didn’t even come close to pegging this one. Blake points out that Jasper was on the same Delta State team that had Jeremy Richardson and how that must have been a heck of a D2 school. I should dig out some tape of that.
8:08pm – Much like the Vipers, the Albuquerque Thunderbirds are wasting no time making their pick. I’m going to go out on a limb and say that if the last excited pick was Smush Parker then this pick at 14 must be James White.
David Noel! I should have thought of that.
He could have gone much higher in this draft. Last season he averaged 20/6/4 for the 66ers, and I had the privilege of watching him at the Long Beach Summer Pro League a few years ago playing for the Mavericks (despite being drafted by the Bucks) and can tell you he has a very well rounded game and brings a lot to the table.
8:12pm – The Iowa Energy grab Cartier Martin at 15 and add him to a roster with Dwayne Mitchell, Courtney Sims, and not much else. The Energy really needed an impact player here and I don’t think Martin is it.
Hopefully they are cool with him being suspended for three months for being caught smoking weed in Turkey last season.
8:15pm – This is it, the final pick of the draft! Well, the first round anyway. But the final pick to be shown on TV, that’s got to count for something, right?
The Austin Toros have to select James White with this pick or the next one. I mean, sure they waived him after signing him to a two year deal, but now they can effectively add him back into their player development system for free.
Wrong again! Rob McKiver is the 16th and final pick of the first round, and I hope this isn’t a spoiler, but Mohamed Abukar is the Toros first pick of the second round meaning that they must really, really, be down on James White.
R.C. Buford, the San Antonio Spurs GM, and Rick Kamla don’t seem too interested in talking about what McKiver brings to the team, and you can’t really blame them considering they already have arguably the most talented team in the D-League just in returning and allocated players alone.
8:25pm – After several painful minutes of mutual congratulations amongst tonight’s panel, the television coverage finally finishes and leads to a commercial for… you guessed it: Better Basketball! What are the odds? (Very, very, high.)
Stay tuned for more great D-League coverage here at DraftExpress. |
Feedback
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richard.walker@draftexpress.com |
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| D-League Draft Eligible List / Top Available Players |
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| by: Jonathan Givony - President |
| November 7, 2008 |
Also see: D-League Pre-Draft Power Rankings / Allocation List
After receiving the full list of eligible players for the D-League draft (Friday, 11/7, 7 PM EST), we've went in and ranked the 30 top eligible players in our view. Some of the top players include Jermareo Davidson, Erik Daniels, Gary Forbes, Chris Richard, James Mays, Smush Parker, Delonte Holland, James White, David Noel and others.
DraftExpress Top 30 Eligible Players
*Note: A notable amount of players on this list have red flags that could drop them much further down certain D-League teams' draft boards depending on how much weight they put on these matters. For many of the top players who were not either just cut from the NBA or are straight out of college, this may apply.
1. Jermareo Davidson Alabama 2007 PF/C 6-10 230
2. Erik Daniels Kentucky 2004 F 6-8 225
3. Gary Forbes UMASS 2008 G/F 6-6 220
4. Chris Richard Florida 2007 PF/C 6-9 265
5. James Mays Clemson 2008 PF 6-8 230
6. Smush Parker Fordham 2002 PG 6-3 190
7. Delonte Holland DePaul 2004 PF 6-7 220
8. James White Cincinnati 2006 SF 6-6 200
9. David Noel N. Carolina 2006 G/F 6-6 224
10. Derrick Byars Vanderbilt 2007 SG 6-7 220
11. Larry Ayuso USC 1999 SG 6-3 202
12. Denham Brown UCONN 2006 SG 6-5 215
13. Tierre Brown McNeese St. 2001 PG 6-2 190
14. Russell Robinson Kansas 2008 PG 6-1 190
15. Gavin Grant NC State 2008 SF 6-7 200
16. Keith Brumbaugh Hillsborough CC 2008 SF 6-9 215
17. Coleman Collins Virginia Tech 2007 PF 6-9 220
18. Roy Bright Delaware St. 2008 SF 6-6 225
19. Vernon Hamilton Clemson 2006 PG 6-1 190
20. Cartier Martin Kansas St. 2007 SF 6-7 220
21. Rob McKiver Houston 2008 SG 6-3 195
22. Antonio Meeking LA Tech 2003 PF 6-7 250
23. Marlon Parmer Kentucky Weslyan 2003 PG 6-2 190
24. John Gilchrist Maryland 2005 PG 6-2 190
25. Eddie Robinson C. Oklahoma 1999 SF 6-8 215
26. Gary Ervin Arkansas 2008 PG 5-11 180
27. Mohamed Abukar San Diego St. 2007 PF 6-10 220
28. Jasper Johnson Delta St. 2006 PF 6-8 275
29. Taj McCullough Winthrop 2007 F 6-7 220
30. Anthony Harris Miami 2007 PG 6-2 185
D-League Draft Eligible List
First Last School/Country Year Pos. Ht. Wt.
Mohamed Abukar San Diego St. 2007 PF 6-10 220
Michael Adams Youngstown St. 2006 C 6-11 235
Jerod Adler Indiana St. 2005 PF 6-9 235
Travis Aikens Marshall 2007 SG 6-4
Derrick Allen Valdosta St. 2007 SG 6-5 215
Ronald Allen Cincinnati 2007 PF 6-9 235
Steve Allen Clemson 2006 C 6-10 242
Mildon Ambres S. Nazarene 2007 G/F 6-5 200
Michael Anderson VCU 2008 SF 6-7
Tejay Anderson
Eddie Ard Lipscomb 2008 G/F 6-5 195
Jarred Axon E. Michigan 2008 PG 5-11 180
Larry Ayuso USC 1999 SG 6-3 202
Sung-Yoon Bang Korea G/F 6-5 200
Alpha Bangura St. John's (NY) 2002 SG 6-4 195
John Barber Youngstown St. 2008 SF 6-6 205
Stephen Barber UT-Arlington 2002 PG 5-10 175
Kenny Barnes USF 2005 SF 6-7 210
Matthew Barrow Lamar 2008 SG 6-4 185
Alex Bausley Sacramento St. 2007 PF 6-7 245
Donny Beacham UT-Arlington 2004 SF 6-5 200
Warren Beaulah Brewton Parker College 2007 SG 6-4 195
Jomo Belfor JMU 2006 PG 6-0 185
Jeremy Bell Williams Baptist College 2005 PG 6-0 185
Keith Benjamin Pittsburgh 2008 SG 6-2 190
David Berghoefer W. Carolina 2006 C 6-11 235
Mikheil Berishvili Georgia PF 6-9 195
Tim Blackwell UMKC 2008 SG 6-4 195
Nate Bowie C. Arkansas 2008 PG 6-0 175
Roy Bright Delaware St. 2008 SF 6-6 225
Ryan Bright Sam Houston St. 2008 SF 6-6 225
Joseph Britto UMASS - Dartmouth 2005 SG 6-5 185
Caheem Broadus Delaware St. 2006 G 6-3 185
Chris Brooks Florida Southern 2004 SG 6-3 190
Calvin Brown Norfolk St. 2007 PF 6-9 220
Denham Brown UCONN 2006 SG 6-5 215
Jamaal Brown Cal. St. Fullerton 2006 PF 6-7 240
Marshall Brown Missouri 2008 SF 6-6 205
Nate Brown St. Peter's 2002 PG 6-1 185
Parrish Brown Maryland 2007 PG 6-1 180
Tierre Brown McNeese St. 2001 PG 6-2 190
Keith Brumbaugh Hillsborough CC 2008 SF 6-9 215
Keith Butler DePaul 2007 C 7-1 260
Derrick Byars Vanderbilt 2007 SG 6-7 220
Geno Carlisle California 1999 SG 6-3 200
Maurice Carter Robert Morris 2005 PG 6-0 180
Tony Champion Sacramento St. 2004 C 6-10 265
Kris Clack Texas 1999 SF 6-5 225
John Clarke Point Loma 2007 SG 6-3 190
Cliff Clinkscales DePaul 2008 G 6-1
Anthony Coleman Long Beach St. 2005 PF 6-10 220
Dominique Coleman Colorado 2007 SG 6-3 190
Coleman Collins Virginia Tech 2007 PF 6-9 220
Kris Collins N. Mexico 2006 SG 6-2 190
Robby Collum W. Michigan 2003 G 6-1 190
Ashanti Cook Georgetown 2006 PG 6-2 185
Casey Cook UCSB 2005 F 6-8 220
Robert Cox S. Polytechnic St. 2007 SG 6-5 200
Torrington Cox King College 2007 F 6-7 210
Darold Crow Tulsa 2007 SF 6-6 220
Erik Daniels Kentucky 2004 F 6-8 225
Pierre Darden Cumberlands 2007 PF 6-9 210
Jermareo Davidson Alabama 2007 PF/C 6-10 230
Bennet Davis Northeastern 2007 SF 6-8 220
Lorenzo Davis Mountain St. 2005 F/C 6-10 220
Ryan Davis Langston University 2005 G 6-2 195
Shaun Davis New Mexico St. 2007 PG 5-11 180
Andrew Davison Emporia St. 2008 SG 6-3 195
Jeffrey Day Creighton 2006 PF/C 6-9 235
Quinton Day UMKC 2007 PG 6-0 180
Derrick Dial E. Michigan 1998 SG 6-4 195
Marcus Doss
Tim Drisdom Utah 2006 PG 6-3 185
Charles Easterling Kilgore JC 2003 G/F 6-3 220
Moses Ehambe Oral Roberts 2008 SF 6-6 200
Carlos English Cleveland St. 2007 PG 5-7 175
Rodrick Epps UT-Arlington 2008 PG 6-0 180
Gary Ervin Arkansas 2008 PG 5-11 180
Brian Evans Texas A&M 2004 PG 6-1 185
Austin Ewing NC A&T 2008 PG 5-11 180
Wesley Fluellen Robert Morris 2002 SF 6-7 210
Gary Forbes UMASS 2008 G/F 6-6 220
Isaiah Fox Arizona 2006 PF 6-9 270
Alexus Foyle BYU-Hawaii 2003 PF 6-6 225
Andrew Francis UTSA 2008 SF 6-7
Richard Francis Tarleton St. 2007 SG 6-4 195
Gabe Freeman Mesa CC 2006 F 6-8 205
Terrence Gamble Tarleton St. 2008 C 6-10 255
KJ Garland UNC-Asheville 2008 PG 6-1 185
Drew Gibson Wofford 2008 PG 6-2 185
Fred Gibson Georgia 2004 G/F 6-4 185
John Gilchrist Maryland 2005 PG 6-2 190
Trey Gilder Northwestern St. 2008 PF 6-9 185
Brock Gillespie Rice 2003 PG 6-0 175
David Godbold Oklahoma 2008 G 6-5 210
Damien Goodman UNC-Pembroke 2004 SF 6-6 220
Gavin Grant NC State 2008 SF 6-7 200
Jermaine Green N. Texas 2003 SF 6-8 205
Rob Griffin Iowa 2000 SF 6-6 200
Demarcus Hall Cal. St. Bakersfield 2008 SF 6-7 210
Vernon Hamilton Clemson 2006 PG 6-1 190
Anthony Harris Miami 2007 PG 6-2 185
Jovan Harris USF 2004 PG 6-3 190
JR Harrison Rice 2006 F 6-6 220
Michael Hart N. Illinois 2008 PF 6-8 210
Shawn Hawkins Long Beach 2006 SF 6-6 220
Marcus Heard DePaul 2007 PF 6-7 225
Boomer Herndon Belmont 2007 C 6-10 270
Alex Hill Sante Fe CC 2006 SF 6-6 210
Marcus Hill Tulsa 2001 SF 6-5 220
Phillip Hillstock Barber Scotia 2004 F 6-7 220
Garry Hill-Thomas Nevada-Reno 2005 SF 6-5 205
Delonte Holland DePaul 2004 PF 6-7 220
Jason Horton Missouri 2008 G 6-1 185
William Howard NC A&T 2004 SG 6-4 215
Marcus Hubbard Angelo St. 2008 PF 6-9 230
Othyus Jeffers Robert Morris 2008 G/F 6-5 200
Darrell Jenkins E. Carolina 2008 PG 5-11 180
Jasper Johnson Delta St. 2006 PF 6-8 275
Justin Johnson Mississippi 2005 PG 5-11 180
KeJuan Johnson Long Beach St. 2007 SG 6-4 200
Dwight Jones Houston Baptist 2007 SG 6-3 185
Marcel Jones Oregon St. 2008 F 6-8 225
Antoine Jordan Siena 2006 SF 6-5 205
Tony Key Mountain St. 2005 C 6-10 280
Kyle Keyes Montana 2001 PG 6-1
Isaiah Kottke Master's College 2007 SG 6-3
Oliver Lafayette Houston 2007 PG 6-2 190
Robert Lawrence LaGrange 2007 SG 6-3 195
LP Levros Rhode Island CC 2005 SF 6-6 210
Greg Lewis Winston Salem St. 2008 PF 6-8 265
Adam Liberty Oral Roberts 2008 G 6-2
Theo Little Arkansas St. 2007 C 6-10 260
Kurt Looby Iowa 2008 C 6-10 230
Casey Love Robert Morris 2007 PF/C 6-8 245
Harry Lum Florida International 2004 G 6-2
Taj MacCullough Winthrop 2007 F 6-7 220
Marcus Malone Houston 2008 G/F 6-5 215
Cartier Martin Kansas St. 2007 SF 6-7 220
Chet Mason Miami-OH 2005 G 6-3 190
Dameon Mason LSU 2008 SF 6-5 200
Darius Mattear UTEP 2004 F 6-6 224
Kourtney Maxim Cypress College 2008 SF 6-5 220
James Mays Clemson 2008 PF 6-8 230
Jawann McClellan Arizona 2008 G/F 6-4 200
Rob McKiver Houston 2008 SG 6-3 195
Antonio Meeking LA Tech 2003 PF 6-7 250
Michael Miller Coppin St. 2008 G 6-2 190
John Millsap UTSA 2005 SF 6-6 220
O'Neal Mims Angelo St. 2005 PF 6-9 235
Tommy Mitchell Siena 2005 SG 6-3 190
David Monds Oklahoma St. 2007 PF 6-8 240
Sammy Monroe Newberry (D2) 2006 SF 6-6 205
Chris A. Moore Charleston Southern 2008
Toree Morris Pittsburgh 2004 PF/C 6-10 280
Brian Morrison UCLA 2005 G 6-2 180
Ty Morrison Grand Canyon 2008 F 6-8 220
Raheem Moss Cleveland St. 2007 SG 6-4
Beau Muhlbach Texas A&M 2008 G 6-4 195
Tony Murphy Norfolk St. 2008 SG 6-4 200
Reggie Nelson Tennessee Tech 1999 PF 6-7 225
Dave Noel C. Florida 2008 SG 6-3 195
David Noel N. Carolina 2006 G/F 6-6 224
Rishawn Norwood Mt. San Antonio JC 2007 G 6-3 190
Yemi Ogunoye Oral Roberts 2008 F 6-9 210
Julius Page Pittsburgh 2004 SG 6-3 195
Lance Parique Georgia St. 2007 SF 6-7 215
Charlie Parker Millersville 2008 SG 6-4 195
Eric Parker Wayne St. 2006 PF 6-8 230
Smush Parker Fordham 2002 PG 6-3 190
Marlon Parmer Kentucky Weslyan 2003 PG 6-2 190
Michael Peeples Fairleigh Dickinson 2007 SF 6-6 210
Marvin Phillips Claflin 2004 F 6-7 225
JeJuan Plair Sam Houston St. 2007 G 6-1 185
Greg Plummer Eckerd (D2) 2005 SG 6-4 200
Earnest Porter Nicholls St. 2006 SG 6-4 190
Nick Porter Creighton 2007 SG 6-3 215
Dejon Prejean Cal. St. Los Angeles 2008 SG 6-4
Lonnie Randolph Drake 2005 PG 6-1 185
Marvin Rashad Fairmont St. 2006 G/F 6-4 210
Larry Reid Kansas St. 2002 PG 6-0 180
Chris Richard Florida 2007 PF/C 6-9 265
Eddie Robinson C. Oklahoma 1999 SF 6-8 215
Russell Robinson Kansas 2008 PG 6-1 190
Seth Robinson Boise St. 2007 SF 6-6 210
Chris Rogers Arizona 2006 SG 6-3 185
Thomas Sanders Gardner Webb 2008 G 6-3 190
Ambres Sandoval Dayton 2008 G 6-4 205
Derek Savage Goldey Beacom 2008 SG 6-4 200
Dominique Scales East Central 2008 PF/C 6-9 235
Ryan Schmidt W. Oregon 2008 SF 6-8 220
Ernest Scott Valdosta St. 2004 SF 6-7 225
Bryce Sheldon S. Carolina 2007 G/F 6-4 200
Marcus Sloan TCU 2005 F 6-8 235
Lanny Smith Houston 2008 G 6-3 190
Tristan Smith St. Francis 2006 PG 6-2 185
Terry Smith-Harris Minnesota 2000 SG 6-4 195
Sean Sonderleiter C 6-9
Aaron Spears St. John's (NY) 2007 C 6-10 255
Jason Stampley SE Oklahoma 2007 G 6-0 185
Michael Strawberry Chaffey College 2006 G/F 6-4 200
Brad Stricker Georgia St. 2000 C 6-10 280
Michael Sturns Holy Family 2008 G/F 6-5 200
Kevin Sweetwyne Idaho St. 2000 SF 6-4 200
Mario Taybron Kansas St. 2007 G 6-2 185
Curtis Terry UNLV 2008 G/F 6-5 205
Terrance Thomas Baylor 2004 SF 6-6 220
Jahmar Thorpe Houston 2007 G/F 6-6 215
Nick Tuggle ETSU 2007 SF 6-5 195
Alexsander Ugrinoski Croatia PG 6-4 195
CJ Vick Quinnipiac 2005 F 6-7 215
Kirk Walters Arizona 2008 C 6-11 233
Keoni Watson Idaho 2007 PG 5-9 158
Rashad West Hampton 2008 PG 6-1 180
Carlos Wheeler Campbellsville 2002 PF 6-7 220
Xavier Whipple LSU 2005 PG 6-2 185
James White Cincinnati 2006 SF 6-6 200
Lou White Vorhees 2000 G 6-3 195
John White E. Kentucky 2001 PG 6-1 185
Terrance Whiters Loyola (IL) 2004 PG 6-0 185
Elgrace Wilborn W. Kentucky 2006 F 6-8 220
Demario Williams Miles 2008 C 6-11 220
Ezra Williams Georgia 2003 SG 6-4 205
Waki Williams Memphis 2006 F 6-9 220
Brandon Worthy LMU 2007 SG 6-2 205
Dock Wrice SF 6-7
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for this article may be sent to
jonathan@draftexpress.com |
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| D-League Pre-Draft Power Rankings / Allocation List |
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| by: Jonathan Givony - President |
| November 7, 2008 |
After the D-League released the list of allocated, returning and tryout players, we take a look through the rosters and rank the teams 1-16 based off what they have going into the draft, analyzing the top players in the league in the process.
The draft will be broadcasted today, Friday the 7th, at 7 PM on NBATV.
#1 Dakota Wizards
Blake Ahearn
Maurice Baker
David Bell
Will Frisby
Dontell Jefferson
Quemont Greer
Renaldo Major
Along with Austin, Dakota looks to be one of the two strongest teams in the D-League, and with a strong draft (with a likely focus on the interior) should be considered the tentative favorites for the league title. Their returning players are mostly all proven to be quality D-League producers, and they should have a good deal of chemistry right off the bat, which is more than most teams in the league will ever be able to say this season.
The backcourt looks especially strong, with combo guards Blake Ahearn, Mo Baker and Dontell Jefferson all capable of putting up big-time scoring numbers, as well as do other things.
Ahearn is one of the top shooters in the league, but is not just your typical suburban backyard shooter. He is a fairly good athlete, and is capable of putting the ball on the floor and getting to the free throw line (where he simply never misses), as he showed last season en-route to earning a call-up from the Miami Heat. The drawback here is that despite standing just 6-2 with an underwhelming frame, he’s not much of a point guard, and thus is fairly limited defensively as well. It will be interesting to see how he develops this season, as he seems to be getting better all the time.
Maurice “Mo” Baker played all of 06-07 with Dakota and a large chunk of 07-08 as well before being bought out by Paris-Levallios in the French League. He’s a big-time scorer plain and simple, despite being fairly limited athletically and nothing more than an average perimeter shooter at best. Baker just has a terrific feel for putting the ball in the basket, not always terribly efficiently albeit, but still being capable of creating offense out of nothing, which is more than most players in this league can say. He’s a tough, experienced player with strong intangibles who brings a lot to the table in a league like this, and will even make teammates better on occasion, and surely help win games.
Similar to Baker, he played all of 06-07 with Dakota and part of 07-08 before being bought out by a European team (Barons Riga in Latvia). Jefferson is a very versatile 6-4 point guard, showing nice athleticism, the ability to lock-down multiple positions defensively, good court vision and an improving feel for putting the ball in the basket. He is the definition of a late-bloomer and improved by leaps and bounds in two seasons in the D-League. He passed up numerous overseas offers to give the NBA another shot, and it will be interesting to see how much he improves this season.
The Wizards have talent in the frontcourt as well, starting with lock-down defender Renaldo Major (sat out for all of last season after undergoing heart surgery), Quemont Greer (an excellent scorer who never met a shot he didn’t like), and offensive-minded but foul prone Will Frisby.
#2 Austin Toros
Serge Angounou
Eric Dawson
Carldell Johnson
Marcus Williams
Charles Gaines
Malik Hairston
Tack Minor
Austin looks to be the most top-heavy team in the D-League going into the draft already. They have two San Antonio Spurs second round picks in Malik Hairston and Marcus Williams, as well as a very athletic big man with an incredible amount of high-level European experience in Charles Gaines.
Malik Hairston could very well be the first player called up by an NBA team, as soon as one injury or another happens and the need for a versatile swingman arises. He has an NBA body already to go along with nice physical tools, an advanced skill-set, and excellent intangibles to boot. It was surprising to say the least to see San Antonio decide to keep Desmon Farmer over him, but if Hairston can show improved ball-handling skills and the ability to defend both wing positions effectively, his stay in Austin should not be very long.
Many will scratch their head while reading this list and wonder what exactly Charles Gaines is thinking passing up 50k per month offers or more in Europe to play in the D-League, but the Austin Toros surely won’t mind. We’re talking about one of the most athletic players in the league right off the bat, someone capable of making a significant impact inside the paint on both ends of the floor, as well as a strong rebounder in traffic and a terrific threat running the floor in transition. These are all very rare qualities to find in a big man in the D-League, particularly one as experienced as Gaines is. Gaines has always been deemed to lack the size, consistent jump-shot, steady free throw stroke and the on-court discipline needed to earn an NBA contract, but it’s possible that an up close and personal look from every NBA team, combined with some big-time production (a maybe a mid-season injury to a rotation player) could change their minds over the long D-League season.
Cardell “Squeaky” Johnson is a very steady point guard to have at the D-League level, while former LSU combo guard Tack Minor has all kinds of talent (especially as a scorer) but has fallen off the map in recent years due to off-court issues.
#3 Idaho Stampede
Brent Petway
Jamaal Tatum
Jason Ellis
Ryan Appleby
Coby Karl
Reggie Leary
Tim Barnes
Last year’s champions should be very competitive once again, even if they lack some of the experience and depth of their counterparts in Austin and Bismarck. Regardless, Idaho has one of the best coaching staffs in the league, starting with head coach Bryan Gates, now complimented by the huge amount of NBA and D-League experience that Randy Livingston brings to the table, which means that they can’t be ruled out.
Idaho should be led by the play of versatile Coby Karl, recently cut by the LA Lakers. Karl can play three positions in the D-League and should shoulder a significant amount of the playmaking duties. He is a very aggressive and extremely intelligent player with a terrific stroke from beyond the arc and excellent court vision, and is aided tremendously by his terrific 7-foot wingspan. Not terribly athletic, particularly in the lateral quickness department, he will have to find the right fit in order to make it back to the NBA, and will also draw significant interest from high-level European teams.
There are a couple of other interesting players who should make a solid impact here, including the freakishly athletic Brent Petway, the tough-nosed and extremely intelligent Jamaal Tatum (forced to sit out all of last season with an ankle injury), and the athletic and versatile undersized power forward Reggie Leary, a rookie out of local Boise State.
#4 Bakersfield Jam
Mateen Cleaves
Trey Johnson
Nick Lewis
Derek Wright
Jeff Trepagnier
Justin Bellegarde
Demario Butler
Bakersfield has two veteran players at its disposal in Mateen Cleaves and Jeff Trepagnier, and some quality options alongside them, which should make them more competitive than they’ve been recently. With a solid draft, they should be well along their way this season.
A former top-15 pick (Detroit Pistons, 2000) and NCAA champion, Cleaves knows the D-League well, having spent parts of four of the last five seasons here, always putting up huge scoring and assists numbers. He is a ball-dominant floor general who lacks great athleticism or a consistent perimeter shooting stroke, but brings great intangibles to the table, which could be appealing to an NBA team looking for a steady and reliable third point guard mid-way through the season.
Trepagnier is a former second round pick (Cleveland Cavaliers, 2001) and a big-time athlete who is getting close to hitting 30 years old. The trajectory of his career has been pointing downwards for the past few seasons after initially showing quite a bit of promise, and it’s likely that he is coming to try and get himself back on track in a feature scoring role here in Bakersfield. His shot-selection and all-around streakiness have always been considered his downfalls, but he’s an excellent athlete who can make a real impact on both ends of the floor when he’s truly dialed in.
7-footer Nick Lewis gives the team a high skill-level and productive rebounder, and Trey Johnson will try to regain the form that made him the #1 scorer in college basketball just two years ago.
#5 Albuquerque Thunderbirds
Will Conroy
Daryl Dorsey
Ramon Dyer
Cheyne Gadson
Cory Underwood
Mark Walters
Sidney Hooper
The most notable names here are Will Conroy and Cheyne Gadson, two players that give Albuquerque a very experienced backcourt from which to build around.
Conroy is going into his fourth D-League campaign after racking up over 100 D-League games of experience. He has very little to show for it in terms of NBA money earned, but will again try to turn double-digit assists averages, decent scoring, a high turnover rate and average perimeter shooting ability into a 10-day contract. At this level, you can’t argue with the leadership he brings to the table.
Gadson is also coming off a very poor performance in Italy last season and also has a wealth of D-League experience to fall-back on. He is a talented scoring combo guard with solid athleticism but is unlikely to draw much NBA interest due to his lack of playmaking, perimeter shooting and decision making skills.
It will be interesting to see how the very ball-dominant Conroy, Gadson and Majic Dorsey are all able to coincide alongside each other. It does not look like a match made in heaven on paper.
#6 Sioux Falls Skyforce
Chris Alexander
Milone Clark
Carl Elliott
Michael Joiner
Bobby Jones
Frank Williams
Chris Childress
Sioux Falls has two former NBA players (Bobby Jones and Frank Williams), a legit big man to do the dirty work (Chris Alexander), and a prospect with nice upside in Carl Elliott, which separates them a bit from the pack. Not enough to compete with the big-boys for a championship, they are regardless capable of beating almost any team on any given night, especially with a good draft.
Frank Williams seems to have lost almost all the athleticism that made him a first round pick back in 2002 (New York Knicks, #25), and has become almost exclusively a perimeter shooter. He is not a very efficient player for that reason, and is fairly turnover for a point guard, but for as hard as it is for D-League teams to acquire point guards, he’s not that bad of an option all things considered—since he can defend, is experienced and brings good size and strength to the table.
#7 Tulsa 66ers
Russell Carter
Keith Closs
Chris Ellis
Jeremy Kelly
Terrell Everett
Ryan Humphrey
Keith Clark
Tulsa is one of the more athletic teams you’ll find, and they’ll be able to build to a pretty solid core after adding the #1 overall pick in the draft. They will probably be looking to improve their frontcourt, which is a bit weak compared to their backcourt.
Terrell Everett may be a familiar name to college basketball fans, and he will likely become a familiar name to D-League fans this season as well. A big point guard with nice athleticism, good court vision and excellent overall talent, Everett is back in the States after spending the last two seasons primarily in France, where he was mostly up and down but always showed excellent sparks of potential. Everett is still an average perimeter shooter and decision maker, two of the things he’ll need to work on the most to draw NBA interest this upcoming season. Showing leadership skills and maturity both on and off the floor will be imperative.
Tulsa also returns an excellent shooter and solid athlete in Russell Carter, who stumbled in his first season of professional play. He joins the versatile and defensive minded Jeremy Kelly, a veteran D-League player at this point, and Chris Ellis, a strong and aggressive athlete and undersized power forward who makes up for his poor skill-set somewhat with the energy he brings to the floor. Ryan Humphrey is a former first round draft pick (#19 in 2002, Utah Jazz) out of Notre Dame who is trying to return to the basketball courts after sitting out an extensive amount of time with injuries. If he has retained the athleticism that made him such a coveted prospect a few years back, he could be of huge service to Tulsa.
#8 Anaheim Arsenal
Mario Boggan
Mike Efevberha
Noel Felix
Cedric Bozeman
TJ Cummings
Ayinde Ubaka
Jason Harris
Cedric Bozeman is likely the most interesting player here, thanks to his excellent size at the point guard position, combined with his strong defensive skills and ability to threaten for a triple-double on any given night with his versatile skill-set. Question marks about his consistency and all-around mental toughness have been holding his career back since graduating from UCLA, especially coming off a dreadful season in Poland.
Noel Felix is likely the only other NBA prospect on the roster, and even he would be considered a serious long-shot based off the lack of improvement he’s shown over the past few seasons. He has an NBA body and athleticism, and is capable of making somewhat of an impact defensively and on the glass in a competition like the D-League, but he lacks the type of size or even marginal offensive skill-set to draw more than cursory interest from most NBA scouts.
Mike Efevberha will put up big scoring numbers on a huge amount of possessions, Mario Boggan will hope to have a bounce-back season after playing for five different teams in Europe (and leaving pretty much everyone on bad terms) over the past year, and Ayinde Ubaka has the talent to improve his resume and be a solid player in the D-League.
#9 Iowa Energy
Dwayne Mitchell
Aristide Sawadogo
Courtney Sims
Curtis Stinson
Chris Lawson
Chris Moore
Jamaal Moore
Iowa returns two important players in Dwayne Mitchell and Courtney Sims to their roster, but will need to have a good draft to have a chance at staying competitive.
Mitchell is one of the best athletes in the D-League, a chiseled 6-3 shooting guard with excellent defensive potential, albeit questionable range on his shot and improvable ball-handling skills. He was having a good season last year before being bought out of his contract by German team Bamberg.
Courtney Sims was one of the most productive per-minute performers in the D-League last season, doing an outstanding job of scoring and rebounding by taking advantage of his solid athleticism and above average skill-level. If he can improve defensively and continue to make strides with his all-around game, he could be a solid candidate for a 10-day to get a more in-depth look.
#10 Los Angeles D-Fenders
Darren Cooper
Brandon Heath
Joe Crawford
Patrick Sanders
Johnny Dukes
Ryan Forehan-Kelly
Rashid Byrd
The LA D-Fenders have always been one of the best teams in the league since their inception, but they return precious little to their roster this season, besides their second round pick Joe Crawford, who they cut in training camp.
Crawford has league-leading potential as a scorer, as he’s blessed with an outstanding stroke from beyond the arc, a potent mid-range game, as well as the ability to put the ball on the floor and make his way to the basket. He wasn’t always a consistent performer at Kentucky, as his focus and intensity level seemed to waver at times, but he managed to show enough at Portsmouth and the pre-draft camp to earn a selection in the late second round. He needs to improve his shot-selection and decision making skills and prove that he can defend his position at the next level, but you’re looking for call-up candidates at the shooting guard position, this might not be a bad place to start.
Combo guard Brandon Heath might be forced to man the point for this team, which will be an interesting experiment to say the least. Heath is a terrific scorer and streak-shooter who you never quite know what to expect from on any given night. He plays little defense and is not much of a playmaker, two things he’ll have to work long and hard on.
#11 Erie BayHawks
Jackie Manuel
Geary Claxton
Mike Cook
Ivan Harris
Maureece Rice
Jarvis Gunter
Brian Robinson
This is a very young team with some serious question marks, either injury or character related. Mike Cook and Geary Claxton are two terrific college players who saw their seasons come to an end last year due to serious knee problems. Their health will play a major part in Erie’s success, along with whatever Maureece Rice brings to the table.
The most interesting story here is probably Geary Claxton, one of the top players in the Big Ten over the past few seasons. Claxton tore his ACL last January, which ended his incredibly productive college career with Penn State and erased any possibility of garnering NBA draft interest. A tough, smart and very versatile player who spent time at many different positions in college, Claxton is an interesting prospect to keep an eye on.
Maureece Rice will probably put up big scoring numbers at this level, but it will be interesting to see if he do the other things needed to win games as well, something he wasn’t really known for at George Washington. He has a great deal of talent and can really stroke the ball, but the question marks about his intangibles and background linger.
Mike Cook was denied another year of eligibility by the NCAA after tearing his ACL in Pitt’s 11th game last season, so he ended up here on the D-League. He is bound to be a solid player in the D-League if his knee is up for the task, as he is a tough guy who can shoot, score, pass and defend and comes from a terrific college program.
Jackie Manuel and Ivan Harris are two more players from big schools, Manuel from North Carolina and Harris from Ohio State. Manuel is a great defender who struggles shooting the ball from the perimeter, and Harris is a great shooter who struggles defending his position.
#12 Rio Grande Valley Vipers
Stanley Asumnu
Trent Strickland
Quin Humphrey
Craig Winder
Kendall Dartez
Alton Ford
Damone Morris
Things should be just slightly easier for Rio Grande Valley in their second D-League season, but they still lack the ‘star’ power to compete with the better teams in the league. They will likely be led by the play of Trent Strickland and Kendall Dartez.
Strickland is a superb athlete who can really defend on the perimeter, and is versatile enough to score with his back to the basket or taking players off the dribble. His shooting stroke has improved but still needs plenty of work. He’s not likely to get any NBA looks, but in the D-League he can be a productive piece.
Dartez missed all of last season with an injury after signing with Euroleague team Roanne, and it should be interesting to track his progress thanks to his physical tools. He is a superb athlete with an excellent body, but lacks a significant amount of polish offensively and doesn’t have much experience to fall back on.
Alton Ford played in the NBA back in 2002-2003 with Phoenix, but has been out of basketball for the last 3-4 years.
#13 Colorado 14ers
Damien Lolar
Eric Osmundson
Josh Davis
Jamar Brown
Joe Dabbert
Lamar Butler
Keith Salscheider
Colorado looks like one of the weaker squads around, and should be lead by the play of perimeter oriented power forward Josh Davis, a veteran player with a little bit of NBA experience underneath his belt. Davis is an undersized four who plays primarily facing the basket, where he can really stroke the ball and is a nice option to run pick and pop plays for. Primarily a hustle-guy, he is ill suited for the type of feature role that the Colorado coaching staff probably expects from him, and should be considered a prime candidate to be bought out by an overseas team if he does not earn a call-up early in the season.
#14 Fort Wayne Mad Ants
Ron Howard
Anthony Kyle
Walker Russell
Eric Smith
Chris Hunter
Anthony Kent
Dewitt Scott
There is not a whole lot to talk about here, besides possibly Fort Wayne’s returning point guard, Walker Russell Jr. He was bought out of his contract last season by ACB squad Estudiantes after an excellent showing in the D-League showcase, but was unable to make much of an impact there. He’s a real floor general with a high basketball IQ and an excellent knack for running the pick and roll, but his lack of size and perimeter shooting skills don’t leave much room for optimism regarding a hypothetical NBA future.
Chris Hunter is a serviceable D-League big man, and Ron Howard is a somewhat productive option on the wing.
#15 Reno Bighorns
Damone Brown
Tony Gibson
Alfred Neale
Andre Patterson
Kyle Shiloh
Jesse Smith - returning player
Jamaal Thomas
Reno got virtually nothing out of the expansion draft, and in turn has one of the weakest rosters in the D-League Damone Brown is surrounded by a group of anonymous players, which means they need to have a great draft and then hope for help from their NBA affiliates.
Shouldering much of the offensive load will be 6-9 combo forward Damone Brown, a player who has spent five of the last six seasons in the D-League, and received a couple of 10-days for his effort. Brown is a very talented player who can put the ball on the floor or make a mid-range jumper. He does a lot of different things on both ends of the floor thanks to his length and athleticism, but his decision making, shot-selection and overall approach leaves a lot to be desired at times. On this team he should be a scoring machine, but whether he can do what it takes to help a team win remains to be seen.
#16 Utah Flash
Brian Jackson
Andre Ingram
Chris Moore
Steve Newman
Ryan Diggs
Mike Hall
Kris Clark
Utah returns virtually nothing from last year’s talented, cohesive squad, which will put a lot of pressure on their front office to have a great draft and hopefully pick up some NBA send-downs. It’s a bit surprising not to see Kevin Kruger or Brian Hamilton on the roster, but it’s possible they get acquired later.
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| 2007-2008 DraftExpress D-League Awards |
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| by: Jonathan Givony - President, Jim Hlavac, Mike Schmidt - D-League, NCAA Scout, Richard Walker - D-League Scout |
| May 3, 2008 |
The four DraftExpress writers who followed the D-League this season voted on year end awards in many different categories. The following article contains the results as well as some commentary on how the awards were won.
2008 DraftExpress D-League MVP:
Randy Livingston, Idaho Stampede
In a unanimous selection among our panelists, Livingston brings home the MVP award. His value to the Idaho Stampede through their championship run went far beyond the numbers, but the point guard made his presence felt in the statistical categories as well. Leading the league at 10.5 assists per game, he was the only player in the league to hit double-digits in the category this season. The minor league veteran also averaged 16.5 points per game while providing both timely scoring and assists for his team during crunch time. On the offensive end, Livingston was probably the most vocal player in the D-League and constantly directed his teammates on making the proper reads and cuts in the offense. In the D-League Finals, it became very obvious how much control the veteran had in the Stampede offense. A mic’ed up Bryan Gates called the plays for the sideline and more often than not, the play call was ‘15’, a side screen and role that gave Livingston the chance to distribute the ball to his numerous teammates.
Defensive Player of the Year
Stephane Lasme, Los Angeles D-Fenders
The Los Angeles D-Fenders played better interior defense than any other team in the D-League for most of the season, and a huge reason for this was the play of rookie power forward Stephane Lasme. In a league devoid of dominant big men, Lasme anchored the D-Fenders front line with a combination of man to man defense mixed with elite shot-blocking ability. The rookie was originally drafted by the Golden State Warriors, but cut after only appearing in one game. He was rewarded late in the season when the Miami Heat called him up, and played very well in his NBA playing time. Though undersized for an NBA power-forward, Lasme has long arms and a very quick vertical leap as well as above average quickness laterally. The D-Fenders clearly could have used him in the playoffs, where they fell short against the eventual champions from Boise.
The other player receiving a vote from our panel was one of the more under-recognized players in the D-League this season. Justin Cage was shockingly cut by the Fort Wayne Mad Ants at the very beginning of the season, but quickly found a home with the Colorado 14ers. He quickly became part of one of the deepest rotations in the league, thanks to a great set of tools and high intensity level on the defensive end. Cage stands at a legit 6’6” with very long arms and a strong build. In addition, his lateral quickness helps him guard quicker players, and he’s not afraid of bodying up to physically defend bigger players. Cage will have to improve his three point shooting to make the NBA, but his efficient style offensively combined with tough defense will give him some looks this summer.
Co-Rookies of the Year | | |
