Updated throughout the day with quick takes from staff.
Don't laugh. Seriously, don't laugh. The NBA D-League is full of talented players with wonderful stories, and it's no coincidence that the teams that use it most (San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Boston, to name a few) are among the best-run organizations in the league.
Okay, so maybe you'd be right to at least chuckle at the headline. But before you do, read this post by Ridiculous Upside, SB Nation's NBA D-League blog. Scott Schroeder puts together his own D-League all-star team and argues that they would be at least the 28th-best team in the league, which, according to SB Nation's power rankings, would make them better than New Jersey and Minnesota.
Schroeder's reasoning is simple.
Motivation. To me, it seems like the D-Leaguer's would have a lot more to gain if they were playing an actual NBA team. If they win, all 10 players would have to get a call-up, right? They'd be looked at as legitimate, NBA-caliber talent! The negative connotation would still be there, sure, but certainly to a less extent.
Keep in mind that a D-League all-star team went 3-2 in the NBA Summer League last July. Sure, even the NBA's worst teams aren't sending their big guns to those games, but with pretty much nothing to play for at this point in the season, why would they play hard against a bunch of guys they probably don't recognize?
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