SB Nation - Justin Reed

Ends of Eras, the Mark Madsen Open Thread

Stop-n-Pop — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 11:00:31 -0000

OK, now that we have had some time to think about the Clips/Wolves trade, I would like to add one important item to the discussion: The trade marks the official end of two important eras of recent Wolves history--The KG age and the Roy/Foye debacle. Both eras died when Mark Madsen was sent to LA.

The first point is obvious: Mad Dog was the last player on the Wolves roster to play with KG. He is the last remaining Wolves player who actually laced it up with the greatest player in Wolves history. In just two short years, the Wolves have undergone a complete roster makeover. I can't think of too many rosters in the league that have undergone such a radical makeover in the last two seasons. Everyone is gone.

The second point is a bit less obvious. Madsen, while being a fine citizen, was involved in one of the darkest moments of recent NBA history: He was the key actor in the greatest example of tanking in league history. In the last game of the 05/06 season, Madsen jacked up 7 three pointers, missing them all. The game was remarkable on two fronts. First, the Wolves were in the midst of a grand tank-a-thon, sitting out KG for multiple games and fielding a starting lineup of Eddie Griffin (RIP), Justin Reed, Rashad McCants, Marcus Banks and Marc Blount against the Griz in a last-ditch attempt to keep the top-10 protected pick owed to the Clippers in the Marko Jaric trade. Second, the Griz were trying to lose a game in an attempt to avoid playing the 60-22 Dallas Mavs in the first round of the playoffs. In an overtime game, the Griz did not play a single one of their starters over 25 minutes while sitting Pau Gasol. Madsen ended the game shooting 1-15 from the floor with the aforementioned 7 three pointers. His 15 shots were a career high. Memphis also sat out Eddie Jones while the Wolves gave Ricky Davis the night off. The Wolves lost the game and were guaranteed their first round draft choice.

As we all know, the first round choice was then used on Brandon Roy...who was immediately traded to the Portland TrailBlazers for Randy Foye. To his credit, coach Dwane Casey understood the stakes:

"There's been so much doom and gloom around here," Casey said. "There is a rainbow at the end of the storm."

The rainbow for Casey was Roy. Unfortunately for him, Kevin McHale stood in the way of him keeping Roy as well as him staying on as head coach in the following season.

Actually, Madsen's departure hasn't completely ended the Roy/Foye era. Memphis' leading scorer on that pathetic night was Brian Cardinal, who jacked up 18 points against the lowly Wolves. The front office also has some reminants from the night:

Fred Hoiberg received a standing ovation between the first and second quarters. Hoiberg retired on Monday to join the Timberwolves' front office, deciding not to risk coming back from open heart surgery he had before the season started.

Whatever the case, hats off to David Kahn for doing all he can to right the Wolves' sad history with Ms. Karma. With Madsen and Randy Foye out the door, the Wolves have turned the corner on Roy/Foye and KG. Here's to a new era. We'll have to wait and see what happens to Cardinal and Hoiberg.

Finally, the trade now means that Corey Brewer is the longest tenured Wolf on the squad. How things change.

Until later.

Summer League Rosters - Utah Jazz

Jon L — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 17:29:22 -0000

Summer League!

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Summer League is rapidly approaching, so today we're going to start our series of Summer League roster breakdowns (which hopefully lasts longer than the D-League player profiles). Summer League rosters are odd creatures, a mix of guys who were just drafted a month ago showing what they can do in an NBA team setting, former college players who weren't drafted a month ago, two- and three-year veterans looking to solidify their spot in the rotation, and some combination of D-League guys, former NBA players who've fallen out of the league, and players who spent time in Europe all looking to show they can play in the league.

The teams are usually coached by one of the NBA club's assistants with the head coach often watching from the stands. Sometimes other countries send teams to play against these groups of players, and this year there will be a team in Vegas entirely comprised of D-League players. The purpose of this series is to give you, the readers, a better idea of just who the heck these guys are who are representing your favorite teams. First up: the Utah Jazz.

NBA Players: Kosta Koufos, Eric Maynor, Goran Suton
Koufos and Kyrylo Fesenko each shuttled back and forth between the NBA and the D-League last season, both are big men, and they put up similar numbers while playing for the Utah Flash, though Koufos is probably a better scorer while Fesenko has the rebounding edge. Koufos and Fes are also expected to take on slightly larger roles for the Jazz this year, though who knows now that Mehmet Okur and Carlos Boozer have decided not to opt out. Maynor and Suton are both draft picks. Maynor enters Summer League as the likely backup PG, and Suton is a jump-shooting center who fits into the team's offense but might be too low on the depth chart to get much time.

Everyone else is after the jump.

2008-09 D-Leaguers: Kevin Kruger, Andre Ingram, Cedric Bozeman, Justin Reed
Kruger and Ingram both played for the Utah Flash last year. Kruger's a point guard, and an okay one. Not great, but the occasional bad game aside he takes care of the ball and he shot 52.4 percent on three pointers in 21 games. Ingram and Bozeman are both shooting guards (Bozeman played the point in Anaheim last season though, and has good size), with Ingram being a better three-point shooter and Bozeman having the edge in rebounding. Reed put together some decent games last season, but I can't get myself worked up over him. It's mostly his inconsistent rebounding that stands out for me. He is a good defender and has seen some NBA action a couple seasons ago.

Undrafted College Players: Gary Wilkinson, Wesley Matthews, Jim(my) Baron
Wilkinson's local, having gone to Utah State where he was the Western Athletic Conference player of the year last season... Baron's the Atlantic-10 Conference career leader in three pointers made... Matthews is a decent all-around swingman (though he's a bit undersized as a forward) and plays solid defense.

Others: James Augustine, Kevin Lyde, Reyshawn Terry, Josh Duncan, Larry Turner
I'm still not sure what to call these guys. Lame Ducks? Retreads? Potpourri? At any rate, Terry is a former second round pick from UNC who's been playing in Greece. Duncan showed some skills at last year's Portsmouth Invitational, though he's not very athletic and played in France this past season. Lyde spent some time in the D-League (, where he was an okay rebounder, before heading over to the Baltic League this past season. He's been to training camp with the Jazz before, but with all of the frontcourt players they have it's hard to see him sticking this year. Augustine is the University of Illinois' career rebounds leader and appeared briefly in the D-League before getting into 25 games with the Orlando Magic in 2007-2008. He spent last year in Spain. Turner played with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in 2007-2008, though his averages weren't great for a center. I couldn't find information on what he did last season.

NBA Summer League Rosters Taking Shape

Scott Schroeder — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 02:00:21 -0000

UPDATED - check after the jump for everything updated in the past three days.

Alright, we got all of the personal mumbo-jumbo out of the way - let's begin with the Summer League coverage!

The Orlando of the NBA Summer League schedule (July 6-10) is here, the Vegas portion of the NBA Summer League schedule (July 10-19) is here and the NBA Summer League roster of your favorite team (so far) is... After the jump!

I was all drafted out, so sorry for the lack of posting going on this weekend - I sincerely apologize to all thirteen of you that were disappointed. As a show of goodwill, I worked feverishly throughout the weekend to scour my sources, google the news, and do anything and everything I could to start piecing together an accurate view of what your team will look like this Summer.

Granted, it's probably not likely to expect much out of some of these players, but each year there are players that pop up from nowhere in Summer League and impress enough to earn a spot on an NBA roster. The most recent example would be Bobby Brown from last season, though there are plenty more (and we'll look at them throughout the next week heading into the Orlando portion of NBA Summer League's).

After the jump, I've put together a list of which players I've (all but) confirmed. If you're aware of anymore, let me know in the comments! If you're unsure of one of the players, click on the link - it'll either take you to their SBNation page or, if they're a bit more obscure, whichever source linked them to said Summer League team.

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/29/09 9:21 AM CDT ] Added Wink Adams to New York

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/29/09 11:15 AM CDT ] Added Daniel Artest to Houston

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/29/09 9:34 PM CDT ] Added Paul Harris to Minnesota, from Cleveland

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/30/09 12:02 AM CDT ] Added Kevin Kruger to Utah

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/30/09 12:48 AM CDT ] Added Acie Law to Golden State

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/30/09 8:58 AM CDT ] Added Lee Cummard to Phoenix, Luke Nevill to New Orleans

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/30/09 10:27 AM CDT ] Added Alex Ruoff to Washington

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/30/09 12:59 PM CDT ] Added Trent Plaisted, Deron Washington, Will Bynum, Dwayne Jones, Clay Tucker, Ibrahim Jaaber and Matt Freije to Detroit

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/30/09 1:42 PM CDT ] Added Mohamed Tangara to Milwaukee

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 06/30/09 8:50 PM CDT ] Added Rod Benson to Houston, Demetris Nichols to Toronto

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 07/01/09 12:19 AM CDT ] Added Dar Tucker and Kevin Rogers to Dallas; Jaycee Carroll to New Orleans; completed Minnesota, Golden State and Utah

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 07/01/09 11:54 AM CDT ] Completed San Antonio, Orlando and Boston roster

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 07/01/09 2:08 PM CDT ] Added Phoenix roster, Robert Swift to Boston

[Note by Jon Lewallen, 07/01/09 2:50 PM CDT] Added Jim Baron to Washington

[Note by Jon Lewallen, 07/01/09 5:00 PM CDT] Completed Chicago, Sacramento and New Orleans rosters

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 07/01/09 6:40 PM CDT ] Completed Indiana, Milwaukee, New York, Oklahoma City, LA Clippers

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 07/01/09 8:02 PM CDT ] Completed Washington

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 07/02/09 4:05 PM CDT ] Completed Houston

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 07/02/09 5:31 PM CDT ] Completed Portland, Memphis

[Note by Jon Lewallen, 07/02/09 8:10 CDT ] Completed Philadelphia/N.J. roster

[Note by Scott Schroeder, 07/03/09 11:12 AM CDT ] Completed (?) Denver roster

[Note by Jon Lewallen, 07/07/09 7:45 PM CDT ] Completed Dallas, Detroit and D-League Select rosters

2009 ORLANDO SUMMER LEAGUE ROSTERS

Boston Celtics

Bryan Mullins, Lester Hudson, Chris Lofton, Gabe Pruitt, Bill Walker, J.R. Giddens, Michael Sweetney, Coby Karl, Darius Washington, Bryce Taylor, Kevin Rogers, Robert Swift,

Indiana Pacers

Aaron Jackson, Leo Lyons, Tyler Hansbrough, Brandon Rush, Josh McRoberts, A.J. Price, Roy Hibbert, Will Blalock, Trey Johnson, Anthony Smith, Derrick Byars, Courtney Sims, Scott Vander Meer,

Philadelphia 76ers/ New Jersey Nets

Blake Ahearn, Jrue Holiday, Marreese Speights, Dionte Christmas, Chris Johnson, Rob Kurz, Gary Forbes, Marcus Slaughter, Terrence Williams, Chris Douglas-Roberts, AJ Abrams, Jeff Adrien, Jason Ellis,

Oklahoma City Thunder

Serge Ibaka, Shaun Livingston, BJ Mullens, James Harden, Robert Vaden, DeVon Hardin, Russell Westbrook, Kyle Weaver, D.J. White, Marcus Dove, Moses Ehambe, DeAngelo Alexander, Richard Roby, Kyle Hines, Doug Thomas, Keith McLeod,

Orlando Magic

Ryan Anderson, Levance Fields, Richard Hendrix, Russell Robinson, Darian Townes, Maurice Ager, Lance Allred, Brian Chase, Ronald Dupree, Courtney Fells, C.J. Giles, Steven Milosevic, Jeremy Pargo, Milovan Rakovic, Jeremy Richardson

Utah Jazz

Eric Maynor, Gary Wilkinson, Goran Suton, Kosta Koufos, Kyrylo Fesenko, Wesley Matthews, Kevin Kruger, Kevin Lyde, Andre Ingram, James Augustine, Cedric Bozeman, Justin Reed, Josh Duncan, Jim Baron, Reyshawn Terry and Larry Turner

2009 VEGAS SUMMER LEAGUE ROSTERS

Chicago Bulls

Luke Zeller, James Johnson, Taj Gibson, Bryan Mullins, Tyrell Biggs, Mario Austin, AD Vasallo, Anthony Roberson, Linton Johnson, Chris Davis, Taurean Green, Lorenzo Mata-Real, DeMarcus Nelson, Julius Hodge, Brandon Costner, James Augustine, Nick Lewis

Cleveland Cavaliers

Maureece Rice, Christian Eyenga, Danny Green, Jawad Williams, Darnell Jackson, Tarence Kinsey,

Dallas Mavericks

Aaron Miles, Rodrigue Beaubois, Ahmad Nivins, Curtis Jerrells, Dar Tucker, Kevin Rogers, Quinton Hosley, Damjan Rudez, Luke Jackson, Henry Dugat, Nick Calathes, Mickael Gelabale, Herbert Hill, Shan Foster, Trent Strickland, Andre Owens, Alfred Aboya, Moussa Seck, Bryson McKenzie

Detroit Pistons

Austin Daye, DaJuan Summers, Jonas Jerebko, Walter Sharpe, Trent Plaisted, Deron Washington, Will Bynum, Dwayne Jones, Clay Tucker, Ibrahim Jaaber, Michael Bramos, Andre Owens

Denver Nuggets

Richard Hendrix, Ty Lawson, Derrick Byars, Ronald Dupree, CJ Giles, Coby Karl, Kareem Rush, Cedric Simmons, Sonny Weems

Golden State Warriors

Stephen Curry, Anthony Morrow, Anthony Randolph, Jermareo Davidson, Acie Law, Connor Atchley, Lawrence Hill, Joe Ingles, Jared Jordan, Cartier Martin, Quan Prowell, Lawrence Roberts, Jamal Sampson

Houston Rockets

Garrett Temple, Will Conroy, Jermaine Taylor, Chase Budinger, Rod Benson, Hassan Adams, Marcus Cousin, Joey Dorsey, Charles Gaines, Mike Green, Brad Newley, Maarty Leunen, Darryl Watkins, James White

Los Angeles Clippers

Kyle McAlarney, Kevinn Pinkney, Blake Griffin, Eric Gordon, DeAndre Jordan, Mike Taylor, Sean Banks, Dionte Christmas, Marcellus Kemp, Nik Caner-Medley,

Los Angeles Lakers

Tony Gaffney, Chinemelu Elonu, Alan Anderson, Aron Bynes, Dominique Coleman, Terrel Harris, Justin Hawkins, Ben McCauley, David Monds, Adam Morrison, Taylor Rochestie, Luke Schenscher, Mustafa Shakur,

Milwaukee Bucks

Brandon Jennings, Salim Stoudamire, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, Joe Alexander, Jodie Meeks, Dominic James,Mohamed Tangara, Will McDonald, Juan Palacios, Chris Richard, Szymon Szewczyk, Lorrenzo Wade

Minnesota Timberwolves

Ben Woodside, Corey Brewer, Jonny Flynn, Wayne Ellington, Paul Harris, Oleksiy Pecherov, Bobby Brown, Pat Carroll, Devin Green, Gerald Henderson, Steven Hill, Rob Kurz, Garrett Siler,

Memphis Grizzlies

Jeff Adrien, Hasheem Thabeet, DeMarre Carroll, Sam Young, Darrell Arthur, Hamed Haddadi, Daniel Ewing, Greg Stiemsma, Erik Daniels, Trey Gilder, Longar Longar, Brion Rush, Donta Smith, Marcus Williams

New Orleans Hornets

Marcus Thornton, Terry Martin, Darren Collison, Julian Wright, Luke Nevill, Jaycee Carroll, Earl Barron, Earl Calloway, Bryan Cusworth, Larry Owens, Marc Salyers, Courtney Sims, Anthony Tolliver, Quinton Watkins

New York Knicks

Jordan Hill, Blake Ahearn, Toney Douglas, Alex Acker, Wink Adams, Morris Almond, Warren Carter, Joe Crawford, Patrick Ewing Jr., Ron Howard, Yaroslav Korolev, David Noel, Mouhamed Sene, Rashaad Singleton, Nikoloz Tskitishvili,

Oklahoma City Thunder

Phoenix Suns

Earl Clark, Taylor Griffin, Goran Dragic, Robin Lopez, Lee Cummard, Alando Tucker, Micah Downs, Zabian Dowdell, Josh Carter, Kaspars Berzins, Jiri Hubalek, Geary Claxton, Chris Rodgers, Carlos Powell

Portland Trail Blazers

Jeff Pendergraph, Dante Cunningham, Jerryd Bayless, Patrick Mills, Thomas Gardner, Pooh Jeter, Bobby Jones, David Padgett, Deji Akindele, Matt Freije, Dwayne Mitchell, David Moss

Sacramento Kings

Tyreke Evans, Omri Casspi, Jon Brockman, Donté Greene, Jason Thompson, Wesley Matthews, Jerel McNeal, Spencer Hawes, Robert Battle, John Bryant, Pat Calathes, Marcus Landry, Brian Roberts, Victor Stowes, Ryan Toolson

San Antonio Spurs

James Gist, Jack McClinton, DeJuan Blair, Eric Dawson, Malik Hairston, George Hill, Romel Beck, Nando de Colo, Carldell "Squeaky" Johnson, Antonio Anderson, Marcus Vinicius, Ian Mahinmi, Alonzo Gee,

Toronto Raptors

Brent Petway, DeMar DeRozan, Nathan Jawai, Demetris Nichols, Quincy Douby, Roko Ukic, Patrick O'Bryant, Carl English, Ekene Ibekwe, David Doublas, Paul Davis, Smush Parker

Washington Wizards

Tyrese Rice, Nick Young, Javaris Crittenton, JaVale McGee, Alex Ruoff, Jim(my) Baron, Alade Aminu, Ryan Ayers, Jon Edwards, Josh Heytvelt, James Lang, Dominic McGuire, Tywain McKie, Jason Rich, Diamon Simpson, Kyle Spain, Brandon Wallace

NBA D-League Select

Coleman Collins, Walker Russell, Will Frisby, Gary Forbes, Marcus Hubbard, Othyus Jeffers, Jasper Johnson, Trey Johnson, Kurt Looby, Curtis Stinson

Making A List (and Checking It Twice)

Jeff Clark — Fri, 29 May 2009 01:12:11 -0000

More photos » by Thearon Henderson - AP

One Grant Hill please.

Browse more photos »

Here's a very handy list of all the free agents that will be hitting the market in July. They even have a page sorted by position.

Why don't we pool our collective wisdom and start picking some favorites? As you make comments, I can update this list.

So far I've just tried to narrow the list down to guys that interest me and start lumping them into vague groupings.

(r = restricted | eto = early termination option)

We Want You Back!

Glen Davis
Leon Powe

Probably too rich for us:

Jason Kidd
Allen Iverson
Shawn Marion
Mike Bibby
Lamar Odom
Rasheed Wallace
Ron Artest
Ben Gordon
Paul Millsap - r
Carlos Boozer - eto
Hidayet Turkoglu - eto

Will He Take The MLE?

Trevor Ariza
Ramon Sessions - r
Marvin Williams - r
Raymond Felton - r
Charlie Villanueva - r
David Lee - r
Josh Childress - r

Already on the CelticsBlog most wanted list

Grant Hill
Chris Anderson
Marcin Gortat
Antoino McDyess

Hey, he sounds familiar - can he still play?

Andre Miller
Radoslav Nesterovic
Drew Gooden
Bobby Jackson
Chris Wilcox
Jason Collins
Desmond Mason
Joe Smith
Anthony Parker
Zaza Pachulia
Brevin Knight
Jason Hart
Rodney Carney
Juwan Howard
Jacque Vaughn
Quinton Ross
Donyell Marshall
Matt Barnes

He's Tall, That's Worth Something, Right?

Robert Swift - like a bad penny...
Shelden Williams
Jamaal Magloire
Jarron Collins
Calvin Booth
Jake Voskuhl
Michael Ruffin

Been There, Done That (no thanks)

Stephon Marbury
Gerald Green
Darius Miles
Patrick O'Bryant
Theo Ratliff
Wally Szczerbiak
Raef LaFrentz
Justin Reed
Mikki Moore
Chris Mihm

These guys are restricted - so who knows?

Channing Frye
Ike Diogu
Sean May
Rashad McCants
Joey Graham
Hakim Warrick
Nate Robinson
Jarrett Jack
Luther Head
Johan Petro
Linas Kleiza
Aaron Gray
Brandon Bass
Jamario Moon
Carlos Delfino

Who did I miss? What would you change? Talk to me.

(note: I left out most of the ETO guys)

Playoff Game Preview: #8 Bakersfield @ #2 Utah

Scott Schroeder — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 08:13:29 -0000

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Wait, the eight seeded team is playing the number 2 team? That's not how it works! Usually, you'd be right, but in the D-League's newfangled playoff format, the Colorado 14er's passed on the Jam. Looking at the matchup, I can't blame them, especially after thier big victory last night. Utah's big guns have more potential, but the Jam have a team of vet's. If Bakersfield shows up hungry, this will be a fun game to watch.

Utah Starters:

Morris Almond can score, and he can score in bunches. On assignment from the Jazz, he's one of the few players that actually requested to play in the D-League, as he wasn't getting any minutes with the Jazz. Almond's got good reason to want to play in the D-League, as it gives him free rein to score whenever, and where ever, he touches the ball - he broke the D-League scoring record by hanging 53 points on the Jam last season. Unfortunately, he's rarely going to contribute much else to the box score.

Kosta Koufos is another Jazz player, one whom I believe should play in the NBA over fellow Jazzers Kyrylo Fesenko and whatever Collins brother is currently getting minutes in the NBA. He's big, he usually knows what he's doing in the post, and he's good for at least two blocks per game. I've only watched one other complete game of his in the D-League, and that was against Bakersfield. He looked great - 21 points, 11 boards and 5 assists in 28 minutes. I can assure you Deane Martin, Bakersfield's defensive coordinator, has been masterminding a plan to slow the big man down.

JR Giddens, on assignment from the Boston Celtics, is versatile and uber-athletic, but also very raw. His scoring options are more hit-and-miss than anything, as he's not especially adept at creating his own shot or shooting the jumper. He is a rookie, and therefore, understandably inconsistent. He can dunk, which, like many is his best way to score. Some nights, Giddens dribbles off his shoe and clanks jumpers, looking overwhelmed in the pro-game. Others - he'll dominate like his first game against Bakersfield this season - 34 points, 7 boards, 6 assists, and 5 blocks. He also has a sweet profile picture on his D-League page, if you're into clouds.

Ronald Dupree is ball player. He's a leader. He's the lone veteran on this Flash team. Dupree's jumpshot is about as effective as owner Brandt Andersen's spell check, but he brings everything else you want in an NBA prospect. He's long, he can get to the basket, he'll lockdown the other teams best perimeter player (a huge benefit as defense is something Utah seriously lacks), and he hustles, working hard while out on the court. He's an efficient scorer, and brings either his rebounding or assisting mindset, rarely doing both well in the same game.

Kevin Kruger is the last starter, but probably the most important to the teams success, as he's their only real point guard. Kruger's a pure point guard, a distributor that doesn't rack up the assists, but keeps the offense running, executing it as a coach on the floor. This shouldn't be a surprise to you, as he's the son of Lon Kruger, a well respected coach in college. Kruger's not on that's going to look to impress on the court, but last weekend, he did, with his first 20+ points of the season. His turnover's seem to correlate with him looking for his shot - I haven't watched him enough this season to know for sure, but I'm assuming this comes from a propensity to make poor decisions when passing in traffic near the basket.

Miscellaneous Utah Notes

There's a new Jazz/Flash blog in the blogosphere run by Spencer Ryan Hall, who has also written for FreeDarko, so you know it's going to be great... Spencer doesn't let me down, as he summed up my thoughts on Brandt Andersen's recent outburst perfectly... The Flash's bench isn't very deep, but big James Lang would seem to deserve more than the five minutes he got last game... Andre Ingram could come in and shoot, but don't count on him for much else...

Bakersfield Starters:

Mateen Cleaves can run a team. He could run IceMan's Y-Ball team, he's run an NCAA championship team, he's even been serviceable when running NBA teams. His numbers will rarely blow you away unless you're a stats guy and love the assist-to-turnover numbers, which comes in at a pretty impressive 3-1, equal to the odds of me ever finding employment. He's got intangibles, a larger than average head, NBA decision-making skills, and finds the open man when the open man gets open. I'm a closest-Cleaves fan.

Trey Johnson is one of the best players in the D-League you still don't know. He's had two NBA call-ups (rumored for a third to Golden State.. Keep your eyes open) to the Cav's, he's had look in camp the past two seasons, he can run the point, and he shot over 40% from beyond the arc this season. Get to know this man! He's the most prolific scorer in the D-League not on assignment (what's up, Mr. Almond) and doesn't really do anything bad. He's a solid, NBA bench player.

Justin Reed is a stud. You may not know/remember this, but I do. From what I hear, he was the runner-up in the sportsman of the year "voting" (I kid), but besides that, I like everything about him. He's a stopper, he can play the 3/4 against the Flash, he's played in 136 NBA games, he can board and he's a hard-worker on defense. The one thing I'm down on is his offense, as it's not often there, as much as he believes it is. Essentially, he's a little bit younger Ronald Dupree, which should make this matchup interesting.

Derrick Byars was the 2007 SEC Player of the Year, yet he's the fourth starter we're profiling on Bakersfield - this team is better than you thought. Byars is 6'7", long, and despite his recent slump, he can literally shoot the piss out of the ball - I know people who've witnessed this. He can't really create his own shot, but that's not such a bad thing on this team, because both Cleaves and Johnson are more than capable of getting him the open shot. He can shoot and he can defend - two characteristics the Flash lack. I expect Byars to play well in this game.

Nick Lewis is mentioned last, but not least. Well, also least. I've never really liked the guy (don't ask why) but he's shown to be an asset for Bakersfield at times this season. He's blue collar - he'll bring his Spiderman lunch bucket to the arena, grab some boards, and head back out to surf, then shampoo his blonde flowing mane. He's putting up decent numbers this season on offense, but I'd assume that his +/- isn't looking good, as his defense is suspect.

Miscellaneous Bakersfield Notes

All three of their bench players bring good stuff to the court... Terrance Thomas is a D-League veteran that will go after the boards and play hard - love his hustle - when he's out on the court, you'll notice him... Terrell Everett is their only guard off the bench - his minutes have been inconsistent, along with his play, but the PG out of Oklahoma can play... David Berghoefer is a guy I've long been intrigued by in the D-League... Berghoefer is just a tall white dude, who despite injury woes this season, will still intimidate down in the block... If needed, Scott Roth could probably come off the bench, svelte as he's looking these days, leaving the coaching duties to Deane Martin, assistant extraordinaire...

Poll

Who do you think will win this game?

Utah Flash

11 votes

Bakersfield Jam

10 votes

Razor Ramon?

3 votes

24 votes | Poll has closed

Around the D-League

Scott Schroeder — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 14:15:08 -0000

Last night in the D-League, we learned that Springfield, Massachusetts is definitely the newest D-League team. This more than likely doesn't affect the Celtics affiliation with Portland, but with a D-League team in an NBA teams state, it made me wonder none the less.

I've also learned that either there are a lot of Dakota fans that check this site out or Dakota should be really good, as Blake Ahearn and Richard Hendrix have 22 of the 56 votes in the most recent poll. In a related note, Josh Davis has only two votes. Disappointing.

Speaking of Dakota fans, and speaking to even non-Dakota fans, I'd like to direct you to this site. Three Wizards (well, two current, Richard Hendrix and Renaldo Major, and one former, Rod Benson) are participating in this years "Brave The Shave" event. This is an event that entails that the three players will be shaving their heads to raise money for childrens cancer research. The thing is, they're looking for pledges to help out the research, with just a small $1,000 goal. If you can, go donate to a worthwhile cause. Even a small donation will do!

The Vipers have a little TV show on their website you can check out if you'd like, featuring interviews with Jared Jordan and Jawad Williams. Nothing groundbreaking, but interesting nonetheless.

There were also a couple of good, close games in the D-League last night, with Idaho barely beating a James White-less Arsenal squad, 91-90, and Reno upset Bakersfield, 116-110.

What was interesting about those games? Glad you asked! Not much from a viewers standpoint, so we'll get straight into the standout players after the jump. Spoiler: they include RU's favorite ref and Patrick Ewing Jr!

Marat Kogut reffed the first game, and thus, a technical foul was called that I considered questionable from my spot at home on the couch. Nate Jawai was putting together a huge, momentum filled string of plays, capped off with a big dunk over an Anaheim player, looked at the Anaheim player, got to half court, and Kogut's whistle blew. End of momentum for the home team. Good job Marat!

Luke Jackson started out hot for Idaho, but cooled down quickly. After 10 points in the first quarter, he finished with 23, though rounded his game out with nine assists, eight boards, and six turnovers. Watching Luke play, his body language does not impress me. Just always seems to have something wrong with him, possibly gas.

Marcus Campbell had a good game, despite battling foul trouble right out of the gate. Campbell is a dude that should probably go overseas and make a lot of money, as I like him a lot and don't believe he's got an NBA career ahead of him, but he'll more than likely stick around, maybe catch on with a Summer League team, and come back and enjoy life in the D-League. After all, he played for the Arkansas Rim Rockers way back when. If you're willing to come back to the D-League after playing in Arkansas, you like the D-League.

Patrick Ewing Jr., thanks for finally looking like you deserve a call-up. Not sure what Jay Humphries was doing with him on the bench for so long. Why start drug kingpin Damone Brown or Jesse Smith (who made his Dakota debut with one point, two fouls, a turnover, and making none of his three shots from the field the other day) when you have this ball of energy on the bench? Watching him and Rod Benson on the court is fun. Anyway, PEJr finished with 22 points, 15 boards, multiple alley-oops, and some AGGHHHS after and-ones.

Trey Johnson was Trey Johnson for Bakersfield. Point guard Mateen Cleaves was subbed out with Bakersfield losing 81-67 in the third, and was brought back with Bakersfield down 99-95 in the fourth. While Terrell (I'm kind of a point guard) Everett was subbed in for Cleaves, I'm giving Johnson the credit for bringing the Jam back. Johnson ran the offense, scoring 24 points, grabbing five boards, and dishing four assists.

Others for Idaho: Lance Allred had 18 points, 14 boards, and showed off a decent mid-range game at the end. Nate Jawai finally seemed to have settled in, though struggled with turnovers. Jawai finished with 15 points, six boards, five blocks, and five turnovers. Looked impressive from what I watched.

Others for Anaheim: Kedrick Brown had a clutch 3-pointer that kept Anaheim in the game, and finished with 20 points and eight rebounds. Good, not great. Cedric Bozeman had 23 points before fouling out. Also, I should probably give a shoutout to Cameron Bennerman, who mysteriously showed up on Anaheim's roster tonight without myself ever hearing of him before, playing 28 minutes and shooting 7-for-11 from the field. Good job, guy!

Others for Reno: David Noel had 23, Richie Frahm had 20, Russell Robinson had 18 points, seven assists, and Rod "Boom Tho" Benson remembered how to block shots. Benson finished with 10 points, seven boards, and five blocks off the bench. Would love to see him start over Alton Ford next time out.

Others for Bakersfield: Justin Reed had a big game, but once again, I just can't find myself to like him. Have fun out there, please, J-Reed. Reed finished with 19 points and 14 boards, six on the offensive end. Considering he missed 12 shots, I'm going to go ahead and say his boards are inflated. Nothing else impressed me in the box score.

In the League: March 2, 2009

ben.renz — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 17:33:18 -0000

So last night we had three tight games in the D-League, all worth watching. Patrick Ewing Jr. got my Nod of the Night with his 19 points, 14 boards, 2 steals, and 2 blocks in Reno's win over the Defenders last night in a game that saw 16 lead changes. Patrick's been looking great lately, and he's putting up numbers like this nightly OFF THE BENCH. He may not be his daddy, but we love him the way he is.

Albuquerque 99, Bakersfield 94 - Bakersfield lost this one with their 20 turnovers. It took Derrick Byars 21 shots to get his 20 points and his 5 turnovers contributed (just in the wrong sort of way). Justin Reed had a good game for the Jam though with 16 points 10 boards. Jasper Johnson was the real story for the night however. The kid's been putting up great numbers this season and his 30 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 steals last night continued that beautiful trend. Keep an eye on Jasper [to go overseas, as his body just isn't suited for the NBA -- Scott]. David Noel played all but 30 seconds for the Birds and put up 21 points, 16 boards, and dished 5 dimes. Wonderful. Nice win for Albuquerque. Bakersfield is slipping ladies and gents.
Fort Wayne 119, Rio Grande Valley 114 - In this one we saw nearly half the Viper team receive techs, and each team managed to turn the ball over 19 times a piece. But the Ants home fans sure got a show, as the team shot 60% from the field even though the Vipers outrebounded the angrier than usual Ants 47-31. It doesn't help, however, when over half (24) of a teams total rebounds are offensive. Walker Russell looked great last night with 26 points (7 for 10 shooting), 11 assists, and 4 robberies. He needs to watch those 5 TO's however. Chris Hunter looked as good as ever with 25 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 swats. Rio Grande had their bright spots however. Trent Strickland put in 31 and 9 (28 in the first half) and Jawad Williams had 22 and 7 (and 2 blocks to go along with it). Let's just keep down the turnovers fellas.
Reno 125, LA 115 - So yes, Ewing won this one for Reno. Reno's Russell Robinson showed just what he can do last night. He's averaging 10.5 points on the season, and put up 25 last night. I'm betting he has a smile on his face today. Though it wasn't all smiles for Reno. They had to stop Joe Crawford and they did what they could, Crawford still erupting for 32 points and teammate Brandon Heath adding 26. In the end, LA was outrebounded 50 to 34 and that just doesn't do the trick

The Bighorns also re-acquired Garry-Hill Thomas, who played for Utah last season. Thomas had 4 points and 4 boards in 25 minutes last night (was he selling popcorn or playing basketball in these 25 minutes?). In other news, Austin's Marcus Williams is our NBADL Player of the Week as he's been a big part of their 4 game win streak. Congrats to Marcus.

Tonight's only game is Colorado going up against Dakota. This should be an easy win for the Wizards. And let's all take a moment to pray for Rod Benson and his quest to find a Boom Tho girl.

Minor Updates

Scott Schroeder — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 22:59:52 -0000

[Note by Ridiculous Scott, 02/18/09 9:18 PM CST ]

UPDATE: Richie Frahm, Jared Jordan, and John Lucas III have all just been added to the D-League. Wow.

Just so everyone knows, I now have one of my three answers I was looking for answered, thanks to the wonderful Joanna Shapiro. Patrick Ewing Jr. missed the dunk contest as he was recovering from an illness. Bobby Jones missed all-star weekend due to some family reasons.

So we've got that settled. Still am working on finding answers as to why no D-League Dream Factory Friday Night is on the internet if Rick Kamla was there or why Nancy Lieberman was put in the box score last night when it should have been Stanley Burrell. Baffles me. Simply baffles me.

In other news, the D-League has been infused with talent as of late. In the last month and a half, 10S guys have come into the D-League with previous NBA experience -- James Lang, Dwayne Jones, John Edwards, Billy Thomas, Steven Hill, Justin Reed, Demetris Nichols, Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Kevin Burleson, Herbert Hill and Jawad Williams have all popped up around the D-League. That's not including other NBA prospects like Rod Benson, Taj McCullough, Gerry McNamara, Longar Longar and Kevin Kruger.

I also wonder if Cheikh Samb or anyone that is a trade casualty ends up in the D-League soon.

Life Lessons

ben.renz — Thu, 12 Feb 2009 11:35:29 -0000

Erie Bayhawks 125, Iowa Energy 115

So here's a shocker. The Energy were within 2 points with 35 seconds left in the game, but couldn't stop the Erie run that soon followed. So essentially, the Energy pulled what I like to call "a Mad Ant." So Erie is back at .500 (16-16). Most people say certain teams are better than their record. I see Erie as worse than their record. Which sounds mean, of course, but every time I see them play I'm usually unimpressed. But no foul, as they manage to win games and a decent amount of them. They shot 57% tonight and Maureece Rice was a big part of that, going 11 for 17 on his way to 28 points. Erik Daniels had a solid game, especially when you factor in Courtney Sims as his opposition. 24 points, 9 boards, and 7 dimes for Daniels (congrats to him for the All-Star nod!). Oliver Lafayette played just 7 minutes (couldn't tell you why, I'm so informative, right?) but managed 5 points, 4 rebounds, and 2 dimes. Nice.

Speaking of Sims (I mentioned him up there, you can even go back and check if you want - power of the internet!), he was nothing less than spectacular again, but who wouldn't expect him to be? Court had 30 points (13 for 17), 14 boards, and 3 blocks. He knows this game so well. Curtis Stinson had a solid game outside of his 4 TOs (15 points, 14 dimes) and Demetris Nichols did his damage with 23 points, however the Iowa dropped what should have been an easy win for them. But this happens.

Sioux Falls Skyforce 103, Bakersfield Jam 96

And continuing the trend, here's another upset from last night. There were 33 turnovers in this one, 5 of these from the Skyforce's Frank Williams, who also managed to shoot 4 for 14 (1 for 7 from trey) on the night. Thumbs up Frank. Luckily Chris Ellis was so wonderful off the bench with 10 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 blocks. David Bailey did some things I only dreamt he could do in Fort Wayne, putting up 26 points and dishing 6 dimes (also, ten free throws - this guy gets to the line with the best of them).

The Jam shot 43% on the night and that's really what sunk 'em. Justin Reed was a bright spot for Bakersfield with 24 points, 5 rebounds, and status as the sole Jammer with ONLY ONE TURNOVER. Terrance Thomas had 18 boards (I love this kid - that's why they call him the Glass Man) and Derrick Byars was so bad it almost made me throw up the entire bag of Goldfish Crackers I ate last night (they tasted like pizza! Just as advertised!)! Byars shot 3 for 14. Let's hope they don't come up. So Bakersfield drop one they should have won. A trend that will end here; at least for today.

Colorado 14ers 138, Tulsa 66ers 128

Yes, here it was ladies and gentlemen. The battle of the silly numbered teams. You missed it again this year. But that's okay, I've got you covered. OFFENSE OFFENSE OFFENSE. That's all you need to know. Tulsa lost this one on the glass as the 14ers out-boarded them 50 to 34 (scary face!). 43 turnovers total in this one. This was a fun one to watch, but afterwards you felt like you feel after you eat 100 Triple Pepporoni Pizza Rolls. So much fun at the time, but a very bad decision in retrospect. Colorado played nice ball however, with Vernon Hamilton starting (it's nice to see Vern back; he's a very solid baller) and dishing in his own 10 of 38 assists (on 52 field goals). Josh Davis had 38 points and 9 rebounds in just 28 minutes. Yeah. No typo there. But the true star of the night was Dominique Coleman and the Tale of the Trip-Dub. Coleman had 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 13 dimes. Ridiculous. AND if he had just 4 more turnovers it would have been a Quad-Dub! Maybe next time! However, I was always far more impressed with the Double-Triple. Think about it. Now THAT'S impressive.

Tulsa had no Chris Richard and as he's the team's only talent, that's gonna hurt. Jeremy Kelly had 23 points, 5 assists, and 4 turnovers in the loss to go along with center Keith Clark's 14 points and 8 boards. A rare bright spot for Tulsa last night was Gary Ervin, netting 10 points and dishing 6 assists in his 14 minutes off the bench. I can blame this one on Paul Woolpert. Play Gary Ervin. You might win some games and not be sitting nasty at 7-22. No cute sports star is gonna ask you to dance with that record. Push up your glasses. Sit up straight. Go get some punch. Relax. Dances are supposed to be fun.

The D-League Draft in Review

DakotaWiz — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 05:21:04 -0000

So, we're about 18 days, 22 hours, 34 minutes, and 47 seconds until the D-League season starts (Thanks, D-League.com!) Anyway, let's look at each teams roster post-draft to better evaluate how each team drafted. I should really wait to do this tomorrow in case some trades went down that we didn't catch, but I'll update this to reflect that if they happen. Also, quick note, every center able to be drafted, was drafted. Dear Mr. Alpert, I think we need to sign more 5's for next year!

This might be something you print out and read when you have about two hours to kill... Went a little longer than planned, but all good stuff, I guarantee it. If you don't think so, E-Mail me (Check my profile) and I will promptly get you a refund.

Tulsa, with the number one overall pick, picked Chris Richard. Like many teams, it looks like they aren't too concerned with having a center, preferring to go with two big forwards in Richard and Ryan Humphrey, a first round pick of the Jazz in 2002. From there, it looks like returning guard Russell Carter will play at the point, Jeremy Kelly at the 2, and Terrell Everett at the 3. I expect Chris Ellis (returning) and Mikheil Berishvili to also be guaranteed spots, with the rest up in the air. With whoever comes back in the trade of Keith Closs, that player could leave just one spot open for the rest of the players, depending on what the 66ers are getting in return.

Colorado, where is Elton Brown? Where is Eddie Gill? I assume at least Eddie will join them soon. If not, it looks like they'll be led by the tandem of James Mays (Great pick considering he was one of the last cuts of neighboring Denver!) and Josh Davis at the 3 and 4, with random fillers in between. If both Elton and Eddie come back, WATCH OUT! The 14ers drafted two of the better point guards in the draft in Marlon Parmer and John Gilchrist, along with rookie Trey Gilder, a skinny 6'9 post, these are my picks to most likely make the team. It looks like Joe Dabbert, who I'm fairly sure his middle name is Barry, as it rings so well, will play the center for them. I'm not sure why he was allocated to them, as he didn't go to school in Colorado, nor has he ever played for them, but being allocated a decent 5 is always good! I'm also fairly certain Eric Osmundson makes the team, as he's my favorite player ever out of UPenn and has played with them the past two seasons. Jamar Brown, a local guy out of Colorado State also will more than likely make it, being a big in this league not so full of bigs.

Idaho looks strong, as they have been since entering the D-League. Coach Gates always seems to put together a good team, and this year shouldn't be any different. They brought Randy Livingston off the court and onto the coaching staff, though his replacement is the very capable, and more than likely redshirt-rookie, Jamaal Tatum, their first round pick last year. They also return Air Georgia Brent Petway and were allocated former BSU Broncos Coby Karl and Reggie Larry. With first round pick and former Bobcat Jermareo Davidson, this team has a chance of repeating. Add in Ernest Scott, who played 40 games with the Stampede last season, big-man Anthony Coleman, and rookie guard Lanny Smith, and this is one of the top teams in the D-League.

Sioux Falls is VERY VERY VERY strong. Wow. Veteran leadership? Check. Point guard Frank Williams played parts of 3 seasons in the NBA and averaged 16 points with the Skyforce two seasons ago. NBA talent? Check! Bobby Jones has played for approximately 47 teams over the last two seasons. Size? You betcha! 7-1 Frankenstein-like Chris Alexander was the last cut of the Thunder in October and averaged 12 and 12 last season for the Skyforce. Good wings? Two of them! First round pick Gary Forbes and returning Carl Elliott are both all around players that will fill in and do everything that the aforementioned players don't. Add in draft picks Michael Adams (who isn't good, but is big!), Keith Brumbaugh (averaged 35 points, 8 boards, 6 assists last season in college), Ty Morrison, a 6'8 rookie combo forward, and either rookie Gary Ervin (Arkansas) or the vet Brock Gillespie, and this will be a team to reckon with.

Bakersfield, do I think even you guys have a strong team? Yes, I sure do! Wait, even when your top 3 players are returning from a season where you finished 11-39?!? Scary, but yes, and not just because Gates Roth and Deane Martin are running the show. Mateen "I'm Not Cryin" Cleaves at the point, Jeff Trepagnier at the 2, Derrick Byars at the 3, Richard Hendrix at the 4, and Nick Lewis at the 5, and this team is scary. Factor in Justin Reed returning in about a month and Trey Lewis coming off the bench, and this team will be 7-deep solid! Terrance Thomas, who played with Fort Worth a couple seasons ago, and David Berghoefer, a soft big man who averaged 11 and 11 over in Germany last year should also make the rotation.

Fort Wayne, I really hope you do well. Bringing back Ron Howard, fresh off a preseason campaign with the Bucks, along with Walker Russell, a strong backcourt is imminent. The front court, however, is suspect. If first round pick Coleman Collins is as careless on the court as he is when driving, you're in trouble (Just kidding Mad Ants! Hopefully we're still friends!). If I learned I was going to be a Mad Ant, I'd be excited too. I like Torree Morris too, mostly because he's 6-10 in a division that includes Courtney Sims, Chris Alexander, and hopefully, for Erie's sake, a big man from the Cavs. Anthony Kyle is fun to watch and should make the team as the backup point guard he's destined to be. Shawn Hawkins should also be a good player for the Ants. Eric Smith, who I believe was referred to exclusively as "Spider" on all of your radio broadcasts last season (New radio guy for the Mad Ants this year for anyone that wasn't a fan of them last year!), should also be consistent off the bench.

Erie, I'm sorry, but I'm just not a fan of your drafts. First, you inexplicably drafted Idaho assistant coach Randy Livingston in the expansion draft, among about 7 other guys that had no plans to play in the D-League this season and Jeff Hagen. Then, in this draft, you take the enigmatic Erik Daniels a combo forward, when it was fairly clear that a big man was in your NEEDS column after the only guy you picked up in the expansion draft, Jackie Manuel, plays the same position. In the second round, you took Taj McCullough, a Winthrop grad and combo forward. You also bring in Manuel. By my count, that's three guys who are best suited to play the 3, and are also your three top players. You never did draft anyone taller than 6'8. Hopefully Cleveland really likes your pick up of Vernon Hamilton, who was in Cavs camp this preseason, and sends JJ Hickson or Darnell Jackson down to help. Jawad Williams is also a possibility, but I'd assume they'd rather cut him then assign him to the D-League, as he's nothing special to develop. They did draft two of the greater names in the draft though in Cliff Clinkscales and Xavier Whipple, so hats off to you, Erie Bayhawks.

Anaheim, I like your team. Good first three picks in NBA vet Tierre Brown, Flight White, and rookie Roy Bright (Another Delaware State guy, just former D-League stud Jeremy Richardson). Good returnees in Mario Boggan and Mike Efevberha. Good allocated guys in Cedric Bozeman, Noel Felix, and T.J. Cummings, son of Terry (Be careful googling him.. NSFW!). Also, good job drafting four bigs! I hope that was due in part to the genius of new assistant Paul Mokeski, as pictured here in his younger days (Courtesy of The Sports Hernia Blog):

Utah had a decent draft. Bringing in Dontell Jefferson, bring back Brian Jackson, and drafting a couple legit rookies in Gavin Grant and Bennet Davis will help. If Kevin Kruger decides to come back to the D-League, this team is solid. If not, hopefully Utah and Boston help out, as your bench looks weak. Marcus Malone, how did you drop to the tenth round? Please prove me wrong in camp, as I thought you looked good down in Vegas.

Reno, big ups. Like what you did in the expansion draft. Damone Brown, Tony Gipson, Andre Patterson, Jesse Smith, and Jamaal Smith are all solid players that can contribute. In the regular draft, not so much. Antonio Meeking, who, as Matt pointed out, apparently added an inch and dropped 30 pounds, though I highly doubt this. Russell Robinson will be able to run your offense, but don't expect points out of him, as I would assume another Kansas alum, Dakota Wizards GM Tom Wagganer, could beat him at a game of PIG. Sung-Yoon BANG! should be solid, but unspectacular, as seasoning in Korea couldn't have helped him much since averaging 12 points with the Roanoke DAZZLE a few years ago.

Dakota Wizards, you're good, but guard heavy. With Mo Baker and Blake Ahearn, they've got to have one of the best backcourts in the league, if not the best. Renaldo Major will be returning from heart surgery and if he can return to his Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All D-League, he'll more than likely earn another call-up. The trade for Denham Brown will be excellent insurance if Renaldo isn't completely ready, and if he is ready, Brown will be one of the top guys coming off the bench in the league. That's four guys with NBA experience. Add Will Frisby, who was a beast last year when he got the minutes, and if he can stay out of foul trouble, he'll get the minutes, and Quemont Greer, who was with the Wizards two years ago when he averaged 17 points and 6 boards during the championship season, and the returnees are good. Then we get to Marcus Hubbard, the last cut of the Hawks this season (Peachtree Hoops wasn't big on him), will more than likely be one of the top athletes in the league and hopefully improves his basketball IQ. The Wizards are lacking on a center, but between Aaron Spears or Brad Stricker and possible NBA assignee Hamed Haddadi, they'll have the size to compete. Don't rule out a return of Too Much Rod Benson, either, who is averaging just 10 minutes and 2 points per game overseas while I assume he is getting paid a bit more than his production warrants.

RGV, not so sure about you guys. First, I really wish you would have dropped the E in Grande, or decided to pronounce it GronDay. Your best returner is Trent Strickland, and though he averaged 13 points last season, they weren't memorable. Allocated guys Kendall Dartez, who has averaged 6 points and 4 boards in 40 D-League games, and Alton Ford, a guy with forgettable NBA experiences who is a lot like Antonio Meeking, are nothing special. Your draftees are better, and include Smush Parker, who fell to the twelfth pick, and Delonte Holland, who I think should be a good D-League player. I'm also looking forward to seeing what Alpha Bangura (Two guys were drafted with bang in their last name) can do in the D-League, as he's been stateside in the minors for awhile.

LA, you surprised me with your first round pick of Jasper Johnson. I can't give a review of him, because I know NOTHING about him, though hear he was a good pick. Keith Butler is really big, which goes a long way in this draft, and therefore a solid 2nd round pick. The rest of your draft, not too much stands out. Your returning player, Darren Cooper, not exciting. Your allocated guys, however, are quite good. Joe Crawford, Lakers last cut, stud. Brandon Heath, another Lakers cut, should be good. Patrick Sanders, the rookie, should play well. Your local tryout guys are all D-League caliber, which is amazing, as I would have thought they would be in the player pool, rather than needing to go the way of the local tryout, especially since two have been drafted before -- Rashid Byrd, AKA Rashid Hartwick, AKA Seven and Sum Change and Ryan Forehan-Kelly.

Albuquerque, led by Coach Coffino, got the steal of the draft when David Noel dropped to the 12 spot. They're also in contention for best backcourt in the draft, returning Will Conroy and Cheyne Gadson, as they both have NBA talent. Cory Underwood, a former street baller, also returns after joining the Sixers preseason roster for a bit. They drafted quite solid as well, bringing in David Monds, Waki Williams (Never seen him play, but with a name like Waki...), another long 4, and Kris Clack, who played with Austin a couple seasons ago. They also brought in Eddie Robinson, who made 10 million dollars for NOT playing with the Bulls, as they bought out his contract, presumably because he was more focused on his acting career, being the lead in Juwanna Mann.

Iowa should be solid. They return Dwayne Mitchell, who left to go overseas mid-season last year and was with the Lakers this preseason, and Courtney Sims, one of the top big men in the league. Aristide "The Ostrich Riding Dawg" Sawadago was also apparently a big returner for them, as one team (I'll leave them anonymous) tried to draft him. Curtis Stinson, a journeyman D-Leaguer who has played 50 games for five teams over the past two years, also returns. In the first round, they drafted Cartier Martin, who sounds more like an alcoholic beverage than a D-League player, and followed that up with Larry AKA "Elias" or "Old Man" Ayuso, and then Othyus Jeffers, who will turn heads in the D-League. They also drafted Oregon State rookie Marcel Jones, who is also apparently pretty good, as another team tried drafting him later.

Austin, I'm glad you got the last pick, otherwise, you'd be a lot scarier than you already are. Returning Marcus Williams (Legitimate NBA player, not computer-steling-already-NBA-player-with-Golde-State-Marcus-Williams), and bringing in Charles Gaines and Malik Hairston, this teams 2,3,4 spots are probably the best in the D-League. Add Squeaky Johnson and first round pick and this team is solid everywhere but the 5 spot, which is probably why they grabbed 6'10 Mohammed Abukar in the 2nd round. They also got "Better Than" Ezra Williams and Michael Sturns, who were both good pickups in the 3rd and 5th rounds. Add in the possible allocation of Ian Mahinmi, and wow.

I'll let Matt rebuttal, as I'm sure we differ, but I'm ranking the great 8 heading into camp:

1. Dakota -- Six returners, 4 guys with NBA experience, going to be great.

2. Austin -- If they get Mahinmi again, pencil them in for the championship.

3. Albuquerque -- Great backcourt, great front court, great team.

4. Idaho -- Won't fall off much from championship season.

5. Sioux Falls -- Scary back court, scary (and scary looking) front court.

6. Anaheim -- LOTS of NBA talent here.

7. Bakersfield -- Legit starting 5.

8. LA/Reno -- LA built from nothing getting lucky with allocations, Reno built from nothing using the expansion draft.