SB Nation - Rod Benson

Polling GSoM: Who should the Golden State Warriors call up from the D-League? Rod Benson, Rob Kurz, Dontell Jefferson

Atma Brother ONE — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 16:19:57 -0000

Golden State Warriors vs Sacramento Kings. GSoM Night 8. We're the Real Kings of Cali without a doubt, but what would make the affair even more royal?

GSoM friend Rod Benson!

Scott Schroeder who's still as ridiculous as ever over at the superb Ridiculous Upside has not 1, but 3 D-League ballas for the Warriors to choose from in Warriors Granted 2nd Hardship Exception; Rod Benson's Available!

It's time to make the call!

via www.nakedauthors.com

Links, pics, and more after the jump!

Rod Benson

BOOM GOT THEM THO!

'nuff said

GSoMer nativeson on the Photoshop one's and two's.

Linkage:

Pick up your 09 Boom Tho gear over at TMRB (Too Much Rod Benson)
Read up on his Boomness over at Ball Don't Lie
Follow Rod on Twitter @boomtho (GSoM's @unstoppablebaby)

From the Golden Vault:

Rob Kurz

Imagine the Warriors could instantly get someone that head coach Don Nelson thought was better than Anthony Randolph (also see RUMOR: New York Knicks and Houston Rockets interested in Golden State Warriors forward Anthony Randolph) for most of last season. He even has a miracle shot as a member of the Dubs on his resume.

See Polling GSoM: Are you going to miss Rob Kurz?

It's take 2 for Rob Base, but Rob Kurz takes 3.

Dontell Jefferson

Everything you could ever want to know about Jefferson and more is over at his SB Nation player page.

You thought he was good in the video games? Wait till you see him in real life!

via i638.photobucket.com

This is not going to be an easy decision folks. Thanks again to our man Scott at Ridiculous Upside for the 411.

Poll

Who should the Golden State Warriors call up from the D-League?

Warriors Granted 2nd Hardship Exception; Rod Benson's Available!

Scott Schroeder — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 07:02:27 -0000

Who gets buckets, boards and blocks? Well, according to Mr. Boom Tho's newest video, Rod Benson.

Why is this relevant?

According to Marcus Thompson,

[Don Nelson] said Warriors are scouring the D-League for another player, their second-hardship exception

I don't want to be that guy and hype Benson just because he's RU-friendly, but I think this is seriously can't miss.

He's from the bay area, he runs the floor like few 6'10", 225 pound big men can (nobody else in the D-League is more fitting for the Warriors) and if nothing else, he'd cheer up the Golden State of Mind crew! Seriously, his qualifications aren't lacking and with Andris Biedrins, Ronny Turiaf and Mikki Moore all shelved, this could actually work.

As our old pal Matt Moore penned:

Benson's almost a volume rebounder, if there is such a thing. His DRR if he were to ever get a stinkin' flyer would be insane. All you're looking for is quality minutes and you know he'll give you that. He's added frame as he's gotten older and it's not like he's lost in terms of positioning. He's got a high basketball IQ. What's the downside here? The only thing I can figure at this point is that he peed on Adam Silver's rug at some point. And it tied the room together.

Plus, with the Warriors obviously not headed toward the playoffs, wouldn't it be nice to throw the fans a bone and call-up a marketable local player?

My other guess would be Rob Kurz, just because they're familiar with him and he's not in a shooting funk like Vladimir Radmanovic is. Kurz played for the Warriors last year and is averaging 16 points and 12 boards for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in the D-League. It doesn't really make sense to replicate Radmanovic, but how often do the Warriors make sense?

Dark horse? I'm throwing Dontell Jefferson's name into the mix. They're backcourt heavy, obviously, but Jefferson, tops on our most recent call-up rankings, might be able to pull the team together. He's a shooting guard turned pass-first point guard, 6'5" and a great defender, three things that would absolutely be able to help the Warriors out. It's not a position of need obviously, but the Warriors could definitely use him.

Poll

Warriors are scouring the D-League... Who would be your choice?

Portland Trailblazers Granted Hardship Exception; D-League Call-Up Possible?

Scott Schroeder — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 00:42:45 -0000

From Joe Freeman of the Oregonian:

The NBA has awarded the Blazers a hardship exception, giving them the option of signing a 16th player to the roster for a short-term basis. Teams are eligible for the exception after four players on a roster miss at least three games and are expected to miss two additional weeks.
[...]
"We're surveying our options," said Tom Penn, the Blazers' vice president of basketball operations. "We've been looking at free agents that are out there and available ... and we're going to keep our options open. We may or may not ultimately sign a player."

Hopefully, when Penn say "free agent," he's alluding to a player that doesn't have his right's held by another NBA team (D-League, Hooah!) and not a player that is sitting at home on the couch, waiting for an opportunity such as this (hypothetical Jonathan Bender).

Reading the comments in a similar post over at Blazersedge, the Blazers will be looking for a Greg Oden-replacing big man or possibly a defensive 3. While they'll probably find Robert Traylor (his current team suspended operations in Italy) to throw me into a rage, I'm going to endorse either Rod Benson (you know who he is) or Dwayne Jones (pulled down a 27 point, 24 board, 4 block performance last night).

Luckily, we did our first "Randy Livingston Memorial On the Edge Call-Up Rankings" today so I've got nice little blurbs to tell you about each, courtesy of Matt Moore at Hardwood Paroxysm and our very own Jon L:

Rod Benson, Reno Bighorns (16.8 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 2.4 bpg, 2.2 spg, 53% FG) - Benson's almost a volume rebounder, if there is such a thing. His DRR if he were to ever get a stinkin' flyer would be insane. All you're looking for is quality minutes and you know he'll give you that. He's added frame as he's gotten older and it's not like he's lost in terms of positioning. He's got a high basketball IQ. What's the downside here? The only thing I can figure at this point is that he peed on Adam Silver's rug at some point. And it tied the room together. (Matt Moore)

Dwayne Jones, Austin Toros (18 ppg, 13.3 rpg, 2.2 bpg, 66% FG) - Jones has clearly been working on his post moves in the offseason, and while they're still not great, he looks a lot more fluid executing them. In addition to the spin move he "had" last year he's added one where he goes underneath the basket and lays it in from the other side, which was pretty effective. And, just so we're clear, his numbers have been helped tremendously by being matched up with Kevin Pittsnogle in five of his ten games. Defensively, he's not great, but he'll block some shots and has played 80 games in the NBA, so the experience is there.

Random Retread. For comedy's sake, I chose Robert Traylor, Napoli Itialy) (9 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 54% FG) - Robert Traylor has bad knees, is 32 and hasn't played in the NBA since 2005. I just feel, since the Knicks decided to pick up Jonathan Bender earlier in the week, Traylor seems to have a better shot than any D-League player.

Poll

If you were the Blazers, who would you pick?

Randy Livingston Memorial "On The Edge" Call-Up Rankings

Scott Schroeder — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 16:00:21 -0000

Dontell Jefferson, the 6'5" point guard, can dunk, as learned here by Reno's Marcus Hubbard. (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE)

View full size photo »

As you can see, we've collaborated with the top D-League blogger's in the universe (read: all that would answer my e-mail's) to come up with the top 10 players that are deserving of an NBA call-up. While 10-day contract's aren't able to be handed out until January 5th, there's typically two or three call-up's before that date, which is why we've put our heads together to bring you this list. As you'll remember last season, we alternated this type of post with a more specific list like this one. More than likely, I'll put one of those together as well, just because it serves a different sort of purpose.

Anyway, continue on to see the list and a breakdown of each of the top 10 players, an early holiday gift to all of our loyal readers from the D-League blogging contingent!

Livingston Memorial "On The Edge" Call-Up Rankings
Player w/ link to season stats	Jon L (RU)	Matt Moore (Hardwood Paroxysm)	Scott Schroeder (RU)	Steve Weinman (D-League Digest)	Composite Rankings

Dontell Jefferson	3	3	1	2	1
Anthony Tolliver	1	8	2	1	2
Morris Almond	4	2	3	3	2
Rod Benson	2	1	5	5	4
Desmon Farmer	8	4	4	4	5
Carlos Powell	5	5	7	6	6
Mike Harris	6	10	6	10	7
Sundiata Gaines	7	9	8	8	8
Alonzo Gee	10	6	NR	7	9
Dwayne Jones	NR	7	10	NR	10
Reggie Williams	9	NR	NR	9	NR
Cedric Simmons	NR	NR	9	NR	NR

(If I were to round out a top 15, I'd include Cartier Martin, Ron Howard and Romel Beck)

1. Dontell Jefferson, Utah Flash (20.5 ppg, 6 apg, 5.1 rpg, 1.6 spg, 47% FG) - Jefferson should be the poster child for the NBA Development League because I don't think there's been a player that's gotten consistently better like Jefferson has. Consider his D-League draft bio as a rookie back in 2006: to go from averaging 3.2 points and 4.4 assists in college to an call-up to the Bobcats last season is amazing. Having watched a couple of Flash games this year, he may have even gotten better. While his calling card will always be his defense and decision making, the 6'5" point guard is showing some impressive scoring ability this year as well. (Scott Schroeder)

2a. Anthony Tolliver, Idaho Stampede (20.7 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 47% FG, 43% 3pt) - I can't find a word more descriptive of Tolliver's performance than "everywhere." At 6-foot-9 and 240 pounds, Tolliver is a large man, even by basketball standards. But the threes he takes aren't typical of the 21st century pseudo-bigs who hang around the perimeter waiting for kickouts. To borrow the type of term Walt Frazier enjoys using, I can remember few other occasions when a player seems as omnipresent as AT - sprinting to the sideline to snare long rebounds from unsuspecting guards and fighting his way to loose balls amidst the pack inside as well. Defensively, more of the same. One second, Tolliver's jumping out to double a guard on a high screen-and-roll; the next, waiting at the rim to provide help on penetration or swat a shot out of vicinity of the basket. (Steve Weinman, D-League Digest)

2b. Morris Almond, Springfield Armor (33 ppg, 6 rpg, 49% FG) - Morris Almond is mostly known for his scoring, and it's true that putting the ball in the basket remains his best skill. He also does so fairly efficiently, getting to the free-throw line at a decent rate. Almond greatly improved his rebounding while in the NBA, though, jumping from just under two boards per-36 minutes as a rookie to around five last season. Almond wasn't able to crack Utah's
rotation but got some offseason looks from the Knicks (Summer League) and Magic (training camp). The one thing that might hold him back is, well, his back. He had some problems with it last year and teams might worry that they'll return, I suppose. He's not as athletic as some of his peers, but he has a very nice midrange game and so far in career has kept working to improve. What sounds bad about that? (Jon L)

4. Rod Benson, Reno Bighorns (16.8 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 2.4 bpg, 2.2 spg, 53% FG) - Benson's almost a volume rebounder, if there is such a thing. His DRR if he were to ever get a stinkin' flyer would be insane. All you're looking for is quality minutes and you know he'll give you that. He's added frame as he's gotten older and it's not like he's lost in terms of positioning. He's got a high basketball IQ. What's the downside here? The only thing I can figure at this point is that he peed on Adam Silver's rug at some point. And it tied the room together. (Matt Moore, Hardwood Paroxysm)

5. Desmon Farmer, Reno Bighorns (25 ppg, 6.7 apg, 5.5 rpg, 5.17 TO/g (doh!)) - Look, I get the push against guys from the D-League that aren't great at defense. I do. I appreciate that. And I certainly understand the turnover concern. But Farmer has been on summer league teams. He's been in camps. He's done his time. And he fills up the sheet when he's on the floor. He's had cups of coffee with San Antonio and the Pacers and the Sonics. But the Spurs never have room for anyone, and the rest were before the league had experienced success at the NBA-level. He's got potential to be a solid end-of-the-bench contributor with the possibility of a great fill-in in case of injury. (Matt Moore)

6. Carlos Powell, Albuquerque Thunderbirds (21.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 4 apg, 50% FG) - Carlos Powell, like Farmer, is he what he is - a big, polished wing that can put his head down and get to the hoop with ease. Powell has an affinity for scoring right around 25 points per game to go along with a handful of assists and rebounds a piece every where he plays. While he's obviously not going to put those numbers up in the NBA, he's a veteran scorer that has what it takes to succeed in the big leagues. (Scott Schroeder)

7. Mike Harris, Rio Grande Valley Vipers (26 ppg, 7 rpg, 59% FG, 45% 3pt) - Harris is currently third in the league in per-game scoring, amidst guys who are more likely to come to mind like Mo Almond, Reggie Williams, Desmon Farmer and Sundiata Gaines. He's making 45 percent of his three-pointers and averaging 10 rebounds per 48 minutes. So basically, he's good. The Rockets obviously like him, having retained him off of their Summer League team, but any other teams jealous of Houston's glut of 6'6" combo forward action too can get in on it by calling Harris up. He's been playing mostly inside next to Joey Dorsey, which helps, but he's also pretty athletic and has worked on his shot enough where he can play some small forward as well. (Jon L)

8. Sundiata Gaines, Idaho Stampede (25.4 ppg, 7.7 apg, 5.3 rpg, 56% FG, 2 spg - has started 1 of 7 games) - That's right, a (mostly) D-League reserve made our call-up rankings. Gaines is that good (and also Bob MacKinnon's bench usually plays a lot). A combo guard in college, Gaines has been playing more point in Idaho, and he's been one of the best in the league so far. He's second in the league in assists, both per-game and per-48 minutes, fourth in the league in scoring, and perhaps most impressive is the fact that he's averaging just three turnovers in that fast-paced MacKinnon offense. Gaines isn't the biggest point guard around, but he's really, really, talented, and his game should speak enough for itself for him to get some consideration. (Jon L)

9. Alonzo Gee, Austin Toros (20.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 55% FG) - You can't really take Gee in the Virtual Scout Game. I mean, he's a rookie, playing in a power system that rewards players of his ilk. And he's not really MVP worthy, despite being second in Pts+Reb+As, since he plays alongside the double-double machine Dwayne Jones and Curtis Jerrells. But if you're looking for top-level production that you could sign and immediately send back down? Gee would be a fantastic option for farming. You know, if anyone had managed to do that effectively. Thanks for ruining that dream, Ian Mahinmi. (Matt Moore)

10. Dwayne Jones, Austin Toros (18 ppg, 13.3 rpg, 2.2 bpg, 66% FG) - Jones has clearly been working on his post moves in the offseason, and while they're still not great, he looks a lot more fluid executing them. In addition to the spin move he "had" last year he's added one where he goes underneath the basket and lays it in from the other side, which was pretty effective. And, just so we're clear, his numbers have been helped tremendously by being matched up with Kevin Pittsnogle in five of his ten games. (Jon L)

Last Night in the D-League; A Night of Third Quarter Troubles

Jon L — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 13:00:31 -0000

David Bailey helped the Skyforce knock off previously-unbeaten Iowa (via www.nba.com)

View full size photo »

Three teams played particularly in the third quarter last night; one was able to bounce back, but it likely cost two of them a win.

Sioux Falls Skyforce 109, Iowa Energy 99

The Iowa Energy have finally lost a game, and the Skyforce were able to take them down even with Reggie Williams still out. They did it basically by using Iowa's game against them - specifically, hitting a bunch of threes. Sioux Falls shot almost 54 percent from outside compared to just 27 percent for the Energy. David Bailey led the way by making four of his seven attempts (25 points total), Keith Brumbaugh was a perfect 3-3 (20 points) and Mike Nelson, Leemire Goldwire and Pete Campbell were a combined 6-11 from outside in relief. Joe Krabbenhoft did it a different way, getting to the free throw line and finishing with 23 points on 15 shots along with 13 rebounds.

Iowa just couldn't hit their shots. Starters Pat Carroll (zero points) and Jeff Trepagnier (four points on 1-6 shooting) gave them nothing, and Rashad Anderson made only two of the eight three-pointers he put up. Earl Barron (22 points) and Mark Tyndale (21 points) each got to the free-throw line to compensate, and Barron added 12 rebounds, but this team was bound to have an off-night eventually. The third quarter was particularly disastrous; Iowa hit just six field goals in the period, and three of those came in the last minute and a half. They were able to make some foul shots to keep from going completely under, but that level of futility from the field hurts.

The rest of last night's games are after the jump.

Austin Toros 110, Albuquerque Thunderbirds 104

These two teams should be familiar with each other, this being the fourth time they've played so far this season (with another game tonight), but the Thunderbirds just don't have anyone who can keep Dwayne Jones off the boards. Jones had 27 points and 24 rebounds last night, and he was pretty much the only Toro who produced in the first half (he had 18 and 10 at the break). Curtis Jerrells went off in the second half, scoring 15 points in the fourth quarter to give him 34 total, along with seven assists. The team got some nice contributions from Alonzo Gee (15 points, seven of which came at the free throw line), Lewis Clinch (13 points) and Justin Bowen (11 points and seven rebounds off the bench), but it was really Jerrells and especially Jones who got this win for Austin.

Believe it or not, Kevin Pittsnogle actually played a decent game, mostly in the second half when he hit a couple of threes to end the third quarter and a few more shots to open the fourth. Yaroslav Korolev got another double-double with 19 points (on nine shots) and 12 boards and Carlos Powell scored 25 points before fouling out, and the Thunderbirds also got 17 points from Anthony Dandridge in 19 and a half minutes off the bench. They kept it close for most of the game, but Albuquerque had a terrible third quarter, both on offense (they went five and a half minutes without scoring a point) and defense (Jerrells didn't miss a shot in the quarter, and Gee and Jones only missed one a piece). And of course there's the rebounding issue. Erek Hansen is back, which helps, but this team will continue to struggle against strong rebounding centers

Reno Bighorns 98, Bakersfield Jam 90

Reno had a terrible third quarter, just 17 points scored and a six minute stretch with no points, but they were able to get to the free throw line with striking regularity in the fourth (18 of their 31 points in the quarter came on foul shots) to keep Bakersfield winless. They were helped by Amara Sy getting ejected on a flagrant 2 followed by Will Voigt getting a tech (presumably for arguing about the flagrant) as well as Terrance Gamble getting his own with 12 seconds left (?). Desmon Farmer finished a perfect 12-12 from the free throw line on the way to 27 points. If you asked me who would be the second person to record a triple-double this season, "Mo Charlo" would not be my answer. It almost happened, though, and despite being a big part of that six minute scoreless stretch in the third, Charlo finished with 18 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists. Rod Benson didn't have the best shooting night, perhaps still feeling the affects of his bout with food poisoning, but he did collect 14 rebounds. If I had to point to one thing this team needs, it's better bench production. Just 15 points for Reno's reserves last night, and while I like Majic Dorsey, he missed a ton of shots in that third quarter (okay, two) and just generally hasn't played well so far this year.

Amara Sy threw a low blow at Mo Charlo's nether regions with the Jam were up 88-86. Stemming from this, Reno scored 12 straight points (actually the run had started before the flagrant and totaled 17 points) due to all of the free throws resulting from that play and the subsequent Voigt technical. Dear Coach Voigt: sending your opponent to the free-throw line helps them, and doesn't fire your team up. John Williams did a lot to help his team; 25 points, 6-9 from outside, and five assists. He also did a lot to give it away, namely with eight turnovers; two of those came on palming calls, and two came on losing the ball out of bounds. Tyrelle Blair didn't shoot particularly well but grabbed 13 rebounds.

Fort Wayne Mad Ants 124, Springfield Armor 107

So I guess even with Morris Almond, the Armor just aren't very good. The Mad Ants got nice, balanced scoring as seven players scored in double figures, including 23 points each from Ron Howard and Rod Wilmont, and 22 points and 11 boards from Rob Kurz (a good day to be a guy with a three-letter first name beginning with R, I suppose). Kyle McAlarney picked up nine assists, his highest total yet by far, and Anthony Kent grabbed six rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench (hey, maybe he's found his role, hint hint). Fort Wayne was able to jump out to an early lead by getting to the free throw line (and some, okay a lot of, missed shots by the Armor), and they never looked back.

Almond had a terrific game, 39 points on 11-17 shooting and five rebounds, which is partially him and partially what happens when Ryan Ayers guards you just as much as Ron Howard. Unfortunately for Springfield, no one else really got going. JamesOn Curry made seven of his eight field goals on the way to 16 points, but had just two assists and four turnovers. TJ Cummings had 12 rebounds but needed to throw up 22 shots to get 22 points. Kentrell Gransberry played just 10 minutes, and I'm not really sure why. He may not be able to put up double-doubles every night with 30 minutes of playing time, but he can at least give more than this. They're not really getting any consistency right now, but hey, at least pro basketball is back in Springfield.

Last Night in the D-League: Where Desmon Farmer Happens

Scott Schroeder — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 12:00:34 -0000

Just looks like he belongs in the NBA, no?

View full size photo »

Good morning, RU crew. I'm covering for Jon L today, so if this night in review isn't as filled with Simpson's references as usual, deal with it. I'm also just highlighting individual players because, after a look at our viewership, most people don't care if Fort Wayne fell behind 22-6 and never recovered.

Reno Bighorns 109, Bakersfield 88

Desmon Farmer is good at basketball. Ridiculously good. Also, he has some upside. Before we look at what he did yesterday, let's look at what he's done in the past. The 28 year-old off-guard has played in the NBA in parts of two different seasons (most recently with the San Antonio Spurs last year). When he's not in the NBA, however, Farmer's playing (mostly) in the D-League, totaling 118 games over the past four seasons. This season, Farmer's averaging 26 points per game, the fourth highest in the D-League. His scoring, however, isn't what the NBA is looking for, which is why yesterday's game was probably great for his call-up outlook.
Farmer's shot wasn't falling (7-of-17 from the field), so he took on the ball-handling duties because regular point guard Russell Robinson's shot was falling (we'll get to that later). Primarily handling the rock, Farmer finished with 20 points, 11 boards and 10 assists, the first triple-double in the D-League this season, while turning the ball over just twice and only going to his left. Yo, NBA (except Donnie Walsh because we're fighting), call this man up!
Rod Benson picked up a DNP because, according to the announcers, he's got some food poisoning issues. Hopefully he didn't contract swine flu. Update: He apparently does not have swine flu.
Russell Robinson, who nearly, inexplicably, made the Cleveland Cavaliers roster this season, has developed a jump shot - or at least a spot where he can hit jumper's from. The 6-foot guard from Kansas spotted up in the exact same spot for, I think, all but one of his five 3-pointer's. R-Squared (sweet nickname, no?) led the team with 21 points and also dished five assists, but his five turnovers probably cancelled that out.
Apparently this is the week that the Milwaukee Bucks don't look ridiculous for deciding Marcus Hubbard and Mark Tyndale deserved camp invites. Tyndale exploded for 31 Saturday and yesterday marked Hubbard's coming out party, picking up 19 points and 18 rebounds. As soon as I find a position for him and don't have to worry about why he's been cut or traded by two separate D-League teams, I'm ready to sing his praises a bit more.
Bakersfield is a point guard, a decent big man, and a couple of perimeter players away from competing. Seriously. They're bad.

Sioux Falls Skyforce 110, Fort Wayne Mad Ants 100 (Link includes "Highlights")

Reggie Williams was a late scratch, due to food poisoning. Williams leads the Skyforce with 26.4 points per game, including 27 in a nine point loss the previous night. Fort Wayne play-by-play man Bill Hazen said Williams would probably be healthy by Tuesday, so our Wednesday call-up rankings shouldn't be affected by the groin of Williams.
Joe Krabbenhoft took Williams' spot in the starting lineup and, surprisingly, picked up exactly where Williams left off the night before, scoring 28 to go along with eight boards and four assists. The 6'7" forward isn't quite the scorer Williams is, but he did work on Ryan Ayers, torching him on his way to the basket for a decent amount of his points.
If you combined Raymond Sykes and Greg Stiemsma, you'd have the ugliest player in the D-League an amazing defensive, rebounding big man with almost no offensive skill. Actually, even separate, that's what they amount to - if Stiemsma could work on his offense just enough to hit the gimme's, he'd be NBA bound with his size. Sykes, while more raw than Stiemsma, brings a huge amount of energy and athleticism, which is fun to watch, if not good for anything else.
Remember when Rob Kurz used to be a good shooter? Well, he shot 0-for-7 yesterday, which isn't really what I was hoping to see. The former NBA big man was averaging 16 and 12 through five games, including shooting a ridiculous 56% from beyond the arc, but the 6'9" stretch big just didn't have it on the offensive end. He did pick up 12 boards and two blocks, but Fort Wayne really could've used his offense.
Ron Howard should never settle for a jump shot. Howard finished with 32 points, including 14 off drives to the hoop and another 15 from the charity stripe. That's 29 of his points off non-jumpers. Howard, who is one of the better perimeter defenders in the D-League, needs to stick to driving to the lane and playing hard-nosed defense if he wants his first call-up, after coming close the past two summers. Jumper's are never going to be his calling card.
Kyle McAlarney is white. Actually, between Fort Wayne and Sioux Falls, I'm sure this game led the league in white dudes on the court at the same time (seven players and three of the four coaches, if you're keeping track). I bring this up not because I love white people, but because Kyle McAlarney was recently featured on ESPN's Outside the Lines for being white, and we've never linked to it previously. Anyway, back to the subject at hand: McAlarney shot 7-of-10 from the field, scored 17 points and didn't excel on defense.
Indiana alum Rod Wilmont is a catalyst. Of all Fort Wayne's players, he seems to be the only one that wants to do something with the ball when he gets it. That doesn't mean good things always happen (6-of-15 from the field), but at least he's trying. Wilmont finished with 20 points.
I hate to compare Joey Meyer to Jaren Jackson (and I'm guessing President Potter won't like it either), but both, for whatever reason, seem to have an affinity for jerking Sean Sonderleiter's minutes around. Whatever Anthony Kent does in practice to prove he deserves more playing time doesn't translate to the games, and yesterday was no different. Kent started, had four fouls, three turnovers and two points in 25 minutes. Sonderleiter got 13 minutes off the bench and finished with six points and seven boards.

Los Angeles D-Fenders 123, Idaho Stampede 112

Gabe Pruitt is probably call-up worthy. The second round pick of the Boston Celtics in 2007 looked great in the D-Fender's offense, making eight of his 11 attempts from the field and shooting 10-of-15 from the line to finish with 26 points. He filled out the rest of the box score nicely as well, grabbing nine boards and adding six assists and three steals during his 44 minutes of court time.
Diamon Simpson gives me the Lou Amundson vibe. I'm not sure if that's good, bad or ugly, but that's what I'm going with. Simpson finished with 17 points, eight boards, three blocks and a steal, filling the box score sufficiently. He's only 6'7", but in the D-League they have him playing a bit at the 5, which probably isn't going to be ideal for him in the NBA (unless he's guarding Chuck Hayes). On both of his offensive boards, he went back up strong and got to the line (though once he got to the line, he hit just 7-for-12). In both games I've watched of Simpson, I've been impressed, so kudos.
Ryan Forehan-Kelly had 21 and Dar Tucker had 20, but neither does enough things well to really impress me. I apologize to each of their respective fan bases.
Anthony Tolliver has got to be the next person to get a call-up (Note: If the NBA keeps going the Jonathan Bender route, replace AT with Chocolate Thunder Darryl Dawkins). The 6'9" Tolliver continued to be a sniper, hitting 6-of-10 from beyond the arc to finish with 28 points on the day. He picked up seven boards as well, but that was kind of negated by his five turnovers (which are more a result of the Idaho offense than anything). He can play inside and outside on offense, does the little things on defense and generally seems to care - which isn't, unfortunately, a given in the D-League.
Sundiata Gaines, I have no idea what to do with you. Another day, another 25 points off the bench in just 29 minutes. I really want to believe that he can make this translate to the NBA, but it just seems so unlikely. In the D-League, he gets to the basket so easily, gets fouled, gets to the line, rinse, wash and repeat. He also dished out seven assists, but his five turnovers and eight missed free-throw's probably nullify the assists. Regardless, the NBA's not looking for starters, it's looking for guys that can come in and play off the bench, and he's doing exactly that.
Cedric Simmons is becoming polished. He actually looks more NBA ready now than he did when he was in the NBA. Showed off a nice hook shot at one point, and the rest of his 15 points didn't come all that difficult either. His defense was on point as well, but I kind of expected that when matching up against Michael Fey, Boo Jackson and Diamon Simpson.

Maine Red Claws 87, Tulsa 66ers 82

Full disclosure, I only watched about three minutes of this game due to no live stats and something crazy going on with the audio. And there's no recap and nobody really stood out that I enjoy talking about (sorry, Mustafa), so we'll make this one quick.

This game featured Byron Mullens, Alexis Ajinca, Steven Hill and DeVon Hardin. That's roughly 28 feet of untapped potential.
Mario West didn't play. I don't know why. There should be a box score that says DNP-SOMETHING rather than that he just played 0 minutes. I assume he's good enough to play in front of Mike Williams.
Tony Bobbitt was ejected. In my secret over/under's for everything D-League related, I had Bobbitt going crazy in his fifth game, but he lasted until his 6th. Good job to all of you who took the over.
The Red Claws arena(?) looks nice and cozy. And has big windows that defeat the dimming of the lights during starting line-ups.
Fine. Mustafa Shakur had 21 points, seven assists, six steals, four rebounds, four fouls, four turnovers and a blocked shot. I still don't think he's a point guard.
If you're looking for more, check out JFoss's recap.

Last Night in the D-League (and not at the concert that I attended)

Jon L — Sat, 12 Dec 2009 19:42:27 -0000

Taylor Griffin's receding hairline made its D-League debut last night. Look out, Anthony Tolliver! (via www.nba.com)

View full size photo »

Au contraire, Scott! There is a review of last night's games, I just didn't write it last night.

Iowa Energy 94, Dakota Wizards 82

Taylor Griffin is probably a borderline NBA bench player, but that makes him a pretty good D-League player. 19 points on 8-10 shooting and 10 boards for Griffin in his first game on assignment, though he also turned the ball over six times and committed a dumb flagrant foul. Curtis Stinson handed out 11 assists (four of which went to Griffin), Mark Tyndale had 14 points on seven shots and Marvin Phillips grabbed seven rebounds in a little over 17 minutes off the bench for the Energy, but no one else played particularly well.

Dakota had problems right out of the game, when Curtis Withers missed a layup, got his own rebound, then missed another layup. The Wizards scored just 14 points in the first quarter, and no one other than Mo Baker (and a 1-2 Marcus Dove) shot more than 40 percent from the field. The rest of the team was "highlighted" by David Bell's 1-10, five turnover performance. The team did okay on the boards, led by Withers's 10 rebounds (six offensive) and Renaldo Major's seven with four blocks, but they just couldn't hit shots. Romel Beck led the team in assists with three (actually tied with Jason Straight), which might be the first time that's happened, ever. I don't think that was a ball distribution problem as much as it was potential assists failing to go through the hoop. Dakota has now dropped three straight, but they get a rematch against Iowa tonight.

Idaho Stampede 105, LA D-Fenders 95

The Stampede won despite poor outside shooting nights from Anthony Tolliver and Roberto Bergersen (1-6 each). They won despite shooting less than 70 percent from the three throw line. They won despite getting just 16 assists as a team. They won because, surprise surprise, LA has a lot of guys who miss a lot of shots. Idaho also got a terrific game from Sundiata Gaines (31 points, six rebounds, six assists), some solid rebounding (10 boards for Bryson McKenzie, nine for Tolliver, seven for Emmanuel Jones) and other than Tolliver and Bergerson, they made almost half of their threes.

Diamon Simpson had 10 rebounds and a team-high five assists (which should be embarrassing for the rest of the team) and James Jackson came off the bench to score 21 points on 13 shots and grab seven rebounds (though he made less than half of his free throws), but otherwise I'm really starting to hate how this team was put together. Running down the field goal column in the boxscore, we have 3-10, 2-10, 5-13, 5-15, 2-6 and 3-10. The fact that no one should be surprised by that makes me wonder what, in fact, the D-Fenders/Lakers braintrust was thinking when they assembled this roster. There's athleticism, sure, and Ryan Forehan-Kelly wasn't this flaky last year, but poor shot selection abounds.

Reno Bighorns 107, Utah Flash 103

Russell Robinson only handed out four assists, but he had his best shooting night of the season, going 8-14 (including 4-6 on threes) and scoring 26 points. Desmon Farmer didn't shoot particularly well, 8-20, but he did a great job of getting to the free throw line and made 13 of his 15 attempts there to finish with 33 points. Rod Benson had 17 points and eight boards, but Reno was outrebounded overall. They also didn't get a whole lot from their bench aside from Cezary Trybanski (nine points) and Doug Thomas (seven points, nine rebounds). They won this game by forcing turnovers and at the free throw line; Orien Greene, Jordan Brady and Bennet Davis all fouled out for the Flash, while Carlos Wheeler finished with five fouls.

Dontell Jefferson had a fantastic shooting night, 10-19 for 30 points, but he also turned it over eight times against just three assists. Who does he think he is, Desmon Farmer? Several of those turnovers were in the fourth quarter as Utah was trying to come back, and no one else on the team finished with more than three; this one's all on DJ. Of course, getting some odd foul calls doesn't help, and both Wheeler and coach Brad Davis got T'd up, I'm assuming for arguing the calls (Farmer also got a tech for Reno). Wheeler had a very good game, 18 points and 15 rebounds (though a few of his six offensive boards were off his own misses), and Andre Ingram hit three of his four three-pointers and eight of his 10 field goals overall on the way to 23 points.

Austin Toros 115 Bakersfield Jam 89

Hey, you know who's not a good team? Bakersfield. Coach Will Voigt has apparently been reduced to trying crazy/dumb ideas like starting Amara Sy at center. Sy rebounded okay, nine boards, but he needed 10 shots to get 10 points. Austin's starting center Dwayne Jones, on the other hand, was a perfect 6-6 from the field and 7-8 from the free throw line, finishing with 19 points and 10 rebounds. Lewis Clinch had a solid game with 23 points, and Alonzo Gee added 19 points and seven rebounds. All 10 Toros played, nine of them scored, and the one who didn't (Augustine Okuson) still contributed with two rebounds and two blocks in seven and a half minutes.

Back to the Jam, they actually shot the ball pretty well; 42 percent on threes, 50 percent from the field overall. Jeremy Wise came off the bench to score 19 points on eight shots, John Williams had 10 points on six shots, and the team had six players finish with double-digit scoring. The problem was the defense - they let Austin score 67 points in the first half, and the points were coming from all over. Threes, layups, jump shots, whatever. Note to Will Voigt: this doesn't mean that you should try starting Reece Gaines at center. It means you need to get a real center, and real defenders.

Previewing Tonight's Games; Big Men! Big Men! Big Men!

Jon L — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 21:00:19 -0000

Reno Bighorns at Utah Flash

Utah has managed pretty well without Luke Nevill thanks to contributions in the middle from Carlos Wheeler and Bennet Davis, but neither one of those guys are real centers, so Rod Benson should do well. Heck, Cezary Trybanski could get another passel of blocks. Dontell Jefferson and Orien Greene have been playing very well of late, and they could make it so that Benson's contributions don't matter quite so much. Jefferson in particular could force Russell Robinson into a(nother) poor shooting night, and the line on Desmon Farmer turnovers is probably six. The over isn't a crazy bet. I may be alone in thinking Reno is better than their record, but they'll need to work (and get more contributions from their bench) to win this one.

Idaho Stampede at Los Angeles D-Fenders

Dar Tucker will probably love playing at Idaho's tempo, which means that LA fans will probably hate it. Tucker, as you'll recall, was drafted by the Stampede but traded away in a three-team deal that brought them Anthony Tolliver in return. Even five or six games into the season, I think it's pretty safe to say that Idaho got the better end of that one. The D-Fenders don't really have anyone who can defend (I initially wrote d-fend but then hated myself) Tolliver, particularly out on the perimeter. I guess LA's shooters could do well enough to keep them in this game, but don't expect it to happen; instead, let it be a pleasant surprise.

Dakota Wizards and Iowa Energy

The Earl Barron-Curtis Withers matchup should be a good one. The Energy just got an infusion of talent in the form of a returning Cartier Martin and an assigned Taylor Griffin, so Dakota's defense will be tested. That's particularly true out in three-point range where Dakota's opponents have shot .410 so far, and Iowa has the shooters to keep that percentage high. Getting Mo Baker back should help on the offensive end, and Romel Beck will need to get his shot going early without completely disrupting what Dakota wants to do. Connor Atchley is going to have to start contributing off the bench for the Wizards. Rebounding, shooting, something.

Bakersfield Jam at Austin Toros

This game should have another fun matchup, that of Amara Sy and Alonzo Gee. Sy didn't get much of a chance to show off his defense in the first game due to some foul trouble, but he could make Gee work for his points tonight. Presumably the entire Bakersfield roster won't foul out of this one, but even without getting sent to the bench with foul trouble, the Jam will have a tough time. They don't really have anyone who can keep Dwayne Jones off the boards or who can guard Curtis Jerrells. The Toros haven't always played well, but they should be alright against the Jam. They still need to work on their three-point defense, though, and John Williams looks like a pretty good shooter who can make them pay

Tonight's Games Previewed - I Hope You Like Rematches

Jon L — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 22:43:14 -0000

More photos » by Sue Ogrocki - AP

Mike Harris, left, has been playing very well for the Rockets' (not the Thunder's) affiliate Rio Grande Valley. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Browse more photos »

Seven games tonight, featuring matchups that are repeats of games from the last several days. Will the outcomes change?

Maine Red Claws at Springfield Armor

The Red Claws won the last game in a walk, but Springfield actually played them close in the second and third quarters. Some warning signs for Maine from that game are the poor three-point shooting (just 1-12) and the huge disparity in foul shots - they likely won't get that advantage again. The Armor have to rebound a lot better to stay in this game, and they also need to get a larger contribution from their bench - Springfield reserved totaled just 11 points, six boards and two assists. That starts with Major Wingate, who fouled out much, much too quickly. Kentrell Gransberry isn't really a guy who can play 35 minutes and James Cripe hasn't contributed much this year, just 12 points and nine rebounds over three games. Wingate is talented, and if he can stay on the court he can help his team.

Rio Grande Valley Vipers at Tulsa 66ers

Antonio Anderson and Moses Ehambe got double technicals in the fourth quarter of last night's game, so both teams will have to make sure they keep cool in this one. RGV's three-point shooting has steadily increased over the first three games of the season, and even in the last one when they shot over 40 percent as a team, Garrett Temple missed seven of his 11 outside attempts. That could go either way, with Temple making a higher percentage or the rest of the team not picking up his slack. Wasn't that insightful? Joey Dorsey started the last game slowly, and Byron Mullens and DeVon Hardin were able to combine for 18 rebounds. Dorsey will have to pick his game up tonight. Latavious Williams has gotten DNPs in the last two games. Free Latavious Williams!

Erie BayHawks at Sioux Falls Skyforce

Greg Stiemsma rebounded and defended pretty well when these two teams played last night, but I'm still skeptical that he can keep it up. His 16 rebounds were more than three times his previous high this season, and he averaged just six a game last season. He's also been pretty terrible offensively so far, shooting just .273, so if the Erie big men can keep him off the boards (and they at least have the talent to do so) they could fare better in this one. The BayHawks actually started strong in the last game but faded over the course of the game. Cedric Jackson has been steadily improving as a point guard, increasing his assists with each game and cutting down on his turnovers. Jackie Manuel has been shooting over his career average in every area, and Ivan Harris is starting to get on track. This rematch could go the other way.

Austin Toros at Albuquerque Thunderbirds

Albuquerque won last night with a strong fourth quarter performance and solid games from two guys who have a history of inconsistent performances, namely Yaroslav Korolev and Keith McLeod. McLeod had the third-worst field goal percentage on the Thunderbirds last season among guys who played more than 10 games, and the second-worst eFG; Korolev has a history of poor shot selection in the NBA and in Summer League. Carlos Powell should be a call-up candidate, certainly (and I will have a list of those coming, I'm just waiting until teams have played more than a handful of games), but Austin has a lot of talent of their own. Malik Hairston is on assignment and is capable of dropping 40 on any given night. Alonzo Gee is a very solid offensive player, and while Curtis Jerrells has his off nights he runs the pick and roll fairly well. The addition of Hairston should be enough to keep Albuquerque from sweeping this mini-series.

Dakota Wizards at Idaho Stampede

The Wizards won this game in part by limiting the number of possessions - each team had 104, which is generally high but fairly low for a Bob MacKinnon-coached team like the Stampede. Dakota also either forced or were the recipients of poor outside shooting nights from Idaho's Anthony Tolliver, Mildon Ambres and Roberto Bergersen, while shooting almost 69 percent from behind the arc themselves. That high shooting percentage isn't all that sustainable, but the Wizards have perhaps the strongest group of defenders in the D-League, and Curtis Withers should play a lot better than his six-point, five-turnover outing. Idaho has gotten good performances so far from Mike Gansey and Sundiata Gaines, who could start for most, if not all of the rest of the league. Like Albuquerque last night, the Wizards used a terrific fourth quarter to take the last game, but they'll do well to not dig themselves into a hole once again.

Utah Flash at Bakersfield Jam

I really don't know what to write about the Jam. They had a fairly weak roster to begin with, and take out Robert Swift and suddenly they have problems in the middle as well. Bakersfield coach Will Voigt got a technical in the last game and was ejected in the game before that, but at some point you have to stop going to the "get mad enough to maybe wake your team up" well. The Flash have a very talented roster top-to-bottom, even without Luke Nevill and Gavin Grant; Orien Greene has played well after a shaky first game, Lee Cummard seems to have figured out how to contribute off the bench, and Jason Richards has been racking up the assists compared to his playing time. A lot of things will have to go wrong for them for the Jam to get their first win tonight.

Los Angeles D-Fenders at Reno Bighorns

The thing about having inconsistent scorers is that they do play well on occasion - such is it with LA's roster. Dar Tucker is shooting just .150 on three-pointers so far, and it's not like he hasn't been shooting them; who knows, maybe he's due. Reno seems to have found its footing a little bit now that they can help dictate the pace of the game rather than have to race to keep up. LA's Michael Fey was scoring pretty well until he met up against Rod Benson, who shut him down in the last game. Benson's been a rebounding monster so far and incredibly efficient offensively, so he'll again be a handful for Fey and Longar Longar. Reno's Russell Robinson hasn't been shooting particularly well (from inside the three-point line, anyway) but seems to have gotten his turnovers under control. Then again, it was tempting to say that Desmon Farmer's nine turnover game came because he was playing against Idaho, then he goes out and turns it over eight times against the D-Fenders. I also wouldn't expect another nine blocks from Cezary Trybanski, nor will Ryan Forehan-Kelly go 0-the game again. The D-Fenders can win this one if some of their questionable shots go down, but they're called questionable for a reason.

Last Night in the D-League; Free Throw Disparities Abound!

Jon L — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 15:00:17 -0000

One thing we've learned so far: Reggie Williams can score. (via www.nba.com)

View full size photo »

Albuquerque Thunderbirds 119, Austin Toros 110

This is a tough loss for the Toros, because they didn't play particularly poorly. They made half of their threes, more than half of their field goals overall and outrebounded the T-birds. Free throws were the difference, as Albuquerque shot 34 to Austin's 21. Dwayne Jones was a beast, 23 points and 16 rebounds (eight offensive), which shouldn't be too surprising given that he had Kevin Pittsnogle guarding him for most of the game. Alonzo Gee finished with 16 points, but also turned the ball over five times. Curtis Jerrells put together a solid line, 20 points, seven assists and only one turnover (which didn't come until there was less than a minute left in the game), but he also took (and missed) several shots, with 12, 14, 16 seconds left on the shot clock. And hey, Malik Hairston was in the house! He played well, as you'd imagine, with 23 points on 18 shots; he went 8-9 from the line and added five rebounds, two blocks and two steals. Make sure you pick Hairston in your Virtual Scout game, I have a feeling he'll make an NBA roster one of these days.

For the Thunderbirds, who actually won the game, Yaroslav Korolev played well, which even with it being the D-League still is weird to read and type. He had 22 points on 13 shots, got to the free throw line (8-11), grabbed nine rebounds and blocked four shots. See? Isn't that weird to read? Carlos Powell also played well, with 26 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Keith McLeod made seven of his 13 field goals, including three of his five threes, and handed out 10 assists with only two turnovers. Anthony Agudio shot 5-8 for 13 points. 16 of those free throw attempts came in the fourth quarter and there were some other weird calls on both sides, but this is still a solid win.

The rest of the games await you, after the jump.

Rio Grande Vipers 104, Tulsa 66ers 100

This wasn't the blowout I expected (though it was briefly in the third quarter), but Joey Dorsey did grab 12 board. Unfortunately, he also had eight turnovers and shot 3-9. Mike Harris played well, though, with 30 points on 19 shots and seven rebounds. The Vipers also finally got their three-point shooting on track, making almost 41 percent of their attempts, and they also did an excellent job of sharing the ball; 26 assists on 36 made field goals, which is insane. Nine assists for Antonio Anderson, seven from Jonathan Wallace, the latter of whom also had eight boards and did a good job of getting to the free throw line. Kurt Looby even got some run and grabbed eight rebounds in 19 minutes.

Mustafa Shakur's really good, y'all. 24 points, 10 assists, five rebounds, four steals, and he makes it look pretty easy. Moses Ehambe had his shot going early but then struggled a bit, and overall the 66ers made a better percentage of their threes than RGV did. They also made a better percentage of their free throws (roughly 74-66) and had about as many assists as a team (23 on 35 made field goals). That third quarter is what did them in, and there was a parade of blown layups and turnovers. Really, I count nine missed layups. The big men in particular had a hard time hitting shots, with Byron Mullens going 9-21 and DeVon Hardin shooting 2-8. Keith Clark finished 3-5, but both of his missed came on blown layups towards the end of the third. All three of those guys help put the "development" in the D-League, but this could be a frustrating year for Tulsa fans.

Sioux Falls Skyforce 110, Erie BayHawks 101

Erie managed to make 52.5 percent of its field goals and still lost. Part of that was the foul shot disparity (Sioux Falls shot 42 to Erie's 23), and part of it was rebounding. The Skyforce were able to grab 18 offensive boards, including six from Greg Stiemsma. I still don't think Stiemsma is any great shakes offensively (he shot just 3-10), but the 16 rebounds and six blocks were nice work. Reggie Williams was back to his brilliant scoring self,with 35 points on 21 shots along with five rebounds and three steals, and he really was the biggest recipient of those free throws with 14 attempts. Leemire Goldwire finished with decent numbers, 21 points on 7-13 shooting, even though he was 0-5 on threes. Again, free throw shooting helps.

Erie had some guys play pretty well, like Cedric Jackson who had 15 points, nine assists and seven rebounds off the bench, and Jackie Manuel who finished with 20 points on 8-13 shooting. They had some guys play okay, like Alade Aminu who had 16 points but only four rebounds in over 33 minutes, and John Bryant who needed 12 shots to score 12 points but who grabbed 14 rebounds. Then there was Donell Taylor, who was awful. 9-23 shooting, he missed all of his free throws, more turnovers (four) than assists (three), poor defense, and four of Stiemsma's blocks came out of his hands. Dreadful game.

Maine Red Claws 102, Springfield Armor 79

Those 102 points came in just over 94 possessions, excellent work. Of course, having a 41-15 free throw advantage will do that. I didn't catch this game, so I don't know if this was NBA veteran "savvy" or referee-derived, but Maine had better have won with those kinds of numbers, especially on a night they went 1-8 from the outside. Or heck, on any night, no especially about it. I mean, Anthony Terrell played less than three minutes and got four free throw attempts. Mario West played well off the bench with 19 points and 7-7 free throw shooting, and while Alexis Ajinca didn't have the best night offensively (1-7), he grabbed 13 rebounds and blocked five shots.

Fouls aside, Springfield's problem in this one comes down to rebounding. Only 30 total rebounds when all 10 guys played, and no one had more than five (congrats, Kentrell Gransberry); Maine had five players with five or more boards. JamesOn Curry actually shot the ball pretty well, 10-19 from the field on the way to 26 points, but he had just three assists (again, congrats to KG for leading the team with five). No one else really got going, and no one for the Armor could collect the misses. Their total rebounding number was eclipsed by Maine's 36 defensive boards. NBA-quality opponents or no, that's never going to earn a win. Oh, and backup center Major Wingate fouled out in just under 18 and a half minutes. Whee.

Reno Bighorns 101, LA D-Fenders 79

Reno had a weird first quarter. After jumping out to an 11-2 lead behind Marcus Hubbard and Russell Robinson they missed a bunch of shots and faced a nine point deficit at the end of the first quarter. At one point they had missed nine field goals in a row, a stretch that also saw multiple turnovers and Cezary Trybanski miss a pair of free throws. They got back on track once the second quarter started, and they never trailed after four minutes were left in the half. Rod Benson led the way again with 17 points on 8-11 shooting, 10 rebounds and four steals, plus some very good defense on Michael Fey. Backup center Trybanski also played well (aside from those free throws) with 10 points on four shots, six rebounds and an astounding nine blocks. He looked a lot more comfortable on the court when he didn't have to keep up with Idaho's big men. Dave Noel was another steadying presence off the bench with 10 points on 4-6 shooting. Russell Robinson had finished with 10 assists and 10 points, but needed 12 shots to get there. Desmon Farmer had 18 points and nine assists, but he turned the ball over way too much once again with eight. Marcus Hubbard had 16 points, eight rebounds and three blocks, but he started falling back into his old habits of hanging around the perimeter and taking some bad shots. I won't say that Reno got lucky for this win, but Farmer's turnovers and Hubbard's shot selection could be what keeps this team from winning on a lot of nights.

The D-Fenders are an inefficient offensive team, plain and simple. They have multiple guys who need too many shots to rack up the points, guys like Dar Tucker and Deron Washington and Horace Wormely. As a team, LA missed all seven of its three-point attempts, and six of those came from Tucker. Ryan Forehan-Kelly went 0-7 from the field, which is unusual for him. Diamon Simpson had his second straight solid offensive outing with 24 points (along with 13 rebounds); I'm still not sold on his offensive ability, but if he keeps this up I'll have to reconsider. LA will need that offense, too, as long as they have guys taking and missing terrible shots.