SB Nation - Demetris Nichols

Waive Goodbye, Part 2

Jon L — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:00:42 -0000

Go ahead and smile, Derrick Byars. You made the team. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Today we continue our look at the players waived or, occasionally, kept by NBA teams as the regular season begins. Next up we move into the middle of the country, or as I like to call it, "America's already-bloated snackhole." (I can say that because I live there.) That's right, it's the Central and Southwest Divisions. (Except that I was looking at the wrong division list when I wrote this and it's actually the Northwest Division. Deal with it, America.) And if you're just tuning in, don't forget to check out part 1.

Chicago Bulls

Who got cut: Curtis Stinson, Chris Richard, Steven Hill

Who got kept: Derrick Byars

Forget Stinson and Hill, this really came down to Byars vs. Richard for the last roster spot. And with all due respect to Richard, they made the right call. Richard played okay, although he averaged less than seven points per 36 minutes, and given that the team that already sports Joakim Noah in the frontcourt they really probably can't handle yet another guy who can't produce on offense. Not that Richard unequivocally can't, he just didn't demonstrate that sort of ability in the preseason, which is when he needed to demonstrate it. Byars helps the team in case Deng gets hurt again, or if John Salmons starts creaking (he turns 30 later this year). I won't discuss Byars in great detail here, because you can read this. It probably makes up for the Bulls cutting DeMarcus Nelson, maybe. Stinson and Hill are both probably headed to Europe, though I could see Stinson sticking around the D-League.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Who got cut: Luke Nevill, Andre Barrett, Russell Robinson, Rob Kurz, Darryl Watkins

Who got kept: Coby Karl

See Marge? These guys get it. Karl actually didn't play particularly well in the preseason, but he had a pretty good Summer League with Denver, and he's definitely talented. He's a nice multi-faceted player who can shoot (and make) threes, help distribute the ball, pick up some steals and rebound a little bit. So in other words he's exactly the right kind of guard for Cleveland. He's also worked damn hard, and he deserves another shot at the NBA. It never feels good to get cut (I'm assuming), but it's probably especially hard for Rob Kurz, who was starting for the Warriors just last season. He'd definitely be a prime call-up candidate should he go to the D-League, as he's a 6'9" guy who can make threes, although he could stand to pick up his rebounding and defense. He also profiles well as a Euroleague guy, so he could end up there. Russell Robinson also could pick either option. He played pretty poorly both in Summer League and the preseason, with turnovers being the major problem. Another stint in the D-League could help that, as he averaged just two and a half per 36 minutes for Reno last season. I'll mention again that I haven't been including Jawad Williams in this discussion because he was signed at the end of last season and has a partially-guaranteed deal, so while he theoretically could be waived later on, the team has been somewhat more committed to him than these other guys. I'm somewhat optimistic about Williams's playing time, since at this point he's more capable than J.J. Hickson or Darnell Jackson, but Leon Powe and maybe Jamario Moon are around to take most of the backup forward minutes.

Denver Nuggets

Who got cut: James White, Kurt Looby, Keith Brumbaugh, Dontaye Draper

Who got kept: Joey Graham

Massive disappointment here, although there's nothing personal against Graham. There was just so much hope that this would be White's year in Houston, then the team decided it wouldn't be, then Denver decided it wouldn't be his year for them, either. Looby getting cut isn't a huge surprise, as he's still carpaccio-raw. But, White getting the boot on top of Sonny Weems being sent away is enough to make one question Denver's commitment to ~~Sparkle Motion~~ the D-League. That would be rash, of course, and unfair to Denver who is clearly trying to win soon. Graham's per-36 numbers are almost identical to White's NBA figures, but I guess there's still too much uncertainty over what White can do when there really shouldn't be. He's headed over to Europe now, I assume, since he's said he's done with the D-League, and who can blame him. If an NBA team says they're committed to your development, then semi-promptly gets rid of you, that would be disheartening for anyone.

Detroit Pistons

Who got cut: Maceo Baston

Who got kept: No one.

Sorry, Maceo. Have fun at your House Party. (Admit it, that's not the clip you were expecting.) (Also, note to self: when you get older, shave your head but leave the sideburns and add a mustache.) But hey, here's a crazy idea; the Pistons also waived their second round pick Deron Washington, who's a 6'7" small forward. James White is a 6'7" small forward. WHAT IF THEY'RE ABOUT TO SIGN JAMES WHITE? They're probably not, but they should be. While Austin Daye looked really, really good in Summer League, and Jonas Jerebko could be pretty good, it seems a bit crazy to rely on three rookies (remember DaJuan Summers) as key bench contributors, rebuilding or no rebuilding. And while James White doesn't have that much more NBA experience, he's been around for a few years and he can contribute. Come on, Joe Dumars. LET'S DO THIS.

Indiana Pacers

Who got cut: Rod Benson, Demetris Nichols, Lawrence Roberts

Who got kept: No one.

Rod Benson is probably going back to Europe this year, even though he didn't have the best experience there last season (although being injured didn't help). I'd guess Nichols goes the same route, and both of them are good enough to play in the NBA right now. (Roberts is already over there.) As for the biggest question, whether we'll seee a return of Boom Tho-ness, I have no idea. Personally I wouldn't expect too much except maybe a continuation of his posts over at Ball Don't Lie. If this website were FreeDarko I'd probably launch into a discussion about whether this year's return to (or first crack at) seriousness for Benson and Gilbert Arenas reflects some kind of "down to business" vibe given off by the Obama Administration, but I have neither the time nor the ability to get into that right now. Or who knows, maybe Benson could write a book that would probably be better than Paul Shirley's (which I haven't read, but Benson's a better writer than Shirley so it's pretty much a lock.)

Milwaukee Bucks

Who got cut: Marcus Hubbard, Mark Tyndale, Charles Gaines, Dominic James

Who got kept: No one.

This was bound to happen eventually, but I don't really have much to say about these guys. Hubbard could do with another season or two in the D-League and work on either a.) becoming a proper interior player, or b.) shooting better than .256 on his three-pointers. Because this in-between thing isn't working. Gaines played well for Austin last season, averaging 15 points and 10 rebounds per 36 minutes, and shot a good percentage with Maccabi Tel Aviv. I'd like to see him in the D-League again this season, but I'm not sure he's close enough to a call-up to make it worth his time. Let's see, what else can I talk about with these guys...uh hey, I think Ersan Ilyasova can be pretty good, but that's not really under the purview of this series. Three or four players likely going over to Europe. Whee.

Minnesota Timberwolves

Who got cut: Jack McClinton, Alonzo Gee, Jared Reiner, Devin Green, Mustafa Shakur

Who got kept: Jason Hart

I don't have much to say about Jason Hart since he's 31 years old now and last played in the D-League eight years ago. This is probably a stale comment by now, and the team waived Antonio Daniels so they haven't gone completely crazy, but what's the deal with Minnesota and point guards? Who are these people? Who are the ad wizards that came up with this one? I've already written about this, but whatever NBA team ends up with McClinton (and there will be one, eventually) is going to love having him, and kick themselves for not having him earlier. Reiner got a raw deal by getting cut right before the game in his hometown, sure. But Nate Jawai is in Minnesota now, and that's something, right? It's at least as much a something as Oleksiy Pecherov being there, certainly.

Oklahoma City Thunder

Who got cut: Michael Ruffin, Tre Kelley, Mike Harris

Who got kept: Ryan Bowen

I saw Kelley play a little bit, and he looked pretty good. He's very quick, and he can get to the basket. Of course, he was being guarded by Curtis Jerrells at that point so take it with a grain of bacon salt. He's almost certainly headed to Europe. Michael Ruffin, eh. I have a sort of personal animus against him through no fault of his, since Eddie Jordan overused him when they were both with the Washington Wizards, but he's already landed on his feet overseas. The question of what Bowen can give the team at this point in his career is a good one, as he's 34 years old and has been pretty inconsistent the last few seasons. I just have to keep telling myself that the Thunder still have D.J. White and Serge Ibaka, and be content with that.

Portland Trail Blazers

Who got cut: Ime Udoka, Jarron Collins, Donell Taylor, Quinton Hosley

Who got kept: No one.

I wonder what will happen to Udoka, as he's probably still good enough to contribute at the back of someone's rotation, but he's also 32 years old and most of the teams that would be interested in him are already full up. He's a solid candidate for a mid-season replacement in case some small forward somewhere gets hurt. He can shoot the three a bit, his rebounding has improved the past few years and he doesn't turn the ball over much.

What, you want me to talk about Jarron Collins?

Utah Jazz

Who got cut: Ronald Dupree, Alexander Johnson, Paul Harris, Spencer Nelson

Who got kept: No one.

Wes Matthews and draft pick Goran Suton aren't really included in this, but in the interest of full disclosure Matthews is in and Suton is out. Suton would be a solid big man in the D-League should he decide to go that route. You're probably expecting me to express disappointment at Dupree being waived, but the fact is that he didn't play well in the preseason. At all. Well, I suppose that's not completely true as he averaged about ten points per 36 minutes, but he's capable of much more than that, and he didn't really contribute much in the way of rebounds, assists or steals. He's really only had one good game, though, against the Clippers when he shot 4-7 from the field and 3-4 from the free throw line, and in the rest he shot 5-13 overall. I'd like to see him in the D-League again this year, and maybe if he plays his normal solid, slashing game he'll restore some of his call-up-ability.

Training Camp Invites - Indiana Pacers

Jon L — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 17:58:04 -0000

Demetris Nichols is hoping to make the Indiana Pacers' roster.

View full size photo »

Wrapping up the Central Division, today we look at the Pacers' training camp invitees. There are some talented players here, though as with all teams their chances of actually making the team are a bit slim.

Lawrence Roberts - Roberts had a solid college career playing for Baylor an Mississippi State - he had the first triple-double in the latter school's history, which is pretty good for a power forward - although he hasn't made much of an impression in the NBA. Averaging 10 points and 10 rebounds per 36 minutes would be pretty good for a backup, but he's also had some injury issues while playing in Europe. He's also had some foul problems in the past.

Demetris Nichols - Nichols is a scoring wing who got a look from the Knicks last season, but the Knicks looked at a lot of players last season so I'm not sure that means much. The Pacers signed Luther Head to a partially-guaranteed deal not that long ago, so chances are they'll go with him instead, but Nichols is a very good three-point shooter and a pretty good defender on top of it. In some ways he's what the team wanted when they signed Dahntay Jones, but without the millions of dollars.

Rod Benson - We talk about Benson a lot around here, because he's a fun guy and a good player. He spent time in Europe last season before leaving his team there and returning to the D-League to play for Dakota and Reno. He was the third-best shotblocker per game last season and the second-best per minute, as well as a top-10 rebounder. He had some injury issues early in the year while he was overseas, though, so that may have contributed to his rebounding numbers slipping a little. Benson has been working on increasing his upper body strength and on his shot, and he also does a pretty good job holding onto the ball and staying out of foul trouble. He's not blogging anymore, but that just means that RU will have to pick up the slack. Boom got them tho.

IC Cold Links: Pacers Camp, Dunleavy's Knee and Finals Fever

Tom Lewis — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:33:23 -0000

The Indiana Pacers' preseason camp is off and running even if Tyler Hansbrough and Mike Dunleavyare left sitting on the sidelines. News from the first two days of camp has been dominated by Dunleavy's knee, but the rest of the team is hard at work, beginning with a four-hour practice in their first official work together. Meanwhile, the Indiana Fever are filling the Fieldhouse with a winning atmosphere as they prepare for the WNBA Finals.

After the jump are a few links of interest to digest after the first two days of camp.

Dunleavy has a setback with ligament strain
Mike Wells updates his story on Dunleavy's knee setback and empties out the notebook from the first two days of practice.
Dunleavy's return delayed by strain
Bruno offers an update from the Fieldhouse on Mike Dunleavy's knee and other news from the first two days of practice along with the new Air Total Max Uptempo Reggie Miller shoe released by Nike.
Longshots seeking opportunity with Pacers
Bruno's latest Caught in the Web takes a look at the free agent signees brought in to work in training camp with the Pacers. Rod Benson, Demetris Nichols and Lawrence Robertsare longshots to stick around for the regular season but they still have plenty to play for.
Bulls training camp starts with defense talk, injury reports
Sounds like the Chicago Bulls and Pacers are reading from the same preseason script.
Fever Advance to WNBA Finals with a Balanced Attack
Congrats to the Indiana Fever for making the WNBA Finals! Swish Appeal is all over it including this nice Finals preview.

Interview with NBA Agent Bill Neff: The Economic Downturn, Affiliations, and the Direction of the D-League (PART 1)

Aisander D — Mon, 17 Aug 2009 12:00:10 -0000

Recent occurrences in the D-League have made it abundantly clear that we are approaching a difficult time for both the NBA and Developmental League. The financial markets have begun to predicate many of the actions taken by major league and minor league franchises. Bakersfield recently announced their platinum club plan, charging exorbitant prices for D-League games. A quick scan of our transactions list reveals that a lot of well known D-League players are making the jump overseas. Many NBA teams have been cutting staff and signing players very cautiously, in an effort to guard the bottom line. Combined, all of this paints a painful picture, filled with tough decisions ahead.

In order to get a handle on the state of the D-League and the outer forces influencing it, we're going to be interviewing a series of people who can be considered "stakeholders" in the League. GMs, coaches, players, and agents will be the target of this effort, which will essentially try come to some understanding about where the D-League stands in the next year and where we are headed in the future.

Our first interview in the series is with well known agent Bill Neff, who works for Saga Sports and has over 15 years of experience with the CBA, NBA, and D-League. Bill graduated from the University of Michigan in 1980 and has represented mostly minor league players for much of his career. Mr. Neff's current client list includes the likes of well known player/blogger Rod Benson, Gerry McNamara, Jamaal Tatum, Kevin Ollie, Mike Wilks, Jason Hart, and Demetris Nichols. Bill was also representing Mike Taylor when he was the first player drafted from the D-League in the 2008 NBA draft.

Today's post is Part 1 of the interview, followed by Part 2 tomorrow morning.

AD: How long have you been representing players and how long have you been working with the D-League?

Bill Neff: I have been representing players for about 16 years now and have worked with the D League since its inception and the CBA before it. The essence of our firm [Ed. Note: Saga Sports], its DNA, if you will, is minor league players. We believe strongly in it. First, because of the kinds of players we get or try to get, where we do not do anything which violates NCAA or NBPA rules, they will not necessarily get drafted. However, they may be as good as a drafted player but not received the exposure that some of the draftees get. The minor leagues help that. Second, you have to play to get better. Sitting on an NBA bench as a younger guy is a waste of time. See Ramon Sessions. Third, all of my players go through the D League and prior to that, the CBA. It makes them so much better. It is graduate school.

All of my players go through the D League and, prior to that, the CBA. It makes them so much better. It is graduate school.

AD: Generally how have you seen the D-League grow or change over the course of your interactions with the League? What have been some positive and negative changes?

Bill Neff: The D League is a work in progress. Used correctly, it could be a great vehicle, as the Bucks did with a terrific coach in Joey Meyer for Sessions. They were lucky, in that regard. If the NBA sees the D League as an opportunity, it can be that. If you see it as an expense, it is an expense.

If the D League is about development, you can take a late second rounder and turn him into a mid level player. It happened for me with Troy Hudson who, by the way, looks great now that he is healthy. Younger players need to play. If you are like the Jazz and run the same system as the NBA team, that is a good way to go. Or, if you make sure your draft choice goes down and gets to play, it should be helpful.

Or, if you use it to give an incentive for players to come there. For instance, promise the players that they will be on your summer league roster. If you can handle it logistically, attempt to work out with the Players Association, an angle where D League players get practice time benefits, such as money, if they practice with the big club. Add that to the CBA. Tell your Personnel Directors if you find a Kevin Ollie, Mike Wilks or Jason Hart in the minor leagues, we will boost your pay. Have them work like Mark Warkentien (Dahntay Jones) and Carroll Dawson used to with Chucky Brown and Mario Elie and find championship pieces in the minor leagues. They are there.

The problem is too many NBA people look at the NBDL as a lesser place. It is not. Some really good coaches like Phil Jackson and George Karl toiled there [Ed. Note: both coached in the CBA in the mid-80's] and the recent generation of Dave Joerger, now with Memphis, Bryan Gates, now with Sacramento, and Meyer are every bit their equal. The view from the NBA has changed, unfortunately.

In short, the D League has grown because of the assignment aspect of it but it is still hampered by the NBA's/NBDL's lack of creative thinking. Spend a touch more in salaries, which they won't, allow more freedom to go to Europe and you will have a great league. Relax the rules to allow players to choose which team they can go to but what has happened is because of the D League's byzantine rules, you must be very careful when you put your guy into the pool. Also, teams like San Antonio have tinkered with the rules to their advantage. The rules should be simple, allowing for the best players to enter into the League. They do not exist now. Only because I believe in the D League have I pushed my players there. I am in the minority of agents. So, the positive changes are some NBA teams' mild embrace of the league, its greater exposure but the negatives remain which hamper its development: an embrace by the NBA as an equal partner, unclear rules, low salaries, so it will continue to lurch along by fits and starts until it cleans up some of those things.

The problem is too many NBA people look at the NBDL as a lesser place. It is not.

AD: Over the past few seasons, but this season in particular, the global and regional financial outlook has been fairly grim. It's well documented that NBA owners are trimming the pocketbooks and preparing for rough times ahead. How do you think this affects the D-League? Are there fewer opportunities for players to be called up from the D-League, or will NBA teams be seeking more cheap talent than ever?

Bill Neff: The global economy has affected everyone and will affect the D League. There will be fewer callups. I wish it were different. The NBA should be seeking cheap talent but by the way they used the summer leagues and just promote their own players for the most part, they will not be looking to the D League, as they should. They should be encouraging cheap talent. The hybrid teams should attempt to encourage players to come by offering summer league spots but they do not. It is really a waste of a good product to some extent.

Stay tuned for Part 2 with Bill Neff tomorrow morning.

Game Thread: Bucks/Raptors

Frank Madden — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 16:02:59 -0000

2-2		4-0
	vs.
July 16, 2009 - 3:00 PM CT
Cox Pavilion, Las Vegas
TV: NBA.com Stream
Probable starters:
Roko Ukic	PG	Brandon Jennings
DeMar DeRozan	SG	Jodie Meeks
Demetris Nichols	SF	Luc Richard Mbah a Moute
Ekene Ibekwe	PF	Joe Alexander
Patrick O'Bryant	C	Amir Johnson

DeRozan/Meeks. The ninth overall is the obvious guy to watch for the Raps, though he hasn't exploded yet in Vegas. He's averaging 16.3 ppg on .468/.333/.500 shooting but did score 20 on 9/16 fg in yesterday's 74-73 win over Phoenix. Of course, don't forget about Bucks' rookie shooting guard Jodie Meeks. He may not be particularly good at anything but shooting, but damn is he good at that. Meeks is now averaging 16.5 ppg on .574/.571/.800 shooting and has shot 50% or better in every game. That'll work.
Jennings' shooting. We know Jennings has a reputation for being, um, erratic as a shooter, and 35.8% from the field in Vegas certainly corroborates it. The weird part is that Jennings has made 8/17 (47.1%) from three point range but just 30.6% on twos. Even though he's getting good looks from mid-range, he's struggling mightily from that distance and hasn't gotten to the rack enough to bump his fg% up to something more respectable. Like T.J. Ford a few years ago, Jennings will have to make open jumpers to keep defenses honest--right now they can afford to sag off and go under screens.

One thing interesting sidenote from last night's game was John Hammond's assertion during an in-game interview that they they like that Jennings is willing to make the simply play, but want him to be more aggressive. So much for Jennings being the wild gunner that the Bucks are trying to break.

2009 Summer League Breakdown - New York Knicks

Jon L — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:00:12 -0000

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Towards the end of last season, the Knicks began paying attention to the D-League, bringing several players in for workouts and signing guys like Demetris Nichols, Courtney Sims and Cheikh Samb to short contracts. That interest has carried over to the Summer League, where New York has invited a fair number of D-League guys to participate. Yep, that's really the only interesting thing about their Summer League roster. The draftees and those D-League guys. David Noel, solid player. Same for Joe Crawford. Blake Ahearn certainly can play. Yep, nothing else going on here. I guess we'll just OH MAN THEY FOUND NIKOLOZ TSKITISHVILI. SKITA IS ON THE KNICKS' SUMMER LEAGUE TEAM. REPEAT: NIKOLOZ TSKITISHVILI IS ON THE NEW YORK KNICKS' SUMMER LEAGUE TEAM.

Ahem. Sorry about that. Full roster breakdown after the jump.

Jordan Hill (6'10"F/C) - Depending on how you felt about Hasheem Thabeet, Hill was probably the best big man prospect in this year's draft. It's not hard to imagine that the Knicks believe he can play an Amar'e Stoudemire-type role for them, and they're looking to move current starting PF David Lee. Hill's been working on his mid-range shot and his footwork, but he's athletic enough to play in Mike D'Antoni's offense, and he's a pretty good rebounder. Then again some people are saying he could be another Chris Wilcox, but I personally think a lot of what Wilcox is now is because of lack of development early in his career, so we'll see if D'Antoni can help Hill develop into something more.

Toney Douglas (6'1" G) - Douglas is a very good defender, something that D'Antoni has never really had from the point guard position. He's also a good ballhandler and a good three-point shooter who does a good job coming off screens, and perhaps most importantly for D'Antoni he's a very efficient scorer. He's not a great passer, though, and doesn't always make great decisions with the ball.

Wink Adams (6'1" G) - Ladies and gentlemen, your host for Password Plus, Wink Adams! Adams is a pretty efficient scorer, though he didn't rack up a ton of assists as a point guard in college. He's an okay rebounder, but his free-throw shooting also could use some work, and it really took a nosedive his last year at UNLV, going from 85 percent as a junior to 68 percent as a senior. His three-point shooting did the same, dropping to 27 percent after being at least 6 points better throughout his college career.

Rashaad Singleton (7'0" C) - Singleton is an athletic center who's still more about potential than being able to contributing. His rebounding jumped up in his senior year of college, but it still wasn't great and came against weaker competition (he transferred from the University of Georgia to Florida Southern). I haven't seen much written about his offense, but he seems to do okay, though his biggest asset is his shot-blocking. (Rashaad Singleton does not sound like a 7-footer -- Scott)

Joe Crawford (6'4" G) - Crawford spent the least season playing mostly with the LA D-Fenders, though I'm not sure what the likelihood of him getting called up was, since the Lakers kept drafting and trading for guards. Luckily for him the Knicks came calling last season, and Crawford is a talented scorer and a decent rebounder for his position. He hasn't been very consistent, but he can get pretty hot from behind the arc, and he's active on defense.

Blake Ahearn (6'2" G) - Ahearn has been one of the best three-point shooters in the D-League for several seasons now, and while he's gotten a couple of NBA looks he hasn't stuck yet. He should, though. He's more of a shooting guard though he's played some point, and while his defense isn't great he's certainly an NBA-caliber scorer, particularly from behind the arc.

Alex Acker (6'5" G) - Acker hasn't really stuck with any one NBA team either, having been traded and spending a few brief stints in the D-League. His shot selection is sometimes questionable, but he has a nice jumpshot and is also a good passer. He's an excellent rebounder for a guard, and he plays with a lot of energy, though not at a consistent level.

Patrick Ewing Jr. (6'8" F) The Knicks actually traded for Ewing last season before cutting him to make room on their roster for...someone, and Ewing has fought through knee injuries the last few years. He showed his talent when he played in the D-League, though, both scoring and rebounding fairly well. He doesn't have much of an outside game, but Ewing does a good job of getting to the line and converting, and he has some shot-blocking ability as well.

Ron Howard (6'5" G/F) - Howard played small forward for Fort Wayne last season, but he doesn't really have the size for it in the NBA. Howard's a really good defensive player, and his experience guarding bigger guys should serve him well. He also picked up his scoring, particularly towards the end of the season, though he shoots almost no threes. Also, his rebounding is inconsistent.

David Noel (6'6" F) - Noel's been a good D-League player, and he's a solid defender and a very efficient scorer. He also comes through with an occasional double-digit assist game. and his three-point shooting numbers are very good The bottom line is that Noel's a really solid all-around player who should be able to fill just about any role a team needs.

Mouhamed Saer Sene (7'0" C) - The Knicks got a look at Sene last season, and while his offensive game is still pretty underdeveloped, he's an excellent shot-blocker as well as a decent rebounder and an athletic post defender. He doesn't get to the free-throw line very much, which is probably for the best since his average there is pretty bad. The Knicks appear to be looking for a strong, shot-blocking center, though, between calling Sene and Samb up last year and inviting Sene and Singleton to Summer League, and it appears that they like Sene the most. He could be an interesting guy to pair with Jordan Hill up front.

Morris Almond (6'5" G) - Almond spent a fair amount of time in the D-League after not being able to crack the Jazz rotation on a consistent basis, but he's a talented player. Almond is an efficient scorer and a good three-point shooter, though he occasionally turns the ball over too much. He cut his turnovers down a fair amount this past season, though, so he's obviously working on that.

Warren Carter (6'9" F) - Carter spent the last few years playing in Turkey, Spain and Latvia, where he showed himself to be a pretty good scorer and rebounder, certainly better than he showed at the University of Illinois where he was a backup for three years. His free-throw shooting needs work, and he doesn't give much in the way of passing or shot-blocking, but he's worth a look, I suppose.

Yaroslav Korolev (6'9" F) - Korolev is a former Clippers lottery pick who never got much playing time before going back to Russia. He's fairly athletic, but also inconsistent and mistake-prone. Despite not always making great decisions he doesn't turn the ball over a whole lot, but his NBA shooting percentages were pretty abysmal. That's based on some small sample sizes, though, and it's Summer League after all, so I guess there's no harm in seeing what he can do now.

Nikoloz Tskitishvili (7'0" F) - Do I really need to tell you who this guy is? He's still considered somewhat of a project, if you can believe that (I'll bet you can). His three-point shooting has improved the last few years in Europe, as has his rebounding, but he's still only been averaging about four per game. It's hard to see him making it in the NBA at this point, after all that's happened and the fact that he hasn't shown much interest in seriously working on his game (or if he has, there are no tangible results from it), but like Carter and Korolev, there's no real harm to bringing him in.

Poll

Are you excited about the Knicks' Summer League team?

Everything D'Antoni touches turns to excitement.

63 votes

How could I not be excited with this many D-Leaguers on the roster?

62 votes

Skita Time!

65 votes

190 votes | Poll has closed

Summer League, When Syracuse Rules The NBA

Sean Keeley — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 18:02:56 -0000

The NBA Summer League begins on July 10 and runs through July 19. And in that time, Syracuse will just about double the amount of alumni it has in the league, technically-speaking. Some of the faces are new, some are a little older. But all will be rooted for.

Obviously, Jonny Flynn and Paul Harris will rep the Timberwolves. Donte Greene returns to summer league for the Kings where he originally made his mark last year. Some old friends also make returns to the Summer League in an attempt to catch on in the NBA. Demetris Nichols is apparently back, this time for the Raptors according to Mike Waters. And Darryl "Moose" Watkins is gonna give it a go for the Rockets, who are in need of some help down low now that Yao Ming is gone.

Wither Terrence Roberts?

It doesn't look like any of the teams play each other during the nine-day schedule, but hopefully they all find a little time to get together and take in a Cirque de Soleil show.

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

Fablinks

Sean Keeley — Wed, 13 May 2009 16:31:34 -0000

Breaking down Jonny Flynn the draft prospect...CBSSports.com
Interesting list of basketball recruit rankings since 1998 before they came to SU...Scout.com
Vote for Jim Boeheim in the Who's The 2nd Best NCAA Basketball Coach of All Time Bracket (which are ridiculous considering Jimmy is a #15 seed)...OpenSports
Syracuse football spring wrap...Brian Bennett
Paul Harris & Eric Devendorf's decisions look more questionable each day...CollegeHoops.net
Kenny Nims is proving he's one of the best lacrosse players in the country...Dave Rahme
Demetris Nichols recently worked out for the Indiana Pacers...IndyStar.com
Former SU basketball player Eric Williams is extremely well traveled...LatinBasket.com

Mike Waters talks about SU basketball recruit Fab Melo.

Mike Waters on SU Basketball Recruit Fab Melo

D-League Roundup

Scott Schroeder — Tue, 12 May 2009 13:00:15 -0000

RS: Good Morning everyone! We're going to lead off with D-League Bullets this morning!

Class: Good Morning Miss Bliss! Ugh! D-League Bullets on a Tuesday?

RS: Yes. Don't worry. They're more exciting than this. Plus, don't you want to know what's going on around the D-League?

Class: Well, yes. That's why all 13 of us check-in every morning.

RS: Bazinga!

First, the big news: Multiple sources have hinted Idaho assistant and NBA-vet Randy Livingston will be the first head coach of the Maine Red Claws. I've been pulling for Coach Liv for awhile, so this wouldn't come as a huge surprise.
The Memphis Grizzlies tryout also featured Kurt Looby and Greg Stiemsma (I hate that last name) - Finally the complete list is finished. From what I can gather, Walker Russell was the most impressive in the morning session. Eddie Gill played very physical - interesting. Michael Dickerson struggled against "longer defenders" - good work Air Georgia and Othyus Jeffers. Jeffers also "showed a good nose for the ball, an ability to finish in traffic and a decent outside shot." There's also a video, but it's nearly impossible to tell what's going on. More on this as I get it.
We have a little more information on the Indiana Pacers tryout that happened today. I don't have everyone that was there (I didn't know there would be many there), but along with Blake Ahearn, Demetris Nichols and Trey Johnson also worked out. Indiana's looking for a shooter, apparently.
I found this as well. Kind of crazy - she reminds me of my first crush.
Liberty Ballers is apparently interested in Ahearn to the 'Sixers. Not enough for my buddy jsams to make it an actual post (he just fanshotted it...), but they seem to like him.
The Fifth Corner is doing work looking at mock drafts. Apparently Ty Lawson is looking like a top 10 pick nearly unanimously. To compare my mock with the rest around the blogosphere, at least in terms of UNCer's, check their post from Sunday.
Here are the NBA Draft workouts planned so far, courtesy of HoopsHype. It's not complete (I hear Sam Young may have been injured in Toronto yesterday), but it'll give us a look at who is interested in what. Also, the majority of the agents listed have a few D-League guys, so this may be a decent list to look at for potential D-Leaguer's next season.
Ira Winderman is reporting that the Miami Heat will not go to Vegas or Orlando for Summer League. I believe Charlotte has decided on the same.
A little update for all you Jayhawks fans: Keith Langford will play for the Lakers this summer in Vegas and Russell Robinson will play for Orlando at their Summer League, along with working out with Cleveland in June.
Continuing with the Summer League news, Richard Hendrix is reportedly playing for Orlando in Orlando and Denver in Vegas. Wouldn't be a terrible fit in either spot.
As far as Orlando goes, New Jersey and Utah will also play there.
I have currently entered a $250 bet with my brother to see who can lose the most weight by July 8th. Wish me luck.