SB Nation - Jamaal Tatum

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.

Playoff Recap: Austin 119, Idaho 116

Jon L — Thu, 16 Apr 2009 14:33:36 -0000

Marcus Williams is better at basketball than you are.

View full size photo »

This was an exciting game, one which unfortunately I was only able to watch intermittently. Oh well. The Stampede looked like they were in firm control of this thing, up by 12 after three quarters, but Austin stormed back, led by Marcus Williams and Malik Hairston, as you'd expect, and the Toros outscored Idaho by 12 in the final quarter, with a three by Williams sending the game into overtime. Neither team shot the ball very well there, likely due to fatigue (Williams and Hairston played all 53 minutes), but the Toros were just better enough to come away with the victory.

Notes on individual player performances below.

Look, Marcus Williams is fantastic, alright? You know this by now and I'm almost getting tired of writing it. 33 points on 24 shots, including making all six of his threes, nine rebounds and eight assists. The six turnovers aren't great, but I'm not going to kill him for it when he was so good towards the end of the game.

Malik Hairston? Also very good. 34 points on 22 shots, Hairston also made four of his five threes, made all six of his free throws, had six rebounds, seven assists, two blocks and led all players with four steals. The Spurs sure do know how to pick 'em, don't they?

Justin Bowen played in this game. Who is Justin Bowen, you ask? He's a small forward who's a decent rebounder but not a very good three-point shooter, and did most of his filling in for Eric Dawson. He shot 5-7 (including a nice putback dunk late in the second quarter) with five rebounds in 26 minutes. Not bad for someone who heaven knows when he last played in a game.

A word about the Austin guards. They, uh, weren't very good. 4-11 shooting (including 1-5 on three-pointers) for Squeaky Johnson, 1-4 for Stanley Burrell. I know it doesn't matter as much when Marcus Williams is running the show, but they really need to do better than that if the Toros are going to have a chance against Colorado.

On to Idaho, who really did play well. They shot 50 percent from the field, had assists on 24 of their 44 field goals, but the Toros just shot the ball better. As with Austin, the guards were the problem here. Roberto Bergersen missed all of his field goals. That's right, Bergeron had one turnover and still managed to have more of those than shots made. Kevin Burleson was slightly better, I guess, shooting 5-13, but he and Bergeron had fewer assists combined than backup Jamaal Tatum, who had eight, and good for him for taking some kind of control over the proceedings. Of course, he also shot 4-10, but I'm trying to praise him here.

Lance Allred is a really solid pivot man. 20 points and 11 rebounds for him, along with three blocks, including two straight in overtime, but Dwayne Jones is a tough guy to compete with on the boards. By my count, though, Allred didn't take a single shot in the fourth quarter. He was causing problems early in the game, but the Stampede failed to get him the ball towards the end.

Brent Petway fouled out with just under three minutes left in the fourth quarter. Overall the fouls were pretty evenly distributed among the two teams. 21 called on Idaho, 18 on Austin, but Austin only shot one more free throw. Still, Nick Buchert was involved in the game, so you have to wonder if Petway was the focus of any shenanigans. He was also called for palming in the first quarter.

Mohammed Abukar, I'm sorry I ever doubted you. It really looked like he was the guy who'd come from nowhere and win the game for his team, particularly in the second quarter when he shot a perfect 9-9. 36 points on 17 shots for Abukar, including making four of his six threes, and while he didn't really fill up the stat sheet in other areas, he was a scoring machine for 12 minutes.

Dakota Shows Heart, Picks Up Big Win Over Idaho

Scott Schroeder — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 13:50:29 -0000

View full size photo »

Dakota jumped out to a hot start and never let up until after half time, leading by 17 going into the intermission. After halftime, though, Idaho put together a 20-4 run to start the third, but surprisingly, Dakota showed some heart and pulled out a 119-111 victory. As usual, check the Bismarck Tribune if you're looking for a play-by-play recap.

Before we get to my in-depth look at the players, though, I'd like to send a big Ridiculous Upside Happy Birthday to Mr. 10-Day Contract himself, Randy Anthony Livingston. Livingston will be heading to Sioux Falls today, so if you're reading this and plan to be in the area tonight (this means you, Fritz) head on out and buy him a drink. Buy one for Joel Abelson as well, just for seeming to be a good dude.

The 40 year-old looking 34-year old Livingston, assistant coach of the Idaho Stampede, takes credit for the Ridiculous Upside Movement in Idaho. Apparently, he started reading when I wrote this story and was disappointed he didn't get the starting nod. The only way I can defend myself is to set up a one-on-one battle with RGV assistant Robert Pack, as I think I better keep Jay Humphries in the starting lineup. Second option? If Coach Pack doesn't get at me by tomorrow and tell me he reads RidiculousUpside, Coach Liv is starting - I gotta support the guys that support the movement. Actually, we'll open this up to all of the coaches/office staff that reads RU but can't comment - Click on my name up top and shoot me an email (no profanity please - am currently accepting job offers, however).

Continue on for my player breakdowns and other random musings from this game.

Richard Hendrix, Dakota - In yesterday's call-up rankings, we omitted Richard Hendrix. To explain my reasoning, Hendrix's points, rebounds, blocks and shooting percentage all went down in March, and he just wasn't showing me he wanted it enough in the past few games . Last night was a different story. Hendrix decided to take over the game from the get go last night, scoring 21 of his 27 points in the first half, including showing some range - on the night, the big fella hit 3-for-4 from beyond the arc. Contributing 12 boards, two blocks, and an interception of a big pass to essentially seal the game, I was impressed.

Lance Allred, Idaho - Allred has dominated the Wizards since he came into the D-League in the 2006-07 season. Behind the man, the myth, the Peter John Ramos, he started as one of the last guys off the bench that season, but by March 8th, he broke out against the Wizards. Since then he's dominated Dakota, and this game was no different. Allred showed a mid-range game that would have made Hakeem Olajuwon proud. Scoring 25 points and grabbing seven assists just about made me regret snubbing him from my call-up rankings, but I think I'm going to have to see him do it outside of Dakota to move him back up.

Renaldo Major, Dakota - Major hasn't been getting the credit he deserves this season, as injury woes have limited his production a bit. When he's in his groove though, he brings a lot of heart to Dakota, acts as their defensive stopper, and can score in bunches when needed. Last night, in the last two minutes with a tie ballgame, his scoring was needed, and he put in eight of his 16 to clinch the victory. Major also finished with six boards, six assists, and six fouls - scary.

Jamaal Tatum/Lanny Smith, Idaho - Idaho's back-up point guards are gritty. Both do a lot of things well, showing poise, involving their teammates, and scoring when needed - it's really surprising that Idaho doesn't insert one of the two into the starting lineup, as there was a huge difference when one of these two were running the point rather than starting point (undersized 2) Kevin Burleson. Tatum 18 points, nine assists and a high pitched yelp when called for a call on Blake Ahearn; Smith played huge in the fourth quarter, with seven of his 11 points including a big time 3 in the fourth.

Blake Ahearn, Dakota - I talked to Blake for a bit before the game, letting him know I ranked him at the 3-spot because he just wasn't scoring like I wanted him to score. So, naturally, Ahearn decided to score. The guard that's never been handed anything was handed the ball 10 times at the free-throw line, making all 10 of his freebie attempts to make sure Idaho never took the lead. Ahearn also hit 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, which is once again becoming the norm for the sharp-shooting guard.

Brent Petway, Idaho - I'm including him not because of his stats from the game, but how important he could have been down the stretch for Idaho. However, Petway was in the locker room down the stretch after picking up two quick technical fouls from Kristina Denson for arguing a foul call. (Side note: If I was Denson, I would have called more technicals this game - like five) Petway's defense really could have helped the Stampede out, as there wasn't anybody on the Stampede roster able to defend Renaldo Major down the stretch. Petway, who is widely regarded as the best perimeter defender in the D-League, picked up two quick fouls early in the game defending Blake Ahearn, which limited his playing time to just 17 minutes. Side note: I'd give my D-League defensive player of the year to Othyus Jeffers, but Petway's big enough to defend all of the perimter players in the NBA as well.

The D-League Draft in Review

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

6. Anaheim -- LOTS of NBA talent here.

7. Bakersfield -- Legit starting 5.

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