Fort Wayne Mad Ants: News from Media Day

FORT WAYNE, Ind. — The 2015-16 NBA D-League regular season is mere days away and the Fort Wayne Mad Ants are putting the final touches on their roster.

The Mad Ants opened training camp with the maximum 17 players as well as two NBA assignments. After training camp and a weekend scrimmage, however, a total of 14 suited up for media day on Monday. By the time the season begins on Saturday, the active roster will be trimmed to 12.

Shaping the Team

Since the Indiana Pacers are essentially using Fort Wayne as an extension — same offense, same defense, same style in the front office — the Mad Ants are trying to replicate the up-tempo philosophy.

Including the playoff run, C.J. Fair, Ramon Harris and Marcus Simmons each appeared in at least 47 games, while Xavier Thames finished the year on the team. Each one is on the 2015-16 roster.

“We brought some of the guys back that fit the system,” general manager Brian Levy said. “The guys we focused on bringing in are a little more athletic, a little bit more up-tempo — fit our style — so we can integrate into that offense.”

At least initially, the starting lineup appears set to include Shayne Whittington, Rakeem Christmas, Fair, Terran Petteway and Thames.

Finding the Leaders

The Mad Ants are set to open the season with two assignments — Whittington and Christmas — from the parent club. While a sizable increase in playing time to help develop on-court skills is the most important element of their respective stints in Fort Wayne, the Pacers expect more than gaudy stats.

Whittington said Pacers president of basketball operations Larry Bird, general manager Kevin Pritchard and head coach Frank Vogel are expecting him and Christmas to work on leadership skills while on assignment in Fort Wayne.

“We’ll have a bigger leadership role,” Whittington said. “This is going to be something to develop my skills as a leader, to develop Rak’s skills as a leader and be the voice of this team on the court and off the court.”

The duo will have some help from Anthony Harris, the elder statesman of the roster.

“I think the first day of practice, I looked around and was like, I might be the oldest guy on this team,” the 30-year-old guard said. “Come to found out I am. We have a pretty young team. I definitely come here to try to help mold some of these guys.”

Adjusting Roles

Indiana claimed Petteway off waivers after he was cut by the Atlanta Hawks, who don’t have a designated D-League affiliate.

The shrewd move allowed the Pacers to grab Petteway a couple days before the D-League Draft and waive the undrafted rookie with the intent of sending him to Fort Wayne. Levy previously said Petteway could’ve been a top-five pick, so he was a priority addition because the Mad Ants didn’t have a first-round selection.

Now, Petteway must continue adapting to elevated competition while learning a new role.

“Coming from Nebraska, where I was playing 30 minutes, getting a lot of shots, getting the ball all of the time. [I’m working on] being patient, letting the game come to me, trying to mature and have my game more calm.”

From the “Wouldn’t This Be Wild?” file, NBA assignees like Whittington and Christmas could suit up for both the Pacers and the Mad Ants on the same day.

“They could come up if the Pacers need an extra body for practice, who knows what the situation might be,” Levy said. “They might find themselves playing two games in a day. It’s possible that they get recalled for one of those 12 o’clock Sunday games and then they’re back with us later that evening.”

A quick comparison of the schedules doesn’t offer a perfect match because the Pacers only have one outing scheduled before 6 p.m. ET, but that’s not the important takeaway. The life of a Pacers-assigned D-League player could include trips from Fort Wayne to Indianapolis back to Fort Wayne within days of each other.