It’s hard to believe that 30 games have already come and gone this season. In a sense, it has been a slow year in terms of NBA call ups, but the byproduct is that there is an array of talent still in the D-League following All-Star Weekend.
At this point last season there had already been 31 NBA call ups. Right now, we’re sitting at 16. There will inevitably be more open roster spots as guys are traded, waived and bought out by their respective teams before the NBA’s trade deadline, though, which could help that number increase.
In case you have not been paying attention to the D-League for the last couple of months, here are some story lines to catch you up!
Skyforce on Record Pace
The Skyforce lost a great coach in Phil Weber this offseason, as he earned his own call up being hired as an assistant coach under Alvin Gentry for the New Orleans Pelicans. Instead of struggling, the Skyforce have flourished under first time head coach Dan Craig, who had been with the Miami Heat for 12 years in a variety of positions before taking this opportunity.
Sioux Falls is 23-7 after their first 30 games, which puts them on pace to finish the season 38-12. If they notch 38 wins they would match the D-League record for wins in a season, set by the Los Angeles D-Fenders in 2011-12.
Craig has a variety of veterans and young bucks leading his team with known commodities like DeAndre Liggins, Byron Mullens, Keith Benson and Heat assignee Jarnell Stokes. But he also has some newbies in Greg Whittington, Jabril Trawick and Briante Weber. The Skyforce live and die behind their defense since Whittington, Trawick, Weber, and Liggins are all lock-down defenders.
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At the helm is veteran point guard Tre Kelley. Kelley was in training camp with the Heat this year but was ultimately allocated to Sioux Falls as an affiliate player. Kelley is the steadying hand and the rudder guiding this well-oiled battleship. His averages are modest at 15.3 points and 5.5 assists but the leadership he provides is second to none.
I’m not a huge fan of NBA assignees earning end of season awards, but Jarnell Stokes is a legitimate MVP candidate for this club. He’s averaging 20.6 points and 10.2 rebounds while shooting a ridiculous 67 percent from the floor (13.2 FGAs). The team is also an impressive 14-2 in the 16 games he’s been on assignment.
The aforementioned 2011-12 D-Fenders team ended up losing in the D-League Finals to the Austin Spurs — Toros at that time. While it would be a feather in the hat to tie that record, I can guarantee the Skyforce have their collective eyes on a much more fulfilling prize.
No More Streaking in Santa Cruz
The Santa Cruz Warriors made their move to sunny California for the 2012-13 season. Before that time they were known as the Dakota Wizards. Since then, the team has seen nothing but success, going 96-54 over their first three seasons and accruing three straight D-League Finals appearances. Last season proved that the third time was indeed the charm for the Warriors — they bested the Fort Wayne Mad Ants for the D-League Championship.
This year, not so much.
The Warriors went into the All-Star break with a 12-20 record and they are likely to miss the playoffs for the first time since their move to Surf City. The team had two key returners this year in Elliot Williams and Darington Hobson, but even those two enigmatic wings could not carry them in the early going. They tried bringing in former first round NBA draft pick Daniel Orton but that project proved to be a bust, and the team has since waived him.
Aaron Craft made his return from Hungary after the season started but he hasn’t proved to be as effective as last season, either. Now, Williams has taken a deal overseas with Greek powerhouse Panathinaikos and unless there is some kind of energy infused into this club, it could be a rough stretch to the end.
One bright spot to look forward to will be the return of Xavier Henry. He’s currently rehabbing for his ruptured Achilles, and all indications are that he will return to the court before the season is over. There are just 18 games remaining, but seeing him back out there will be a cool sight.
Celtics Getting Their Money’s Worth
Sitting at third in the Eastern Conference with a record of 32-23, the Boston Celtics are the big surprise of the NBA season. Head coach Brad Stevens is pushing all the right buttons and he looks like a dynamite hire for Danny Ainge.
With all that success, it doesn’t leave much room for younger players to get playing time. The Celtics have six players on their roster 23 or younger, and four of those players have seen time with their D-League affiliate the Maine Red Claws. Jordan Mickey, Terry Rozier, R.J. Hunter and James Young have combined to play in 45 games for the Red Claws and that number will only rise as the D-League season closes.
Mickey has been a stud with averages of 17.1 points, 10.4 rebounds and a league leading 4.6 blocks per night. Development is the name of the game for these players, and these live-game situations are invaluable for the likes of Hunter and Rozier. Rozier has proven to be the explosive guard we all fell in love with at Louisville before taking his talents to the NBA, and while the first round selection still feels like a stretch, he’s showing glimpses into who he could become down the road.
Hunter and Young have struggled to find their shooting touch in Maine and while the overall stats look good, efficiency has to be the goal for these two players hoping to carve out a role in the Celtics rotation sooner rather than later. Shot selection is the glaring issue for both players so far, too. Young spent a lot of time with Maine last season and while he’s still just 20-years-old, one would hope to see a little more improvement from him in his second year.
However, it’s impossible to knock what the Celtics are doing right now with their budding talent. They are winning at the top level and have horses in the stable raring to go.
The Departed
The D-League really is like a revolving door and there’s more turnover in these rosters than an entry level call center position. Inevitably, players leave for international deals as they arise, and this year has been no different. Some of the bigger names to leave are Jack Cooley (Idaho Stampede), Jamaal Franklin (Los Angeles D-Fenders), Bryce Cotton (Austin Spurs) and Elliot Williams (Santa Cruz Warriors).
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While those departures leave glaring holes in NBADL lineups, there is always someone ready to be that next man up. By my count, 12 players have either had their contracts bought out by international clubs or been waived by their D-League team so that they could pursue more lucrative offers.
New Year, New Me!
There are two teams in particular that were thrilled to see the calendar rollover to 2016 since their fortunes having changed greatly over the last six weeks.
First, the Canton Charge are perhaps the hottest team in the league with a record of 14-2 since Jan. 1. Jordi Fernandez’ club was a mere 5-11 to start the season, but some in-season additions have helped steady their lineup, and the emergence of two scoring options hasn’t hurt either.
On Dec. 20, the Charge acquired John Holland via waivers and Jon Horford via the player pool. Holland brings instant offense and can be used as a starter or as a scoring threat off the bench. Horford — younger brother of NBA All-Star Al Horford — brings energy, toughness, defense and rebounding. Both have been pivotal to the turnaround in Canton.
Helping them even more has been their focus on taking better shots. Over the last two months Canton has actually taken less field goals (about two less per game) than they were over the first two months, but they are shooting at a 47.5 percent clip as opposed to 43.5. They are clearly taking better shots and their points per game has gone up significantly as a result. The defensive-minded Fernandez now has an offensive punch to back up their stout defense, and it’s working wonders.
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Leading the Charge are guard Quinn Cook and forward Nick Minnerath. Cook has been on a tear in February, averaging 24.3 points, 10.7 rebounds and 7.7 assists over the first three games before the break. Minnerath is a 27-years-old veteran who has played professionally in Spain and is now showing his value as a shooting small forward. He’s averaging 17.5 points and 6.5 rebounds, and is currently the only player in the league in the 50/40/90 club.
The other team finding success in 2016 is the Reno Bighorns. They are 13-3 in the new year and while they had a winning record over the first couple months (9-7), they have clearly hit their stride and there seems to be no turning back. Vince Hunter has been a shining light at the power forward spot for coach Arseneault, putting up 21.8 points and 11.3 rebounds in Reno’s run-and-gun system.
While Reno still leads the league in seemingly every single offensive category, they haven’t been the reckless bunch they were last year, which has led to increased success. Like Canton, that can be linked to quality shots and possessions. A stat that clearly shows this correlation is the fact that Reno leads the league in 3-point attempts and they are the only team above 40 percent from 3-point range.
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Having two potent scorers in Erick Green (26.7 PPG) and Ricky Ledo (20.9 PPG) helps give the team balance to Hunter’s inside scoring presence as well. They currently sit atop the Pacific Division at 22-10 and look poised to make their first playoff appearance since the 2013-14 season.
Baron Davis Saga
Whiskey Foxtrot Tango — WTF.
How is Baron Davis not on a roster right now? Yes, he’s coming off a horrific knee injury, he’s 36-years-old and he hasn’t played professionally since 2011-12. But c’mon!
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If Davis was the only veteran trying to play this would make more sense, but there are others getting picked up. Henry Domercant was just nabbed off waivers by the Idaho Stampede, and he’s a 35-year-old international journeyman. Keith Bogans is 35 and was picked up by the Westchester Knicks earlier this season and Ronnie Brewer (30) was drafted by the Santa Cruz Warriors at the start of the year.
Davis is not the typical veteran trying to make a comeback. He has made almost $150 million over his NBA career. He’s a beloved former NBA All-Star and someone should give this man a shot at showing us he can still hoop.
Records Were Made to be Broken
Jordan McRae is currently on his second 10-day contract with the Phoenix Suns. Prior to that he was getting buckets with the Delaware 87ers to the tune of 23.1 points per night. On Jan. 26 McRae took it upon himself to demolish the competition by dropping 61 points in an overtime win against the Canton Charge. The previous record for points in a single game had been held by Pierre Jackson and Dar Tucker, both of whom scored 58 points. That also means McRae is the first person in league history to eclipse to 60-point mark. Quite the accomplishment.
Another record that fell was the all-time 3-pointers made mark, which was previously held by Moses Ehambe (537). Andre Ingram of the Los Angeles D-Fenders now holds the record with 546 made 3-pointers and counting. Not only that, but Ingram put the cherry on top of his accomplishment by also bringing home the 3-point shootout trophy from All-Star Weekend.
Renaldo Major is a walking, talking record holder for the NBA D-League. The 33-year-old holds all-time records for games played (358), total points (4,856), minutes played (10,817), field goals made (1,645), field goals attempted (3,241), foul shots made (1,426), foul shots attempted (1,772) and steals (479).
Dunk of the Year
There are some legit athletes in the D-League right now. John Jordan brought home the dunk contest championship for the Raptors 905, but guys like J.P. Tokoto and D.J. Stephens regularly provide jaw-dropping feats of athleticism as well.
With that in mind, it’s kind of funny that the dunk of the year came from a completely unexpected player in Orlando Johnson from the Austin Spurs.
David Stockton is one of my favorite players in the league, but he should have bailed on this one. He stepped in and tried to take a charge and ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time. He even took a knee to the chest and face for his troubles — yikes!