NBA D-League Top 50: Players 50-41
Welcome to the inaugural Upside & Motor NBA D-League Top 50 Rankings. The NBADL is on the verge of evolving from a largely independent league to a true minor league for The Association. Chief among that evolution is the dramatic shift in the level of competition, talent and time being spent to develop the skills of each and every player who signs with the league.
Many of the names are familiar to general NCAA and NBA fans, but there are some — like Jonathon Simmons — who hit the league and see their career skyrocket moving forward. As such, this is an exhaustive effort to bring you the top 50 players from this past season. Player turnover in the D-League does not allow for a top 50 list for the 2017 season as we really have no idea who will be in the league at this point.
The criteria to be eligible for the list was that a player had to play at least 20 games in the NBADL last year and NBA assignees were not eligible. However, some NBA assignees (Jarnell Stokes for example) ended up being waived and signed with the league, so they will be eligible.
I really only watch the D-League when the season is in play, so I have personally seen each and every player on this list multiple times. I considered per-game stats, advanced stats, impact on their team, NBA call ups and of course the all-important eye test when making the decision on where to rank each player. There were 19 teams in the league and there is at least one player from each franchise on the list.
50. Brandon Fields, Austin Spurs, PG
2015-16 Stats: 14.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists
2016-17 Team: Pesaro (Italy)
Fields was part of the fire sale the Idaho Stampede (now the Salt Lake City Stars) conducted down the stretch last year. It was a massive coup for the Spurs as they picked up a wily veteran for their playoff run that ultimately fell short. Fields is now 28 years old and we have likely seen the last of him in the D-League as he heads to Italy to continue his playing days.
At 6-4, Brandon has good size at the point guard position and constantly used it to his advantage when attacking the rim, or even taking smaller guards into the post. His per game averages bely his impact on the game as he seemingly always made the right play. Idaho struggled to win games, so his role was to score in bunches, but when he made the move to Austin, his play as a backup guard on a winning team was invaluable.
49. Dakari Johnson, OKC Blue, C
2015-16 Stats: 12.3 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.2 blocks
2016-17 Team: Unsigned (Draft rights held by OKC Thunder)
Johnson was a domestic draft-and-stash last season for the Thunder. They took him 48th overall with the plan to have him play with their affiliate his entire rookie season and as a 20-year old big man it helped him a ton. Johnson started fast averaging almost 12 points & 11 boards his first six games, however he was wildly inefficient at just over 40 percent from the field. Watching him it was easy to see he has great feel for the game and a good mix of aggressiveness and passion, but the game was too quick for him.
As the season progressed his footwork improved, his moves were more crisp, he found open teammates more often and his awareness on both ends of the court was night and day compared to early in the season. He finished the season at 53 percent from the floor and over 12 games in March he almost hit 60 percent. Johnson isn’t ready to contribute at the NBA level at this point, but the improvement from his time at Kentucky to now has to be encouraging for the Thunder front office.
48. Treveon Graham, Idaho Stampede, SG
2015-16 Stats: 15.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists
2016-17 Team: Charlotte Hornets
Graham is a 22-year old wing out of VCU who really made a case for most improved player as the season progressed. He spent the first half of the year as a reserve for Idaho, but once he was unleashed into the starting lineup, he and J.J. O’Brien really both took off. As a starter (20 games) he posted 18.8 points & 6.9 rebounds and shot over 45 percent from the field.
His strong suit is attacking the paint as almost 56 percent of his points came from in the paint or in transition on the fast break. At 6-5, he showed the ability to guard positions 1-3 and sometimes even the 4 in a pinch. He has quick hands and really plays hard on both ends. The crutch for Graham right now is his shooting. He only managed to hit 33.6 percent of his jump shots last season (387 attempts) and 32.9 percent of his 3-point shots (207 attempts). If he shores that up he has a real chance to blossom even more this season.
47. Briante Weber, Sioux Falls Skyforce, PG
2015-16 Stats: 10.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists
2016-17 Team: Miami Heat
Weber was quite simply a firecracker for Sioux Falls last year. He sat for the first part of the year recovering from an ACL tear while playing at VCU the prior year, but he returned with quite an impact for the eventual champions. He ended up playing 28 games, but only started nine. In those games he put up 16.6 points, 7.2 rebounds, 6.2 assists and 2.4 steals and notched a triple double.
His defense makes him a standout and that’s ultimately what earned him his spot with the Heat. He’s a defensive tyrant who just never stops moving; he’s a pest in every sense of the word. Weber is another guy who struggles making jump shots. He needs the ball in his hands to really have a big impact as well and he just won’t get those opportunities often in Miami. Weber is still only 23 years old so he can improve his shooting as his mechanics aren’t terrible. If he had played a full, healthy season for the Skyforce he might have been top-20 on this list.
46. Melvin Ejim, Erie BayHawks, SF
2015-16 Stats: 14.6 points, 7.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists
2016-17 Team: Venezia (Italy)
Melvin Ejim was the best player on the worst team in the league. Erie went 12-38 and finished as the only team in the league below 100 points per game (97.4). All things considered Ejim was a shining star for this team. At 6-6 he could play off guard or small forward and his jump shot made him deadly in the pick-and-pop game with both Keith Appling and Myck Kabongo.
The aspect that made Ejim so valuable was his consistency. At this level, the players are somewhat inconsistent (which is part of the reason they are here), so to have a player you can count on is extremely valuable to a coach. Ejim rebounds very well for his size with a DReb% of 21.4. Like most, his real flaw is lack of outside shooting. To be an NBA wing you simply have to shoot better than 33 percent from 3-point range, especially if you aren’t particularly explosive.
Ejim is just 25 years old so while he didn’t earn a call up last season, and he’s already signed back with Venezia, I could see him making a return to the NBADL to bet on himself down the road.
45. Talib Zanna, OKC Blue, PF
2015-16 Stats: 14.1 points, 10.1 rebounds, 1.1 assists
2016-17 Team: Nanterre 92 (France)
Zanna has been one of the top 3 or so rebounders in the league the past two seasons. This past season was rough for OKC as they went a paltry 19-31, but Zanna kept rebounding. He finished as one of only four players in the league to average a double double, he was third with 19 double doubles, he posted a DReb% of 25.4 (top 10) and he’s the only player who did all those things while playing less than 30 minutes a night.
This season Zanna’s efficiency dipped a bit as he sought to display his ability to shoot the ball a little more as a 6-9 power forward. In 2014-15, he shot nearly 60 percent from the field and last year than number dropped below 47 percent. His offensive flaws are what keep him from making it to the NBA. This season he shot just 19.7 percent on jump shots (142 attempts) and perhaps even worse he only made 56 percent of restricted area attempts (269) which was well below the league average of 63 percent.
44. Devin Ebanks, Grand Rapids Drive, SF
2015-16 Stats: 21.9 points, 6.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists
2016-17 Team: Reales de La Vega (Dominican Republic)
Ebanks is who we thought he was; which is an inefficient, scoring, small forward. At 26 years old and with NBA experience I guess I just expected more out of him. While that may be unfair, all he really provided for his team was scoring. While that may be fine and dandy to most, efficiency and playmaking for others holds value as well, and Ebanks just didn’t do enough of those things last season.
His Ast% was merely 6.7 and his Reb% finished at 11.2. While he did score 20+ points a night his TS% of 55.1 was good for 101st in the league for players who played at least 20 games. He has the size and skills, but the overall drive just wasn’t there last year. If Ebanks played to his true potential he would be top 10 on this list, but he just didn’t affect the game enough on both ends to warrant a higher position.
43. Greg Whittington, Sioux Falls Skyforce, SF
2015-16 Stats: 13.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists
2016-17 Team: Sydney Kings (Australia)
Whittington was one of the better two-way wings in the entire D-League last season. The Skyforce were lucky to have two of those (the other hits this list later) on their way to their record setting, 40-win season. Right now, Whittington is much better on defense than he is on offense. His jump shot isn’t consistent and the worrisome thing there is that the mechanics aren’t consistent either. Sometimes he shoots on the way down, sometimes his elbow is in, others it’s out, and late in game he really pushes his shot instead of keeping a pure release.
Offensive concerns aside, Whittington could be an NBA player down the road – his defense is that good. If he can shore up the mechanics of his jump shot, add some weight (210 lbs at 6-9) and increase his range he has a real shot at the league. He will spend this season in Australia and with their season ending in late February, he could make a return to Sioux Falls this year.
42. Jordan Bachynski, Westchester Knicks, C
2015-16 Stats: 13.1 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.3 blocks
2016-17 Team: Nagoya Dolphins (Japan)
Bachynski was the defensive anchor — alongside Thanasis Antetokounmpo — for Westchester this season. And while most of the attention fell to Jimmer Fredette, Bachynski had a solid season for the Knicks. He provided rim protection to the tune of 2.3 blocks per night which was 2nd in the league behind only Daniel Orton (not including NBA assignees), and beyond that he only fouled out three times in 47 games.
MORE: Q&A with Jordan Bachynski
The lefty, 7-footer also picked up his offense this season showing an array of quality post moves on a nightly basis. His hook shot was the go-to move as he made 52.3 percent (53 attempts) as well as 66.7 percent (27 attempts) on turnaround hook shots. He was stellar as the roll man for either Fredette or Travis Trice and he was great getting up and down in transition. He will likely dominate the Japanese league and hopefully we will see the 27-year-old, 7-2 center back with another shot at making an NBA roster.
41. Keith Appling, Erie BayHawks, PG
2015-16 Stats: 19.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists
2016-17 Team: Unsigned Free Agent
Appling was traded to Erie two seasons ago and has been their leading scorer ever since. He had another great season at the helm, even earning a call up from the Orlando Magic early in the season. After Orlando waived him, he returned to dominate this league scoring a combined 71 percent of his scoring from inside the paint and at the free throw line. At 6-0, his jump shot really needs to be more efficient for a chance a sustained NBA career.
He finished the season shooting 35.8 percent on jump shots (302 attempts) and while he shot a more respectable 37.5 from 3-point range, it was only on 70 attempts. His one shining area in regards to shooting was the pull up jump shot where he made a ridiculous 24/28 attempts. The majority of those came working out of the pick-and-roll which is a real plus for a smaller guard. Unfortunately, Appling has run into some serious legal trouble this summer and his immediate pro future looks to be up in the air.