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NBA D-League preview: Canton Charge have stars at every level

By Chris Reichert

Oct 12, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Quinn Cook (3) looks for a way around Memphis Grizzlies forward Jarnell Stokes (1) at the Schottenstein Center. Memphis won the game 91-81. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 12, 2015; Columbus, OH, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Quinn Cook (3) looks for a way around Memphis Grizzlies forward Jarnell Stokes (1) at the Schottenstein Center. Memphis won the game 91-81. Mandatory Credit: Greg Bartram-USA TODAY Sports /
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Over the next couple of weeks, The Step Back will examine each of the 22 NBA D-League teams and bring you an in-depth look at their roster as well as any potential storylines to watch for. Teams can retain up to 12 players, while only 10 will be active for games. This is your first look at the prospects to watch out for all season.

Roster Breakdown

Affiliates: Eric Moreland
Returners: Quinn Cook, Jon Horford, Chris Crawford, Justin Johnson, Michael Dunigan, Kevin Olekaibe and Mike Williams
Draftees: Roosevelt Jones, Stedmon Lemon, Chip Amelin, Trey Davis and Anthony Odunsi
Tryouts: Chris Davis
Potential NBA Assignees: Kay Felder, Jordan McRae and DeAndre Liggins

Quinn Cook is back and ready to assert his will

After going undrafted in the 2015 NBA Draft, Cook spent his entire rookie season on the Canton roster. Ultimately, he played well enough to take home D-League Rookie of the Year honors and earned himself a training camp invite from the New Orleans Pelicans. Although he shot the damn lights out during preseason with the Pelicans — 25 points in 29 minutes on 9-11 shooting from the field and 4-6 from 3-point range — he didn’t latch on and now he’s back with the Canton Charge.

Read More: Marcus Posley brings a mature game to the NBA D-League

Cook has proven he can score — mainly with his accurate outside jumper — so this year the focus will be on running this team as a lead guard. He averaged 19.6 points and 5.4 assists per game last season with an assist percentage of 26.7 and assist/turnover ratio of 2.35. The numbers are there, now he has to show he can effectively run a team and make others around him better. He should certainly still look to put the ball in the basket when opportunities arise, but proving he can playmake and set others up for success is vital for his NBA stock. At only 6-foot-2, Cook would be a supremely undersized 2 in the NBA so his niche would be as a backup point guard with versatility.

Roosevelt Jones is a defensive Swiss army knife

Jones is an undrafted rookie out of Butler. Not only did he go without hearing his name on draft night, but he didn’t even garner an NBA summer league or training camp invite.

Chip, meet shoulder.

Today’s NBA landscape places extremely high value on versatility, and Jones has that in spades — at least, on one end of the court. With his 6-foot-4, 225 pound frame, he’s a defensive monster who can successfully guard positions 1-4 at the D-League level and likely positions 1-3 at the NBA level. While most players think gaudy offensive numbers will put their name in flashing lights, Jones will hang his hat on his defensive strengths and he will stand out in his own way. This league is guard-driven, so there will be plenty of opportunities for Jones to defend top prospects and prove if he is truly elite in that area.

The major concern for Jones is his lack of outside shooting. In his four years at Butler, he went an astounding 1-of-4 from 3-point range. That’s right — a 6-foot-4 wing took four 3-pointers his entire college career. He’s still a threat offensively, as he excels at moving without the ball, slashing to the rim and finishing around contact, but that jump shot is a red flag at this point. If — and it’s a big if — Jones can develop even some semblance of an outside shot, his value could be the highest on the team.

Will Eric Moreland finally have an injury-free season?

At this point, it’s hard not to feel bad for Moreland. He went undrafted in 2014 out of Oregon State as a high energy, rebounding prospect but latched on with the Sacramento Kings after camp. Unfortunately, a left shoulder injury caused him to miss most of 2014-15, then he re-injured it in 2015-16 and he’s now dealing with an ailing foot injury. He should be ready to go by mid-late November and hopefully he can stay on the court this season.

At 6-foot-10, Moreland has quality size for an athletic power forward. He wasn’t a huge scoring threat in college but posted a defensive rebounding rate of 32.8 percent as a senior! Size is held at a premium in the D-League where 7-footers are king. Moreland is also very agile, has great mobility and can handle the ball in space to boot. He’s a guy who can grab a defensive rebound off the rim, dribble down the court and find an open shooter on the wing if need be.

His pro sample size is miniscule due to the aforementioned injuries, but in 12 D-League games over the past two seasons, he’s averaged 12.0 points, 13.3 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per night. Moreland’s value, right now, lies solely on his ability to rebound and be a rim protector for the charge. His offense is still a work in progress, but at just 24-years-old this season could be his springboard into the NBA after some much-needed development and healthy play.

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