NBA D-League Showcase 2017: Day 4 recap

This week is the NBA D-League Showcase, a five-day event featuring all 22 D-league teams playing multiple games. The event, hosted in Mississauga, Ontario (home of the Raptors 905, Toronto’s affiliate), is a chance for NBA teams to scout potential talent and roster additions all in one place. It’s also an all-day basketball buffet.

You can find our daily recaps of the event here at The Step Back and check out the complete schedule to see what’s coming up. For more coverage of the NBA D-League Showcase, be sure to follow Ashley Docking on Twitter and Instagram.

Under a haze of fog, the fourth day of the Showcase tipped off in Mississauga on Saturday. For those who care about my Vitamin D consumption, I haven’t seen the sun in 84 hours. I’m not mad at it either, not at all.

Santa Cruz Warriors – 113 – Texas Legends – 97
Follow The Leader

We know the D-League isn’t about wins, losses or titles and it’s certainly not about chasing paper. Players are after opportunity.

For whatever reason, opportunity for those with hoop dreams seem to be more readily available when Texas’ head coach, Bob MacKinnon is around.  A D-League record 17 players have been called-up on MacKinnon’s watch.

So, when coach praises A.J. Hammons it’s probably a good idea to pay attention. MacKinnon likes his effort, which is a standard sports quote, and also really likes Hammons’ footwork.

Hammons, a 7-foot product out of Purdue was selected in the second round of the 2016 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks.

In the D-League there are actually a number of 7-foot guys, but it’s tradition to see them post up in the paint and get comfortable, with Hammons it’s to be the opposite. He welcomes the open floor. Open jumper opportunity, no hesitation. Three point shot attempt on a pick-and-pop, yep.

READ MORE: 5 Players to watch at the D-League Showcase

His shooting chart is nearly split is half between attempts from less than five feet to the basket and looks from 20-24 feet out. Those numbers are a limited D-League sample, but he’s only played more than 10+ minutes in two NBA games this year, so they’re still more insightful.

Today Hammons’ shot wasn’t dropping, 1-of-6 and 0-of-3 from deep, he had four points and collected nine rebounds.

Lack of production aside, what I want to point out is in a league where a premium is being put on bigs who can drain the 3, to have one willing and more importantly able, is a commodity. When Hammons makes a conscience effort to attack the paint a little bit more, he’ll be a dual threat the Mavs are lucky to have.

As for the game, the Warriors and Texans were fairly evenly matched early, then James Sutherland, Phil Pressey and Scott Wood clogged the Legends offensive flow in the third. Santa Cruz held the Legends to 19 points, outscoring them by 11 in the frame. Texas ‘ shooting dried up, hitting just 1-of-13 from 3.

Note: Scott Wood and C.J. Williams can shoot! Wood was 5-of-10 from 3 for 17 points in the win, while Williams went 5-of-9 in the loss.

Maine Red Claws – 117 – Fort Wayne Mad Ants – 107
The Maine Men

For whatever reason I always find myself writing about someone on the losing team (see above). I don’t know why. So here’s to switching it up!

Maine won today’s game, but it certainly wasn’t a sure thing.

Travis Leslie made it interesting, hitting a triple (he added 15 points off the bench) to pull Fort Wayne back within four, 108-104, at the 1:46 mark.

Jalen Jones had the answer. As a matter of fact he had something to say all day.

Next possession Jones scored two of his game high 29, making it a two possession contest.

Fort Wayne had their shot with under a minute left. Stephen Hicks missed a 3, Trey McKinney-Jones collected the rebound but couldn’t convert on the second chance opportunity, and the Ants were forced to foul the rest of the way.

Abdel Nader, the Boston Celtics 2016 second round pick, didn’t have the most points on the stat sheet but has been in great form over his last few games.

Thursday he nailed six 3s, tonight just 1-of-4. That’s the second time in his last six games where he’s shot less than 42 percent from deep. FORTY TWO. MINIMUM.

You have to respect that. He’s ranked fourth among forwards in 3-point accuracy, but in the last six games I mentioned, 46.3 percent. That would put Nader second to only Jared Uthoff of the Raptors 905.

As you would imagine, his field goal percentage is through the roof as well.  He’s shot 50 percent or better from the field in 11 of his 20 games.

Iowa Energy – 118 – Rio Grande Valley Vipers – 108
In The Nick Of Time

Since Nov. 23, 2016 the Iowa Energy mustered just enough vigor and verve to swerve on three teams, leading to a measly 3-16 record since beating Grand Rapids Drive, 99-91, at the beginning of the season.

Now that’s bad, but it wasn’t as bad as it sounds. Five games were within five points, four more within 10. See, not as bad.

And hey, to have two of those three wins coming at the Showcase, that’s some god timing right there. Iowa stepped up, recording solid wins against Salt Lake City Friday, and Rio Grade Valley today.

For the casual fan in Mississauga, watching the Energy for the first time, you wouldn’t have known their struggles.

A security guard, who’d seen a ton of ball thanks to slugging away for 12 hours, three days straight at Hershey Centre actually said yesterday, “I think they’re my favorite team to watch.”

JaKarr Sampson would probably be one of the big reasons why.

He’s a solid player, who isn’t afraid of contact and prefers to go inside. Sampson makes his way to the rim with a couple of different moves off the dribble, can decided on mid-range pull ups when his defender fails to come out with a hand up and was tenacious on the glass.

The Energy had eight players score double digits in their win today. The bench produced 46 points with Wade Baldwin IV leading the pine posse, (11 points, five dimes, and two steals) which was enough to continue their win streak

Sioux Falls Skyforce – 118 – Los Angeles D-Fenders – 113
Re-Match Remix

Sioux Falls and L.A. duked it out last year for the D-League title, the Skyforce were victorious.

As much as this was a rematch, both teams were significantly different.

Sioux Falls graduated the likes of Rodney McGruder, DeAndre Liggins, Jarnell Stokes and Josh Richardson, really giving the reigns to Briante Weber, Keith Benson and Okaro White.

While the D-Fenders returned six. Two of which remain constant contributors, Vander Blue and Josh Magette.

L.A. is not a good defensive team, so the already effective Keith Benson looked even better than usual.

When Benson is on the floor, Sioux Falls is 23 points better over the course of 100 possessions. I’m not fluent in advanced analytics but I know enough to know that is a promising number as he looks to advance his career.

However, tonight, 24 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks from Benson wasn’t enough to steal the spotlight from Patrick Miller.

Miller went to the line 19 times, the highest total in a D-League game this season, and was able to convert on multiple and-ones. I don’t know if anyone on the D-Fenders could stop him from getting to the basket, they certainly didn’t look like they really tried too.

The Sioux Falls Skyforce present a problem to any opponent in the league. I know I just said that no one is in this league for titles but winning is still fun and I think Sioux Falls will continue to do a lot of that this season.

Note: Stefan Jankovic started in place of Jabril Trawick who’s still dealing with a shoulder injury.

Grand Rapids Drive – 122- Long Island Nets – 117
Three Headed Monstars

Jordan Crawford, Ray McCallum and Kevin Murphy are the pieces most likely to make a leap this season from Grand Rapids. All three can put up numbers, but it’s a nice dynamic because they do so in different ways.

Tonight Crawford was the guy with 31 points.

I spoke with Grand Rapids head coach, Rex Walters about Crawford and it should come as no surprise he had high praises for the mature guard.

“He is really a combo guard. He can play the point, play the two, can score in so many different ways. He’s an elite, elite scorer he can really get on rolls. There’s not a shot that he doesn’t think he can’t make.”

The utmost confidence in his own abilities. It’s his greatest strength, according to Walters. But as a coach, when someone is firing away with no conscience it can make you cringe.

Next: D-League Showcase 2017: Day 3 Recap

“Everyone’s greatest strength can sometimes be their weakness. We want him (Crawford) to play confident and aggressive, but there are times you’d rather slow a guy down than speed him up. Jordan doesn’t have that problem too many times.”

Yogi Ferrell had a nice game for the Nets in the losing effort with 27 points (25 of which came in the fourth), nine assists and 6-of-10 from 3.

I know, I know, I promised to stop talking about the underdog, but in the D-League they’re all kind of in the narrative. Fighting and clawing for a chance to make their mark in the game they love to play.