Making Sense of the D-League Usage Grades

Posted by Matt Hubert on September 3, 2010

If you’ve been living under an Internet-free rock the past two weeks and haven’t visited D-League Digest, we recently unveiled our D-League usage grades for all 30 teams in six installments, broken down by division.

Each NBA team was graded on how effective it uses the D-League (via call-ups, assignments, affiliate ownership, etc.) by a pane; consisting of that team’s corresponding TrueHoop Network team blogger, Matt Moore or Hardwood Paroxysm and AOL Fanhouse, Ridiculous Upside’s Jon L and Scott Schroeder, and D-League Digest’s Matt Hubert (also known as me.)

It was a fun, collaborative effort to shed some light on which teams are taking advantage of the D-League as a developmental tool, which teams are trying with mixed results, and which teams are failing to see its value whatsoever.

As expected, the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs stood out from the crowd as the model franchises for D-League usage, earning 4.00 and 3.92 GPAs respectively. These Southwest Division rivals set the standard for franchises around the league. Though they have different approaches—the Spurs own the Austin Toros whereas Houston only controls the basketball operations of the Rio Grande Valley Vipers—but they both have used the single-affiliate model to their advantage through assignments and call-ups to supplement what they do through the draft, trades, and free agency.

Oklahoma City, Golden State and Utah were the only other teams to earn better than a B average, coming in at a 3,75, 3.59 and 3.34 GPA respectively. The Thunder are one of the league’s best run teams. They’ve drafted well (Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook) and have put together a talented, young nucleus that has many predicting them as the team best suited to challenge the Lakers in the West next season. It should, therefore, come as no surprise that there basketball intelligence has led them to invest both time and money into the D-League as a resource they can mine to acquire and develop more talent at the NBA level.

Things fall off quickly from there. Boston, Cleveland, and Dallas were the only teams to fall in the 2.50-3.00 GPA range. And Miami, Memphis, Charlotte, and the Lakers round out the list of teams cracking a C average (2.00 and above).

There’s definitely no grade inflation in the school of D-League usage. Seventeen of the NBA’s 30 teams earned a GPA below 2. That’s essentially saying that more than half the students in class are below C students. Simply put, there’s a lot of room for improvement. The question is whether that improvement is something these organizations are targeting. Unfortunately, with a few exceptions (Washington, New Orleans), there aren’t manysigns that the teams who are failing or underutilizing the D-League care to change or have the desire to improve their relationship with the D-League.

The D-League has gained some traction the past two seasons and had a record 40 call-ups last year. As franchises like the Rockets, Spurs, Thunder, and Warriors continue to find innovative ways to use the D-League to their organizational benefit, other teams will eventually catch on. The D-League is like new technology for NBA organizations. Like any new technology, some people/teams are going to figure out how to use it right away while others struggle with it or ignore it entirely.

If the technology turns out to be worthwhile and you were in that latter group that ignored it, you’re left with two options: stubbornly refusing to admit you were in the wrong and continuing to ignore it OR jumping on the bandwagon late and scrambling to make up for lost time learning the basics while those who have already invested in the technology are putting it to greater use. That’s where I see the NBA teams right now. The D-League is still in that infancy stage of experimentation. A few years from now, those teams at the head of the class will know what works and what doesn’t work and how to most efficiently use the D-League. While they’re reaping the benefits, the franchises who are currently earning those Ds and C-minuses are going to be trying to emulate their success without the prior experience to know how to do so.

After the jump, view the final league-wide report card, breaking down the teams into tiers by their cumulative GPA. Continue Reading »Making Sense of the D-League Usage Grades

Category Categories: D-League Digest, D-League Randomness, Matt Hubert  |  Tag Tags: ,  |  Comments No comments

Grading NBA Teams’ Usage of the D-League: Central Division

Posted by Matt Hubert on September 2, 2010

This is the sixth and final post in our series grading all 30 NBA teams on their usage of the D-League. Get up to speed with our grades of the Pacific, Atlantic, Northwest, Southeast, and Southwest divisions. If you missed the original post and are unfamiliar with the genesis of this idea or want a full, detailed explanation of how the grades were determined, read the introduction of this post.

Otherwise, here’s the quick and dirty recap of how we graded: Bloggers were asked to consider quantity and quality of each team’s assignments and call-ups, ownership and communication with the D-League affiliate, and any other factors that contribute to effective usage of the D-League. For each team, I took the TrueHoop Network team blogger’s grade (THN), Matt Moore’s grade (MM), Ridiculous Upside’s grade (RU), and my grade (MH), and calculated a final GPA.

With that in mind, here are the grades and rationales for the teams of the Central Division:

Chicago Bulls LogoChicago Bulls: 1.78 GPA*
High Grade: C (MM)
Low Grade: C- (MH, RU)
Players Assigned: 6 (0 in last two years)
Players Called Up: 6 (4 in last two years)

Matt Moore’s Explanation: No investement in the league, but the guys they’ve brought on that have produced have stuck. That’s something.

Final Assessment: The Bulls are a middle-of-the-pack team when it comes to using the D-League. They’re playing hokey-pokey. They stick a foot in here and a hand in there, but that’s not what it’s all about when we’re talking about utilizing the D-League as a developmental tool. Shannon Brown passed through Chicago a few years ago. Last year, they called up the likes of Chris Richard and Rob Kurz, but neither player stuck. It seems to me that they have the right aim, they have the value of the D-League in sight, they’ve just yet to hit the (wait for it…) bulls-eye.

Cleveland Cavaliers LogoCleveland Cavaliers: 2.78 GPA*
High Grade: B (MM)
Low Grade: B- (MH, RU)
Players Assigned: 8 (3 in last two years)
Players Called Up: 11 (4 in last two years)

Matt Moore’s Explanation: It pays to have season ticket holders willing to invest in a team you haven’t needed… until now.

Final Assessment: Living in Erie, I’ve had the opportunity to witness the Cavaliers’ usage of their D-League affiliate, the Erie BayHawks, firsthand. They’ve had a good working relationship with the BayHawks, sending down Darnell Jackson and Danny Green last year and calling up Cedric Jackson (though he was barely used). But that was the old regime. The organization has a lot of new challenges after the departure LeBron, and depending on how their season goes, they could be looking at a total roster overhaul. If that happens, they may see an influx of new pieces that would lead to even more reliance on strong usage of the D-League.

Detroit Pistons LogoDetroit Pistons: 1.37 GPA
High Grade: B (MM)
Low Grade: D- (MH)
Players Assigned: 7 (2 in last two years)
Players Called Up: 0

THN’s Take (by Dan Feldman, Piston Powered): Their seasoned young players remain in Detroit, and the Pistons often only trust their own coaches to work with their raw players. Not many guys fit in between, justifying few D-League assignments. It seems more one- or two-week stints would be helpful for the raw players to test Detroit’s coaches’ lessons. Also, I rarely hear about the Pistons mining the D-League for end-of-bench players. But at one point, Amir Johnson may have been the D-League’s best player of all time, so that counts for something, right?

Matt Moore’s Explanation: They’ve used it to develop guys, but it hasn’t worked out. B for effort? Besides, Bynum is arguably their best point guard.

Final Assessment: D-troit basket-ball. D-League usage. D-minus grade. The Pistons have never called up a player from the D-League. They might be deserving of a pass for their success during the early 2000s, but there’s no excuse for not testing the D-League waters last season when the team struggled. There were a record 40 call-ups last year, yet the Pistons didn’t make a single move. They have used the assignment strategy in the past and employ former D-League Rookie of the Year Will Bynum, but there’s a lot of room for improvement in their D-League usage. Continue Reading »Grading NBA Teams’ Usage of the D-League: Central Division

Category Categories: D-League Digest, D-League Randomness, Matt Hubert  |  Tag Tags: , , , , , ,  |  Comments No comments

Grading NBA Teams’ Usage of the D-League: Southwest Division

Posted by Matt Hubert on September 1, 2010

This is part five of our six-part series grading all 30 NBA teams on their usage of the D-League. We’ve already graded the Pacific, Atlantic, Northwest, and Southeast divisions. If you missed the original post and are unfamiliar with the genesis of this idea or want a full, detailed explanation of how the grades were determined, read the introduction of this post.

Otherwise, here’s the quick and dirty recap of how we graded: Bloggers were asked to consider quantity and quality of each team’s assignments and call-ups, ownership and communication with the D-League affiliate, and any other factors that contribute to effective usage of the D-League. For each team, I took the TrueHoop Network team blogger’s grade (THN), Matt Moore’s grade (MM), Ridiculous Upside’s grade (RU), and my grade (MH), and calculated a final GPA.

With that in mind, here are the grades and rationales for the teams of the Southwest Division:

Dallas Mavericks LogoDallas Mavericks: 2.54 GPA
High Grade: A (MM)
Low Grade: C- (MH)
Players Assigned: 8 (0 in last two years)
Players Called Up: 0

THN’s Take (by Rob Mahoney, The Two Man Game): I’d like to give an incomplete, but if forced I’ll say C+/B-. The Mavs haven’t been consistent in their utilization of the D-League, but they do have a few things going for them. The most notable Maverick assignment was J.J. Barea’s trip down in 2007, when he somewhat famously set the D ablaze as a member of the now-defunct Fort Worth Flyers. Barea dropped back-to-back 40+ point games as a Flyer, and his thoroughly dominant performance over a seven-game stretch led to a quick call-up.

However, aside from Barea’s stint, the Mavs haven’t really reaped the full benefits of the D-League. Donnie Nelson strongly considered calling up Kelenna Azubuike before he joined the Golden State Warriors. Dallas assigned Pops Mensah-Bonsu to Fort Worth, but never saw him become a rotation player on the mothership team. First round pick Maurice Ager spent time with the Flyers as well, but nothing ever came of his time there. The Mavs worked out Dwayne Jones late last season, but decided not to sign him. They brought in former D-Leaguer Von Wafer on a 10-day contract last season, but let him go. There’s a lot of dabbling going on, but only recently have the Mavs had their D-League watershed moment.

Donnie Nelson’s decision to purchase and move the Colorado 14ers to Frisco, Texas, will significantly alter the way the Mavs interact with the D-League. Nelson, Mark Cuban, and Rick Carlisle all seem to have high hopes for the curiously named Texas Legends, even if Nancy Lieberman, Del Harris, Spud Webb, and the Legends staff have yet to even assemble any semblance of a roster. Even without players, the endeavor seeps with optimism.

The Mavs have done more than some teams, but—if you’ll excuse the Carpenters-ism—they’ve only just begun. Affiliate ownership is a huge step, but we’ll have to see how the Mavericks use that ownership to their advantage before handing out any kind of conclusive grade.

Matt Moore’s Explanation: Jose Juan Barrea alone is worth a little bump, but point blank, you buy a team, you get an A from me. Simple.

Final Assessment: Say what you want about Mark Cuban, but the man is a pretty shrewd businessman. So it should come as no surprise that he didn’t want to continue to ride the coattails of division and in-state rivals Houston and San Antonio when it comes to D-League usage. It’s too early to bump their grade up high just yet, but the Mavericks appear to be moving in the right direction. General manager Donnie Nelson bought the former Colorado 14ers and moved them to Frisco, Texas. The Texas Legends will play less than 30 miles away from the Mavs, closer than any affiliate in the league. If they use that proximity to their advantage, it shouldn’t take long before they make a move toward the head of the class. But factoring in their lackluster past usage, I can’t give them higher than a C-.

Houston Rockets LogoHouston Rockets: 4.00 GPA^
High Grade: A+ (MM)
Low Grade: A- (RU)
Players Assigned: 7 (4 in last two years)
Players Called Up: 11 (7 in last two years)

THN’s Take (by Rahat Huq, Red94): I would give the Rockets an A. For a comprehensive rationale, check out this post, “Discerning Morey’s Philosophy – Part 4.”

Matt Moore’s Explanation: Manages to get good talent, develop players that aren’t just contributors, but starters (heya, Brooks), and does it using the hybrid system to save costs. What, is this a question?

Final Assessment: As the only team to earns a perfect 4.00 GPA (with a boost from Matt Moore’s A+), the Rockets are clearly a model franchise. Read the link above from Red94.net. The point is, Rockets general manager Daryl Morey is one of the brightest minds in basketball. The man knows how to bring in talent and build a team. His commitment to using the D-League is one of the reasons why Houston is at least a step ahead of almost every team in the league. Last year, they became the first franchise to utilize a direct single-affiliation partnership (with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers), which gives them control over all the basketball operations of RGV while letting the Vipers handle the business side of things running a D-League organization. Assignments, call-ups, innovative use of the affiliation system—the Rockets do it all very well.

Memphis Grizzlies LogoMemphis Grizzlies: 2.11 GPA*
High Grade: B- (MH, RU)
Low Grade: D (MM)
Players Assigned: 6 (3 in last two years)
Players Called Up: 3 (0 in last two years)

Matt Moore’s Explanation: “But they sent Thabeet!” Yeah, for a whole ten days. Instead of using it before, instead of bringing in value players during losing seasons, instead of marginalizing the league like they marginalized their roster most years… maybe they could have done some things better.

Final Assessment: The Grizzlies made the most high-profile move of the D-League season last year when they assigned Hasheem Thabeet to the Dakota Wizards. As the number two overall pick in the 2009 draft, Thabeet was the highest-drafted player ever assigned to the D-League. Unfortunately, too many people outside of the D-League saw this move as a demotion or a knock on Thabeet rather than a smart move by Memphis, investing in long-term player development. Because that stigma still exists, Memphis didn’t keep Thabeet in the D-League long enough, but they deserve some credit for making the move in the first place. Other teams should follow suit in the future with rookies who aren’t seeing playing time at the NBA level. Continue Reading »Grading NBA Teams’ Usage of the D-League: Southwest Division

Category Categories: D-League Digest  |  Tag Tags: , , , , , ,  |  Comments No comments

Grading NBA Teams’ Usage of the D-League: Southeast Division

Posted by Matt Hubert on August 31, 2010

This is part four of our six-part series grading all 30 NBA teams on their usage of the D-League. Last week, we graded the Pacific, Atlantic, and Northwest divisions. If you missed the original post and are unfamiliar with the genesis of this idea or want a full, detailed explanation of how the grades were determined, read the introduction of this post.

Otherwise, here’s the quick and dirty recap of how we graded: Bloggers were asked to consider quantity and quality of each team’s assignments and call-ups, ownership and communication with the D-League affiliate, and any other factors that contribute to effective usage of the D-League. For each team, I took the TrueHoop Network team blogger’s grade (THN), Matt Moore’s grade (MM), Ridiculous Upside’s grade (RU), and my grade (MH), and calculated a final GPA.

With that in mind, here are the grades and rationales for the teams of the Southeast Division:

Atlanta Hawks LogoAtlanta Hawks: 0.92 GPA
High Grade: D (RU)
Low Grade: F (THN)
Players Assigned: 3 (2 in last two years)
Players Called Up: 15 (1 in last two years)

THN’s Take (by Bret LaGree, Hoopinion): The Hawks get an F. They assigned Thomas Gardner and Othello Hunter to Anaheim for 1 and 3 games respectively in 2008. That’s the sum total of their recent involvement unless you count signing Mario West last season, which had more to do with his previous work with the Hawks than anything he did in his intervening time in the D-League.

Based on their actions I assume the Hawks have no interest in the league as a source of free agents or as a means to develop their own players.

Final Assessment: The Hawks’ usage of the D-League has been trending in the wrong direction. They had four call-ups in the 2002-03 season and three in 2003-04, but after two apiece during the 2004-05, 05-06, and 06-07 seasons, they’ve had just one in the past two seasons and haven’t been particularly active in terms of assignments either. The decision to call-up of Mario West shows the Hawks’ lack of investment in the D-League as most people believe there were better prospects available at the time.

Charlotte BobcatsCharlotte Bobcats: 2.08 GPA
High Grade: B- (RU)
Low Grade: D (THN)
Players Assigned: 5 (3 in last two years)
Players Called Up: 5 (2 in last two years)

THN’s Take (by Brett Hainline, Queen City Hoops): The Bobcats get a D from me. Here’s why. Gerald Henderson played in 43 games this past season, at just over 8 minutes per game. Derrick Brown played in 57 games, at just over 9 per. Alexis Ajinca did actually get sent to the D-League this past season, playing in 22 games. In his rookie year, Ajinca played just 11 games in the D-League and languished on the bench when with the Bobcats, seeing court time in just 31 games, at less 6 minutes a pop.

The Bobcats are leaving their young players on the bench with the big club, rather than give them time in the D-League (for the most part). Another strike against the Bobcats? Their D-League affiliate is in Maine, and it is a shared club, with the Boston Celtics.

Lastly, after some call-ups of D-League players previously (Hello, Cartier Martin), this past season when Larry Brown wanted a backup shooting guard, the Bobcats went with Larry Hughes rather than looking for talent in the minors. Ugh.

Matt Moore’s Explanation: If you can play, you can play for Larry Brown. If you work, you can play. They’re not great. But the effort is there.

Final Assessment: The Bobcats would definitely benefit from a new affiliate located nearby. Currently they are affiliated with the Red Claws, who play nearly 1,000 miles away in Maine and also partner with the Boston Celtics. The Bobcats did make use of the D-League last year with Alexis Ajinca and Lester Hudson spending some time there, but a closer partnership would go a long way toward fostering a stronger relationship and more fluid player movement.

Miami Heat LogoMiami Heat: 2.33 GPA
High Grade: B (MM)
Low Grade: C- (MH)
Players Assigned: 3 (0 in last two years)
Players Called Up: 8 (2 in last two years)

THN’s Take (by Surya Fernandez, Hot Hot Hoops): I’m giving the Heat a C+. Pat Riley isn’t the type to experiment with young, raw players if he can sign a veteran instead. But that doesn’t mean the Heat aren’t keeping an eye on the D-League either. Kenny Hasbrouck has been in the mix since late last season when he was signed away from the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, and the Heat made history by selecting Latavious Williams in the second round of the NBA Draft this summer (though he was later traded).

The Heat almost never send their own players down to the D-League with perhaps Dorell Wright being the most significant player. That was five years ago while the last time this was done was when Daequan Cook and Joel Anthony were sent to the Iowa Energy for a few games back in the 07-08 season.

Having said that, I wouldn’t be surprised if Dexter Pittman and Da’Sean Butler (assuming he sticks with the team) were sent to the D-League this season to get some minutes because it’s doubtful they see any significant time on the floor this year with the Heat. If anything, Earl Barron has a championship ring for being on the ’06 Heat team and playing the part of Dirk Nowitzki in practice.

Matt Moore’s Explanation: They’ve signed a bunch of guys, so they get a good grade. But don’t you get the impression they see the D-League only as a cheap knockoff factory? Should make sense, though. Pat Riley, exploiting every end to the fullest potential while sticking to his vision.

Final Assessment: I was pushing for the Heat to sign a D-League player or two to complement Miami’s big offseason acquisitions of LeBron James and Chris Bosh. They chose to go a different route, which was disappointing. Despite that “setback,” the Heat made a couple of moves last year that suggest they are at least open to the D-League. With a talented, young nucleus in place for the next several years, it’d be very wise business to use the D-League to find some inexpensive pieces to fill in the holes around the stars year in and year out. Until they make that kind of commitment, I can’t give them more than a C-. Continue Reading »Grading NBA Teams’ Usage of the D-League: Southeast Division

Category Categories: D-League Digest, D-League Randomness, Matt Hubert  |  Tag Tags: , , , , , ,  |  Comments No comments

D-Links: Monday Morning Digestibles

Posted by Matt Hubert on August 30, 2010

Whether you’re back to school or back to work, Monday morning is a time for procrastination. Feed the need by reading these D-League-related links from the past week.

Category Categories: D-League Digest, D-Links, Matt Hubert  |  Tag Tags: , , ,  |  Comments No comments

Grading NBA Teams’ Usage of the D-League: Northwest Division

Posted by Matt Hubert on August 27, 2010

This is part three of our six-part series grading all 30 NBA teams on their usage of the D-League. Be sure to also check out the grades for the Pacific and Atlantic divisions. If you missed the original post and are unfamiliar with the genesis of this idea or want a full, detailed explanation of how the grades were determined, read the introduction of this post.

Otherwise, here’s the quick and dirty recap of how we graded: Bloggers were asked to consider quantity and quality of each team’s assignments and call-ups, ownership and communication with the D-League affiliate, and any other factors that contribute to effective usage of the D-League. For each team, I took the TrueHoop Network team blogger’s grade (THN), Matt Moore’s grade (MM), Ridiculous Upside’s grade (RU), and my grade (MH), and calculated a final GPA.

With that in mind, here are the grades and rationales for the teams of the Northwest Division:

Denver Nuggets LogoDenver Nuggets: 0.92 GPA
High Grade: C- (THN)
Low Grade: F (MM)
Players Assigned: 4 (2 in last two years)
Players Called Up: 8 (2 in last two years)

THN’s Take (by Jeremy Wagner, Roundball Mining Company): The Denver Nuggets were the very first NBA team to call up a player from the D-League when they signed Chris “Birdman” Andersen [in 2001], who at the time only had 40 percent of his torso covered in tattoos as opposed to his current 110 percent. That move worked out exceptionally well and things have gone downhill ever since.

Several times the Nuggets attempted to replace the draft picks they haphazardly and repeatedly gave away by acquiring prospects on the cheap through late season call-ups of players such as Von Wafer, Bobby Jones and Coby Karl. It was a smart tactic to employ, but none of those moves ever delivered a rotation player, though I had high hopes for Karl.

Denver did find Dahntay Jones after he played one season with Fort Wayne, and he became an impact player the season they reached the Western Conference Finals. Denver also managed Sonny Weems well as he was able to develop his game with the Colorado 14ers, although they gave him away in a trade for Malik Allen.  Weems is now in the mix to start for the Toronto Raptors.

The Nuggets greatest failure was not recognizing the value of having the 14ers playing just a hop, skip and a jump away in Broomfield, Colo. Instead of buying a controlling stake in the team, the 14ers were sold to a group headed up by Donnie Nelson and moved to Frisco, Texas, where the Dallas Mavericks can reap the benefits.

Matt Moore’s Explanation: Coby Karl does not a system make. The 14ers died on their watch. Okay, not really. But still. I liked that team’s logo.

Final Assessment: The Nuggets did snatch a couple of late season call-ups last season, but both Brian Butch and Coby Karl were waived earlier this summer. Depending on what happens with Carmelo Anthony, the Nuggets could be in rebuilding mode sooner rather than later. Yes, they deserve a few bonus points for the league’s first call-up, but that was almost a decade ago, and they haven’t really had a successful call-up since. The departure of Colorado as a D-League franchise wasn’t good for them, but they shouldn’t use that as an excuse for refraining from assigning players in the future. If they want an affiliate in Colorado, pony up the cash to make it happen.

Minnesota Timberwolves LogoMinnesota Timberwolves: 1.44 GPA*
High Grade: C+ (RU)
Low Grade: D (MH, MM)
Players Assigned: 5 (1 in last two years)
Players Called Up: 3 (1 in last two years)

Matt Moore’s Explanation: They have a franchise down the road, ready to contribute. Nothin’. They have a team losing that can afford to experiment. Nothing. Imagine what Darko’s $20 mil could have done in the D-League.

Final Assessment: David Kahn’s “plan” in Minnesota is unclear to most basketball fans, but it’s pretty clear that utilizing the D-League is somewhere behind drafting young point guards and acquiring other team’s failed draft projects. That said, the team did call-up Greg Stiemsma late last year and sign him for the 2010-11 season. They also added former D-Leaguer Anthony Tolliver—though not until after he’d been called up elsewhere. Tolliver’s Decision Part Deux aside, high profile free agents aren’t flocking in droves to Minnesota, so it’d be a wise move for Kahn and company to look into the possibility of developing some homegrown talent.

Oklahoma City ThunderOklahoma City Thunder: 3.75 GPA
High Grade: A (MM, THN)
Low Grade: B+ (RU)
Players Assigned: 10 (7 in last two years)
Players Called Up: 11 (4 in last two years)

THN’s Take (by Royce Young, The Daily Thunder): I would honestly give the Thunder an A. I know that seems a bit homerish, but honestly, what are they doing wrong? They utilize call-ups as much as anyone, own their affiliate and have installed the same system in both OKC and Tulsa. Also, Sam Presti oversees all transactions done by the 66ers.

The Thunder even used the D-League to scout Latavious Williams and then acquire him via trade on draft night. And then they’ll use the D-League to grow Williams as well. If anyone is taking advantage of the D-League, I’d say it’s OKC.

Matt Moore’s Explanation: They have a stocked roster and still find room to send guys up and down. Fruit doesn’t fall far from the black and silver tree.

Final Assessment: The Thunder is that intriguing new kid in class that all the girls are talking about. Good-looking, fun, smart and lovable (unless you talk to ex-girlfriend and scorned lover, Seattle). But back on point, the D-League aspect of the Thunder definitely falls under the smart category. With 11 combined assignments and call-ups over the past two seasons, it’s clear that this is a team determined to utilizing the D-League to develop its young talent. They’ve built a team that’s set to contend in the West with a young and improving nucleus, and they’re supplementing that core with pieces that they’re molding and fine-tuning in the D-League. Using the D-League is not a perfect science, but that doesn’t stop the Thunder from experimenting. Continue Reading »Grading NBA Teams’ Usage of the D-League: Northwest Division

Category Categories: D-League Digest, D-League Randomness, Matt Hubert  |  Tag Tags: , , , , , ,  |  Comments 1 comment

Grading NBA Teams’ Usage of the D-League: Atlantic Division

Posted by Matt Hubert on August 26, 2010

This is part two of six in our series grading all 30 NBA teams on their usage of the D-League. In part one, we graded the teams of the Pacific Division. If you missed the first post and are unfamiliar with the genesis of this idea or want a full, detailed explanation of how the grades were determined, read the introduction of this post.

Otherwise, here’s the quick and dirty recap of how we graded: Bloggers were asked to consider quantity and quality of each team’s assignments and call-ups, ownership and communication with the D-League affiliate, and any other factors that contribute to effective usage of the D-League. For each team, I took the TrueHoop Network team blogger’s grade (THN), Matt Moore’s grade (MM), Ridiculous Upside’s grade (RU), and my grade (MH), and calculated a final GPA.

With that in mind, here are the grades and rationales for the teams of the Atlantic Division:

Boston Celtics LogoBoston Celtics: 2.84 GPA
High Grade: A- (MM)
Low Grade: C (THN)
Players Assigned: 10 (6 in last two years)
Players Called Up: 5 (1 in last two years)

THN’s Take (by Brendan Jackson, Celtics Hub): The Celtics have used the D-League minimally since its inception.  The call-ups I can remember within the last five years were 10-day contracts given to Mikki Moore and Kevinn Pinkney—neither of whom played very much at the time [Editor's note: Oliver Lafayette was called up last year, though he played in just one game].

The Celtics’ roster is incredibly seasoned to put it euphemistically and because of this Doc Rivers has become notorious for not giving rookies much playing time. That being said, they do stash away their young players in the D-League for their first couple of years. Most recently/notably, Gabe Pruitt, J.R. Giddens, and Bill Walker have all seen time and success in the D-League.  Despite playing very well, none of these players were given much court time with the big club after being called up, and to make matters worse (for them at least), Pruitt and Giddens are currently without NBA contracts.

I am hopeful that the two new D-League Franchises (the Springfield Armor and the Maine Red Claws)  and their proximity to Boston will entice the Celtics to use the D-League more. This year, the Celtics have a very deep frontcourt, so expect rookie Luke Harangody to tear it up in Maine.

If I had to give a grade, I would have to say C or incomplete. While the Celtics have utilized the D-League recently, it has been more of a holding place for end-of-the-roster rookies who look better in any jersey than in suits. I am interested to see what will happen when the Big Three Era in Boston is over and the rebuilding begins. I expect the relationship between the Celtics and their D-League affiliate to flourish once roster spots are up for grabs after 2012.

Matt Moore’s Explanation: Oh, sure, it looks like all they’ve done is send their guys out to Utah [the Flash were formerly Boston's affiliate] like it’s Siberia. But bear in mind the relationship with the Red Claws is burgeoning and will only get stronger. The Celtics are built to win now, which means their use is limited, but the plans are there.

Final Assessment: Despite playing in two of the past three NBA Finals, the Celtics have managed to stay somewhat active in their usage of the D-League, assigning six players the past two seasons. Even if all of those assignments didn’t work out in the long run, they’re at least trying, which is more than you can say for most of their divisional rivals. The debut of the nearby Maine Red Claws as their affiliate last season was also a good sign. That kind of proximity lends itself nicely to more D-League involvement going forward.

New Jersey Nets LogoNew Jersey Nets: 0.63 GPA
High Grade: D (MM, RU)
Low Grade: F (THN)
Players Assigned: 2 (1 in last two years)
Players Called Up: 5 (0 in last two years)

THN’s Take (by Sebastian Pruiti, Nets Are Scorching):The Nets haven’t really used the D-League to their advantage, and I think it has something to do with the fact that they have had a triple affiliate and all of their affiliates have been so far away.  They also have switched affiliates a few times, and that doesn’t help with familiarity of systems (and neither does the triple affiliate). You have teams like the Spurs with a solo affiliate [San Antonio owns their D-League affiliate] who able to run all the pro stuff so the guys in the D-League can get used to the system.

I think last year the Nets had a chance to send down Terrence Williams, especially when he was rotting on the bench during the middle of the season.  Plus there was that whole Sean Williams incident. Yeah, I’d give them a F.

Matt Moore’s Explanation: Thought about it. Looked at it. Considered it. Passed. Maybe when the team gets settled in Broolyn. Maybe when Prokhorov et al realize there’s a long-term game to be played in the NBA. But with Billy King at the helm? Not holding my breath.

Final Assessment: We’ll see if anything changes with new owner Mikhail Prokhorov, but the Nets don’t have much of a history using the D-League effectively, to put it nicely. Considering how poor this team was last season, it’s a bit perplexing that they didn’t take a flyer on at least one D-League prospect during the season. Sorry, signing former D-Leaguer Jordan Farmar this offseason doesn’t count as a call-up. If this team is as serious about rebuilding as Prokhorov says, they should get serious about the D-League right now.

Continue Reading »Grading NBA Teams’ Usage of the D-League: Atlantic Division

Category Categories: D-League Digest, D-League Randomness, Matt Hubert  |  Tag Tags: , , , , , ,  |  Comments No comments

Grading NBA Teams’ Usage of the D-League: Pacific Division

Posted by Matt Hubert on August 25, 2010

All NBA teams do not treat the D-League equally. Some organizations have invested a lot into the D-League—in some cases, literally, by buying their affiliate—using it to develop young players and/or call-up unclaimed talents that they’ve scouted during the season. But other organizations have shown very little interest in utilizing the D-League as a developmental tool.

The D-League is still in its formative years and its relationship with the NBA’s teams through the affiliate system is still a work in progress. There is no golden blueprint (goldprint?) that explains the right way to use the D-League. Still, it is pretty clear to those who follow the NBA and D-League closely that some organizations are ahead of the curve and using the D-League more effectively than others.

With that in mind, I came up with an idea to grade all 30 NBA teams on their usage of the D-League. I wanted this to be a comprehensive effort, so rather than just offering my take on the teams, I reached out to the excellent bloggers of the TrueHoop Network, asking each team blogger to grade their team’s usage of the D-League (25 of them complied by giving a grade). I also got grades of all 30 teams from Matt Moore, who covers the D-League for AOL Fanhouse, and a combined grade from Scott Schroeder and Jon L of Ridiculous Upside.

Bloggers were asked to consider quantity and quality of each team’s assignments and call-ups, ownership and communication with the D-League affiliate, and any other factors that contribute to effective usage of the D-League. For each team, I took the THN blogger’s grade, Matt Moore’s grade, RU’s grade, and my grade, and found the average to calculate a final GPA. For the purposes of these posts, the grading scale breaks down as follows:

A: 4.0
A-: 3.67
B+: 3.33
B: 3
B-: 2.67
C+: 2.33
C: 2
C-: 1.67
D+: 1.33
D: 1
D-: 0.5
F: 0

Click through after the jump to see how the teams of the Pacific Division were graded.

Continue Reading »Grading NBA Teams’ Usage of the D-League: Pacific Division

Category Categories: D-League Digest, D-League Randomness, Matt Hubert  |  Tag Tags: , , , , , ,  |  Comments 3 comments

D-League 101: Career Leaders

Posted by Matt Hubert on August 24, 2010

Most basketball fans have a general understanding of history. Most people know Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the NBA’s all-time leading scorer (38,387 points), John Stockton is the all-time leading assist man (15,806 assists), Wilt Chamberlain is the all-time leading rebounder (23,924 rebounds).

But their D-League counterparts are much less known. Who is the league’s all-time leading scorer? Rebounder? 3-point marksman? Below is a quick reference list to help you outsmart your friends the next time a D-League trivia question comes your way. (Hat tip to Basketball-Reference.com‘s D-League leaders section for making this information researchable.)

The following are all D-League career records:

Points
Desmon Farmer: 3,400 total
Malik Hairston: 24.93 per game

Assists
Will Conroy: 1,557 total
Randy Livingston: 10.55 per game

Offensive Rebounds
Rodney Bias: 531

Defensive Rebounds
Rod Benson: 1,155

Total Rebounds
Rod Benson: 1,656 total
Dwayne Jones: 13.68 per game

Games Played
(tie) Kevin Lyde, Billy Thomas: 195

Minutes Played
Will Conroy: 6,953 total
Cedric Bozeman: 41.94 per game

Field Goals Made
Will Conroy: 1,122

Field Goals Attempted
Desmon Farmer: 2,462

Field Goal %
Amir Johnson: 64.2

3-Point Field Goals Made
Desmon Farmer: 412

3-Point Field Goal Attempts
Desmon Farmer: 1,040

3-Point Field Goal %
Matt Carroll: 49.3

Free Throws Made
Will Conroy: 787

Free Throw Attempts
Will Conroy: 1,110

Free Throw %
Blake Ahearn: 95.3

Steals
Billy Thomas: 300 total
Orien Greene: 2.62 per game

Blocks
Cezary Trybanski: 322 total
Cheikh Samb: 3.77 per game

Turnovers
Will Conroy: 684

Personal Fouls
Kevin Lyde: 771

Category Categories: D-League 101, Matt Hubert  |  Tag Tags: ,  |  Comments No comments

D-Links: Monday Morning Digestibles

Posted by Matt Hubert on August 23, 2010

Start off the week by catching up on everything D-League-related you may have missed from the past week:

Category Categories: D-League Digest, D-Links, Matt Hubert  |  Tag Tags: , ,  |  Comments No comments