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.

Co-Valedictorians
Houston Rockets: 4.00 GPA
San Antonio Spurs: 3.92 GPA

Honor Roll
Oklahoma City Thunder: 3.75 GPA
Golden State Warriors: 3.59 GPA
Utah Jazz: 3.34 GPA

Passing, Room for Improvement
Boston Celtics: 2.84 GPA
Cleveland Cavaliers: 2.78 GPA

On the Right Track
Dallas Mavericks: 2.54 GPA

Just Getting By
Miami Heat: 2.33 GPA
Mempis Grizzlies: 2.11 GPA
Charlotte Bobcats: 2.08 GPA
Los Angeles Lakers: 2.00 GPA

Below Average
Phoenix Suns: 1.92 GPA
Toronto Raptors: 1.83 GPA
Chicago Bulls: 1.78 GPA
New York Knicks: 1.58 GPA

Should Consider a Tutor
Washington Wizards: 1.46 GPA
Minnesota Timberwolves: 1.44 GPA
Detroit Pistons: 1.37 GPA
Sacramento Kings: 1.33 GPA
Milwaukee Bucks 1.17 GPA

See Me After Class
Atlanta Hawks: 0.92 GPA
Denver Nuggets: 0.92 GPA
Portland Trail Blazers: 0.89 GPA
Los Angeles Clippers: 0.83 GPA
New Jersey Nets: 0.63 GPA
Philadelphia 76ers: 0.63 GPA

Failing, but with Signs of Improvement
New Orleans Hornets: 0.50 GPA

Failing, Not Even an E for Effort
Indiana Pacers 1.33/0.25 GPA
Orlando Magic: 0.00 GPA

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: 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: 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: 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.

Indiana Pacers: 1.33/0.25 GPA
High Grade: A+ (THN), D (RU)
Low Grade: F (MH, MM)
Players Assigned: 0
Players Called Up: 0

THN’s Take (by Tim Donahue of 8 Points, 9 Seconds): To my knowledge, the Pacers have never used the D-League at all. If I remember correctly, their original affiliate was Albuquerque, and now it’s Fort Wayne. They have never called anybody up. They have never sent anybody down.

I suppose D-League supporters would give this approach an F. I give it an A+. As currently constituted, I see no value in the D-League, and I don’t think it is helpful for the Pacers’ young players to play there. I could see wholly owned teams like Tulsa (Oklahoma City) and Austin (San Antonio) being valuable since they can be treated like an actual farm team, and the players can be tutored in the NBA team’s system by coaches who understand the franchise-wide strategy and culture. But the Pacers share the Mad Ants with Pistons and Bucks, so you can’t control the coaching. I also worry about facilities and injuries. Finally, I spent most of my high school afternoons coming home and watching CBA games on ESPN, and I have visions of teams entirely populated by chuckers without conscience—bent only on showing NBA scouts enough to grab a 10-day contract.

Coach Jim O’Brien was asked about it once, and he said that he prefers that guys (like A.J. Price and Josh McRoberts) practice with the team. He said the only time he would send anyone down was if he knew that (a) the team wouldn’t get a lot of practices for the next month or so, and (b) he knew he wouldn’t need the guy. Keep in mind that constant injuries over the last couple of years have made it hard to have any Pacer player be expendable.

Not much more to say than that. The Pacers flatly don’t use the D-League.

Matt Moore’s Explanation: F. FAIL.

Final Assessment: I couldn’t disagree more with my TrueHoop Network colleague on this one. While I understand Tim Donahue’s point about the Pacers sharing their affiliate with other NBA teams, I don’t think that’s a viable excuse for a franchise like Indiana to essentially boycott the D-League. And if that’s what’s holding them back, then they should take the lead from a fellow small-market former ABA franchise, the Spurs, and purchase their own affiliate. Basically everything that the Spurs do right with personnel and player development, the Pacers do wrong—or at least less successfully.

Maybe if Jonathan Bender or Al Harrington had come around a few years later, they could have been developed in the D-League. Will Pacers rookies Paul George, Lance Stephenson, and Magnum Rolle face similar fates? With the Pacers organization seemingly too stubborn to learn from history or their peers in San Antonio, it wouldn’t be surprising. Besides, even if the affiliate system is reason not to send players on assignment, that’s no excuse for not scouting the D-League for potential call-up candidates. It’s hard to believe there hasn’t been one player in the history of the D-League that could’ve helped the Pacers, especially since they haven’t had a winning record since the 2004-05 season.

Milwaukee Bucks: 1.17 GPA
High Grade: D+ (MH, RU)
Low Grade: D (MM, THN)
Players Assigned: 5 (1 in last two years)
Players Called Up: 2 (1 in last two years)

THN’s Take (by Jeremy Schmidt, Bucksketball): Milwaukee Bucks
As far as D-League usage goes, I’d give Milwaukee a D. They don’t seem to have much interest in D-Leaguers. Last season, Jodie Meeks struggled to get playing time or be consistent with his jump shot, but they kept him up with the big club in case they needed him. He seemed like a prime candidate to spend a month or so in the D-League to regain confidence in his jump shot.

Milwaukee hasn’t yet signed their two second round picks in Darington Hobson and Tiny Gallon, but if they do, both would benefit from some time in the D-League. Milwaukee has tons of depth on the wing and at the four, making immediate playing time for either youngster very unlikely. It’s tough to criticize the Bucks when talking about developing young players. Brandon Jennings and Luc Richard Mbah a Moute have been getting minutes from day one as draft picks of John Hammond. But why the Bucks didn’t use the D-League more with Joe Alexander or Meeks is a curiosity.

Matt Moore’s Explanation: They are what I refer to a s a “banisher” club. They use the D-League as a prison to punish those that suck.

Final Assessment: The Bucks are another team that has used the D-League—just not very often and not very effectively. Their lone call-ups were of Eddie Gill and Jared Reiner. And their most recent assignment, Joe Alexander, was traded to Chicago shortly after the Bucks assigned him. So they weren’t all that into developing him. As Jeremy Schmidt noted, you can’t fault them for not using the D-League with guys like Jennings and Mbah a Moute as they’ve produced at the NBA level. But you can fault them for several other things, so a D+ sounds about right.

*TrueHoop Network blogs By the Horns and Cavs: The Blog did not respond to inquires to provide a grade, so the Bulls’ and Cavaliers’ GPA was based on just three grades.

^Pacers grader Tim Donahue went off the charts with an unconventional A+ grade for the Pacers. That was weighted at 4.33 on the 4.0 scale, which explains the Pacers grade. However, since his rationale for the grade was entirely unique among all of the bloggers, I also gave the Pacers a second GPA without factoring in Donahue’s grade.

How would you grade the Central Division teams’ usage of the D-League? Let us know in the comments below.

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: 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: 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: 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.

New Orleans Hornets: 0.50 GPA
High Grade: C (MM)
Low Grade: F (MH, RU, THN)
Players Assigned: 3 (0 in last two years)
Players Called Up: 3 (1 in last two years)

THN’s Take (by Ryan Schwan, Hornets247): The Hornets are easy, an F. The only time I can remember the Hornets using the D-League was to send Marcus Vinicius there for about two weeks back in 2006-2007. They may have sent Adam Haluska down once, but I’m not sure about that.

The team has never drawn on the talent in the D-League either, preferring old marginal veterans to young development projects over the past few years.

Now, that may change in the near future. The Hornets are now run by Dell Demps, who served as the GM for the Toros.  I would be surprised if the Hornets didn’t try to make a little more use of the NBADL in the future.

Matt Moore’s Explanation: I give them a C. It was an F until Demps took over. Then he gets hired and they sign Mustafa Shakur. Three more months and that’s a B.

Final Assessment: The Hornets almost received a unanimous F from our panel of graders, but Matt Moore graded on a curve by factoring in the future of the Hornets. Indeed, the Hornets appear to be a new player in the D-League game with Dell Demps running the show, as evidenced by the signing of Mustafa Shakur. That said, they’ve been among the worst historically using the D-League with a total of just six combined assignments and call-ups and just one in the past two seasons. Their past D-League usage is bleak, but they are trending upward.

San Antonio Spurs: 3.92 GPA^
High Grade: A+ (MM)
Low Grade: B+ (THN)
Players Assigned: 11 (8 in last two years)
Players Called Up: 18 (8 in last two years)

THN’s Take (by Andrew McNeill, 48 Minutes of Hell)

The Austin Toros are viewed in some circles as the D-League’s model franchise. Though the Toros have yet to win a D-League Championship, they’re contenders year-after-year. Austin consistently develops NBA-caliber talent, and this summer, Toros head coach Quin Snyder joined the Philadelphia 76ers as an assistant coach on Doug Collins’ staff, and general manager Dell Demps took the GM post for the New Orleans Hornets.

So why, then, did they receive a grade of B+ from me?

Because the San Antonio Spurs barely reaped the benefits of the work done in Austin. As mentioned previously, Snyder and Demps both left before similar options presented themselves in San Antonio. Although, to be fair, Demps did serve as the Spurs’ Vice President of Basketball Operations in addition to his duties as Toros GM.

The player side of things has been just as promising, yet disappointing. Ian Mahinmi was a D-League All-Star in Austin, but failed to scale his ability up to the big time. He was injured for a large portion of his first full-time season with the Spurs. In his second, the Spurs declined to pick up the team option on his rookie contract at the beginning of the season and Mahinmi never earned consistent playing time. This summer, he signed a bargain free agent deal with the  in-state rival Dallas Mavericks.

Malik Hairston also developed his talent in the D-League and made little impact in San Antonio. A power forward at the University of Oregon, the second round pick in the 2008 NBA Draft converted himself to a wing in Austin. Last season he bounced back-and-forth between San Antonio and the Toros, making a positive impact in his minutes for both sides. He looked primed for a role with San Antonio in the playoffs, but a sprained ankle late in the season ended his year. Many expected Hairston to have a spot in the Spurs rotation this coming season, including us, and then he signed a two year contract to play in Italy.

Alonzo Gee is the next great Austin hope for Spurs fans. He was named the D-League Rookie of the Year last season for the Toros and was called up for two 10-day contracts by the Washington Wizards. The Wizards declined to sign Gee for the remainder of the season and the Spurs swooped in and made sure he wouldn’t leave the system again any time soon, signing him to a contract for the remainder of the season and a second, unguaranteed year for 2010-11. Gee still has another year of D-League eligibility left, and if he becomes a rotation player for the Spurs in the next two seasons, my grade immediately jumps to an A.

Matt Moore’s Explanation: A+. Best D-League franchise. Best use of a D-League franchise. Best rosters. Best talent. Best coaching. Win.

Final Assessment: The Spurs are one of the best-run organizations in sports. Despite being in a small market, San Antonio has found a way to be competitive year-in and year-out by making smart personnel decisions and getting great value out of their draft picks (lucking into David Robinson AND Tim Duncan at number one didn’t hurt either). As Andrew McNeill wrote above, they have had some trouble reaping the benefits of their D-League investment, but there’s no denying the investment. The Toros have produced a number of quality prospects on the court—plus the likes of Demps and Snyder off it. When it comes to using the D-League as a developmental tool, the Spurs get it. Simple as that.

^Matt Moore went off the charts with a pair of A+ grades. They were weighted at 4.33 on the 4.0 scale, which explains the grades for Houston and San Antonio.

*TrueHoop Network blog 3 Shades of Blue did not respond to inquires to provide a grade, so the Grizzlies’ GPA was based on just three grades.

How would you grade the Southwest Division teams’ usage of the D-League? Let us know in the comments below. And be sure to check back for grades of the other NBA teams in the upcoming days.

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: 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 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: 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-.

Orlando Magic: 0.00 GPA
High Grade: N/A
Low Grade: F (unanimous)
Players Assigned: 2 (0 in last two years)
Players Called Up: 2 (0 in last two years)

THN’s Take (by Eddy Rivera, Magic Basketball): They get an F, and the reasoning is simple—the Orlando Magic have little use for the D-League, given that they are one of the elite teams in the NBA. Some might say that the cupboard of talent for the Magic is overflowing since head coach Stan Van Gundy could go 12-deep with the roster if he wanted to.

Right now, rookie Daniel Orton is the 13th man for Orlando and there’s no guarantee that his peer, Stanley Robinson, will make the team after training camp is completed. Essentially, there’s no room for call-ups and things of that ilk. These aren’t your Golden State Warriors.

The Magic have been affiliated with three D-League teams in the past couple of years and have made a whopping total of zero moves during that timeframe. The last D-League transaction took place in December 2007, when Marcin Gortat was called up from the Anaheim Arsenal. That’s it. For general manager Otis Smith, he sees little use in the D-League because he feels that players like Orton and Robinson benefit more from a higher level of competition in practices, while learning various schemes directly from Van Gundy. All in all, it’s an organizational philosophy.

Matt Moore’s Explanation: Jason Williams, Rafer Alston. The team has simply not looked at the D-League as a viable option.

Final Assessment: The first unanimous vote is not a good one for the Magic. Sure, they’ve been successful on the court the past few seasons, but that doesn’t tell the whole story. Other top teams like the Lakers, Celtics and Spurs have made much better use of the D-League as a developmental tool than Orlando.

Washington Wizards: 1.46 GPA
High Grade: C (MH)
Low Grade: D- (THN)
Players Assigned: 2 (0 in last two years)
Players Called Up: 7 (4 in last two years)

THN’s Take (by Kyle Weidie, Truth About It): Well, the Washington Wizards haven’t traditionally used the D-League to develop players, but because of last season’s disaster, they called up several. Problem is, the Wizards’ current affiliate, the Dakota Wizards, is far, far away. The Roanoke Dazzle, the old affiliate of the Wizards, was much closer, and I think the last D-League team the Wizards sent players to (Andray Blatche and Peter John Ramos if I’m not mistaken).

It’s worth noting that during the Eddie Jordan regime, the offensive system was so different and difficult to learn that the team was hesitant to send players away. But now that the rebuilding Ted Leonsis is owner, I imagine that the Wizards might become more active in how they use the D-League. But until then, I can’t give the Wizards anything higher than a D-minus.

Matt Moore’s Explanation: Look at one disastrous season can do. They get a C- solely for signing Alonzo Gee and then seemingly genuinely investing in Cartier Martin, who really did look good in Summer League. Talk of more of an investment is promising as well.

Final Assessment: The Wizards made pretty good use of the D-League during an otherwise bad season last year. With an uncertain future and a rebuilding project on their hands, they called up four players during the season. Unfortunately, I can’t say they made really good use of the D-League because they failed to go the extra mile and allowed call-ups Mike Harris and Alonzo Gee to return to the D-League. Harris only went on to earn D-League MVP honors whereas Gee was quickly snatched up and signed by the San Antonio Spurs. This summer they rescinded a qualifying offer they had made to another call-up, Cedric Jackson. To summarize, they’ve shown interest in the D-League, but stopped short of making a full commitment to call-ups with the potential exception of Cartier Martin, who was recently invited to training camp by the Wizards.

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.

• Salt City Hoops wrote about the Utah Flash’s new practice facility.
• In the “What’s My Name?” section of the latest edition of Dime magazine, Sean Sweeney writes about Mike Gansey (p. 27) and Camron Ghorbu writes about Jonathan Wallace (p. 28).
• Ridiculous Upside’s Scott Schroeder breaks down the “expansion draft” for the Texas Legends.
• Schroeder also wrote for AOL Fanhouse about the Spurs’ decision to bring in Danny Ferry to the front office in a role that will oversee usage of the D-League.
• I weighed in with some quick thoughts on the Hornets’ Mustafa Shakur signing at Hornets247.com.
• Finally, on a less serious note, former D-Leaguer Rod Benson released a new video. Enjoy!

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: 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: 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 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.

Portland Trail Blazers: 0.89 GPA*
High Grade: C- (RU)
Low Grade: F (MM)
Players Assigned: 6 (1 in last two years)
Players Called Up: 5 (1 in last two years)

Matt Moore’s Explanation: F. But who needs the D-League when you draft like Mensa members and have shrewd management? I can’t blame them. Money should be going to their medical staff.

Final Assessment: I don’t know if a Greg Oden rehab stint in the D-League would’ve been the best way to go, but it couldn’t have turned out much more disappointing than his NBA career has been so far. It’s frankly surprising that Portland has not made a stronger commitment to the D-League as they are generally one of the smarter run franchises in the league. Perhaps a closer affiliate than Idaho—some 420-plus miles away—would entice them? Any chance someone could convince Paul Allen to put D-League franchise on his shopping list this Christmas?

Utah Jazz: 3.34 GPA
High Grade: A- (MM, THN)
Low Grade: B (MH, RU)
Players Assigned: 8 (4 in last two years)
Players Called Up: 5 (2 in last two years)

THN’s Take (by Spencer Ryan Hall, Salt City Hoops): I would give the Jazz an A- in D-League usage. The Jazz have an excellent arrangement that lets them enjoy all the benefits of owning team and having it nearby (45 minute drive in this case) without having to pay for any overhead other than the player salary for the guys they send down.

Jerry Sloan has famously made great use of the D-League, both in having young players spend a good amount of time in the league and in not being afraid to use call-ups in his Jazz line up. The Sundiata Gaines Game will live forever in the hearts of Jazz fans.

The only improvement the Jazz could do is provide more organizational support to the Flash in order to provide a more structured experience while their players are in the D-League. Paying for the coaching staff would be a good step.

Matt Moore’s Explanation: They have a strong relationship with the Flash, but it could be stronger. We’ll see how it goes depending on how the team goes the next few years.

Final Assessment: The Jazz enjoy one of the NBA’s closest relationships with their D-League affiliate, the Utah Flash. Literally. Their facilities are less than 40 miles apart. Only the Dallas Mavericks and expansion Texas Legends are closer. The Jazz’s proximity to the Flash has worked well for them, and in a perfect world, it’s definitely a luxury other teams would like to have. The next step for the Jazz would be to invest in the Flash financially, but it’s hard to blame them for not buying the cow when they’re basically getting the milk for free.

*TrueHoop Network blogs A Wolf Among Wolves and Portland Roundball Society declined to offer a grade, so these teams’ GPA was based on just three grades.

How would you grade the Northwest Division teams’ usage of the D-League. Let us know in the comments below. And be sure to check back for grades of the other NBA teams in the upcoming days.

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: 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: 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.

New York Knicks: 1.58 GPA
High Grade: C (MH, RU)
Low Grade: D (MM)
Players Assigned: 0
Players Called Up: 7 (6 in last two years)

THN’s Take (by Mike Kurylo, KnickerBlogger): The Knicks have actually called up players from the D-League, but unfortunately most don’t get much burn. In 2009 they rotated centers in and out without giving any much of an opportunity (Cheikh Samb, Mouhamed Sene, and Courtney Sims). Their biggest success story was Earl Barron who started 6 games for the team last year (and averaged 33 minutes per game). But he was more the exception than the rule, and it’s uncertain if he’ll be back this year.

I’m surprised that a team that has a lot of money to burn, a particularly crafted offensive system, and roster spots to fill doesn’t have their own D-League affiliate to mine for gems. Perhaps there are a few players that were overlooked which would thrive in D’Antoni’s offense, and it would be a great way to find cheap talent so that the team can remain far under the salary cap for obvious reasons.

Matt Moore’s Explanation: You know how easy it would be for the Knicks to throw out $3 million from their massive revenue towards a team in Harlem? You realize how popular they’d be for the move? You realize how much they need to start examining the future and development instead of just buying whatever duct tape and hosery is lying around when the best case doesn’t work out? Pretty easy, pretty popular, and very much.

Final Assessment: It’s no secret that the Knicks use of roster space has been disastrous in the post-Ewing era. Bad signings, bad trades, terrible contracts galore. Add D-League usage to the list of things the Knicks could improve upon. In fairness, they have tried to call up some players, and enjoyed some success with Earl Barron last year, as noted above. However, they have not assigned a player in the five years that assignments have been allowed, a clear sign that they aren’t taking full advantage of the D-League. To echo Matt Moore, this is also a team with the resources to own its own affiliate. That is something that should happen, period. Especially when you consider that the Knicks’ current affiliate, Springfield, shares an affiliation with divisional rivals New Jersey and Philadelphia.

Philadelphia 76ers: 0.63 GPA
High Grade: C (MM)
Low Grade: F (MH, THN)
Players Assigned: 2 (0 in last two years)
Players Called Up: 1 (0 in last two years)

THN’s Take (by Carey Smith, Philadunkia): The 76ers get an F from us. We’re not sure the Sixers front office knows the D-League exists.

Matt Moore’s Explanation: They get an F for their past, and a B for their future by hiring [former Austin Toros coach] Quin Snyder. So I’ll give them a C. A tentative, tentative C.

Final Assessment: The Sixers have essentially ignored the D-League. In their defense, they have had a different affiliate in each of the past four seasons (Fort Worth Flyers, 2006-07; Albuquerque Thunderbirds, 2007-08; Erie BayHawks, 2008-09; and Springfield Armor, 2009-10). But truth be told, they’ve never gone out of their way to make the affiliate relationship one worth saving either. They now share the Springfield Armor with New York and New Jersey, two teams within the same division, making it questionable that the relationship is going to improve any time soon.

Toronto Raptors: 1.83 GPA
High Grade: B- (MM)
Low Grade: D (MH)
Players Assigned: 3 (1 in last two years)
Players Called Up: 8 (2 in last two years)

THN’s Take (by Zarar Siddiqi, Raptors Republic): There’s not much to say really. The Raptors haven’t actually developed any rotation players out of the D-League. They poached Jamario Moon for a year and a half, but that’s about it. For more, check out this post on the Raptors’ use of the D-League.

Matt Moore’s Explanation: Ah, lonely Halifax. If only… The Raptors have made a lot of noise and clearly have looked hard and long at the D-league. Their affiliations are typically with the stronger D-League teams and they’ve had a piece or two when they’ve needed it. But at the end of the day, they should just man up and buy a team already.

Final Assessment: The Raptors are entering their second year of an affiliation with the Erie BayHawks. They did call up Pops Mensah-Bonsu and Quincy Douby from the D-League two seasons ago, but overall they’ve been more of a dip-their-toes-in-the-water rather than a dive-in-head-first kind of team when it comes to D-League usage. They’re not totally totally out of the water, but they’re not looking to make the full commitment and get their hair wet either. (Insert cold/Canada joke here.) Point is, the Raptors could do more if they bought in fully to the usefulness of the D-League as a player development tool.

How would you grade the Atlantic Division teams’ usage of the D-League. Let us know in the comments below. And be sure to check back for grades of the other NBA teams in the upcoming days.

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.

Grading panel consisted of: Matt Hubert, D-League Digest (MH); Jon L/Scott Schroeder, Ridiculous Upside (RU); Matt Moore, AOL Fanhouse (MM); TrueHoop Network team bloggers (THN)

Golden State Warriors: 3.59 GPA
High Grade: A (MM, THN)
Low Grade: B- (RU)
Players Assigned: 5 (2 in last two years)
Players Called Up: 11 (6 in last two years)

THN’s Take (by Rasheed Malek, Warriors World): No team in the NBA has used the D-League more successfully then the Golden State Warriors. Under Don Nelson, the Warriors have adopted the belief that the D-League is a better alternative for adding talent than second round picks. The Warriors prefer to bring players in from the D-League because they can come in and contribute right away, have experience with the NBA style of play and fit a specific need for the team.

Players such as Kelenna Azubuike, C.J. Watson and Reggie Williams are some of the players who’ve secured multi-year deals from NBA teams after initially being called up by the Warriors from the D-League. Add in other players such as Anthony Tolliver and Chris Hunter who’ve experienced significant playing time with the Warriors and it’s clear that the Warriors are the model franchise when it comes to utilizing the D-League.

Matt Moore’s Explanation: So weird. Such a backwards franchise with one brilliantly executed plan. Even though they don’t send anyone down, their use of the D-League as a talent pool gets them an A.

Final Assessment: Golden State’s usage of the D-League has been among the most publicized of any NBA team because of the number and success of their call-ups, particularly Reggie Williams and Anthony Tolliver. Don Nelson has been more willing than most coaches to give players minutes after calling them up from the D-League.

That is a result, in part, because of injuries that have hampered the Warriors, but it’s also a testament to Nelson’s spirit of innovation and willingness to go against the grain and try something different. Although there’s room to grow in terms of the Warriors’ management of its homegrown talent, their propensity for finding D-League prospects that are more than just stopgap solutions make them one of the best in the league in terms of D-League usage.

Los Angeles Clippers: 0.83 GPA
High Grade: D+ (RU)
Low Grade: D- (MH, THN)
Players Assigned: 0
Players Called Up: 10 (1 in last two years)

THN’s Take (by D.J. Foster, ClipperBlog): The Clippers have used the D-League sparingly, opting instead to fill out the end of their bench with veterans on their last legs. JamesOn Curry getting called up last year was the first guy I could remember in a while, and fittingly enough he played less than a minute last year in his time in the NBA. While they’ve been notorious in the past for not stashing players overseas (Big Sofo—Sofoklis Schortsanitis—in ’03 being the lone exception), they’ve been just as bad not using the D-League or calling guys up on 10-day contracts, even in lost seasons with nothing to lose.

Times might be changing though—the Clips signed undrafted rookie Marqus Blakely before another team could get their hands on him once he showed off in the D-League. For that reason, they get a D-, even though their past use of the D-League has been extremely poor and probably deserving of an F.

Final Assessment: With the Lakers as the top ticket in town, it would make sense for the Clippers to try to shake things up a little and invest in the D-League. But owner Donald Sterling is notorious for not wanting to spend, and that reputation seems to carry over into the franchise’s feelings toward the D-League as well.

The Clippers have never assigned a player to the D-League, shocking for a team that is routinely restocking with draft picks. And their lone call-up last season lasted about as long as this sentence. They’ve had just one winning season since 1992, and their usage of the D-League suggests that they’re way behind in terms of utilizing it as a tool to help them get better in the future.

Los Angeles Lakers: 2.00 GPA
High Grade: B (MM)
Low Grade: D+ (RU)
Players Assigned: 4 (1 in last two years)
Players Called Up: 1 (0 in last two years)

THN’s Take (by Darius Soriano, Forum Blue & Gold): On the positive side, they own their affiliate (the L.A. D-Fenders), instituted the Triangle offense on the team, and sent players down (Jordan Farmar, Sun Yue) to get needed experience/court time that they were not getting with the Lakers. Remember too that the Lakers actually made a bit of news by having Farmar actually play a D-Fenders game and then also suit up for the Lakers on the same night, so I give them some extra points for their innovation with that particular move. However, on the negative side, the Lakers rarely explored options on other teams as potential call ups to fill out the end of the roster or ever took a flyer on a young player that could end up developing down the line. Considering the level of talent that exists in the D-League, that is a bit disappointing.

All that said, if I could really give the Lakers an “incomplete” I would. The Lakers run an offensive system that is difficult to pick up without practice time, so the calling up of players from other teams isn’t really the most sound option (this is in stark contrast to a team like the Warriors that have a lot of success with D-League call ups due to the wide open nature of their offense and the ease in which new players can be integrated). Also, due to the Pau Gasol trade and payroll concerns, the Lakers have not had a first round pick since 2007 (Javaris Crittenton, who did get sent down, but spent the majority of his time up with Lakers due to lack of guard depth and the hope that he would learn more in the NBA). Plus, some of the second round picks that they’ve selected have ended up playing in Europe (Marc Gasol, Chinemelu Elonu) rather than staying stateside. This lack of infusion of young talent combined with the complexities of the Triangle and the Lakers’ status as a high-talent team without a lot of room on the roster conspire to make them a poor organization for D-league utilization. (On a side note, I believe this is one of the reasons the Lakers decided take a year off from having the D-Fenders participate in the D-League as their model and usage was relatively low. This has led to an inefficient use of both financial and player resources.)

I will say, though, that this upcoming season I expect the Lakers to use their affiliation with the Bakersfield Jam to a much greater extent. Since they have signed both their second round picks (Derek Caracter and Devin Ebanks), I believe both players will see some time with the Jam in order to get some minutes and court time that may not be available with the big league club.

Matt Moore’s Explanation: Historically, they’ve used the D pretty well for a team that’s been in contention for 10 years. They just haven’t needed it. Of course, suspending operationss for a year is a pretty big step backwards for the league. So there’s that. BUT SERIOUSLY, JORDAN FARMAR PLAYED IN THE D-LEAGUE AND NBA IN THE SAME DAY! (What? What do you mean Farmar’s with Nets now? Oh, crap.)

Final Assessment: The Lakers are a unique case. Few teams have the luxury that the Lakers have had the past decade. From Shaq and Kobe to Kobe and Gasol, the Lakers have had loaded rosters, which has enabled them to thrive without the need to develop a lot of raw prospects. They do own an affiliate, but the D-Fenders are on hiatus for the 2010-11 season, so it’s hard to call them a success or a failure. Their stature as The Lakers prevents them from feeling some of the needs other teams in the league face.

Phoenix Suns: 1.92 GPA
High Grade: C+ (MH)
Low Grade: C- (RU, THN)
Players Assigned: 7 (4 in last two seasons)
Players Called Up: Final Assessment: 5 (3 in last two seasons)

THN’s Take (by Michael Schwartz, Valley of the Suns): The Suns at least do sport an affiliation with the Iowa Energy and have considered owning their own affiliate, but the reason I can’t go higher than a C- is that no D-League-developed player has yet to make even a minor impact on the franchise. They have sent rookies such as Earl Clark and Taylor Griffin on short stints to Iowa, but the trips weren’t altogether impactful nor have either of those players really produced at the NBA level. The Suns have used the D-League to fill out on the end of their bench the last couple seasons, but since the D-League has yet to lead to any success at the NBA level, the Suns deserve a C- for their D-League efforts.

Matt Moore’s Explanation: They sent Alando Tucker down… and they seemed to have a plan with Steve Kerr in place, even though it never really worked out… and Kerr’s gone… If [New Mexico] wasn’t such a mess, maybe [I'd grade them higher].

Final Assessment: The Suns have been a team in flux the past several seasons, transitioning from the running game of Mike D’Antoni to the defensive-minded Terry Porter to Alvin Gentry, who is probably somewhere in between with leanings toward D’Antoni. With Steve Kerr now out as general manager and Amare Stoudemire signing with the Knicks, change is still in the air in Phoenix. One thing that’s been pretty consistent throughout has been the Suns’ lackluster use of the D-League. They’ve had a few assignments and a few call-ups, but nothing particularly noteworthy. They use the D-League to some extent, but there’s plenty of room for improvement.

Sacramento Kings: 1.33 GPA
High Grade: D+ (MH, RU)
Low Grade: F (MM, THN)
Players Assigned: 1 (1 in last two seasons)
Players Called Up: Final Assessment: 2 (1 in last two seasons)

THN’s Take (by Zach Harper, Cowbell Kingdom): The Kings get a F. I’m not even sure they know they have an affiliate.

Final Assessment: The Kings have had very little involvement with the D-League, but they have assigned one playe—Donte Green, for five games during the 2008-09 season—and called up one player—Garrett Temple, for five games last season. Unfortunately, they let Temple go (he’s since been signed by the Spurs) and have generally otherwise stayed away from the D-League for prospects. This is a small market team that could do themselves a favor by finding a few D-League gems a la the Warriors.

How would you grade the Pacific Division teams’ usage of the D-League. Let us know in the comments below. And be sure to check back for grades of the other NBA teams in the upcoming days.

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

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

• I’m in the works of putting together a multi-post series grading all 30 NBA teams’ usage of the D-League (stay tuned). In response to my query, Zarar Ziddiqi of Raptors Republic posted a state of the union post regarding the Raptors’ usage of the D-League, which sparked some interesting comments from the loyal readers over there.
• TrueHoop’s Kevin Arnovitz spoke with Texas Legends coach Nancy Lieberman. Arnovitz’s post sparked a response from yours truly as well as Ridiculous Upside’s Scott Schroeder, proving that Lieberman will be a hot topic in D-League circles this season.
• Brian Serra of Orlando Magic blog Howard the Dunk commented on the possibility of rookie Daniel Orton seeing time in the D-League this season.
• In episode five of AOL FanHouse’s 10-part series, Jordan Schultz speaks to roommate and D-League hopeful Cliff Samuel about life off the court.
• Duane Rankin of GoErie.com wrote a column suggesting the D-League should consider implementing a maximum age limit for its players. Erie BayHawks coach seems to favor the notion. I, on the other hand, tend to disagree.
• Self-promotion alert! The Aussie-based basketball blog 3 Man Weave debuted a new post series interviewing great (there words, not mine) basketball bloggers from around the world called “From the Bleachers” and chose me as their first subject. Click through to read about how I got into blogging, why I cheer for the Lakers, and the time LeBron James swatted my shot in fifth grade.