In the D-League’s current Performer of the Week list one thing stood out to me, not the amazing stats that certain players have accumulated over the last week or so, but how awesome some of the names were on the list. Come on! A name like Booker Woodfox doesn’t make you think layups and outlet passes, it sounds like a name etched by a feather pen at the bottom of a scroll. Here are a few of my favorites…

Morris Almond, Maine Red Claws

In his last two games Mo-Almond, has averaged 23.5 points and 8.0 assists. Mr. Almond is not a new face when it comes to the D-League, but his play as of late suggests Mo-Almond could gloss the back on an NBA jersey yet again. Almond’s last name would likely provoke a “clever” promo where fans receive a snack sized bag of the almonds if the club scores over 100 points. Scratch that, Chalupas are wayyyy more fun to say and eat, sorry Mo.

Booker Woodfox, Texas Legends

Booker Woodfox has been lighting up the stat sheet, in his last two games he ripped off 23.5 points and 18.5 rebounds. Woodfox has lead the Texas Legends in their six game home stand to a 4-1 record with Reno coming into their gym tonight. I envision a dude with the name Booker Woodfox in one of those white curly wigs, reciting some eloquent statement to a jury in a court room. Instead, the 6-1 guard tears up the court each time he laces them up.

Osiris Eldridge, Bakersfield Jam

Osiris Eldridge and heavily considered “name with game” baller Juan Pattillo, have been carrying the load for Bakersfield.  The former Illinois State standout has been putting up numbers, 25.0 points and and 4.5 assists in the last two games. The name Osiris, brings me back to the days when I rocked a wallet chain and Osiris skate shoes’ layered in Shoe Goo, skateboarding on parking curbs. That reason alone is why he makes this list. Oh, and he is bringing his A-game lately for the Jam.

Terrico White, Idaho Stampede

Terrico has been terrific! Probably not the first time someone has said that. Seriously though, Terrico White has to be a favorite when it comes to the play by play guys. I can hear Kevin Harlan now, “Terrrrrrrrrrrrrico White right between the eyes!” White has averaged 20.0 points and 5.0 rebounds in the Stampede’s last few games, playing solid basketball.

Stefhon Hannah, Dakota Wizards

Stefhon Hannah’s game is as creative as the spelling of his first name. The shifty guard had 31 points and 8 rebounds in a huge game as the Dakota Wizards cooled down the Iowa Energy, Hannah’s former team. Hannah made this list purely based on the unique spelling of his first name, however, if he keeps balling like he did against Iowa, we could be hearing a lot more from Stef.

As the month of January winds down, things continue to heat up in the NBA Development League. Read the latest edition of D-Links for the latest stories concerning the D-League:

• The D-League needs a new name, writes Ridiculous Upside’s Scott Schroeder.
• Several players with D-League ties are taking their talents overseas, including 2010 D-League #1 pick Nick Fazekas, writes Wendell Maxey of Ridiculous Upside.
• From Joey Whelan’s Wizards Watch: Dakota Wizards coach Nate Bjorkgren speaks about the Wizards’ recent roster moves.
• Over at NBC Sports ProBasketballTalk, Scott Schroeder wrote about Blake Ahearn setting a new record for consecutive free throws made.
• You have less than one week left to cast your 2012 NBA D-League All-Star ballot.
• The Austin Toros ranked atop the latest edition of the D-League power rankings.
• Sam Farber of D-League.com writes about Offensive Rating, Defensive Rating, and Net Rating in the D-League.
• Los Angeles Clippers guard Eric Bledsoe recently suited up for the Bakersfield Jam as part of a rehab assignment. Matthew Martz of Clippers.com recapped Bledsoe’s return to action.
• From the New York Times Off the Dribble blog, Benjamin Hoffman writes about the number of veterans entering the D-League hoping to make an NBA comeback.

The most recent successful D-League rehabilitation stint can be found literally down the hall from the Los Angeles Lakers’ locker room, as the Los Angeles Clippers welcomed back Eric Bledsoe onto their roster. After a two game run with the Bakersfield Jam, Eric Bledsoe returns to “Lob City”, and now the Lakers will try their hand at rehabbing a player through it’s D-League affiliate, a la little brother. Derrick Caracter has been assigned to the Los Angeles D-Fenders, and in his first game with the club scored 20 points and added 4 rebounds in the losing effort and departing swan song to Bledsoe and the Bakersfield Jam. On the surface, Caracter’s successful D-League rehab will fall somewhere in between “The Chairman” Yi Jianlian’s and the aforementioned Eric Bledsoe’s, assuming Caracter can “rebuild” himself in addition to rehabbing his injury.

On Twitter, Derrick Caracter can be found under the handle @RebuildCaracter, which best describes his current situation on a few different levels. There is the rebuilding of his surgically repaired left knee, and also, wait for it…wait for it…his character. Caracter was involved in a rather embarrassing arrest at a New Orleans’ IHOP during the Lakers playoff series last season. More details from the incident can be found here, but I’d rather focus on what the young man has now set his sights for…redemption. In Caracter’s quest for a second chance both physically and mentally, he will have to let the past be exactly that, the past. In today’s society we have shown an acceptance for regrettable behavior, as long as the individual has fully dedicated themselves to change, which seems to be Caracter’s current mindset.

Caracter garnered heavy attention from elite basketball prospect evaluators during his high school days. He helped lead Notre Dame Prep to the no. 1 national ranking in his senior year in which he averaged 15.4 points and 7.1 rebounds. Once at the collegiate level, academic issues lead to a transfer after his sophomore season from Louisville to UTEP, in which Rick Pitino once described Caracter as “a major thorn in my side.” Caracter was selected 58th overall in the 2010 NBA Draft by the Lakers, and appeared in 41 games averaging  just 2.0 points and 1.0 rebound in 5.2 minutes. His play didn’t exactly suggest the second coming of A.C. Green for the club. However, if Caracter can bounce back from injury, and capitalize on still being a youngster with potential, the comparison to Green doesn’t seem so inconceivable.

Caracter’s youth and willingness to become a better player and person has to have the Lakers excited. He has displayed a grittiness nature in overcoming his arthroscopic knee surgery, with hard work rehabbing and now the chance to work it into game shape playing for the D-Fenders. If Caracter can stay the course, remain diligent in working hard while ignoring the off court distractions, the likelihood of seeing Caracter in a Lakers uniform again remains certain.

The month of January hasn’t treated the Idaho Stampede too kindly, they have managed only two wins out of eight games thus far, and are en route to the east coast for their remaining two. However, a bright spot within the lineup has emerged recently, and even earned a mention from the D-League’s official website as a top performer of the week. Mikki Moore chalked up consecutive 19 point, 11 rebound performances in the Stampede’s last two outings against the Austin Toros. His play, and overall court presence, has surely helped bring a positive energy to the team that sits currently at the bottom of the Western Conference.

Born Clinton Renard Moore, but nicknamed Mikki (MY-Key) when his affinity for “Life” cereal was discovered as a child, Moore still plays the game with the energy of a young recreational league baller. He is a 7-footer who can be easily described as gangly,  but he uses it to his advantage on the court. Moore’s dreadlocks seem impossible to contain under his headband, with his constant hustle on the court, and willingness to be involved on nearly every play. What drew my attention to Moore during a recent visit to Century Link Arena, was his jovial spirit during the game. You get the sense he is playing for the love of the game still, and is happy to be logging quality hardwood minutes.

Moore is the definition of an NBA journeyman having suited up for eight different squads. The 12-year NBA veteran started the 2011-2012 NBA season in the Memphis Grizzlies’ training camp. The Idaho Stampede acquired Moore January 9, and his addition to the Stampede’s lineup has given them a legit 7-foot presence. He is the second all-time leader in blocks for the University of Nebraska, and he has been able to continue using his ability to redirect the rock for the Stampede. In his 5 games with Idaho he is averaging 11.4 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. If the Stampede want any chance of  playing this postseason, they will need Mikki Moore to continue his excellent play.

In case you missed it, D-League Digest’s newest contributor, Gino Pilato, wrote his debut post yesterday about the Austin Toros. For all of the latest from around the NBA Development League, check out this week’s edition of D-Links:

• In an in depth look at the league, Mark Emmert of the Des Moines Register writes that the D-League has come a long way in 11 years.
• Writing over at NBC’s ProBasketballTalk blog, Scott Schroeder recaps New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin’s recent triple-double while on assignment for the Erie BayHawks.
• Check out Ryan Ripley’s post on Ridiculous Upside breaking down the Springfield Armor’s buzzer-beating alley-oop dunk by L.D. Williams.
• Over at Wizards Watch, Joey Whelan spoke recently with Dakota Wizards head coach Nate Bjorkgren.
• Walker Russell was called up by the Detroit Pistons this past week.
• Not every comeback has a happy ending: Ricky Davis was released by the Maine Red Claws (via Jessica Camerato, NECN.com) and Greg Ostertag re-retired (via Marc Stein of ESPN).
• Steve Warden of The Journal Gazette explains that Christian Laettner’s reasons for joining the Fort Wayne Mad Ants’ coaching staff were simple: he missed the game of basketball.
• GoErie.com’s Duane Rankin writes about how Erie BayHawks coach Jay Larranaga deals with the difficult task of divvying up playing time in the D-League.

Editor’s Note: This is the debut post of D-League Digest’s newest contributor, Gino Pilato. For more information on Gino, please check out his bio on the About page. Follow Gino on Twitter @GinoinBoiseID or email him at ginopilato@gmail.com.

Entering this weekend’s action, the Austin Toros sat atop the D-League’s Power Rankings and for good reason. They invaded Century Link Arena to take on the Idaho Stampede, and I had the chance to watch the Austin Toros up close and personal. The Toros play with an uptempo and very balanced style of attack. On Friday night, all but one player on the stat sheet recorded double digit points. Indeed, it starts with the team’s best player Justin Dentmon, a feisty, compact, and skilled point guard who runs the offensive attack efficiently.

Dentmon, a former University of Washington Husky, has elevated his play as of late, and NBA GM’s are surely taking notice. He is averaging 23.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists on the season, but what impressed me most was his ability to dominate the game at multiple levels. He puts his teammates in perfect scoring position, whether on the break, or in set pieces (which seemed secondary, due to their incessant urge at keeping the game uptempo). When he isn’t setting up plays for others on the floor, he slashes his way to the basket for an easy deuce in the blink of an eye. In short, this is the type of player you want running your team, and undoubtedly, the Toros are enjoying Dentmon at their point guard spot.

The team seemed well-coached by Brad Jones, and I don’t remember seeing a moment where any of the five players on the floor ever seemed gassed. Jones has his team playing with a sense of unity, players are quick to congratulate each other, and an overall sense of selfishness seems to be a point Jones has driven into his squad. The Toros being the San Antonio Spurs’ lone affiliate, seem to use the formula that has given the Spurs an enjoyed run of success: Team basketball. If Jones can keep his unit playing at this level, they will be a tough out come playoff time.

Currently the Toros are being threatened out of the top spot from other clubs such as the Iowa Energy, and Los Angeles D-Fenders. This trio will likely remain hovering atop the D-League’s top power ranking spot, and fans should be excited to know that Austin will be at the Iowa Energy’s barn on January 27. Of course, roster changes are imminent in the D-League so a call-up to any of these teams could heavily affect where they end up. Regardless, D-League fans should circle the calender when the Austin Toros hit the schedule, because their brand of basketball can be appreciated by even the most astute NBA fan.

To say that Ivan Johnson took an unconventional path to the NBA is a bit of an understatement. Johnson, a 27-year-old rookie forward for the Atlanta Hawks has been one of the most unlikely success stories of the first month of the 2011-12 NBA season.

In 11 games with the Hawks, Johnson is averaging 4.6 points and 3.4 rebounds in 14 minutes per game. Johnson emerged from relative obscurity with a 13-point (on 5-7 shooting), 4 rebound performance in 21 minutes in a 116-109 triple-overtime loss against the Miami Heat that was broadcast nationally on TNT. That performance earned him praise from Charles Barkley, had him trending on Twitter, and led to Grantland’s Rembert Browne suggesting Johnson could challenge Metta World Peace for the 2011-12 title of the NBA’s “Most Interesting Man in the World.”

Less than two weeks later, Johnson recorded his first NBA double-double (10 points, 11 rebounds) in 26 minutes against the Minnesota Timberwolves and hit two clutch free throws with less than 5 seconds on the clock to give the Hawks the 93-91 victory. A day later, in an article by Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Johnson tossed his name in the hat for NBA quote of the year: “My thing is, I don’t really watch basketball so I don’t know who anybody is,” Johnson said. “So when I match up against them, they are a regular player. I know the major players like LeBron [James], Kobe [Bryant], [Dwyane] Wade but all the extra ones I don’t know. Even if I did know them, I’m not going to be afraid. We are playing basketball.” The quote also earned Johnson a second post from Browne over at Grantland, musing about the possibilities of what’s next from Johnson.

So, who is Ivan Johnson? And why is he just now breaking into the NBA at age 27?

Late bloomer is not the right label for Johnson. His inability to make an NBA roster was not for a lack of talent. Anyone who watched him in the NBA Development League last season with the Erie BayHawks knew that Johnson had NBA-ready skills.He was a 1st-Team All-D-League performer last season. He finished second in the league in scoring at 22.6 points per game, tied for second in steals with 88, and seventh in total rebounds with 383 (7.8 per game). For the advanced metrics fans, Johnson ranked first in the D-League in Player Efficiency Rating at 24.9 and Win Shares at 6.6. Yet Johnson was not among the 27 D-League call-ups made during the 2011-12 season.

At 6’8″ tall and 230 pounds, he could be considered a bit of a tweener—an inch or two shy of ideal for a power forward without the quickness of a small forward. But Johnson uses his body very well and plays bigger than 6’8″. As a member of the BayHawks, he repeatedly demonstrated his versatility on offense as someone able to score on the block, off the dribble from the mid post or as a mid-range jump shooter. He’s also a physical defender and solid rebounder. Basketball ability was not preventing Johnson from earning a shot in the NBA. It was his basketball past, which had taken him all over the world without much to show for it.

As early as college, Johnson had trouble sticking in one place for too long. Listed from Cal State San Bernardino, Johnson also had brief stops at the University of Oregon, Los Angeles Southwest Junior College, and Cisco Junior College in Texas. He then entered the D-League, splitting the 2007-08 season between Anaheim and Rio Grande Valley, averaging a modest 13.9 points and 6.7 rebounds in 28.9 minutes per game. Next up was Korea. That ended with a lifetime ban for an obscene gesture he made at a referee. Back in the U.S., Johnson re-entered the D-League and was drafted in the first round of the 2010 D-League Draft by the BayHawks.

Though his play was superb as mentioned earlier, his attitude remained a concern. Tying for the lead league in personal fouls with 191 is one thing, but leading the league in technical fouls is a definite problem as Johnson did, earning 23 last year with the BayHawks, which was nearly twice as many as any other D-League player. The technical foul problems, at least in part, also led to Johnson coming off the bench for the BayHawks last season. Still, despite the issues with the officials, his strong play on the court persisted.

In December of 2011, Atlanta dared to be the team to give Johnson a shot and signed him as a free agent. When training camp finally opened after the NBA lockout ended, Johnson’s name was an afterthought on the Hawks’ training camp roster that featured a lot of big names like Joe Johnson, Al Horford, Josh Smith, and even the newly acquired Tracy McGrady. But Johnson impressed coaches enough to earn a roster spot. Then he impressed Coach Larry Drew enough to earn a few minutes of game time. And he’s used those minutes to continue to impress observers around the league.

It’s worth noting that his lone technical foul thus far this season, which was dished out against New Jersey on December 27 was rescinded by the NBA during the league review process. If Johnson can continue to produce on the court while also avoiding the issues that have plagued him in the past—most notably his temper—perhaps Atlanta may finally be the place capable of keeping Johnson in place for the long haul.

The 2012 NBA Development League Showcase tips off today in Reno, Nevada, as players from all 16 D-League teams try to impress scouts from around the NBA. Click the links below to read about what’s in store.

• Ridiculous Upside’s Scott Schroeder recently caught up with JamesOn Curry of the Springfield Armor. You should read the whole two-part post.
• Schroeder also reports that there will be no shortage of veteran NBA players taking part in the showcase. Mike James and Greg Ostertag are among the names of players who have tossed their hat into the D-League ring in hopes of a call-up and return to the NBA.
• Follow the 2012 D-League Showcase Blog, which currently features the Top 10 Things to Know.
• Wendell Maxey of Ridiculous Upside reports on some NBA vets opting to sign overseas.
• Mikkayla Guillett of Toros Nation on Austin’s recent win over the Texas Legends.
• Over at Wizards Watch, Joey Whelan speculated on the potential additions of Willie Warren and Luther Head.
• Here’s a look at the TV schedule for the D-League Showcase.
• 2011-12 Assignments and Call-Ups.
• In the New York Times’ Off the Dribble blog, Rob Mahoney writes that things are looking up for the D-League.

An early Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone out there! The NBA season tips off Sunday, which has a lot of ramifications for the NBA Development League. Read about what’s happening around the D-League in this week’s edition of D-Links.

• Scott Schroeder of Ridiculous Upside writes that NBA training camp invites could end up in the D-League.
• Terry Vandrovec of ArgusLeader.com writes that the new CBA will help grow the D-League.
• The weekly Best of Wizards Watch from Joey Whelan.
• CLNS Radio’s John Naranja recaps the Maine Red Claws recent loss against the Erie BayHawks.
• The Springfield Armor sit atop the latest D-League Power Rankings.
• GoErie.com’s Duane Rankin writes that the Knicks now have more reasons to use the D-League.
• Sam Farber examines turnover ratio in the D-League.
• Los Angeles Lakers rookies Andrew Goudelock and Malcolm Thomas had a quick stint in the D-League for the L.A. D-Fenders. The one-game assignment saw them help the D-Fenders defeat the Bakersfield Jam.

Check out the latest batch of D-League headlines in this week’s edition of D-Links:

• Larry Coon and Marc Stein break down the B-list items of the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement, which include new provisions regarding the usage of the D-League. The article also notes that the league and union will form committees to discuss further changes to a number of areas, including the D-League.
• According to D-League.com, 60 D-League players have left their D-League teams to participate in NBA training camps around the league.
• Joey Whelan is running a fantastic Dakota Wizards blog. In this “Wizards Chalkboard” post, he breaks down the Xs and Os of creating scoring opportunities against Idaho.
• Rehab assignments are now a possibility. Ridiculous Upside’s Scott Schroeder explains.
• Mikkayla Guillett of Toros Nation writes about Austin’s recent romp of Tulsa.
• The L.A. D-Fenders topped the list of the D-League’s first Power Rankings, which came out on Thursday.