Rio Grande Valley Vipers Team Preview

Posted by Dakota Schmidt on November 25, 2012

Our journey around the NBA D-League continues as we take a look at the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. The Vipers residein Hidalgo, Texas, which sits on the edge of the Mexico/Texas border, making them the southernmost professional team in all of the United States. This Valley Vipers team could be sitting on the edge of the D-League Finals picture this season despite finishing below .500 last season. Why do I have the Vipers slated as being so good after being so mediocre last season?

Well there are two reasons for that:

Reason #1: They currently have a roster that’s balanced with scorers like Demetri McCamey and Jeff Adrien and young front court players with potential like Reeves Nelson and Tim Ohlbrecht.

Reason #2: The Rockets currently have the youngest roster in the league. They have  seven available to send to the Vipers including Terrence Jones, Scott Machado (already with Vipers), Marcus Morris, Donatas Motiejunas (with Vipers), Chandler Parsons, Greg Smith, and Royce White.

After passing Wednesday night’s roster deadline, we now have a clear picture of what the Vipers roster will look like this season, and it’s clear that the Vipers have a pretty standout back-court especially with Scott Machado currently on the roster. Machado went undrafted in June’s draft but received a contract with Houston after having a great performance in the Summer League. With Iona, Machado nearly averaged a double-double with 13.3 PPG and 9.9 APG which was one of the top assist rates of the 2012 draft class. In addition to Machado, the Vipers feature another solid PG in former Illinois star Demetri McCamey. Before struggling in the Turkish league last year, Demetri was a stud in college by averaging 14.6 PPG, 6.1 APG and was really efficient with a 20.5 PER in his senior season.

While the PG situation looks pretty clear with McCamey and Machado (as long as he’s on assignment), the SG position looks a bit more fishy. There’s going to be three players competing for playing time including former Arizona Wildcat Kyle Fogg, Toure’ Murry, and Glen Rice Jr., who is the son of former NBA All-Star sharpshooter Glen Rice. All of these players are rookies in the D-League so they all have something to prove, but I would give a slight edge to Toure’ Murry because he was one of the leaders of a Wichita State team last year that landed a #5 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Meanwhile Kyle Fogg was a decent sharpshooter for Arizona while Glenn Rice Jr. showed a lot of potential with Georgia Tech before he was kicked off the team last season after being charged with a shooting incident in an Atlanta nightclub. Rio Grande Valley will be giving Rice a change to redeem himself but will have to work harder than he has ever had if he wants that starting gig with Rio Grande.

The Vipers front court is a bit of a question mark, but we do know that Jeff Adrien will be the star of not only this front court but the rest of the team. Before having stints with the Rockets and multiple European teams, Adrien had an outstanding year with the Vipers where he averaged a double-double with 19.9 PPG and 12.2 RPG. While Adrien is looked at to be the star of the team, rookie Chris Johnson will be looking to acquire any type of playing time behind the stud Adrien. Johnson was a decent spot-up shooter at Dayton and like Adrien was a decent rebounder for someone who’s not exceptionally tall.

Just like new teammate Glen Rice Jr, Reeves Nelson is coming to Rio Grande Valley as a talented but troubled player who was kicked off of his college team. Nelson was kicked out of UCLA after repeated bad behavior. Before being banished from the team, he was an All-Pac-10 selection when he put up 14.0 PPG and 9 RPG in his sophomore season. It would appear that Nelson has a clear path to being the starting PF for this team but the Rockets have a plethora of young PF’s that could make their way down to the D-League this season.

Going back to Motiejunas, he’s been compared to Andrea Bargnani as a big who’s not that great of a rebounder and likes to play around the perimeter. Donatas’ rebounding numbers did increase last year while playing in the Euro League but his reported attitude problem and inability to do the “dirty work” will be something that coach Nick Nurse will be working on while Motiejunas is down in Rio Grande Valley.

Wrapping up the look at the Vipers depth chart we take a look at the center position, which is currently held by the duo of DeVon Hardin and Tim Ohlbrecht. DeVon Hardin has been the definition of a “world-traveler” since playing with Tulsa in the 2009-10 seasons by making stops in places like Israel, Turkey, Belarus, Qatar and China. While Hardin really didn’t produce when he was with Tulsa, you would think that the RGV front-office sees something good out of him after drafting him in the 2nd round of this year’s draft. Meanwhile  Tim Ohlbrecht will more than likely be trapped on the Vipers bench because he really didn’t do anything in his career in Europe that stood out at me.

Overall this Vipers team is really different than any other D-League team because their NBA affiliate is so young that players could be called up and sent down very frequently. With that said, I can see them being one of the best teams because they could get a lot of NBA talent mixed with the standard D-Leaguers.

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Assignments and Call-ups Roundup for November 23

Posted by Michael Marks on November 24, 2012

Opening night was a mixed bag for the eight NBA players on assignment in games last night, while the D-League’s lone call-up of the young season didn’t see any action.

Continue Reading »Assignments and Call-ups Roundup for November 23

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News and Notes from Opening Night

Posted by Michael Marks on November 24, 2012
  • Canton’s Kevin Jones had the best line of the night, scoring 26 points on 11-19 shooting with 14 boards (7 offensive), 4 steals, 1 block, and only 1 turnover. Jones was the only member of the Charge to record a positive plus/minus (+2). It still wasn’t good enough for a win, with Maine coming out on top, 123-115.
  • Bakersfield and RGV went down to the wire, with the Jam coming out on top 115-113. Houston assignment Donatas Motiejunas was called for a defensive three-second violation with 45 seconds left. Renaldo Major sunk the technical free throw to put the Jam up for good.
  • Oklahoma City assignment DeAndre Liggins recorded the season’s first triple-double with 15 points, 10 assists, and 11 rebounds, leading Tulsa in each category. His efforts were good enough to lead the 66ers over Texas, 83-76.
  • JaJuan Johnson, the number 1 overall pick in the 2012 D-League Draft, was hampered by foul trouble and couldn’t get into a rhythm on his way to a 13 point night on 33% shooting. He failed to record a block, but did scoop up 9 rebounds as his Fort Wayne Mad Ants lost to Erie, 109-100.
  • Erie’s Mychel Thompson put in 44 minutes of work last night, more than any other player. He made the most of them, posting a full line of 16 points on 50% shooting, 3 threes, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. His outside shot is definitely his best asset, but he’s made it clear that there’s a lot more to his game.
  • Scott Machado posted big numbers for RGV, albeit fairly inefficiently. The Houston assignment recorded 8 assists, 7 rebounds, and 20 points, but also turned it over 7 times and shot only 43.8% from the field.
  • Out of Canton’s 49 rebounds, 20 were offensive – by far the best percentage of any team who played last night.
  • Though RGV likes to push the ball at a blistering pace, Bakersfield actually led them in shot attempts, 106-92. Turning the ball over 27 times and allowing Bakersfield to put up a +8 in offensive rebound margin probably had something to do with that.

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Los Angeles D-Fenders Team Preview

Posted by Dakota Schmidt on November 21, 2012

Continuing our look around the West Coast of the D-League world, we now take a look at the Los Angeles D-Fenders who are the actual little brothers of the L.A. Lakers (sorry, Clippers). The D-Fenders were two victories away from defeating the Austin Toros and wrapping up the D-League title, but that wasn’t meant to be as the Toros became champs. The D-Fenders will be entering the season hungry to get over that hump and become champions. The D-Fenders are an interesting team ranging from an NBA journeyman like Jamario Moon to a guy named Tristan Thompson who played at a Texas school (not the same Tristan Thompson that most basketball fans know). It all should add up to make for an interesting season at the Toyota Sports Arena in El Segundo, California.

Compared to the Idaho Stampede, who I previewed yesterday, the D-Fenders have an extremely solid backcourt right now featuring some players that have a great chance to be called up to the NBA like Courtney Fortson and Darius Johnson-Odom. Of course DJO was assigned to the D-Fenders from the Lakers, so there’s a good chance he’ll be brought back. He’d be a great offensive producer after putting up 18.3 PPG on 44.7 percent shooting last year with Marquette.

Meanwhile Fortson is returning to L.A. after being called up twice last year to Houston and the Clippers. He really made a statement after averaging 17 PPG, 4.3 RPG and 5.9 APG which is pretty wild when you remember that he’s only 5’11″. Fortson will probably be one of the many players called up this season on a 10-day contract, but while he’s with the D-Fenders you can bet that he’ll make a major impact.

If either one of those two guards are called up, the D-Fenders have a few options that they can go to help lead the ship. Tristan Thompson (guard version) was a standout scorer with the North Texas Mean Green and was solid in his rookie year with the Toros last year (8.8 PPG on .408 FG%). A few other solid backup guards (Cecil Brown and Kevin Kruger) are both coming back to the D-League after having an extended stay away from pro basketball. Kevin Kruger was a good scorer for the now defunct Utah Flash but took a season off to create a business named “Stadium Cribs” where they transform the inside of a baby’s crib into a replica of a particular stadium.

Cecil Brown on the other hand has basically been extinct in the basketball world since playing with the 66ers in the 2009-10 season. Brown was a productive player that year (14.1 PPG on .480 FG%) but will probably have a reduced role because of the simple fact he hasn’t played basketball in the past two seasons.

Where the D-Fenders really shine is with their forwards in the front court. They have a crew of experienced players like the aforementioned Jamario Moon or double-double threats like Jarrid Famous and Gary Flowers.  They’re also giving a shot to Renardo Sidney, who as a kid was acclaimed as a top prospect. Early in high school he had problems with weight and illegal benefits he received as a high schooler complicated matters. During this summer’s draft combine he had 22.4% body fat and weighed at least 304 pounds. Sidney has apparently cut down at least 20 pounds since that time because he’s listed at 285 on the D-Fenders site so it’ll be interesting to see what type of impact he can make in LA.

Jarrid Famous is probably the player on the D-Fenders with the highest chance for a D-League call-up. Famous almost averaged a double double (13.9 PPG and 9.8) in his combined stints with the Mad Ants and Iowa Energy, and I personally thought he looked great when I was watching him this summer as part of the Milwaukee Bucks Summer League squad. After failing to catch up with an NBA team, Jamario Moon made the trek to the D-Fenders where he had a nice short stint by posting up 18.2 PPG and 7.6 RPG.

A few other front court players that should be on your radar include Darnell Dodson who’s a former Kentucky Wildcat. He was a teammate of DaMarcus Cousins and John Wall but finished out his college career where he averaged 11.12 PPG and 4.9 RPG in his senior season. Also take a look at Gary Flowers who did spend a short amount of time overseas and with the D-Fenders. He previously starred at Southern Miss when he averaged 18.8 PPG and 7.7 RPG in 31 minutes per game.

All in all this D-Fenders team is pretty solid overall both in the front court and back-court and has a chance to possibly make it their way back to the D-League Finals picture. The Lakers actually have a young group of players on their bench like Robert Sacre, Earl Clark and Darius Morris (when Nash returns) who could make their way down to the D-Fenders.

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Stein: Spurs to call up James Anderson

Posted by Michael Marks on November 20, 2012

According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Spurs will call up Rio Grande Valley Viper James Anderson. The move comes in the wake of Spurs swingman Stephen Jackson fracturing his right pinkie finger during last night’s game against the Los Angeles Clippers. Jackson is expected to miss four to six weeks. Second-year Spurs wing Kawhi Leonard is also unavailable due to tendinitis.

This will be Anderson’s second stint with the Spurs. He was drafted by San Antonio with the 20th pick in the 2010 Draft. After an unsuccessful training camp with the Atlanta Hawks, Anderson signed with the Bakersfield Jam before being traded to RGV.

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Idaho Stampede Team Preview

Posted by Dakota Schmidt on November 20, 2012

The NBA season has started and has already seen the twists and turns that you’d expect in an action flick. But it’s time to put the antics of those superstar players to the side to discuss the world of the NBA Developmental League. The likes of Byron Mullins and Alonzo Gee who both had extended time in the D-League in the past are currently having good seasons so far with their respective NBA teams and have proved how the D-League can help a player progress. There are hundreds of players currently in the D-League that are hungry that they could get to the level of Alonzo, Byron or other multiple former D-League players currently in the NBA.

Now even though they all dream of going to the NBA, those players still compete as a team to become the D-League champs like the Austin Toros last year. Players come and go in the D-League, but there’s still a championship to be won and one of these teams competing for the gold are the Idaho Stampede. The Stampede have struggled to even reach the playoffs since winning the title in 2007-08, but they hope that this is the year that they can make it back to the D-League playoffs and put excitement back in the CenturyLink Arena.

Idaho hopes former Magic and Richmond forward Justin Harper can be that player that can help lead this squad back to the playoffs. I’ve previously talked about Harper in my draft preview article. Harper plays in the same mold as Channing Frye. Harper never really had the opportunity to succeed with the Magic, but he was an all-around player at Richmond with his ability to score from the perimeter and the post and rebound.

Harper is going to have to lead this front court because they currently don’t have a big man that could pair up with him to rebound and block shots. The only player you could really call a center on this team would be 6’11″ rookie Garrett Green who was a role player with San Diego State last year (6.0 PPG and 4.6 RPG in 19 MPG). The likes of Paul Carter, who was a solid player for Idaho last year, could help the front court, but they’ll have to be hoping one of the other players step up or the Blazers send down Joel Freeland or Victor Clavor (more of a SF than a PF) to help the Stampede produce in the front court.

The Stampede is led by the returning Coby Karl who has played European ball for the past two seasons but was an absolute stud with Idaho in the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons. Karl will bring a veteran’s touch to a backcourt that’s filled with inexperienced players (minus journeyman D-Leaguer Darren Cooper). Another returning Stampede shooting guard is former Beavers guard Seth Tarver who’s been a solid role player for the past two seasons.

Tarver is a good scorer (.507 FG% last year), but he’ll most likely be the sixth man thanks to the return of Karl. Point guard will be a question mark for this team but I can see former TCU Horned Frog Hank Thorns, who’s a 5’9″ spitfire who was a solid player in his senior season last year (13.5 PPG, 4.0 APG, 1.0 SPG) taking the starting gig because he’s really the only PG. Thorns will have a challenging matchup basically every single night as the D-League site recently looked at in their top-10 D-league PG list. Thorns could become the starting PG for the season, but Nolan Smith could possibly be called down to the D-League if he continues to rot away on the Blazers bench.

It’s hard to really predict how a D-League team will finish because different players get called up and down so frequently. That said, I believe that the Stampede are going to be a team that are built around Karl and Harper but will be still be on the outside looking in once the 2013 D-League playoffs start.

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2012 Pre-Season Jamboree Stock Report

Posted by Michael Marks on November 19, 2012

With roster cuts imminent, last weekend’s Pre-Season Jamboree in Carrollton, TX gave players from six D-League teams the opportunity to show their organizations why they deserved a spot on the team. After six exhibition games between Rio Grande Valley, Texas, Austin, Erie, Santa Cruz, and Tulsa, D-League Digest is here to tell you who helped their cause, who’s on the fence, and who has more work to do.

Continue Reading »2012 Pre-Season Jamboree Stock Report

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Where do these guys come from? Breaking Down the D-League Draft

Posted by Michael Marks on November 10, 2012

The idea of a chance is what binds the Development League together. A chance for players to show what they can do, a chance for coaches to prove their value to the organization, a chance for everyone involved to do whatever it takes to make it to The Association.

Chance is what connects the 125 players who were selected in last week’s D-League Draft. Regardless of the road they took to get there, everyone who reported to camp this week shares the crucial commonality of a chance. This is their shot, and they know it.

Though we’re dealing with the most beloved (if not tired) trope in all of sports, from a pragmatic standpoint, we know that not all of these guys will make it. Some will, but most won’t. It’s more likely for a player to give the D-League a shot then go make money abroad than it is for him to ever sniff an NBA roster. But still, that chance.

The question begs then, though all of the 125 may literally have an opportunity, which of them will actually get to the NBA? We try to answer after the jump.

Continue Reading »Where do these guys come from? Breaking Down the D-League Draft

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The Alan Anderson “Do You Remember Me?” Team

Posted by Andrew Girvan on November 8, 2012

The D-League is a place where many second round and undrafted players have a place to shine, somewhere that struggling players can turn their dreams into realities

Some people may remember Alan Anderson, the MVP (voted by teammates) of Michigan State’s 2005 Final Four team. He is a perfect example of what the D-League can do for players. Here is an excerpt about Anderson from Holly Mackenzie, a Toronto Raptors report for Sportsnet:

“How winding is Anderson’s basketball journey? After playing on a Michigan State team that made it to the Final Four in 2005 and being voted as the team MVP by teammates and media during his senior year, Anderson went undrafted in the 2005 NBA Draft, was drafted into the CBA and then picked up by the Charlotte Bobcats where he spent two seasons flipping between the Bobcats and the D-League Tulsa 66ers. After that NBA stint came a season playing for La Fortezza Bologna, NBA Summer League with the Memphis Grizzlies, then a Russian club, a stop in Croatia, and an appearance on the Lakers’ Summer League team. The next year he made his way to Maccabi Tel Aviv and then returned to the United States where he was drafted to the D-League’s New Mexico Thunderbirds with the second-overall pick in the 2010 NBA D-League Draft. In December of that same season, Anderson returned to Europe, signing with Regal FC Barcelona in Spain. Shortly after, Anderson was off to China. From there, he returned to the D-League to play for the Canton Charge in Ohio before being picked up by the Raptors last season on two separate 10-day contracts and then a contract for the rest of the season.”

Anderson has literally played around the globe. His hard work and determination earned him a guaranteed contract for the 2012-2013 NBA season. So far this season he has played in all four Toronto Raptors games averaging a little more than 20 minutes per game.

NBA teams can invite 20 players to training camp and are allowed to break camp with a maximum of 15 players. Each team is allowed to send three of their training camp players to their D-League affiliates. All of the following players played at major D-1 basketball schools and overseas. They were all invited to NBA camps this past preseason too. For whatever reason, they were cut in training camp. But a team like the Charlotte Bobcats or the Washington Wizards might be able to use their talents this season.

And with that here’s the 2012-2013 NBA Development League “Do You Remember Me?” team:

PG: Demetri McCamey 6’3” 200 lbs. Age: 23
College: Illinois; Overseas: Turkey, Israel
Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Houston Rockets affiliate)

McCamey is a big, physical guard with deep range on his jumper. He has good court vision but can take some bad shots at times. Conditioning has never been a strength, but he was 1st team All Big Ten in 2010 (2009, 2011 All-Big Ten 3rd team). He was a member of the 2012 Chicago Bulls Summer League team in Las Vegas but played quite poorly, shooting 36.8 percent from the floor. The Rockets have been one of the most active teams in terms of using the D-League and with strong play, McCamey could be called up.

SG: Chris Douglas-Roberts 6’7” 210 lbs. Age: 25
College: Memphis; Overseas: Italy
Texas Legends (Dallas Mavericks affiliate)

Douglas-Roberts was actually a Los Angeles Lakers training camp invitee but was not designated an “affiliate player.” It was a smart move by Donnie Nelson to sign him and Melvin Ely for half a day, then cut them so they could be sent to Frisco.

Douglas-Roberts has seen time in the NBA before, with the New Jersey Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks. He has great size for a 2-guard, but is an average athlete and is an inefficient gunner. With more of a team attitude, Chris Douglas-Roberts could get a chance to stay in the league for good this time around. He is the only player on this team with NBA experience.

SF: Micah Downs 6’7” 180 lbs.  Age:26
College: Gonzaga; Overseas: Spain, Croatia, Belgium
Maine Red Claws (Boston Celtics affiliate)

Downs is a good athlete with a great jump shot, but he is rail thin at only 180 pounds (McCamey is four inches shorter but weighs twenty pounds more!) Although he’s a great rebounder for a wing, his ballhandling skills need to improve. It’s worth noting that Downs won the ACB Rising Stars award in the Spanish ACB league last season. Past winners include Sergio Rodriguez, Ricky Rubio, Mirza Teletovic (a sweet shooting forward who signed with the Nets this past summer) and the 2011-2012 NBA “Came Out Of Nowhere” award winner, Gustavo Ayon.

PF: Dallas Lauderdale 6’8” 260 lbs. Age: 24
College: Ohio State; Overseas: Poland
Idaho Stampede (Portland Trailblazers affiliate)

It’s unlikely Lauderdale will ever make an NBA team due to his offensive game, no matter how hard he works. However, he boasts a 7’6.5” wingspan which gives him plenty of potential on the boards and on defense. He was one of the best shot blockers in the Big Ten throughout his career. Lauderdale played sparingly for the Golden State Warriors Summer League team in Vegas, appearing in only three games.

C/PF: Jarvis Varnado 6’9” 210 lbs. Age:24
College: Mississippi State; Overseas: Israel, Italy
Sioux Falls Skyforce (Miami Heat affiliate)

Speaking of shot blockers, Varnado is arguably the most dominant shot blocker in the history of college basketball. With his 7’4” wingspan, Varnado swatted an amazing 564 shots over his four year career, the most in NCAA history. The three time (2008, 2009, 2010) SEC Defensive Player of the year is an explosive athlete but is very raw offensively. Although the 41st pick of the 2010 NBA draft has yet to see NBA playing time, he will be one of the elite big men in the D-League this upcoming season.

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2012 D-League Draft Preview; Mock Draft

Posted by Dakota Schmidt on November 2, 2012

NBA D-League fans everywhere from Maine to Anaheim can start preparing themselves for the upcoming D-League season because of tonight’s D-League Draft starting at 7 PM ET. 261 hopeful prospects–from Faizel Aden all the way down to Deonte Wyatt (prospect link here ) will be available for all 15 D-League teams to help bolster their rosters or potentially land a spot on an NBA roster. There are plenty of intriguing and interesting players available that should be familiar to people who are fans of college or NBA basketball. The likes of Chris Douglas-Roberts,  Travis Leslie and Christian Eyenga have all had somewhat relevant stints in the NBA. While reported 1st overall pick JaJuan Johnson (Purdue) , Jorge Gutierrez (Cal) and Darryl Patin (Boston University) have been called All-Conference player of the year for their respective college conferences.

Out of the 261 hopeful prospects, Tennessee Tech’s 7’2 center Liam McMorrow is the tallest of them all while former TCU Horned Frog PG Hank Thorns is tiniest one of the bunch listed at 5’9.

The draft has some prospects that belong to some very well-known basketball families like former Indiana  Hoosier Jeremiah Rivers who’s the older brother to Hornets rookie Austin Rivers and of course the son of Celtics coach Doc Rivers. Harouna Mutombo was a 6’4 shooting guard for Western Carolina who happens to be the nephew of the great Dikembe Mutombo. Both LaPhonso Ellis Jr. and Glen Rice Jr. are sons of long time NBA veterans LaPhonso Ellis and Glen Rice. Now nobody if these second-generation ballers will be as good as their fathers but it’ll be interesting to find out as they hope to make a D-League roster.

Every single one of these potential D-Leaguers share the same goal of being one of the called up to the NBA. While some of these players have already played on an NBA court, the hunger still remains for the players and being selected in tonight’s draft is that first step in redemption. No matter if you are one of those aforementioned former NBA players or a player coming out of a small college, there’s a certain optimism with all these players because a record 60 players were called up to the NBA from the D-League last season.

Now who exactly will be called up to the Show during the 2012-13 or be making their way to the Houston to be part of the D-League All-Star game next Feburary?? Well make sure to follow @Dakota_Schmidt on twitter as I’ll be giving live updates of the draft while it happens but before then I hope you enjoy me looking into my crystal as I preview the first round of tonight’s draft.

2012 NBA D-League Mock Draft

1. Fort Wayne Mad Ants- JaJuan Johnson, PF, 6’10” (Purdue)

I’ve already written an article about how JaJuan will reportedly be selected by Fort Wayne with the first pick so you can take a peek at that to see my opinions about the selection. To briefly recap that, I think that JaJuan would be an excellent selection by Fort Wayne because he’s that big man the Mad Ants really never had and would instantly put them at least in the playoff picture simply for the one-two punch with long-time Mad Ant great SG Ron Howard.

2. Sioux Falls Skyforce- Travis Leslie, SG, 6’4” (Georgia)

Travis Leslie is a young 6’4 shooting guard who was drafted in the 2011 draft by the Clippers but was just waived last week which makes him eligible for tonight’s draft. The sky’s the limit for this 22 year old man out of Georgia who is probably the most athletic player in this draft. He has a developing three point shot which did improve in his time with the Bulldogs but is deserving of a big-time shot with the Skyforce or any other D-League team because he hasn’t yet had that opportunity yet besides a mid-season role with the Bakersfield Jam late last season.

 

3. Idaho Stampede- Shelvin Mack,PG, 6’3” (Butler)

If the name Shelvin Mack sounds familiar to you and you don’t know why just remember that he was the 2nd best player on the Gordon Hayward 2009-10 Butler team that pushed Duke to the brink in the NCAA Tournament final in 2010. Shelvin is that instant offense type of player thanks to his jumper that helped those great Butler teams to back-to-back title game appearances. Shelvin shouldn’t be outshined thanks to this #3 selection by the Idaho Stampede which have been struggling since being the D-League champions in 2008.

4.  Maine Red Claws- Sean Singletary- PG, 6’0” (Virginia)

The streak of guards continues with Sean Singletary who’s a talented shooter who has made his way around the world playing in Belgium and Spain after being cut from the Bobcats in the winter of 2009. Singletary was known as one of the best players in the history of Virigina basketball but really hasn’t been on any pro team for over a year but hopes for greener pastures with a potential trip back to the USA to play in the D-League.

5. Reno Bighorns- Justin Harper-PF, 6’8″ (Richmond)

Justin Harper really is a strange player because he’s really a shooting guard trapped into a body of a power forward. If you were to compare him to any current NBA player he’d be more like Channing Frye which would mean he’s an agile, speedy PF that can shoot the lights out from beyond the arc but really doesn’t have the bulk to post up some of the bigger PF’s in the D-League. Despite being slight of frame by currently being listed at 6’8 and 225 pounds, he’s still a worthy draft pick mid way through the first round because of his shooting capabilities.

6. Tulsa 66ers- Christian Eyenga- SG, 6’5” (Congo)

To say that Eyenga has been around the block since being drafted by the Cavaliers in the 2009 draft would be a huge understatement. Eyenga has had two stints with the Cavaliers and even laced up his sneakers for a game with the Lakers, you may also have seen him made his way around the D-League cities in Canton, Erie and LA with the D-Fenders. Christian is the sort of player that really doesn’t do anything spectacular but he’s pretty good at most things. He can knock down three pointers and has a nice first step to get to the basket but he really shines defensively where he is an absolute workhorse. He would be a good fit on any D-League roster

7.  Rio Grande Valley Vipers- Shan Foster- SF, 6’6″ (Vanderbilt) 

After a fantastic career at Vandy where he was awarded the 2008 SEC Player of the Year award, Shan Foster has been hidden in the Dominican Basketball League and in Italy but he’s hoping that he can make a return to the U.S with tonight’s draft. Scouts worried about certain aspects like his quickness, strength and ball handling skills. He may not be the best player but he’s a solid defender and had an outstanding shooting percentage from behind the arc while at Vandy.

8. Texas Legends- Andrew Goudelock- PG/SG-6’3” (College of Charleston)

Goudelock is the type of player that’s skilled enough that he could currently be on any NBA roster but really hasn’t had that opportunity to shine because of playing at a small school like College of Charleston. Andrew has a killer jump shot that could light up the scoreboards in Frisco, Texas with the Legends this year. He’s a pretty average player all around besides where he really shines which is his outside shooting.

9. Iowa Energy- Jorge Gutierrez- PG, 6’3″ (Cal)

Just like Goudelock, Gutierrez could be called a combination PG and SG but is more of a PG because he really doesn’t have the scoring touch like Goudelock to be at SG. Gutierrez is one of those players who are a jack of all trades but a master at none because he’s an able rebounder and assist man but really doesn’t wow anybody. Gutierrez is the reigning Pac 12 Conference Player of the Year but it’s still a mystery if he can bring that game to the pro level in the D-League.

10. Canton Charge- Ryan Rossiter-PF, 6’9″ (Siena)

As I was trolling through the internet trying to find a scouting report to get a good idea about what type of player he is, I absolutely found nothing. Maybe it’s because he played at a small school like Siena but it’s really odd for you to not find anybody this kid even after he posted up 19 PPG and 9 RPG in his senior year. He ended up playing in France last year after not being drafted but he’ll be hoping to get his name called tonight to hopefully be a more well-known name.

11. Bakersfield Jam- Durrell Summers-SG, 6’4″ (Michigan State)

As a Badger fan I know about how good Summers could be after blowing up against Wisconsin multiple times in his stint with MSU. The main reason why Summers is probably in D-League draft and not in the NBA is because he has issues with consistency because there could be a game where he he’s hitting shots left and right but the next game he has the look of a guy who can’t even shoot a bouncy ball into the Atlantic Ocean. If Summers is going to be inconsistent than he’s going to have to remain the great defensive player he was at Michigan State and last year with the Maine Red Claws.

12. Erie Bayhawks- Jack McClinton- PG, 6’1” (Miami)

Now when you take a look at Jack’s stats at Miami or his three seasons playing pro ball in Europe and you wonder why he doesn’t have a roster spot in the NBA. He was one of the more efficient scorers in that class of ’09 that featured many great guards but the big problem with him is the fact that he was around 24 on draft day ’09 and he’s 27 right now so you basically get what you see when it comes to McClinton. He is going to be one of the older players in the D-League when he’s drafted but the team that does select him will be receiving a great shooting threat.

13.  Santa Cruz Warriors- Terrence Jennings- C, 6’10” (Louisville) 

Hey, we actually have a center listed in this mock draft! Now, Terrence Jennings might not be the best center I’ve ever seen or even in the top 30 but he is a big body which is a necessity for any team out there. He was a great force in the paint in Louisville when it came to blocking shots and was a pretty good offensive rebounder by averaging 5 offensive rebounders per 40 minutes. Will Terrence be a star in the D-League?? No, but his work in the paint makes him a valuable piece to a team like Santa Cruz that could be on the verge of going to the D-League Finals.

14. Springfield Armor- Demonte Harper- SG, 6’4″ (Morehead State) 

While Kenneth Faried was being a monster force on the boards at Morehead State, Demonte Harper was leading the backcourt into the NCAA Tournament by averaging 15 PPG and 5 RPG his senior season. Demonte is a total package anywhere on the court with the ability to score, pass and is an awesome rebounder for a 6’4 shooting guard. He probably won’t play at the level of his college teammate but expect to see Harper light it up a few times this season with Springfield.

15. Austin Toros-Chris Johnson- SF,6’6″ (Dayton)

Remember when I told you that Demonte Harper was the total package?? Well Chris Johnson did it all in his career at Dayton by recording 1,400 points, 800 rebounds (300 defensive), 200 points from beyond the arc and shot over 80 % from the free throw line. Perhaps I overlooked Chris while doing this mock draft but I’ll be extremely surprised if he isn’t one of the D-League players caught up to the NBA this season.

16.Los Angeles D’Fenders- DeVon Hardin- C, 7’0″ (Cal)

Finishing up this first round mock draft for tonight’s D-League draft we have DeVon Hardin who has made his way around the international basketball scene after leaving Cal as the second all-time leading shot blocker. DeVon didn’t really do great in his last stint in the D-League with the 66′ers but his work with the Cal Bears and his work in countries like Belarus and Venezuela. Hardin won’t set the world on fire like the Rockets guard with a similar last name but he’ll be a valuable asset to LA either on the bench or in the starting lineup with his copious amount of skills.

 

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