G League NBA G League

NBA D-League Update

Published on December 27, 2011 under NBA G League (G League) News Release


RECORD 88 FORMER NBA D-LEAGUERS MAKE THE CUT

An all-time high 88 players with NBA Development League experience highlighted 2011-12 NBA opening day rosters. That number of former NBA D-Leaguers on NBA opening day rosters surpassed the previous highs of 63 the previous two seasons.

In five years, the number of former NBA D-League players on NBA start-of-season rosters has more than doubled, going from 35 on opening day in 2006-07 to 88 this year.

Twenty-nine of 30 NBA teams featured at least one player with NBA D-League experience, while the Cleveland Cavaliers and Houston Rockets each had six former NBA D-Leaguers on their respective rosters.

Dennis Horner, a 6-9 forward out of N.C. State, made the New Jersey Nets in the same year he signed up to participate in the 2011 NBA D-League Boost Mobile National Tryout last June in Louisville, Ky. He was selected by the Springfield Armor in the third round (47th overall) of the 2011 NBA D-League Draft Presented by Cisco. After a strong start with the Armor, Horner was invited to training camp by the Nets, the Armor's affiliate, and eventually made the opening night cut.

Of the 88 former NBA D-League players in the NBA, eleven are earning Gatorade Call-Ups, having played in the NBA D-League earlier this season. They are:

Mickell Gladness (Miami/Dakota) Terrel Harris (Miami/Rio Grande Valley) Dennis Horner (New Jersey/Springfield) Carldell Johnson (New Orleans/Austin) Ryan Reid (Oklahoma City/Tulsa) Donald Sloan (Atlanta/Erie) Greg Stiemsma (Boston/Sioux Falls) Jamaal Tinsley (Utah/Los Angeles) Mychel Thompson (Cleveland/Erie) Lance Thomas (New Orleans/Austin) Chris Wright (Golden State/Maine)

PROSPECT REPORT

Blake Ahearn, Reno Bighorns -- Ahearn has made the rounds since going undrafted out of Missouri State in 2007. He earned a call-up to the Miami Heat during the 2007-08 season. The San Antonio Spurs gave him a look on a call-up in 2008-09. He was just in camp with the L.A. Clippers, before returning to Reno. In between NBA stints, Ahearn has been one of the NBA D-League's top players, consistently ranking among league leaders in scoring, assists and free throw percentage. He doesn't look the part, with his slight built and lack of eye-popping athleticism. But, he's quicker than you'd think and has an advanced offensive feel for the game. Convincing NBA teams he can be a competent back up remains a challenge. Ahearn currently leads the NBA D-League in scoring (25.9 ppg), while ranking third in assists (6.8 apg).

NEWS & NOTES

Sioux Falls' Mason Jr. Named NBA D-League Performer of the Week Anthony Mason Jr. of the Sioux Falls Skyforce was today named NBA Development League Performer of the Week for games played Dec 19-25. For the week, the 6-7, 205-pound forward out of St. John's averaged 21.0 points on 51 percent shooting, to go with 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists, as the Skyforce went 2-1. Mason Jr. registered his first double-double of the season, finishing with 22 points and 12 rebounds as the Skyforce defeated Springfield, 103-99 on Sunday, Dec. 25, the team's third game in four nights. Mason tallied 23 points, six rebounds, three assists and three blocks in a 104-95 loss to Canton on Friday, Dec. 23. He opened the week with 19 points on 8-for-13 shooting in a 100-96 win over Fort Wayne on Thursday, Dec. 22. For the season, Mason Jr. is averaging 16.6 points, 5.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists. More

AROUND THE D-LEAGUE

Jeremy Lin, who spent last season with the Golden State Warriors after going undrafted in 2010, has made the rounds so far this season. He was waived by the Warriors on Dec. 9. He was then claimed off waivers by the Houston Rockets on Dec. 12, but eventually waived on Dec. 25 to make room for Samuel Dalembert. Today, he was claimed off waivers by the New York Knicks. Lin averaged 18.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 20 games on assignment with Reno last season ... Former NBA starters Ricky Davis and Greg Ostertag have decided to make an NBA comeback through the NBA Development League, league sources told Ridiculous Upside on Thursday night. Both players have signed D-League contracts and will find out their new teams after clearing waivers on Tuesday afternoon. Davis, 32, last played in the NBA for the Los Angeles Clippers during the 2009-10 season before being released midseason. The high-scoring swingman has since spent time playing abroad in France, Turkey and China. Ostertag hasn't played professional basketball since the 2005-06 season. In an 11-year NBA career spent mostly with the Utah Jazz, the 7-2 center averaged 4.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in 756 career NBA games ... Cory Higgins, son of Charlotte Bobcats President of Basketball Operations Rod Higgins, and a former shooting guard for the Erie BayHawks, was picked up by the Bobcats on Sunday night after being the last cut of the Denver Nuggets earlier in the weekend ... The Fort Wayne Mad Ants announced today that they have reacquired Darnell Lazare and Chris Hunter . Lazare was recently waived from the Indiana Pacers training camp and Hunter from the New York Knicks training camp. The team has also acquired 6-10 returning center, Sean Sonderleiter. Sonderleiter last played with the Ants during the 2009-10 season.

ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENTS

Cleveland's Alonzo Gee scored 13 points on 5-for-7 shooting in 28 minutes in a loss to the Toronto Raptors last night. Not drafted by an NBA franchise in 2009, Gee signed with the Austin Toros, and was named the 2009-10 NBA D-League Rookie of the Year, averaging 21.0 points and 6.6 rebounds in 36 games with the Toros. After spending time with the Washington Wizards and San Antonio Spurs at the end of the 2009-10 season, Gee was signed by the Cavaliers in December 2010, and went on to average 7.4 points and 3.9 rebounds in 40 games.

LOOKING AHEAD

The 2012 NBA D-League Showcase is slated for Jan. 9-12. The eighth annual event, hosted this season by the Reno-Sparks Convention and Visitors Authority, will take place at the Reno Events Center in Reno, Nev., home of the NBA D-League's Reno Bighorns. NBA TV will air 12 Showcase games -- eight of them live. Each day is comprised of four games. The NBA D-League Showcase welcomes general managers, player personnel staff, and scouts from each of the 30 NBA teams who will be in attendance to evaluate the league's talent. Conceived prior to the 2004-05 season, the NBA D-League Showcase provides an opportunity for NBA D-League players and coaches to perform in front of NBA general managers, player personnel executives and scouts over four consecutive days at one location. The 2012 event will feature each NBA D-League team competing in two games each over four days.

GATORADE CALL-UP BOARD

Boston's Ray Allen needs 28 threes to pass Reggie Miller (2,560) for first on the all-time list ... Boston's Kevin Garnett needs 60 rebounds to pass Charles Barkley (12,546) for 16th on the all-time list ... The Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant needs 52 points to pass Hakeem Olajuwon (26,946) for eighth on the all-time list. Bryant needs seven steals to pass Rod Strickland (1,616) for 22nd on the all-time list.

ASSIGNMENT BOARD

NBA Players Currently on Assignment in the NBA D-League:

Player NBA Team NBA D-League Team Assignment Date G PPG RPG APG

Hassan Whiteside Sacramento Reno 11/29/10 7 5.1 3.2 0.1

DeMarre Carroll Memphis Dakota 12/14/10 6 35.7 18.3 6.8

Pape Sy Atlanta Utah 12/27/10 6 24.0 5.5 5.0

Devin Ebanks L.A. Lakers Bakersfield 12/27/10 6 26.5 12.0 8.0

Garret Siler Phoenix Iowa 1/4/10 16.0 4.0 7.0

Cole Aldrich Oklahoma City Tulsa 12/30/10 28.8 7.3 8.1

-->Today's Quote

ERIK SPOELSTRA, on the decision to keep NBA D-Leaguers Mickell Gladness and Terrel Harris, while waiving Eddie House: "(Gladness and Harris) simply overwhelmed us with their effort and their desire and their want this week. It was a little bit of a surprise and they continued to make us watch." Sun-Sentinel, Dec. 25, 2011

Check out the NBA G League Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



NBA G League Stories from December 27, 2011


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.


Sports Statistics from the Stats Crew
OurSports Central