Heat Call Up Wright, Barron

January 18, 2006 - NBA G League (G League)
Florida Flame News Release


FORT MYERS, Fla., January 18 - Miami HEAT President Pat Riley announced the team has recalled swingman Dorell Wright and center Earl Barron from the Florida Flame of the NBA Development League. The Flame has been assigned as the HEAT's D-League affiliate for the 2005-06 campaign.

Wright appeared in six D-League games with the Flame, averaging 12.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 20.7 minutes per game after being assigned on January 3 by the HEAT. The 6-8, 205-pound guard/forward tallied a season-high 32 points in the Flame's 105-98 win over the Roanoke Dazzle on January 13 at Germain Arena.

Wright was originally selected by the HEAT in the first round (19th overall) of the 2004 NBA Draft. Wright has appeared in a total of 11 NBA games during the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons, averaging 1.8 points and 1.2 rebounds while shooting 32% from the floor and 4-4 from the foul line. The 20 year-old from Los Angeles, Calif. has appeared in eight games with Miami in 2005-06, averaging 1.6 points and 1.5 rebounds in 6.3 minutes per game, while shooting 35.7% from the field and 3-3 from the foul line.

Barron also appeared in six D-League games with the Flame, averaging a team-best 17.0 points per contest, while also posting averages of 9.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 29.2 minutes per game. The 7-0, 245-pound center averaged 19.2 points and 10.0 rebounds while shooting 55% FG (40-73) in his last five games with the Flame. Barron also tallied double-doubles in his last three games, averaging 23.3 points and 12.3 rebounds per game while shooting 55% FG (27-49) during that span. Barron notched his 3rd double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds vs. Arkansas at the MLK Showcase on Jan. 16 and earned his second double-double with a season-high 25 points & 13 rebounds vs. Fayetteville at the MLK Showcase on Jan. 15.

Barron has appeared in three games with the HEAT in 2005-06, averaging 0.7 pts and 0.7 rebounds in 1.7 minutes per game. Signed by the Heat as a free agent on Aug. 8, 2005, Barron started all seven games for the HEAT's 2005 Summer League entry in the Southern California Summer Pro League, averaging 17.4 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.0 blocks while shooting 65% from the field and 83.7% from the foul line.

Florida opens a two-game homestand tonight against the Tulsa 66ers at Germain Arena. Tip-off is set for 7:00 p.m. The Flame is the official D-League affiliate of the NBA's Miami HEAT, Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston Celtics, and Orlando Magic. Showcasing the best young talent in professional basketball outside of the NBA, the Flame play a 48-game schedule during the 2005-06 season with 23 home games at Germain Arena. Led by a group of local investors, the Flame is now in its second season of providing affordable, family entertainment to sports fans throughout Southwest Florida.

The NBA Development League includes the Albuquerque Thunderbirds (N.M.), Arkansas RimRockers (Little Rock), Austin Toros (Texas), Fayetteville Patriots (N.C.), Florida Flame (Ft. Myers), Fort Worth Flyers (Texas), Roanoke Dazzle (Va.) and Tulsa 66ers (Okla.).

Designed to help grow the sport of basketball both domestically and internationally, the league also offers fun, family entertainment at affordable prices. The D-League is a source of on-court talent for the NBA's 30 teams and is a diverse human resources pool for the NBA and its teams by training employees in management, operations, public relations, sales and marketing positions.

For additional information, please visit floridaflame.com or contact Florida Flame Director of Media Relations, Tim Becwar at (239) 561-8130 and tbecwar@floridaflame.com. For additional information on the NBA Development League please visit NBADLEAGUE.com.



NBA G League Stories from January 18, 2006


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