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NBA D-League Update

Published on March 27, 2012 under NBA G League (G League) News Release


THOMAS, UZOH GET THE CALL

Malcolm Thomas and Ben Uzoh have the profile NBA teams often look for in young prospects. Both are extremely athletic. Both are versatile and can play two positions. Both have a strong competitive makeup, and play within the team concept.

At this stage, it's really about seasoning and opportunity for Thomas and Uzoh, who both earned GATORADE Call-Ups to the NBA today -- Thomas signing with the Houston Rockets, and Uzoh joining the Toronto Raptors. They join more than 100 NBA players with NBA D-League experience currently on 2011-12 rosters.

Thomas returns to the NBA following a three-game stint with the San Antonio Spurs in January, when he scored one point and grabbed three rebounds in 15 minutes. In 19 games (13 starts) with the D-Fenders this season, Thomas (6-9, 225, San Diego State) averaged 13.8 points, 9.3 rebounds and 32.3 minutes. During his time with the Spurs, Thomas was assigned to the Austin Toros for four games, averaging 9.3 points, 6.8 rebounds and 28.0 minutes.

A two-time All-Mountain West Conference Second Team selection, Thomas was named to the All-Mountain West Defensive Team during his senior season at San Diego State after finishing second in the conference in rebounding and blocks. He finished his career as the school's second-leading all-time shot blocker.

Uzoh returns to the NBA following a two-game stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers earlier this season when he averaged 2.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 6.5 minutes. In 20 games (18 starts), Uzoh has averaged 14.8 points on .478 shooting, 5.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.4 steals in 30.8 minutes per game with the Vipers.

The 23-year-old from Tulsa, who went undrafted in 2010, spent the 2010-11 season with the New Jersey Nets, playing in 42 games and posting averages of 3.8 points on .424 shooting, 1.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 10.4 minutes per game.

Whether the Rockets and Raptors view Thomas and Uzoh as short-term fixes or long-term solutions remains to be seen. In many cases, when a call-up occurs late in the season, it's with the express purpose of getting a player into your program for the summer and hopefully beyond.

Either way, Thomas and Uzoh have clearly used the NBA D-League to their advantage this season, staying in the minds of NBA teams, while continuing to improve as players.

PROSPECT REPORT

Marcus Dove, Dakota Wizards -- Dove continues to fly under the radar for the Wizards, due in large part to the fact that he's not a shooter/scorer. Dove makes his bones on the defensive end of the floor as one of the truly elite defenders in the NBA D-League. A two-time Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year at Oklahoma State (2007, 2008), Dove's combination of length, quickness and aggressiveness makes him a real headache for both small forwards and power forwards. In 37 games this season, Dove is averaging 1.6 steals and 1.5 blocks, to go with 13.6 points and 6.4 rebounds. The knock on Dove has always been his perimeter shooting and ball-handling, and he still has major room for improvement in those areas. He's only attempted two three-pointers this season, but is shooting better than 60 percent from the floor, which is indicative of a player who identifies good shots for himself. Dove has been in camp with the Oklahoma City Thunder on two occasions, and still has some NBA upside as a guy who can really guard people.

NEWS & NOTES

Canton's Alan Anderson Signs with Toronto Raptors

The Toronto Raptors have signed Canton Charge forward Alan Anderson for the record 42nd GATORADE Call-Up of the 2011-12 NBA Development League season. Anderson joins more than 100 NBA players with NBA D-League experience currently on 2011-12 rosters. Anderson (6-6, 220, Michigan State) has appeared in eight games with the Charge this season, averaging 21.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 33.1 minutes. He has scored in double digits in seven of his eight games, including five games with 20 or more and an NBA D-League season-high 30 points in a 105-100 loss to the Springfield Armor on March 24. In 44 career NBA D-League games over three seasons, Anderson had averaged 18.0 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 31.5 minutes. Undrafted out of Michigan State in 2005, Anderson returns to the NBA having played in 53 career games during the 2005-06 and 2006-07 seasons with the Charlotte Bobcats. He owns NBA career averages of 5.8 points, 1.9 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 15.5 minutes. More

Austin's Cory Joseph Named NBA Development League Performer of the Week

Cory Joseph, a guard on assignment to the Austin Toros from the San Antonio Spurs, was named NBA Development League Performer of the Week for games played March 19-25. The honor is the first for Joseph of his career. Joseph, who is in the middle of his third assignment from the Spurs to the Toros, averaged 19.0 points, 9.3 assists and 9.0 rebounds last week as Austin went 3-0. He shot 57 percent from the field and 33 percent from three-point land, scoring an NBA D-League season-high 25 points in a 113-103 win over the Iowa Energy on March 21. He became the ninth NBA D-League player this season to record a triple-double when he tallied 15 points, 17 rebounds and 12 assists in a 112-82 win over the Maine Red Claws on March 23. A 6-3, 185-pound guard out of Texas, Joseph is averaging 13.6 points, 5.2 assists, 5.1 rebounds and 32.0 minutes in nine games with the Toros this season. In 27 games with the Spurs this year, Joseph, who was the 29th overall selection in the 2011 NBA Draft, is averaging 1.7 points, 1.1 assists and 7.6 minutes. More

Memphis Grizzlies Re-assign Josh Selby to NBA D-League Affiliate Reno Bighorns

The Memphis Grizzlies re-assigned guard Josh Selby to the Reno Bighorns, the Grizzlies' NBA Development League affiliate. The assignment marks the 59th time an NBA player has been assigned to his NBA D-League affiliate during the 2011-12 season and is the second assignment for Selby. Selby (6-2, 183, Kansas) returns to the Bighorns following a four-game assignment in February, when he averaged 21.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 30.8 minutes. He scored more than 20 points in three games with the Bighorns, including an NBA D-League career-high 26 points on Feb. 14 against the Austin Toros. Originally selected by Memphis in the second round (49th overall) in the 2011 NBA Draft, Selby has appeared in 23 games for the Grizzlies this season, averaging 2.5 points, 1.2 assists and 8.8 minutes. More

AROUND THE D-LEAGUE

Over the weekend, the Golden State Warriors signed Keith Benson of the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Benson (6-11, 230) has appeared in 20 games with the Skyforce this season, averaging 15.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 30.6 minutes. Selected in the second round (48th overall) of the 2011 NBA Draft by the Atlanta Hawks, Benson returns to the NBA having spent the preseason with Atlanta this year. During his four-year career at Oakland, Benson was named All-Summit League Player of the Year twice (2010, 2011), while also earning All-Summit League Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2011 ... The San Antonio Spurs have signed guard Patrick Mills, who spent his first two NBA seasons (2009-11) with the Portland Trail Blazers, which included two assignments to the Idaho Stampede. It's possible Mills could see time with the Austin Toros, the Spurs' NBA D-League affiliate.

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.-->

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

Tulsa guard JEROME DYSON, on his goal to make the NBA: "I'm trying to add versatility to my game. I've learned scoring isn't everything. If I make an NBA team, I'm not going to come in and score a lot of points." Hartford Courant, March 27, 2012

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