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NBA D-League Update

April 6, 2012 - NBA G League (G League) News Release


A FIGHTER'S CHANCE

Even the most highly-touted college stars entering the NBA don't get there ?- or survive in the league ?- without having some fight in them.

For a guy like Donald Sloan, who's overcome about every challenge a 24-year-old ballplayer can, and who now finds himself the temporary starting point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers, there has to be a lot of fight.

One day after Ramon Sessions was dealt at the trade deadline, Sloan signed with Cleveland to shore up the backcourt. Recent injuries to Daniel Gibson and Kyrie Irving have pushed Sloan into the spotlight less than two weeks into his tenure in Cleveland. And he's blended right in.

"It's been great, a program like this where guys pride themselves on defense, toughness," said Sloan. "I think I fit right in ?- it's an easy click. It's natural for me to come in and play the way I play."

Since leaving Texas A&M as the seventh-leading scorer in school history, Sloan has seen it all. After going undrafted in 2010, he signed a non-guaranteed contract with the Kings, but was released before the season started.

He signed on with the NBA D-League's Reno Bighorns and later played professionally in the Philippines. He made his NBA debut with the Hawks and had a stint with the New Orleans Hornets earlier this year. Three nights before joining the Cavs, he scored 14 points for the Erie Bayhawks.

PROSPECT REPORT

Brian Butch, Bakersfield Jam -- There aren?t many guys like Brian Butch. The 6-11 center - once an elite high school prospect, then a staple at Wisconsin for four years - would probably have a regular gig at the end of an NBA bench by now, if his body would stop getting in the way. Few big men in any league can shoot the way Butch (who's made 43 percent of his total field goals from behind the three-point line) does, but spending time on the perimeter on the offensive end hasn't cut down his rebounding totals, as Butch is still pulling down 10.1 a game. He played on the Pan American Games team with Celtics center Greg Stiemsma, and could soon find himself playing opposite his fellow former Badger big man in the NBA. -- Kevin Scheitrum, NBADLeague.com.

NEWS & NOTES

NBA Development League Playoff Format

For the fourth consecutive year, the two conference winners, along with the wild card entrant with the best regular season record, will select their first-round playoff opponent from the teams ranked five through eight. The top-seeded conference winner selects its opponent first, with the second-ranked conference winner selecting second and the wild card team with the best regular-season record selecting third. The fourth seeded team plays the remaining team.

Austin's Justin Dentmon Signs with Toronto Raptors

The Toronto Raptors today signed Austin Toros guard Justin Dentmon for the 49th GATORADE Call-Up of the 2011-12 NBA Development League season. Dentmon joins more than 100 NBA players with NBA D-League experience currently on 2011-12 rosters. Dentmon (6-0, 285) has appeared in 40 games with the Toros this season, averaging a team-high 22.8 points to go with 5.5 assists, 3.7 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 37.2 minutes. He has scored in double figures in 39 of 40 games, including 30 games with 20 or more points and six games with 30 or more points. Currently in his second NBA D-League season, Dentmon spent the 2010-11 campaign with the Texas Legends, where he appeared in all 50 of the team's games and averaged 19.1 points, 4.0 assists, 3.5 rebounds, 1.4 steals and 35.1 minutes. In 90 career NBA D-League games, Dentmon averaged 20.7 points, 4.7 assists, 3.6 rebounds, 1.5 steals and 36.0 minutes. A 2012 NBA D-League All-Star, Dentmon returns to the NBA following a GATORADE Call-Up to the San Antonio Spurs last month, when he appeared in two games, scoring four points in 19 minutes.

Houston Rockets Assign Fortson to NBA D-League Affiliate Rio Grande Valley

The Houston Rockets have assigned rookie guard Courtney Fortson to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Rockets' NBA Development League affiliate. The assignment marks the 62nd time an NBA player has been assigned to his NBA D-League affiliate during the 2011-12 season and is the first assignment for Fortson. Fortson, who earned a GATORADE Call-Up to the Rockets from the Los Angeles D-Fenders on March 17, has appeared in five games for Houston this year, averaging 2.8 points, 1.2 rebounds and 7.2 minutes. During a previous stint in the NBA, Fortson appeared in four games for the L.A. Lakers. In nine total NBA games this season, he is averaging 3.4 points, 1.6 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 9.1 minutes. Prior to his call-ups, Fortson appeared in 29 games for the D-Fenders, averaging 17.0 points, 5.9 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 34.3 minutes.

Memphis Grizzlies 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 63rd time an NBA player has been assigned to his NBA D-League affiliate during the 2011-12 season and is the third and final assignment for Selby this season. Selby (6-2, 183, Kansas) returns to the Bighorns having played in a six games during his previous two assignments in February and March, when he averaged 22.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 32.2 minutes. He registered a triple-double on March 30 vs. the Idaho Stampede, setting NBA D-League career highs in points (32), rebounds (10) and assists (10) on 10-of-17 shooting. Originally selected by Memphis in the second round (49th overall) of 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.

AROUND THE D-LEAGUE

The Los Angeles D-Fenders matched the greatest single-season home record in NBA Development League history after besting the Reno Bighorns 111-98 at Toyota Sports Center on Wednesday night. The D-Fenders posted an impressive 21-4 record at home this year, matching four other teams that had each attained an identical home record since the NBA D-League's inaugural season in 2001-02 ... The Chicago Bulls have signed guard Mike James for the remainder of the season. James, a nine-year NBA veteran, began his season in the NBA D-League, before earning call-ups to the Bulls in January, February and March ... The Austin Toros have added former NBA player Ronald "Flip" Murray to their roster. Murray has played eight seasons in the NBA, averaging 9.9 points, 2.4 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 487 games the SuperSonics, Cavaliers, Pistons, Pacers, Hawks, Bobcats and Bulls. Most recently, Murray played professionally in Turkey ... The Texas Legends have added Sean Williams to the roster. A three-year NBA veteran, Williams averaged 4.2 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 134 games with the New Jersey Nets and Dallas Mavericks. In 25 games with the Legends this season, Williams has averaged 14.9 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.5 blocks.

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

Cleveland Cavaliers coach BYRON SCOTT, on the play of NBA D-League call-ups Donald Sloan and Lester Hudson: "With Donald and Lester, both those guys have grasped a hold of the things we've put in front of them and they've learned pretty quickly. I haven't given them a ton of stuff, so they can just concentrate and focus on a few things. I think it makes the game that much easier for those guys. Then they can try to let their instincts take over." The Plain Dealer, April 6, 2012

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