G League NBA G League

NBA D-League Update

April 10, 2012 - NBA G League (G League) News Release


NBA D-LEAGUE PLAYOFFS PRESENTED BY BBVA

The Western Conference champion Los Angeles D-Fenders, the No. 1 seed in the upcoming NBA Development League Playoffs presented by BBVA, selected the eighth-seeded Iowa Energy as their opponent in the first round of the 2012 NBA D-League playoffs.

Los Angeles (38-12) and Iowa (25-25) will tip off the 2012 NBA D-League Playoffs presented by BBVA when the Energy hosts the D-Fenders on Wednesday, April 11, at 8:00 p.m. ET.

For the fourth consecutive year, the top three seeds -- the two conference champions and the wild card team with the best regular season record -? had the opportunity to select their first round opponent among the four lowest-seeded playoff teams. The lower-seeded team will host Game 1 of the best-of-three first round, while the higher-seeded team will host Games 2 and 3, if necessary.

The Springfield Armor (29-21), the No. 2 seed and the Eastern Conference champions, selected the No. 7 seed Canton Charge (27-23). That series will begin on Friday, April 13, when the Charge host the Armor at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Austin Toros (33-17), the No. 3 seed, chose the fifth-seeded Erie BayHawks (28-22), and will tip off on Thursday, April 12, at 7:00 p.m. ET in Erie.

The two remaining playoff teams, the No. 4 seed Dakota Wizards (29-21) and No. 6 seed Bakersfield Jam (28-22), will begin play on Thursday, April 12, at 10:00 p.m. ET in Bakersfield.

Dates and times for the best-of-three semifinals have yet to be determined and will be announced when they are available. The semifinals will follow the same format as the first round, with the lower-seeded team hosting Game 1 and the higher-seeded team hosting Games 2 and 3, if necessary. The three-game NBA D-League Finals presented by BBVA will tip off following the conclusion of the semifinals and will follow the same format.

PROSPECT REPORT

Ronald Murray, Austin Toros -- Before Jeremy Lin there was Ronald Murray. Seriously, you can look it up. Playing in place of an injured Ray Allen to start the 2003-04 NBA season with the Seattle SuperSonics, Murray, who appeared in 14 games as a rookie in 2002-03, began his second season scoring at least 20 points in 10 of his first 11 games, averaging 23.9 points during this stretch. Allen eventually returned to the lineup, and Murray assumed the role of scorer off the bench, which he did rather well for eight seasons in the NBA. In 487 games, Murray averaged 9.9 points, before falling out of the NBA after the 2009-10 season. Still just 32, Murray is hoping to get back to the NBA after spending the 2010-11 season playing in Turkey. In three games with the Toros this season, Murray is averaging 12.3 points.

NEWS & NOTES

NBA D-League Sets Records for Gatorade Call-Ups and NBA Player Assignments

The NBA Development League experienced its most successful season ever in developing NBA talent as it set all-time records with 50 GATORADE Call-ups, breaking the previous record of 40 set during the 2009-10 season, and 64 NBA player assignments, surpassing the previous record of 56 assignments established last year. As the NBA regular season draws to a close, 25 percent of team rosters consist of players with NBA D-League experience (108), including 36 percent from the 2010 and 2011 NBA Draft classes (43). Featuring former Erie BayHawks and Reno Bighorns star Jeremy Lin of the New York Knicks, former Los Angeles D-Fenders star Gerald Green of the New Jersey Nets, former Tulsa 66ers star Ramon Sessions of the Los Angeles Lakers and former Rio Grande Valley Viper star C.J. Watson of the Chicago Bulls, all 30 NBA teams now have at least one player who previously made his mark in the NBA D-League. More

New York Knicks Re-assign Jerome Jordan to NBA D-League Affiliate Erie BayHawks

The New York Knicks today re-assigned center Jerome Jordan to the Erie BayHawks, the Knicks' NBA D-League affiliate. The assignment mark the 64th 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 Jordan this season. Jordan (7-0, 240, Tulsa) is averaging 1.4 points, 1.2 rebounds and 4.8 minutes in 19 games for the Knicks this season. During his two previous stints in Erie, he appeared in five games, averaging 18.0 points, 8.6 rebounds and 32.6 minutes. Originally selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round (44th overall) of the 2010 NBA Draft, Jordan is expected to join the BayHawks this afternoon and be available when the team hosts the Sioux Falls Skyforce on Saturday night. More

Reno's Blake Ahearn Signs with Utah Jazz

The Utah Jazz has signed Reno Bighorns guard Blake Ahearn for the record 50th GATORADE Call-Up of the 2011-12 NBA Development League season. Ahearn will join more than 100 NBA players with NBA D-League experience currently on 2011-12 rosters. Ahearn (6-3, 190, Missouri State) appeared in 37 games, all starts, for the Bighorns this season, averaging 23.8 points, 5.1 assists, 2.6 rebounds, 1.0 steals and 37.5 minutes. The 2012 NBA D-League All-Star scored in double figures in all 37 appearances, including eight games scoring 30 or more points. During the season, Ahearn established the NBA D-League's all-time record for consecutive made free throws when he connected on 110 in a row between December 2011 and January 2012. The record tops the NBA mark of 97 set by Michael Williams in 1993. A five-year NBA D-League veteran, Ahearn returns to the NBA having played with the Miami Heat and San Antonio Spurs during the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons, respectively. In 15 career NBA games Ahearn averaged 5.2 points, 1.4 assists, 1.3 rebounds and 13.0 minutes. More

L.A. D-Fenders' Elijah Millsap Named NBA D-League Performer of the Week

Elijah Millsap, a guard for the Los Angeles D-Fenders, was today named NBA Development League Performer of the Week for games played April 2-7. The honor is the first of Millsap's career. Millsap (6-6, 215, Alabama-Birmingham) led the D-Fenders to a 3-0 record last week, helping to etch the D-Fenders in the NBA D-League record books, as the team finished the 2011-12 regular season with a 38-12 record, the best in NBA D-League history. During the week, Millsap averaged 22.3 points, 11.3 rebounds and 3.0 assists. He shot 42 percent from the field and 56 percent from three-point range. He began the week with a season-high 32 points on April 4 in a 111-98 win over the Reno Bighorns, before finishing with two double-doubles to end the regular season on April 6 and 7. In 41 games, 33 starts, for the D-Fenders this season, Millsap is averaging 19.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.9 steals and 33.0 minutes. More

AROUND THE D-LEAGUE

The New Jersey Nets have signed free agent guard Armon Johnson to a 10-day contract. Johnson (6-3, 195), started the 2011-12 season with Portland appearing in one contest before being assigned to the Idaho Stampede of the NBA D-League. In six games with the Stampede, he averaged 11.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 6.8 assists in 27.0 minutes per game. He was recalled on Jan. 15 before being waived by Portland on Feb. 27. The University of Nevada product was selected in the second round of the 2010 NBA Draft (34th overall) by Portland. Johnson appeared in 38 games as a rookie in 2010-11, averaging 2.9 points, 1.0 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 7.0 minutes per game ... Former NBA All-Star Antoine Walker is calling it quits after spending two seasons trying to rejuvenate his career with the Idaho Stampede. The 35-year-old Walker announced his retirement last weekend to teammates, and The Idaho Statesman reports Walker intends to make a formal announcement this week. Walker is a 12-year NBA veteran and was a member of the Kentucky team that won the NCAA championship in 1996. He also won an NBA title in 2006 with the Miami Heat and averaged 17.5 points and 7.7 rebounds per game as a pro. This season in the NBA D-League, Walker averaged 9.5 points and 4.9 rebounds.

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

Erie BayHawks coach JAY LARRANAGA, on D.J. Kennedy: "His talent level, his skill level, his work ethic, his personality, all have great leadership qualities in them. He's someone I think people will follow." Erie Times-News, April 10, 2012

Check out the NBA G League Statistics



NBA G League Stories from April 10, 2012


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