NBA D-League Update

Published on April 13, 2012 under NBA G League (G League) News Release

SPRINGFIELD-ING INTO ACTION

By the time the NBA Development League broke for the All-Star Game, the Springfield Armor had won more games in the 2011-12 season than the in the previous two years ... combined. When this year's team ? in its first year as the New Jersey Nets? lone affiliate and the team's first under the tutelage of coach (and 2009 NBA D-League champ) Bob MacKinnon ? finished off a perfect February with a 114-101 win over the Bakersfield Jam, its 21st win meant more than math. It signaled a whole new era in the town that gave birth to basketball.

Now, the Armor is set to open up its first trip to the NBA D-League Playoffs and tip off its first-round series against the Canton Charge, a team the Armor chose with the second pick in Sunday night's postseason pairings draft. It wasn?t a shock that second-seeded Springfield picked seventh-seeded Canton (No. 1 seed L.A. went with No. 8 Iowa), but the matchup will pit the Eastern Conference champ against the team that was occupying in the No. 1 spot just two weeks ago. After coming under a single-affiliation with the Cleveland Cavaliers this offseason and installing coach Alex Jensen at the helm, the Charge reeled off 13 wins in 15 games starting in mid-February to vault into the postseason.

Among the storylines for this series: Men of the Bench: This season, the first in Canton history, is also Jensen's first at the professional ranks. In this series, the former Saint Louis University assistant leads his team against MacKinnon, whose three decades in basketball include an NBA D-League championship in 2009. Post-er Boys: The series features one of the best matchups of big men that the league's seen all year. On the Springfield side, look for Jeff Foote to continue the tenacity he learned in the NBA and brought back with him to Springfield. On the Canton side, Luke Harangody's still looking to show that he can operate on the inside against much taller defenders. This is a test on both ends. Curry in a Hurry: JamesOn Curry couldn't have played much better in 2011-12. One of the premier point guards in a league bursting with them, he kept the Armor steady all year long, and could use one more strong effort to convince NBA teams that his best is still ahead of him.

Complete First Round Playoff Schedule

Record Call-Ups, Assingments

The NBA D-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). The NBA D-League marked its 11th season by reaching the 1 million total attendance plateau for a third straight year (1,055,239). more>>

PROSPECT REPORT

Zach Andrews, L.A. D-Fenders -- Andrews doesn't jump off the page as a Top Prospect, but in limited minutes amidst a packed L.A. lineup this year, he's put his 6-foot-9 frame to work as one of the most efficient players in the league, scoring 17.7 points and hauling down 13.8 rebounds per 48 minutes. Jerry Smith, Springfield Armor -- On a very short list of MVP candidates, Smith has displayed a level of nightly consistency that's rare in the NBA D-League, with the rookie out of Louisville notching 19.1 points, 4.9 rebounds and 3.8 assists a night. He earned his first GATORADE Call-Up on March 16, and could be headed up again soon.

NEWS & NOTES

Dyson Called-Up The New Orleans Hornets signed Tulsa 66ers guard Jerome Dyson for the record 51st GATORADE Call-Up of the 2011-12 NBA Development League season. The 2011-12 NBA D-League All-Star heads to the NBA after averaging 17.8 points, 3.9 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.7 blocks in Tulsa. More

Wright Re-assigned

The Golden State Warriors re-assigned rookie forward Chris Wright to the Dakota Wizards, the Warriors' NBA D-League affiliate. The assignment marks the 65th 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 Wright this season. Wright appeared in nine games for the team during his previous two assignments, averaging 18.2 points, 8.0 rebounds 1.3 blocks and 29.0 minutes. More

AROUND THE D-LEAGUE

The Los Angeles D-Fenders secured the 2011-12 NBA Development League's Regular Season championship, having finished the season with an NBA D-League all-time best record of 38-12. Los Angeles' regular season record bests the previous record of 37-13 set by the Iowa Energy during the 2009-10 season and represents a 22-game turn around from the team's 16-34 finish that year ... The NBA D-League regular-season scoring race featured the top three players separated by less than one point. Blake Ahearn (Reno) paced the league (23.8 ppg), followed by Morris Almond (Maine, 23.4 ppg) and Andre Emmett (Reno, 23.1 ppg) ...

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

LUKE HANRAGODY, on his time with Canton: "The ultimate goal is to be a part of the (NBA) team you?re with and play a key role on that team. But when that's not there, you have to take advantage of the situation, and I feel like I have." April 13, 2012

NBA G League Stories from April 13, 2012

• Armor Drop Game One on the Road - Springfield Armor
• NBA D-League Update - G League
• Bakersfield Overpowers Dakota in Game 1 - Bakersfield Jam

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