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NBA G League

NBA D-League Update

April 24, 2012 - NBA G League (G League) News Release


2012 NBA D-LEAGUE FINALS PREVIEW

It seemed, in many ways, like fate.

Then the Austin Toros blew the first game of their Playoffs series. Twice.

But after the third-seeded Toros ?- who, at 33-17, had reeled off the league's second-best regular-season record in 2011-12 ?- came back to win consecutive games in the first round and semis (thanks, at one point, to a little deus ex Dentmon), they earned the distinct privilege of taking on the team with the best record ever for a chance to claim the 2012 NBA D-League crown.

So, when the Toros and top-seeded L.A. D-Fenders tip off the NBA D-League Finals presented by BBVA tonight at Cedar Park Arena (7:30 p.m. ET), each team will be out to complete what rightly could be considered the finest season in the 11-year history of the NBA D-League.

Let's start with the wins. The D-Fenders broke the all-time regular season mark with 38 wins this year, thanks to a steady flood of top prospects that made sure that L.A.'s three-game losing streak from Jan. 21-28 would finish as the low point of the season. Through 50 games, the D-Fenders lost consecutive games only one other time, when they dropped two in a row to the Texas Legends on Dec. 21 and 23.

They did, however, have win streaks of eight games, seven games (twice) and 10 games ?- the last of which is probably better described as a winning month, with L.A. dropping Canton on Jan. 30 and then not losing again until March. Meanwhile, they're currently working on boosting that eight-game run, with a perfect 4-0 record in these Playoffs.

For its part, Austin exploded out to the best start in league history, with the Toros going 18-4 through their first 22 games. After tiptoeing out of the gate at 2-2, Austin lost only twice over its next 18 games, rolling into a Jan. 27 meeting with Iowa as the class of the NBA D-League.

Then, over the course of the next six weeks, the league caught up.

The Toros went 5-12 over their next 17, a skid pretty cleanly traced to Impact Player of the Year Eric Dawson's departure (on Feb. 18) from the team in order to explore (then turn down) the frosty option of playing ball in Slovenia, and a skid hastened by Lance Thomas' second Call-Up (and, later, full-year contract). All the while, by his own admission, eventual league MVP Justin Dentmon had lost some of the spark that had ignited the record-setting run out of the gates, as he tried to up his Prospect status by reining in the style that'd put him on the radar to begin win.

PROSPECT REPORT

Malcolm Thomas, Los Angeles D-Fenders -- Thomas' season is ending back where it started, with the D-Fenders. There were multiple stops in between -- he was signed by the San Antonio Spurs in January, and did a stint with the Toros. The Houston Rockets signed him in late March, and also sent him down for a few games the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. When his contract with the Rockets expired, Thomas returned to where it all began, is now hoping to help the D-Fenders win a championship. The interest in Thomas as an NBA prospect is understandable. He's athletic, versatile, defensive-minded and doesn't dominate the ball. He's the kind of player you can't really define by position, but you throw him in a game and he makes things happen. Thomas will almost certainly be picked up by an NBA team for its Summer League squad, and has a great chance to play in the NBA full-time next season, with the benefit of additional seasoning and coaching that wasn't available in 2011 due to the NBA lockout.

NEWS & NOTES

Boost Mobile NBA D-League National Tryouts

The NBA Development League will hold the second annual set of Boost Mobile NBA D-League National Tryouts in Los Angeles (May 12, Next Level Sports Complex), Chicago (June 2, Moody Bible Institute), New York (June 16, Basketball City) and Houston (June 17, Legends Sports Complex). The one-day tryouts will see several hundred athletes participate across the four cities. The Boost Mobile NBA D-League National Tryouts will challenge NBA D-League hopefuls in each city with full-court games and will enable participants to display their skills for NBA D-League player personnel executives, coaches and industry scouts, with the hopes of gaining eligibility for November's NBA D-League Draft. Of the players who participated in the 2011 National Tryout, 18 players were selected in the 2011 NBA D-League Draft, while 15 prospects spent time on NBA D-League rosters during the 2011-12 season, including Springfield Armor forward Dennis Horner, who earned two GATORADE Call-Ups to the New Jersey Nets, and Otis George, a member of the NBA D-League regular season champion Los Angeles D-Fenders. More

Austin's Justin Dentmon Named 2012 NBA D-League Most Valuable Player

Austin Toros guard Justin Dentmon was named the 2012 NBA Development League's Most Valuable Player, as voted on by the NBA D-League's 16 head coaches. Dentmon, a 6-0, 185-pound guard out of Washington, started in all 40 regular season games he played for the Toros, averaging 22.8 points, 5.5 assists, 3.7 rebounds, 1.6 steals and 37.2 minutes. A 2012 NBA D-League All-Star, Dentmon ranked fourth in the League in scoring, finishing with double-digit points in 39 games. He led the Toros in scoring in 24 games and was the assist leader 26 times. Twice honored for his play during the season, Dentmon was named the NBA D-League Player of the Month in January and the Performer of the Week on Jan. 17. He led the Toros to an NBA D-League 33-17 regular season record and the third seed in the NBA D-League Playoffs presented by BBVA. In two postseason game for the Toros since returning from the Raptors, he is averaging 18.0 points, 3.5 assists, 1.5 rebounds and 29.0 minutes. A two-time GATORADE Call-Up to the San Antonio Spurs and the Toronto Raptors, Dentmon appeared in six NBA games this season, averaging 4.3 points, 1.7 assists, 1.3 rebounds and 15.2 minutes. More

AROUND THE D-LEAGUE

There were three Call-Ups to the NBA over the weekend, pushing the total to 58. The Cleveland Cavaliers signed Erie's D.J. Kennedy, who averaged 15.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.6 steals and 37.4 minutes in 44 games this season. The New York Knicks signed Dan Gadzuric from the Texas Legends. In 12 games with the Legends this season, Gadzuric averaged 12.0 points, 11.3 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 25.7 minutes. The Memphis Grizzlies signed Lester Hudson, who averaged 17.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 29.2 minutes. He was also called-up by the Cleveland Cavaliers this season ... The Springfield Armor had the best single-season turnaround in NBA D-League history, winning 16 more games than the 2010-11 team. Springfield used a league-low 18 players ?- the average was 25.69.

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

Springfield coach BOB MACKINNON, on the 2011-12 season: "I'm proud of what we accomplished this year. Going from never making the playoffs to being East Conference champions; biggest turnaround in NBA D-League history; getting three All-Stars, four call-ups and the slam-dunk champ; franchise record in attendance for the season and for a game ? a lot of good things happened this year." The Republican, April 24, 2012

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