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NBA D-League Update

January 17, 2014 - NBA G League (G League) News Release


CALL-UPS MAKING THEIR MARK

We've officially entered GATORADE Call-Up season, with NBA teams eager to hand out 10-day contracts to the NBA D-League's most intriguing prospects. But even before the next wave of talent arrives, several former fixtures on the Prospect Watch board have made their mark at the next level. Here's a breakdown of what the new crop of alumni have brought to the big stage:

Kendall Marshall, Los Angeles Lakers -- The darling of this season's brand-new NBA D-League Stats Hub, Marshall is proof of a crucial development: NBA D-League numbers can translate to the NBA. Of course, that's not to say that Pierre Jackson would put up 30 every night if he was called up tomorrow, but it's becoming clear that minor-league numbers can provide a very useful picture of a player's game. Marshall joined the Delaware 87ers in early December with a reputation as a pure point guard who needed to improve his shot-making ability. Then, in seven games, he not only showed progress as a long-range shooter, but also as a finisher and a floor general. The trends have continued and in some cases improved in L.A., as evidenced by his shooting percentage from three (46.3 percent with Sevens, 43.2 percent with Lakers) and the restricted area (58.3, 65.2), as well as his distribution numbers (43.2 vs. 42.6 Assist Percentage, 2.2 vs. 3.1 AST/TO).

James Johnson, Memphis Grizzlies -- Johnson arrived in Memphis from Rio Grande Valley as if shot out of cannon, playing the best basketball of his career as an igniter off the bench for 15 games thus far. He's basically bottled the Vipers' high-speed attack into one 23-minute-per-game package, and the seeds for his exhilarating return were planted in the NBA D-League. Just like with RGV, he's blocking shots and grabbing steals at career-best rates (2.3 steals, 4.1 blocks per 36 minutes w/ RGV; 2.3, 2.7 w/ Memphis), showcasing his new-and-improved passing skills (5.8 assists/36 minutes w/ RGV; 4.1 w/ Memphis) and honing in on at-rim and beyond-the-arc shots (85 percent of attempts w/ RGV; 89 percent w/ Memphis). And he's been a highlight waiting to happen.

Chris Douglas-Roberts, Charlotte Bobcats -- There's a theme among the three GATORADE Call-Ups who've made the most impact thus far: they all ended up in ideal situations -- Marshall in Mike D'Antoni's pick-and-roll- heavy system, Johnson with the defense-first Grizzlies, and Douglas-Roberts with the offensively challenged Bobcats. Charlotte coach Steve Clifford has carved out a role for the 6-7 wing, and Douglas-Roberts and rewarded him with three games in double figures. His shot attempts are way down (3.5 in 20.1 minutes per game), but they're actually coming from even better spots on the floor than they came with the Texas Legends. Typically a mid-range specialist, Douglas-Robert has thrived in the paint (15/19 FG) and extended his range to the three-point line (9 mid-range FGA, 21 3PFGA) thus far.

Prospect Report

Romero Osby, Maine Red Claws -- It was a surprise when Osby, after a strong showing for the Orlando Magic during NBA Summer League and in training camp in the fall, didn't earn a spot on the Magic's opening-night roster, despite the Magic selecting the First Team All-Big 12 performer from Oklahoma with the 51st overall pick of the 2013 NBA Draft. It probably had more to do with Orlando being well stocked in the frontcourt than performance, but it still left Osby to pick up the pieces in the NBA D-League with the Red Claws, who acquired his rights in a trade with Fort Wayne. In 12 games with Maine this season, Osby is averaging 16.2 points and 6.4 rebounds, and he's also shooting a robust 42 percent (19-for-45) from three point range. What makes Osby an interesting prospect is his ability to stretch the floor, while also having a blue collar approach to other aspects of the game. He plays hard, he's a leader and he's low maintenance. That he's a little stuck between forward positions is a challenge he'll have to overcome, especially defensively, but he stands a good chance to making the leap to the NBA in the near future.

NEWS & NOTES

Lakers Sign Manny Harris from L.A. D-Fenders

The Los Angeles Lakers have signed guard Manny Harris to a 10-day contract, it was announced by General Manager Mitch Kupchak. Harris was most recently a member of the Los Angeles D-Fenders, the Lakers' NBA Development League affiliate, and was the NBA D-League's leading scorer at 30.6 points per game while also ranking sixth with 2.1 steals per contest. The 6-5 shooting guard claims two of the top five scoring performances in the NBA D-League this season, with 49 points on Jan. 10, at Idaho (also a D-Fenders single-game record) and 42 in his latest game on Jan. 13 vs. Maine. Overall, in 13 games with the D-Fenders (13 starts) this season, Harris averaged 30.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 2.1 steals, while shooting 48.5 percent from the field. On Monday, Harris was named the NBA D-League Performer of the Week for the second consecutive time, and fourth time in his career. In 80 career NBA games (20 starts) with the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2010-11 and 2011-12 seasons, Harris averaged 6.2 points, 2.6 rebounds and 1.5 assists in 17.4 minutes per game. Harris also spent part of the 2011-12 campaign as a member of the NBA D-League's Canton Charge, appearing in 17 games and posting averages of 21.4 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.6 blocks, while shooting 47.0 percent from the field and 40.9 percent from beyond-the-arc. He spent the 2012-13 season playing for Azovmash Mariupol of the Ukranian Superleague before taking part in training camp with the Orlando Magic prior to this season.

Celtics Sign Chris Johnson from Rio Grande Valley Vipers

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have signed guard/forward Chris Johnson to a 10-day contract. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. Johnson, a 6-6 guard/forward, appeared in 20 games for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the NBA D-League this season and has averaged 19.4 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.6 steals and 1.0 blocks in 37.2 minutes per game. The 14th Gatorade Call-Up of the NBA D-League this season, Johnson was shooting 47 percent from the field, 36.7 percent from three-point territory and 84.1 percent from the free throw line. Johnson also has recorded the sixth highest offensive rating in the NBA D-League this season among all players that have played 10 games or more with a rating of 114.6. The former Dayton University Flyer appeared in eight games for the Memphis Grizzlies during the 2012-13 season and averaged 3.6 points and 1.4 rebounds in 12.8 minutes per game.

AROUND THE D-LEAGUE

The Erie BayHawks made a roster move today, announcing the acquisition of forward Micah Downs from the available player pool. Downs (6-8, 200, Gonzaga) has played professionally in the NBA Development League for the Maine Red Claws and overseas in Spain, Venezuela and Ukraine. He played most recently with BC Budivelnik (Ukraine) where he averaged 10.4 points and 5.1 rebounds in 10 appearances. Last year, he appeared in 48 games with Maine, averaging 16.0 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 38.3 percent from behind the arc. After appearing in the 2005 McDonald's All-American Game, Downs started his collegiate career at the University of Kansas before transferring to Gonzaga during his freshman season. He completed his college career by winning the West Coast Conference tournament Most Valuable Player in 2009 ... The Cleveland Cavaliers have assigned guard/forward Carrick Felix to the Canton Charge. Felix has already played in three games for the Charge, averaging 9.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in 21.3 minutes per game.

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