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January 24, 2014 - NBA G League (G League) News Release


TAKING DEDMON AIM AT HIS FUTURE

It had been just 13 days since he left Reno, Nev., unaware of where he was headed for the next four months, but, still, so much had changed for Dewayne Dedmon.

He now sat in the visitor's locker room at Madison Square Garden wearing a Philadelphia 76ers uniform, the clock ticking on the ninth day of his 10-day NBA contract, and smiled. The journey from "The Biggest Little City in the World" -- where he played for the Santa Cruz Warriors as part of the five-day NBA D-League Showcase -- to "The World's Most Famous Arena" was sweet.

"It's an unbelievable feeling," he told the reporters gathering in front of his No. 30 locker an hour before tip-off on Jan. 22. "It's my first time in New York, first time at Madison Square Garden. I mean, I get to play the Knicks."

This is 10-day contract season in the NBA, the equivalent of audition time for young players hoping to catch the eyes of one of the 30 teams. By Wednesday, five NBA D-Leaguers had been given that brief window of opportunity in the wake of the 2014 Showcase, where they performed in front of the scouts and executives who determine their futures.

The deals are handed out like flyers every year, and barely register as a blip on the radar to the casual fan. But, few players on 10-day contracts get the type of opportunity that Dedmon has in front of him, and perhaps none have come as unexpectedly as his.

No one could have foreseen the 24-year-old from Lancaster, Calif., being here less than six years after he began playing organized basketball. Dedmon's physical gifts -- his chiseled seven-foot, 255-pound frame, combined with his ability to run and jump like someone a foot shorter -- have taken him to basketball's highest level, yet his aptitude for the game is what could keep him there.

"The fact that he's in the NBA right now would be a surprise to anyone who just looked at him on paper," said Casey Hill, Dedmon's coach with Santa Cruz, "but not a surprise if you've worked with him, you understood his work ethic, his attitude and his skill level. He's just a phenomenal athlete."

Before his first season as a professional head coach, Hill's only knowledge of his starting center's background came from a 7,000-word feature story in the Nov. 14, 2011 edition of Sports Illustrated, detailing Dedmon's decision to stray from his beliefs as a Jehovah's Witness -- that one should not show allegiance to anyone or anything but Jehovah -- and join the Lancaster High School basketball team.

Once the NBA D-League season tipped off, Hill was taken aback by Dedmon's knowledge, acquired in one year at Antelope Valley Community College (Calif.), two years at the University of Southern California and a few months in the pros.

Prospect Report

James Southerland, Los Angeles D-Fenders -- Southerland appeared to be on the right track, making the Charlotte Bobcats opening night roster on the heels of strong showings with the Philadelphia 76ers and Golden State Warriors over the summer, despite not hearing his name called on Draft Night in 2013. His stay in Charlotte was brief, as he was waived after appearing in only one game in order to make way for Chris Douglas-Roberts. He eventually signed with the D-Fenders, and has averaged 14.1 points and 7.3 rebounds in 13 games. Southerland carries some obvious appeal from an NBA perspective, as he's a very good deep shooter, and has solid size, length and athleticism. His performance over four years at Syracuse didn't always match the talent, but a strong senior campaign followed by an NBA taste and now solid production in the NBA D-League has Southerland headed in the right direction.

NEWS & NOTES

Delaware's Vander Blue Signs with Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics have signed Vander Blue to a 10-day contract. Blue, a 6-5 guard, has appeared in four games for the Delaware 87ers of the NBA D-League this season where he averaged 19.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 30.5 minutes per game. Blue is the 15th Gatorade Call-Up from the NBA D-League during the 2013-14 season. In his last game with the 87ers on Jan. 20, he recorded 35 points in 39 minutes on 11-of-23 shooting from the floor and 11-of-16 shooting from the free throw line. Prior to joining the 87ers this season, Blue played in seven games for Maccabi Rishon Le Zion in Israel averaging 11.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.6 steals in 24.9 minutes per game. An early entry candidate for the 2013 NBA Draft, Blue was an All-Big East Second Team member during his junior season at Marquette, where he averaged 14.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.03 steals in 33.0 minutes per game.

AROUND THE D-LEAGUE

The Phoenix Suns have assigned guard Archie Goodwin to the Bakersfield Jam of the NBA Development League. Goodwin (6-5, 198), a 19-year-old rookie from Kentucky, has appeared in 36 games with the Suns this season, holding averages of 3.0 points, 1.7 rebounds and 10.3 minutes. The first-round selection (29th overall) of the 2013 NBA Draft scored a season-high 16 points at Sacramento on Nov. 19 ... The Iowa Energy announced today that they have acquired guard Curtis Stinson. The former Iowa State Cyclone returns to the Energy after a one-year absence. Stinson is the eighth-highest scorer in NBA D-League history with 3,355 points. Stinson has averaged 15.2 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 8.5 assists in his NBA D-League career and helped lead the Energy to the 2011 NBA D-League Championship. He was named the league's Most Valuable Player and averaged 18.9 points, 9.6 assists, and 5.6 rebounds in the 2010-2011 season ... A four-team trade between Erie, Maine, Texas and Tulsa was completed on Wednesday. The trade resulted in the following: Tulsa sent Daniel Orton to Maine in exchange for Mustafa Shakur from Erie. Erie sent Shakur to Tulsa and received Sean Singletary from Texas. The Legends traded Tyler Brown to Maine and Singletary to Erie in exchange for Fab Melo from Maine. Maine traded Melo to Texas and received Orton from Tulsa and Brown from Texas. The transaction is contingent on all players involved passing physicals.

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