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NBA D-League Update

February 28, 2014 - NBA G League (G League) News Release


STAMPEDE IS ROLLING

With assignments, Call-Ups and players going overseas -- not to mention the typical assortment of injuries and roster moves -- an NBA D-League locker room is an ever-changing place.

The Idaho Stampede learned that the hard way last week when star Pierre Jackson -- arguably the league's MVP -- signed to play in Turkey, leaving behind a gutted team that could only dress seven healthy bodies in the three games since.

But, players quickly come to accept that reality, Stampede head coach Michael Peck explained on Thursday, especially after going through a similar situation a month ago when starting power forward Richard Howell left for the Philippines.

"At this level, things happen fast," Peck said. "There's nothing we can do in an instant to change it or have a re-do. They understand that it's a fact of life and we've got to move on. That's the attitude our guys have taken on, and now they're playing with more of a chip on their shoulder."

It's showed on the court, as the undermanned squad somehow won its first three games following Jackson's departure. Peck, who likes to have two point guards on the floor, inserted Dexter Strickland into the rotation to play alongside dynamic floor general Dee Bost. That allowed Kevin Murphy to continue to light it up as a slashing, catch-and-shoot off-guard, and he's now scored at least 27 points in five straight games.

It's Bost who has taken on a larger workload, playing 135 of the team's 147 minutes in the three games and initiating the offense on the majority of plays. His usage rate (percentage of his team's possessions that he's used) has increased from 19.2 with Jackson to 26.4 without, as he's taken more than 23 shots per game.

That's why the primary motivation behind Wednesday's trades, Peck said, was simply adding healthy bodies. A secondary benefit of course, is that the "reinforcements" they acquired consist of two of the league's most talented players.

Both Scott Machado and C.J. Leslie arrive in Idaho having yet to hit their stride this season. Machado, a pass-first point guard who thrives in uptempo systems, will give the Stampede another playmaker to lighten Bost's load while allowing him to do some work as an off-ball scorer. But Leslie, whose stellar career at N.C. State landed him at No. 19 on our preseason Prospect Watch, is the real intriguing piece here. Peck saw the 6-9 forward up close and personal at the 2009 Nike Global Challenge, a showcase for top high school talent, and says he's "pound for pound as athletic as there is."

Prospect Report

Terrence Williams, Los Angeles D-Fenders -- Talent has never really been the issue for Williams, the 11th overall pick of the 2009 NBA Draft, who spent parts of his first four professional seasons in the NBA. There simply aren't an abundance of players his size and with his athletic ability who can stuff a stat-sheet the way he can. Versatility and athleticism were certainly the main reasons he was drafted so high coming out of Louisville, and he's shown flashes of it at the very highest level of basketball. It's really been his overall approach that has left NBA people flat. "I changed how I go about talking with my teammates, talking with coaches, trainers, ball boys, ball girls, people who get me water, just everything you know," Williams recently told the Courier-Journal. "I realized that I'm very fortunate to be playing this game." Williams signed with the D-Fenders on Dec. 31, 2013, and has averaged 21.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 20 games, including a franchise-record 50-point game on Jan. 31. He appeared in 24 games down the stretch of last season with the Boston Celtics, and is hoping to catch on with an NBA team for the stretch run again this season.

NEWS & NOTES

Boston Celtics Sign Chris Babb from Maine Red Claws

The Boston Celtics announced today that they have signed guard Chris Babb to a 10-day contract. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not disclosed. Babb, a 6-5 guard, was playing for the Celtics' NBA Development League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws where he averaged 12.0 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 1.18 steals and 37.5 minutes in 33 games. He is the 26th Gatorade Call-Up this season from the NBA Development League and his signing marks the third time the Celtics have signed someone from the NBA D-League this season, as he joins Chris Johnson and Vander Blue. Babb was on the Celtics' roster during the 2013 preseason where he appeared in five games and averaged 3.2 points in 6.0 minutes per game while shooting 44.4 percent from three-point territory.

AROUND THE D-LEAGUE

The Reno Bighorns have claimed guard Walker Russell Jr. He will join the team immediately. Russell Jr. previously played for the Reno Bighorns during the 2012-13 season averaging 10.1 points, 6.7 assists, and 3.3 rebounds in 21 games. Russell Jr., who played collegiately at Jacksonville State, has spent time in the NBA with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Detroit Pistons. During the 2011-12 season, Russell appeared in 28 games for the Pistons, averaging 3.0 points and 2.1 assists ... The Canton Charge has acquired guard Brandon Paul (6-4, 200, Illinois) from the available player pool. The Charge roster now stands at 10. Paul, 22, most recently was with Nizkny Novgorod of the Russian Pro Basketball League, playing in 12 games and averaging 6.4 points on .417 shooting with 2.7 rebounds and 0.5 steals in 13.8 minutes per game. He also played in NBA Summer League with the Minnesota Timberwolves after enjoying a four-year career at the University of Illinois (2009-13).

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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.


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