NBDL daily developments
Published on November 19, 2004 under NBA G League (G League) News Release
OPENING WEEKEND: Opening weekend for the NBA's National Basketball Development League is finally here. The season opens tonight when the Fayetteville Patriots travel to Roanoke to take on the Dazzle. The defending champion Asheville Altitude opens on the road at Fayetteville Saturday before dropping the 2004 title banner in a ceremony prior to Sunday's home game against Huntsville.
WELCOME BACK MIKE: Tonight's Fayetteville at Roanoke game marks the return of former Dazzle assistant coach Mike Brown to the Roanoke Civic Center. Brown, an 11-year NBA veteran as a player, took over the Patriots' reins in the offseason when Jeff Capel accepted a coaching position with the Charlotte Bobcats. He spent the last two seasons as an assistant to Dazzle head man Kent Davison.
FLAME ON: The NBDL's only locally-owned team, the Florida Flame, rounds out the opening weekend with its premier at Germaine Arena Sunday evening against the Roanoke Dazzle. Five-time NBA All-Star Dennis Johnson makes his NBDL coaching debut for the Flame.
3 AND 7: The NBA has approved two rules changes â the Three-Point Rule and the Seven-Second Rule â for the 2004-05 NBDL season. The short version of the new rule states that three-point field goals will count only after the 3:00 mark in each quarter, and for the entire overtime period. The Seven-Second Rule states that a team shall not be in continuous possession of a ball which is in its backcourt for more than 7 consecutive seconds as opposed to 8 seconds in the NBA.
SPANNING THE GLOBE: Twenty of 60 players on NBDL opening-day rosters have ties to the international game of basketball. That number includes 16 players who played on the international stage last season, but opted to take a more direct route to the NBA by playing in the D-League this season.
WHO IS CALLING? There have been 39 Gatorade NBDL-to-NBA player callups in the first three seasons of D-League competition. Throw in nine coaches, 11 referees and five athletic trainers and the numbers are pretty impressive. If that's not enough to raise an eyebrow, consider that 35 front office staff employees have also earned promotions to major league sports, 29 within the NBA umbrella.
NBDL QUIZ: Exactly what is this that I'm reading...this NBDL DAILY DEVELOPMENTS?
NBDL ON NBA TV: Saturday's Huntsville at Columbus game is the feature NBDL game on NBA TV for the week, but exactly when the game will be aired on a tape-delayed basis is currently yet to be determined by NBA TV.
TWIN: "This Week in the NBDL", the D-League's weekly live show returns to NBA TV on Dec. 2 and is scheduled to air every Thursday at 9 p.m. throughout the season. Andre Aldridge serves as host.
QUIZ ANSWER: It's your one-page daily dose of NBDL news and notes, and it's coming your way until the 2005 NBDL champion is crowned.
NBA G League Stories from November 19, 2004
- Dazzle opener shuts down Patriots - Roanoke Dazzle
- NBDL Daily Developments - G League
- NBDL daily developments - G League
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