Will Bynum Named D-League Rookie of Year
Published on March 29, 2006 under NBA G League (G League) News Release
GREENVILLE, S.C., March 29 - Roanoke Dazzle guard Will Bynum, currently playing with the Golden State Warriors, has been selected by the league's head coaches as the NBA Development League's 2005-06 Rookie of the Year.
A first-round selection (5th overall) in the 2005 D-League Draft, the Georgia Tech University product led the D-League in scoring for virtually the entire season. At the time of his GATORADE Call-Up to the Warriors, Bynum was averaging a league-best 24.0 points per game and was second in the league in assists (6.7 pg) and minutes played (37.7).
Bynum, who is the second straight player from Roanoke to earn Rookie of the Year honors, also led the league in free throws made (260) and free throws attempted (305), and was fifth in the D-league in steals with 1.7 per game at the time of his call-up.
"It is special to have the Rookie of the Year here in Roanoke for the second season in a row with Will this year and James Thomas last season," Dazzle coach Kent Davison said. "There is no doubt Will was the most dominating rookie in the league this season. He has a chance to do a lot of great things in his basketball career."
Bynum joins Thomas (Roanoke '05), Desmond Penigar (Asheville, â04), Devin Brown (Fayetteville, â03) and Fred House (Charleston, â02) as winners of the annual award.
"Will Bynum made the most of his opportunity in the D-League this season, working very hard on his game and improving his point guard skills," D-League Sr. Director of Basketball Operations and Player Personnel Chris Alpert said. "Our coaches faced a difficult task in selecting the top rookie from a class of many talented and promising young players."
The D-League offers players the opportunity to develop their talent in a highly competitive atmosphere under the NBA's umbrella and is a source of on-court talent for the NBA's 30 teams and is a diverse human resources pool for the NBA and its teams by training employees in management, operations, public relations, sales and marketing positions. Forty-four (44) players have been called up to the NBA on 65 separate occasions.
With the new Collective Bargaining Agreement put into place with the start of 2005-06 season that allows NBA teams to assign first or second-year players to their NBA D-League affiliate, the D-League is proving to be a pivotal tool for the development of NBA players as well. Nineteen (19) NBA teams have made 39 total assignments involving 29 players this season.
Designed to help grow the sport of basketball both domestically and internationally, the league also offers fun, family entertainment at affordable prices. For additional information on the NBA Development League, visit NBADLEAGUE.com.
NBA G League Stories from March 29, 2006
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