Idaho Stampede Team Preview

 NBA D-League  No Responses »
Nov 202012
 

The NBA season has started and has already seen the twists and turns that you’d expect in an action flick. But it’s time to put the antics of those superstar players to the side to discuss the world of the NBA Developmental League. The likes of Byron Mullins and Alonzo Gee who both had extended time in the D-League in the past are currently having good seasons so far with their respective NBA teams and have proved how the D-League can help a player progress. There are hundreds of players currently in the D-League that are hungry that they could get to the level of Alonzo, Byron or other multiple former D-League players currently in the NBA.

Now even though they all dream of going to the NBA, those players still compete as a team to become the D-League champs like the Austin Toros last year. Players come and go in the D-League, but there’s still a championship to be won and one of these teams competing for the gold are the Idaho Stampede. The Stampede have struggled to even reach the playoffs since winning the title in 2007-08, but they hope that this is the year that they can make it back to the D-League playoffs and put excitement back in the CenturyLink Arena.

Idaho hopes former Magic and Richmond forward Justin Harper can be that player that can help lead this squad back to the playoffs. I’ve previously talked about Harper in my draft preview article. Harper plays in the same mold as Channing Frye. Harper never really had the opportunity to succeed with the Magic, but he was an all-around player at Richmond with his ability to score from the perimeter and the post and rebound.

Harper is going to have to lead this front court because they currently don’t have a big man that could pair up with him to rebound and block shots. The only player you could really call a center on this team would be 6’11″ rookie Garrett Green who was a role player with San Diego State last year (6.0 PPG and 4.6 RPG in 19 MPG). The likes of Paul Carter, who was a solid player for Idaho last year, could help the front court, but they’ll have to be hoping one of the other players step up or the Blazers send down Joel Freeland or Victor Clavor (more of a SF than a PF) to help the Stampede produce in the front court.

The Stampede is led by the returning Coby Karl who has played European ball for the past two seasons but was an absolute stud with Idaho in the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons. Karl will bring a veteran’s touch to a backcourt that’s filled with inexperienced players (minus journeyman D-Leaguer Darren Cooper). Another returning Stampede shooting guard is former Beavers guard Seth Tarver who’s been a solid role player for the past two seasons.

Tarver is a good scorer (.507 FG% last year), but he’ll most likely be the sixth man thanks to the return of Karl. Point guard will be a question mark for this team but I can see former TCU Horned Frog Hank Thorns, who’s a 5’9″ spitfire who was a solid player in his senior season last year (13.5 PPG, 4.0 APG, 1.0 SPG) taking the starting gig because he’s really the only PG. Thorns will have a challenging matchup basically every single night as the D-League site recently looked at in their top-10 D-league PG list. Thorns could become the starting PG for the season, but Nolan Smith could possibly be called down to the D-League if he continues to rot away on the Blazers bench.

It’s hard to really predict how a D-League team will finish because different players get called up and down so frequently. That said, I believe that the Stampede are going to be a team that are built around Karl and Harper but will be still be on the outside looking in once the 2013 D-League playoffs start.

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“Jungle Karma” Can Help Explain Musselman’s Success

 NBA D-League  No Responses »
Apr 242012
 

Earlier this season when Linsanity was still a thing, and “D-League” was seemingly trending on Twitter nightly, nationally syndicated radio host Jim Rome interviewed Los Angeles D-Fenders head coach Eric Musselman to discuss his team, the Jeremy Lin phenomena, and what it is like to coach in the D-League. What Musselman may, or may not of known, is that the legendary “Jungle Karma” from getting interviewed on Rome’s radio program (The Jungle), would follow him and his team the rest of this season. Sure you can attribute Musselman and the D-Fenders success to outstanding game planning, near flawless roster rotations, and limitless player talent, but it is hard to explain the D-Fenders record breaking winning season without mentioning the “Jungle Karma” being a significant factor.

February 17, the date Musselman’s interview aired, the D-Fenders had won 6 games in a row and sat atop the D-League standings. Before the interview focused on what at the time was known as the Jeremy Lin phenomena, Musselman discussed what it was like to coach in the D-League. Musselman rapped about the hardships of coaching in the league where one must balance player development along with winning as a team. “Everybody wants to win, that’s why they keep the scoreboard”, said Musselman when asked to talk about this particular challenge unique to the NBA Development League. If John Calipari has mastered coaching with the “one and done” system, Musselman has mastered coaching with the current D-League system. L.A. recorded a crazy amount of call-ups from their squad this year, and also a good amount of assignments to help keep Musselman on his toes. There had to come a point in the season where not even Musselman could name his entire roster before entering a game on a given night.

The 2-game set after Musselman’s Jungle visit pitted his D-Fenders against the Austin Toros, the team which now stands between him and a D-League Championship. The D-Fenders capitalized on the karma then winning what would be their only two meetings with the Toros, 109-94 and 102-98. The D-Fenders have dropped only 2-contests in their last 19-games, including this postseason where they are 4-0 entering tonight’s game. Both their loses in that stretch came on the road (at Idaho, at Bakersfield) and the D-Fenders will open their championship quest on the road in Austin.

Despite all of the roster fluctuations that the D-Fenders have undergone this year, they still have some excellent players looking to help guide the team to the title. Malcolm Thomas, Orien Greene, Mardy Collins and Elijah Millsap have shined as of late for the D-Fenders, and they will need to continue to play well in order to achieve victory over a very stout Austin Toros bunch. Millsap has played particularly well, averaging 23.3 points in the 4-playoff games thus far.

Can the “Jungle Karma” carry Musselman and the D’s one more series, and cap off what has become a very memorable season? We will just have to wait and see.

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Who Can Spoil The D-Fenders Record Season?

 NBA D-League  No Responses »
Apr 112012
 

The Los Angeles D-Fenders will open the first round of their playoff quest against the opponent of their choice, and in the luxury of their home court in El Segundo, California. The odds are in the D-Fenders favor to roll through the competition and cap off their incredible  season with a D-League championship. However, there may be a team that can knock off the D-Fenders, as they say, the season starts over once the playoffs begin, as the 38 wins that L.A. amounted during the regular season suddenly will disappear and be forgotten. Those 38 wins did help L.A. secure home court advantage throughout the playoffs where the D-Fenders have enjoyed success, posting a 21-4 record, their last loss dating all the way back to January against Bakersfield.

So out of the other 7 teams competing for the D-League championship whom stands a chance to knock off undoubtedly the league’s best team? Could it be Bakersfield? They did beat L.A. 4 times during the regular season splitting their 8 games overall with the D-Fenders. L.A. also dropped a game to the Dakota Wizards in the second game of the season, Dakota will be Bakersfield’s opening opponent so if the D-Fenders get past the Iowa Energy, the awaiting opponent will know that they can beat them.

Looking at the other three teams on L.A.’s side of the bracket, the most likely candidate to take down the D-Fenders is the aforementioned Bakersfield Jam. Even though the last time the Jam knocked off the D’s it was in Bakersfield and they will not have home court this time around, the Jam seem to have the tools to stay with the D’s. Perhaps the short break will help the Jam eliminate the reminder of getting beat by the Idaho Stampede in their final two contests. The Jam will need to play a perfect series to have any chance with the D-Fenders. Bakersfield could provide a speed bump in the D-Fenders trip to the finals, but most likely that is all they will be…a speed bump.

On the other side of the playoff bracket the Springfield Armor and Austin Toros seem like possible candidates to snatch the D-League crown from the D’s. Going strictly off their body of work it is difficult to judge how a series between L.A. and Austin would go. They played each other only twice during the regular season, both times it was the D-Fenders who came out victorious. The Toros have been a solid club all season long and perhaps the late addition of NBA veteran Ronald “Flip” Murray can help the Toros combat the NBA knowledge and experience the D’s have. It would be a drag out contest if these two lock up in the finals, but the D-Fenders would seem to be too much for Austin to handle.

Going chalk with it, the last seemingly hurdle for the D-Fenders would have to be the Springfield Armor. Springfield went 7-3 in their last 10 games and won 2-straight entering the postseason. If there is a roster as stacked as the D’s it is in Springfield. A series between these two starting fives would be a treat for D-League fans as there are some serious ballers on both sides. These two teams met at the D-League Showcase and the D-Fenders cruised to a 15-point win. Many of the same players remain for the Armor from that contest, but L.A. has quite a different lineup than what they rolled out with in Reno. This match-up would be  Heat vs. Thunder in terms of a dream D-League match-up for fans. Despite the likely stiff competition the D-Fenders will receive, they have done nothing to prove otherwise that they will be the last team standing and crowned D-League champs.

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San Antonio Spurs: Spurs Preparing for the Postseason with Roster Moves

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Mar 252012
 

One team that has been unusually busy the past week making changes to their roster is the San Antonio Spurs.

Historically the Spurs were never big players around the trade deadline, but this season things have been very different. Given the rigors of the schedule for this season, teams have been periodically looking to add depth to their roster in order to keep their core players (Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker) healthy and fresh.

Additionally, the Spurs have brought in players that could be used as a potentially favorable matchup in the postseason. Popovich chooses to bring in players that are defensively sound first and can provide help offensively in the starting lineup or off the bench.

The Spurs have added one-time Spur Stephen Jackson (and moved Richard Jefferson), Boris Diaw (through free agency after falling out of favor in Charlotte), point guard Patty Mills (backup guard) along with Justin Dentmon (for guard depth) from their D-League affiliate Austin Toros.

The Stephen Jackson acquisition could be an underrated one as Popovich may be one of the very few coaches in the league that can get the most out of Jackson and keep him in check. Jackson has shown in the past that he can be a great addition with his shooting and defensive abilities.

The signing of Boris Diaw is another great move as he brings an all-around game that will most likely be seen in the postseason especially depending on the Spurs opponent. Diaw has played at the center spot during his time with the Phoenix Suns and knowing Popovich he will see time at that spot this season.

The signing of Mills and Dentmon are moves for the future as the Spurs could be looking to replace what T.J. Ford was supposed to do although injuries forced him to retire from the NBA.

It is expected that all of these roster moves by the Spurs will help them to make another run at a NBA Championship.

Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com

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Let The Playoff Push Begin

 NBA D-League  No Responses »
Mar 142012
 

With little under a month left on the D-League schedule, the time is now for team’s to begin their playoff push to grab a postseason spot and continue their season. The season finishes with 16 total games April 6-7, and teams that are currently hovering around the final playoff spots need to turn it on now, so they won’t be crossing their fingers on the final weekend.

Outside of the Los Angeles D-Fenders, the field of teams to potentially fill in the 2-8 playoff spots are well within reach of each other, and capable of overtaking the team in front of them while also slipping out of the race completely themselves. As proven this season, teams get hot and go on runs wining games in bunches. The Texas Legends have the longest running win streak at 8 games and have been blazing hot as of late. Their next 5 games come against 3 teams all with losing records, so they could easily add a few more victories onto that streak. However, one of the teams, the Idaho Stampede snapped the D-Fenders’ 10-game win streak when L.A. invaded CenturyLink arena so perhaps the Legends will not have it easy. Regardless, they are the league’s new hot team and look to keep it going ending in a playoff spot out of the Western Conference.

The teams looking to fight off the Legends in the Western Conference are the in state rivals Austin Toros and Rio Grande Valley Vipers also the Bakersfield Jam. Tulsa and Reno will be in need of a streak of their own to blossom for any shot, while the aforementioned Stampede have a LOT of work to do for any chance.

Over on the East side, the top 5 teams will undoubtedly be trading places up until the final whistle. Springfield, Iowa, Canton, Erie and Dakota are incredibly close to each other in the standings. The Armor share the top spot with Iowa after going into the All-Star break guns a blazing, but since have cooled down just a bit. Their big man Jeff Foote received a GATORADE Call-Up and will force the Armor to find ways to fill the void the 7-footer left behind averaging 14.8 points, 8.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per contest. Still, the Armor have gone 7-3 in their last 10 games and don’t appear to be missing out on a playoff appearance. Look out for the Canton Charge who have been riding the Luke Harangody wave as he and fellow Eastern conference and NBA alum Donald Sloan shared NBA Development League Co-performer honors. Sloan and the Erie Bayhawks have put together a nice second half run and surely look playoff hungry as well, despite a slip up against the Sioux Falls Skyforce in a game they would like to forget.

March Madness is a fitting title for the action in the D-League, as these team’s will play their way into the final eight seeds heading into the playoffs, look for games to get tight and players to raise their level of play as we near the regular season’s end.

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Reports: Dallas’ Lamar Odom To Skip D-League Appearance

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Mar 032012
 

The plight of Dallas Mavericks forward Lamar Odom has been well-documented in the past few months. From his surprise trade to Dallas from the Los Angeles Lakers, to his celebrity marriage and reality show “fame”, to his total lack of production in the early-going of the 2012 season, Odom has been the focus of media attention in the Metroplex for better or worse.
This past week, Odom was sent down to the Dallas Mavericks’ NBA D-League affiliate, the Texas Legends, for whom he was scheduled to play at least one game this evening in Frisco, Texas against the visiting Austin Toros.
After the Mavericks’ fourth loss in five games at the hands of the New Orleans Hornets last night, Mark Cuban and team management have reversed their decision and Odom will indeed play for the Mavericks at home tonight against the Utah Jazz. This move doesn’t signal as much of a change in heart in regards to the team’s feeling about Odom at the moment, as it does a need t…

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Lamar Odom: Veteran Sent to D-League for Rehab Stint by Dallas Mavericks

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Mar 022012
 

Lamar Odom has officially been sent to the NBA Development League’s Texas Legends by the Dallas Mavericks, according to Earl Sneed of Mavs.com.

Odom has been away from the team for more than a week to deal with personal issues related to his family. The rehab assignment will be used to get the forward back into game shape before likely returning to the Mavericks lineup.

The Mavs have officially assigned Lamar Odom to the D-League’s Texas Legends.

— Earl K. Sneed (@EKS_MavsNBA) March 2, 2012

 

What It Means

The entire situation has been odd. Ever since Odom missed the team’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 22, the updates on his status have been few and far between. There was even a report about buying out his contract, which the Mavericks said they had no interest in doing.

Whatever personal issues Odom was attempting to work out for the past week have apparently been resolved. Sending him down for a quick stint in the D-League will allow him to get his legs back under him while also making sure he’s completely focused on returning.

Dallas has missed Odom’s presence, with the injuries beginning to mount. Dirk Nowitzki is fighting through a back injury, and Delonte West continues to sit out with a finger problem. Getting Odom back would provide some much-needed depth.

 

What Happens Next?

The Legends’ next game is against the Austin Toros on Saturday night. Odom will probably play just enough minutes to where he feels comfortable with his form before making his return to the Mavericks, who would next play on Monday.

Upon returning to the Mavs, the team will be expecting his production to increase. He was averaging just eight points in 21 minutes before the unexpected departure. It was undoubtedly the worst basketball the veteran had played in his career.

He hasn’t seemed like himself since coming over from the Lakers in the offseason, so maybe a week away simply allowed him to clear his head. He’s proven to be a valuable contributor in the past, and that’s what Dallas will be hoping for after the weekend.

 

Read more NBA news on BleacherReport.com

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Lamar Odom Assigned to D-League by the Dallas Mavericks

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Mar 022012
 

According to NBA.com, Lamar Odom‘s return to the Dallas Mavericks lineup will be postponed as he stops off in the D-League.

This marks the first time in Odom’s 13-year career that he will play a game in the D-League. This also marks the 41st time a player has been delegated to the D-League in the 2011-12 season alone.

While commissioner David Stern confidently claims that the lockout has not led to injuries, it has led to a decreased level of play for many players. Odom included.

Odom has played in 32 games for the Mavericks, starting four, but has failed to duplicate the success he’s had over the past 12 seasons. After winning the Sixth Man of the Year award in 2011, Odom has posted career-lows in points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks and field-goal percentage in 2012.

Hopefully, for Mavs fans, this delegation is a short-term stint to rebuild Odom’s confidence. Otherwise, this could be the beginning of the end for one of the most versatile players of our generation.

The Dallas Mavericks‘ affiliate Texas Legends will be Odom’s home for this unset amount of time. His first game can be viewed at NBA’s Future Cast website for free as the Legends host the Austin Toros tomorrow at the Dr. Pepper Arena.

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