Sunday’s Austin-Los Angeles NBA Development game will be the largest
assortment of legitimate, plug-them-into-the-lineup-like-a-speaker NBA
Prospects assembled in any NBA D-League game this year. The Western
Conference-leading D-Fenders host the second-place Toros in L.A. at 9:30
p.m. ET on Sunday, live on SportingNews.com.
Combined, the teams have already sent six players to the NBA this season,
with the D-Fenders tied with the Erie BayHawks for the most call-ups (4) on
the year. And if the recent flood of GATORADE call-ups is any indication,
both teams should be primed for more in the coming weeks, with three of the
league’s Top 10 Prospects—and somewhere in the range of eight of its Top
25—split between the two clubs.
The Toros, who’ve already shipped off two players to the NBA, have paced
the NBA D-League for most of the season. But they’ve struggled of late,
losing six of nine after a loss to Bakersfield on Thursday. The D-Fenders,
meanwhile, have caught fire, winning six straight to leap-frog Austin into
first place—thanks in large part to the play of a re-tooled, re-focused
and rejuvenated Gerald Green.
Green fell short of his potential during his four run in the NBA, when he
came straight from high school in 2005, won a Slam Dunk Contest, finished
second a year later to one of the most memorable dunks of all time, didn’t
play defense and found himself out of the league by 2009. But now, after
averaging 24.9 points and 6.3 rebounds over his past 10 games, Green’s
looking like he has the inside track for the next call-up.
And his closest competition might come from his teammates.
Swing man Elijah Millsap is the younger brother of the Jazz’s Paul
Millsap, and had dominated the NBA D-League until Green started cutting
into his numbers of late. But Millsap’s got an NBA frame and, thanks to a
combination of speed and size, an NBA game. He and scoring machine Brandon
Costner will take on Austin’s Leo Lyons, who looked like a top-tier NBA
Prospect until an injury delayed the start of his season. But Lyons has
posted eight double-doubles in his last 14 games, including rebounding
highs of 18 and 16 and scoring highs of 29 and 27 (twice). Leading
rebounder Eric Dawson joins Lyons in shoring up the low post.
If you’re looking for flash, check out the battle at the top of the key.
All season long, Austin point Justin Dentmon’s proven himself to be among
the league’s elite offensive point guards (22.4 ppg), and although his
distribution skills could use some polish, he’s gradually showing the
passing ability that can make him a true combo guard. He’ll be facing off
against Courtney Fortson, the rookie guard who spent some time with the Los
Angeles Clippers this year, and Rafer Alston, the former NBA fixture—not
to mention And1 Mixtape Tour magician—who’s trying to jump back into the
NBA by way of L.A. coach Eric Musselman’s pro factory.
This season, nobody’s sent more players to the NBA than Musselman, who
coached in the NBA from 2002-04 and 2006-07. The former Golden State
Warriors and Sacramento Kings coach has long had a knack for getting
players to the next level, as his 24 call-ups between 1990 and 1997 while
he was coaching in the CBA were the most of any other coach in that time.
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