Posted by Bippity10:

I have a NCAA national championship ring. Ever heard of me?

You have 82 posts. No one has ever heard of you

This newbie seems to have some anger issues and he thinks he has a juice card. Perhaps a suspension or ever a permanant banning is in order.

What difference does it make who they sign from the D-League? If they don't have the time or minutes to develop the 6th pick overall, why would they have it for someone from the D-League?

And what is it with the new guy? Seems a little angry with an awful big chip on his shoulder.

From Isola:

"The Knicks appear to be closing in on a deal for D-Leaguer Cheikh Samb, who may be best remembered for being included in the Allen Iverson deal this season or for being posterized by Brandon Roy.

The 7-foot center, originally drafted by the Lakers in the second round, was one of the players that worked out on Monday for the Knicks, who have two available roster spots.

Nothing is official just yet but Samb has the inside track on one of the two roster spots. He is the very definition of a project. He’s already been on three team's rosters - the Pistons, Nuggets and Clippers - the latter of which released him on Feb. 16."

Posted by GKFv2:

I know Dumars liked Samb so we'll see if we can work with him. He's pretty much a scrub though but we need some height.

I don't know anything about him, but here's some stats:

Samb was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the second round (51st pick overall) of the 2006 NBA Draft, but was traded that day to the Detroit Pistons for shooting guard Maurice Evans.

In the 2005-06 season, he played for WTC Cornellá in the Spanish second division, averaging 9.6 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.1 blocks,[1] shooting 51.4% from the field and 76.1% from the free-throw line, playing an average of 26 minutes per game in 29 games. He led the league in blocked shots, registering more blocks than the totals of all but one team in the league.

After being drafted, Samb played for the Pistons in the NBA Summer League, averaging 7.2 points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.8 blocks, while shooting 65.2% from the field and 60.0% from the free-throw line. He would be loaned back to the same Spanish outfit for 2006–07.

In his second season with Cornellá, he averaged 10.5 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.9 blocks, while shooting 52% from the field, and 61% from the free-throw line, playing 24 minutes per game in only 19 games, in an injury-plagued season. Joining the Pistons for another Summer League, Samb posted slightly better numbers than in the previous edition, starting in four and playing in all five games. Subsequently, he signed a contract with the Pistons on July 17, 2007.[1]

On November 16, 2007, Samb played his first NBA regular season game[2]: against the Los Angeles Lakers, he had 4 rebounds, 2 points and 2 blocks in just 15 minutes, before being allocated to the NBA Development League, with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.

On December 14, in his second D-League game, against the Dakota Wizards, Samb took an elbow to his mouth and lost two front teeth.[3] The teeth, knocked out at the root, were subsequently put in a saline solution and he was taken to a dentist to have them reset.[3] He also suffered a probable upper jawbone fracture.[3]

Samb was recalled to the NBA on December 21[2], switching to the Mad Ants again on January 29, 2008.[4] On February 3, he recorded a triple double with the Ants, with 12 points, 12 rebounds and 11 blocks.[5] On March 22, he was once again recalled to the Pistons.

On November 3, 2008, Samb was traded along with Antonio McDyess and Chauncey Billups to the Denver Nuggets, in exchange for Allen Iverson.[6] Samb (along with Sonny Weems) was later assigned to the Colorado 14ers, a team associated with the Nuggets in the NBA Development League.[7] On January 5, 2009, the Nuggets traded Samb, along with cash considerations, to the Los Angeles Clippers for a conditional second-round draft pick.

On February 16, 2009, Samb was waived by the Clipper

Maybe MDA can teach him the Jimmy Dolan shake and bake



[Edited by - Rookie on 02-23-2009 1:16 PM]

here's the latest scouting report on White. Sounds like he's getting his emotions under control. With his size and athleticism at the 2, you have to give him a look:

James White, Knocking on the NBA's Door, Again

by: Jim Hlavac
February 12, 2009

In a league that prides itself in developing players, no one player has shown as much improvement this season as NBA D-League All-Star James White of the Anaheim Arsenal. The 6’7” White is second in the league in scoring with 25.8 points per game and has scored 20 or more points in 21 consecutive games. White will be one of four players participating in the D-League's Slam-Dunk Contest on Friday night, as well as the D-League All-Star game on Saturday afternoon

“Coach [Sam] Vincent put me in a role as being one of the primary scorers on the team”, said White. “I’m getting shots up and just looking for my shot more, which I’ve really never been able to do on any other team I played for.”

The trust placed upon him by Vincent has paid off for White and the Arsenal, as he has connected on 55.5% of his shots and 40% from behind the arc.

Assistant Coach Paul Mokeski agrees, “Every game I look up, he’s got 30 points.”

White’s biggest development, however, has been his attitude and approach to the game. He has a bad reputation, and whether it is deserving or not, it has stuck to him.

When White entered the NBA draft out of Cincinnati, he was the 31st pick overall. Yet in this year’s D-League draft, this first round talent saw 24 players picked ahead of him. And there was some concern in the Anaheim war room of taking him at all.

“He had a reputation of being kind of volatile,” says Mokeski. A reputation that Mokeski hasn’t seen this season. “I really like James. He works hard and he’s a professional”

White wasn’t even supposed to play in the D-League this season. After winning a championship in Turkey with Fenerbahce Ulker last season and an NBA championship with the Spurs the year before, White expected to be signed by an NBA team for this season. When that fell through, he signed to play in China. However when he arrived in China, he wasn’t paid, and decided to return back to the United States to pursuit a career in the NBA.

The trip to China was not a lost cause, as his Dad gave him a book to read, “Mind Gym” by Gary Mack and David Casstevens.

“It’s a book that talks about focusing and visualizing and things like that,” says White. “I’ve been incorporating it into my game. I’m staying focused and looking at the plays before they happen. It’s really helped me slow the game down.”

White has always been, and will always be, an emotional player. He just needs to refine his emotions on the court and the book has helped him see that.

“Everybody thinks I have a bad attitude or I’m a bad guy because I show emotion. But that’s what fuels me to play, my emotion.”

He also now understands that he needs to control his emotion on the court. Earlier in the season, White would often contest calls the referees made, but he realizes that they are just doing their job and he needs to stay focused.

“I’m trying to calm down and leave the refs alone. The last three or four weeks I’ve really been working at it.”

His efforts have not gone unnoticed by Coach Mokeski. “The non-reactions he has now to the bad calls are a big difference. It’s not the big blown up reaction, it’s just a little reaction and that’s been a huge difference. It’s really helped his game.”

So now White just waits for the rest of the basketball world to see how he has developed this season. “I’ve figured out the scoring part at this level, so I’m going to pick it up on defense a little, get more rebounds, do more stuff other than scoring.”

With all the raw talent and athleticism that made White the 31st pick overall in 2006, he should be getting a look at the NBA before the end of the year. If that comes, White will be ready.

“I can’t do the same thing for them (NBA) that I do here (in the D-League), but in practice, I can show them that I can play. Whatever role they ask me to play, I’ll play that role.”

“In Europe, I was more like an energy guy. It was a different role I played. But that’s what they asked me to play.”

So while White waits for the call-up, he continues to work on his attitude all thanks to a little “Mind Gym.”

Posted by djsunyc:

does it really matter? with gallo not playing, none of these guys will either. and none of them will be on the team past april anyway. so this is all moot.

You're really showing the love for the Rooster.

Posted by misterearl:

Turnovers

djsu - it may be moot but it certainly is entertaining to visualize new guys in orange and blue

It just isn't the same without Jerome James

the trading of jerome james was the beginning of the end...