Finestrg wrote:

H1AND1 wrote:I get that there are diamonds in the rough out there who just need a chance. But i am always a bit puzzled when i see some of the posts that have lists and lists of d-league guys who are just poised to get called up the NBA to immediately rip it up and play amazing. Why is it that they've escaped the notice of all 30 pro teams? If all these guys were bonafide NBA contributers wouldnt multiple teams be calling their agents 24/7 to get them suited up? I just have to think they are in the d-league for reasons beyond NBA front office incompetance because if the knicks FO is incompetant not giving them a shot then so is every other FO around the league.

How many d-leaguers get called up midseason and then stick beyond 10 day contracts? Honest question. The numbers seems very low to me. How many become even second or third string contributers with solid NBA careers that last? Again, i dont hear about it often. I just fail to believe all these guys are diamonds who just need a shot.

There's honest to goodness proof out there that importing DL-type talent can help. Teams have been successful tapping the DL for talent for years. Even recently -- Look at Hassan Whiteside -- DL guy/played in China etc., now he's a big-time contributor for one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference. Look at Robert Covington -- dude's looked great since joining the Sixers. There are guys down there that can help NBA clubs, esp. a lost team like ours. Who wants to watch Lou Amundson play in a lost season when we could watch several of these top DL prospects and evaluate whether they're potential keepers or not? Not me. Gimmie the latter all day...I don't wanna watch Lou Amundson. When you're a top team, you probably wouldn't concern yourself with adding DL talent but when you're a bottom feeder like us in a lost year with an uncertain future, it's a good way to potentially uncover a couple of good young pieces. We've got a lot of holes to fill next year. A TON. We basically need a whole new roster. The C spot's wide open for next year, the 4 spot, the PG spot, backup 3 (is Early really a player?)...I mean look at 2G -- it's wide open. THJ may not even be a keeper.. Speaking of SG -- I'm really surprised that we dealt away 2 rotation SGs in this trade and didn't bother to replace either one with another off-guard. Isn't that weird? Esp. with THJ stinking up the joint, even before the trade. I don't wanna hear Langston Galloway -- I gotta believe the idea is to see whether that kid can play the point. We know he can shoot and play off the ball but can he run the team for stretches at a time? Utah grabbed Elliot Williams but you mean to tell me we couldn't have made arrangements to bring in a Kevin Murphy before he went to China or an Orlando Johnson? Those guys are DL FAs and aren't linked to any NBA team right now. Two quality talents too I might add..

Im all for giving guys a look. You truly never know what you'll find. I didnt mean to imply I was against this sort've thing. My point was that I didn't think a large portion of these D-League guys were sure things. That's it.

I think that guys like Amundson, etc are getting 10 day contracts is due to the Knicks wanting open roster spots in order to act as facilitator in multi team trades closer to the deadline. I think that's reason why other younger prospects aren't getting looks besides Galloway. Maybe after the deadline they'll call up some other prospects? Anyway, Im all for it but Im not as optimistic we are going to find longterm answers as I still think it's always a longshot youre going to find a bonafide starter that somehow has languished in the d-league. Whiteside for example has had a couple games, lets see if he can maintain that for the rest of the year. Well see. I hope he can! Like I said, there aren't a ton of guys who fall through the cracks. You're MUCH more likely to find end of the rotation 2nd, 3rd stringers who give you 10 minutes a game or specialists who have one NBA ready skill and are severly lacking in other departments.

smackeddog wrote:

Tweet was deleted or there was problem with the URL:

https://twitter.com/SpearsNBAYahoo/status/555867062665359361

Nice. That's what I'm talking about. Hopefully our desire for him to come play here is legit. We'll see... Right off the bat, we're a distant 3rd on that list as far as being a winning team. This is what I'd tell this kid: "We may not look like much right now but we're primed to turn this around in the off-season in a big way. We anticipant a very quick turnaround and expect to be a winner/playoff team next year without a doubt. We expect to challenge for a championship by year 2 of the rebuild, maybe even as soon as next year. With what we plan to do in the off-season, we expect to win the Atlantic Division next year. We like your game and want you to be a part of this turnaround." Then offer him the same contract the Sixers gave Robert Covington -- 4-yrs/$4mm and change. Also offer him a starting role and 15-20 shots a game the rest of the way this season...I wouldn't even fool around here -- I think he's that good. Give the guy guaranteed money and a defined role. That's all a DLer could ask for. Will adding a little over $1mm on the books for next year really hurt our off-season plans? I don't think so. It'd be money well spend. 100%... SA & Chicago will probably offer 10-day contracts. We need to separate ourselves from the flock somehow -- this is how you do it. Go hard after this guy (within reason of course -- the Covington deal is a good comparison to use). We go about it like this, I think we could get him. We go at this lukewarm, cheaply, w/o conviction/purpose etc., we have no shot.

I wouldn't even fool around anymore -- open up 3 roster spots total and in addition to Green, bring in Bryce Cotton and Orlando Johnson too. We could really use all 3 moving forward. All 3 have played together for a little bit now and are familiar with each other (an added plus) -- I could see all 3 being important pieces for us next year.

smackeddog wrote:

Finestrg wrote:

smackeddog wrote:

Tweet was deleted or there was problem with the URL:

https://twitter.com/SpearsNBAYahoo/status/555867062665359361

Nice. That's what I'm talking about. Hopefully our desire for him to come play here is legit. We'll see... Right off the bat, we're a distant 3rd on that list as far as being a winning team. This is what I'd tell this kid: "We may not look like much right now but we're primed to turn this around in the off-season in a big way. We anticipant a very quick turnaround and expect to be a winner/playoff team next year without a doubt. We expect to challenge for a championship by year 2 of the rebuild, maybe even as soon as next year. With what we plan to do in the off-season, we expect to win the Atlantic Division next year. We like your game and want you to be a part of this turnaround." Then offer him the same contract the Sixers gave Robert Covington -- 4-yrs/$4mm and change. Also offer him a starting role and 15-20 shots a game the rest of the way this season...I wouldn't even fool around here -- I think he's that good. Give the guy guaranteed money and a defined role. That's all a DLer could ask for. Will adding a little over $1mm on the books for next year really hurt our off-season plans? I don't think so. It'd be money well spend. 100%... SA & Chicago will probably offer 10-day contracts. We need to separate ourselves from the flock somehow -- this is how you do it. Go hard after this guy (within reason of course -- the Covington deal is a good comparison to use). We go about it like this, I think we could get him. We go at this lukewarm, cheaply, w/o conviction/purpose etc., we have no shot.

I wouldn't even fool around anymore -- open up 3 roster spots total and in addition to Green, bring in Bryce Cotton and Orlando Johnson too. We could really use all 3 moving forward. All 3 have played together for a little bit now and are familiar with each other (an added plus) -- I could see all 3 being important pieces for us next year.

i think we're in a pretty good place in terms of getting d league players to sign for us- they are sure to get big minutes and we are in a big market so they get lots of exposure via the media- we can point to guys like Cope, Lin, Shawne Williams etc, who made big buck after just a few weeks/months of success with us.

Good points.

smackeddog wrote:

Finestrg wrote:

smackeddog wrote:

Tweet was deleted or there was problem with the URL:

https://twitter.com/SpearsNBAYahoo/status/555867062665359361

Nice. That's what I'm talking about. Hopefully our desire for him to come play here is legit. We'll see... Right off the bat, we're a distant 3rd on that list as far as being a winning team. This is what I'd tell this kid: "We may not look like much right now but we're primed to turn this around in the off-season in a big way. We anticipant a very quick turnaround and expect to be a winner/playoff team next year without a doubt. We expect to challenge for a championship by year 2 of the rebuild, maybe even as soon as next year. With what we plan to do in the off-season, we expect to win the Atlantic Division next year. We like your game and want you to be a part of this turnaround." Then offer him the same contract the Sixers gave Robert Covington -- 4-yrs/$4mm and change. Also offer him a starting role and 15-20 shots a game the rest of the way this season...I wouldn't even fool around here -- I think he's that good. Give the guy guaranteed money and a defined role. That's all a DLer could ask for. Will adding a little over $1mm on the books for next year really hurt our off-season plans? I don't think so. It'd be money well spend. 100%... SA & Chicago will probably offer 10-day contracts. We need to separate ourselves from the flock somehow -- this is how you do it. Go hard after this guy (within reason of course -- the Covington deal is a good comparison to use). We go about it like this, I think we could get him. We go at this lukewarm, cheaply, w/o conviction/purpose etc., we have no shot.

I wouldn't even fool around anymore -- open up 3 roster spots total and in addition to Green, bring in Bryce Cotton and Orlando Johnson too. We could really use all 3 moving forward. All 3 have played together for a little bit now and are familiar with each other (an added plus) -- I could see all 3 being important pieces for us next year.

i think we're in a pretty good place in terms of getting d league players to sign for us- they are sure to get big minutes and we are in a big market so they get lots of exposure via the media- we can point to guys like Cope, Lin, Shawne Williams etc, who made big bucks after just a few weeks/months of success with us.

Alex Kennedy ‏@AlexKennedyNBA · 3h3 hours ago
I'm hearing Tyrus Thomas is turning heads with his play at the D-League Showcase. Don't be surprised if he gets called up after Showcase.