Scores of workers were busy throughout the Jam Events Center as they frantically try to get the facility operational by the time the NBA Development League season begins.

But to be on the safe side, the Jam has delayed its home opener by four days. The home opener is now Thursday, Dec. 3, at 7 p.m. vs. Utah. The original opener, scheduled for Sunday against the Los Angeles D-Fenders, will now be a road game. The D-Fenders and Jam will play two straight in Bakersfield Feb. 2-3 (only one of those dates was a Jam home game originally) to make up for the site switch this weekend.

via With completion of Jam Events Center nearing, home opener is … – Bakersfield.com.

They built this brand new arena, and the Bakersfield Jam aren’t quiiiiiite going to get it open in time for the season opener. That’s awkward.

The Clippers could really use the Jam. Or, we could just make the Defenders an NBA team and relegate the Clippers. That’d work.

On the surface, the numbers might not look all that impressive. D-League president Dan Reed said that league attendance averaged 2,800 fans per game last season.

But the more relevant number was 2.25 million. That’s the amount, in dollars, that Oklahoma City Thunder owner Clay Bennett paid to buy the rights to a D-League team in Tulsa last year.

That confirmed, Reed said, that the league franchise values have just about quadrupled in the last couple years. Given the growth we’ve seen in minor league baseball, coupled with the focus on value in this economy, it wouldn’t be surprising if the D-League becomes the next hot property for both the fans in the communities in which they play and investors.

via NBA D-League On The Rise – Sports Biz with Darren Rovell – CNBC.com.

Rovell’s usual brilliant reporting on the D-League and the Red Claws’ inaugural season. If they can survive till the Celtics have some young prospects, I’d expect this one to be a premier D-League team.

This article highlights a central component that’s going to be huge over the next few years. Many minor leagues struggle with trying to do one particular thing well. Sell tickets. Expand market. Get exposure. Not be the current ABA. But the D-League does a number of things well, but no one thing great. And that’s largely on account of the CBA.  If, and it’s a big IF, the CBA can get reworked to allow rehab stints and cap-exempt roster spots, the league is going to be able to feature top-level talent, which will drive attendance, which will make more fans for the A, which will help revenue…

It’s a beautiful circle. IN MY HEAD.

It seems sensible then that Bower will continue to start Devin Brown, evaluate if he is contributing this game or not, and then replace him earlier or later with Thornton for a burst of explosive firepower. There are also a number of you who have made comments that you are in agreement with the idea.

I’ve decided, however, that Thornton needs to start when Chris Paul returns for one reason only: Darren Collison.

via The Thornton Dilemna: 6th man or Starter? – Hornets247.com

Schwan times in with a discussion of Thornton in the context of rotation,and what’s best for the team and/or for Thornton. The idea of him being a scorer off the bench isn’t that bad a plan, in a Manu/Ben Gordon instant-offense mechanism, provided he gets the minutes. That’s really the issue. The starters will always naturally get more minutes, or at least, that’s the common conception. Maybe Bower will be more flexible. The Hornets, even given their recent success, need to maintain flexibility because things can go badly very quickly and they can’t afford to weather storms with this lineup.

It’s not just that Buckets can score, it’s the potential I see for him on the defensive end. He’s bad, we know this. But rookies can improve on that level, and his body-type lends itself to having advantages once he learns a bit. Of course, we’re talking Devin Brown so it’s not like he’s got to climb Kilimanjaro here.

The Wonder Years, Part 3 – In Numbers – Pounding The Rock.

Someone’s been busy! This post is something I would very much like produced for every single NBA team in existence. So if we could get on that? I would appreciate it.

There are so many things to appreciate about the Spurs’ approach, but in the end, what Pop always says rings true. They got lucky with Duncan. And before that, they got lucky with Robinson. I’m not saying they weren’t smart for taking those guys or that the brilliant work of Buford and Popovich’s masterful coaching weren’t why they won their championships, but it really strikes you in this post the difference those two players had and how it just takes one guy to take you from the dregs to the top.

Unless you’re Memphis. In which case you would select cow patty in a sunflower field.

Evan Turner is tops in the Big Ten, having garnered player of the week status the past two weeks while stuffing his stat sheet at 21.8 PPG, 14.8 RPG, and 6 APG. His stats are so ridiculous that he has gone off for a double double in every game, and even pulled off a triple double against Alcorn State.

via Rush The Court » Blog Archive » Checking in on… the Big Ten.

Please read that again. 21.8 points, 14.8 rebounds, 6 assists. I don’t give a damn if they were playing Northwest Arkansas Community College (If you can’t hack it, NACC it!- now NorthArk College). Those are numbers I can get thrilled about.

Plus, he plays for Ohio State! Those guys always pay dividends right away!

…oh.

‘m sure there are some religious passages that refer to the dangers of temptation, and Brandon Jennings could just as easily play the part. If too many people jump on the bandwagon, he might just reveal himself to be a snake-headed woman with a penchant for carnage. Trust me. The bandwagon’s not safe.

Recall Jamaal Tinsley and his impressive debut. Or the fact that Gordon Giricek at one time in the not-so-distant past broke Allen Iverson’s record for points in a debut. Things happen in rookie seasons that never quite work out. So cool your jets. I’m not saying Jennings is on that level, he’s clearly in a world of his own – but that world is cold, twisted and bizarre.

Falling in love with Brandon Jennings is like trying to predict prom queen in freshman year – it’s impossible to make a safe assessment. As much as I would love to get in on the whole “He’s a rookie and he’s outplaying Player X, wahoo, let’s dance”, you know that come 2011 or 2012 he may just as well be overweight and skin-damaged from too many cigarettes between home economics and gym.

via The Good Point – Brandon Jennings, potentially filled with snakes.

This is why I hated that they had to play the Spurs last night. It was just one game, what’s the big deal, he can bounce back, they’re a tough team… they are the killers of all that is fun. That team sucks joy out of the world like no other. I actually like this squad quite a bit, they’re more likable than any iteration since the second championship, but they really do kill fun. And I actually seriously worry about them sucking his soul out.

I have my own concerns, so much hope poured into the kid. His ability to get 5+assists per game tends to alleviate the concerns somewhat, it’s nice to see that he can run the offense when he needs to. And George Hill is exactly the kind of player you want to defend him with, so he won’t be seeing that every night. But damn it, the season has started so well with him as a storyline (they’re on ESPN! Just like a real team!), I can’t bear the thought of him being crushed back into dirt before the March Rookie Well incident inevitably occurs.

Give him back his soul, Spurs. He’s too young to feast on.

You should watch some NBA action tonight. Let me count the ways why…

Tsunami in a Shark Tank
Philadelphia 76ers @ Washington Wizards – 7:00

Philly lost Maarreessee Sppeeiigghhtts to the trainer’s room when he went down with a torn MCL recently and that’s a bigger bummer than watching Andres Nocioni play basketball. Because I was really enjoying Speights early-season returns. While we’re on the subject, Elton Brand is a pretty big bummer himself, but it’s always fun to tune in for a couple “Yall paid $80 million for this?” jokes. But screw the Sixers, even though I dig Thaddeus Young, Lou Williams and am really starting to come around on Iggy — this game is about Gilbert. He’s going Hibachi tonight. I can feel it. My dog is already cowering down calmly, yet concernedly, beneath the door frame like it knows a tsunami is approaching. The Wiz are 3-9 and they need this game. I know you don’t believe me. Agent Zero hasn’t even shot 40% from the field in any of his last six games. Well, tonight he will. Oh, boy, will he ever. Don’t be that guy. Watch it.

I’m Not Kidding … Don’t Watch This
Indiana Pacers @ Toronto Raptors – 7:00 pm

You won’t see a whiter match-up until Indy makes it out to Salt Lake. Unfortunately, the Pacers are down a few honkies with Lil’ Dunleavy and Travis Diener on the injured shelf, but Troy Murphy, Jeff Foster and Tyler “Buckaroo Banzai” Hansbrough will proudly be ready to defend their race. In Toronto, it’s no so much white guys as Euros. Calderon. Hedo. Bargs. Some others I can’t remember and don’t feel like looking up because I’m pretty sure I’ve already written this before about Toronto in a 15-Footer. Probably because they’re entirely uninteresting. If we’re being truthful, I’m a Pacers fan and I might even skip this battle for supremacy of the Dullard Mediocrity Division. I mean, Danny Granger essentially skipped the last two Pacer games anyway, so why should I show up?

Nellie Hates Cuban, Sitting in a Tree
Golden State Warrios @ Dallas Mavericks – 8:30

You know that part in Major League where Dorn plays that prank on Ricky Vaughn that makes him think he got cut in Spring Training and then ol’ Veg Head runs into Mack Lou Brown’s office and tells him that “I’m gonna catch on somewhere else and every time I pitch against you, I’m gonna stick it up your f***ing a**.” That’s pretty much what Nellie was saying, metaphorically, when his Baron/Stack Jack/JRich/Barnes “We Believe” Dubs stole the Mavs lunch money the year they knocked that 67-win Dallas team out of the Playoffs back in the day. That was good times for the Bay Area. But those days are gone. This Dallas team is the best squad no one is talking about (10-3) and they’re going to annihilate this rag-tag Warrior team tonight at home as Dirk continues his Panzer-tank-driven MVP campaign across the League.

Two Franchises Meet in the Middle
Oklahoma City Thunder @ Utah Jazz – 9:00

Clearly, the game of the night. Two middling Western Conference teams walk into a bar and try to convince a rabbi that they should be taken seriously. At 7-7, the Thunder are rising on an upward trajectory with a promising young nucleus. At 7-6, the Jazz are trying to dispel the notion that they have become the irrelevant also-rans of the conference. The Thunder are hoping to overachieve and grab a #8 seed and sneak into the Playoffs. The Jazz are hoping to not underachieve and grab a #8 seed that would leave them once again quickly dispatched by the Lakers in the Playoffs. And if that’s not enough, we got studs. Durant. Deron. Westbrook. Boozer. Uncle Jeff. Millsapp. Harden’s beard. AK-47′s haircut. Game of the night.

Should Be a Good One /sarcasm
New Jersey Nets @ Denver Nuggets – 9:00

Let me save you the trouble: Nuggets beat the Nets 126 – 84. Carmelo gets 38 pts, 12 rebounds and 6 assists on 14/18 shooting while sitting out the whole fourth quarter, during which Earl Smith takes 7 threes, making 5. Highlights at 11.

There Will Be Pain
New York Knicks @ Los Angeles Lakers – 10:30

I pretty much just wrote off that last game as unwatchable. I think I did that to Pacers/Raptors, too. I guess, then, since I’m supposed to be telling you why you should watch these games that I probably shouldn’t just write off a third game on a six-game night, huh? Well, sorry. I cannot tell a lie. This will be painful. And bloody. Bloody and painful.

The Downbeat – 24 November 2009 – #107 – The Sparkly Edition – SLC Dunk.

That’s Fessenko’s shot chart for the season. I can’t even make fun of him. So many guys you complain about them thinking they have a ten foot jumper. Not Fess. Nope, just put-backs and layups, baby. Two years in the D-League will teach you to eschew those things that won’t get you paid. Like jump-shots. And hook-shots. And shots that require more than lifting arm and dropping ball. You know. Fancy stuff.

the Blowtorch: If My Dog Played Basketball.

I’ve met Yams. I’ve played Yams.

Witness.

When the national media claimed that adding Zach Randolph and Allen Iverson was going to blow up the solid young locker room, it was like, “What solid young locker room?” With Iverson out of the picture, however, a nice little bit of camaraderie is starting to appear.

The terrifying part is that Zach Randolph has been a part of it. Z-Bo has been saying the right things to the press. He has been sharing the ball. He hustles, at least as much as he can hustle. He cleans up Rudy and O.J.’s out-of-control messes. Over the past couple games, Randolph has constantly had his arms around Rudy and Marc’s necks, and I don’t think he’s just tired from all that hustling.

Zach Randolph is acting like a veteran leader for this team, especially for Marc Gasol and Rudy Gay. Is it a surprise that those two are rocking with their backs to the basket? Yes. It is a surprise. I think I know the culprit. And I like it. That doesn’t mean I want to see Rudy stop dunking or want Marc Gasol to start shooting that one handed post shot that should never, never freaking ever, go in — but it is encouraging.

via Lover’s Embrace: Memphis Grizzlies Blow Out Kings 116-105 – Straight Outta Vancouver.

Hey, look, Memphis is ‘only’ 5-9! Progress! I can’t believe I’m saying this, but Randolph looks like a great pickup. What DJTurtleface says here is true. Randolph has been a leader. He is taking care of the young guys. He is playing hard on both sides of the ball. I don’t know what to do. I’m scared. Hold me.

I can’t decide if I should keep rooting against them for their own good and so I can gloat when Randolph gets them all arrested in some sort of debacle, or if I should forgive Randolph for past crimes and embrace this bizarre, incomplete team.