YouTube – R-O-D B-E-N SON.

It’s a down economy! You need someone to give the marketing department a little boost. Just throw him a min! You know you want to.  You’re not doing anything else. What, is Keith Closs next? Come on. He rebound. He does what you want. Throw him a bone.

I mean, come on. It’s a movement.

This is bad, Larry. Very bad. « Tuffy’s Refrigerator Logic.

2010 NBA Playoffs bracket.

Check out the playoffs right now. James versus Wade in the first round. Hawks versus Bucks. It’ll never hold this way, but for the moment, let’s dream. Jennings versus Bibby. Johnson versus Redd. MarvWill versus Moute. Josh Smith versus Frankensova. Bogut versus Horford. I mean, that’s just awesome.

The site will keep you up to date on the progress of the season and the matchups as they evolve. For one brief moment, witness the Cats in the playoffs.

Behold the glory of a future we’ll never have.

The December edition of the 8th Seed is ready for your listening pleasures.

I was this month’s host and, boy oh boy, is this thing a beast.

Coming in at around 90 minutes, this episode has something for everyone, including our NBA Christmas wish lists, Dirk’s brilliance, Gilbert’s free throws, Donaghy Gate, team breakdowns (for the Celtics, Spurs, Cavs, Clippers, Kings, Grizzlies and Pacers), an ode to Tyreke Evans that can only be described as Mac-writing-a-letter-to-Chase-Utleyesque and someone being accused of being an emo kid.

via The 8th Seed: Episode 7, Holiday Spectacular.

I was a guest panelist on the 8th seed this week. This is a terrific group of bloggers and the fact that there’s not absolute chaos shows you the talent there. We tried something like this at HP and it was like a kindergarten recess in a prison cell. Lots of yelling in a small space.

Over the last two-plus years, I’ve blogged the Magic using the name Third Quarter Collapse, or 3QC for short. I’m attached to it and like it a lot, but over the last year or so it’s become clear to me that the name is not befitting of a championship organization. It needlessly accentuates the negative, however harmlessly, and does not immediately connote “Magic.” We felt like we needed a name that better represented the team and the city, one of which anyone and everyone could be proud. Thus, we’ve included the city name in our new blog title, while “Pinstriped” recalls the Magic’s uniforms, both past and present. “Post” has a nice double-meaning as both a news outlet and the part of the basketball court on which the Magic’s dominant centers–first Shaquille O’Neal, and now Dwight Howard–do their best work. Ask any casual sports fan which team Third Quarter Collapse is about, and you’ll get plenty of different answers, probably representing teams in the NBA, NFL, and NHL. But ask the casual sports fan about the Orlando Pinstriped Post? It has that Magic ring to it, which is why we’re so excited about it.

via Announcement: 3QC is now Orlando Pinstriped Post – Orlando Pinstriped Post.

Two things.

1. Watching this site grow up has been a joy. Seeing Ben add Eddy, rack up accolades, and become such a phenomenal site has been great. His site represents the best of NBA blogging, from technique to writings substance to style to variety to tone. It’s about as close as you can get to a perfect NBA team blog. Seeing him outgrow the 3QC mantle is part of that development, even if it is disappointing considering how awesome that name is.

2. Orlando will now blow a 15 point lead in the third quarter of game 6 or 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals. Let’s just go ahead and pencil that right in there.

Recently I took a look at the diminishing returns of rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. As you may or may not have noticed, one common type of statistic was missing: shooting. Today I’m going to fill in the blanks using the same approach as last time.

If you haven’t read the previous article, the premise is simple. For each lineup in the NBA last year that appeared in at least 400 plays, I project how they will do in each stat using the sum of their individual stats. For example, to predict a lineup’s offensive rebound rate, I simply add the offensive rebound rates of each of the five players in the lineup. I then compare this projection to the actual offensive rebounding rate of the lineup. These steps are followed for each lineup and for each statistic.

If there are diminishing returns (i.e. in a lineup of five good rebounders, each player ends up stealing a little bit from his teammates), the correlation between the projected rates and the actual rates will be significantly lower than one. In other words, for each percentage of rebounding rate a player has individually, he will only add a fraction of that to the lineup’s total because some of his rebounds will be taken away from teammates.

If this still isn’t clear to you, be sure to check out the old article. Once you’ve done that, this article will make more sense.

Back to shooting. I’ve decided to take a look at the diminishing returns of eight aspects of shot selection/efficiency: three-point shooting percentage, three-point attempt percentage (the percentage of a player’s total attempts that are threes), close (dunks/layups) shooting percentage, close attempt percentage, midrange shooting percentage, midrange attempt percentage, free throw shooting percentage, and free throw attempt percentage.

To project a lineup’s percentage in one of those categories, I can’t simply add up the five individual percentages. For example, a lineup of five 30% three-point shooters is not going to shoot 150% from beyond the arc. Instead, I have to calculate a weighted average for the lineup. Therefore, each player’s three-point shooting percentage is weighted by the amount of threes he took. The same approach can be taken with attempt percentages.

For some statistics, such as free throw percentage, we shouldn’t expect to see any diminishing returns. After all, adding a great free throw shooter to a lineup shouldn’t make the other players in the lineup shoot worse from the foul line. However, with other stats (especially attempt percentages), diminishing returns seem more possible.

To start, let’s take a look at the diminishing returns of three-point shooting percentage:

Here we see the slope is just about 1. However, the standard error for this slope is 0.21, so the results are pretty inconclusive.

How about three-point attempt percentage?

Again the slope is just about 1. This time, though, the standard error is just .04. Therefore, we can say with pretty good certainty that there are no diminishing returns for three-point attempt percentage. In other words, adding a player to your lineup that likes to shoot threes is going to add a proportional amount of three-point attempts to your lineup total.

Up next we have close shooting percentage:

The slope is actually above 1 this time, although it’s less than one standard error away from 1. There definitely is no clear evidence of diminishing returns for close shooting percentage. Adding an efficient player around the basket to your lineup will probably not make your other players less efficient around the basket.

Close attempt percentage:

The standard error for this slope is just .05, so we may be seeing slight diminishing returns. But not much.

Midrange shooting percentage:

The standard error for this one is pretty large (0.15), but again there are no real signs of diminishing returns.

Midrange attempt percentage:

These results are pretty similar to those of close attempt percentage. The slope is less than 1 and the standard error is pretty small. Again, though, the diminishing returns effect appears to be quite small.

Free throw percentage:

As I mentioned in the beginning of the article, we shouldn’t expect to see diminishing returns on free throw percentage, and we don’t.

Free throw attempt percentage:

Just like the rest of the stats we looked at, we don’t really see a hint of diminishing returns for free throw attempt percentage.

Conclusion

Unlike statistics such as rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks, shooting (in all of its forms) doesn’t seem to have the problem of diminishing returns. A player’s shooting efficiency will have a proportional impact on a lineup’s shooting efficiency, and his shooting tendencies will have a proportional impact on a lineup’s shooting tendencies. There are other ways to attack this question, though, and in the future I plan on doing just that.

Nothing comes easy for Russell Westbrook on the basketball court…except for the running and the leaping. But those skills make Westbrook more a track star than a legit NBA player. Yet Russell is considered one of the best young points in the league, and his dynamic, energetic play is one of the reasons why the Thunder are slowly invading the national consciousness. He boasts a rare combination of top-notch athleticism and maximum effort, two traits which are almost antithetical in today’s NBA. The league’s athletic freaks typically coast on their natural gifts for far too long, temporarily halting their development and limiting their opportunities. Those that aren’t blessed with that athleticism typically opt towards honing a particular skill or simply outwork everyone else on the floor. But despite his ridiculous ups and explosive speed, Westbrook has managed to stay grounded.

That’s what makes Westbrook different from say, Steve Francis. Their basketball instincts are certainly comparable, as they understand the general concepts of the position and basketball in general, but without the nuance of the league’s more cerebral point guards. But whereas Francis was a leaper with delusions of a jumpshot (sound familiar, Thunder fans?), Westbrook is slightly more enlightened. His shot selection is just as bad as Francis’, but Russell has given in to the divine ways of the hustle. He moves at a different speed not simply because he’s faster or quicker, but because he has the willingness to move as quickly as he can all the time. It’s the same reason why Westbrook is rarely in control, but it’s a tactic that’s admirable in its sincerity. It would be hard to accuse him of floating or looking disinterested, because Westbrook really only knows one speed. Everything is pedal to the metal, and though that doesn’t bode well for his turnover rate or his team’s offensive efficiency, it makes Russ just as fun to admire as the NBA’s more technically proficient stars.

The defense is there and the effort is there, but in order for Westbrook to make it to the next level, he’ll need to turn his effort and his hustle inward. Russell’s game will take him as far as he wills it to, and though premier point guard instincts can’t exactly be taught, they can be cultivated by time in the gym, studying video, and with the playbook. That’s what it’s going to take for Westbrook to earn a spot among the elite at his position, and his on-court work ethic gives us all reason for optimism. It’s also the reason why Francis had a ceiling, but Westbrook does not. The key is to avoid spinning sideways, and though he has yet to take any substantive jumps this year, he’s a sophomore. I love instant returns as much as anyone else, but the key to Westbrook understanding and actualizing will be the patience of those within the Thunder organization itself. They put a big vote of confidence in Russ this past summer by not drafting one of a million competent point guards, and that mentality is what’s needed for Westbrook to develop into the player everyone hopes he can be.

During the tenured coach’s pregame session with the media, he was made aware of this tweet from Nash. And in classic Popovich style, he sarcastically answered the question, but not before making his feelings about Twitter crystal clear.

“Does Steve tweet? I’ve lost all respect,” Popovich joked. “Steve Nash should not be a tweeter. He’s a competitor, not a tweeter.”

As for Nash’s assertion that the coach’s time in the military helped him become a basketball mastermind, Popovich wholeheartedly agreed.

“He’s absolutely correct,” Popovich deadpanned. “I spent all my military time in Russian basketball courts in different cities collecting as many out of bounds plays as I possibly could. And now, I’ve had a chance to employ them.”

via Gregg Popovich, Not a Fan of Twitter — NBA FanHouse.

Popovich will never write a book, and if one is written about him, it will be deeply unsatisfying. He’s got too much lockdown on his life, his thoughts, his history. And it’s too bad, because over the last year I’ve come to the conclusion that not only is he the best coach in the NBA, he may be the best of all time, and he’s probably the most interesting, too. There’s no ego to him. None. The man’s a whisper of smoke in reasonably nice attire. He doesn’t lash out, freak out, or mouth off. He doesn’t sink to “psychological warfare” or any of the other crap certain other coaches sink to. He just does his job, treats his guys like men, wins games, and then deflects all of it to his players. And in the meantime, we miss out on the fact that Nash is kidding, but also really kind of right. The guy majored in Soviet studies during the cold war. There are bodies hidden somewhere, man. All of a sudden the lifeless, cold aspect of the Spurs seems much more fitting.

Also, did you know he wrote a chapter about Robinson for a Chicken Soup for the Soul book? What the hell?

REASONS TO WATCH THE GAMES OF THE NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION TONIGHT:

Ain’t That a Shame

Charlotte at Indiana

Danny Granger v. Gerald Wallace would have been worth the price of admission alone, if Danny didn’t have to injure himself and spoil our fun. Even though the souring Granger and the soaring Wallace are currently headed in different directions, it’s still one of the premier offense-defense match-ups that the Eastern Conference has to offer. Plus, with the way Gerald’s been rebounding and scoring lately, he could actually demand that the Bobcats are must-see TV, as long as you’re a masochist who can deal with the rest of the team’s (Jax excluded) inability to put the ball in the damn hoop.

Luckily, there’s still plenty to like about this match-up, even if you aren’t particularly interested in either team.  TJ Ford and Raymond Felton are both equally frustrating in their own way, but Felton’s defense and Ford’s offense (when his head is right) make for an interesting give and take. Tyson Chandler will be chasing Troy Murphy for stretches, which in itself seems like a strange, punchline-less joke. And Stephen Jackson-Mike Dunleavy? Too much. A priceless face-off of former Warriors, once swapped for each other, who play completely different yet eerily similar styles. Don’t question it, just nod along.

Care to Explain?

Toronto at Orlando

Every time the Raptors play, I take it upon myself to mention just how bad their defense is. Consider this a change of pace.

Despite the fact that the Raps have the same interior as a Cadbury Cream Egg, they’ve had some pretty remarkable success against Dwight Howard this season. 20.5 points and 11.5 rebounds may not strike you as noteworthy defense, but Howard’s FG% is what sticks out to me: In his two games against Toronto this season, Howard is averaging just 34.6% shooting from the field. Toss in a half-tick above his usual turnover rate, and you’ve got a head-scratcher. That’s Chris Bosh, Andrea Bargnani, and a bit of Amir Johnson and Rasho Nesterovic holding one of the league leaders in FG% (2nd, if you wanna be specific) to a miserable percentage on his attempts. What gives?

You Have My Attention, and Now You Have Five Seconds to Completely Sway My Opinion

Cleveland at Philadelphia

The fun has been gone from Philadelphia since the bell tolled on their playoff run last season, and it has yet to come back. That’s in spite of some early success from Marreese Speights, who is still one of my favorite young players in the league. That’s in spite of bringing back a high-profile, energizing player in Allen Iverson. That’s in spite of Jrue Holiday, who while he isn’t all that great at running an offense, has the potential to be a terrific defender at the 1. And that’s in spite of Philly finally winning one after dropping twelve straight. The Sixers are all over the place, as long as the place doesn’t involve anything resembling offensive efficiency. Their style of play may be a sight to behold if only for all the questions that have no answers, but for the moment I’ve deemed them unwatchable. I’ve seen the novelty of a bad team with nowhere left to turn, and while it’s always a tad interesting to watch the flames begin to consume everything.

But tonight, I may give them a few seconds of my full attention. If, in one random possession, the Sixers can do something to pique my interest? Well, maybe we can do business together. But otherwise, I’m not that interested in watching Cleveland hand them yet another loss.

Feeling Bad Never Felt So Good

Memphis at Atlanta

Honestly, I feel horrible for the Grizzlies. After fighting to hang with the Celtics, Ray Allen decided that it was his personal mission to make the city of Memphis miserable…that is, if the city of Memphis managed to burden itself with even looking at the final score. But almost every Grizzly in the rotation had a solid night or better, and to deny them a win simply because Ray Allen is Ray Allen? I know that nothing in this world is fair, but they deserved better. Shame on you, basketball gods. Shame on you, precise mechanics of Ray’s jumper.

Still, it’s hard not to feel good about just how well Memphis has played lately, and tonight is another opportunity for them to earn some street cred. The Hawks are among the class of the East, and a win over a quality team like that suddenly adds legitimacy to their extended run. Wins over the Mavs and the Cavs were nice, but a short burst in the schedule could be nothing more than an aberration. A win tonight not only carries the literal impact of having a quality win over a quality opponent, but it authenticates everything that the Grizzlies have done of late is more than just streaky play and some good luck. 10-14 is a pretty swell record, but 11-14 is that much closer to the almighty .500, and that much closer to some respect.

No Respect, Nyah-Nyah-Nyah!

Utah at New Jersey

It’s so easy to count out the Utah Jazz. I mostly blame Carlos Boozer, who remains a public enemy. His style is just so easily disregarded, so typically understated, and yet so utterly productive. And as much as we love to pick on him for his passive defense and his tendency to get his shots swatted, he’s probably an all-star. That’s not nothin’, and considering all the completely pleasant players in Utah, I’m honestly surprised they don’t get more credit for being a credible team. Deron Williams is about as real as point guards get, Mehmet Okur’s still tougher and more reliable than people think, and Andrei Kirilenko is just a peach. Plus, Wesley Matthews and Eric Maynor? Two of the best rookies living out of the spotlight, even if only one of them gets consistent PT.

The Nets are similarly situated in terms of public perception, at least relative to their predicted standing. Whereas the Jazz were expected to be sub-elite (which they are, if you’ve been paying attention…another reason why I don’t understand the Jazz disregard), the Nets were expected to be bad, but not awful. And despite what their record says, that’s what they are. There’s been so much written trying to make sense of Jersey’s miraculously awful start, and I’m not sure that the formula is anything remotely simple. But the odds were certainly stacked against the Nets, and although that doesn’t excuse their effort in some of their losses, no one expected the Nets to be good. No one expected them to be mediocre. And even though every rebuilding process doesn’t involve reaching historical levels of failure, this is the kind of thing that happens when an already limited team trades away part of its core, integrates new pieces, finds minutes for younger players, and faces a boatload of injuries. The Nets are a bad team, just not as bad as other indicators would have you believe.

Last Time, on NBA Team Missing Their Star Contributors

LAL at Milwaukee

I’m still warming up to the concept that Michael Redd is a part of this Bucks team. The team still sends out the paychecks and Redd will probably be under contract until next season (he has a player option for 2010-2011), but I’d just grown accustomed to Milwaukee games being about the progress of Andrew Bogut, the return of Ersan Ilyasova, and the arrival of Brandon Jennings. Just add Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, and you’ve got a squad with all the scrap, the defense, and the bursts of greatness that you’d want out of what was supposed to be a depressing year for a depressing franchise. And for whatever reason, Redd doesn’t seem to be a part of that. There’s nothing wrong with his attitude, his work ethic, or even his play (the Bucks were already using the long ball as their calling card, and they could use Redd’s mid-range shooting), but just this feeling in the pit of my stomach that he’s loitering in a space that doesn’t belong to him anymore.

The Lakers are completely different, even if I’m still acclimating myself to Pau Gasol’s return…which was about a month ago. With Pau in the lineup, the Lakers have lost just one game. One game. I kept telling myself that with everyone healthy and on the court, something was bound to fall apart. Maybe Artest would go haywire, or Bynum would feel alienated, or Derek Fisher would try to play from the convenience of his Rascal. But instead, they just use every single game as an argument of why they’re the best team in basketball. With the way the Lakers started the season defensively, I knew they’d be good. But I don’t think I was prepared to acknowledge that they’re as good as they are. The supposed offensive juggernaut is simply slaughtering teams with their defense alone, and I’m not sure that I want to live in a world where these Lakers solve all of their problems offensively. It’s just not fair.

Remember When He Was… Uhh…Had to Cross All That Broken Glass Without Shoes On, and There Was Nothing He Could Do About It So He Just Walked On All the Broken Glass With His Bare Feet? Did You Like That?

Detroit at New Orleans

Yes Chris, I did. I liked it when Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince were injured, and the Pistons had to make do because there was nothing they could do about it. I liked how it opened up the game for Stuckey, Bynum, Villanueva, Jerebko, and Daye. I liked how they desperately tried to keep their heads above water, even as the realities of having a team full of average players weighed against them. It’s not a slight to the team or their effort, but just an honest appraisal of a team that lacks legitimate difference-makers on both ends.

And Yes, Chris, I did. I liked it when Chris Paul was injured, and the Hornets had to make do because there was nothing they could do about it. So they found more minutes for Darren Collison and Marcus Thornton, and now those two are rotation mainstays even with Paul back in the mix. I liked how the team still managed to win games, even when David West, the next in line and logical candidate for more shots and more points, struggled. I liked how they put together a few solid defensive efforts, even though the team as a whole is not very strong on that end of the court.

But mostly, I liked how both team will now be better for all of it. They have their proven stars who we know can produce, and now they have valuable young parts that are plenty capable of contributing under any circumstances.

Sometimes You’re the Windshield, Sometimes You’re the Sledgehammer of a Disgruntled Ex-Employee Who Has Plenty of Free Time, Nothing to Lose, and Endless Rage

San Antonio at Golden State

Oh boy, the Warriors are going to get it tonight. The Phoenix held San Antonio at arm’s length last night, and even though this year’s Spurs outfit is going through some growing pains, they’re a prideful team. And Golden State is a bad team. Not exactly the best combination for a competitive match-up, but it could be yet another opportunity for the Spurs to get their paperwork in order.

While I don’t understand why Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili, Tim Duncan, and Richard Jefferson are always on different pages, I do know that Gregg Popovich has all the tools necessary to play stop-n-go with the Dubs. Duncan can slow the game down, and even though his post moves are a little bit less reliable than we’re used to, he’s still a force…especially when Corey Maggette is playing serious minutes at center. Then, when TD gets tired or just plain bored, the Spurs speed unit is more than capable of pacing Monta Ellis and company. To make matters worse, the Warriors haven’t topped 101 points in the last three games (all losses), despite playing at the fastest pace. Wins over the Warriors aren’t quite a recipe for righting the ship, but sometimes you’ve just gotta pick out the smallest kid on the playground, and bully him until you feel better about yourself.

The $1 Beer Night Debacle That Will Take My Life

Washington at Sacramento (Zach Harper)

I’m not going to lie; someone is going to jail tonight at this Kings game. The Kings were given a nationally televised game by ESPN a couple of weeks ago. Because attendance has been so poor for the Kings (I’d be shocked if there have been more than 9,000 people in any given home game after the home opener), the Kings had to think of something to fill the arena for this game. So they decided to offer $1 beer through the end of halftime in order to fill up the stadium. And it worked. As of yesterday, there were fewer than 900 tickets left for sale for this game. The problem is the Kings didn’t realize the arena will still look empty on TV for the first half because everybody will be on the concourse, standing in line for beer. At some point, there will be far too many drinks in far too many people and there will be a riot. You’ll get a text from your friends saying, “OMG there’s a riot at the Kings game turn on ESPN!!!” Just watch the game from the start so you don’t have to wait for the replay at midnight to watch the Sacramento Apocalypse.

Return of the Mc

Rockets at Nuggets, 9:00PM EST (Zach Harper)

Get it? Return of the Mc sounds like Return of the Mack, that song by Mark Morrison from like 1996. It’s clever. Okay, well it’s sort of clever. And Tracy McGrady isn’t really a “mack” anymore. He’s more of a “you know if he stays healthy and can spread the floor with Trevor Ariza and Shane Battier then the Rockets will have a nice balance of scoring all over the court and… OHLOOKIT’SSOMETHINGSHINYOVERTHERE” kind of story. McGrady probably won’t play more than 10 minutes in this game. Actually, it’s the second night of a back-to-back so he might play at all even though he played just eight minutes last night. But if he gets on the court, we might get a little flash of McGrady versus Carmelo that could provide scoring delight for a couple of minutes.

LET’S HAVE OURSELVES A HOE-DOWN! (Oh, Sorry Dirk.)

Dallas at OKC, 8:00 EST (Matt Moore)

Josh Howard and Kevin Durant against one another? Jason Kidd versus Russell Westbrook? Dirk being guarded by Green? Erick Dampier versus Nenad Krstic? This couldn’t be better. Unless there were jelly sammiches. Because that would be better.

YOUR NIGHTLY HORROR

Clip at Wolves, 8:00EST (Matt Moore)

I suggest wrapping presents and thinking happy thoughts while watching this. On second thought, nothing with scissors.

As you can see, we’ve collaborated with the top D-League blogger’s in the universe to come up with the top 10 players that are deserving of an NBA call-up.  While 10-day contract’s aren’t able to be handed out until January 5th, there’s typically two or three call-up’s before that date, which is why we’ve put our heads together to bring you this list.

Anyway, continue on to see the list and a breakdown of each of the top 10 players, an early holiday gift to all of our loyal readers from the D-League blogging contingent!

1. Dontell Jefferson, Utah Flash (20.5 ppg, 6 apg, 5.1 rpg, 1.6 spg, 47% FG) – Jefferson should be the poster child for the NBA Development League because I don’t think there’s been a player that’s gotten consistently better like Jefferson has.  Consider his D-League draft bio as a rookie back in 2006: to go from averaging 3.2 points and 4.4 assists in college to an call-up to the Bobcats last season is amazing.  Having watched a couple of Flash games this year, he may have even gotten better.  While his calling card will always be his defense and decision making, the 6’5″ point guard is showing some impressive scoring ability this year as well. (Scott Schroeder)

2a. Anthony Tolliver, Idaho Stampede (20.7 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 47% FG, 43% 3pt) – I can’t find a word more descriptive of Tolliver’s performance than “everywhere.” At 6-foot-9 and 240 pounds, Tolliver is a large man, even by basketball standards. But the threes he takes aren’t typical of the 21st century pseudo-bigs who hang around the perimeter waiting for kickouts.  To borrow the type of term Walt Frazier enjoys using, I can remember few other occasions when a player seems as omnipresent as AT – sprinting to the sideline to snare long rebounds from unsuspecting guards and fighting his way to loose balls amidst the pack inside as well. Defensively, more of the same. One second, Tolliver’s jumping out to double a guard on a high screen-and-roll; the next, waiting at the rim to provide help on penetration or swat a shot out of vicinity of the basket.  (Steve Weinman, D-League Digest)

2b. Morris Almond, Springfield Armor (33 ppg, 6 rpg, 49% FG) - Morris Almond is mostly known for his scoring, and it’s true that putting the ball in the basket remains his best skill. He also does so fairly efficiently, getting to the free-throw line at a decent rate. Almond greatly improved his rebounding while in the NBA, though, jumping from just under two boards per-36 minutes as a rookie to around five last season. Almond wasn’t able to crack Utah’s
rotation but got some offseason looks from the Knicks (Summer League) and Magic (training camp). The one thing that might hold him back is, well, his back. He had some problems with it last year and teams might worry that they’ll return, I suppose. He’s not as athletic as some of his peers, but he has a very nice midrange game and so far in career has kept working to improve. What sounds bad about that? (Jon L)

4. Rod Benson, Reno Bighorns (16.8 ppg, 9.2 rpg, 2.4 bpg, 2.2 spg, 53% FG) - Benson’s almost a volume rebounder, if there is such a thing. His DRR if he were to ever get a stinkin’ flyer would be insane. All you’re looking for is quality minutes and you know he’ll give you that. He’s added frame as he’s gotten older and it’s not like he’s lost in terms of positioning. He’s got a high basketball IQ. What’s the downside here? The only thing I can figure at this point is that he peed on Adam Silver’s rug at some point. And it tied the room together. (Matt Moore, Hardwood Paroxysm)

5. Desmon Farmer, Reno Bighorns (25 ppg, 6.7 apg, 5.5 rpg, 5.17 TO/g (doh!)) - Look, I get the push against guys from the D-League that aren’t great at defense. I do. I appreciate that. And I certainly understand the turnover concern. But Farmer has been on summer league teams. He’s been in camps. He’s done his time. And he fills up the sheet when he’s on the floor. He’s had cups of coffee with San Antonio and the Pacers and the Sonics. But the Spurs never have room for anyone, and the rest were before the league had experienced success at the NBA-level. He’s got potential to be a solid end-of-the-bench contributor with the possibility of a great fill-in in case of injury. (Matt Moore)

6. Carlos Powell, Albuquerque Thunderbirds (21.8 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 4 apg, 50% FG) – Carlos Powell, like Farmer, is he what he is – a big, polished wing that can put his head down and get to the hoop with ease.  Powell has an affinity for scoring right around 25 points per game to go along with a handful of assists and rebounds a piece every where he plays.  While he’s obviously not going to put those numbers up in the NBA, he’s a veteran scorer that has what it takes to succeed in the big leagues. (Scott Schroeder)

7. Mike Harris, Rio Grande Valley Vipers (26 ppg, 7 rpg, 59% FG, 45% 3pt) -  Harris is currently third in the league in per-game scoring, amidst guys who are more likely to come to mind like Mo Almond, Reggie Williams, Desmon Farmer and Sundiata Gaines. He’s making 45 percent of his three-pointers and averaging 10 rebounds per 48 minutes. So basically, he’s good. The Rockets obviously like him, having retained him off of their Summer League team, but any other teams jealous of Houston’s glut of 6’6″ combo forward action too can get in on it by calling Harris up. He’s been playing mostly inside next to Joey Dorsey, which helps, but he’s also pretty athletic and has worked on his shot enough where he can play some small forward as well. (Jon L)

8. Sundiata Gaines, Idaho Stampede (25.4 ppg, 7.7 apg, 5.3 rpg, 56% FG, 2 spg – has started 1 of 7 games) - That’s right, a (mostly) D-League reserve made our call-up rankings. Gaines is that good (and also Bob MacKinnon’s bench usually plays a lot). A combo guard in college, Gaines has been playing more point in Idaho, and he’s been one of the best in the league so far. He’s second in the league in assists, both per-game and per-48 minutes, fourth in the league in scoring, and perhaps most impressive is the fact that he’s averaging just three turnovers in that fast-paced MacKinnon offense. Gaines isn’t the biggest point guard around, but he’s really, really, talented, and his game should speak enough for itself for him to get some consideration. (Jon L)

9. Alonzo Gee, Austin Toros (20.5 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 55% FG) - You can’t really take Gee in the Virtual Scout Game. I mean, he’s a rookie, playing in a power system that rewards players of his ilk. And he’s not really MVP worthy, despite being second in Pts+Reb+As, since he plays alongside the double-double machine Dwayne Jones and Curtis Jerrells. But if you’re looking for top-level production that you could sign and immediately send back down? Gee would be a fantastic option for farming. You know, if anyone had managed to do that effectively. Thanks for ruining that dream, Ian Mahinmi.  (Matt Moore)

10. Dwayne Jones, Austin Toros (18 ppg, 13.3 rpg, 2.2 bpg, 66% FG) – Jones has clearly been working on his post moves in the offseason, and while they’re still not great, he looks a lot more fluid executing them. In addition to the spin move he “had” last year he’s added one where he goes underneath the basket and lays it in from the other side, which was pretty effective.  And, just so we’re clear, his numbers have been helped tremendously by being matched up with Kevin Pittsnogle in five of his ten games.