The onus here, though, is clearly on meddling Griz owner Michael Heisley. The basketball people definitely wanted to draft local Memphis standout Tyreke Evans, but were overruled by their boss. For some reason, Heisley bought into the old school theory about the need to draft centers – even longterm projects – even though far superior players were available.

If Evans had gone to the Grizzlies, and Oklahoma City had stuck with James Harden at No.3, I’m confident the Kings would have bypassed Thabeet (whew!) and selected a point guard – albeit, the wrong one. From all accounts, they would have drafted Jonny Flynn, leaving Stephen Curry for Golden State. As Doug Collins noted on TNT's telecast of the Nuggets-Warriors game earlier tonight, most NBA types failed pegged Curry as an undersized shooting guard and failed to appreciate his pure point guard skills.

via Kings Blog and Q&A: What if the Grizzlies hadn’t outsmarted themselves?.

Okay…

Wait, hold on a second.

There. I feel better now.

You may remember the reason I broke up with Memphis while we were still “dating” before I committed to them this season.

I’ve also made it a habit of whenever Tweeting Memphis Games to make sure after analyzing Mike Conley’s latest unforced turnover and Thabeet’s third foul in four minutes to follow it up with “In unrelated news, (insert Tyreke Evans stat).”

It’s not that it was an obvious choice. I mean, it was. You had an all-world point guard with killer size coming out of the college in the same city. This isn’t rocket science. No, no, what kills is that this rookie class has turned out so well that it was such a difficult thing to do to miss!

James Harden, Jonny Flynn, Stephen Curry, Jordan Hill (seriously, the guy gets almost no playing time and was traded for Tracy McGrady and was still a much better draft selection), DeMar DeRozan, Brandon Jennings, Ty Lawson, Jeff Teague, Eric Maynor, Darren Collison, Omri Casspi, Rodrigue Beaubois, Taj Gibson, Wayne Ellington.

And those are just the guys we KNOW are better! I’d take Terrence Williams, Gerald Henderson, Tyler Hansbrough, Earl Clark, Austin Daye, James Johnson, Jrue Holiday or whatever pieces New York would have given up for Rubio!

The Grizzlies literally could NOT have picked a worse player with the #2 overall. Had the Clippers passed on Griffin, and he still have broken his kneecap, he still would have been a better pick! Two guys who haven’t even played were better selections! I’m reduced to ending paragraphs with exclamation marks!

It’s been that kind of season for the Grizzlies. Finally get a good lottery bounce, waste the draft pick completely. Find yourself in playoff position, don’t find a bench contributor or suitable point guard and watch the playoffs slip away. It’s not the worst that could happen; if the team outright sucked that would be way worse. But it’s just that they had such potential to set themselves up for long-term success, and instead they may hit August and wonder “what happened in the last eight months?”

…

Pogo-stick.

************

One more note. There’s some discussion out there about this being a good thing for the D-League. That’s a lie. He’s there for ten days. The Grizzlies don’t have much to any interaction with Dakota. They’re not devoting time and money into the hybrid system. They didn’t do this back in November when they should have.

If Thabeet dominates, it just makes the D-League look bad by comparison. If Thabeet struggles, it just makes Thabeet look worse (“He can’t even compete with D-Leaguers!”). There’s no long-term development plan. There’s no concentrated effort to develop him slowly on a timeline. They’re just getting rid of him for ten days. There’s no upside to this.

Well, we haven’t done this for awhile, so the whole crew got together last night and sorted everything out, solidifying the perfect call-up rankings as compiled by the top D-League bloggers on the internet. we all just plugged our rankings into a spreadsheet.

Hope you like them!

Also, the most interesting thing about these rankings is that we’re all further apart than we’ve been in the previous installments, but the top five remained in the same order.  I can’t really figure out why, and I’m not sure I like our varying opinions, but I’ll guarantee you one of us is right!

1. Mike Harris, Rio Grande Valley Vipers (26.5 ppg, 9.9 rpg, 58% FG) – Honestly, I’m not sure what else he has to do to warrant a call-up.  His teams winning, he’s consistent, he has an NBA resume.  If it’s because NBA teams don’t give him a chance because he’s positionless, that’s dumb.  Put him on the floor and let him go.  It’ll work.

2. Carlos Powell, Albuquerque Thunderbirds (22.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 4.9 apg, 49% FG) – There really isn’t much more you could want out of a 6’7″ forward, actually.  I’ll let Jon L’s comments explain the rest: “Powell does many things very well: He’s top 10 in the league in scoring; is averaging just under five assists per game – as many or more as some starting point guards; Just under two steals per game, again in the company of point guards. Just five rebounds a game and not much of an outside shot, but now we’re just nitpicking.”  And if you’re looking for than five rebounds out of the small forward spot, you’re definitely nitpicking. (I didn’t update this, because it’s all this the same. He’s consistent.)

3. Reggie Williams, Sioux Falls Skyforce (25.8 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 3.2 apg, 56% FG, 38% 3pt) – Over at D-LeagueDigest, a random commenter, Billy Hoyle, pens the following after seeing Reggie Williams for the first time during Saturday’s All-Star game: “How is Reggie Williams not in the league? Dude has a sweet stroke, isn’t undersized, doesn’t appear to be slow, and is confident. I saw visions of Michael Redd during the all-star game. What don’t I know?” Regular watchers see this every game from Williams and now that more people saw it at the all-star game, I’m wondering how long it will take until NBA GM’s find out what we already know: Williams is good.

4. Morris Almond, Maine Red Claws (26.8 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 50% FG) – Well, yesterday he was traded from the worst team in the D-League, the Springfield Armor, to one of the best teams in the D-League.  If he can mesh with the NBA talent that Maine has assembled, as opposed to being the best player on a bad team (his role in college at Rice and the D-League), I think he’ll finally get another NBA opportunity.

5. Dwayne Jones, Austin Toros (16.8 ppg, 14.8 rpg, 1.8 bpg, 62% FG) – For Jones, I’m not sure what the next step is.  He recently told the Delaware County Daily Times (seriously)”I’ve definitely cost myself money over the past year turning down jobs (overseas), but I want to stay here. I have a young son. I don’t want to be forced to take my family certain places until I’m to the point where I can’t make it here.”  Since that all but rules out an overseas opportunity, he’ll be forced to keep dominating the D-League until NBA GM’s take notice.

6. Alexander Johnson, Sioux Falls Skyforce (23.8 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 54% FG) – I’m going to assume Johnson is the next player to get called-up from the D-League.  He’s got all of the buzzwords going for him – he’s explosive, has a great body, he’s skilled and has an NBA resume (102 NBA games in two seasons between Miami and Memphis).  Plus, in the game I watched against the Maine Red Claws, he absolutely abused them to the tune of 30 points and nine boards in 30 minutes.  He’s got an ugly but effective mid-range shot, is quick enough to put it on the floor from the pinch post, and pretty much just plays hard.  As an aside, I’m going to assume he was ranked lower by the other members of the panel simply because they’ve yet to see him play in the D-League (six games with three starts thus far).

7. Mustafa Shakur, Tulsa 66ers (19.8 ppg, 6.7 apg, 4.6 rpg, 2.2 spg, 49% FG, 37% 3pt) -  DailyThunder had a pretty good update on Shakur (via Kevin Henry), and since I’ve said about all I can about Shakur as of late, that’s what you’re getting out of the Shakur summary.

8. Rob Kurz, Fort Wayne Mad Ants (18.3 ppg, 10.7 rpg, 1.6 bpg, 52% FG, 45% 3pt, 81% FT) – Kurz gets my mid-season award for using the D-League most effecitively. Last season with Golden State, he was primarily (read: only) a pick-and-pop shooter. After that gig didn’t fly in a number of opportunities this offseason (Orlando Summer League with the 76ers/Nets combined team, Vegas Summer League with the TWolves, preseason with the Cavs), he came to the D-League and has worked on becoming more than a shooter. It’s actually really working. I’m not sure how much credit to give to his coach (Joey Meyer was also credited for developing Ramon Sessions while in the D-League), but Kurz is now able to score in the post and averaging over 10 boards per game as the lone bright spot for his struggling Mad Ants. Oh, and don’t worry – his 45% shooting from beyond the arc proves he’s still able to shoot as well.  In fact, all of those shooting percentages are pretty good, no?

9. Alonzo Gee, Austin Toros (19.9 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 50% FG, 39% 3pt) – From what I’m hearing, he’s been ranked here mostly due to “his one-bounce, one-arm tomahawk in the dunk contest”.  Honestly, after watching in slow motion, I don’t blame them. (Ed. Note: I was the one that ranked him so high. For what it’s worth, Gee was the only All-Star I saw who I went “That’s a guy I’d want to invest in long-term.” Athleticism and ability. Just my opinion.-MM)

10. Cartier Martin/Othyus Jeffers, Iowa Energy – Pretty amazing that they’re on the same team and would both play the same position if they were to be called-up.  I’d be very interested to find out the dynamics in the locker room – while they’re completely different players, they’re both essentially vying for the same position.

To round it out (i.e. tell you guys that were ranked individually, but not collectively), Jon L and Steve Weinman both ranked RGV’s Antonio Anderson as the ninth best player in the D-League; myself and Matt Moore each had Desmon Farmer in our 10 spot; and Jon L ranked Courtney Sims in his 10 spot.

For the next list, I’ll assume Coby Karl (who is expected to rejoin Idaho today), Rod Benson and possibly Dontell Jefferson (injured) will make the list.

Anybody we’re missing?

But while it never hurts players to be able to make more positive contributions in different ways on the court, it’s important not to fall into the trap of believing that players who are in the D-League need to completely remake themselves or add attributes that really aren’t within their means in order to be considered a viable option for the next level.

Dorsey’s case is perfect evidence of that. Rockets GM Daryl Morey made it quite clear just how concerned the big-league team was about Dorsey adding finesse elements to his game: not very.

“We want him to do the things that he’s going to have to do well at the NBA level,” More said. “We’re never looking for him to shoot a mid-range shot or have any post moves. That’s not something we see him doing at the NBA level. Obviously, we work on those things and want him to improve, but that’s not the focus. The focus is on doing the things he needs to do to get in the rotation in the NBA.”

via D-LeagueDigest.

It’s got to be frustrating being told to completely abandon concepts in your game that you’d worked so hard to build. You found that you had a shooter’s touch, so you endeavored to build range, only to find that every time you’re making an offensive move that doesn’t require your butt slamming into the other guy’s stomach, you’re not “getting it.”

But even the targeted things aren’t always enough. It’s easy to say rebounding is the secret to making it into the league, but then you look at some of the top rebounders for multiple years having never been touched. The lesson we’re learning is that development is a touchy subject and there really is no sure path. A team can put you on a long-term development plan and then stumble their way into a draft pick that ends up making more of an impact than expected. Small consolation for those anxiously awaiting the big payday, but at least such talk is within range; a few years ago, there was no point in getting your hopes up.

1. Mike Harris, Rio Grande Valley Vipers (27.2 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 59% FG) – “Most Valuable in the D-League should be good enough for a bench gig, you’d think.” — Matt Moore

2. Carlos Powell, Albuquerque Thunderbirds (22.1 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 4.8 apg, 50% FG) – There really isn’t much more you could want out of a 6’7″ forward, actually.  I’ll let Jon L’s comments explain the rest: “Powell does many things very well: He’s top 10 in the league in scoring; is averaging just under six assists per game – as many or more as some starting point guards; Just under two steals per game, again in the company of point guards. Just five rebounds a game and not much of an outside shot, but now we’re just nitpicking.”  And if you’re looking for than five rebounds out of the small forward spot, you’re definitely nitpicking.

3. Reggie Williams, Sioux Falls Skyforce (26.0 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 3.1 apg, 58% FG, 38% 3pt) – From the always lovable Jon L: “Scott (here) and Steve (here) have both written about Williams recently, but in a nutshell he’s an extremely efficient scorer, he can rebound a bit, and he’s focused more on defense recently, probably for the first time in his career. He’s carrying the Skyforce and has been for weeks. Some NBA team needs to call Williams up before Tony Fritz runs him into the ground.”

4a. Morris Almond, Springfield Armor (28.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 52% FG) -Myself and Weinman Gchatted (Is that what it’s called?) about this one for a long time last night.  Almond is an amazing talent, but he really doesn’t have any upside.  Eventually, and I’d suggest sooner rather than later, he should go to Europe and make some money.  Still, as Weinman noted, He’s “in a tough spot because he won’t be a go-to guy at next level, but waaaay too talented not to get another shot.”

4b. Dwayne Jones, Austin Toros (17.7 ppg, 15.0 rpg, 2.1 bpg, 62% FG) – I’m just going to kindly point out that Jon didn’t rank him and he’s still this high on our list.  If you take the three of us that did rank him, he’d be top-3.  As per usual, I’m just going to point out the fact that he sleep walks and gets those numbers, so I kind of hate him, but ball don’t lie.  Weinman went pretty in-depth with him the other day.  Maybe I can convince Jon L to do the same by sending him to the Showdown at Cedar Park next week.

6a. Dontell Jefferson, Utah Flash (18.0 ppg, 5.6 apg, 3.6 rpg, 43% FG) – Succinctly, Weinman puts it best: ”He’s run into all kinds of scoring efficiency issues in January. Possibly related to rumored knee concerns that may have cost him call-up to Jazz earlier in the month?”  I’ll also add that he’s shot 6-for-29 from the field in his past three games to explain why I ranked him the lowest of the four.

6b. Rob Kurz, Fort Wayne Mad Ants (18.2 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 1.5 bpg, 54% FG, 46% 3pt, 80% FT) – Kurz gets my mid-season award for using the D-League most effecitively. Last season with Golden State, he was primarily (read: only) a pick-and-pop shooter. After that gig didn’t fly in a number of opportunities this offseason (Orlando Summer League with the 76ers/Nets combined team, Vegas Summer League with the TWolves, preseason with the Cavs), he came to the D-League and has worked on becoming more than a shooter. It’s actually really working. I’m not sure how much credit to give to his coach (Joey Meyer was also credited for developing Ramon Sessions while in the D-League), but Kurz is now able to score in the post and averaging over 10 boards per game as the lone bright spot for his struggling Mad Ants. Oh, and don’t worry – his 47% shooting from beyond the arc proves he’s still able to shoot as well.

8. Mustafa Shakur, Tulsa 66ers (19.9 ppg, 6.4 apg, 4.5 rpg, 2.1 spg, 50% FG, 35% 3pt) - While I was quick to write Mustafa (I refuse to refer to anyone but Tupac as ‘Shakur’) off earlier this season, every time I watch him, I become more impressed. He’s an efficient scorer, an above the rim finisher, and has held together the 66ers very fluid roster. Considering he’s shooting over 50% from the field, over 35% from beyond the arc and has greatly improved his free-throw shooting this month, I don’t really know what the NBA teams would be looking for that he isn’t currently bringing to the table. Defensively, he’s big enough and athletic enough that, at worst, he’s going to outperform which ever player he’s matching up with. I can’t say he’s great on defense, but there are many worse options in the D-League.

9. Coby Karl, Idaho Stampede (28.3 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 3.8 apg, 49% FG, 32% 3pt) – Before you go crazy looking at the numbers, realize he’s only played in four games and it was with an Idaho team that was still struggling to find it’s new identity.  Then read Jon L’s comment: “Seeing as how I’m the guy who ranked Karl the highest, perhaps I should explain. It’s probably a stretch to say he can play three positions, but he can handle and pass the ball with some skill, he can shoot threes and he can rebound a little bit. Karl was on Cleveland’s roster this season before getting cut just as his contract would’ve been guaranteed, and at age 26 he’d be a solid bench contributor for someone else.”

10. Antonio Anderson, Rio Grande Valley Vipers (16.1 ppg, 6.1 apg, 4. rpg, 1.2 spg, 47% FG) – I didn’t rank him, so I’ll leave this comment for Weinman: Remember when I said he would be rising on my list every week? That was before he took a nosedive in every major statistical category in January, highlighted (lowlighted?) by swooning from 58 percent true shooting in December to 51.5 in January. Still love his long-term prospects though. -sw

To round it out, Moore’s comment for why he ranked Desmon Farmer may as well apply to my ranking of Othyus Jeffers and Jon’s ranking of Rod Benson: “Mario West got called up. If he did, Farmer deserves a burn.”  I’d throw JamesOn Curry in that mix as well.

It was close to 1:45 a.m. Friday in New York when Pat Gaines started to cry the happiest tears she’d ever known. She could thank her son Sundiata, who managed to hit the shot of a lifetime just five games into his NBA career with the Jazz.

“I couldn’t find words at first last night, I was just so welled up and filled up,” she recalled. “I said, ‘This is so great.’ It’s just something he’s worked so hard for. And, you know, moms cry. That’s what moms do. They cry when they’re happy for their child.”

via Utah Jazz: The shot of a lifetime for Gaines – Salt Lake Tribune.

The NBA isn’t really a very human game. It’s about style and motivation and determination and certainly there are some human elements to it, but it somehow manages to be the most expressive of all the sports and still feel the most aesthetic in regards to emotion.

Which makes this story about “Yatta” Gaines and his mom that much better. Bear in mind that Gaines was looking at making less than what you make a year. Now, in about eight days, he’ll probably be making ten times what you make. And moreso, it’s validation. It’s the cementing of his own belief that he doesn’t belong on the outskirts, that he belongs in the game. He hasn’t earned it yet, he’s got to keep up the work. But from the article above, it sounds like Sloan has his back and they’re telling him the right things.

That Sloan sounds genuinely happy for the kid? That’s something special. Sloan is one of those guys we’re not going to appreciate until he’s gone, and even then, people that only look at the game’s surface (“The Lakers are winners!” “The Nets suck!”) aren’t going to see everything he’s done for this game. But some of us will know. And that’s enough for a legacy.

While the players take care of business on the court….off the court, the Red Claws brand is proving to be a money maker as well.

The team logo features Crusher the lobster—on hats, shirts, banners, even the foam claw. It’s not just Mainers….the team ships out orders to fans across the country.

To try and capitalize on the logo’s success the team has ventured into uncharted marketing territory in the NBA.

Case in point, red claw ale….Gritty McDuff’s a Portland brewer agreed to make the special beer for the team…started selling at the expo where they play, selling so well…why not sell it in other places as well”

So Gritty McDuff’s put Red Claw Ale into 22 ounce bottles and started selling it in grocery stores and beverage centers like RSVP in Portland. Even before the displays went up…customers were buying.

Thomas Wilson–Gritty McDuff’s: “We had boxes or cases of the 22 ounce bottles and people were walking up and taking bottles out of the boxes”

via Red Claws brand proves to be a slam dunk | NECN.

Serious stuff: The work that the RedClaws have done with community development should be put into a case study with attached presentation and sent to every start up franchise in the D-League. Solid affiliation with a parent club, stable ownership, concentrated marketing, and strong community ties, that’s the formula for victory in the D-League marketplace.

If you’re not in a major market, that last point is particularly true. You have to be able to effectively make a connection with the community. Games have to become somewhere people come socially, to see the same people, to make the same jokes, to drink the same light beer. How do you think the NFL has become so popular in places like Green Bay, Kansas City, and other small markets? Sure, the game itself is intensely popular, but on top of that, there’s an overriding sense of community that is present at every tailgate. That’s how you build a consistent fanbase. The Red Claws get that.

Nonserious stuff: Other beers I would like to see: The Sundiata Wheat, The Ten-Day Lager, The Blake Ahearn Tripel-Pointer, BoomGotThemDos Equis, and of course, the Nightmare Artois.

Gaines didn’t play for the first three quarters of the game versus the Jazz. He entered the game in the fourth, sparking the Jazz to a comeback, scoring six points including an and-one in transition. He was subbed after missing a free throw down the stretch and watched from the bench as LeBron James took over, scoring time and time agian. The Jazz managed to close the gap to 3 with 9 seconds remaining. But no Jazz player could get open. Except Gaines, in the corner, with Cavs closing in on him.

So often in life, those amazing underdog stories come up short. And it’s still possible Gaines could not have his contract extended for the season, that he could not get minutes, that he could fade into a footnote of a subtext in this season. But for the rest of his life, he’ll have this moment.

via Sundiata Gaines (D-LEAGUE!) Saves the Jazz Day — NBA FanHouse.

Inside the NBA on TNT talking about the value of the D-League versus sticking some kid on a bench. Mike Brown having to check the stat sheet to figure out the kid’s name. And at the center of it all, a D-League call-up find himself with the ball as the clock expired with his team down 2 to the greatest player on the planet.

You cannot make up a story like this.

However, I also wonder just how many players in the D-League have the ability to play at the NBA level and whether the increased appeal of playing in the D-League over the next decade (two decades?) will be enough to cover a nearly 100 percent jump in player populace.

But while I’m on the fence about whether high-volume expansion would hurt the D-League from a fan watchability standpoint (yes, I made that word up), if the goal here is really to develop players for the NBA, the risk seems worth it: The earlier players become acclimated to the NBA systems that they will be playing in should they be called up, the better they will perform once they reach the next level. It stands to reason that a one-to-one affiliate ratio would make the cream of the D-League crop more prepared to step in and contribute in the Association, and that’s the primary goal here.

via D-LeagueDigest.

Weinman comes through with a fantastic article, well-sourced and thorough about D-League expansion. Long story short: D-League obviously wants more teams (though their open admission about working towards that goal of one affiliate per NBA team is a shift from a few years ago), Red Claws GM is worried about dilution.

Here’s the problem with skepticism about expansion. Any expansion that’s going to come will likely end up being at least partially built in by the CBA. And once the CBA is (please God, help us) changed to allow teams to actually put players on payroll that don’t count against cap or roster space, you know what’s going to happen? All those dudes that are American that took off for Europe for the money are going to come back. That’s a ton of players. There are a lot of guys who would love to play in the NBA, but aren’t willing to go through making 12 to 20 grand for six months of work.  By building an actual farm system with moderate sized contracts, you’re going to increase your player pool. More teams means adding more water, but changing the CBA means adding more syrup.

As far as teams investing in the D-League, there will always be teams that mishandle their D-League teams. You know why? There are teams that mishandle their actual teams! Every business has things it does well and things it doesn’t do so well. But even if the CBA doesn’t require the operation of an affiliate (which it really should; you can own and operate a D-League team for a whole year for a fraction of what Jason Collins costs), the trend is heading towards outright ownership. Starting next year, three of the five Southwest Division teams own their own affiliate. And while the Lakers are currently focused on championships with this core, I’d expect the D-Fenders to get a lot more attention starting in two years.

The trend is happening. The future is coming. Whether people are ready or not.

Seriously, I decided this yesterday after looking at the SBNation NBA Power Rankings.

I think the best of the NBA D-League might be able to compete with what Mike Prada calls the “Dregs of the League.”

You’re probably asking, “But Scott, is it really a positive to think that a team made up of D-League players could compete with the worst of the worst of the NBA?”

I’d answer, “Actually, loyal reader, kind of, considering that most dismiss the D-League altogether. If a team made up completely of current D-League players could legitimately compete with even one NBA team, doesn’t that show that there is, in fact, talent in the D-League?”

via Hypothetically, the D-League is, roughly, the 28th best team in the NBA. – Ridiculous Upside.

Click through for Scott on something I helped him with yesterday that apparently he feels no need to hat tip me on, the selfish jerk.

I actually hate the Timberwolves matchup because they have Jefferson who is better than every player on the D-League team. However, I think that with the right coach (Mackinnon, maybe?), the D-League could be the first team to succesfully run a full court press against an NBA team. Trapping Flynn constantly and forcing Corey Brewer to make smart passes? That may just work.

The Nets they could probably out-offense (Scott’s team is loaded with shooters) at least for a game, maybe get the split if they played thrice. They might be able to run with Houston, actually, if the Rox are having a bad shooting night. And they could beat Detroit, at least once. Possibly double-digits.

The difference would be that almost every playoff team would outscore them by 30, and even the Warriors and Knicks would abuse them.

But still, a single win would go a long way in proving the legitimacy of the D-League.

Since we went 12, I’d round out the top 15 with Garrett Temple, Greg Stiemsma and Rob Kurz

1. Carlos Powell, Albuquerque Thunderbirds (22.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 4.8 apg, 50% FG) – Hardwood Paroxysm’s Matt Moore says it best: He’s taken it to another level since the start of the Showcase and all of a sudden Albuquerque looks like an actual basketball team. Points, rebounding, defense, effort, the whole package. As worthy as anyone you’re going to find.

2. Mike Harris, Rio Grande Valley Vipers (25.8 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 59% FG) – He was just released by the Rockets, who called him up as Chase Budinger injury insurance.  They used Jermaine Taylor instead.  As Matt Moore says, “Welcome back Mike. Enjoy your stay.  It won’t be long.”

3. Dontell Jefferson, Utah Flash (19.4 ppg, 5.7 apg, 4.4 rpg, 47% FG) – I’m going to take this space to explain why I ranked Jefferson as my 7th favorite prospect after having him in the top the last time around.  He’s been in the Jazz system for the past two seasons, he’s got the best all-around game as a point guard in the D-League, he’s typically very good defensively, his coach is the nephew of Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan and he was still passed over for Sundiata Gaines, a player I wouldn’t call a prototype point guard – there’s got to be something behind the scenes that we’re missing.  Conversely, as Matt Moore put it, “I think Gaines cock blocked Jefferson.”

4. Anthony Tolliver, Idaho Stampede (21.7 ppg, 11.4 rpg, 48% FG, 36% 3pt) – He’s also had a call-up since we did this last, with the Portland Trail Blazers.  Reports coming back from that weren’t positive, but reports coming back from the Showcase most certainly were, as I talked to more than one coach that said he’s the most NBA-ready player in the D-League.  We ranked him number four, but I’d agree that he’s obviously NBA-caliber.  Also, Moore has already anointed him as this year’s Randy Livingston Memorial Award winner.

5. Morris Almond, Springfield Armor (29.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 51% FG) – I handed this one off to D-League Digest’s Steve Weinman: Super-duper-dynamic scorer.  But since he won’t be a go-to guy at the next level, what else does he do well enough right now?  Still, he’s too effective at filling it up for me to drop him further than this.

6. Rod Benson, Reno Bighorns (14.3 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 1.7 bpg, 1.9 spg, 51% FG) -Matt Moore said it succinctly, and said it best: “There, you see? You win, you bastards.  He stopped blogging.  Now call him up, you ignorant barbarians.”  I agree, ignorant barbarians, call him up. (Note: I don’t think you’re an ignorant barbarian, Daryl Morey.  We’re going to be BFF’s 4 lyfe)

7. Dwayne Jones, Austin Toros (17.4 ppg, 15.1 rpg, 2.5 bpg, 66% FG) – I hate that I had to be the one to defend Dwayne Jones, but since I ranked him highest, here goes nothing: He FREAKING SLEEPWALKS WHILE AVERAGING SEVENTEEN POINTS AND FIFTEEN FREAKING REBOUNDS!  YES, WITHOUT EVEN LOOKING LIKE HE’S TRYING, HE MAKES OTHER D-LEAGUER’S LOOK SO INFERIOR THAT THEY’D BE BETTER OFF TAKING THE ROCK’S ADVICE ON WHAT MOVIES TO ACT IN AS OPPOSED TO TRYING TO OUTREBOUND THIS BEHEMOTH.  There, happy? I hate all that he stands for, but he’s killing the D-League.  He’s also averaging 6.2 offensive rebounds per game.

8. Antonio Anderson, Rio Grande Valley Vipers (16.8 ppg, 6.7 apg, 4.1 rpg, 1.5 spg, 47% FG) – I’ve fallen in and out of love with him.  So has everyone else.  For the in-love view, let’s have a chat with Steve Weinman: “Likely to rise on my list every week after this. Can do everything well… jump-shooting is coming along… has great size for a back-up PG and the potential to be a situational stopper at the two.”  For the bad, our very own Jon L: “Personally I’m still a bit wary of Anderson’s offense. He was very solid in December, but pretty erratic so far this month. He’s also shooting a terrible percentage from outside, but averaging as many attempts as guys shooting 10-15 percentage points higher.”  For what it’s worth, I’m in the middle, but if he keeps struggling as he has been since Will Conroy came to town, I’ll be leaning heavily toward Jon L’s point of view.

9. Reggie Williams, Sioux Falls Skyforce (25.9 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 3.1 apg, 59% FG, 38% 3pt) – I can’t fathom how Steve had him unranked.  I’m not going to explain why other than tell you to look at the numbers.  Also, I featured him in this piece.

10. Mustafa Shakur, Tulsa 66ers (19.1 ppg, 6.6 apg, 3.8 rpg, 2.3 spg, 52% FG, 36% 3pt) – Once again,I ranked him highest.  Yesterday, I wrote why: Shakur really impressed me in his two games in Idaho (Plus, looking at Jefferson’s numbers, they’re not as mind-blowing as you’d think).  Anyway, back to Mufasa Mustafa – he just plays a good, smooth game of basketball. He really sees the court well, but I’d actually prefer him to drive more often than he does because his team doesn’t have much for legit scoring options.  He’s also not great at shooting off of the dribble, but I don’t think I saw him miss off the catch-and-shoot, so that helps – a lot.  Defensively, he’s actually a lot better than what I expected, having the speed and size to play at the NBA level.