Post D League Showcase Report

Open 24 hours, an ideal location
for the D-League Showcase

Five days in Reno allowed time to scout and crunch numbers on the players in the NBA D-League. The annual Showcase, held at the Reno Event Center, was a basketball lover's paradise with three or four games each day. Not surprisingly, players on assignment from NBA clubs dominated the action.

I am a tough critic, and to be honest, aside from four or five guys, I didn't see much from any current non-NBA player at the Showcase that made me believe, 'this guy should be in the NBA right now!'. For what its worth, I have had that feeling only twice when it comes to the D-League. The first time was a couple years back in the D-League All-Star Game when Gerald Green went koo koo. The most recent time was the day Kendall Marshall entered the D League player pool. 

Big Ike can score.
Can he stop anybody? 

I did see glimpses of greatness in the Biggest Little City in the World. Josiah Turner has the high-ceiling ability to make plays that mirrored NBA speed. Ron Howard and James Nunnally played with the poise of true NBA players. Ike Diogu put opponents in his low-post 'torture chamber'. James Southerland shot the ball, in rhythm, like a seasoned NBA vet. 

However, the vast majority of players in the D-League are in the minors for a reason. This is not meant to be harsh. It is simply reality. The National Basketball Association is a tough player pool to break into; the toughest in the world. You can pick apart every player in the D-League's individual game in some fashion, fairly easily, when held to the NBA standard. For example, let's look quickly at the five players listed as the "Top Prospects" on the D-League website, and then tell you why they are in the D-League to begin with...

• Pierre Jackson - He's a scoring guard in a 5'10" frame. 1.21-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio is not NBA point guard worthy. At 5'10" - he'd be in big trouble guarding a position where the average NBA starter is 6'4". 
• Devin Ebanks - His poor shot selection, below average shooting percentage, and below-average decision making with the ball are as much a part of his game as the positive things he does. 
• Dewayne Dedmon - Still raw. Not a guy you run plays for. Very predictably going to his right. Turnover prone. 
• Jarvis Varnado - Not good offensively. He turns it over more than three times for every one assist. A center in a power forward's body. 
• Manny Harris - A shooting guard that can't shoot from deep. He's 24% from 3-pt. Overall, only 44% FG. 

All of the above players may well be in the NBA before the 2013-14 season is complete. Or... they just as easily, in my opinion, could remain in the D-League to try to improve or maybe cash in with a big contract overseas. 

Siva is a natural leader

How about what we liked? ...After much scrutiny, and with all things considered, here is how we rate the top 15 players we witnessed in Reno. 

1. Peyton Siva -  Fort Wayne / Detroit. 6'0" PG. Age 23. ...Siva is steady. While I don't really see much upside in his game, he showed that he can run a team, defend, limit turnovers, and be a leader. His 2.23-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio is solid. His poise and effort is outstanding. 

2. Nando De Colo - Austin / San Antonio. 6'5" SG. Age 26. ...De Colo is a combo guard that really needs to take better care of the ball to be called a point guard. His average athleticism is notable as well. But De Colo is also skilled, and he gives an honest effort on defense. He gained favor in my eyes with his focus and approach to the game.  

3. Rudy Gobert - Bakersfield / Utah. 7'2" C. Age 21. ...Gobert used his superior height and finesse to do just about anything he wanted to do in Reno. He has rebounded the ball at a ridiculous rate (.446 rebounds per-minute) in his time in the D-League. 

4. Dominic McGuire -  Santa Cruz. 6'9" PF. Age 28. ...McGuire remains the kind of guy you could put in an NBA game and he would fit right in. He does nothing spectacularly but he rarely makes mistakes. In Reno, he rebounded the ball well, and played a team game with nine assists and only four turnovers in 79 minutes. 

5. Gilbert Brown - Canton. 6'6" SG. Age 26. ...Brown busted 24 points in a win over Texas on Tuesday. He is an NBA athlete without question. Since being put into the Charge starting lineup four games ago, Brown is averaging 20.0 points, 5.5 assists and 3.8 rebounds. 

6. Jamario Moon - Los Angeles. 6'8" SF. Age 33. ...Moon is playing out of position most of the time for the L.A. Defenders. At Reno, he played center or power forward. I see him as an NBA small forward. He can hit the three-ball, and he makes good decisions with the ball (2.26-to-1 ast-to-turnover ratio).
7. Lorenzo Brown -  Delaware / Philadelphia. 6'5" PG. Age 23. ...I've never doubted Brown's talent or ability. He has NBA skill. It's always been, "does he bring it?". Thursday, Brown played 41 minutes in a 113-108 loss. His four turnovers were costly. 

Turner drops dimes. 

8. Josiah Turner - Los Angeles. 6'3" PG. Age 21. ...The Sacramento native is playing well in the D-League. Turner is an NBA athlete with the kind of instinctive ability that good NBA players have. His transgressions are well-documented. Can he stay on the right path and be a consistent professional? If he can, I'd expect him to be in the NBA very soon. 

9. Reggie Williams - Tulsa. 6'6" SG. Age 27. ...Williams has always had the ability to score. Nothing has changed. 

10. Jorge Gutierrez - Canton. 6'3", age 25. ...He plays the game the right way. Gutierrez is a defense-first point guard that has never been known as an offensive threat. His D-League numbers on offense are better this season than his historical track record. 

11. Jarvis Varnado - Iowa. 6'9" C/PF. Age 25. ...Varnado is the best shot-blocker that is not in the NBA. His overall game is improving as he adds a bit more offense. But mostly, Varnado is still a rebounder and shot blocker. 

12. Dewayne Dedmon -  Santa Cruz. 7'0" C. Age 24. ...Dedmon is not a guy you run plays for but his activity, rebounding, running, and blocking shots is enough to keep him efficient. He really needs to work on his off-hand (left). 

13. Ty Walker - Maine. 7'0" C. Age 24. ...Once the #2 ranked high-school player of his class by Rivals.com, Ty Walker is now playing well in the D-League. He is a skinny seven footer that has shot-blocking ability. Many of the shots he doesn't block, he alters. 

14. Marshon Brooks - Maine / Boston. 6'5" SG. Age 24. ...Brooks' game is still all about getting himself buckets, but he's such a good scorer that I think he could be asset to a team that needs an offensive spark. Brooks has also made strides in limiting turnovers. He owns a 1.47-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio in 174 minutes of D-League play this season. 

15. Othyus Jeffers - Iowa. 6'5" SG. Age 28. ...Jeffers can still get to the free throw line, putting pressure on opposing defenses. He also rebounds very well for his size. 

Bonus five with small sample size: 

Kiwi impressed us
at both ends of the floor. 

Kiwi Gardner - Santa Cruz. 5'7" PG. Age 20. ...The Manteca, CA. product is a bundle of energy that provides defensive pressure and aggressive offensive play. He was "up into" whoever he guarded. At the other end of the floor, Gardner scored like a two-guard. He's not well known at all, and not thought of as a potential call-up to the NBA. Yet. 

Kevin Murphy -  Idaho. 6'6" SG. Age 23. ...Freshly acquired by Idaho after a stint in France, Murphy showed that he is still a legitimate scorer. Murphy was drafted in the second round of the 2012 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz. He appeared in 17 games for Utah during the 2012-13 season. 

Shabazz Muhammad - Iowa / Minnesota. 6'6" SG. Age 21. ...He did what an NBA guy should do in a assignment down in the D-League. Muhammad scored virtually at will in two games at the Showcase. He put up 46 points in 48 minutes. He also snared 18 boards, and had five assists and only one turnover. The five assists are a revelation in his game considering his ball-hog style at UCLA (He had only 27 assists in nearly 1,000 minutes as a Bruin). 

Darius Johnson-Odom -  Springfield. 6'2" SG. Age 24. ..."D.J.O." continues to remind me of Tony Delk. The difference being that Johnson-Odom gets to the free throw line more often. "D.J.O." scored a Springfield Armour record 41 points Thursday. Johnson-Odom most recently was playing in China. 

Marquis Teague - Iowa / Chicago. PG. Age 20. ...Teague has a 1.72-to-1 assist to turnover ratio in the D League. He can "turn the corner" with great speed. He still struggles to make shots with consistency. 

No bueno. ...As always in a competitive environment, there are those at the low end of the spectrum. I only "judge" basketball players, and I'd be remiss if I didn't make a list of those who I just don't see much hope for when it comes to making the NBA. Here are five players I would advise D-League teams to cut loose. 

Abdul Gaddy - Maine. Shooting 34% FG, and puts no pressure on opposing defenses. He's never been efficient. 

Reggie Hearn - Idaho. ...Another guy shooting 34% FG. And he's 59% from the free throw line. More turnovers than assists. 

Bruce Massey - Springfield. Point guard has the good assist-to-turnover ratio but the rest of his game is below average. 

Mychel Thompson - Santa Cruz. Klay's brother can't throw it in the ocean. He's shooting 30% FG. 

Mfon Udofia - Delaware. Simply not efficient. At all. 

Notes: It was cool to meet and mingle with basketball people from all over the world during the Showcase in Reno. Dallas Mavericks international scout Luca Desta was among those curious about what I was doing, taking notes, at the games. Desta could not have been more pleasant and professional. ...USA Today, NBA writer Sam Amick was fun to watch working the room. Amick knows everybody! ...Young, aspiring scout Josh Hallman was another guy that obviously shares the same passion for basketball that I have. ...The trio of Erika Beutler, Josie Pappas, and Leonie Mendoza made the drive from Santa Cruz, where they work in the Warriors' front-office, to support their team. Beutler said she doubts Dewayne Dedmon will be in the D-League much longer with the numbers he's been posting. ...The coffee gelato at Millies24 at the El Dorado Hotel and Casino is to die for. 

Six games in. What have we learned at the D-League Showcase?

The 2014 D League Showcase is six games old and at least one thing is becoming increasingly clear to me. The crystallization is: the play of the "BIGs" in the D-League is nowhere close to how good the BIGs of the NBA are. This is obvious on the defensive end. Players that can penetrate are rewarded more in the D-League due to less resistance at the rim. This is a crucial aspect to understand when evaluating players here. It simply doesn't impress me that Manny Harris can penetrate and score against back line help from Justin Hamilton. I'm not picking on Hamilton, I'm just using him as a prime example of why you would be wise to discount (not totally dismiss, but discount) big numbers from penetrating guards. I'm also not picking on Manny Harris, who Sam Amick reported, has been the subject of inquiry from the Oklahoma City Thunder. (My take on Harris is documented in my pre D-League Showcase blog. ) ...For much of the game this evening, the Los Angeles Defenders played with Jamario Moon (a skinny, 6'8", 205 lb. small forward), as their Center.  That too speaks volumes about how easy it can be to score near the rim in the D-League.

This also is not to say that there are not any shot blocking BIGs here. Tony Mitchell, although credited with just two blocks in the official box-score, had at least four blocked shots as a power forward paint protector today. Dallas Lauderdale blocked seven shots in a game for Idaho this morning. I'm saying that, in general, it is easy to see that the defensive play in the paint is just not very good compared to the NBA.

Scouting thoughts: Trey McKinney-Jones is a better athlete than I realized he was. He is more than just a wing shooter.  ...Dewayne Dedmon is efficient but raw. He heavily favors his right hand and is very predictable when isolated low. I think he could be an NBA player just on hustle plays with his length and athleticism. But he is not ready to be a guy you run plays for (other than ally-oops at the rim in the D-League). ...I heard it said that Ron Howard reminds some of a mini Ray Allen. For me, James Nunnally fits that description better. I liked Nunnally in Summer League, and I liked him again last night in Bakersfield's romp over Sioux Falls. Nunnally just plays, and makes shots. He is a fantastic complementary teammate. ...Rudy Gobert, on assignment from the Utah Jazz, was dominant in that same Bakersfield game. Gobert and Ike Diogu looked like sixth graders playing against kindergartners. Diogu, I'm certain, is still an NBA caliber power forward. I've believed for some time that Diogu is better than at least a half-dozen guys in the NBA right now. (You want names? I'd take Diogu before Jan Vesely, Udonis Haslem, Darrell Arthur, Charlie Villanueva, Jeff Adrien, or Matt Bonner.) "Big Ike" might not look enthused but I think that is just his natural demeanor. He remains efficient on a per-minute basis whether he smiles or not. ...Josiah Turner caught my eye. The 21 year-old L.A. Defenders' point guard has had issues with immaturity but there is no denying the natural basketball playing ability he has. He is an NBA athlete and he has good vision with the ball in his hands. He has great quickness and the ability to break his man down off the dribble. His help defense, on the other hand, is, shall we say, "a work in progress."

Brownlee went HAM

My All D- League Showcase Team for the first six games:

PG: Nando De Colo, Pierre Jackson.

SG: James Nunnally, Darren White, A.J. Davis.

SF: Justin Brownlee, Jamario Moon, Kellen Thornton, James Southerland.

PF: Ike Diogu, Malcolm Thomas.

C: Rudy Gobert, Dallas Lauderdale.

NOTES: The NBA was wise to choose Reno and the Events Center as a host for the Showcase. Teams stay at the Silver Legacy Resort Casino, which is just one block from the where the basketball games are played. The entire setup is fan friendly, and team friendly. 24 hour restaurants are available without leaving the premises. The casino provides something to do during downtime.  ...Former Sacramento Kings player Conner Henry is the Head Coach of the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. They showed heart in the second half of their game with the Santa Cruz Warriors. Fort Wayne rallied from a 22 point deficit to win.

Pre D-League Showcase 2014. Narrowing the focus.

It is 2:28 am Sunday morning, and in a few hours I will be off to Reno for the NBA D-League Showcase. In advance of the trip – I did a statistical audit of the D-League’s 2013-14 season to date. The results of the audit will help me focus, from the first jump ball, on players that are efficient. It also helps me sift out players that just are not producing.

By now, after their college careers, and summer league play – I have a feel for many of the prospects’ games. What I intend to gain by going on this scouting mission is to see these players in person, and to use my own feel for whether or not they are “NBA athletes”. I also like to further scrutinize their ability to defend. I observe their shot selection, their willingness to play team-ball, and their natural ability to stay enthused.

Here is a peek into a handful of players that intrigue me prior to the start of the Showcase:

Malcolm Thomas – Austin. Thomas is a member of the Spurs currently on assignment in the D-League. The former San Diego St. standout is starting to make the three-point shot with increased accuracy (18 of 37, 48% in D-League games this season). He is also making better decisions with the ball. Thomas owns a 1.44-to-1 ast-to-T.O. ratio which also strengthens his case to be looked at as a potential wing player. Thomas is an underrated shot blocker at 6’9” but a wiry 225 lbs. He is too often over-matched at PF. He doesn't rebound the ball well enough to be effective in the NBA as a FOUR. But if Thomas can defend NBA small forwards, continue to hit three-point shots,  and maintain that positive assist-to-turnover ratio, – that could be a game changer for his career.

Richard Howell – Idaho. 6’8” 257. I thought Howell was NC State’s best player on a team filled with prospects last season. He is a dependable rebounder and low post player. Howell became the fifth player in Wolfpack history to record 1,000 career points and 1,000 rebounds. He has a nice feel for the game. He can score in the low post or facing the hoop. He worked to improve each season. He raised his scoring and rebounding averages each year at N.C. St. ...Howell's standing reach is 8'9.5" (same as Paul Millsap). So far in the D-League’s young season, Howell has a positive assist-to-turnover ratio (something he could not boast in college). ...Howell's overall efficiency suggests he can be a top-tier NBA reserve power forward. …On the down-side, Howell was just a 63% free throw shooter in college.  So far in the D-League, Howell is shooting 61% from the line.

Dedmon is Warriors property. 

Dewayne Dedmon – Santa Cruz. Dedmon is averaging 16 points, and 15 rebounds per game. He is the most efficient Center in the D-League. The seven-footer from USC has a solid defensive rating, and he is blocking shots and rebounding at a high level. He is property of the Golden State Warriors. 

Arinze Onuaku – Canton. Onuaku is a 6’9” BIG that has been scoring enough in the D-League to make NBA teams consider that maybe he is a bit more than just a rebounder/tough guy in the paint. The former Syracuse paint protector still can’t make his free throws with any consistency (55%).

Robert Covington – Rio Grande Valley. Covington is a productive forward that currently is shooting the long-ball at a lower rate (31.7%) than his college numbers suggested. That said, Covington IS scoring and rebounding well in the D-League. He knocks down his foul shots too (88%). Covington is a classic "late-bloomer". He changed his body during college - going from a skinny 175 lbs. out of high school to a more suitable 215 lbs. this season. His standing reach is 8'10" (equal to reach of Thaddeus Young, Kyle Singler, and Wes Johnson). Covington made the Portsmouth Invitational All-Tournament Team.

Nando De Colo – Austin. De Colo is a member of the San Antonio Spurs that has used the D-League to sharpen his combo-guard game. He’s only played in five games in the “D”, and he may not be playing in the Showcase. I’ve liked De Colo for a while now. His defensive rating in the small sample size is excellent, and he already posted NBA efficiency per-minute numbers, as a rookie last season, that have me convinced he could be a “rotation” player in the NBA right now. De Colo scores at a high rate per-minute, while maintaining a 1.5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Eric Dawson – Austin. 6’9” 255. Big man is 29 years old and he is still rebounding and blocking shots at a high rate.

Thornton. Does he play any D?

Kellen Thornton – Idaho. Thornton’s efficiency per minute is the highest among players who have logged over 150 minutes in the D-League this season. He is a 6’7”, 215 lb. forward that is rebounding and scoring at a high rate. However, his defensive rating is terrible, and he’s been a “minus” in his last seven games. Is there ANY hope for his defense? If there is, he may be a player worth watching closely.

Othyus Jeffers – Iowa. I’ve always admired Jeffers’ game. He plays D, he gets to the free throw line, and he helps on the boards from the guard spot. If he could somehow shoot the long-ball better, and make better decisions with the ball, he would be a better prospect. At 6’5” 210, he physically fits right into the mold of a TWO in the NBA.  But the negative assist-to-turnover ratio and poor deep perimeter shooting are why Jeffers is in the D-League.

Manny Harris – Los Angeles. Harris is another case of a shooting guard that does not knock down the deep ball very well (25% 3-pt.). That said, Harris may be the best prospect as a “scorer” in the D-League. Harris puts pressure on defenses with his ability to penetrate. He gets to the foul line often (85% FT). He is not quite a point guard but his 1.17-to-1 ast-to-T.O. ratio is passable for a combo guard.

Jamario Moon – Los Angeles. Moon is perhaps the most versatile player in the D-League. He hits threes at an accurate percentage (44%), he blocks shots, and he has an outstanding assist-to-turnover ratio (2.3-to-1). He’s an 81% free throw shooter, and he plays defense. There is a lot to like about Moon’s game results so far this season. At age 33, is anyone willing to give him another shot?