2007-08 D-League Draft/Season Preview , Austin Toros roster

2007-08 D-League Draft/Season Preview

by: Jonathan Givony - President, Mike Schmidt - NBDL, NCAA Scout
November 1, 2007
The D-League will hold their annual draft on November 1st at 7pm. The event will be broadcast on NBA TV and an audio feed will be available at nba.com/dleague. We have been given the massive allocated and draft-eligible player lists, and are sharing them here, along with our thoughts on this year's pool of players.

The D-League draft differs from a normal draft for a couple of reasons. There are 10 rounds in the draft, and the order will be reversed in each round. This means that the team selecting first overall won’t pick again until the final selection of the second round. The draft order is as follows:

1) Colorado 14ers
2) Dakota Wizards
3) Albuquerque Thunderbirds
4) Idaho Stampede
5) Rio Grande Valley Vipers
6) Sioux Falls Skyforce
7) Fort Wayne Mad Ants
8) Los Angeles D-Fenders
9) Anaheim Arsenal
10) Utah Flash
11) Tulsa 66ers
12) Austin Toros
13) Bakersfield Jam
14) Iowa Energy

To become eligible for the D-League draft, a player must contact the league office, and sign a general player contract with the league. The league determines if the player receives an A, B, or C level contract. Every team is only allowed a select number of A and B players, so they must use those spots wisely. D-League salaries have increased slightly this year. The C contract will be worth $15,000 this season, up from $12,000 last season. The B level contract pays $20,000 this season (up from 18k), and the A contract will be worth $25,000 (up from 24k). These contracts become voided if a team gets a call-up from an NBA team, but are signed for one year otherwise. If a D-League player wants to leave for Europe, they must first arrange a buyout for their contract. The buyout is $30,000.00 from December 31st to the end of the Season in April 2008, $15,000.00 if you get out the contract before the Draft on November 1, 2007, and $20,000.00 from November 2, 2007 to December 30, 2007.

D-League teams have other methods of signing players separate from the draft, to create continuity for local fans, coaching staffs and locker rooms. To level the playing field, an annual expansion draft allows new teams to gain rights to players from the previous season. Existing teams can protect the rights to 10 players for the expansion draft, and players from inactive teams also enter the expansion draft pool.

Allocated players are assigned to their teams by the D-League office. Some type of connection exists between an allocated player and the home market of the team they are assigned to play for. For instance, Jeff Horner played his college ball at the University of Iowa, and was allocated to the Iowa Energy for the 2007-2008 season. Justin Cage played high school basketball in Indiana, and thus was allocated to Fort Wayne, etc.

Before previous D-League drafts, the teams were allowed to submit a list of 4 players to the league office to bring back from the previous season. The teams were also allowed to bring in 1 allocation player, and a player from open tryouts as well.

This season, the rules have changed to allow each team to bring in 6 or 7 players from the previous season, allocations, open tryouts, or the expansion draft (for new teams) with no restrictions on which category the players must come from.

A second rule change has already affected some interesting names who were previous second round draft picks of NBA teams. If a draft pick signs a contract and is then cut by an NBA team, that team’s D-League affiliate will be given the opportunity to claim their rights via allocation. Marcus Williams was cut by the San Antonio Spurs, and will be playing for the Austin Toros this season as a result of this new rule. The same will be true for Guillermo Diaz who was cut by the Clippers and will play with the Anaheim Arsenal, and Sammy Mejia who landed with Fort Wayne after failing to make the Pistons.

The following players have been added to D-League rosters already. Some players are returning from last season, some come from open tryouts, and others have been allocated by the league.

(...)

Austin Toros
Justin Bowen - returning player
Anthony Fuqua - returning player
Eric Dawson - allocation player
Keith Langford - allocation player
Kenton Paulino - allocation player
Marcus Williams - allocation player
Patrick Fields - local tryout



Anaheim Arsenal (for Kori)
Bryson McKenzie - returning player
Steven Smith - returning player
Jamaal Thomas - returning player
Davin White - returning player
Guillermo Diaz - allocation player
Noel Felix - allocation player
Lodrick Stewart - allocation player

Wow, very interesting. Nice find.

That's rather good news that Marcus Williams is on the Toros without the Toros having to draft him. Nice rule change by the D-League.

I also like that Keith Langford will be on the team because in a dire emergency, he's a good call up for the Spurs. He can be the pseudo sixth wing for the Spurs.

Thanks biba. That article has a lot of information. First off, I didn't know the buyouts to leave the DLeague and go to Europe were so large. Secondly, that's very interesting about the Marcus Williams rule.

(And thanks for including the info about the Arsenal. I knew Noel was signing there, but I didn't know who else was on their team.)

Basically, the trade off for the Spurs not having to pay Marcus Williams' contract is the Spurs don't have his exclusive rights anymore. Not a horrible trade off considering I doubt that Williams will be impressive enough to warrant a call up. And if he is, the Spurs have room to call him up themselves.

The Toros could conceivably have Washington, Langford, Williams and Mahinmi in their starting lineup at some point this season.

You're the both so classy.

It's ME to thank you (for so many things such as running this forum that way). :clap :clap :clap

I wonder what Jackie Butler is going to do this season?

Wow, so that's where Kenton Paulino is currently. I thought he was overseas for some reason.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Darkwaters

I wonder what Jackie Butler is going to do this season?

---

eating burgers all day

Yea I wondered about paulino too. I also wonder what ever happened to Brandon Mouton, he had some game.

For some reason I am anticipating this D-league draft tonite.

That is a hell of a choice some of these guys have to make; spend time in the D-league hoping to get spotted and called up while making little in comparison to what they could get in Europe salary wise but playing in the shadows of the nba spotlight.

Is the draft on TV somewhere? Maybe NBA TV?

Here's the link

http://draftexpress.com/viewarticle.php?a=2300

Good to see Justin is back. I'm slightly surprised the Toros let Marcus Campbell back into the draft pool. Oh well, that just means more minutes for Ian.

I can't believe Quannas White had to go through a local tryout in the valley. he played for the Toros a couple of seasons ago and was pretty much one of the best point guards in both the USBL and ABA last season.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BeerIsGood!

Wow, so that's where Kenton Paulino is currently. I thought he was overseas for some reason.

---

Wow, cool. I still remember that sweet shot at the buzzer he had against West Virginia to send the Horns to the Elite 8. He was a nice college player, I just don't think he was ever a next level type of guy.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Darkwaters

Is the draft on TV somewhere? Maybe NBA TV?

---

Yes, NBAtv. 7PM San Antonio time.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Darkwaters

Is the draft on TV somewhere? Maybe NBA TV?

---

Chump's link just answered my question. It will be on NBATV at 7PM CST.

So what are the odds we pick CJ Watson if he's there at #12?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ChumpDumper

So what are the odds we pick CJ Watson if he's there at #12?

---

Low I hope. We need to pick up some swingmen early, I think. Justin Bowen can play the 3, but who will man the 2?

I know we have Langford, Paulino and Williams. But are any of them legit potential NBA guys?

I'll tell you from the Toros experience that not having a point will hurt the team a lot more than not improving a position that already has pretty impressive depth. I guess some of it depends on how much they intend on sending Washington down.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ChumpDumper

I'll tell you from the Toros experience that not having a point will hurt the team a lot more than not improving a position that already has pretty impressive depth. I guess some of it depends on how much they intend on sending Washington down.

---

I'm all for the first pick being a point guard ... just not CJ Watson. That guy has no court vision at all and would kill the development of any players around him. I'd be more for a no-chance-in-the-NBA scrub like Brian Chase over Watson.

Is there a list of available players anywhere?

Here's a blurb on Dawson:

Eric Dawson - Midwestern State - 6-9 235 - DIV II -PF
53FG% 37 3pt% 66FT% 2.7BPG 2.6SPG 9.8PPG 1.6APG 15.7PPG

Dawson is a tremendous athlete who has been described by many to have Big 12 conference athletic ability. He possesses extremely long arms and does an excellent job of not only shot blocking, but stealing the ball as well. Dawson may have the best post hands in Division II basketball. He has no problem catching any pass thrown into the post and shows range on his jumper, 12-15 feet from the basket. Dawson's post footwork is extremely refined with first-rate balance and mobility. He's also an excellent rebounder on the defensive side of the ball and adequate on the offensive side, and rapidly improving. He also continues be a great outlet passer. If there is an aspect that Dawson needs to work on it's his focus. There are times where he appears hazy, however, a higher level of competition could remedy this issue. With his combination of skill and size, Dawson should have a bright future somewhere in professional basketball.

http://www.nbadraft.net/maurer004.asp

Based on the link you gave I found some players I wouldn't mind the Toros taking as potential Spurs callups. I put an emphasis on players with range on their shot, combo forward ability and then athleticism. Since we are likely losing both Finley and Barry next season I think shooting is at a premium for us at the moment. Thus, the better the shooter, the better the prospect in my opinion. Probably the most intriguing player on the list is the last one (Adam Harrington). I don't know if he has the skills, but hes older (27) and can shoot the ball. Sounds like Spurs material already.


Carlos Powell, 6-7, SF/PF, South Carolina

The talented combo-forward out of South Carolina had a great season in Australia last season, leading the entire NBL in scoring. He can get to the basket at will off the dribble, and uses his quickness to make a variety of finishes near the basket. He is an extremely aggressive player with a high motor who hits the glass hard and is effective as a mismatch threat on both ends of the floor. To take his game to the next level, Powell must focus on developing consistent three point range, and show that he can defend NBA small forwards effectively. His scoring ability will make him one of the better players in the D-League, and he could certainly find himself with a call-up at some point during the season. Powell will likely spend some time at both forward spots in the D-League, though his game fits at the small forward position in the NBA.


Nik Caner-Medley, 6-8, SF/PF, Maryland

After graduating from Maryland, Caner-Medley suffered a serious injury at the pre-draft camp, which set him back for quite some time. He caught on for the end of the season in Germany, where he attempted to shake of the rust with mixed results. He then played summer league with Sacramento. The lefty combo-forward will likely be more comfortable playing back in the United States, and his combination of size and skill should make him an effective all-around D-League player. He scores the ball most effectively off the dribble by either slashing to the hoop or pulling up for the mid-range jumper. Caner-Medley sometimes relies too much on his perimeter shooting stroke, and will need to focus on becoming a more effective rebounder. Not an incredible athlete, there are question marks about whether he has the lateral quickness to defend the wing in the NBA. He will likely see time at both forward slots this season, which will help him operate as a mismatch threat against any most opposing defenders.


Ricky Woods, 6-6, SF/PF, SE Louisiana-

Another athletic marvel coming off a year of seasoning playing overseas, Ricky Woods is exactly the type of player the D-League was created for. Woods had a spectacular rookie season playing in the fairly pedestrian Portuguese league, leading the league in scoring (20.4 points), blocks (2.7), and efficiency, while pulling down 8 rebounds a game. Woods is an undersized power forward at the moment, still trying to make the conversion to playing on the wing, where his size says he is better suited.


Brent Petway, 6-8, SF/PF, Michigan

A freak athlete from Michigan, Petway really didn’t develop much under coach Tommy Amaker. Standing at 6’8”, he has played at the power forward for most of his career, and will need to transition to the 3 to have a chance at the NBA. Petway has elite athleticism, and could become a lockdown defender in the D-League with the proper focus.


Adam Harrington, 6-5, Shooting Guard, Auburn

Another somewhat surprising name on this list considering his age (27) and resume, Adam Harrington has already combed the globe in the five years since he graduated from Auburn, playing in China, the D-League, Italy, Spain, Israel, Germany and Croatia. He’s a prolific scorer, blessed with an outstanding touch from beyond the arc in particular. Not a great athlete (especially laterally), he still finds a way to get the job done because of his stubborn, aggressive mentality. That same stubbornness hasn’t won him that many fans amongst old-school coaches, which might explain why he’s without a job at this point. He’s a high-risk, high reward type pick, especially for teams lacking a scoring punch but still adamant about winning as many games as possible.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by timvp

I'm all for the first pick being a point guard ... just not CJ Watson. That guy has no court vision at all and would kill the development of any players around him. I'd be more for a no-chance-in-the-NBA scrub like Brian Chase over Watson.

Is there a list of available players anywhere?

---

The draft express article linked above has the list of available players.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ChumpDumper

Here's a blurb on Dawson:

Eric Dawson - Midwestern State - 6-9 235 - DIV II -PF
53FG% 37 3pt% 66FT% 2.7BPG 2.6SPG 9.8PPG 1.6APG 15.7PPG

Dawson is a tremendous athlete who has been described by many to have Big 12 conference athletic ability. He possesses extremely long arms and does an excellent job of not only shot blocking, but stealing the ball as well. Dawson may have the best post hands in Division II basketball. He has no problem catching any pass thrown into the post and shows range on his jumper, 12-15 feet from the basket. Dawson's post footwork is extremely refined with first-rate balance and mobility. He's also an excellent rebounder on the defensive side of the ball and adequate on the offensive side, and rapidly improving. He also continues be a great outlet passer. If there is an aspect that Dawson needs to work on it's his focus. There are times where he appears hazy, however, a higher level of competition could remedy this issue. With his combination of skill and size, Dawson should have a bright future somewhere in professional basketball.

http://www.nbadraft.net/maurer004.asp

---

Is he the next Scola? :lol

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by coopdogg3

Is he the next Scola? :lol

---

Doesn't look anything like him. Gotta be intrigued by an athletic big man.

Here are his stats from last season:

http://msumustangs.athleticsite.com/...b/teamcume.htm

Apparently he's from San Antonio. Anyone heard of him?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ChumpDumper

Doesn't look anything like him. Gotta be intrigued by an athletic big man.

Here are his stats from last season:

http://msumustangs.athleticsite.com/...b/teamcume.htm

Apparently he's from San Antonio. Anyone heard of him?

---

Intriguing. Is there any reason we couldn't pick him up on allocation? I don't know how those rules work.

If the list is correct, we already allocated him. He's on the team.

We oughtta have a draft chat tonight while this goes on.

Shoot, were not doin anything else :lol

Can't write off Williams yet. I bet he feels stupid having left the cozy confines of a U of Arizona program were he would have learned some D this season w/ Kevin O'neil back on the staff.

I was never impressed with Watson at Tenn but with his summer league showing i guess it's very possible.

I would rather have Jamaal Tatum myself and see if he can turn into a point guard. That dud plays w/ some serious intensity.

I would take a chance on Wendell White out of UNLV... he played great in the NCAA's

What happened to Ron Lewis out of Ohio St. ?? I thought he could shoot pretty well.

With the first pick, I want the Toros to go with either Kevin Kruger or Eddie Gill. Those two players are pass first point guards who would be very good in terms of helping the development of everyone on the team. I'd probably rate Kruger a tad higher just because he has some future potential, although Gill isn't a bad emergency point guard to have in the pipeline. Gill is basically a Jacque Vaughn clone.

Other than getting the point guard, I'd like the Toros to land one of the seven footers in the draft. Just pick one of those big 7-foot, 300 pound stiffs to let Mahinmi play some power forward instead of having to play center all the time. Examples would be Shagari Alleyne, John Bunch, Brad Stricker and Marcus Campbell.

Aleksandar Ugrinoski would be an interesting pick. He's a 19-year-old Croatian who hasn't even declared for the NBA draft yet. Might be good to draft him and then check to see if he's worth a second round NBA flier at some point.

Interesting Prospects
Kedrick Brown - Still young enough to live up to his promise.
Keith Closs - Comedy factor.
Schea Cotton - Solid veteran scrub.
Jason Ellis - Good name.
Darvin Ham - Hey if he wants to play in the D-League, why not? Good leader, at least.
Isma'il Muhammad - Not very good at basketball but one of the best dunkers ever.
Kevin Pittsnogle - Not a bad player to put next to Mahinmi.
Jamaal Tatum - As long as he's not the main point guard, he'd be a good pick.

Players To Avoid
Jamison Brewer - Ballhog and sucks.
Adam Harrington - Ballhog, sucks and crybaby.
Jason Klotz - Please no homer picks.
Jelani McCoy - He's good but lazy. Bad influence for Mahinmi.
CJ Watson - No court vision.
Robert Whaley - Good player, locker room nightmare.

Quote:

---

Kedrick Brown - Still young enough to live up to his promise

---

Is that the same Kedrick Brown formerly of the Celtics?

Did Anthony Goldwire finally give up the ghost and retire?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by T Park

Is that the same Kedrick Brown formerly of the Celtics?

---

Correct.

I will be curious to see what kind of players Austin will draft : nba prospect for Spurs or good D-League players to win games ?
It will be too interesting to see if they use a high draft pick on a PG. It could be a hint about where will Washington plays this year.

Isma'il Muhammad could fill the James White void.

Isma'il Muhammad!

Shea cotton WOW remember the hype on him.


Kendrick Brown is still young enough to make it back to the league.

I would imagine Krueger would be gone by time the Toros pick.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by timvp

With the first pick, I want the Toros to go with either Kevin Kruger or Eddie Gill. Those two players are pass first point guards who would be very good in terms of helping the development of everyone on the team. I'd probably rate Kruger a tad higher just because he has some future potential, although Gill isn't a bad emergency point guard to have in the pipeline. Gill is basically a Jacque Vaughn clone.

Other than getting the point guard, I'd like the Toros to land one of the seven footers in the draft. Just pick one of those big 7-foot, 300 pound stiffs to let Mahinmi play some power forward instead of having to play center all the time. Examples would be Shagari Alleyne, John Bunch, Brad Stricker and Marcus Campbell.

Aleksandar Ugrinoski would be an interesting pick. He's a 19-year-old Croatian who hasn't even declared for the NBA draft yet. Might be good to draft him and then check to see if he's worth a second round NBA flier at some point.

Interesting Prospects
Kedrick Brown - Still young enough to live up to his promise.
Keith Closs - Comedy factor.
Schea Cotton - Solid veteran scrub.
Jason Ellis - Good name.
Darvin Ham - Hey if he wants to play in the D-League, why not? Good leader, at least.
Isma'il Muhammad - Not very good at basketball but one of the best dunkers ever.
Kevin Pittsnogle - Not a bad player to put next to Mahinmi.
Jamaal Tatum - As long as he's not the main point guard, he'd be a good pick.

Players To Avoid
Jamison Brewer - Ballhog and sucks.
Adam Harrington - Ballhog, sucks and crybaby.
Jason Klotz - Please no homer picks.
Jelani McCoy - He's good but lazy. Bad influence for Mahinmi.
CJ Watson - No court vision.
Robert Whaley - Good player, locker room nightmare.

---

I think you made some good points. The Toros do need a quality pass-first PG. I remember how horrible our summer league team was because of a lack of ball movement. We need a point that will push our young players to grow...not push them out of the way while they jack up poor shots.

I also like the idea of the Toros purusing a big 7 footer. But the Toros have a lot of PFs on the roster so far that are probably too small to play center and too slow to play on the wing. Mahinmi might have to play center just to divy out the minutes well.

Is Adam Harrington really that bad? I don't know much about him except what I saw in the link. He looks to be a quality shooter and the Spurs need to find one of those to replace some of the geriatric members of the wing. I didn't know how legit the concerns were about his attitude. Oh well...

I couldn't find much information on Ugrinowski except what you stated. I know quite a bit about his situation but nothing about his skill-set. If hes a talented PG then he'd probably be a unique pick. I suppose we'll see whether the CIA Spurs are passing on their traits to their farm team.

How many players can the Toros carry on a team?

Can Paulino not play any PG? Didn't he man the point at Texas because Boobie couldn't do it?

Quote:

---

I also like the idea of the Toros purusing a big 7 footer. But the Toros have a lot of PFs on the roster so far that are probably too small to play center and too slow to play on the wing. Mahinmi might have to play center just to divy out the minutes well.

---

Fuqua started at center most of last season, though he's pretty inconsistent -- it was silly bringing Loren Woods off the bench in retospect. There weren't enough slots to keep Marcus Campbell, but I wouldn't mind seeing him drafted again. Pittsnogle would be a very nice complement to the listed big men on offense -- kind of a poor man's Bonner -- but he would do nothing to toughen them up the way Campbell would.

Overall, these rule changes are pretty positive and give D-League and NBA teams more flexibility in using the former for actual development.

Theres a D-League draft preview on NBAtv in about 5 minutes. Might be worth watching.

any way to watch this online?

Legally? post it here

illegally? PM me :lol

PICK TEAM SELECTION
1 Colorado 14ers Eddie Gill
2 Dakota Wizards Carlos Powell
3 Albuquerque Thunderbirds Darvin Ham
4 Idaho Stampede Jamaal Tatum
5 Rio Grande Valley Vipers C.J. Watson
6 Sioux Falls Skyforce Nik Caner-Medley
7 Fort Wayne Mad Ants Larry Turner
8 Los Angeles D-Fenders Jelani McCoy
9 Anaheim Arsenal Kedrick Brown
10 Utah Flash Kevin Kruger
11 Tulsa 66ers Glen McGowan
12 Austin Toros Kevin Pittsnogle
13 Bakersfield Jam Forfeit
14 Iowa Energy Dwayne Mitchell


Draft so far

http://www.nba.com/dleague/news/dleague_draft_07.html

Nice pick. Both point guards I wanted were off the board. Pittsnogle is a good compliment to Mahinmi and if he could ever get in shape, he possibly has NBA potential. That's more than you can say for 97% of the players in this draft.

The Toros have their PG with Carldell Johnson out of Alabama-Brigham in the 2nd round.

Squeaky Johnson was a solid pick. Perhaps it indicates that they aren't counting on a point guard to come from elsewhere, namely Darius Washington.

Wow that PG was conference usa defensive player of the year and first all-conference as a senior.

Squeaky was a step down from Gill and Kruger but of the point guards available, he's the one I would have gone with. He's short but he actually can see the court and should have problem getting the ball to Mahinmi.

Pittsnogle and Squeaky? Not bad. A playmaking PG and a 3 point shooting big with NBA potential. I liked Pittsnogle at WV.

Way to go Toros.

Marty Blake is old but I like his enthusiasm for basketball. I'm surprised the NBA doesn't use him more as far as being a talent scout spokesman.

Schea Cotton and Isma'il Muhammad still on the board :hungry:

Oh and that Croatian.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by timvp

Schea Cotton and Isma'il Muhammad still on the board :hungry:

Oh and that Croatian.

---

No, the croatian is already gone. I think second round.

The Croatian was taken by Utah.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Darkwaters

No, the croatian is already gone. I think second round.

---

The 19-year-old Croatian was just taken by Utah in the third.

I like Stukes, he played well in the big games at UGA.

Cook another point guard ?? I guess D Wash is gonna be on the Spurs the whole season.

6th round pick Stricker is from Devine. It says he played semi-pro here in w/ the San Antonio Bombers in the SWBL ? Can someone enlighten me on the SWBL ....

7th rounder Daryl Dorsey actually had a profile on nba-com 2005 draft prospects.

He was 2nd leading scorer and 8th in assists at JUCO level nationally.

Interesting....

only 6'1 though

Toros Picks
1st round: Kevin Pittsnogle - Outside shooting bigman. Can't rebound but has NBA potential.
2nd round: Squeaky Johnson - 5'10 point guard who can pass and D up.
3rd round: Melvin Council - 6'3 point guard from NAIA level.
4th round: Levi Stukes - 6'2 tweener guard who likes to shoot.
5th round: Ashanti Cook - 6'2 point guard from Georgetown.
6th round: Brad Stricker - 6'11 and 280 pounds. He was one of the centers I wanted.
7th round: Daryl Dorsey - 6' point guard out of a community college
8th round: Joseph "Mookie" Works - 6'7 SF from Tarleton State via Sam Houston HS in San Antonio.

Wow. The Toros have really loaded up at point guard. It looks like Darius Washington isn't in their plans, which means he should be sticking around San Antonio for a while.

This point guard drafting strategy makes sense though because you need a solid point guard to run a successful D-League team. Taking a bunch of them and hoping one or two emerge is the way to go if you couldn't get Gill or Kruger.

Pittsnogle the outside shooting, non rebounding more white version of Dennis Rodman.

9th round: Tim Bush - 6'6 PF out of Baylor. Averaged six points and four boards his senior season last year with Baylor. I guess this is the type of talent you get in the 9th round of the d-league draft . . .

Why on Earth would you have wanted Stricker...

On paper he is the definition of a big stiff.

I have never ever seen him though, but still it looks like he has done little.

Blackshear was taken in the last round ??? I guess that means he is expected to play in Europe... He was a good player at Marshall

10th round: Ronald Blackshear - 6'5 shooting guard who played at Marshall and Temple. Pretty nice player actually if he's anything like he was a couple years ago. Him and Langford should be able to score nicely on the DLeauge level.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by LEN BIAS 4EVER

Why on Earth would you have wanted Stricker...

On paper he is the definition of a big stiff.

---

Exactly.

It'd allow Mahinmi to play at power forward and not have to be banged around the other big stiffs in the league. Stricker is just a big body but that alone will help out Mahinmi's development.

Mahinmi, if he wants to play next to Duncan ever, needs to learn some sort of face up game away from the basket. He can't do that in D-League if he has to battle against the number of giant stiffs in the league. It's better he gets to go against the undersized power forwards the league has to offer.

What are the chances on a player drafted in the 5th round or later ever making an NBA roster I wonder....

I also wonder what some of these guys made salary wise playing lower level leagues oveseas..

I had a good friend play 8 seasons overseas including Slovenia and French B league and he did pretty well in terms of salary

Never forget when he emailed me about some 16 year old kid with a great handle and lots of speed and nba potential he saw play back in 98... some kid named Parker.....

Spurs officials were all over the draft up here. RC Buford and Dell Demps were upstairs most of the night with Mo McHone who was actually making the picks on the conference call. Coach Snyder announced that Chris Sullivan is going to be the strength and conditioning coach for the Toros -- he's the guy who went over to France to help out with Ian.

Da Bull has a gray nose and eyebrows instead of blue. Anthony Fuqua was the only player in attendance.

Overall a pretty solid draft. I'm surprised Majic Dorsey was still around in the 7th round. He played for Anaheim last season. Wildly inconsistent but capable of putting up 20 points or 10 assists on any given night. Fulfills our balla quotient quite nicely if he makes the team.

My girlfriend won a ball autographed by RC Buford and Quin Snyder in a drawing. I could probably make bank selling it to LJ.

ChumpDumper has a girlfriend? Interesting.

does he know what to do with a girlfriend?

Take her to basketball games, of course.

yes !

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ChumpDumper

Take her to basketball games, of course.

---

:toast

Chump, do you think this team is set up well enough so Ian can develop nicely?

Or is there some things you'd like to see get done...

It might have been nice to have a true post scorer to play alongside Ian so he could develop a post game as timvp was saying, but Ian really needs to work on his footwork and moves too, and Pittsnogle will definitely stay out of his way.

We'll also have to see if any of these point guards not named Washington work out. I only really know anything about Dorsey. He was mostly a penetrate and kick guy when I saw him, and he got more than a few assists to Jawad Williams, who scored a lot from the spots where we would like Ian to eventually develop.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ChumpDumper

Spurs officials were all over the draft up here. RC Buford and Dell Demps were upstairs most of the night with Mo McHone who was actually making the picks on the conference call. Coach Snyder announced that Chris Sullivan is going to be the strength and conditioning coach for the Toros -- he's the guy who went over to France to help out with Ian.

Da Bull has a gray nose and eyebrows instead of blue. Anthony Fuqua was the only player in attendance.

Overall a pretty solid draft. I'm surprised Majic Dorsey was still around in the 7th round. He played for Anaheim last season. Wildly inconsistent but capable of putting up 20 points or 10 assists on any given night. Fulfills our balla quotient quite nicely if he makes the team.

My girlfriend won a ball autographed by RC Buford and Quin Snyder in a drawing. I could probably make bank selling it to LJ.

---

Oh hell ya Quin Snyder my favorite college flameout. Tell the GF that should could get thousands of pesos for that ball selling to me. :lol

Seriously though, did they talk about their strategy to draft a bunch of point guards? I'm guessing the Spurs learned their lesson in summer league when the lack of point guard pretty much ruined their teams. Part of the reason James White and Marcus Williams sucked so bad is the point guards never set either one of those guys up with an easy basket.

I also gotta think the way the draft played out that we're going to see a lot of Williams, Langford and Mahinmi. They didn't really draft any players that duplicated any of those three players. Pittsnogle, Fvqua and Stricker should be pretty decent in a rotation next to Mahinmi. If Pittsnogle ever gets in shape enough to become a decent rebounder and defender, I could see him getting a call up this year.

I wonder if Williams is cool with his current situation. He didn't want to go to Europe, so the D-League was basically his only option. Did he like it that he was snatched by the Toros or did he want to be free of the Spurs? It's tough to tell at this point.

Quote:

---

Seriously though, did they talk about their strategy to draft a bunch of point guards?

---

Before the draft, Snyder said that they were looking for a point guard with their first pick. Once Gill and Watson were off the board, they couldn't resist Pittsnogle as the best player available. After that, they stocked up on points in the hope that two will stick.

Quote:

---

I'm guessing the Spurs learned their lesson in summer league when the lack of point guard pretty much ruined their teams. Part of the reason James White and Marcus Williams sucked so bad is the point guards never set either one of those guys up with an easy basket.

---

I think it was mostly because they ran only one play before Butler got traded, but point taken.

Quote:

---

I also gotta think the way the draft played out that we're going to see a lot of Williams, Langford and Mahinmi. They didn't really draft any players that duplicated any of those three players.

---

Right. Langford can probably fill in the BJ Elder role of main scorer decently enough. SF wasn't really a need since Williams and Bowen are on the team. The shotgun approach to point guard makes sense for this training camp.

Quote:

---

Pittsnogle, Fvqua and Stricker should be pretty decent in a rotation next to Mahinmi. If Pittsnogle ever gets in shape enough to become a decent rebounder and defender, I could see him getting a call up this year.

---

True enough. He doesn't seem like a Spur-type pick off the bat, but he does have a real NBA skill and is worth taking a chance on as a project.

Quote:

---

I wonder if Williams is cool with his current situation. He didn't want to go to Europe, so the D-League was basically his only option. Did he like it that he was snatched by the Toros or did he want to be free of the Spurs? It's tough to tell at this point.

---

If he likes the Spurs system at all, he should be ok with it. He should get decent minutes if they go with a three man swing rotation of Langford/Bowen/Williams. He can still be picked up by any team if he does well.

Here's how I think the 10-man roster could look after training camp:

C - Kevin Pittsnogle/Brad Stricker
PF - Anthony Fuqua/Eric Dawson
SF - Justin Bowen/Marcus Williams
SG - Keith Langford/Kenton Paulino
PG - Squeaky Johnson/Daryl Dorsey

My pick for backup PG is based solely on whoever wears his nickname on his headband.

http://www.wbaball.net/images/topnews_dorsey260.jpg

Stricker or one of the point guards will be the first one waived if someone good shows up in the player pool during the season.

Dorsey has the kind of backstory that makes you want to root for him.

http://www.nba.com/dleague/anaheim/dorsey_061221.html

So when Ian gets sent down who do the Toros bump off the a 10-man roster? Stricker? Dawson?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Darkwaters

So when Ian gets sent down who do the Toros bump off the a 10-man roster? Stricker? Dawson?

---

No one. D-League teams can take up to two send-downs without having to waive any of their regular players.

Majic Doresey has Spur written all over him.

Does he have the talent to make it to the big club though?

Quote:

---

Jawad Williams and Sean Banks, I knew them from the NBA pre-draft camp. They’re good players

---

If I'm not mistaken, is that not a former Spurs training camp a year or two ago?

I totally want an And1 Mix Tape guy on the Toros.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tQoqbNR8EQ

Gotta love the MaJic Tornado.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by T Park

If I'm not mistaken, is that not a former Spurs training camp a year or two ago?

---

No, it's the one before the NBA draft when they take measurements, etc. Williams was in the Spurs camp in the Virgin Islands though.

I meant a player in the Spurs training camp.

Quote:

---

I totally want an And1 Mix Tape guy on the Toros.

---

Hell yes.

Prob wont help get on the Spurs, but thats awesome!!! :lol

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by T Park

I meant a player in the Spurs training camp.

---

Ok, Williams was pretty good in Anaheim on offense -- downright insulting on defense. He's playing in Japan this season.

Quote:

---

He's playing in Japan this season.

---

Ugh, id rather play in italy...

So, of all the players on this team, who do we think are legitimate potential NBA players?

Kevin Pittsnogle
Squeaky Johnson
Marcus Williams
Justin Bowen
Keith Langford

I figure all of those guys might have a chance at some point. I know Williams is pretty far right now, but he was the 33rd pick in the draft. What are your thoughts Chump? Who am I missing?

I really don't know enough about Johnson yet. The rest of the list is accurate, though I am pretty eager to see what Dawson can do.

hey but can they live on that salary?

They get apartments don't have to pay rent.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Darkwaters

So, of all the players on this team, who do we think are legitimate potential NBA players?

Kevin Pittsnogle
Squeaky Johnson
Marcus Williams
Justin Bowen
Keith Langford

I figure all of those guys might have a chance at some point. I know Williams is pretty far right now, but he was the 33rd pick in the draft. What are your thoughts Chump? Who am I missing?

---

I haven't seen Bowen play, I don't think. I've seen barely anything of Johnson.

That said, the most NBA ready trait any of those players has is Pittsnogle's shooting ability. He's a big guy with a wide frame who can really hit from the outside. Too bad the rest of his game is so underdeveloped. The two things I remember about him since he was drafted was he set the CBA scoring record I believe and gave one of his kids a horrible name.

Squeaky and Langford are both most likely D-League or Europe lifers. Williams is pretty bad but he has youth on his side.

Yeah, I'm blue-skying for all of them. Each would have to improve quite a bit - but that's what the D-League is for.

Pittsnogle signed with a French team this summer but has been waived during the preseason because he was overweight and he didn't play defense.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bruno

Pittsnogle signed with a French team this summer but has been waived during the preseason because he was overweight and he didn't play defense.

---

They must not have scouted him well if they were surprised by him being fat and not playing D.

Hopefully he'll respond to having a stregth and conditioning coach up here, but I'm not holding my breath. He's going to be such a contrast to all the athletic big guys here.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by timvp

They must not have scouted him well if they were surprised by him being fat and not playing D.

---

They have done a poor scouting job for sure.
Cholet's coach has said that he was 10kg (20lbs) too fat when he came in France. I don't know if he meant that he was at 260lbs while he should be at 240lbs or that he was at 280lbs instead of the 260lbs given in his profile.
We will see in what shape he is when he will play with Toros.

Another tidbit:

SAN ANTONIO, TX (November 2, 2007) - The San Antonio Spurs announced today that Dell Demps, Spurs director of pro player personnel, will also serve as general manager of the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League.

Demps will continue to serve as Spurs director of pro player personnel along with his duties as the general manager for the Toros. Demps coordinated the player selection process along with Spurs staff and Toros coaches for the 2007 D-League draft, which aired live on NBA TV last night.

The Toros, who were purchased by Spurs Sports and Entertainment in June, are the second NBA team to own and operate their own D-League affiliate, joining the Los Angeles Lakers who own the Los Angeles D-Fenders.

The Toros home opener is Saturday, November 24th at the Austin Convention Center at 7 p.m. For Toros season and group ticket information, call the Toros office at (512) 236-8333 or visit austintoros.com.

http://www.oursportscentral.com/serv...es/?id=3555371

That's a lot of cooks for the Toros stew. Nevertheless, they sure seem to be taking this seriously.

Dell Demps got credit for "discovering" Jackie Butler while with the Knicks so hopefully he can make a similar discovery for the Spurs. This time the Spurs should be able to sign the discovery to a minimum deal so they won't have to end up salary dumping a player on a one-year contract making less than half of the MLE.

:pctoss

Hopefully the discovery hasn't already been playing in the NBA for two years.

AUSTIN, TX November 2, 2007- The Austin Toros selected forward Kevin Pittsnogle with the 12th pick in the first round of the 2007 NBA D-League draft. Pittsnogle, a 6-11, 250 pound forward out of West Virginia, averaged 19.3 points and 5.5 rebounds and earned first team all-Big East honors as a senior.

"We are very excited to have Kevin, he worked out for the Spurs when he came out of college," Austin Toros general manager Dell Demps said. "We were impressed with his ability to shoot the ball and his basketball IQ."

In the second round, the Toros selected guard Carldell "Squeaky" Johnson with the 17th overall pick. Johnson, who played his collegiate basketball at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, was named the 2006 all-Conference USA defensive player of the year and first team all-conference.

"Our fans are really going to fall in love with Squeaky," Demps said. "He brings energy, toughness and charisma that is very exciting to watch."

http://www.oursportscentral.com/serv...es/?id=3555376

I don't remember Pittsnogle's being worked out by the Spurs, but it makes sense.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ChumpDumper

I don't remember Pittsnogle's being worked out by the Spurs, but it makes sense.

---

Yeah, I remember the Spurs working him out. He's kinda like a bigger poor man's version of Bonner with a bad work ethic. He's an NBA longshot but if he ever worked hard, he has a chance just because he can shoot so well.





Edit To Add:

Quote:

---

Marquette forward Steve Novak, West Virginia forward Kevin Pittsnogle, Minnesota guard Vincent Grier and South Carolina guard Tarence Kinsey are among the players the Spurs worked out who could be available at their pick.

---

God this is sad, I actually recognize the names on the roster. Way too much basketball watched. :depressed

I listened to the draft last night on Sirrus and I couldn't believe how many times they would go to marty Blake i believe and he would say that this player or that player needs to trim down and get in shape ???

WHAT ???

These guys are trying to overcome long odds and cling to a 15th man roster spot and they can't get in shape ???

Holy hell, If I had a prayer in hell at a shot at playing pro ball anywhere I would have been phyicsal perfection.

These guys should take a lesson from Bruce Bowen....

The D-League is replete with fat and/or out of shape bastards. The Toros usually have one per season. It will be interesting to see what effect a strength and conditioning coach will now have, if any. Hopefully a guy like Pittsnogle takes advantage of the opportunity.

FYI - training camps are starting soon and NBA players are already being assigned to D-League affiliates:

Bucks Assign Ramon Sessions To Tulsa 66ers

NEW YORK, November 8, 2007 – The Milwaukee Bucks have assigned rookie guard Ramon Sessions to their NBA Development League affiliate, the Tulsa 66ers. Sessions was drafted in the second round (56th overall) of the 207 NBA Draft and signed with the Bucks on Sept. 11, 2007. He averaged 2.0 points and 1.3 rebounds in 7.3 minutes in three preseason games.

Sessions is the first NBA player assigned to a D-League team this season. Twenty-four NBA players were assigned to D-League affiliates during the 2006-07 season.

“This is an opportunity for Ramon to see regular minutes and further develop his skills,” said Bucks General Manager Larry Harris. “Coach Meyer and the Tulsa organization are receiving a talented, young player, and we look forward to watching Ramon’s progress as a member of the 66ers.”

Sessions was a finalist for the Bob Cousy Point Guard of the Year Award during his junior season at the University of Nevada-Reno. During his junior year, the Myrtle Beach, S.C. native averaged 12.3 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.7 assists and earned Second Team All-WAC honors. For his career, he ranks second in Nevada-Reno history with 478 assists and ninth in steals with 113.

The 6-3, 190 pound guard is expected to be in Tulsa for the beginning of the 66ers’ training camp this weekend.

http://www.nba.com/dleague/tulsa/sessions_071108.html

Due to the injury situation and the fact they have already been through a Spurs' system camp, I doubt the Spurs' D-League players get sent down anytime too soon.

No news from Austin Toros?


Gone in Flash?

http://www.boston.com/sports/basketb...ideline_posey/

By Marc J. Spears
Globe Staff / November 8, 2007


Rivers confirmed that first-year players Glen Davis, Gabe Pruitt, and Brandon Wallace are candidates to play for the NBA Developmental League Utah Flash. Rivers added that two of the aforementioned rookies could be sent to the Flash soon.

Director of basketball operations Danny Ainge, however, said it is less likely that the 6-foot-9-inch, 289-pound Davis will be sent since "we need his size."

"I want to pretty much wait and see what we got and then go from there," Rivers said. "I'm a believer in the D-League. I do think that it helps the guys that don't play a lot of minutes or any minutes. But we're going to wait to get a good feel on who that 12th man is going to be."

The expansion Flash begin training camp Saturday night and will play in Orem, Utah, about 30 miles south of Salt Lake City. The Flash play their lone preseason game Nov. 19 at Idaho and open regular-season play Nov. 24 at Anaheim. The Flash are affiliated with the Celtics and Jazz.

Last season, then-Celtics rookie Allan Ray was the team's only D-League player.

Flash general manager David Fredman was excited about the possibility of adding a Celtic.

"That would be terrific," Fredman said. "With the Celtics and the Jazz, we'd be happy to have their players to make our team better whenever or wherever they want to send, whether it's home or the road."

Davis has been spending a lot of time after practices developing his post game, midrange jumper, and other skills with assistant coach Clifford Ray. Pruitt and Wallace have been working on their jumpers and other skills with assistant coach Kevin Eastman.

Davis, who had played sparingly entering last night's game, got nine minutes of playing time in the Celtics' victory, scoring 3 points and nabbing three steals. Pruitt and Wallace have yet to be activated to make their NBA debuts. Playing time would likely be plentiful for Davis, Pruitt, and Wallace with the Flash.

"[Playing for the Flash] is something that could be good for us [rookies] from the simple fact that our playing time isn't as much," Pruitt said. "It's up to Danny and Doc, what they want to do, and what they feel is best for us."