Fadeaway Friday: 2017 NBA D-League Finals Preview: Raptors 905 vs. Rio Grande Valley Vipers

On Sunday at 8:00 PM EST on ESPNU, Game 1 of the 2017 NBA D-League Finals will tip off as the Rio Grande Valley Vipers (32-18) take on the Raptors 905 (39-11). Game 2 will air on Tuesday at 7:00 PM EST on ESPNU and Game 3 (If necessary) will air on Thursday at 7:00 PM EST on ESPNU. Above is the bracket of the 2017 D-League playoffs, each round being a best of three games series with the lower seed getting the first game at home and the higher seed getting the last two games at home. As the higher seed, the Raptors will get Game 2 and Game 3 (if necessary) at home.

When looking at this series, what first stands out is the difference in pace that these two teams play at. The Vipers are averaging 120.1 points per game, which leads the D-League while the Raptors are averaging 106.8 points per game, which is 14th in the D-League. Both teams have gotten to the championship game playing at very different paces and so it will be really interesting to see whether the Vipers get the Raptors to speed up the tempo or if the Raptors can get the Vipers to play at a slower tempo. In matchups like this, whichever team is able to dictate the pace usually has the edge.

In a way, both teams are a good reflection of their NBA affiliates. The Houston Rockets are the second highest scoring team in the NBA and play at a very fast pace whereas the Toronto Raptors rank 10th in scoring and don't rely as much on their ability to score. In the D-League, teams ideally run systems similar if not identical to their NBA affiliate so as to better prepare potential call-ups for the NBA. It's always fun to see these type of similarities between the NBA and its developmental league.

As far as what players there are to watch for, the main player to watch for is Raptors small forward Bruno Caboclo, who was taken in the 1st round of the 2014 NBA Draft to the shock of literally everyone watching. The Raptors drafted him knowing he'd be a project. If you are a Raptors fan, you should watch this series just to see how Caboclo does since he has the potential to be a major part of the team's future going forward.

You might be wondering what kind of future Caboclo has if he's still in the D-League, but at just 21 years of age, he's like a minor league baseball prospect that could still be a junior in college. Rather than playing college basketball, Caboclo has gotten seasoning in the D-League and currently has the opportunity to get a taste of championship level basketball in the D-League Finals. It will be interesting to see how Caboclo does in this series and whether or not he can have a coming out party of sorts.

Another player to watch for if you are a Raptors fan is Pascal Siakam, a power forward who was taken in the first round by the Raptors in the 2016 NBA Draft. In addition to how Bruno Caboclo does, it will be important to see how Siakam does as he too looks to become a part of the Raptors' future. If both guys have a big series, that will be a very good sign for the future of this Raptors organization.

While this series doesn't have the weight of an NBA playoff series, it's still a championship series and should prove to be entertaining. The Vipers play a very entertaining style of basketball and the Raptors have two very important pieces playing in this series. Plus, Jerry Stackhouse is coaching the Raptors, so there's even something for those who crave a little throwback action. While I understand that NBA playoffs action is more important, do try to find time to watch some of this series. Especially if you are a fan of either the Houston Rockets or Toronto Raptors looking for a window into your team's future.

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Fadeaway Friday: Memphis Grizzlies to operate expansion D-League franchise

Starting in the 2017-18 season, the Memphis Grizzlies will operate their own D-League team in Southaven, Mississippi, expanding the NBA's Developmental League to 23 teams, 19 of which will be owned by a single NBA team. The news was revealed shortly after it was announced that the Minnesota Timberwolves officially purchased the Iowa Energy, the same team that the Grizzlies have been affiliated with during the past few seasons.

The NBA continues to progress towards its goal of having 30 D-League teams with each NBA franchise having its own D-League affiliate. Should the NBA expand to 32 teams like many expect, that will mean the D-League will likewise expand to 32 teams. The reason the NBA wants each NBA franchise to have its own D-League team is so that the NBA can do a better job of developing its players and give guys more chances to develop and grow. There are many players in NBA history who would have tremendously benefited from the D-League and so it is great to know that there will be many careers improved and possibly saved thanks to the D-League.

In addition to improving careers and the quality of play, I think another reason for this expansion has to do with giving more communities a taste of NBA basketball. Mississippi for example will never have an NBA franchise, but thanks to the D-League, they will be able to enjoy watching professional basketball up close. By having 30 D-League franchises, the NBA will have in effect doubled the number of communities it is directly involved with, which helps grow the popularity of the league across the country.

It will be interesting to see how much longer it takes before each NBA team has its own D-League team. I think in 10 years, we will see 30 D-League teams affiliated with 30 NBA teams. If anything, we very well may see 32 D-League teams affiliated with 32 NBA teams. The NBA is certainly growing and continuing to establish itself as the preeminent professional sports league in world. Not only are they doing a great job of growing their brand, but they are also doing a great job at improving the quality of their brand. By investing in a developmental league, the NBA in turn is investing in the overall quality of play at the NBA level, something that benefits all involved whether it be the owners, players, or fans.

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Fadeaway Friday: The Return of Ben Gordon

                                                 (Credit: Keith Allison. Click here for source). 

After 11 NBA seasons and taking a year off, former UConn and Chicago Bulls star Ben Gordon has signed a contract with the NBA’s Developmental League. He is yet to sign with a team as signing with the D-League first puts you on the waiver wire.

In his prime, Ben Gordon averaged 21.4 points per game on 41.3% shooting from 3-point range. He was a talented shooter who was absolutely lethal from downtown. Injuries derailed what could have been a hall of fame career, but with a year off, Ben Gordon is ready to give pro basketball one more shot.

During his last season in the NBA (2014-15), Ben Gordon averaged 6.2 points per game in 14.1 minutes of action with the Orlando Magic in 56 games. It would be foolish to think he’ll be anything remotely close to what he used to be, but given his experience and shooting ability, he could find a nice home in the D-League as an offensive spark plug of sorts.

Ben Gordon is clearly hoping to make a return to the NBA and while I wish him the best of luck, it’s hard to see him sticking with an NBA team. He hasn’t played for a full season and has declined over the past few seasons. Hopefully, he’ll be able to have some success, have some fun, and make one more return to an NBA floor. If he can accomplish that, that will be really cool.

UPDATE: Ben Gordon has signed with the Texas Legends.

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Fadeaway Friday: Quinn Cook has the Canton Charge heating up

The Canton Charge are the hottest team in the NBA Development League right now, having won five straight games to get themselves a winning record (11-8). The player who has been leading the charge for the Charge is Quinn Cook, a 6'2", 175 pound guard in his second year out of Duke. During this winning streak, Cook has averaged 28.8 points on 50-108 (46.3%) shooting from the field, shooting pretty efficiently and doing a good job at carrying the scoring load.

In terms of whether or not this will lead to a 10-day contract for Quinn Cook remains to be seen, but if he keeps putting up numbers like this, odds are good he'll get a 10-day contract at some point in the season. One of the things that is important to understand is that while he is playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers' D-League affiliate, he is not actually property of the Cavaliers. This means he is free to sign with any NBA team that is interested in his services.

                                        (Credit: NBA D-League on YouTube. Click here for source) 

It is my personal belief that Quinn Cook is definitely in the mix to sign a 10-day contract, but due to his lack of size, it's hard to see him sticking with an NBA team for the rest of the season. Typically, guys who don't immediately stick in the NBA after their rookie seasons have a tough time finding a permanent home in the NBA. That's just the nature of the league. However, guys who can score and shoot like Quinn Cook definitely catch the eye of NBA scouts and give themselves a shot at getting signed.

As far as the Canton Charge are concerned, they are really benefiting from Quinn Cook's stellar shooting. His hot hand has got them right back in the D-League playoff mix. While Duke fans would obviously love to see their guy get another shot in the NBA, they better enjoy watching their guy heat up and carry a team on his back.

Going forward, the Canton Charge have a lot more work to do. They've clawed back into the playoff conversation and now they have to stay here and gain more ground. So long as Quinn Cook plays like he has been and other guys find ways to step up, the Charge could very well sneak into the D-League playoffs. They are certainly a team to keep an eye on.

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Fadeaway Friday: Pierre Jackson is lighting it up in the D-League

One of the top players in the NBA's Developmental League right now is Pierre Jackson, a 5'11" guard who is averaging 29.1 points per game for the Texas Legends on 54.0% shooting from the field and 42.9% shooting from 3-point range. Pierre Jackson has always been able to "get buckets", but due to his lack of size, he's had a hard time sticking in the NBA. To his credit, Pierre Jackson keeps on grinding and keeps on putting up big numbers in the D-League, proving himself to be one of the top players vying for a spot in the NBA.

Hopefully the Dallas Mavericks will give him a shot sometime this season to give them some much needed off the bench scoring. Heaven knows the Mavericks need it and Pierre Jackson may be just the man to give them the off the bench scoring punch that they sorely need. He is an exciting player to watch and appears to be all the more ready to give some NBA team quality minutes off the bench.

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Fadeaway Friday: Utah Jazz rookies developing with the Salt Lake City Stars

Joel Bolomboy, Marcus Paige, and Tyrone Wallace, the three rookies for the Utah Jazz, are all currently playing for the Salt Lake City Stars, the D-League affiliate of the Utah Jazz organization. Here is  an update on how all three players are developing and what their outlook is at the moment.

Joel Bolomboy: Joel Bolomboy is a 6'9", 235 pound power forward out of Weber State up in Ogden, Utah. Bolomboy averaged 17.1 points and 12.6 rebounds per game in his senior season at Weber State and is the only Jazz rookie to actually get minutes in the NBA, playing in 8 games for the Utah Jazz, averaging 0.9 points and 1.0 rebounds per game.

In the D-League with the Salt Lake City Stars, Joel Bolomboy has been averaging 15 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 1 block per game. He's been putting up respectable numbers and has really been thriving in the pick and roll, getting easy buckets inside due to his length and explosive athleticism. His teammates are finding him inside and he is taking full advantage.

As far as his outlook is concerned, it's hard to see Joel Bolomboy getting very many minutes with the Utah Jazz this season due to the presence of Rudy Gobert, Derrick Favors, and Trey Lyles. But, with Derrick Favors battling some knee issues, it is possible that Joel Bolomboy sees some more action this season. He's a talented big that can provide some energy off the bench and provide some relief to some of the Utah Jazz big men. In the meantime, look for Joel Bolomboy to continue to benefit from playing in the D-League. He's definitely a guy who could undergo a transformation playing for the Salt Lake City Stars.

Marcus Paige: Marcus Paige is a 6'1", 175 pound point guard out of North Carolina, who played four years in a Tar Heel uniform. Through 11 D-League games, Paige has been averaging 11.6 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. His season high is 24 points against the Rio Grande Valley Vipers back on December 5.

Marcus Paige has been shooting the rock well for the Stars, coming off screens and popping off threes with his quick left-handed release. He's been shooting 33.3% from 3-point range, which could definitely be better, but isn't bad, either. When given daylight, he has proven himself to be very effective from beyond the arc.

In regards to his outlook, the Utah Jazz have a ton of guards, so it stands to reason that he won't see any minutes with the Utah Jazz this season. But, if he does well in the D-League, he should expect to get another training camp invite and perhaps make another guard in the organization expendable like Raul Neto.

Tyrone Wallace: Tyrone Wallace is a 6'5", 205 pound point guard out of Cal. I got to know Tyrone Wallace well during his senior season at Cal since I cover the team for Rivals.com over at GoldenBearReport.com. Tyrone Wallace has a ton of talent due to his size, ability to score around the rim, and versatility. Tyrone Wallace is a guard who can do a little bit of everything. He can defend, rebound, and facilitate in addition to scoring, so he's very much a multi-dimensional guard.

Through four games with the Salt Lake City Stars, Tyrone Wallace has averaged 18.25 points, 3.5 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2.5 steals per game on 24-50 (48%) shooting from the field,  2-9 (22.2%) shooting from 3-point range, and 23-29 (79.3%) shooting from the foul line.

What's most encouraging from these numbers is his foul shooting. Tyrone Wallace struggled with his foul shooting during his time at Cal (61.3%) and I know for a fact that NBA scouts were hesitant to draft him as a result. They liked everything about his game, but they were unsure about his foul shooting and ability to shoot the ball in general.

With his foul shooting improving dramatically from last season, Tyrone Wallace's stock is going up considerably. The plan is for him to spend the entire season with the Salt Lake City Stars as a draft and stash kinda guy. But, should he continue to shoot well from the foul line like he is, he'll certainly get a training camp spot with the Jazz next season and figure to likely get a few minutes with the Utah Jazz in the NBA. The Utah Jazz still have a lot of depth at guard, so it's way too early to project him as a rotation player for them next season, but if he can find his way onto the training camp roster and make the team, he'll put himself in a position where cracking the rotation is possible.

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Note: If you love the Utah Jazz, check out my Utah Jazz blog utahjazz406.blogspot.com. This article also appears on there. Click here to view it. 

Satire Sunday: The New York Knicks should trot out their D-League team to finish the season

     With a league-worst 14-62 record, the New York Knicks are in the driver's seat to be guaranteed a 25% chance at the #1 overall pick in June's draft, the highest percentage possible under the current NBA lottery format. While perhaps a delusional Knicks fan might be hoping for the team to "finish strong" and win four of their remaining seven games, we all know it is in the best interest of the Knicks to go 0-7 and solidify their position as the team with the highest odds to get the #1 overall pick.
   
     While the league's lottery system often gets criticized for rewarding teams who "tank", I actually think it's way better than the NFL's current system which rewards the team with the worst record by giving them the #1 overall pick. Even with the NBA's lottery system, it is still in the best interest of the Knicks to lose out, and so I think they need to do literally everything in their power to lose their remaining games.
   
     While there are many things the Knicks can do to "tank" down the stretch, the most blatant option on the table is to call up players from the Westchester Knicks, their D-League team, to finish the season. While this option may seem like a slap in the face to the league office, there are several reasons why the Knicks should do this.

     The number one reason they should do this is that doing so almost guarantees that they lose their remaining games. No D-League team can beat an NBA team. We all know this. So, if the Knicks trot out the Westchester Knicks to play at Madison Square Garden, there is no way things can go wrong. And by "go wrong", just so we're clear, I mean "win a game". In addition, the Westchester Knicks were a horrible D-League team, finishing with a 10-40 record, which just further cements this as a no-brainer option.

     Secondly, the Westchester Knicks have some players who the New York Knicks may want to consider for their training camp roster next season. The most obvious player is Thanasis Antetokounmpo, whose brother is Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Bucks. Thanasis was drafted in the late second round and has shown some promise. What better time to see if he can hang with NBA players than right now, when winning is no longer a concern?

     Another player on the Westchester roster who is interesting is 7'2 center Jordan Bachynski from Arizona State. I saw him play against Cal during his senior season and he showed some promise. There aren't a lot of 7'2 guys in the league and the Knicks could certainly use some size up front. Why not give him a shot in some NBA games, too?

     The third reason why the Knicks should do this is it would send a message to the rest of the players on their roster. Some of their players need to understand that the line between them and D-League players is very blurred. I think it would motivate them going into next season to see guys from their farm team get their minutes to finish the season.

      All in all, playing the Westchester Knicks to finish the season makes sense on all levels. It would give the Knicks a guaranteed 25% chance at the #1 pick, a chance to see who might make their team next season, and it would motivate their players. I don't see any drawbacks to doing this and I think it would be foolish of the team to do anything that might jeopardize their current position in the standings.

---Ben Parker: follow me on twitter @nba_lord