2015/16 D-League Usage Report: Grizzlies
The NBA’s relationship with the D-League continues to grow, and this season a total of 19 NBA teams had one-to-one affiliations with D-League clubs. Those NBA organizations without their own affiliates were required to assign players to D-League clubs associated with other NBA franchises. D-League teams could volunteer to take on the assigned players, and if no volunteers emerged, the players were assigned at random.
This significant change from the 2014/15 season came about after the Pacers purchased the Fort Wayne Mad Ants and turned them into their one-to-one partner for the 2015/16 campaign. Other NBA teams have interest in following suit in the years ahead, and the NBA’s ultimate goal for the D-League is for all 30 NBA franchises to have their own D-League squads. You can view the complete list of D-League affiliates here.
We at Hoops Rumors are recapping the D-League-related activity for the 2015/16 campaign for each team and we’ll continue with the Memphis Grizzlies, whose D-League affiliate is the Iowa Energy:
The Grizzlies made 16 assignments for the 2015/16 season, sending three players to the D-League for a total of 86 days. Listed below are all the assignments and recalls made by Memphis for the 2015/16 campaign:
- December 4th: Assigned James Ennis (1st) — Recalled December 6th
- December 8th: Assigned James Ennis (2nd) — Recalled December 9th
- December 11th: Assigned James Ennis (3rd) — Recalled December 13th
- December 17th: Assigned Jarell Martin (1st) — Recalled December 17th
- December 17th: Assigned Russ Smith (1st) — Recalled December 17th
- December 17th: Assigned James Ennis (4th) — Recalled December 17th
- December 22nd: Assigned James Ennis (5th) — Recalled December 24th
- December 22nd: Assigned Jarell Martin (2nd) — Recalled December 24th
- December 22nd: Assigned Russ Smith (2nd) — Recalled December 24th
- December 27th: Assigned James Ennis (6th) — Recalled January 3rd
- December 28th: Assigned Jarell Martin (3rd) — Recalled January 3rd
- January 15th: Assigned James Ennis (7th) — Recalled February 3rd
- January 25th: Assigned Jarell Martin (4th) — Recalled February 3rd
- February 3rd: Assigned James Ennis (8th) — Recalled February 18th
- February 3rd Assigned Jarell Martin (5th) — Recalled February 9th
- February 25th: Assigned Jarell Martin (6th) — Recalled February 29th
Here is how the Grizzlies’ players performed while on assignment to the D-League this season:
- James Ennis: In 24 appearances Ennis averaged 18.8 points, 6.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists in 33.3 minutes per outing. His shooting line was .454/.321/.697.
- Jarell Martin: In 10 appearances Martin averaged 15.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 0.7 assists in 28.9 minutes per contest. His shooting numbers were .492/.286/.565.
- Russ Smith: In 22 combined appearances with Iowa and Delaware (the Sixers’ affiliate), Smith averaged 27.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 7.8 assists in 37.0 minutes per outing. His shooting line was .460/.304/.778.
Celtics Notes: Ainge, Olynyk, Draft Workouts
The Celtics were unable to jump ahead of the Sixers and Lakers to snag the No. 1 overall pick in Tuesday night’s NBA draft lottery and the team will draft third as a result. With Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram likely to be off the board when Boston picks, team executive Danny Ainge indicated that he doesn’t know who the team will look to select, Mike Petraglia of WEEI 93.7 FM relays. “We don’t know that yet. We’ll obviously explore that,” Ainge said. “We’re in the middle of that process right now of figuring out who’s in the draft and who’s the best fit for us. We’ll also probably get some calls for that pick I’m guessing, so there’ll be discussion of that too. But right now we’re really in the mode of preparing for the draft.”
Regarding the talent level of the second-tier of players in this year’s draft, Ainge told reporters, “Last year at this time I think everybody saw that [talent drop-off] and it sort of changed between what everybody thought at this time and what happened in the draft. So it’s still too early. There’s still a lot of evaluation. When you’re looking and evaluating in some cases 18 and 19-year-old kids there’s a lot that changes between the end of their college careers and the draft, so I wouldn’t say anything is in stone in how the draft order is gonna go. We’ll just evaluate them all and see how it falls.”
Here’s more out of Boston:
- Center Kelly Olynyk underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair damage to his right shoulder, and though the Celtics didn’t announce a timetable for the big man to return to action, Ainge estimates Olynyk will be out for approximately five months, Petraglia relays in a separate article. A recovery time of that duration would mean Olynyk could return during the preseason and potentially be available to start the 2016/17 campaign.
- The Celtics are hosting two group workouts today that will include 12 players, Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com relays (Twitter link). Displaying their wares for Boston will be Abdul-Malik Abu (NC State), Trevon Bluiett (Xavier), Nigel Hayes (Wisconsin), Malik Pope (San Diego State), Zhou Qi (China), James Webb III (Boise State), DeAndre Bembry (St. Joseph’s), Malcolm Brogdon (Virginia), Josh Hart (Villanova), Jake Layman (Maryland), Abdel Nader (Iowas State) and Taurean Prince (Baylor), Forsberg notes.
- Former Louisiana-Lafayette center Shawn Long has a workout scheduled with the Celtics on June 9th, Gary Washburn of The Boston Globe tweets.
Poll: 2016 Community Mock Draft (Pick No. 1)
The 2016 NBA Draft lottery was held on Tuesday night and the Sixers finally landed the elusive No. 1 overall pick after missing out the past two seasons. Now that the exact draft order is locked in, teams can begin targeting specific players who are likely to still be on the board when it is their time to choose. Drafting players is far from an exact science, and many a GM has been second-guessed for his draft night decisions. I’m willing to bet that every team executive has at least one pick that he would like a mulligan for. We at Hoops Rumors thought it would be fun to give our readers the chance to predict the results of this June’s draft, which is what we intend to do with a series of polls.
We’ll begin with the Sixers, who are likely to choose between former LSU forward Ben Simmons and former Duke forward Brandon Ingram at the top slot, though GM Bryan Colangelo could look to address the team’s void at point guard by nabbing Kris Dunn or Jamal Murray instead. Readers, you are now on the clock! Cast your vote for Philadelphia’s pick and check back Thursday for the results, as well as to cast your vote for who the Lakers will select with the No. 2 overall pick. But don’t limit yourself to a simple button click. Take to the comments section below and share your thoughts on the No. 1 overall pick and why you voted the way that you did.
Bryan Colangelo On: Draft Lottery Results, Simmons
The Sixers were the big winners on Tuesday night, snagging the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft Lottery. Now that the exact order of the draft is locked in, Philadelphia has the daunting task of making the right call this June. Fresh off the announcement that he would have the top pick to work with, Sixers GM Bryan Colangelo spoke with members of the media regarding the upcoming draft. Hat tip to DraftExpress for transcribing the session, along with a number of other team representatives’ thoughts on the draft lottery results. Here are some of the highlights from Colangelo’s Tuesday night chat with reporters:
On where the team is at regarding its pre-draft player evaluations:
“We’ve had a chance to already meet with Brandon Ingram and Kris Dunn among the top candidates. There are several others, Jamal Murray, Buddy Hield and several others that we’ve met with. Ben Simmons did not attend Chicago, so we did not have a chance for that to occur. I do plan on a trip to Cleveland soon, and a couple of these guys will obviously be coming into Philadelphia for visits in our home gym. A lot of work to do over the next 40 days or so. There’s a lo to do and we have our sleeves rolled up.”
On when he expects to make his call on who the team will select at No. 1 overall:
“We may decide before [draft night], but we’re certainly not going to announce it. Again, there is a lot of work that needs to be done. Physical testing, individual conversations with these two or three or four prospects. And I will tell you, we are going to continue to do out due diligence for the draft. We’re going to visit all the players. They are going to visit us. There are some draft workouts to be held. Don’t forget, we’ve got No. 24 and No. 26 in this draft as well. A lot of things could be in play. We need to determine what the best course of action is. But, the good news is, you’ve got resources in place. You’ve got the tools now clearly defined — one, 24 and 26. We’ve got those good young, developing players that continue to develop even as we speak today in our gym in Philadelphia.”
On if he is committed to retaining the No. 1 overall pick:
“It’s pretty obvious the answer is yes [to keeping it]. A lot of people jumped on the notion that we talked about looking at all alternatives as being open to moving the pick. I think, again, you have to look at every single option and everything in front of you. But, the bottom line is, now that we’re sitting in the number one position, it changes the dynamic. I think it was more in reference to, what would happen if we ended up with two top five picks, if there was maybe a decision to move one of those. It’s highly unlikely that anything is done with the number one pick except selecting the player.”
On what stands out about former LSU forward Ben Simmons:
“When you analyze the top two prospects, as far as all the reports go and the media speculation, you’ve got two guys [Simmons and Ingram] that are very talented players but very different players. One who is a ball-handling four, who actually would be in a position to initiate the offense. Very versatile. Plays multiple positions. He could actually play some three, some four and probably some five in some situations the way the league is playing right now. But, again, the notion that he’s a ball-handling four puts him in a unique position with our team, to be a distributor, etc. As yo look at Brandon Ingram, more of a shooter, a silky smooth small forward type. Probably can play multiple positions as well. I think you have to look at his versatility. But, the one thing that stands out is his ability to shoot the basketball, above all else. There is obviously two very interesting candidates there.”
Community Shootaround: Phil Jackson
The Knicks’ hiring of Phil Jackson as team president in March of 2014 was met with much initial excitement because of his Hall-of-Fame credentials as a coach. But there was some skepticism regarding how well he would fare as an executive, a role in which he had no prior experience. Team owner James Dolan certainly went all-in on the Zen Master, inking Jackson to a five-year, $60MM contract, a record salary for an executive.
New York has gone 49-115 under Jackson’s watch, and the fanbase, as well as star forward Carmelo Anthony, are growing increasingly restless. Jackson has often appeared aloof and on occasion, disinterested, which calls into question his commitment to the franchise. The executive didn’t help matters last week by failing to attend the annual college scouting combine last week in Chicago, though he may have done so in order to interview head coaching candidate Frank Vogel in Los Angeles.
Despite the Knicks not owning a pick in this year’s draft, the team could potentially purchase or acquire one via trade. By not attending the combine, Jackson may have missed an important opportunity to observe first-hand some of the talent that may be available. Even if the team is unable to snag a pick this June, Jackson declining to travel to Chicago — whatever the reason, doesn’t inspire confidence from the team’s fans, nor prospective free agents, many of whom will make their decisions based on what organization will give them the best opportunity to win.
This brings me to today’s topic: Should James Dolan, regardless of the money still owed Phil Jackson, part ways with the team president?
This offseason will be a defining one for Jackson as an executive. If he fails to make some significant additions to the roster this summer, it could usher in a complete rebuild of the team, as well as make it all the likelier that Jackson will opt out of his deal after the 2016/17 campaign. But should Dolan entrust such a critical task to Jackson, or should the owner step in and find someone new to lead the team into the future? If you believe Jackson should go, who should the team target to replace him. Take to the comments section to share your thoughts and opinions. We look forward to what you have to say.
Draft Notes: Lee, Williams, Bluiett
Kentucky junior power forward Marcus Lee has cancelled at least three scheduled workouts with NBA teams, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv notes. Lee told reporters that he was still weighing his options regarding the NBA Draft and wasn’t concerned about fighting for playing time on a stacked Wildcats squad next season if he does return to school, Zagoria adds. “I’m definitely weighing my options, it’s definitely a process,” Lee said. “Once I get back home I’ll be able to talk it through with my family and we’ll figure it out from there. We’ll kind of weigh the options and go from there knowing that there is a risk there in not knowing what might happen.” Lee is currently slotted as the No. 29 overall junior by Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.
Here’s the latest 2016 NBA Draft news and notes:
- Indiana junior small forward Troy Williams is still undecided on whether or not he will remain in this year’s NBA draft, Scott Agness of VigilantSports tweets. Williams, who is the No. 86 overall prospect according to Givony, has upcoming workouts with the Lakers, Clippers, and Pelicans, Agness notes.
- Xavier sophomore swingman Trevon Bluiett will work out for the Lakers on Friday, Zagoria relays (via Twitter).
- The Timberwolves have workouts scheduled on Wednesday for Bryn Forbes (Michigan State), Amida Brimah (UConn), Angel Rodriguez (Miami), Williams and Tonye Jekiri (Miami), Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops relays (Twitter link).
- Working out for the Clippers on Wednesday will be Isaiah Taylor (Texas), Jaron Blossomgame (Clemson) and Robert Carter (Maryland), Dan Woike of The Orange County Register tweets.
Latest On Rockets Coaching Search
9:55pm: The Rockets interviewed Messina on Saturday, Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated relays (on Twitter).
9:15pm: Sixers associate head coach Mike D’Antoni has a second interview scheduled with the Rockets regarding their vacant head coaching position, Marc Stein and Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com report. D’Antoni, whose stock is rising in the eyes of Houston’s front office, will sit down with franchise owner Leslie Alexander after impressing the team during his first interview, the duo note.
The offensive-minded D’Antoni doesn’t necessarily fit the mold of the strong defensive coach that Houston is reportedly seeking, and the team would look to hire a coach with strong defensive credentials to serve as D’Antoni’s defensive coordinator if he is hired, Stein and Watkins add. D’Antoni, the 2004/05 Coach of the Year, has an overall record of 455-426 in the regular season as a head coach.
Houston has also interviewed former Cavs coach David Blatt, former Suns coach Jeff Hornacek, Clippers assistant coach Sam Cassell, Hornets assistant Stephen Silas, current Rockets assistant coach Chris Finch and TNT analyst Kenny Smith, Stein and Watkins note. The Rockets also have expressed interest in former Pacers coach Frank Vogel and Spurs assistant coach Ettore Messina.
Jeff Van Gundy has received strong support from Rockets GM Daryl Morey for the position, but Alexander has yet to be fully sold on a reunion with the ESPN analyst, who has been away from coaching since he and Houston parted ways back in May of 2007, Stein and Watkins relay.
Neil Olshey On: Team Needs, Free Agents, Lillard
Trail Blazers executive Neil Olshey held a question and answer session with reporters earlier today, his first since the team was eliminated by the Warriors in the Western Conference semifinals. Olshey addressed a number of topics regarding the team’s offseason ahead and some of the highlights are shown below. The transcription comes courtesy of Joe Freeman of The Oregonian:
On the team’s biggest needs:
“I don’t want to get too specific, because then it all of a sudden it translates to we’re talking about specific players. Clearly there’s areas we need to improve. We didn’t answer all of our questions last year. When we talked … last July, nobody was under the impression that we built an entire roster for the next five years. But it was step one. I think step one just got us closer to where we want to go, but there’s still work to be done. We’ll look for upgrades, even if it’s not over guys that are here. But if we lose guys to free agency, we’ll have roster spots. We’ll find ways to continue to build the roster. We’ll have some flexibility because the cap holds for our restricted free agents are lower, probably, than their market value. So we have the opportunity to go out and use these resources this summer. Like I said, we’ll be as aggressive as we were last July.”
On whether or not he considers recruiting big name free agents to Portland a hurdle:
“It’s absolutely a hurdle. I think we’ve said it. Whenever we break the ice on that, when we get that first guy to come, it will be unprecedented when you look at the history. I think we’ve gotten good free agents. Brian Grant and Wesley Matthews and guys like Al-Farouq Aminu and Ed Davis and players like Chris Kaman. We’ve gotten guys, but they’ve had the right sensibility that we knew they would work in this marketplace, they fit with the team.
The key for us is making sure the guys we get are about what we’re about, that basketball is their first priority. And they’ll subordinate lifestyle at times for success on the court. And that’s what we’ve tried to do. All we can control is creating the best basketball environment we can possibly control. The longer we’re at this and the more we do this; our guys that were here become ambassadors for the way they were treated. You want that to circulate around the league, that this is place you want to go. If basketball is your priority, they’ll make you the priority. You’ll work as a team and as an individual.”
On if Damian Lillard will play a role in recruiting free agents:
“He played a role last year, too. I’m a big believer in talking to players about player acquisitions. I did it with guys with the Clippers, I did it since I’ve been here. It’s not a matter of them signing off on guys, it’s a matter of getting feedback and how do we think a guy would fit in. Because we do protect our culture. Players know players better than we do. They’re in the locker rooms with them, they’re on the road with them, they play against them, they’re on the floor with them. So they know what guys are about. It would be obtuse not to go ask these guys, ‘Hey, what do you think? What have you heard? You played with this guy in this spot. Would he fit in with how we do things?’ I can tell you there have been decisions we’ve made — and this isn’t just Damian at the All-Star level, this is across the board — where I’ve asked guys and I’ve said, ‘You know what, based on what he’s said, we might want to kind of dig in on this guy a little bit and make sure he would fit in with what we’re doing.”
On if the team will target players who are on similar career arcs of Lillard and C.J. McCollum:
“That’s a good question. It always depends on who the player is. My buddy [Kaman] is sitting up there, the gray beard. Chris got along with this group, regardless of age, as well as anybody. His leadership with Dame, the way he related to the younger guys in our locker room. I get your point about the age when we made long-term decisions. But age doesn’t factor in if culturally, chemistry … guys aren’t going to fit into our group. I think that’s really what’s important. We’ve got a lot of young guys on the roster. Clearly if you can sign a younger player longer term, if you believe in them, it’s more beneficial for the long-term health of the organization.“
Sixers Win The 2016 NBA Draft Lottery
The 2016 NBA Draft Lottery is now complete, and this year’s winner is the Sixers. Philadelphia will have its choice of the consensus top-two of former LSU combo forward Ben Simmons and former Duke small forward Brandon Ingram. While snagging the top pick in June is certainly a boon, the excitement of the night should be tempered by the fact that no team with the No. 1 overall pick has won the NBA title within two years of making that pick since the Spurs took home the championship in 1999 after drafting Tim Duncan in 1997. This trend will likely continue during the 2016/17 campaign, but if the right call is made on draft night the Sixers could begin laying the foundation for future success.
The Sixers finally landed the elusive top overall pick, having had a 25% chance of the ping-pong balls dropping in their favor. Also notable from tonight’s lottery results is that the Lakers will retain their 2016 first-rounder, with Philadelphia being set to take it if the pick fell out of the top three. Former NBA player Dikembe Mutombo caused a bit of a stir earlier this evening when he tweeted a congratulatory message to Philly for winning the draft lottery (h/t Kieran Darcy of ESPN.com). The tweet has since been deleted, but it should be noted for conspiracy theorists that the lottery had not occurred when Mutombo relayed his message.
Here are all 60 picks that, barring trades, are officially set in stone for June 23rd:
First Round
Lottery Picks
- Sixers
- Lakers
- Celtics
- Suns
- Timberwolves
- Pelicans
- Nuggets (from Knicks)
- Kings
- Raptors (from Nuggets)
- Bucks
- Magic
- Jazz
- Suns (from Wizards)
- Bulls
Remainder of first round
15. Nuggets (via Rockets)
16. Celtics (via Mavericks)
17. Grizzlies
18. Pistons
19. Nuggets (via Trail Blazers)
20. Pacers
21. Hawks
22. Hornets
23. Celtics
24. Sixers (via Heat)
25. Clippers
26. Sixers (via Thunder)
27. Raptors
28. Suns (via Cavaliers)
29. Spurs
30. Warriors
Second round
31. Celtics (via Sixers)
32. Lakers
33. Clippers (via Nets)
34. Suns
35. Celtics (via Timberwolves)
36. Bucks (via Pelicans)
37. Rockets (via Knicks)
38. Bucks
39. Pelicans (via Nuggets)
40. Pelicans (via Kings)
41. Magic
42. Jazz
43. Rockets
44. Hawks (via Wizards)
45. Celtics (via Grizzlies)
46. Mavericks
47. Magic (via Bulls)
48. Bulls (via Trail Blazers)
49. Pistons
50. Pacers
51. Celtics (via Heat)
52. Jazz (via Celtics)
53. Nuggets (via Hornets)
54. Hawks
55. Nets (via Clippers)
56. Nuggets (via Thunder)
57. Grizzlies (via Raptors)
58. Celtics (via Cavaliers)
59. Kings (via Spurs)
60. Jazz (via Warriors)
Atlantic Notes: Atkinson, Olynyk, Draft
Nets team owner Mikhail Prokhorov indicated that he intends to exercise greater patience than in the past as the franchise attempts to rebuild itself under GM Sean Marks and coach Kenny Atkinson, Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN.com relays. “We’re all on the same page,” Marks told the media during Atkinson’s introductory press conference on Monday. “In talking to Mr. Prokhorov — he sat in, and he was right there interviewing Kenny with me — he made it well clear that things were going to be done a little differently. He’s given us the reins to build this thing our way, and if it takes some time, it does. But we’ll be doing everything we can to turn this thing around quickly.”
Atkinson acknowledged that Brooklyn’s high coaching turnover rate under Prokhorov gave him pause, but trust in Marks helped him overcome his initial reticence regarding the post, Youngmisuk notes. “I think it gives you pause because you look at the past,” Atkinson said on becoming the Nets’ sixth coach since 2012. “But that’s why you meet with ownership, and that’s why my relationship with Sean was important, because he had an intimate conversation, and when I came up here to interview with them, that was part of my question. I was more than satisfied with the answers. We’re going to build something sustainable. We’re going to build something for the long term, so that excited me and convinced me.”
Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:
- If the Sixers snag to No. 1 overall pick as well as the No. 2 or No.4 overall one, look for the team to target a playmaker and an outside shooter, Chad Ford of ESPN.com tweets. The scribe mentions the combination of Ben Simmons and Jamal Murray or Brandon Ingram and Kris Dunn as potential pairings.
- The Celtics announced via press release that center Kelly Olynyk underwent successful surgery to repair damage to his right shoulder. He will begin a rehabilitation program immediately, according to the team, but no timetable was given for Olynyk’s return to action. The 25-year-old still has one year and $3,094,013 remaining on his current contract.
- The Nets worked out former Michigan State center Matt Costello today, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv relays (via Twitter). Costello is a potential late second-rounder, with Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress ranking him as the No. 71 overall senior.
- Former Toledo power forward Nathan Boothe has workouts scheduled this week with the Nets and the Pistons, Michael Scotto of Sheridan Hoops relays (via Twitter). Boothe is the No. 46 overall senior, per Givony’s rankings.