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NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/11/16

December 11th, 2016 at 10:45pm CST by Will Joseph

Here are Sunday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

Jazz forward Joel Bolomboy was assigned to the Salt Lake City Stars, the Jazz’s D-League affilitate, the team announced via its website. This marks the fourth assignment this season for Bolomboy.
The Pistons recalled forwards Stanley Johnson and Henry Ellenson and guard Michael Gbinije from the team’s D-League affiliate, the Grand Rapids Drive, Detroit announced in a press release. That was Johnson’s first D-League stint and it lasted one day.
The Bulls announced via press release that guard R.J. Hunter was recalled from the Windy City Bulls.
The Lakers recalled Ivica Zubac from their D-League affiliate, Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News tweets.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 12/10/16

December 10th, 2016 at 10:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Saturday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

10:59pm:

The Magic have recalled center Stephen Zimmerman from their Erie affiliate, the team posted on its website. Zimmerman spent four games with Erie, averaging 21.8 points and 15.5 rebounds per game. He has appeared in two games with Orlando.

3:05pm:

The Pistons have assigned Stanley Johnson, Henry Ellenson, and Michael Gbinije to the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. Ellenson and Gbinije have already spent some time in Grand Rapids this season, but it’ll be Johnson’s first D-League stint of the season. According to Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press (Twitter link), the 2015 eighth overall pick discussed the move with Stan Van Gundy, and will return to the Pistons after playing tonight with the Drive.
Jerian Grant and Paul Zipser have been recalled from the D-League by the Bulls, the club announced in a press release. Both players contributed to the Windy City Bulls’ victory over Canton on Friday night, with Grant making the game-winning shot. R.J. Hunter remains on assignment with the club.
The Hawks don’t have their own D-League affiliate, but they’ve assigned DeAndre’ Bembry back to the Salt Lake City Stars, per Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal Constitution. In a one-game stint with the Stars earlier this season, Bembry poured in 16 of 22 shots and racked up 35 points.
A day after being assigned to the D-League to practice with the Salt Lake City Stars, Joel Bolomboy has been recalled by the Jazz, according to a team release.
The Lakers have sent rookie big man Ivica Zubac back to the D-League, tweets Mark Medina of The Los Angeles Daily News. Zubac will suit up tonight for the Los Angeles D-Fenders in their game against Austin.

Central Notes: Reggie Jackson, Pistons, Dellavedova

November 29th, 2016 at 11:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

The Pistons will need Reggie Jackson to be at his best when he returns from knee and thumb tendinitis, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News. Coach/executive Stan Van Gundy is hoping to have his starting point guard back in the lineup in another week or two, just in time to face a challenging schedule. Ten of Detroit’s 16 games through the end of December are against teams with winning records. “Reggie will help our offense be a little better,” Van Gundy said. “We’re the only team in the league that’s played without their leading scorer every single game — that tends to affect your offense a little bit.”

There’s more news from the Central Division:

Van Gundy continues to search for a reliable backup to Kentavious Caldwell-Pope at shooting guard, relays Keith Langlois of NBA.com. The original plan was to use second-year player Stanley Johnson, but the coach didn’t like his inconsistent performance. Reggie Bullock got the next shot, but he suffered a torn meniscus and is sidelined indefinitely. Darrun Hilliard took the spot in the Pistons’ last game, and rookie Michael Gbinije is another candidate. “Nobody’s been bad,” Van Gundy said. “Everybody’s sort of been OK, but not great. You’d like to have somebody step up and really grab that spot and say, ‘Hey, give me the minutes.’”
Matthew Dellavedova, an important reserve on the Cavaliers‘ championship team, is settling into his new role as a starter with the Bucks, writes Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal. Cleveland entered the summer planning to match any offer to the restricted free agent, but decided the four-year, $38MM agreement he reached with Milwaukee would have placed too great a strain on the salary cap. “It was tough to decide to leave because you’re coming off the highest of highs and I loved my time in Cleveland,” Dellavedova said. “Fun team, great group of guys, great organization and fans, obviously. But I had an opportunity here that I couldn’t pass up to see how good I could be as a starting point guard and really challenge myself. You never know if or when that opportunity will come along again.”
Bulls forward Doug McDermott met with doctors Monday, but still hasn’t been cleared for contact, according to K.C. Johnson of The Chicago Tribune. McDermott participated in the non-contact portion of today’s practice, but will miss his seventh straight game on Wednesday. He hasn’t played since suffering his second concussion of the season November 12th.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 11/25/16

November 25th, 2016 at 1:06pm CST by Luke Adams

After a quiet Thanksgiving, NBA teams are once again assigning players to their D-League affiliates, or recalling them to their 15-man squads. Here are Friday’s D-League assignments and recalls:

The Pistons have recalled rookies Henry Ellenson and Michael Gbinije from the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. The duo combined for 21 points and 24 rebounds for the Grand Rapids Drive on Wednesday night.
The Pacers have sent Rakeem Christmas back to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, the team announced today (via Twitter). Christmas, who ran into foul trouble during his last D-League contest, figures to suit up for the Mad Ants tonight against the Long Island Nets.
Rookie guard Wade Baldwin has been recalled from the Iowa Energy by the Grizzlies, the team announced today in a press release. The 17th overall pick has appeared in nine games for the Grizzlies, but got an opportunity to play more minutes and a bigger role in the D-League, averaging 18.5 PPG in his two games with Iowa.
The Hornets have assigned Aaron Harrison to the D-League, according to a press release issued by the team. Charlotte’s affiliate, the Greensboro Swarm, will play back-to-back games against Erie on Friday and Saturday, giving Harrison a chance to earn some playing time.

Central Notes: Pacers, MCW, McDermott, Pistons

November 24th, 2016 at 11:32am CST by ChrisCrouse

The Pacers made several offseason additions and they are still figuring out how all the pieces fit together, Mark Montieth of NBA.com writes. “We try to get out of each other’s way instead of cutting and moving,” said Jeff Teague, whom the team traded for in the offseason. “Once our first option isn’t there we just try to get out of each other’s way and let people play. We were just talking in here, we’ve got to figure out some way to keep us all moving and playing together instead of trying to get out of each other’s way.”

Here’s more from the Central Division:

The Bulls could have Michael Carter-Williams back on the court next week, Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun Times reports. “I’m definitely ahead of schedule,’’ Carter-Williams said. “My knee feels great. I just got to find the measure between how hard I can go without hurting it furthermore, so I’m just testing the limit right now. Just trying to get back to 100 percent.’’
Doug McDermott remains in the concussion protocol and he’ll continued to be monitored, Cowley adds in the same piece. “He’s starting to make progress,’’ coach Fred Hoiberg said. “There’s no doubt about that, but he’s still a ways away.” McDermott has suffered two concussions this season and has missed six games so far as a a result.
Reggie Bullock is dealing with a leg injury and his absence from the lineup could mean that the Pistons’ will have to call upon their rookies, Aaron McMann of Mlive.com writes. Henry Ellenson and Michael Gbinije both were sent to the D-League on Wednesday, but their latest stint could be cut short, as the team may need the players to suit up against the Clippers on Friday.

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 11/23/16

November 23rd, 2016 at 6:24pm CST by Luke Adams

Here are Wednesday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

6:24pm:

Chris McCullough will have a chance to be the fourth player to appear in a D-League game and an NBA game in the same day. He was recalled by the Nets today after starting for the Long Island Nets in their home opener this afternoon, Brooklyn announced in a press release. The NBA Nets host the Celtics tonight.

3:16pm

The Kings have recalled a trio of 2016 first-rounders, Malachi Richardson, Georgios Papagiannis, and Skal Labissiere, from the D-League, the team announced today in a press release. The trio helped lead the Kings’ affiliate – the Reno Bighorns – to a narrow victory over the Texas Legends on Tuesday, combining for 57 points.
The Pistons have sent rookies Henry Ellenson and Michael Gbinije to the Grand Rapids Drive, according to a press release issued today by the club. Neither player has seen much action for Detroit this season, but they should both suit up and play major roles tonight for the Drive against the Iowa Energy.
The Bucks, who don’t have a D-League affiliate of their own, recalled Rashad Vaughn from the Westchester Knicks today, the team announced in a press release. Assigned to the Knicks’ D-League squad, Vaughn only saw 15.9 minutes per contest in a pair of games, but managed to score 11.5 PPG.

Central Notes: Jackson, Baynes, Seraphin

November 16th, 2016 at 8:02pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Reggie Jackson has started to participate in 5-on-5 non-contact drills, Rod Beard of The Detroit News reports. Jackson has been sidelined for over a month because of tendinitis in his left knee and right thumb and there remains no definite timeline for his return. “Nobody’s given me [a timeline]. He was at five weeks yesterday and it was a 6- to 8-week thing,” coach Stan Van Gundy said. “Next week would be the absolute earliest and I’d say that would be really, really optimistic at this point, to think he’d be back Monday of next week. I don’t see it now.”

Here’s more from the Central Division:

Michael Gbinije is using his D-League assignment as an opportunity to master the role he is likely to play on the Pistons and Van Gundy is impressed with what he sees, Keith Langlois of NBA.com details. “[Some] felt he wasn’t aggressive enough offensively,” said Van Gundy. “I didn’t really see it that way. I thought Mike took his game as a complementary player to the D-League and played the same way there that he would play in the NBA and played well.”
If Aron Baynes opts out of his current deal at the end of the season and another team offers him more than $11.375MM, it won’t be easy for the Pistons to retain the big man, as Langlois outlines in his latest mailbag. The team only has his partial bird rights, meaning it can only offer him a 175% raise of his current salary in the first year of a new deal.
Kevin Seraphin is fitting in nicely with the Pacers, Mark Montieth of NBA.com writes. “He’s done some good things,” coach Nate McMillan said. “We certainly have to look at trying to get him some minutes. We’ve been looking for [energy]. So we’ll see.”

Eastern Notes: Vogel, Pistons, Wizards

November 13th, 2016 at 4:47pm CST by Will Joseph

Magic coach Frank Vogel expects the atmosphere to be emotional when he returns to Indianapolis Monday night to coach against the Pacers for the first time, Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel writes. The Pacers decided not to renew Vogel’s contract in May after a first round exit from the playoffs, and president of basketball operations Larry Bird said at the time that the team needed a new voice. Vogel amassed a 253-187 regular-season record and a 31-30 postseason record with the Pacers. His teams twice reached the Eastern Conference finals. Orlando is 3-6 so far under Vogel.

Here’s more out of the Eastern Conference:

The Pistons recalled Henry Ellenson and Michael Gbinije on Sunday from the Grand Rapids Drive, Detroit’s D-League affiliate, Aaron McMann of MLive.com relays. NBA Development League affiliate on Sunday. The two rookies will re-join the Pistons on Monday for their game against the Thunder.
After spending more a good chunk of money over the summer to beef up the bench, frustration is mounting in Washington because of a lack of production from the Wizards‘ second unit, Candace Buckner of the Washington Post writes. The Wizards bench has a minus-11.2 net rating so far this season, as Buckner points out. Summer acquisitions Ian Mahinmi, who is out rehabbing from knee surgery, and Andrew Nicholson, who has not played in three of the last four games, have not helped the cause.

Central Notes: Marjanovic, Ellenson, Thompson

November 12th, 2016 at 10:58pm CST by Arthur Hill

Boban Marjanovic didn’t play at all in his return to San Antonio Friday, which has been a familiar story in his time with the Pistons, writes Rod Beard of The Detroit News. The 7’3″ Serbian came to Detroit this summer when the Spurs elected not to match a three-year, $21MM offer sheet. He has gotten off the bench in just four of the team’s first nine games and is averaging 4.5 minutes in those. Pistons coach/executive Stan Van Gundy said the team wants to see Marjanovic become more aggressive offensively. “In the preseason, he fit well. He’s a very good offensive player and highly skilled,” Van Gundy said. “He’s unselfish, almost to a fault. There’s times he could use his size and be dominant down there offensively, but he really likes to pass the ball — which promotes good team play — but at the same time, we want him to use his offensive skills.”

There’s more tonight from the Central Division:

Van Gundy is closely monitoring the progress of rookies Henry Ellenson and Michael Gbinije, who were sent to the D-League during the Pistons’ western road trip, Beard notes in the same story. The organization wanted them both to get expanded playing time, at least 30 minutes per night, during their time in Grand Rapids. Ellenson was told to focus on his defensive development. “He knows [defense] is his ticket to getting on the floor [with the Pistons],” Van Gundy said. “He’s very confident, as we are, in his offensive skills.”
Tyronn Lue‘s lineup juggling is resulting in fewer fourth quarter minutes for Tristan Thompson, writes Jason Lloyd of The Akron Beacon Journal. Lue still recognizes Thompson’s value as a defender, but he wants to have more shooting on the floor at the end of games, so Kevin Love has been playing center alongside Channing Frye.
The Pacers’ 4-6 start may be a result of all the roster changers over the offseason, according to Jordan J. Wilson of The Indianapolis Star. Indiana traded for two new starters in Jeff Teague and Thaddeus Young and added Al Jefferson, Aaron Brooks and Kevin Seraphin as free agents. The team also hired a new coach in Nate McMillan. “We’re trying to figure out how to play with one another,” Paul George said. “We’ve got guys who don’t want to step on guys’ toes. It might call for that at this point. We need guys to step up and be confident.”

NBA D-League Assignments/Recalls: 11/6/16

November 6th, 2016 at 10:48pm CST by Arthur Hill

Here are Sunday’s D-League assignments and recalls from around the league:

The Spurs assigned Bryn Forbes, Danny Green and Dejounte Murray to their D-League affiliate in Austin, tweets Jabari Young of The San Antonio Express-News. The moves were just for practice purposes because the D-League team was training at the Spurs’ practice site.
Pistons first-round pick Henry Ellenson, who was assigned to the D-League on Saturday, plans to use the experience to improve his game, writes Aaron McMann of MLive. Ellenson and fellow rookie Michael Gbinije were sent to the Grand Rapids Drive for a weeklong assignment while the Pistons are on a western road trip. Ellenson, who has played sparingly so far this season, welcomes the chance. “I’ve got to look at it as an opportunity to improve,” he said. “That’s probably the biggest thing. The team is doing really well right now, so they’re going to go handle business on the West Coast. I’m going to go handle my own this week — and that’s how I’m going to take it.”