Official NBA 2012-2013 Season Thread

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um...yeah......


[COLOR=#red]That was quick: Spurs recall Kawhi Leonard from D-League[/COLOR]

Kurt Helin

Dec 20, 2012, 3:52 PM EST
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Kawhi Leonard

I love that NBA teams are starting to use the D-League like a real minor league, like MLB teams use their farm clubs. For things like rehab assignments after injury.

Which is what the Spurs did with Kawhi Leonard, sending him down to the Austin Toros. But it only lasted 24 hours as they have recalled him, reports Marc Spears of Yahoo Sports.

He is expected to be activated for the Spurs game on Friday against the Hornets. That means James Anderson has been waived.

Leonard has only played in nine games for the Spurs this season as he has battled knee tendonitis. He has averaged 10.6 points and 5.4 rebounds in the games he played, but where he really shines for them is on the defensive end.

He’ll be back with the Spurs soon, they will plug him in and he will shine and win them some games. Because that is always what happens with the Spurs, doesn’t it?
http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports....ick-spurs-recall-kawhi-leonard-from-d-league/
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Do Be Doo said:
um...yeah......
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Just gonna post this for anyone wondering what the new (or relatively new) assignment rules are:

NBA Assignments: NBA teams can assign players who are rookies or in their second season to their D-League affiliate. Players can stay with the D-League affiliate for as long as the NBA team wishes, and be recalled back to the NBA at any time.

NBA teams can call up players as many times as they choose. Starting in 2012–13, there will be no limit to the number of times an NBA player with two years or less experience can be assigned to the D-League. Since the 2011–12 season, veteran NBA players (three-plus years of NBA experience) can be assigned with their consent. An NBA player will continue to be paid his NBA salary and will continue to be included on his NBA team's roster on the inactive list while playing in the D-League.
 
Never understood why teams dont utilize the D-League more. If they did then it would stop looking like a death sentence when players are sent there.
 
I feel like there is a way for the NBA to market the D-League so that it would come with the "prestige" of almost a college game. First thing would be a name change, and then they could advertise to fans that they are basically going to see a bunch of their favorite college players play. It really could serve as a developmental league, instead of serving as some sort of punishment......I just feel like it could be much doper than it actually is. If they changed the name, and branding, they could make it into something pretty cool
 
A basketball minor league will never be a big thing. Baseball minor leagues are deeply rooted in the game's history and the small towns that they play in.

This is a new thing for a sport that is predominantly centered around star power. 

I think the league is fine as it is. It serves a purpose. It's only a "punishment" for dudes who were drafted in the 1st round and feel that they shouldn't be there. It's a blessing for dudes who legitimately got better and made careers for themselves (Gerald Green, Birdman, Skip, Novak, etc.). 
 
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FRAY SALTERS said:
A basketball minor league will never be a big thing. Baseball minor leagues are deeply rooted in the game's history and the small towns that they play in.

This is a new thing for a sport that is predominantly centered around star power. 

I think the league is fine as it is. It serves a purpose. It's only a "punishment" for dudes who were drafted in the 1st round and feel that they shouldn't be there. It's a blessing for dudes who legitimately got better and made careers for themselves (Gerald Green, Birdman, Skip, Novak, etc.). 
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fair enough, I never really thought about it like that. We dont have an NBA or a D-League affiliate anywhere around my way (closest is Cleveland I guess), so whenever I hear about somebody getting assigned to the D-League it sounds like the end of the world lol
 
FRAY SALTERS said:
A basketball minor league will never be a big thing. Baseball minor leagues are deeply rooted in the game's history and the small towns that they play in.

This is a new thing for a sport that is predominantly centered around star power. 

I think the league is fine as it is. It serves a purpose. It's only a "punishment" for dudes who were drafted in the 1st round and feel that they shouldn't be there. It's a blessing for dudes who legitimately got better and made careers for themselves (Gerald Green, Birdman, Skip, Novak, etc.). 
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That is where the problem lies. If they made an effort to revamp the D-League and the publics perception of it then it wouldnt be regarded as a punishment. I remember when Tabeet got sent there and all you were hearing was "Draft bust, waste of a pic, his career is over" etc. How does that help him? He wont go down there with a positive mindset and want to use it as a chance to help refine his game, he'll just be mad and go through the motion. Everyone should be looking at it as a blessing when they go down there. I doubt they can fix it like you said, the D-League doesnt lend itself well to a sport like basketball, but I can see it working if they took the proper steps.
 
Antidope said:
FRAY SALTERS said:
A basketball minor league will never be a big thing. Baseball minor leagues are deeply rooted in the game's history and the small towns that they play in.

This is a new thing for a sport that is predominantly centered around star power. 

I think the league is fine as it is. It serves a purpose. It's only a "punishment" for dudes who were drafted in the 1st round and feel that they shouldn't be there. It's a blessing for dudes who legitimately got better and made careers for themselves (Gerald Green, Birdman, Skip, Novak, etc.). 
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That is where the problem lies. If they made an effort to revamp the D-League and the publics perception of it then it wouldnt be regarded as a punishment. I remember when Tabeet got sent there and all you were hearing was "Draft bust, waste of a pic, his career is over" etc. How does that help him? He wont go down there with a positive mindset and want to use it as a chance to help refine his game, he'll just be mad and go through the motion. Everyone should be looking at it as a blessing when they go down there. I doubt they can fix it like you said, the D-League doesnt lend itself well to a sport like basketball, but I can see it working if they took the proper steps.
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The first step comes in rebranding it. Just publicly state that you are shutting down the D-League, and recreate it under a different name.....idk I cant think of anything creative right now...but if they REALLY were interested in making it work (I dont think they are) they could
 
Antidope said:
That is where the problem lies. If they made an effort to revamp the D-League and the publics perception of it then it wouldnt be regarded as a punishment. I remember when Tabeet got sent there and all you were hearing was "Draft bust, waste of a pic, his career is over" etc. How does that help him? He wont go down there with a positive mindset and want to use it as a chance to help refine his game, he'll just be mad and go through the motion. Everyone should be looking at it as a blessing when they go down there. I doubt they can fix it like you said, the D-League doesnt lend itself well to a sport like basketball, but I can see it working if they took the proper steps.
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They can put all sorts of bells and whistles on that league. The arrogance of a pro athlete, specifically a first round draft pick...is going to view a D-League stint as a demotion in most cases. In baseball, it's a requirement that it's young prospects come up through the system as opposed to basketball where a top draft pick is expected to step in right away and contribute. It's always going to be like that. Public perception isn't going to change because the sport is centered around it's stars. The casual basketball fan is obviously not going to understand or care about what the league's true purpose is...and that is to develop. What is there to really revamp? It costs money to add bells and whistles and they're never going to recoup that through revenue so why bother? You ain't gonna see fans rocking D-League jerseys and merch and selling out buildings so what exactly does that fix?

The D-League's primary purpose isn't for those guys anyway. It's for the guys who are one step away from being pro's. If it weren't for the d-league...Jeremy Lin probably wouldn't be in the NBA right now. It gave guys another option as opposed to going overseas. You can stay home and still be under the threshold of the NBA. It gave guys who needed a 2nd or 3rd chance (Gerald Green) and opportunity to display their improvements directly in front of pro scouts and coaches. He had multiple overseas stints that didn't lead anywhere. He shows out for LA's d-league team and turned that into $10 million dollars. To go a step further...guys who never even played organized ball can go to open tryouts and find their road to the league. There's an NT'er that is a scout for the Texas team who found a dude playing in open gym at a rec center and invited him to an open tryout. Now the dude is actually showing out and getting looks.

IMO, those guys are who the league is for. It's great that teams can use the league as a tool to help develop it's young draft picks that need playing time and aren't getting minutes...or as rehab stints but the league's focus shouldn't be primarily about appealing to first round draft picks who feel like they're too good to be there. 
 
a couple of thoughts about the D league:

you can't market it as "watching your favorite college players" because chances are, these aren't your favorite players. the D league is made up of a lot of mid major/ D2 guys the average fan hasn't heard of.

secondly, the D league is serving its purpose for the most part. fringe guys like CDR get to showcase themselves in front of scouts and are just a call away if a team decides to pick him up. before the D league, CDR would either be at home chilling or playing overseas without the option of being able to be called up immediately.
 
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