NBA DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE ANNOUNCES ALL-LEAGUE SELECTIONS...

NBA DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE
ANNOUNCES 2007-08 GATORADE ALL-LEAGUE SELECTIONS


NEW YORK, April 6, 2008 – Sioux Falls Skyforce forward Kasib Powell, the 2008 NBA Development League’s Most Valuable Player and 2007 MVP Randy Livingston an Idaho Stampede guard, headline the 2007-08 GATORADE All-NBA Development League First Team. The squad is rounded out by Colorado guard Eddie Gill, Los Angeles forward Sean Banks and Austin’s Ian Mahinmi, an assigned center from the San Antonio Spurs.

Two members of the Dakota Wizards – guard Blake Ahearn, currently with the Miami Heat and center Rod Benson - earned spots on the GATORADE All-NBA Development League Second Team. The duo from Dakota is joined by Austin guard Andre Barrett, Colorado forward Kaniel Dickens and Idaho forward Lance Allred, currently with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The GATORADE All-NBA Development League Third Team consists of Colorado guard Billy Thomas, Utah’s Morris Almond, a guard on assignment from the Utah Jazz, Dakota forward Carlos Powell, former Austin forward Marcus Williams, currently playing with the Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles center Jelani McCoy.

“With so many talented players in the League this year, it was a challenge for our coaches to select the All-League teams,” Chris Alpert, D-League Vice President of Basketball Operations and Player Personnel said. “The League congratulates the First, Second and Third team selections, as well as the honorable mentions, for their phenomenal seasons.”

The All-NBA Development League team results:

2007-08 GATORADE ALL-NBA DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE FIRST TEAM
Position Player Team
Guard Randy Livingston Idaho Stampede
Guard Eddie Gill Colorado 14ers
Forward Kasib Powell Sioux Falls Skyforce
Forward Sean Banks Los Angeles D-Fenders

2007-08 ALL-NBA DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE SECOND TEAM
Position Player Team
Guard Andre Barrett Austin Toros
Guard Blake Ahearn * Dakota Wizards
Forward Kaniel Dickens Colorado 14ers
Forward Lance Allred * Idaho Stampede
Center Rod Benson Dakota Wizards

2007-08 ALL-NBA DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE THIRD TEAM
Position Player Team
Guard Billy Thomas Colorado 14ers
Guard Morris Almond Utah Flash (Utah Jazz assignee)
Forward Carlos Powell Dakota Wizards
Forward Marcus Williams * Austin Toros
Center Jelani McCoy Los Angeles D-Fenders

* - Currently in the NBA

Powell Named D-League MVP

KASIB POWELL NAMED NBA DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE MVP
Sioux Falls Forward Earns D-League’s Top Honor

NEW YORK, April 6, 2008 – Forward Kasib Powell has been named the NBA Development League’s Most Valuable Player for the 2007-08 season. Powell, who returned to Sioux Falls on April 3, following a 10-day stint with the Miami Heat, was selected by a vote of the D-League’s head coaches.

Before Powell’s GATORADE Call-Up to the Heat on March 22, Powell was leading the Skyforce with 22.3 points per game, shooting 50 percent from the field and 43 percent from three-point territory, to go with 5.8 rebounds and 2.9 assists. Sioux Falls was 23 -16 with Powell in the lineup prior to his Call-Up to the Heat. Since returning from Miami, Kasib played in one game for the Skyforce, scoring 16 points and grabbing 11 rebounds.

“Kasib has had an outstanding season and is truly deserving of such a prestigious award,” said Skyforce head coach Nate Tibbetts. “In addition to his exceptional skill on the basketball court he is a class act off the court. Our organization was thrilled when he earned his first career NBA call-up a few weeks ago and winning the D-League MVP award will only help him reach his goal of being a full-time NBA player."

A 2008 All-Star, Powell scored in double-figures in 37 of 38 games for the Skyforce, including 24 games with 20 or more points, three 30-point outings, and a 46-point performance on March 6 against the Fort Wayne Mad Ants. Additionally, Powell has recorded five double-double (points/rebounds) games during the season, including his first-ever game in a Skyforce jersey – a 20-point, 12-rebound night on Dec. 9.

Twice honored during the season for his standout play, Powell earned D-League.com Performer of the Week honors for the week of Feb. 18, when he averaged 27.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists in two games, including 37 points in a win over the Iowa Energy. Later that month, Powell was named D-League Co-Player of the Month for February, as he averaged 22.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists, as Sioux Falls went 8-3 during the month.

Powell has seen training camp and preseason action with the Memphis Grizzlies, Indiana Pacers, and Orlando Magic since finishing his career at Texas Tech. In his final season as a Red Raider in 2003, Powell averaged 14.8 points 6.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 33 games as he led his team to the semi-final round of the NIT tournament. For his efforts, Powell earned All-Big 12 Conference Honorable Mention accolades.

“Kasib has enjoyed a terrific season this year,” said Chris Alpert, the Vice President of Basketball Operations and Player Personnel for the D-League. “Not only is he a tremendous scoring threat, but he also draws the assignment of guarding the opposing team's best players. He welcomes those challenges and he has been a big reason for Sioux Falls' success this year. His competitiveness, improved outside shooting, defensive prowess, and knowledge of the game make him one of the top NBA prospects in our League.

Powell joins Ansu Sesay (Greenville, 2002), current Cleveland Cavalier Devin Brown (Fayetteville, 2003), Tierre Brown (Charleston, 2004), current Charlotte Bobcat Matt Carroll (Roanoke, 2005), Marcus Fizer (Austin, 2006) and Randy Livingston (Idaho, 2007) as winners of the NBA Development League Most Valuable Player Award.

The NBA Development League is the NBA's official minor league, and the first-ever basketball league with direct affiliations to NBA teams. Now in its seventh season the D-League's goals are to provide affordable, NBA-caliber entertainment to fans of its 16 teams, as well as continue to develop players, coaches, referees and front-office personnel for the NBA. As the single source for in-season player "call-ups" to the NBA, fans of the D-League enjoy the highest caliber of basketball played outside the NBA. In fact, former D-League players represented 10 percent of NBA players on 2007-08 opening day rosters, numbering 44 in total. In addition, the D-League has produced 25 percent of current NBA referees and 17 current NBA coaches, including head coach Sam Vincent with the Charlotte Bobcats. The D-League is an innovative and rapidly growing sports property that also serves as an experimental testing ground for new initiatives like NBA Futurecast, which is the live web-streaming of all games available free to fans at d-league.com. The League also provides continuing education and professional development resources for its players, and is committed to serving its local communities through D-LEAGUE CARES and grassroots efforts.

Seattle P-I on Quin Snyder ...

An interesting story in Seattle's daily newspaper:


'Coach Q' gets back to what he loves best

After a stormy career and some time out, Quin Snyder is coaching again


By JON NAITO
P-I REPORTER

AUSTIN, Texas -- Quin Snyder can't sit still. It's the anxiety of a man faced with unwanted introspection. It is a dangerous trait in a profession where many have a difficult time letting go. For Snyder, all he wants right now is to embrace his present.

He is in the air-conditioned lobby of a midpriced chain hotel. His right leg shakes. His eyes scan the room. His voice is hoarse. Periodically, he checks on the progress of the Connecticut-Villanova basketball game on a nearby television. Otherwise, he looks at his watch. Constantly. He has friends in town, and they all are to attend the Oklahoma-Texas basketball game that afternoon.

Later that night, down the street in a convention center that seats less than 3,000, Snyder, 41, will coach the Austin Toros, the NBA Development League team operated by the San Antonio Spurs, to a victory over the Dakota Wizards.

It is his first season with the team -- far from the bustling college arenas he roamed a short time ago, and farther still from the fast track to stardom for which he was once destined.

In February 2006, in the midst of a disappointing season, Snyder resigned as coach at Missouri. It was a sudden end to a stormy seven-year tenure -- one marked by scandal, uneven performances by his teams and, eventually, NCAA sanctions.

"You come in and you're put on this pedestal," Snyder said. "People are calling you a savior or 'Golden Boy' or talk about all these things that have no substance like the way you dress or your hair. You go to the barbershop and it's on the Internet. The amount of attention -- I was not prepared for that. There was an increased level of expectation because of all the hoopla.

"What I learned was that I loved coaching and what parts of the job I found satisfying and what parts of it are not a good fit for me."

When he arrived at Missouri in 1999, Snyder was the wunderkind minted as a rising star. He certainly had the pedigree. He was a bright mind with a law degree and MBA from Duke. He was a two-time state player of the year and an All-American at Mercer Island, played on three Final Four teams for the Blue Devils, and after serving an apprenticeship under Mike Krzyzewski, his future was bright and his potential limitless.

For a time, it certainly appeared that way. He led the Tigers to the NCAA Tournament in each of his first four seasons, including an Elite Eight appearance in 2002.

But his final seasons at Missouri were marked by underachieving play (his record was 42-42 following the 2002 season) and a player named Ricky Clemons.

Clemons was a talented point guard with a checkered past and a penchant for trouble. He assaulted and served time for choking a female student and wrecked an all-terrain vehicle on the lawn of the university president. The fallout from the Clemons debacle led to the NCAA placing the program on three years' probation and hastened Snyder's departure.

"How do you determine your impact as a coach and what is success?" Snyder said. "The simplest answer is wins. There was talk about graduation rates and that stuff, but that's silly. (Wins) are how decisions are made.

"We don't have to go through all that pretense in selling this league. You can find your own way. In the D-League wins aren't important. They are to a certain extent, but in this situation, you teach guys how to win, how to compete in games. Not that we don't want to win, but we find success in our own complex way."

After leaving Missouri, Snyder decamped to North Carolina. He lived in a house in Wilmington for a time, and sought refuge with Krzyzewski and his staff. He spent time with his son, Owen, who lives with Snyder's ex-wife in Charlotte.

Seeking a change of scenery, he took a road trip west, before deciding to move to Austin. He turned down initial overtures to coach the Toros following the death of Dennis Johnson in February 2007. But when the Spurs bought the team last summer, they approached Snyder again, and this time he agreed.

"He had a real difficult situation at Missouri," said Mercer Island coach Ed Pepple. "But Quin's a fighter. He's a tough guy. He was one of the most insatiable competitors I've ever seen, and he's a basketball junkie. He really lives for this game. I wasn't sure if he'd come back to coaching, but I'm certainly glad he's gotten another chance. I think he'll thrive there."

Snyder is back doing what he loves -- teaching. He is a basketball wonk, obsessed with strategy and preparation. He likes that his job now is about developing players, and that he no longer has to concern himself with recruiting and the myriad peripheral things that popped up in the college game, which he said he has no desire to return to.

"Coach Q is great," Austin forward Serge Angounou said. "He's a good teacher and he connects with the players. He knows the game and he understands how to make us better. I think we're lucky to have him here."

What Snyder really enjoys is the simplicity of his life now. The media coverage in a town dominated by the University of Texas, in particular the football team, is nearly nonexistent. He no longer is under a harsh glare. Fans don't live and die for the Toros; they only want a couple of hours of affordable entertainment. It is low stress. He teaches. He goes home.

"It's hard to look back," Snyder said. "I get fairly introspective. There was a lot of growth from everything that happened (at Missouri). I felt like it almost killed me, because there was so much toxicity at the time. It made me realize what was really important to me. I think processing all of it took a long time. But now, I look back at the last five years, and I think how it's shaped me. I'm happy with where I am right now."

P-I reporter Jon Naito can be reached at 206-448-8209 or jonnaito@seattlepi.com.

Thursday Night LITES ...

THURSDAY NIGHT HIGHLIGHTS … The top performers from Thursday’s D-League games:

- Kaniel Dickens led the way for Colorado with 18 points, while Eddie Gill chipped in on the balance attack with 17 points and 12 assists and John Thomas rounded out the night with 14 points and 12 rebounds for the 14ers.

- Tulsa’s Mike Hall scored 33 points for the 66ers in the loss.

- Tony Gipson scored 29 points for Dakota as Carlos Powell finished with 25 points and Rod Benson scored 12 while collecting 16 rebounds for the Wizards

- Iowa’s Adam Haluska scored a game-high 38 points for the Energy and Courtney Sims contributed with 18 points and 10 rebounds in the loss to Dakota.

ALUMNI ACHIEVEMENTS … A look at D-League Alumni in last night’s NBA games:

Nine players with D-League experience competed in three NBA games Thursday night, three as starters. Here are the highlights:

- Los Angeles’ Nick Fazekas scored 18 points in 25 minutes and Josh Powell grabbed 13 points for the Clippers in 23 minutes.

- Mikki Moore scored 16 points and grabbed five rebounds in 29 minutes for the Sacramento Kings.

D-LEAGUE PLAYOFFS 101: The 2008 D-League Playoffs will begin shortly after the regular season concludes on April 12 and will consist of three rounds. The first two rounds are single elimination, while the Finals will be a best-of-three series. The three division winners, as well as three wild card teams, will qualify for the 2008 D-League Playoffs. Tie breakers are, in order, head-to-head record, winning percentage against teams over .500, and point differential. The two division winners with the best records will receive byes in the first round.

PLAYOFF PICTURE: If the D-League playoffs started today, the following teams would complete the field:

1. x- Los Angeles D-Fenders
2. Austin Toros
3. Sioux Falls Skyforce
4. x- Idaho Stampede
5. Dakota Wizards
6. Tulsa 66ers
x – clinched playoff spot

"This is an opportunity," says Pat Riley.

The Miami Heat had one of the toughest NBA seasons ever. They have started the rebuilding process after injuries decimated the team and a mid-February trade sent Shaquille O'Neal to the Phoenix Suns for Shawn Marion.

But, as you know, Pat Riley and the Heat are smart. They are using every possible aspect of their current situation to help rebuild the roster. That includes their relationship with the D-League.

See this story which appeared in the Miami Herald on Tuesday:

Heat newcomers hoping to hang around

BY SARAH ROTHSCHILD
Another game, another chance for former NBA Development League players Kasib Powell, Blake Ahearn and Stephane Lasme to try to extend their stay with the Heat.

Miami signed Ahearn and Lasme to second 10-day contracts Monday before the team lost 105-85 to the Indiana Pacers at Conseco Fieldhouse. Powell's 10-day contract expired after the game. One of the three players likely will be gone by the home game against New Orleans on Wednesday, when the Heat must pare its roster by one player to 16.

The only way the Heat (13-61) could keep its roster at 17 players -- two more than the league maximum -- would be if the team received another roster exemption from the league.

Riley said he would like to eventually sign one of the former development league players beyond this season.

He gave the players under consideration a pep talk before Monday's game.

"Players like that have to feel like they belong," Riley said. "Players like that [sometimes] say, `I don't belong here, but I'm here, or somebody told me, I don't belong here and I'm here." If you're here, you belong.

"This is an opportunity for one or two of them to make a career for themselves."

It's a reality not lost on the threesome.

Lasme and Ahearn traveled with the team from Boston Sunday night, not knowing their fate until Monday morning at the Heat's walkthrough. Powell, who started and scored a career-high 15 points against the Pacers, wondered before the game whether he would be tendered another 10-day contract.

"I hope I have played well enough to deserve a second chance to stay around," Powell said. ``I want to be a part of this team not only for this year, but for next year. Next year it's going to be special with all the guys we have."

Ahearn had eight points against the Pacers, and Lasme, who said he felt ''happy'' to receive another 10-day contract, scored six points and grabbed seven rebounds Monday night. Lasme said he wants to remain in Miami long-term.

His plan?

"I kind of have an idea what they like about me, so I'm going to just use that and work harder and work on my weaknesses to get better.''

As Lasme assessed his performance, he noted how overwhelming it was playing against Boston's Big Three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen at TD Banknorth Garden on Sunday.

"I was kind of mad a little bit at myself because I caught myself star-watching a little bit,'' Lasme said.

". . . Maybe as a rookie it's an excuse, but I can't be doing that."

Riley said he is encouraged by the play of the former development league players.

"It's hard for them because they don't have the best players, they're not playing with Dwyane [Wade] or Shawn [Marion],'' Riley said after the loss to Indiana.

Pacers guard Danny Granger spoke after the game about how strange it was facing the makeshift Heat lineup, observing it featured ``a few guys I had never heard of.''

The Heat's situation has forced Heat executives to have a crash course on applying for roster exemptions.

Andy Elisburg, the team's senior vice president of basketball operations, said the Heat is in an unusual situation -- one he never experienced in his 20 years in the NBA.

The Heat qualified for what is classified as ''hardship'' because it had four players out for the season (Wade, Dorell Wright, Alonzo Mourning and Udonis Haslem), and Marcus Banks (hamstring) was out for at least another two weeks.

© 2008 Miami Herald Media Company. All Rights Reserved.

CLEAVES NAMED D-LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE MONTH

MATEEN CLEAVES NAMED D-LEAGUE PLAYER OF THE MONTH

NEW YORK – April 2, 2008 – Bakersfield Jam guard Mateen Cleaves was today named NBA Development League Player of the Month for games played in March. Cleaves, a D-League veteran from Michigan State, averaged 21.6 points, on 56.3 percent from the field and 36 percent from three-point range, along with 10.1 assists, 5.7 rebounds and 2.3 steals in 10 games during March.

Cleaves’ best outing came on March 22 against the Utah Flash, when he scored 43 points and dished out 10 assists, as the Jam defeated the Flash 109-108.

Originally selected in the first round (14th overall) of the 2000 NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons, Cleaves has seen NBA action with Detroit, Sacramento, and Cleveland. For his career, Cleaves owns averages of 3.6 points, 1.9 assists, 1.0 rebound and 11.2 minutes in 167 NBA games.

Cleaves joins C.J. Watson, who earned the honor in November and December, Elton Brown, who received the distinction for January, and Kasib Powell and Desmon Farmer who were honored in February as D-League Player of the Month honorees this season.

The NBA Development League is the NBA's official minor league, and the first-ever basketball league with direct affiliations to NBA teams. Now in its seventh season the D-League's goals are to provide affordable, NBA-caliber entertainment to fans of its 16 teams, as well as continue to develop players, coaches, referees and front-office personnel for the NBA. As the single source for in-season player "call-ups" to the NBA, fans of the D-League enjoy the highest caliber of basketball played outside the NBA. In fact, former D-League players represented 10 percent of NBA players on 2007-08 opening day rosters, numbering 44 in total. In addition, the D-League has produced 25 percent of current NBA referees and 17 current NBA coaches, including head coach Sam Vincent with the Charlotte Bobcats. The D-League is an innovative and rapidly growing sports property that also serves as an experimental testing ground for new initiatives like NBA Futurecast, which is the live web-streaming of all games available free to fans at d-league.com. The League also provides continuing education and professional development resources for its players, and is committed to serving its local communities through D-LEAGUE CARES and grassroots efforts.

Community Meeting Tonight At 6pm

A community meeting will be held tonight at Hadlock Field in the Portland Room at 6pm. This will give an opportunity for members of the community to have their say on whether or not they support the D-League in Portland, ME. Be sure to come out and show your support!