RealGM

http://basketball.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/62590/20091105/carlos_powell_selected_first_overall_in_2009_d_league_draft/

The Albuquerque Thunderbirds selected Carlos Powell, a 6-7 small forward from South Carolina, with the first overall selection in the 2009 NBA Development League Draft.

I knew we should have kept him over Griffin!

At least he went to the Suns D-League team.

Hey, Griffin dunked last game give the man some props.

He looked like a special kid running around. Seriously has ridiculously big guns, but they make him look like a TRex when he's on the court...

Taylor Griffin is just not an NBA player. Way, way, way better than you or I, but seeing him out on the floor (against scrubs, no less) made it clear how outclassed he his. Dude should be in a weak Euro league or the D-League, not the NBA.

CP said on Facebook he's torn between a Euro team for some $$$ or hanging tight in the D-league and hoping for a call-up.
Tough decision for him.

This makes me wonder: how many players who were in the D-league have ever been called up by an NBA team and actually stuck in the NBA? (I'm not considering players who were drafted into the NBA and then sent to the D-league just to get some play until the team was actually ready for them.)

I can't think of any, but I have a feeling it's a very small number. Seems to me that the D-league is more of a place where moribund players go to watch their careers die. Most of the time D-league players seem to be just called up as practice players or so a team can officially have 13 men on their roster, even though they know they won't be playing that many.

I'm sure there's lots of really talented guys in the D-league that for some reason or another, went undrafted, but I don't think the NBA really uses the D-league seriously -- certainly not to the same degree that MLB uses their farm system.

Will Bynum comes to mind initially. And there's a few undrafted players that have made it.

sorry - that last was pretty crappy

this is alleged to be the "all-time" list

http://www.nba.com/dleague/news/alltimecallups.html

Sweet Lou jumps out of that list, and wayyy back - Chris Andersen

How could I forget about our buddy Lou Amundson?

smush parker!

he was one of the suns' best players when he was on the lakers for those couple of years...

how much money does a d league player earn?