Teams that need their own D-League affiliate

Post #1 » by **DelaneyRudd** » Thu Sep 4, 2008 3:48 pm

I think every team needs their own affiliate. It is unfair to some teams to be the less important team. Look at the Utah Flash, they have the Jazz and Celtics. The team is so Jazz oriented, I even as a Jazz fan feel bad for the Celtic players. All the fans root for the Jazz players, the Coach is Sloan's nephew and every now and again Jerry Sloan is there scouting and saying hi. Now, the same thing is going to happen to the Bucks.

So here's my list of teams that need their own affiliate and where I think they should be placed.

Boston Celtics -- Portland, Maine
Washington Wizards -- Newport-News, VA
Cleveland Cavaliers -- Louisville, KY
Detroit Pistons -- Omaha, NE
Milwaukee Bucks -- Appleton/Fox River Valley, WI
Phoenix Suns -- Tuscon, AZ
Charlotte Bobcats -- Columbia, SC
Miami Heat -- Daytona Beach, FL
New Jersey Nets -- Long Island, NY
New Orleans Hornets -- Little Rock, AR
Atlanta Hawks -- Birmingham, AL
Orlando Magic -- St. Petersburg, FL
Toronto Raptors -- Hamilton, ON
New York Knicks -- Harlem, NY

CrookedJ · Post #2 » by **CrookedJ** » Thu Sep 4, 2008 4:09 pm

I don't understand the D-league concept at all. Why the restriction on only first or second year players, why only 2 NBA property guys per team? If they want development league that fans will follow, it should have as many NBA connected players as possible in it.

They should give each team their own as above. . . . I mean if a die hard Raptors fan like me doesn't even know which NBDL team is "ours" . . . They should pay them the same salary as now, and let the NBA teams put anyone they like on there - ie players that they have draft rights to but not under contract. They should expand the draft to 3 or 4 rounds, then teams can put the players on the NBDL team.

Post #3 » by **DelaneyRudd** » Thu Sep 4, 2008 8:05 pm

CrookedJ wrote:I don't understand the D-league concept at all. Why the restriction on only first or second year players, why only 2 NBA property guys per team? If they want development league that fans will follow, it should have as many NBA connected players as possible in it.

They should give each team their own as above. . . . I mean if a die hard Raptors fan like me doesn't even know which NBDL team is "ours" . . . They should pay them the same salary as now, and let the NBA teams put anyone they like on there - ie players that they have draft rights to but not under contract. They should expand the draft to 3 or 4 rounds, then teams can put the players on the NBDL team.

The main hurdle is the Players Union. They don't want a MLB system. The league wants more of a Hockey system.

Serpo · Post #4 » by **Serpo** » Thu Sep 4, 2008 8:37 pm

NJ has never send anybody to the D-League anyway . ( not that i remember ) Don't think we're eager to aquire a D-League affiliate at all

fivas14 · Post #5 » by **fivas14** » Thu Sep 4, 2008 8:38 pm

Here's my idea.

Every team should have a D-leauge team, then you change the draft elgibility so HS players can enter the draft...taht way if the player is still raw you put him in the d-league for a while...and if a player does go to college he has to go for 3 years.

edfmx86 · Post #6 » by **edfmx86** » Thu Sep 4, 2008 11:10 pm

Maine is not a basketball state

Walton'sBeard! · Post #7 » by **Walton'sBeard!** » Fri Sep 5, 2008 12:55 am

Portland has its own D-league continent. It's called Europe.

Post #8 » by **DelaneyRudd** » Fri Sep 5, 2008 5:08 am

I say Maine because I saw an article talking about a Portland, ME group wanting a team. New England needs one for the Celtics. Maybe it's Portland, maybe Providence, maybe Lowell or Hartford.

Post #9 » by **DelaneyRudd** » Fri Sep 5, 2008 5:10 am

Serpo wrote:NJ has never send anybody to the D-League anyway . ( not that i remember ) Don't think we're eager to aquire a D-League affiliate at all

You will, if they are right there.

Prophet_C · Post #10 » by **Prophet_C** » Fri Sep 5, 2008 12:32 pm

It is Portland Maine. I live right outside Portland and there is a couple owners that are close to bringing a d league team to Portland. We have had teams here for the USBL that never really panned out. I think it could work if done right. I know I'd go and if people knew that the players could make it to the Celtics, then more reason to go to games. We have the Portland Sea Dogs (Sox AA affiliate) and they are very successful. I pray we get a team

Post #11 » by **DelaneyRudd** » Sat Sep 6, 2008 3:57 am

They should allow for teams 17 roster spots with two players being a mandatory D-League assignment.

NetsForce · Post #12 » by **NetsForce** » Sat Sep 6, 2008 5:07 am

Miami should have their own D-league affiliate. Their entire second unit is basically composed of D-league players...

RJM · Post #13 » by **RJM** » Sat Sep 6, 2008 5:13 am

Why don't we just steal ABA teams? They've got a bunch and I'm sure they're willing to go to the NBA. Hell, even Tim Hardaway tried to apply his Miami Pit Bulls franchise for the Heat's D-League Affiliate...not sure why they declined.

Aragorn · Post #14 » by **Aragorn** » Sat Sep 6, 2008 8:15 am

DelaneyRudd wrote:
So here's my list of teams that need their own affiliate and where I think they should be placed.

Detroit Pistons -- Omaha, NE

I'll assume that you meant the Wolves, not the Pistons.

Post #15 » by **DelaneyRudd** » Sat Sep 6, 2008 4:38 pm

Aragorn wrote:
DelaneyRudd wrote:
So here's my list of teams that need their own affiliate and where I think they should be placed.

Detroit Pistons -- Omaha, NE

I'll assume that you meant the Wolves, not the Pistons.

No, the Wolves are in one of the Dakotas already. Just figures Omaha needs a team, and Kalamazoo or Flint don't. After that Michigan is surrounded by water and Indiana and Ohio. I suppose Toledo could get it, but Omaha is a better fit for the D-League.

celtics543 · Post #16 » by **celtics543** » Sat Sep 6, 2008 5:06 pm

Prophet_C wrote:It is Portland Maine. I live right outside Portland and there is a couple owners that are close to bringing a d league team to Portland. We have had teams here for the USBL that never really panned out. I think it could work if done right. I know I'd go and if people knew that the players could make it to the Celtics, then more reason to go to games. We have the Portland Sea Dogs (Sox AA affiliate) and they are very successful. I pray we get a team

I'm with you, I live like 5 minutes from where they would play and would definitley go to every game I could. This city loves the red sox and supports the Sea Dogs all summer, so I don't see why a Celtics "minor league" team wouldn't draw. Portland is a great sports city, it's just that Maine doesn't get a whole lot of pro/semipro teams because the population is pretty small.

Just give us some of the Celtics D-league guys, and throw in Nik Caner-Medley and maybe some other guys with Maine ties and I guarantee that you'd draw lots of people. We may not get a lot of pro players out of the state of Maine, but I guarantee that if you put Caner-Medley and maybe even Ralph Mims on the team, they could draw the local people based on being from Maine.

mnWI · Post #17 » by **mnWI** » Sat Sep 6, 2008 6:26 pm

Serpo wrote:NJ has never send anybody to the D-League anyway . ( not that i remember ) Don't think we're eager to aquire a D-League affiliate at all

Mile Ilic broke his foot while playing in the D-League.

The D-League does plan to eventually expand to 30 teams, and I think more than half will be bought by their NBA affiliates. There are two new expansion teams this year, and I expect between 4 and 6 for next year based on what I'm hearing. LaCrosse, Wisconsin is a good candidate to receive the inactive team that was formerly known as the Arkansas Rimrockers. LaCrosse had a CBA team for many years, where Flip Saunders worked his way up as the head coach. I've also worked with a group from Jackson Mississippi, who wants to work with either the Memphis Grizzlies or New Orleans Hornets. '

The rules are going to be changed with the next collective bargaining agreement, and the 2 year rule will be done away with. Rehab assignments with the D-League affiliates will start to become popular after this happens, as some NBA teams already expressed interest in assigning star players for a couple games coming off injuries (Minnesota almost did this with Randy Foye last season, but the scheduling didn't quite work out).

As a director of player personnel of a D-League team, I can't wait for some of these changes to be made because it will make my job that much easier.

Post #18 » by **DelaneyRudd** » Tue Sep 9, 2008 8:31 am

Sounds like the NBA is looking at a NHL type system.

Post #19 » by **Alfred** » Tue Sep 9, 2008 3:31 pm

For all it's faults, the NHL's talent development and minor league system is pretty top-notch. I wouldn't mind seeing that for the NBA, especially if it helped remove the stigma of being sent down to the minors.

Some players simply aren't ready for the NBA, and if teams could hang on to prospects by sending them down to their affiliates, I think it could really help the talent level in the NBA, rather than the "hit the ground running, or fall off the face of the earth" system they have going on right now. While teams do have that option, many aren't willing to excersize it. Making it a bit more accessible couldn't hurt.

Post #20 » by **Scoot McGroot** » Tue Sep 9, 2008 6:34 pm

The Pacers don't have their own franchise in the D-League either. Ft. Wayne is split between the Pacers, Bucks, and Pistons, which is ironic, because the Detroit Pistons started out in Ft. Wayne Indiana as the Ft. Wayne Zollner Pistons. I know Ft. Wayne is a bit of a dying town in many ways, but I imagine they'd still have some ill will towards that.

However, to be honest, Detroit or Milwaukee could have that, and Indy could use a Cincinnati or Louisville as easily as Ft. Wayne. Ft. Wayne's about a 3-4 hour drive from Indy, while Cincy is about an hour and a half and Louisville is about 3 hours as well.