D-League Rewind: Vince Hunter makes a name for himself early on
We’re two weeks into the season and the D-League is beginning to take shape. Keep in mind this is the most fluid league in the world in terms of roster change, which ultimately affects team performance since anything can happen. That’s part of the fun, and anguish, of covering a league like this!
With that in mind, let’s take a look at what happened this weekend.
Call-Ups
There were not any call-ups this past week and the league is sitting on two for the season thus far. At this point last season, we had already seen eight call-ups involving six different players. Three of those players are still in the NBA this season: Ish Smith, Robert Covington and Hassan Whiteside.
Acquisitions
Sean Kilpatrick as returning player — Delaware 87ers
Ashton Smith via player pool — Raptors 905
Michael Eric as returning player — Texas Legends
Erick Green off waivers — Reno Bighorns
Jimmer Fredette as returning player — Westchester Knicks
The J.P. Tokoto Spot
Let’s just call it what it is: Tokoto is likely to hold down this spot on a weekly basis and this past week was no different — he posterized poor Michael Eric of the Texas Legends. To make matters worse, Eric had just thrown an errant pass that Tokoto picked off, leading to perhaps the most lackluster block attempt of all time.
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Sheesh!
As good as Air Tokoto’s dunk was, though, D.J. Stephens tried to outdo him. Check out the ups on D.J. and please take note of the time and score — this was the Charge’s opening set of the game. Coach Fernandez is a mean, mean man.
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NBA D-League Performer of the Week
We threw some love DaJuan Summers’ way last week after his explosive start to the season, with him averaging a robust 25.3 points and 10.3 rebounds through three games. Clearly the D-League agreed since he took home the first of these weekly awards.
Unfortunately, at the end of the third game, he went down with an injury and the team announced today that he will be out for the season with a torn left Achilles. Terrible, terrible news for a guy who was looking stellar in his NBA comeback attempt.
The Enigma of Perry Jones III
After Jimmer Fredette received a call-up from the Pelicans, a little bit of excitement left the league. However, the good news was that we still had Perry Jones III, the 28th pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, to fall back on.
The problem: Jones has been an enigma to start this season.
What makes his performance thus far so irritating is that Jones is the most talented player in the league. He went scoreless in his first game with the Energy, which isn’t the impression you want to make in your debut when you’re hoping to prove to NBA front offices that you can be a more consistent player.
Jones exploded for 35 points and 14 rebounds a few nights later, and it was a glorious sight to behold. He was hitting mid-range shots off screens, 3-pointers in transition and he attacked the basket with aggression. Jeff Ayres, currently ranked as the No. 1 prospect in the D-League, couldn’t do anything to slow him down. Then, just when it looked like he had turned the corner, Jones shot 0-10 from the field against the Drive.
Another goose egg.
Look, Jones is averaging a modest 12.5 points and 7.8 rebounds, but more worrisome to me is his demeanor. He looks like a guy who knows he’s the best player on the court and rather than stepping on the other team’s throats, he’s deciding to just blend in. A clear sign of his lack of aggression is that he’s only taken five free throws in four games. That’s the result of plays like this, when Jones settled for a jump shot while being guarded by someone 10 inches shorter than him rather than attacking the basket.
I want to believe in Perry Jones, I really do, but at this point he’s making it very difficult.
UTEP Back on the Map
He can’t do the UTEP Two Step but, man, can Vince Hunter rebound. Hunter is a 6-8 forward playing for the Reno Bighorns, and he’s my early season crush. The guy plays with an incredible motor, rebounds with ferocity and has shown a nice array of moves on offense; both in the post and as a face-up forward. There’s a lot to be giddy about with Hunter because all of his skills translate to the NBA. He isn’t feasting on the league with just his athleticism. It’s all hard work.
All that hard work has led to gaudy averages of 23 points and 16 rebounds while shooting 53 percent from the field to begin the season. He posted a monster line of 32 points and 24 rebounds against the D-Fenders that just blew me away.
Hunter is listed at a slender 205 pounds, which is very light for a power forward in the NBA. He projects as a tweener forward, sort of like Paul Millsap. Obviously Millsap is very skilled, but coming out of college he was an energy guy who rebounded the basketball at a high rate. I see a lot of crossover with Hunter so far.
Hunter definitely needs to put on some weight if he hopes to bang down low in The Association one day, but for now his frame allows him to play on the wing and shut down opposing forward. He’s certainly one to watch as the season progresses.
Snipers in Austin
There is a ton of talent in the D-League right now and the Spurs have two of the top prospects around. We all knew coming into the season that Bryce Cotton and Jarell Eddie would help get Austin off to a quick start, but I’m not sure we envisioned the firestorm they are reigning down from the 3-point stripe.
Eddie is shooting 70 percent (14-20 through four games) from behind the arc, doing most of his damage from above-the-break. Eddie is by all estimation the top catch-and-shoot player in the league, so it’s no surprise that 13 of his 14 made 3-pointers have been assisted. At 6-7, he’s got a lightning quick release and it won’t be long before another NBA or top international team comes calling.
Cotton spent the majority of last season with the Utah Jazz and while some thought he was a lock to make their 15-man roster in 2015-16, his preseason struggles resulted in them letting him go. He’s reacted by averaging 22 points a night so far for Austin, while shooting 62 percent (13-21) from outside. A somewhat surprising stat for Cotton is that 12 of his 3-pointers have been assisted — he’s clearly letting the game come to him and hitting shots out of the Spurs’ offensive sets.
Heads up for opposing teams: If you see Cotton spotted up in the corner, you’re in trouble. He hasn’t missed from either corner so far this season.
Chris Walker on the Road to Redemption
Walker, once the No. 12 prospect in the country, was on the 2013 McDonald’s All-American team with the likes of Andrew Wiggins, Julius Randle, Aaron Gordon and Jabari Parker. However, following a disappointing sophomore season at the University of Florida, in which he averaged 4.7 points and 3.5 rebounds in just 14.6 minutes per contest, he declared for the 2015 NBA Draft and failed to hear his name called.
Time to turn the page.
Despite going undrafted, Walker was invited to training camp by the Houston Rockets. He was ultimately waived and allocated to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers as an affiliate player. Walker has been exemplary over the first two weeks of the season. He’s the Vipers’ sixth man and is averaging 15.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.3 blocks in 26 minutes a night. More importantly, he’s got that vigor and life back in his game that was so easily seen when he was a top high school prospect.
Too many fans still view the D-League as a negative thing. In Walker’s case, it could end up being exactly what he needs. He’s going to learn the pro game while still developing his skills as a 6-10 forward who can be deadly if he reaches full potential. His anticipation on the weak side has been amazing and has led to his uptick in blocks per game. He blocked 36 shots in 450 minutes during his sophomore campaign and he’s on pace to nearly double that number, having swatted 13 blocks in 104 minutes with the Vipers.
Not everyone takes the glory road to the NBA. It’s not all butterflies and whimsy, but the guys that have to work twice as hard to get there will appreciate it much more. Once they reach their goal, we can only hope that they’ll be able to sustain it.