D-League Rewind: #JimmerRange makes its long-awaited return

The D-League is really starting to catch fire. Over the past couple of seasons, we saw many more early call-ups, but that hasn’t been the case this year — at least, not yet. That means there is plenty of NBA talent in the league right now, which only helps the on-court product.

Here’s what stood out for me over the last week.

Call-Ups

The Phoenix Suns called Bryce Cotton up from the Austin Spurs, making him the 3rd Gatorade Call-Up of the season so far.

Acquisitions

Ben Strong as returning player — Westchester Knicks

David Stockton as returning player — Reno Bighorns

Mac Koshwal as returning player — Bakersfield Jam

Gani Lawal off waivers — Delaware 87ers

Game Winners and Monstrous Dunks

This spot is usually held down by Mr. Air Tokoto, however, he was ousted this week for Chris Udofia’s game winner for the Santa Cruz Warriors. Not only did he hit the go-ahead bucket, Udofia did it while posting his best game on the season with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Oh, and the win also knocked off the undefeated Austin Spurs in the process.

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D.J. Stephens is becoming a fixture in this spot along with Tokoto. All I can think about every time I watch his highlights is how much of a thrill it’s going to be to watch these two battle it out in the D-League dunk contest.

Seriously. Just look at this.

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NBA D-League Performer of the Week

Sean Kilpatrick was given this honor last week, and for good reason. The 87ers went 1-1 in their two games and Kilpatrick averaged a ridiculous 36.5 points and seven rebounds while shooting 58 percent overall and a Curry-like 58 percent from deep.

Kilpatrick has cemented himself as one of the top scoring guards in the D-League and the key this season is that he’s doing it efficiently.

Tyrannical Twosome

There is something in the water in Delaware, but I think only Sean Kilpatrick and Jordan McRae has access to said “special stuff.” The numbers are impressive, but that tends to happen in the NBADL when talented individuals have the platform to pad the stat sheet. However, Kilpatrick and McRae are doing it within the scope of their offense — for the most part — and I’m impressed by their efficiency.

It’s early but just look at these numbers:

• Kilpatrick: 29.2 points and 4.8 rebounds with shooting splits of 54/49/82
• McRae: 25.3 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4.2 assists with shooting splits of 49/42/88

They are second and fourth in the league in scoring, giving coach Kevin Young two reliable options when it comes to taking over games.

Perhaps more impressive is that McRae didn’t look like an NBA player last season when he arrived from Australia. He was selfish, his shot selection was poor and he struggled to make his teammates better. This season he’s hit a complete 180. Not only is his shot selection exponentially improved, he’s setting guys up with regularity and looks like he’s having fun doing it, too. It’s been really cool to witness his progression.

Jaron Johnson jumping onto NBA radars everywhere

In previous years, statistics from the Vipers had to be taken with a grain of salt because of their frantic run-and-gun tempo. But this year’s team isn’t nearly as wild. While first year head coach Matt Brase is still implementing pieces of Morey ball, it’s a part of a much more controlled environment. And Jaron Johnson has been one of the main benefactors of this small wrinkle.

Looking for proof? Check out these statistics:

• Player X: 18.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists with splits of 49/43/81
• Player Y: 18.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists with splits of 41/45/82

Those are eerily similar, right? Player X is Tyler Johnson from his last season with the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Player Y, as you’ve probably guessed by now, is Johnson.

Johnson still has work to do — right now, he’s only shooting 43 percent (13-30) on field goals inside the paint — but he’s very similar in style to Tyler. He’s quick, athletic, can hit outside shots and he gets after it on defense. At 6-6, he has the perfect size to play the wing in the NBA and if he can consistently knock down the 3-ball at his current 45 percent clip, it won’t be long before teams come calling.

Blockchynski Holding Down the Paint

Last year, Jordan Bachynski arrived with the Westchester Knicks mid-season, which got him off to a slow start. The triangle (at least the adaptation Westchester runs) is not a quick learn and that stifled his growth.

This season, Bachynski was with the team during training camp and it’s paid huge dividends — he’s now starting to round out into the prospect we all thought he could be. Through the first five games of the season, he’s averaging 12.2 points, 6.4 rebounds and three blocks. He’s doing all of this in only 25 minutes a night, too. The lower minutes aren’t due to foul trouble, which is a great sign; rather, Mike Miller has been splitting the minutes between Jordan and Darion Atkins off the bench.

Bachynski is an old school big. He doesn’t step out and try to stretch the floor. In fact, he’s doesn’t even operate out of the mid-range. Instead, he stays in his lane and finishes around the rim. So far, 31 of his 38 field goal attempts have come in the restricted area, and the only concern there is that he’s just 9-17 on layups, according to NBA.com.

Bachynski, as his moniker “Blockchynski” indicates, brings a legitimate 7-foot shot blocking presence to any team he plays for. Teams aren’t going to toss it down to him on the block regularly, but through five games he has shown an array of finishing around the rim including hook shots (with both hands) and a mini runner/jump shot.

All in all, he’s certainly one to watch as the season progresses.

Greg Whittington Showing his Talent

Before this season Whittington hadn’t played basketball in two years. Two years! He tore his left ACL while playing at Georgetown and had spent the last two seasons getting back to 100 percent.

Here’s the crazy thing about it: If you didn’t know his injury past, you’d have no idea what he’s gone through by watching him play. He’s explosive on offense and while his overall numbers are nice (16.3 points and 10.5 rebounds on 45 percent shooting), his tenacious defense is what catches my eye.

At 6-8, Whittington has the footwork of a wing and projects as a small forward in the NBA. His on-ball defense is a sight to behold and his off-ball anticipation has been equally as impressive. In total, he’s averaging 2.2 steals and 1.2 blocks per game, while playing 39 minutes for the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

One Big Thing: It’s Jimmer Time!

I tried not to get overly excited about Jimmer Fredette making his D-League debut, but I could not help myself. He finished the game with an impressive 37 points and eight assists while shooting 12-17 from the floor. We saw BYU Jimmer and it was majestic, brilliant and something we should revere because he won’t likely be in the D-League for long.

One thing was crystal clear while watching his debut: Jimmer does not belong in this league. However, the style to which he plays lends me to believe that he’s not the perfect fit for an NBA team, either. He’s not the type of player that is happy coming off the bench for 10-15 minutes a game and hitting a couple shots. He played with such fervor last night that it’s clear he wants to be playing the majority of any game, anywhere he’s playing.

The man knows how to draw a crowd, nonetheless. Floyd Mayweather was in attendance last night and while he claims he was coming to see fellow Westchester player and friend Jordon Crawford, we all know the truth.

Subsequently, the Knicks moved to 6-0 with the 12-point win over the Grand Rapids Drive and Jimmer routinely did whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. He is going to be amazing to watch while he’s here. I just don’t see it lasting very long.

Around the League

Brian Rzeppa of Ridiculous Upside wrote a great feature on an unknown forward for the RGV Vipers, Raphiael Putney.

The flex assignment rule has gone over quite well this season with multiple non-affiliated NBA clubs utilizing the D-League. Adam Johnson of D-League Digest spoke to Austin Spurs head coach Ken McDonald about the benefit of the rule.

Man, do I miss reading Gino Pilato’s writing. Lucky for us he wrote this interesting piece on what it’s like to be a practice player in the D-League.

Bucks fans were thrilled to see the team assign Damien Inglis to the Canton Charge this past week, and Adam McGee of Behind the Bucks Pass provided an awesome breakdown of his D-League debut.