The Definitive 2015-16 D-League Season Recap

Like an immaculate David Blaine illusion, the D-League season has vanished into thin air leaving bystanders pondering what they just witnessed. Have no fear, there are thousands a handful of people who can’t get enough of this burgeoning league seemingly sprouting importance like an unattended Chia Pet in a five-year-old’s bedroom.

Maybe you heard rumblings here and there — big stories cannot help but eminate to the basketball public, no matter how small the venue. Let’s imagine that some lunatic, hell-bent on assimilating D-League propaganda to the unsuspecting general public, took over the league offices and stuffed all the major stories into a shoebox and buried said box in the ground only to be found by later generations.

Well, I’ve found that very well-hidden box — only because I’m the lunatic who buried it — and now against my better judgment the information concealed within simply has to be shared. You might think, “we’re not ready for this, Chris” and frankly I tend to agree but the time is right.

I hope you’re ready, I really do.

D.J. Stephens Runs Rampant, Decimating All in his Wake

Coming into the season I had an inexplicable excitement to watch J.P. Tokoto play for the Oklahoma City Blue, because I knew there would be some legitimate posters made. Though he did not disappoint, another high-flyer took the league by storm. Oh, you don’t believe me?! Watch the video and if you don’t release and audible “ohhh” then stop reading and call 9-1-1 because you probably don’t have a pulse.

The 25-year-old with springs for legs was part of the play of the year as he floated through the air, looking down on his peers as he casually released an earth-shattering finish. Truth be told, he had no peers when it comes to dunking this season. He didn’t win the D-League Dunk Contest, but his in-game heroics became stories of legend in a social media driven world where we see highlights immediately, and Stephens gave us an abundance of Oh Shit! moments.

Stephens started the season with the Canton Charge after being allocated as an affiliate player from the Cavaliers. At the trade deadline Canton traded him to the Iowa Energy and it was at his new home where Stephens showed an array of talents other than flying. In 11 games for Iowa the 6-5 wing averaged 16.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.3 blocks while lighting up box scores to the tune of 55 percent shooting and nearly 42 percent (3.9 attempts) from 3-point land. The team also went 8-3 in those games and almost completed a last-ditch effort to make the postseason.

It’s only fitting that Stephens name is pronounced STEPH-ins because he’s quite literally the Steph Curry of dunking. Just re-watch that video — it looks like he’s playing Slamball and nobody else knows it! Goodness.

My Right Arm is for Buckets Only

The Delaware 87ers finished their third season in the D-League by setting a team record for wins; unfortunately that number is only 21, which means they went 21-29 missing the playoffs yet again. Sevens fans were awarded a consolation prize the likes of which J.R. Smith would be proud. Entertainment was at an all-time high for Delaware as their roster included players like Sean Kilpatrick, Jordan McRae, Christian Wood, Earl Clark, Russ Smith and even Baron Davis (more on this later!) so their unofficial team motto was my right arm is for buckets only.

The talent level reached epic proportions for Kevin Young’s Delaware squad and the theme of scoring, scoring and more scoring is evident in the fact they had the top four individual point totals for the season. Christian Wood and Sean Kilpatrick each dropped 45 points in obvious homage to MJ, Jordan McRae went bananas in January scoring 61 points in an overtime win against the Canton Charge, and for the finale Russ Smith decided to break his teammates’ record — which stood for less than three months — by racking up 65 big ones! Subsequently the Charge and Jordi Fernandez have submitted a request to never play the Sevens ever again.

While Russdiculous didn’t earn an NBA call-up, Wood (Sixers), Kilpatrick (Nets) and McRae (Cavaliers) are all on NBA rosters. All things considered, Delaware experienced success this season even if only at the individual level.

Assignments Reach All-Time High

Gone are the olden days of players being sent down to the NBA’s minor league, so knock it off! The death sentence mantra is from the days of yore and teams, players and fans are just now realizing how beneficial it can be for younger — or rehabbing — players to get live-game action and then return to their club and contribute; some quicker than others.

How do I know this is as fact and not simply my biased opinion? Last season there were 56 players assigned 195 times and that was a new record. In 2015-16 there were 68 players assigned 321 times. The three season average before this past season was 189 assignments, and now we get 321 — a monumental jump.

This season the league had to add a wrinkle to the assignment rules for NBA clubs without their own affiliate as all 19 teams were directly connected to an NBA club for the first time in league history. The 11 remaining teams used the Flex Assignment Rule and though not all teams utilized this tool, the majority of teams found a way to get their guys some court time.

• In all, seven NBA teams used the flex assignment rule
• The four teams who didn’t use it were the Denver Nuggets, New Orleans Pelicans, Washington Wizards & Brooklyn Nets
• In total 15 players were assigned from those seven teams
• Flex assignees amassed 162 total games in D-League play
• Walter ‘Edy’ Tavares (Hawks) and Branden Dawson (Clippers) led the way with 29 games each

With the NBA draft in about a month, NBA general managers are starting to think about these connections when considering who they will draft, and at what selection.

Two of the success stories from this season have been the play of Norman Powell for the Raptors and Josh Richardson for the Miami Heat. The Raptors are still alive in the Eastern Conference Finals, and while Powell’s role has diminished lately he was vital to their success early in the playoffs and he gave direct credit to his time in the D-League with the Raptors 905. Richardson had the same type of success for Miami after honing some of his skills in Sioux Falls this season. Both were four-year NCAA guys who somehow went overlooked until the second round of the NBA draft and both teams are thankful of many other’s oversight.

Perennial Powers Santa Cruz & Fort Wayne Struggle

Dynasty isn’t a world you see tossed around in conjunction with the NBA D-League, because roster continuity from year to year fluctuates a ton. However, for the previous three seasons prior to the 2015-16 season, there were two teams who always rose to the occasion come playoff team: Santa Cruz Warriors and Fort Wayne Mad Ants.

• 2012 – 2015: Santa Cruz averaged 32 wins per season and had three NBADL Finals appearances
• 2015 D-League Champions after defeating Fort Wayne 2-0 in the Finals
• 2012 – 2015: Fort Wayne averaged 30 wins per season and had two NBADL Finals appearances
• 2014 D-League Champions after defeating Santa Cruz 2-0 in the Finals

Not only did Santa Cruz miss the playoffs for the first time in history — since their change/move as the Dakota Wizards — but they ended a ridiculous streak of three straight D-League Finals appearances. They are the only team in league history to achieve that feat as well. Likewise the Mad Ants ended their own streak of making the playoffs since the 2011-12 season and they were on their own two season Finals streak.

The likelihood of both teams missing the playoffs AND combining for a lowly 39 wins (Sioux Falls had 40 wins by themselves) was unfathomable at the start of the season, but it proves how volatile the league is from season to season. There are no definitive powerhouse franchises because the name of the game is onward and upward — that goes for players, coaches and personnel alike.

A Duo of Guards Find Homes in The Association

This season there were 42 call ups involving 32 different players. Some obviously had more success than others as 11 of those 42 earned multiyear deals with their new clubs. Every year there are amazing individual stories of players rising from the ashes like a Phoenix and 2015-16 was no different.

Xavier Munford had an arduous journey to the NBA playing for two separate junior colleges before arriving at The University of Rhode Island where he played his final two seasons. After going undrafted in 2014, he signed with the D-League and was selected in the third round of the eight round draft. After toiling away for a full season behind Joe Jackson in Bakersfield, he finally got his shot toward the end of last season and proved he was a player to watch for 2015-16. Munford returned to the Jam as a more mature and prepared 23-year-old and did not disappoint, nearly doubling the previous seasons output with averages of 20.4 points and 6.4 assists with shooting splits of 49/41/81.

On March 16, 2016 the Memphis Grizzlies, ravaged with injuries all season, signed Munford to what would be two 10-day contracts and then a three-year contract through 2017-18. All in all, Munford played 14 games with Memphis averaging 5.7 points and 1.7 assists in 17 minutes a night. Xavier is proof that sometimes hard work and dedication to your craft can pay unlimited dividends.

Sean Kilpatrick became a bit of a household name with his scoring abilities while playing for The University of Cincinnati, but that success didn’t immediately translate at the next level. Kilpatrick spent his rookie season (2014-15) in the D-League between Santa Cruz and Delaware and while he did earn a 10-day deal with Minnesota he wasn’t able to stick. The 6-4 wing with elite “IDGAF I’m scoring” abilities came to Delaware this season with one mission, and it was to end the season on an NBA roster.

After setting the D-League aflame to the tune of 26.4 points per game (fifth highest in league history) and spending 20 days with the Denver Nuggets, the Brooklyn Nets helped Kilpatrick reach his goal by signing him and now it seems all but guaranteed that he’s a part of their immediate future. In 23 games with the Nets he averaged 13.8 points and 2.2 rebounds on 46 percent shooting as one of the team’s main reserves. Sean Marks has taken over as the team’s general manager and snatching Kilpatrick from the minor leagues has Marks looking especially Spursian at the moment.

Boom Dizzle Brings Excitement to Delaware

In January — seemingly out of the shadows — Baron Davis signed with the NBA D-League in a very surprising and exhilarating turn of events. A two-time NBA All-Star with 13 years of experience at the highest level doesn’t come knocking on the NBADL’s door very often, but Davis had unfinished business after injuring his knee while playing for the New York Knicks in 2011-12 and wanted to give it another go.

Eventually he was acquired by the Delaware 87ers via the player pool and while he only managed six games — he was saddled with a calf injury — he was electric in those games. His first points in the NBADL were a breakaway dunk, and in that same game he decided to channel his inner Steph Curry launching from 35-feet with 10 seconds still on the shot clock.

At age 36, Davis clearly has his best days behind him but he ended his career on his own terms, showing that he could still compete at a high level, albeit not in the NBA, and he should be able to step away from the game proud of what he’s done in his illustrious career. Davis also produced a documentary on The Drew League and chatted with SB Nation about the impact of The Drew.

Brandon Jennings Brings Superstar Status to Grand Rapids

Christmas came early for the fans of the Grand Rapids Drive. On December 19, Brandon Jennings agreed to a rehab game in the D-League (players with four or more years of NBA experience have to consent to a D-League assignment) and he brought the house down in route to a 130-114 win over the Iowa Energy. Nearly a year after the speedy lefty ruptured his Achilles tendon, he put on quite the show including alley oops, behind the back passes and of course his signature herky-jerky lefty jumper.

Jennings played 27 minutes and posted 11 points and 12 assists. After the game he spoke directly about the experience: “I felt like this was a great opportunity for me just to be able to get some run in and get some play, so I definitely wanted to do it,” Jennings said. “I know most players wouldn’t do it because they probably think they’re too high-profile, but I looked at it as a great opportunity just to hoop.”

Could this be a subtle peek into the future of injury rehab stints? Who knows, but the fact that a player of Jennings’ status was willing to take the plunge says a lot about the credibility of the league. If there was any apprehension or concern in relation to the level of play, then Jennings and the Pistons organization would never put him in harms way.

The Champs Are Here!

The Sioux Falls Skyforce earned their place in D-League lore as the only team to amass 40 regular season wins (40-10) besting the previous record of 38-12 held by the Los Angeles D-Fenders. Coincidentally the D-Fenders were the final team thwarted by the record-setting Skyforce as they won the Finals 2-1. Sioux Falls took home a ton of other hardware this season as well with Dan Craig winning Coach of the Year, DeAndre Liggins earning Defensive Player of the Year and Jarnell Stokes winning both the league and Finals MVP awards.

Sioux Falls was a bit of an enigma for the run-and-gun, “No D” league as they lived and died with their smothering defense. Their defensive rating was a league best 98.5 (the only team below 100) and their net rating was a preposterous 9.8, which grew to an astronomical 14.4 in seven playoff games en route to their championship! In total the team went 46-11 and won 18 of their final 21 games, and by midseason they were the unanimous pick to win it all.

The Miami organization did a stellar job of bringing the Heat culture to Sioux Falls with DeAndre Liggins summarizing, “It’s the same thing. The same system. The same principles. The only thing that’s different is the weather.” During the Finals seven of the 10 players for the Skyforce had spent some time with the Miami Heat, which led many of the local media to dub them Heat Lite.

The league has been around since 2001 and this team has set a new bar in terms of dominance. With the roster turnover, call ups, guys leaving for international deals and of course the injury bug, it will be quite some time before something the likes of this will be seen again.

There are early reports that Dan Craig will not return to Sioux Falls next season as he will head back to his lifelong organization as an assistant under Erik Spoelstra. No big deal, right? Come to the D-League for one season, set a league record for wins, cap it off with a championship. Everyone does this, right? Bueller? Bueller? The stars aligned for Sioux Falls this season and the leadership put in place took the reigns and led the team to heights this league has never seen.

Enjoy this season — take it all in — because the coach won’t be back and it’s likely that the majority of the roster will move on as well. Liggins is 28, Benson is 27, Murry is 26, Drew II is 26, and while McGruder (24), Whittington (23) and Stokes (22) are all spry, they will likely get more enticing opportunities after the success they’ve seen this season.

If this is the end then I will remember this group as a dominant force, an immovable object, a whirlwind of defense and opportunists who were willing to step on the throats of their opponents at the exact moment needed to finish them. Bravo, guys, bravo.