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Eastern Conference PreviewRelated Images Ivan Harris is Erie's leading returning scorer.
Randy Belice/Getty Images/NBAE by Matthew Brennan, NBA D-League.com The Eastern Conference for the 2009-10 will consist of seven teams, and is basically the Central Division clubs from last season along with the two newcomers to the league in Maine and Springfield. Three teams from this group made the playoffs last season but only one (Dakota) advanced past the first round. Stay tuned for the Western Conference preview coming tomorrow.
DAKOTA WIZARDS
2008-09 record: 27-23, t-2nd in Central Division
NBA Affiliates/Eligible Assignments The Wizards enter their fourth NBA D-League season and will try to make it four straight playoff appearances under new head coach Rory White. White joins the team after being a long-time assistant coach to Mike Dunleavy with the Los Angeles Clippers. The Wizards will still see plenty of former head coach Duane TIcknor, who has landed as an assistant with the rival Sioux Falls Skyforce. Dakota was one of the few teams to maintain the same NBA affiliates as last season with Memphis and Washington returning. Returning Players: The Wizards return a strong group of players from last season's playoff team, led by franchise all-time leading scorer Maurice Baker and 2006-07 NBA D-League Defensive Player of the Year Renaldo Major, the leading returning scorer with 16.9 points last season. Other players who are back include 6-8 forward Romel Beck, a 15.9 ppg scorer last season, and reserve guards David Bell and Carlos English. Bell averaged 11.6 points off the bench last season and ranked sixth in the league with 96 three-pointers. New Players: First round pick Curtis Withers should be a key cog in the frontcourt for the Wizards. A 6-8 forward, Withers is a former All-C-USA player at Charlotte who played in Israel last season. Forward Doug Thomas was a key bench player for Iowa two seasons ago and gives the Wizards a proven veteran at the NBA D-League level. Guard Darren Cooper is also an experience veteran after playing during the last two seasons for the Los Angeles D-Fenders.
ERIE BAYHAWKS
2008-09 record: 27-23, t-2nd in Central Division
NBA Affiliates/Eligible Assignments The BayHawks return for their second season under head coach John Treloar. Erie was the more succesful of the two teams to enter the league for the 2008-09 season, as the team made the playoffs in their first season and finished four games over .500. The Raptors and the Cavaliers will be the NBA affiliates this season. Returning Players: The BayHawks return four players from last year's playoff team, with Ivan Harris and his 15.7 points leading the way. Harris is 6-7 forward who should play a bigger role this season. Other returnees are Oliver Lafayette, who posted 13.6 points and 4.1 rebounds last season, and NBA D-League veteran Jackie Manuel. Reserve forward Jarvis Gunter will also be looking to contribute more in his second campaign in Erie. New Players: The BayHawks will suit up two of the top picks from the 2009 Draft, including second overall choice Donnel Taylor. Taylor is a 6-6 forward who played in two seasons with the Washington Wizards and most recently played in Greece during the 2008-09 season. 6-10 Alade Aminu was the tenth overall pick by Fort Wayne before being traded to Erie. He enters his first pro season after a four-year career at Georgia Tech. 6-4 Rod Wilmont could be an impact player after scoring 23 points in Erie's preseason game. Wilmont played for Fort Wayne in the 2007-08 season before spending last year overseas. Massive center John Bryant, last season's West Coast Conference Player of the Year at Santa Clara, should also make a big impact in Erie this season.
FORT WAYNE MAD ANTS
2008-09 record: 19-31, fifth in Central Division
NBA Affiliates/Eligible Assignments The Mad Ants enter their third NBA D-League season but will be looking for their first playoff berth in 2009-10. NBA D-League coaching veteran Joey Meyer will take over as the head coach for Fort Wayne, who retains Detroit, Indiana, and Milwaukee as NBA affiliates. Fort Wayne is one of only two teams that has three NBA affiliates. Returning Players: Fort Wayne returned top scorer and rebounder Chris Hunter, but the 2nd team All-NBA D-League center was called up by the Golden State Warriors on Friday and will not be around for at least the beginning of the season. Without Hunter, the leading returning player is third-year forward Ron Howard, who posted 18.7 points per game last season. Reserve big men DeWitt Scott, Anthony Kent, and Sean Sonderleiter are also back for the Mad Ants. New Players: The Mad Ants roster has a Notre Dame feel with three former Fighting Irish players in camp, led by forward Rob Kurz. Kurz was allocated to Erie before heading to Fort Wayne via a trade, and will be looking to make a return to the NBA after playing in 40 games for Golden State last season. Guards Ryan Ayers and Kyle McAlarney were both starters at Notre Dame last season and should find plenty of playing time in Fort Wayne. They both started the Mad Ants' preseason game on Friday night. Another player to watch is local tryout invite Brandon Cotton, a 6-0 guard from Detroit Mercy who poured in 12 points off the bench on Friday.
IOWA ENERGY
2008-09 record: 28-22, Central Division champions
NBA Affiliates/Eligible Assignments The Energy enter their third NBA D-League season and are coming off a successful season that say a Central Division title and the fifth best record in the league. Local product Nick Nurse returns for his third season as the head coach. The Energy also retain the Chicago Bulls and Phoenix Suns as NBA affiliates. Returning Players: The Energy are missing 2008-09 MVP Courtney Sims and Rookie of the Year Othyus Jeffers, but bring back Curtis Stinton, who led all NBA D-League players in minutes played last season. The 6-3 Stinson ranked third in the league with 8.4 assists per game in 2008-09. Also back for the Energy are NBA veteran guard Jeff Trepagnier and two reserves in guard Mark Tyndale and forward Marvin Phillips. Tyndale averaged 11.1 points in 16 games last season and was in preseason camp with the Bulls. New Players: The Energy grabbed a few three-point gunners in the draft in former UConn star Rashad Anderson and St. Joseph's guard Pat Carroll, who should form a solid rotation with Trepagnier at the two and three spots. The Energy are also set in the frontcourt with NBA experience big men Earl Barron and Darryl Watkins. Barron, a former member of the Miami Heat, led the team with 15 points and nine rebounds from the center position in their preseason game against Tulsa Saturday night. Watkins, a former member of the Sacramento Kings, played for Iowa in the 2007-08 season before posting 20.7 points and 14.0 rebounds for the 2008-09 campaign in China.
MAINE RED CLAWS
2008-09 record: First season
NBA Affiliates/Eligible Assignments The Red Claws will begin their first season and are coached by Austin Ainge, son of Celtics GM Danny Ainge. The team is affiliated with the Boston Celtics, who have already assigned Bill Walker, and the Charlotte Bobcats. Returning Players: The Red Claws do not have any actual returnees as a new team, but they do have two 2008-09 NBA D-Leaguers picked up in the expansion draft in Billy Thomas and Noel Felix. Thomas, one of the select few to win multiple NBA D-League titles, helped lead Colorado to the championship last season with 16.1 points. He is the NBA D-Leagues career leader with 325 three-pointers made and also ranks second with 269 steals. Felix is a 6-9 forward/center who played in 28 games for the Anaheim Arsenal over the last two seasons with averages of 11.3 points and 5.5 rebounds. New Players: Former Syracuse star Paul Harris was the first draft pick in Red Claws' history, but he will have to prove that he is recovered from an ankle injury that limited him in the NBA preseason with the Utah Jazz. At the guard spots, Maine has some players with NBA D-League experience in former Detroit Pistons assigned player Will Blalock and veterans Tony Bobbit and Gary Ervin. Blalock played well on assignment to Sioux Falls in the 2006-07 season and can form an excellent guard duo with Thomas for Maine. At the forward spots, second-round draft pick Darnell Lazare, an LSU product, comes to Maine after two solid years in Europe while Anthony Terrell has played in two full NBA D-League seasons, reaching the finals with Fort Worth in the 2005-06 season.
SIOUX FALLS SKYFORCE
2008-09 record: 25-25, fourth in Central Division
NBA Affiliates/Eligible Assignments The Skyforce return to the NBA D-League for their fourth season, but are looking to bounce back after missing the playoffs for the first time in 2008-09. Former assistant coach Tony Fritz has been moved up to head coach to replace Nate Tibbets, who is now in Tulsa. The Skyforce retain the Minnesota Timberwolves and pick up the Miami Heat as NBA affiliates. Returning Players: The Skyforce lose their top three scorers from last season but bring back 5-8 David Bailey, who is the leading returning scorer with 16.6 points per game. 6-10 Keith Brumbaugh, a former top 20 high school player, is also back after averaging 8.3 points in 49 games off the bench last season. Brumbaugh was in preseason camp with the Denver Nuggets and could be ready to take a big step up in 2009-10. Other players back from last season's team are veteran forward Michael Joiner and guard Justin Johnson. Joiner has started in 56 games for Sioux Falls over the last two seasons, while Johnson saw limited time in six games late in 2008-09. Center Greg Stiesma is also returning after playing for Memphis in the NBA Summer League. He could start this season after joining the team late in 2008-09. New Players: Sioux Falls native Joe Krabbenhoft joins the Skyforce after a solid career at Wisconsin, and started at forward in Sioux Falls preseason game. The other forward spot was manned by third-round draft pick Reggie Williams, a prolific college scorer at VMI who poured in 27 points in the preseason loss to Dakota. First-round pick Raymond Sykes is a burly 6-9 forward who should provide defense and rebounding, while second-round pick Pete Campbell is an outstanding three-point shooter who will give the Skyforce an outside threat. Campbell was a perfect 3-3 from beyond the arc in Friday's preseason game.
SPRINGFIELD ARMOR
2008-09 record: First season
NBA Affiliates/Eligible For Assignments The Armor join the NBA D-League for their first season, and will be affiliated with the Knicks, Nets, and 76ers. Former Boston Celtic and WNBA head coach Dee Brown will lead the team into the 2009-10 season. Returning Player: The Armor only have one player returning from the 2008-09 season in Kentrell Gransberry, who they selected in the Expansion Draft. A 6-9 center, Gransberry won a title last season in Colorado, averaging 5.2 points and 4.6 rebounds in 26 games off the bench. New Players: The Armor used their first round pick on former NBA guard Jameson Curry, who should be the team's main scoring threat this season if he does not make a return to the NBA. Fourth round selection Craig Austrie could man the point guard spot after a four-year career at UConn, where he started as a senior. The team also has an NBA veteran at guard in former Maverick Adam Harrington, who was one of the NBA D-League's top three-point shooters during the 2007-08 season at Tulsa. In the frontcourt, the battle for minutes seems wide open with former Dakota Wizard Perrin Johnson, local college star Dante Milligan, and former Dayton 7-footer James Cripe all in the mix. Monday's exhibition game against Maine should lend some more daylight on who will play a big role for the Armor in their first NBA D-League season.
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