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Julian Phillips Block!

highlights-chicago-bulls-fall-to-philadelphia-76ers-110-97

HIGHLIGHTS: Chicago Bulls fall to Philadelphia 76ers 110-97

Sam Smith

This is the time of year when we begin to think about the things we are thankful for. Like Monday for the Bulls that no one forgot to wear their shorts in the game against the Miami Heat, there were no hangnail emergencies, and they didn’t start the game trailing 22-1 as they did Saturday against Miami.

Just trailing 12-2 this time on the way to a 118-100 loss to Miami that left the Bulls 5-10, and perhaps needing a trip to a Woolworth or Kresge to begin feeling better about things these days.

“We knew they were going to come out stronger, more aggressive (after blowing that 21-point lead Saturday). We weren't down 20-1 this game, so that’s a positive,” said a hopeful Zach LaVine. “We came into halftime I think we were down 10 or 12 (65-53). Came out of halftime pretty good (within 67-64 on a LaVine three). But they're a good team, they made some good adjustments late in the third quarter. They went on a run and we weren't able to capitalize.”

No thrilling cliffhanger finish this time as that was the closest the Bulls would be tied to the tracks of their inefficiency (29.7% on threes) with the locomotive of defeat speeding their way.

Hey, everyone lets DeMar get away with the bizarre metaphors.

After that, the Heat steadily pulled ahead with a big lift comeback from rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. in the third quarter as the Heat quickly resumed a 12-point lead by the end of the third quarter. And then the Bulls were losing Duncan Robinson again amidst a sequence of turnovers on three consecutive possessions, Miami went ahead by 22 points with about eight minutes left in the game. With no dramatics to come this time like against the Magic and Heat on this home stand.

Now the Bulls starting Wednesday in Oklahoma City spend the next week on the road both concluding their first stage in-season tournament games and hoping not to be someone’s holiday feast.

“We’ve got to come out ready to play both ends of the court; that’s pretty much it,” said Coby White, who led the Bulls with a season-high 20 points. “Play with force and physicality and that will take care of both ends. Obviously disappointed; nobody wants to be 5-10. But that’s the reality of where we are right now, and we have to figure out how to win games and stack wins together. We’re positive, trying to stick to our identity. It’s not going to be easy, so we’ve got to continue to fight through and stay together and that’s what we’re continuing to do and hopefully something will click.”

Not much did Monday against a determined Miami team that took the lead quickly and never let it go.

The Bulls made a few prosaic attempts, but the cryptic chaos of their recent crusading comebacks weren’t particularly contagious this time. Yes, the best you could give them was a C.

“We’re trying to play to our identity and I feel we are,” said White. “Once those shots start to fall I feel we’ll be better off.”

But it wasn’t a particularly good night all around for the Bulls.

Nikola Vučević had 18 points and eight rebounds, but in the continuing emphasis of coach Billy Donovan for more of a so called equal opportunity offense and ball movement, neither LaVine nor DeMar DeRozan were much of a force. LaVine had 13 points with defensive wizard Jimmy Butler his primary defender and facing traps and double teams. DeRozan had just 15 points on 10 shots, one more than LaVine. Though it was more a game for the role players as Butler attempted just 11 shots. Though he seemed most pleased with a desperate hook shot late in the clock in the first quarter that he made and gleefully yelled, “Sky hook!”

Yes, the Heat was on; on the street, inside your head.

Alex Caruso still starting had 13 points, his sixth consecutive double figure scoring game, a career-best. But even as he made a couple of nice defensive plays against Bam Adebayo early in the third quarter, it wasn’t one of Caruso’s better nights. Adebayo led Miami with 23 points, 11 rebounds and six assists. But it was Duncan Robinson repeatedly hitting the three-point daggers, six of nine with Caruso frequently losing him trying to help teammates.

Robinson’s three of five threes to open the game helped put the Bulls in that early hole again.

Also, the Heat regularly manipulated their offense to put White in pick-and-roll actions to get him against taller players, like Butler, Robinson, and even Haywood Highsmith.

“He’s (Butler), what 6-foot-7, 6-foot-8, strong and of the people on the court I’m probably the smallest one out there,” admitted White. “So my teammates help me out a lot and I try to fight. I wasn’t happy about we had to double and put us in rotations, but, like I say, he’s a good player. I think we’ve been playing good defensively, and offensively I know I haven’t shot the ball as well as I would have liked this entire season. But we’re getting the shots we want. I can do a better job starting off playing with more force and setting the tone.”

Though for now Donovan said he’ll ride with the recent changes that have Caruso as the third starting power forward of the season, though he’ll often move to point guard as the game progresses and substitutions are made.

“Certainly we've talked about the starts we've gotten off to early in games," Donovan said. “We’ve looked at some different starting rotations, played some different rotations, do some different things to try to get back to a level of consistency. I would say we'll probably stick with this [starting lineup] going to the next game. I think sometimes it's been different stuff, like the turnovers prevented us from getting off to a good start. We had six in the first quarter. And that kind of hurt us because we actually shot the ball fairly well in the first half (seven of 17 on threes). The turnovers hurt us, and then I thought the difference in the game, and give them credit, they shot the ball incredibly well (17 of 35 on threes), obviously a lot better than they did. Different guys stepped up and made shots. Where we are with this group now (we need) a couple of more games to evaluate and look at it.”

The Bulls were less active than usual with just two steals and Miami with just 10 turnovers. The Heat out-rebounded the Bulls after the Bulls had a 10-rebound edge Saturday in the first of the two-game set. Miami also got 19 points from rookie Jaquez Jr. and a plus-24 after he was part of the Heat bench’s meltdown Saturday and a minus-25 in that game. The Bulls bench Monday was outscored 42-21.

“Now we get to go on the road and try to right the ship,” said LaVine.

And hope no one evidences Micheal Ray Richardson’s famously discordant and elegiac, “the ship be sinkin’” as a Knicks season began to list some 40 years ago. The Bulls aren’t quite there yet just a couple of games out of a play-in spot in the roiling waves of the Eastern Conference.&nbsp;

Though we all remember it can get late early.

As narratives go, following this game it was about LaVine — and to a lesser extent DeRozan — attempting fewer shots than usual. Though Donovan did say he approved since, after all, he’s been lobbying all season for more passing and movement and a more equal distribution of shots. And there were several times LaVine was open and waving his arms but didn’t get the ball.

“I think Zach played really, really unselfishly, generated a lot of good looks for the guys,” approved Donovan. “When he’s aggressive that’s good for us. I give him credit when he does drive the ball and help comes he is a willing passer. I've had this conversation with Zach. There's really never, ever a bad shot when he shoots the basketball. So he has the freedom that when he has got it, we want him to take it. This is not a situation where I'm telling him, ‘Hey Zach, listen, you’ve got to pass the basketball,’ or ‘We want you to do more of this.’ No, we need him to just be aggressive. And then once he's aggressive make the right play.

“There’s a balance for him,” Donovan admitted. “Zach wants to win and help the group, but I also think a lot in his career sometimes he had to shoot all those shots. But he is playing unselfishly; he is trying to find the open guy, he’s making good basketball plays and there are a lot of ways to impact the game. I want him to be aggressive, but that doesn’t always mean to shoot the ball. He’s trying to read the game, how’s he being guarded. Miami trapped him sometimes. Trying to shoot out of those double teams is not good for our team.”

For a long time, the theme was he had to shoot less often and involve his teammates more. He had five assists to match DeRozan for team-most Monday. But when he does shoot less often, like Monday, the question comes about why. Even as LaVine still is averaging 20 points the last 10 games while leading the team in assists half those games.

“Obviously, we (with DeRozan) want to be out there and score the ball and put the ball in the basket,” said LaVine. “But every play and every game is different. I was trying to do everything I could to obviously be aggressive and create for others, me and DeMar both. We're playing the right way and taking shots when needed to. It worked (Saturday, LaVine with 13 points and 10 shots). Today was a different story. But that's tough. That was their strategy, obviously, to get the ball out of our hands. Didn't feel like forcing it. We trust our teammates and trust the pass. Just have to find a way to win, figure out a different way to do it if we’re not shooting the ball as much. We were getting a lot of open shots; just didn’t go in the hoop. Can’t ask for anything else. We’re talented enough to come back in games and be competitive, we’d just rather not do that.”

Got a question for Sam?Submit your question to Sam at asksam@bulls.com

The contents of this page have not been reviewed or endorsed by the Chicago Bulls. All opinions expressed by Sam Smith are solely his own and do not reflect the opinions of the Chicago Bulls or its Basketball Operations staff, parent company, partners, or sponsors. His sources are not known to the Bulls and he has no special access to information beyond the access and privileges that go along with being an NBA accredited member of the media.

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Bulls fall to Heat 118-100

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Like with art and music, just what makes a great ballgame?

Obviously to the fan, it’s a win for their team, which the Bulls came oh-so-close to in Boston Friday but didn't, losing 123-119 to drop to 5-5.

The prism of the statistics gave verisimilitude to the impression. It did seem like it had to be a great game, like great art producing visceral emotion in the waning moments with the Bulls a Patrick Williams three away from a tie with 23 seconds left after trailing by 14 points moments earlier. Like great music there seemed to be rhythm and harmony the way teammates found Nikola Vučević for a trio of three pointers in the last four minutes to leave you wanting more. And there was a message from the stars, the Bulls’ DeMar DeRozan scoring 46 points and Boston’s Jayson Tatum answering with 36.

How about, you know, basketball instead of that free throw shooting clinic in which DeRozan made 20 of 22 and Tatum converted 17 of 20. There were more than 50 fouls called, and I’m just not grumpy because the Bulls lost even as the Celtics controlled most of the game.

But, c’mon, let ‘em play. Spectating doesn’t have to be collateral damage.

I know this is supposed to be an analysis of the game, which had its moments in the Bulls furious fight, or stroll, to the finish.&nbsp;

There was the moral victory aspect of the Bulls already this season defeating Boston, Miami and Brooklyn, demonstrating they are more competitive with the playoff elite than last season.

“I’m disappointed we lost and I’m disappointed with some of the things we did do, but I think the one thing and not that I always want to always compare to last year, but these teams like Boston and some of the higher level teams, the top four teams in the East and the West, we were not competitive to be quite honest with you,” Bulls coach Billy Donovan pointed out. “We gave ourselves a chance on the road. Obviously, at home the game got away from them a little bit (last month), but we gave ourselves a chance here. There are things we can clean up that we have control over and we can do better. We can be more disciplined in a lot of areas.&nbsp;

“There’s no moral victories,” Donovan agreed. “I’m not saying that at all. But there has been growth in competing against the upper echelon teams. I don’t know if it was a missed opportunity, and the reason I say that is we were down by 11, down by six at the half, we had to fight our way back. So we never really got the lead. We had an opportunity to tie it; it didn’t happen. I don’t know if it was a blown opportunity as much as it was an opportunity I felt we lost because there were things we had control over that we didn’t execute well enough, and against a good, elite team you have to do those things.”

Mostly this game the Celtics were better.

The Bulls were without Andre Drummond and Coby White again, Drummond with a shoulder strain that is lingering, and Coby White with a testy quad contusion. Both are uncertain in Toronto Sunday. Lonzo Ball, of course, remains out long term. It is coming up on six weeks since Ball’s surgery and Donovan before the game said he was positive.

“Everything is very optimistic right now,” Donovan said. “I think there are things he’s able to do that he feels a lot freer, that he did prior to the surgery. The biggest part was allowing the incision inside his knee to heal. He has done some running on a treadmill in the water, which is a positive sign. There are things he’s doing that he wasn’t able to do.” Donovan, however, provided no timetable for basketball workouts, practices or playing.

For the Bulls Friday, it was playing mostly uphill, or digging out of a hole, albeit shallow this time after taking their biggest lead of the game at 27-19 in the first quarter. That was primarily due to DeRozan coming off his Bulls low nine points in the win against Charlotte Wednesday. DeRozan had 13 points in the first quarter and was off to his second highest scoring game as a Bull.

“He was just spectacular,” said Donovan. “He’s got like a refuse-to-die attitude and keeps hanging in there and keeps battling and fighting and competing and trying to find ways. Obviously, he made some big time plays and his scoring certainly kept us close and gave us a chance late; he was incredible with what he did tonight.”

Vučević was very, very good with 24 points and 12 rebounds, and especially those late threes to give the Bulls an actual chance when it seemed like the Celtics were a shot away from giving Dalen Terry another look. Though Boston did adjust well from that 18-point loss in Chicago last month, and it lessened the impact Vučević had.

The Celtics are a smallish team, and more so without injured center Robert Williams. The Bulls took advantage of that in that impressive United Center win by driving the ball and getting shots up no matter the target. So then Vučević was able to repeatedly go over mini-Celts for second shots. Vučević had 23 rebounds in that game, 10 offensive that made all the difference. This time the Bulls had a total of four offensive rebounds, three from Vučević.

It did help in the Bulls shooting almost 40 percent on threes as the Celtics concentrated on cutting off driving lanes and falling back inside. Thus Boston had a big 52-34 edge in points in the paint, a lot of which came with Tatum and Malcolm Brogdon beating Bulls defenders off the dribble.

Brogdon’s 25 points off the bench for Boston also flipped the usual Bulls reserves script as Boston had a 41-15 bench margin. Though point guard Brogdon really is a starter talent who with Boston defers to defensive starting point guard Marcus Smart.

That Boston defensive emphasis also had an effect on Zach LaVine, who playing this third in four nights didn’t shoot a free throw until the fourth quarter, and would have the only Bulls free throws other than DeRozan’s.

“They double switch and pack the paint,” noted LaVine. “You could see in the second half, even when we did drive, they collapse across the paint. I’m not getting a lot of isolations, so it’s not like a clear side. Most of it is pick-and-roll or transition, and they’re coming across the lane. I’m trying to make the right play and look for my teammates.”

LaVine finished with 16 points and Ayo Dosunmu had 11. Patrick Williams fouled out with seven points, and on the positive side got to close the game, and on the negative had trouble doing so.

He’s not the Zach we’ve been accustomed to seeing, and he knows that, too.

“Obviously, I’m not all the way back yet (from summer knee surgery),” LaVine conceded. “It’s coming. I’m not scared or anything like that. It’s seven games in. I feel fine. Trying to get the rhythm back. If I’m playing I feel good. If we’re having a great game from DeMar, we’re going to play off him. D-Bo was rollin.’”

But LaVine got shots blocked again and didn’t have a dunk. I don’t know where to look it up, but I’ve seen every game LaVine has played in a Bulls jersey and I feel like he’s had shots blocked more already this season than since he’s been with the Bulls combined. It’s not exactly fatal because LaVine is an excellent shooter, as his 20-point fourth quarter against the Nets this week showed. And he’s still quick enough to get to the basket and is active, grabbing seven rebounds and making two steals, his last a brilliant one that almost led to a tie with 22.9 seconds left.

The Celtics were mostly in control of this game after the Bulls had a 31-26 first quarter lead. Alex Caruso drew another of those uncanny getting-over-the-screen offensive fouls and the Bulls made four of eight threes in the quarter. One area of concern: Former Bull Luke Kornet was having an impact with a block and deflection. We don’t see that often.

But this time the Celtics’ reserves were superior, a 13-5 start to the second quarter to take a lead they’d basically have the rest of the game. Kornet blocked a LaVine drive, and the Bulls didn’t reciprocate by putting Kornet in switches to take advantage of, let’s say, the way he appears to be walking like Herman Munster.

The Celtics led 63-57 at halftime, Donovan again took an early challenge and lost, the Celtics went ahead 73-62 on a Smart slam dunk, and then Vučević got postered by Jaylen Brown. It probably would have been over if Caruso and Javonte Green didn’t make late threes to keep the Bulls within 93-87 after three quarters.

Boston again began to ease away to open the fourth quarter, the Bulls failing to score in nine straight possessions to open the fourth and for more than four minutes until a Vučević driving score. He and DeRozan both had 11 points in the fourth quarter. But Boston at nine of 31 on threes was missing wide open ones to start the final quarter, the Bulls still with some chance despite trailing 105-91 with seven minutes left.

Which was when DeRozan and Tatum began their march to the free throw line, DeRozan with those remarkable head and shoulder and pump fakes that no one can figure out after all the years.

“It’s hard because when you are a defender and say, ‘OK, stay down on your feet.’ And then every time single time he goes up and keeps shooting over you, which is what he does do,” explained Donovan. “He’s elite at that, so you feel, 'I’ve got to contest,’ and sometimes you think he’s going to go up and you want to get a hand up, you leave your feet and he’s smart enough to kind of understand when to shot fake and when not to. Because there are times when you think he may shot fake and he doesn’t. I think he knows, ‘OK, I’m at a spot now. I can get this off, I don’t need to shot fake. This is where the defender is, I think I can maybe get myself to the free throw line.’”

Vučević had those threes, and there was a LaVine driving three-point play, and maybe not the famous Brink’s robbery, but the Bulls maybe could steal one.

The Celtics leading 114-112 with 1:07 left got a huge three from Derrick White, who had two points through three quarters. Vučević came right back with his third three pointer popping outside once again to make it 117-115 Boston. It was a heck of a Bulls run, scoring in 12 of 14 possessions after Vučević’s third of the threes. Then came the crucial sequence with Williams in the middle.

Al Horford missed a three, but Williams lost the rebound and Tatum took it away and was fouled. He made one of two, but the Bulls thus lost the chance to go for the tie or lead. Williams then had a layup attempt blocked by Tatum, who tried to get the ball out fast. LaVine cleverly stole the pass and threw to Williams, who missed a three that would have tied the game with 22.9 seconds to play. Williams then fouled out sending Tatum to the free throw line for numbers 19 and 20 and the Boston win.

“I give our guys a lot of credit getting down whatever it was 12 or 13, and we fought our way back and we kept battling,” said Donovan. “I don’t want to pass judgment on Patrick’s play. I want to take a look at it, but I know he was open and I know it was a good pass by Zach. I just felt there were too many things we had control over we needed to execute better that we didn’t; that hurt us tonight.”

DeRozan was terrific, and you could actually see his eyes brighten when Vučević’s three got the Bulls within four with 1:55 left. If you were drawing a thought bubble, it read: “Yes, a chance!”

DeRozan immediately plowed his way to the free throw line for two more.

“We competed,” DeRozan said afterward. “We knew it was going to be tough coming in here, especially just beating them not too long ago. We knew we were going to get their best shot and it came down to self inflicted mistakes we made. They made the least mistakes and pulled out the win. It sucks to lose, but we understand we can do it every single night no matter who it’s against; we’ve just got to keep that confidence and move onto the next one. I didn’t know I got (to the free throw line) that many times until I looked after the game. I was just trying to be aggressive as much as I could.”

So yes it was close, and yes there were some moments, but just because you have a canvass and a brush doesn’t mean it’s art. Sometimes it’s just paint drying.&nbsp;

Got a question for Sam?Submit your question to Sam at&nbsp;asksam@bulls.com

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Bulls late rally not enough in Boston, DeRozan explodes for 46 points

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Chicago’s got a streaking, sports team winner, and it’s not quite apples and oranges.

Actually it’s a Lemon. One that’s been pretty sweet for the Windy City Bulls.

"Since we added Walt Lemon it’s made all the difference,” said Windy City Bulls coach Charlie Henry. "We were 5-11 when we added him. We had one practice and lost the first game and since then we haven’t lost, eight straight wins. He’s been a huge part of what we are doing. He makes the game easier for everyone else the way he can get downhill, make plays for everyone, helping guys by being able to play off him.

"We needed him badly and he was able to come home and play in front of his friends and family. Win, win,” said Henry.

And, yes, pretty much all the Windy City Bulls have done since is win. Plus playing a high energy, appealing offensive style game behind the leadership of the 6-3 point guard from far South Side Percy Julian High School and Bradley U.

"It’s been about playing together, unselfish basketball and that has to start with me,” said Lemon. "I can score, but I’ve worked to become a better distributor and with my speed and athleticism, it’s enabled guys to get the better shots we need. We’re playing together. Nobody worries about stats. It’s about the team. We pass up good shots for great shots and play defense; it’s a fun type of basketball. It’s contagious when you see how successful playing together can be. It’s about playing together, being unselfish and helping one another.”

The Windy City Bulls are looking for that to continue Friday and Saturday in the Sears Center in Hoffman Estates. Windy City hosts Wisconsin 7 p.m. Friday and Greensboro 7 p.m. Saturday, the latter which is a deaf awareness night.

Lemon is looking to create his own awareness, as everyone is who plays in the G-league.

Lemon is continuing to make his point—and points in leading the team in scoring, assists and steals—in an effort to get back to the NBA after a pair of 10-day contracts last season with the New Orleans Pelicans.

"It looked like they were going to re-sign me for the playoffs, but they went with more experience. It’s a business; I understand,” said Lemon. "But I didn’t want to go back overseas. I feel sometimes when you do, it’s out of sight, out of mind. So I feel if I stay here with a fresh run, teams can see who I am and what I can do, that I will get an opportunity with another team.”

Lemon is not one of the Bulls pair of two-way G-league players — they are Rawle Alkins and Brandon Sampson — so Lemon is eligible to sign with any NBA team. He is a left hander reminiscent of a player like Memphis’ Mike Conley, though not as good a shooter. Lemon was one of two Windy City players along with C.J. Fair to be selected all-tournament in the G-league Showcase last month in Las Vegas, the NBA scouting tournament for the G-league.

It’s been part of Lemon’s sometime sour winding road in the almost there world of professional basketball.

"Walt’s very athletic, quick, gets the ball into the paint effortlessly,” said Henry. "His shooting is an area to improve, but he is competitive and tough. He grew up admiring D-Rose’s game, and you can see some similarities with his body, playing downhill and playing through contact. He opens things up with the pressure he puts on the defense.”

Lemon is leading Windy City at 19 points per game and 8.8 assists per game, though 21.4 points per game overall since he previously played for Ft. Wayne. Windy City traded for his rights after Tyler Ulis was injured and eventually released.

"We’ve talked about the importance of good point guard play,” said Henry. "Rawle and Brandon are good players, but not point guards. So they need someone to run the position and make plays and help them do their jobs. We thought we had that with Tyler Ulis, but we lost him early after four games.”

Lemon had been on a two-way contract this season with the Boston Celtics, again so close he could almost reach out and touch the NBA life. But with an excess of guards, the Celtics let him go and Lemon returned to the G-league, where he has been a dominant player.

After leaving Julian, Lemon played four years at Bradley. After a shaky start not playing for former coach Jim Les, he went on to average 18 points as a senior, a slam dunk champion and a top scholar athlete and who graduated with a degree in psychology. He was a three-time member of Bradley’s athletic honor roll.

Lemon also was active in the Peoria community volunteering at hospital hospice centers and working with children who have lost parents or relatives to disease. His father, Walt Lemon, Sr., died of kidney cancer when Walt Jr was in high school.

Lemon, 26, wasn’t drafted in 2014 and went to play first in Hungary and then Germany. He returned to U.S. to the G-league with Ft. Wayne, and then played for top teams in Greece and Turkey. He came back to the G-league last season and was among the top scorers before the 10-day contracts with New Orleans. He went to Summer League with New Orleans and then caught the eye of the Celtics before eventually landing with Windy City.

His addition after Windy City stumbled when Ulis was hurt has enhanced an entertaining team playing a fast paced, wide open game with six players averaging in double figures. It’s a smaller team with big men shooting threes and switching on defense in a versatile game orchestrated by Lemon.

"Going out of the country for the first time was tough,” Lemon acknowledged. "Nobody spoke English. I didn’t know anything about the food, culture; it was a different style of game, different rules. But once I got familiar with it, things were a whole lot easier and it helped me a lot to learn to be professional, take care of my body, lifting weights and practicing, having the right habits.

walter-lemon-jr-looks-to-make-a-difference-with-the-windy-city-bulls

Walter Lemon Jr. looks to make a difference with the Windy City Bulls

Founded in 2001, the NBA D-League has been a proving ground for elite young talent. About a third of all current NBA players have spent some time in the D-League. Here’s a look at just some of the former players who have spent significant time in the D-League who have gone on to make an impact in the NBA.

Danny Green, San Antonio Spurs (Reno Bighorns)

Nowadays, most NBA fans know Danny Green as the Spurs’ sweet-shooting small forward, an athletic 6-6 shooter out of North Carolina who plays a major part in San Antonio’s success. He played a key role in the Spurs’ 2014 NBA title and 2013 Finals appearance, including hitting seven three pointers in Game 3 of the 2013 Finals against Miami.

But before he was a major contributor to an NBA championship team, Green starred in the D-League. Drafted in 2009 by the Cavs, Green was waived after his rookie season and went to ply his trade for the Reno Bighorns, where he averaged 20 points and 7.5 rebounds in 16 games, catching the eye of the Spurs. The rest is history./p&gt;

Hassan Whiteside, Miami Heat (Reno Bighorns, Sioux Falls Skyforce, Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Iowa Energy)

Whiteside, one of the most talented and promising young centers in the NBA, burst onto the NBA scene in 2015-16, leading the league in blocks and making the NBA All-Defensive Second Team. The 26-year-old 7 footer’s otherworldly athleticism and timing contributed to his emerging as a bright young star for the Heat.

Prior to his explosion onto the NBA scene, however, Whiteside was a fixture in the D-League, appearing in 65 games for four different D-League clubs. In his time in the D-League, Whiteside showed flashes of his future potential, averaging 7.2 points, 5.5 boards and 2.3 blocks per game in less than 14 minutes per game.

Shaun Livingston, Golden State Warriors (Tulsa 66ers)

Shaun Livingston, an Illinois prep hoops legend, was drafted 4th overall by the Clippers in the 2004 NBA Draft and began his career as a budding star, a 6-7 point guard with otherworldly court vision. Tragically, Livingston found his career in jeopardy after a horrific leg injury in a game against Charlotte in February of 2007.

After resuming basketball activities more than a year later and beginning the road to recovery, Livingston signed a contract in 2009 with the Tulsa 66ers of the D-League. Livingston spent 11 games with the 66ers, averaging more than 9 points and six assists and parlaying that performance into a contract with the Thunder. Livingston has been working his way back up the NBA ranks ever since, including most recently making a huge impact on the national stage in Game 1 of this year’s NBA Finals. Livingston is the perfect example of an immensely talented player who suffered a catastrophic injury and used the D-League to help him get back to the level he is today, playing a key role on one of the league’s best teams.

Jeremy Lin, Charlotte Hornets (Reno Bighorns, Erie Bayhawks)

In 2010, before Lin became an international star with the Knicks, and before he became an NBA mainstay guard, Lin was a rookie with the Golden State Warriors who was assigned to the Reno Bighorns for much of his first season. Lin played in 20 games for Reno (and later in one more for Erie), finishing his D-League career with a scoring average of more than 20 points per game. Fans may not have known it at the time, but those watching the D-League at the time were getting an early look at Linsanity.

Gerald Green, Miami Heat (LA D-Fenders, Fayetteville Patriots, Florida Flame)

The athletic and talented former NBA Slam Dunk champ has had an up and down career, getting drafted in the first round in 2005 straight out of high school.  After playing a handful of games for the now-defunct Fayetteville and Florida D-League franchises, Green bounced back to the NBA only to drop back out of the league after a few seasons with Houston, Minnesota and Dallas.

Looking like his NBA career was over, Green spent a few years playing overseas, returning to the States in 2011 and signing on with the Los Angeles D-Fenders. Calling it his “last opportunity to prove myself”, Green used the D-League as a springboard back to the NBA. In 22 games with the D-Fenders, Green averaged over 19 points 4.5 boards per game, showcasing a good attitude and professionalism that allowed him to take advantage of the natural skills he possessed. His improvements in the D-League eventually led to a call from the New Jersey Nets, where he showed enough to earn another NBA contract. Green now plays a major role for a playoff team, providing athleticism and scoring punch as a swingman for the Miami Heat.

Cory Joseph, Toronto Raptors (Austin Toros)

Before point guard Cory Joseph became a fan favorite in Toronto as only the second Canadian player to ever wear a Raptors jersey, he was a key piece to the Spurs bench unit that helped San Antonio win the 2014 NBA championship. During his time in San Antonio however, Joseph worked on his game with the Spurs’ D-League affiliate, the Austin Toros.

Joseph played 40 games over two seasons with the Toros, posting career D-League averages of 17.4 points, 5.4 assists and 1.7 steals per game and earning All-D League Second Team honors in 2013. The Spurs smartly used the D-League to develop Joseph’s game, and Joseph has taken those lessons from San Antonio – and Austin – and has created a spot for himself in the NBA as a crafty, smart point guard.

Troy Daniels, Charlotte Hornets (Rio Grande Valley Vipers)

Troy Daniels is the ultimate long range specialist, a player who has crafted a nice NBA career for three teams (Timberwolves, Rockets and Hornets) as a sharpshooter from downtown. But in terms of D-League storybook events, few things top Daniels’ debut for the Rockets.

After going undrafted in the 2013 NBA Draft, Daniels signed on to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, the Rockets’ D-League club, where he made his name as a marksman, breaking the D-League single season record for three pointers made in 2014 and being named to the D-League All-Third Team.

Daniels’ play earned him a call up to the Rockets club, where he made their playoff roster as a guy at the end of the bench. With the Rockets in desperation mode, down 2-0 to Portland in their first-round series and with Game 3 tied in overtime with 20 seconds left, a combination of foul trouble and fatigue saw Daniels check into the game. After a mad scramble and a loose ball, Daniels stepped up and buried the go-ahead three-pointer that ultimately won the Rockets the game.

While many players have gone from the D-League to making an impact in the NBA, few players had quite as an immediate impact as Troy Daniels, who went from D-League player to making a game-winning triple in the NBA playoffs in a matter of days.

seven-d-league-players-who-have-made-an-nba-impact

Seven D-League players who have made an NBA impact

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