The top five free agents at the D-League Showcase
NBA general managers and scouts will arrive starting Wednesday morning for the D-League Showcase in Santa Cruz, Calif., to watch 19 games over five days. The main reason for their interest: the search for players to sign to 10-day contracts to bolster their respective teams.
On Jan. 10, more NBA roster spots should open league-wide, as some players will likely be waived because that’s the day when contracts will be guaranteed for the rest of the season.
With transaction season about to heat up, the main concern for talent evaluators is the quality of help available.
“I don’t think there is as much talent as usual,” one NBA scout told Yahoo Sports. “They are adding teams so the league is more watered down now. The really good players outside of the NBA have taken jobs in Europe, but could be in the D-League in February and March.”
After getting evaluations from numerous NBA scouts, the following are Yahoo Sports’ top five free agents at the D-League Showcase.
1. G Erick Green, Reno BigHorns, 6-3, 178 pounds
NBA scout: “He plays a little bit of both guard positions, but he is more of a shooting guard. He is a very good scorer.”
2. G Elliot Williams, Santa Cruz Warriors, 6-5, 183 pounds
NBA scout: “Should be in the NBA. A bit of a tweener. Not a pure point guard. A better passer than given credit for and can score everywhere.”
3. G Lorenzo Brown, Grand Rapids Drive, 6-5, 189 pounds
NBA scout: “He’s a big point guard. Very smart with good size. He runs a team very well. Probably will be called up to the NBA soon.”
4. G Orlando Johnson, Austin Spurs, 6-5, 220 pounds
NBA scout: “He’s shooting the 3-pointer real well. He’s being more efficient. He plays a lot more like a pro now than when he was in the NBA.”
5. G Sean Kilpatrick, Delaware, 6-4, 219 pounds
NBA scout: “He's been arguably the best scorer in the D-League. The knock on him coming out of college was his inconsistent perimeter shot, but he seems to have figured out that part of his game. He's playing with a ton of confidence right now.”
Others to keep an eye on: Grand Rapids C Dallin Bachynski; Bakersfield F Earl Clark; Rio Grande G Will Cummings; Westchester G Jimmer Fredette; Santa Cruz G Darington Hobson; Reno F Vincent Hunter; Idaho G Pierre Jackson; Austin G Nick Johnson; Sioux Falls G DeAndre Liggins; Raptors F-C Greg Smith.
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