SEC Basketball Players Leaving Early for the NBA Watch - 2014 Edition

[jbcarol]

Kevin Brockway @gatorhoops  ·  12h
Casey Prather w/4 pts, 3 assists for Atlanta Haws. Scottie Wilbekin w/2 pts, 1 assists, 3 turnovers for 76ers #NBASummerLeague

Tough day for former #Gator Patric Young on Thursday in Vegas summer league -- 0 pts, 4 rebounds and 2 turnovers in 19 minutes w/Pelicans.

[jbcarol]

Kevin Brockway @gatorhoops  ·  13m
Young eager "to prove teams wrong" after signing two-year deal with New Orleans - http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20140719/articles/140719599 ... - via @Gator_sports

Kevin Brockway @gatorhoops  ·  1h
Patric Young on signing with Pelicans "I'm going to come into training camp humble and try to prove those who didn't draft me wrong."

Young said he signed a two-year deal with Pelicans with both years guaranteed.

[jbcarol]

The All Summer League second team:

Guard: Russ Smith (Pelicans)
Guard: Tim Hardaway Jr. (Knicks)
Forward: T.J. Warren (Suns)
Forward: Jordan McRae (Sixers)
Center: Rudy Gobert (Jazz)

[jbcarol]

Alabama M Basketball @AlabamaMBB  ·  3h
Big congrats to Trevor Releford, who signed a pro contract with  @KingWilki of the Polish Top Division (TBL). Release coming soon. #RollTide

[jbcarol]

Boston Celtics selected former Kentucky Wildcats one and done wing James Young with the 17th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft and, for the first time since selecting him, Young has been cleared to take the floor.

Suffered a concussion after a car accident.

[jbcarol]

Ben Frederickson @Ben_Fred  ·  1h

Former #Vols F Jeronne Maymon will play for Israeli hoops club RT @HapoelUTA: Welcome to the red family @JeronneMaymon


Ben Frederickson @Ben_Fred  ·  55m

According to a Google translation of the Maymon press release, Maymon is a "powerpuff forward" who played at "Tennessee College of sunshine"


Better than a "powder puff forward"

[jbcarol]

Bruce Pearl @coachbrucepearl  · 

Happy for @AllenPayne2_ for signing 1st pro contract w/ the Sheffield Sharks of the British Basketball League. Proud of u AP! #WaEagle

[jbcarol]

Riley Duncan @RileyDuncanWUTK  ·  Aug 8
Here's Jarnell Stokes admiring a Jarnell Stokes' rookie card:

[jbcarol]

Memphis Grizzlies @memgrizz  ·  2h
It's official! The @memgrizz have signed @JarnellStokes to a multi-year contract.  http://ow.ly/AsNhA   #GoGrizz

Ronald Tillery @CAGrizBeat  ·  3h
Stokes' total deal is worth more than $2.5 million. A win-win. He gets more money. Griz can make Stokes a restricted free agent in the end.

[jbcarol]

Former Florida point guard Scottie Wilbekin has signed a professional contract to play overseas in Australia, coach Billy Donovan told fans at a gathering in Atlanta...

Wilbekin averaged 3.7 assists, 3.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game in 11 Summer League outings. He shot just 27.3 percent from the floor and 5.0 percent from three-point range.

A four-year player at Florida, Wilbekin led the Gators to a Final Four while earning SEC Player of the Year honors as a senior. He was just the second player in Florida history to earn the honor, joining former Gators star Chandler Parsons.

[jbcarol]

Steve Walentik @Steve_Walentik  ·  2h
The LA Lakers signed second-round pick and former #Mizzou PG Jordan Clarkson to a contract. http://www.nba.com/lakers/releases/140825jordanclarkson_signed?cid=TW ...

[jbcarol]

Former Tennessee Volunteers standout, and Philadelphia 76ers draft pick, Jordan McRae will start his professional career in Australia as he's signed a one-year deal with Melbourne United of the NBL.

McRae was selected with the 58th overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft by the San Antonio Spurs before being traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. McRae was especially impressive during his run through the Samsung Vegas Summer League as he averaged 21 points per game and was an All-Summer League second team selection.

During his senior year in Knoxville, McRae started in all of the Volunteers games while averaging 18.7 points per contest. The second round pick was a first team All-SEC selection by the league's coaches.

[jbcarol]

NBA writer Kevin O'Connor on James Young

At just 19-years-old, Young will probably spend most of his year in the D-League with the Maine Red Claws. There he will be given heavy playing time, which will allow him the opportunity to adjust to the pro-style and improve on all facets of his game.

    When it comes to Young, it's all about upside. He was the third-youngest player in the draft and most certainly one of the rawest of all first round draft picks. It's more important to look to the future when assessing Young, not so much what will or won't happen in Boston this season.

Daniel Orton.

Orton signed a training camp deal with the Wizards, joining his old pal John Wall in Washington.

Orton was a Maine Red Claw last season.

[jbcarol]

Tod Palmer @todpalmer  ·  Sep 23

The LA Lakers have signed Jabari Brown to their training camp roster. He's being reunited with Jordan Clarkson, the club's 2nd-round pick.

[jbcarol]

Kevin Brockway @gatorhoops  ·  1h 1 hour ago
PHOTO: Pelicans' Patric Young is thrilled with his rookie backpack http://cbsprt.co/1yAXMef  via @cbssports

Pink princess backpack for the Young.

[jbcarol]

Sports Illustrated @SInow  ·  12 hours ago

Update: The @Lakers confirm that Julius Randle suffered a broken right tibia. http://on.si.com/1tJpRxa 



James Worthy @JamesWorthy42  ·  12 hours ago

I had the same injury as @J30_RANDLE - he'll recover fine. #StayStrong

[jbcarol]

Ben Frederickson @Ben_Fred  ·  3 hours ago

"Zach (Randolph) loves him. He looks at him as a mini Zach." - @EricHasseltine on Jarnell Stokes

[jbcarol]

Clay: Randle's injury a reminder why players deserve freedom to turn pro

Julius Randle broke his leg. The former Kentucky forward broke the tibia in his right leg during his first regular-season game on the first night of the regular season. Randle underwent surgery Wednesday. The Lakers say his rookie season is over.

It's a cruel blow for a good kid who was expected to be a prominent piece for the rebuilding Los Angeles Lakers...

Let's switch gears, however, and consider a hypothetical. Suppose Randle had returned to Kentucky for his sophomore season. Suppose he decided he needed another campaign under John Calipari to polish his game, to chase after a title, to strengthen his draft stock. Suppose that on the first night of the regular season, in the waning moments of a game in Rupp Arena, Randle had fractured the tibia in his right leg.

Such a stroke of bad luck would open a Pandora's box of uneasy questions. Can Randle recover? Will he return as the same player he was before the injury? What sort of effect will the injury have on his developmental timetable? Was this a fluky misstep or a harbinger of the bad luck associated with an injury-prone player?

To be sure, Randle will face those same questions in 2015-16, but he will do so with a check in the bank. It's a $5.8 million check over two seasons, with an option for two more at even better money...

[jbcarol]

Adam Zagoria @AdamZagoria  ·  8 hours ago
A few interesting names in the D-League Draft
Chane Behanan
Fuquan Edwin
Carrick Felix
Ashton Gibbs
B. Hansbrough
Brady Heslip
TamirJackson
Todd Mayo
Dane Miller
Jonathan Mitchell
Erik Murphy
Brian Oliver
Matt Pressey
Corey RAji
Lenzelle Smith
Chris Smith
Marquis Teague
Naadir Tharpe
Eloy Vargas
Sherrod Wright

[jbcarol]

Clay: Randle's injury a reminder why players deserve freedom to turn pro

Julius Randle @J30_RANDLE  ·  10 hours ago
Finally back at the house. Thanks for all the prayers!! No pouting from me just positive thoughts!! All in Gods plan!

[jbcarol]

Jeff Goodman @GoodmanESPN  ·  3 hours ago
Celtics sent James Young and Dwight Powell to the D-League today. Both are now Maine Red Claws.

[jbcarol]

The final list:

Jabari Brown  MU  RS-Jr
Jordan Clarkson  MU  Jr
JOB III          LSU     Jr
Julius Randle   UK     Fr
Jarnell Stokes  UT     Jr
James Young   UK     Fr

Status of '13-14 SEC Entrants in the NBA Draft:

Jordan Clarkson is averaging about 10-12 minutes a game as a backup PG for the Lakers.

Julius Randle was a lottery pick. Suffered a leg injury in first game for Lakers and is out for the season.

James Young, first round pick by Celtics, Maine Lobster Claws of the D-League.

JOB III is on the roster with the Bucks.  Has yet to play.

Jarnell Stokes is on the roster but has not yet played for the Grizzlies.

Jabari Brown was acquired by the Los Angeles D-Fenders as an affiliate player after being waived by the Lakers.

[jbcarol]

Boston Celtics @celtics  ·  5 hours ago

The Boston Celtics have recalled rookies Dwight Powell and James Young from the Maine Red Claws.

[jbcarol]

Ben Frederickson @Ben_Fred  ·  22 hours ago
Jarnell Stokes' first NBA points. Tennessee fans saw a lot of these.

[vine]O53xYLAVve2[/vine]

[jbcarol]

Wes Rucker @wesrucker247  ·  18 hours ago

I stand by my prediction that Jordan McRae will make an NBA roster at some point. Said the same about C.J. Watson back in the day, FWIW.

[jbcarol]

Kevin Brockway @gatorhoops  ·  13m
Young eager "to prove teams wrong" after signing two-year deal with New Orleans - http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20140719/articles/140719599 ... - via @Gator_sports

Kevin Brockway @gatorhoops  ·  1h
Patric Young on signing with Pelicans "I'm going to come into training camp humble and try to prove those who didn't draft me wrong."

Young said he signed a two-year deal with Pelicans with both years guaranteed.

Patric Young @BigPatYoung4  ·  5 hours ago
Just signed the contract off to Istanbul for the next 6 months. Excited to be a part of Galatasaray. Can't wait to compete again.


Kevin Brockway @gatorhoops  ·  2h 2 hours ago
Glad to see Patric Young move on with pro career in Turkey. Will get playing time and hopefully open eyes of NBA scouts.

[jbcarol]

Adam Zagoria @AdamZagoria  ·  3 hours ago
The Memphis Grizzlies today reassigned Jarnell Stokes to the Iowa Energy, the team's NBA Development League affiliate.

[jbcarol]

Adam Zagoria @AdamZagoria  ·  3 hours ago
Celtics recall James Young; 13 1st-round picks have been in D-League
http://zagsblog.com/articles/celtics-recall-james-young-from-d-league-13-first-round-nba-picks-have-spent-time-in-the-d-league/ ...

[jbcarol]

Chris Palmer @ChrisPalmerNBA  ·  8 hours ago
#LineOfTheNight (D-League Edition): Jabari Brown (@Bari_BrownIDF) 50 pts, 7 rebs, 15-22 FG, 6-9 3FG, 14-17 FT, W

[jbcarol]

Craig Pinkerton @SEC_Craig  ·  11 hours ago

Been a good night in the NBA for former SEC players. @GatorZoneMBK alum Al Horford has a triple-double (21p, 10r, 10a) for the Atlanta Hawks

Not a bad night for former @AlabamaMBB star Mo Williams. Had 52 points in the @MNTimberwolves win over Indianapolis


H/T: KSR

[jbcarol]

Bruce Feldman @BruceFeldmanCFB  ·  4 hours ago
The Lakers starting 5 tonight: Jordan Clarkson, ...

[jbcarol]

Los Angeles Lakers @Lakers  ·  18 hours ago
Jordan Clarkson pitches in 11 points and a career-high 4 assists in the team's loss to the Spurs.

[jbcarol]

Josh Ward @Josh_Ward  ·  6 hours ago

RT @thebiglead: VIDEO: NBA D-League Teammates Jarnell Stokes, Kalin Lucas Ejected for Fighting Each Other in Timeout http://bit.ly/1Dgw44N

[jbcarol]

Austin Kim @AustinKKim  ·  19 hours ago
Former #Mizzou guard Jordan Clarkson ties his career high with 18 points in the LAL win over CHI. Back to back nights with 18 for Clarkson.

[jbcarol]

Adam Himmelsbach @AdamHimmelsbach  ·  3 hours ago
James Young, fresh off his 9 3-pointer night in the D-League, back with the big team and set to check in.

[jbcarol]

Adam Zagoria @AdamZagoria  ·  35 minutes ago

Among those chosen for the NBA D-League All-Star Game are Bryce Cotton, Semaj Christon, Jordan Hamilton, James Michael McAdoo, Jabari Brown

[jbcarol]

'D' truth

Even the SEC's leading scorer can find himself spending time in the NBA's Development League as a pro basketball trainee. That's where you will find former Missouri star Jabari Brown, the leading scorer among SEC players last season with an average of 19.9 points.

This season he plays for — love the name — the Los Angeles D-Fenders, a minor league team affiliated with the Lakers. His teammates include former UK player Eloy Vargas and former Mississippi State shot blocker Jarvis Varnado.

On Jan. 10, Brown scored 50 points against the Sioux Falls Skyforce.

Gary Link, the color analyst on radio broadcasts of Missouri games, can't help but wonder if Brown would have been better off returning to the Tigers this season. No doubt, Missouri's team would be better.

"Really good kid," Link said. "Really good guy. ... I wish him nothing but the best."

But Link questions the decision of some underclassmen to enter their names in the NBA Draft.

"I know they're not making a whole helluva lot of money there," he said of the D-League. "And I know most of these kids don't like school. But, c'mon, they're not majoring in physics."

[jbcarol]

Austin Kim @AustinKKim  ·  14 hours ago

Former #Mizzou guard RT @Lakers: Rookie @JClark5on tallies 17pts, 6rebs & 4asts in the Lakers loss to the Blazers.

[jbcarol]

AL.com sports @aldotcomSports  ·  1 hour ago

#AndrewWiggins is good but what's going on with the rest of the 'star-studded' 2014 #NBA Draft class? http://s.al.com/4cAo5Rj

It seems like an eternity ago but remember, in 2013, when no team was willing to trade a pick in the 2014 NBA draft?

Headlined by the likes of Kansas' Andrew Wiggins and Duke's Jabari Parker, the 2014 draft class was billed as the the best since 2003 when LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh entered the league.

But as the 2014-2015 reconvenes tonight, following a lengthy break for the all-star game, few players in the class have lived up to the hype for various reasons.

Let's take a look back at the first 13 picks in last year's draft:

7. Julius Randle, Los Angeles Lakers
Randle was the guiding force to Kentucky's run to the national championship game in 2014 but his season was cut shot almost as soon as it began when he broke his leg on opening night.

[jbcarol]

 Austin Kim @AustinKKim  ·  8h 8 hours ago

Since scoring 8 points vs. Philadelphia on Mach 22, Jordan Clarkson is averaging 21.6 ppg for the Lakers in the last 5 games.

Also, former #Mizzou guard Jabari Brown broke out with 22 points (7-10, 3-4 from 3) in the Lakers win vs. Philadelphia tonight.

Those last few tweets were for the Mizzou fans that wanted some positive basketball news...

[jbcarol]

ESPN Stats & Info @ESPNStatsInfo  ·  3h 3 hours ago

Jordan Clarkson did something for LA last night that Magic Johnson never did

Jordan Clarkson: 26 pts, 11 asts, 6 reb; other Lakers rookies w/ 25-10-5 game: Archie Clark (1966-67), West (60-61), Baylor (58-59) #Elias

[jbcarol]

Baxter Holmes @BaxterHolmes  ·  18h 18 hours ago
Jordan Clarkson is Western Conf. Rookie of the Month for March, becoming the first ever Laker to win the award (first presented in 1981-82).

[jbcarol]

 Los Angeles Lakers @Lakers  ·  12h 12 hours ago

The Mizzou backcourt combines for 44-points tonight. 26 for @JClark5on and 18 for @Bari_BrownIDF.

[jbcarol]

 Dave Matter @Dave_Matter  ·  16h 16 hours ago

Highest NBA rookie scoring averages from Mizzou in order: Stipo, Clarkson, Jabari Brown, Peeler, John Brown, Chievous, Doug Smith, Sundvold

With 32 points last night, Jabari Brown finishes with slightly higher scoring avg (11.95) than Lakers teammate Jordan Clarkson (11.91)


Worked out for Clarkson and Brown

[jbcarol]

 NBA @NBA  ·  2h 2 hours ago

2015 All-Rookie First & Second Teams, by voting breakdown:

[jbcarol]

Matt Jones @KySportsRadio  ·  4h 4 hours ago
James Young gets praised by Celtics Coach Brad Stevens on his rookie season http://is.gd/KzBmbh

Stevens bragged on Young saying: "We had a 19-year-old in James Young, who we think is going to be a fantastic player, whose work ethic is good, who comes to the gym every day, who's getting better."

Young spent his Rookie season improving his game in the D-League and according to Stevens, it's paying off: "He didn't always get that validation by playing time. That's a hard position to be in, because you're going through the mundane-ness of everyday work and not getting the reward of playing time. Over the course of time, he's going to be ready, sooner than later."

[jbcarol]

James Young wants to make his move in year two with the Boston Celtics, reports Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe. The 19-year-old is still the youngest player on the Celtics' Summer League roster by 10 months.

Last year, when he was obviously even younger, he acknowledges, he sometimes used his age as a crutch. Now, those days are over.

"I'm not going to look at it as being the youngest anymore," he said. "I'm just going to go out there and play. This year I'm just going in and trying to take everybody's head. That's how I'm looking at it. I have a different mental focus."

Young had a mercurial rookie season after being drafted by the Celtics with the 17th pick. Fans fawned over his smooth, almost elegant jump shot, and when he sat on the bench during the team's early season struggles, there was consistent clamoring to give him a more significant opportunity.

As the year progressed it became obvious Young was not quite ready for that. He was slowed by some nagging injuries, but he also was unprepared for the demands of an NBA season.

"It was a big transition for me," he said. "Being so young, I thought I had it all figured out and my confidence was high. But then my confidence got thrown off, and that kind of messed up my game."

Young shuttled between Boston and the team's D-League affiliate, the Maine Red Claws, 11 times. He showed flashes of potential with the Red Claws, averaging 21.5 points per game and shooting 44 percent on 3-pointers.

Back with the Celtics, however, opportunities usually vanished, particularly after veteran Gigi Datome surprisingly emerged as a trusted option in coach Brad Stevens's system.

Aside from playing 24 minutes in the meaningless regular-season finale, Young played a total of just 14 minutes over the final 20 games of the season. He did not play in the playoffs, either.

Stevens constantly preaches to his players about "owning their space." That essentially means that when they are on offense, they should not be pushed around, and when they are on defense, they should push an opponent around.

Last season, by most accounts, Young did not own his space...

[jbcarol]

Steve Walentik ‏@Steve_Walentik 8h8 hours ago

... Former #Mizzou standouts Clarkson and Brown overcoming odds to build careers in the NBA http://www.columbiatribune.com/sports/mu_basketball/clarkson-and-brown-overcoming-odds-to-build-careers-in-the/article_7d3af90c-0e93-5fc0-ae61-74e29a452729.html ...

It was easy enough to wonder last summer if Jordan Clarkson and Jabari Brown hadn't made big mistakes.

The two standout guards left Missouri with college eligibility still remaining in April 2014 to chase their NBA dreams. Each spent months auditioning for teams around the league, hoping he would see his effort rewarded when the franchises all convened for the draft near the end of June at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y.

But when it came to draft night, Clarkson slipped to the middle of the second round and was the lucky one, because his roommate Brown didn't hear his name called at all.

There have been countless stories such as those in an era in which players too often leave school early, seemingly pushed more by imagination than sound advice, and wind up trying to earn a place on an NBA roster against long odds with no assurance of a guaranteed contract.

A year later, Clarkson and Brown both seem to be two of the rare players who beat the odds...