The Holy Land of Hoops

39 – Philadelphia – Josh Hart – SG, 6’-5” – Villanova
54 – Phoenix – Edmond Sumner – PG, 6’-5” – Xavier

Bubble - Kris Jenkins – SF, 6’-6” - Villanova
Bubble – L.J. Peak – SG, 6’-5” - Georgetown

According to NBA sources, the #Rockets have an agreement with undrafted free agent L.J. Peak (@ljpeak1), small forward from Georgetown.

ROSTERS PUBLISHED TO DATE:

CHARLOTTE HORNETS
DALLAS MAVERICKS ==> (13 - Vander Blue - G 6-4 200, 7/17/1992 - Marquette)
DETROIT PISTONS ==> (8 - Henry Ellenson - F/C 6-11 245, 1/13/1997 - Marquette)
INDIANA PACERS
LA CLIPPERS
MIAMI HEAT
NY KNICKS
OKC THUNDER ==> (7 - Semaj Christon - G 6-3 190, 11/1/92 - Xavier), (45 - Kameron Woods - F 6-9 200, 4/22/1993 - Butler)
ORLANDO MAGIC (WHITE)
ORLANDO MAGIC (BLUE)

Former Marquette basketball star Vander Blue, who currently plays for the Los Angeles D-Fenders, was named the Most Valuable Player of the NBA Development League.

The honor was bestowed upon him based on a vote by the league's 22 head coaches following a season in which the 6-foot-4 guard averaged 24.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.6 steals in 47 games while helping the D-Fenders to a 34-16 record, which tied for the best in the Western Conference.

Blue took a circuitous route to becoming a star in the D-League. That path started in 2013 when he led Marquette to the Elite Eight as a junior then decided to forgo his senior season and enter the NBA draft. Blue's standout performance in the NCAA Tournament didn't pay dividends on draft night as he was not selected and began an odyssey that included playing with 13 different teams in four leagues by the end of the 2016 season. All of Blue's success in the D-League has not translated to call-ups to the NBA — over the past two seasons, though, the 24-year-old has not received a call-up to the NBA.

We didn’t get a good look at what Henry Ellenson can offer until the Detroit Pistons season was lost, which is a decision Stan Van Gundy may come to regret.

Henry Ellenson was widely considered to be a steal when he fell to the Detroit Pistons in the 18th spot in last season’s NBA draft. He’s certainly raw, having turned 20 years old in January, and a project, so the bulk of his playing time was with the Grand Rapids Drive of the NBA D-League.

Ellenson acquitted himself well against D-League competition, averaging 17.9 points and 8.9 rebounds per game, but his shooting numbers left much to be desired. He shot just 41.6 percent from the floor and 32.8 percent from three-point range, numbers which were fairly in line with his college production. In his single season at Marquette, he hit 44.6 percent from the floor and a meager 28.8 percent from long range.

After opening this season with the Oklahoma City Thunder’s main roster, Semaj Christon has been assigned to the team’s NBA Development League affiliate, OKC Blue. Christon’s spot on Oklahoma City’s roster was made expendable by the return of second-year guard Cameron Payne. Payne’s 16-17' debut for OKC came in a Nov. 7 win vs. Denver.

The 24-year-old Christon was selected 55th overall in the 2014 Draft by the Miami Heat. Later that Summer, Christon joined Oklahoma City’s Summer League roster and played 44 games that season for the team’s Development League affiliate.

After spending 15-16 competing overseas, the 6’3 Christon was officially signed by OKC over the offseason. The former Xavier standout surprised many by making the Oklahoma City Thunder roster ahead of veteran Ronnie Price.

ORLANDO — A look at top performers from Day 2 in Orlando:

Henry Ellenson, Detroit Pistons

The Pistons’ No. 18 pick in the 2016 draft had a second straight day of being active at both ends of the floor as he knocks on the door for playing time in Year Two. His shooting range has improved as the big man knocked down a pair of 3-pointers, hitting 5-for-9 overall to score 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds in a thumping of the Knicks. He also dished out four assists.

ORLANDO —A look at top performers from Day 4 in Orlando:

Henry Ellenson and Luke Kennard, Detroit Pistons

The last two first round draft picks of the Pistons provided a 1-2 punch with 18 points apiece against Miami. The big man Ellenson continued to show off his improved outside shot make three from three-point range and Kennard sent the game into overtime with a pair of clutch free throws.

bluejayfan00 wrote:Creighton:
Kyle Korver (Cavs/FA)
Anthony Tolliver (Kings/FA)
Doug McDermott (Thunder)
Justin Patton (T'Wolves)
Cole Huff (Raptors summer league)