Earlier today, the Idaho Stampede announced that they had acquired Coby Karl, who was considered a returning player after playing 22 games in Boise last season.  Karl made the Cavs this season and played three games before being released last week so that his contract wouldn't become guaranteed. Also, I predicted this.

Then, this afternoon, they sent out a release saying that they had re-acquired Lance Allred.  Allred's intelligent, writes books and, in his spare time, has put up double-double's for the Stampede for the past two seasons (Full disclosure: He's played three seasons with the Stampede, but in his first season he was stuck behind Peter John Ramos and Jeff Graves - still, he averaged 17.3 points and 9.6 boards per 36 minutes).  He also earned a call-up during the 2007-08 season for the Cavaliers, during which awkward, shirtless pictures were taken.

Interestingly enough, the Stampede now have three former Cleveland Cavaliers on their roster: Karl, Allred and Cedric Simmons (2007-08). 

The Stampede have plenty more NBA experienced players:

• Anthony Tolliver has played 21 NBA games over the past two seasons, playing 19 games with the Spurs last season and two on a call-up from the Blazers this season.
  
• Donell Taylor played in 98 games from 2005-07 with the Washington Wizards
• Patty Mills, who was recently re-assigned to the Stampede by the Blazers, has played just one game in the NBA after recently recovering from a Summer League injury.
• Roberto Bergeson, while not having played any NBA games, was a 2nd round pick of the Portland Trailblazers in 1999.

If Sundiata Gaines comes back from the Jazz, this team is ripe with NBA talent.  In fact, even if he doesn't, this team is still ripe with NBA talent.  Add in the phenomenal system run by coach Bob MacKinnon and aassistant Joel Abelson, then put this team together since the beginning of the NBA season and I think they could have won, at least, three games by now.

Also, though it wasn't mentioned in either press release, Ridiculous Upside would like to wish Lanny Smith a quick recovery from his knee injury.