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In the 2010 Draft, the L.A. Lakers drafted Devin Ebanks, a 6-foot-9 small forward out of West Virginia, in the second round with the 43rd overall pick.
Like many second-rounders, Ebanks' future in the NBA was a hazy one, but he managed to muster through three short seasons with the Lakers, totalling 224 points in 63 games. However, after the Lakers decided not to offer him an extension, he found himself without a job for the upcoming season. His best shot was with the Dallas Mavericks, who gave him a non-guaranteed, training camp invite in the middle of September, but for whatever reason, it didn't work out, as he was waived after just three preseason games.
Now, Ebanks finds himself in the D-League with the Mavericks' affiliate, the Texas Legends, in an attempt to make his way back to the Association and through nine games, he has been spectacular, averaging 23.2 points and 10.1 rebounds on 46.6 percent shooting from the field and 35.0 percent from three. He has led the Legends to an impressive 7-2 start, which included a huge win against the then-undefeated Rio Grande Valley Vipers on December 13th, thanks to a season-high 43 points from Ebanks himself. He also finds him as the 5th best prospect, according to the experts' list.
Since teammate Chris Douglas-Roberts got his long awaited call-up to the NBA, much of the scoring load has fallen on Ebanks' shoulders and he's responded with great results, boosting his scoring average to 24.3 points per game so far for the month of December. And on Wednesday, he had one of his best games to date, as he scored a game-high 32 points on 13-for-23 shooting against the Sprinfield Armor. He also played a huge role down the stretch, by scoring four points in the final 35 seconds, including the game-winning jumper over the outstretched hands of Dennis Horner.
For any teams looking to add a small forward who can stretch the floor, Ebanks may just be their man. As he told D-LeagueDigest.com earlier this season, his biggest focus when joining the Legends was to show off his new and improved jumper, as well as a some more consistency from three. He's flaunted all that through the first nine games of the season, now he just has to keep it going.