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Now in the year 2014, approximately 30% of all NBA players have D-League experience.
It's undeniable that some of the more notable players in The Association today (see the likes of Jeremy Lin, Danny Green, and Chris Andersen) have risen up through the ranks of the minor league in recent years. Thus, it's becoming more and more important for fans and big league personnel alike to pay special attention to the talent in the D-League after all.
The NBADL's most promising of prospects strut their stuff each and every night in hopes of getting noticed, catching the eye of an NBA executive, and perhaps earning that oh so coveted big league call-up soon after.
Of course, whereas such D-League athletes hope to catch on with NBA teams for the longterm, there's no doubt any one of them would relish an opportunity to prove themselves regardless, should an NBA team be hit with an injury bug and need someone to fill in instead.
Taking all of this (and more) into consideration, the RidiculousUpside.com staff (featuring Keith Schlosser, Scott Rafferty, and Dakota Schmidt) is to proud to introduce our Prospect Pyramid, where we rank the minor league's top players at each position.
Without further adieu, here are the shooting guards.
1) Manny Harris, Los Angeles D-Fenders: A two-time "Player of the Week" award winner this season, Harris has been one of the most dominant scorers the league has hosted on its hardwood all year long.
2013-14 Stats: 29.7 points (48% from the field, 27% from deep), 3.8 assists, 6.3 rebounds, and 2.2 steals
2) Troy Daniels, Rio Grande Valley Vipers: Daniels isn't the most consistent of shooters (he's more of a hot/cold type guy), but his continued prowess from long range would make him a nice fit on any number of NBA rosters.
2013-14 Stats: 22.8 points (41% from the field, 41% from deep), 1.3 assists, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.0 steals
3) Cameron Jones, Santa Cruz Warriors: Jones is quite the versatile scorer, able to put the ball in the basket from anywhere on the court. To make that leap to The Association, this two guard needs to round out the rest of his game a bit more in the weeks and months to come.
2013-14 Stats: 20.5 points (44% from the field, 41% from deep), 3.7 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.6 steals
4) Darius Johnson-Odom, Springfield Armor: An NBA vet, Johnson-Odom hasn't been able to stick just yet. Having just returned to the D-League from overseas recently, DJO hasn't missed a beat offensively, but his smaller frame likely still holds him back.
2013-14 Stats: 22.3 points (46% from the field, 36% from deep), 3.2 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.8 steals
5) DeAndre Liggins, Sioux Falls Skyforce: Last season, Liggins was a constant triple-double threat while on assignment from the OKC Thunder. Now a full-time minor leaguer, he's doing his best to continue filling up the stat-sheet on a nightly basis.
2013-14 Stats: 15.4 points (40% from the field, 34% from deep), 5.2 assists, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.3 steals
6) Trey McKinney-Jones, Fort Wayne Mad Ants: McKinney-Jones' strong showing at the D-League Showcase skyrocketed him into firm placement on this list. Like Howard, he's a high plus/minus guy, able to make a positive impact for a winning team.
2013-14 Stats: 16.9 points (46% from the field, 40% from deep), 2.6 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.3 steals
7) Scott Suggs, Erie BayHawks: One of the purest two guards in all of the D-League, things come easy for Suggs on the offensive end, as he's able to score the ball with ease.
2013-14 Stats: 17.0 points (48% from the field, 43% from deep), 1.9 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.1 steals
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