The first few months of this season probably didn't go quite as planned for the sharpshooting Blake Ahearn, but the last few weeks have gone quite well for the NBA Development League's leading scorer this season. After taking the last few weeks of the D-League regular season off to tend to his duties as a first-time father, the veteran guard learned he's been called up to the Utah Jazz on Monday afternoon.

Ahearn played well for the Team USA entry at this past summer's Pan-American games, was invited to training camp with the Los Angeles Clippers (though that turned into him being on the outside looking in once Chris Paul was acquired) and then played quite well in 37 games of D-League action this year.

The 6-foot-3 guard led the D-League in scoring this season 23.8 points per game while shooting better than 40 percent from beyond the three-point arc. It looked like NBA scouts were going to be unwilling to overlook the stigmas that surrounded the shooter, though, and he was going to be on the outside looking for a little while longer.

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The Washington Wizards have found solid replacement players from the NBA Development League in the past and, in a move that shouldn't be surprising, they're going with what's worked once again. After a 10-day testing period of Edwin Ubiles, Washington has decided to dig into the D-League once again.

Cartier Martin is expected to sign with the Wizards, according to a league source, after playing 52 games with the team last season. Martin decided to play in China while the NBA lockout situation was being sorted out, but returned to the Iowa Energy earlier this month.

The 6-foot-7 swingman out of Kansas State averaged 26.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in 30 games while playing in China and has continued to play well since returning stateside, scoring 18.3 points per contest with Iowa. He'll be the 44th call-up of the season.

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The NBA Development League might not be doing the best job its ever done as far as helping players develop their skills, but the NBA is definitely benefiting from the ability to sign players that have stayed in shape while showcasing their talents in the D-League this season.

By the time everyone reads this, there will likely be 44 call-ups already in the D-League this season (Alan Anderson, Malcolm Thomas, Ben Uzoh and Cartier Martin being the latest). 31 players had been called up by the close of business on Monday night and there's a good chance that number continues to grow throughout the next couple of weeks.

It would seem with the top 31 players out of the league, the pickings are going to be slim. That isn't exactly the case, however, as ten of them find themselves either back in the D-League or currently unsigned (sorry, Ryan Reid) ... and the NBA hasn't always picked the top prospect, anyway.

Since my last rendition of this column just two weeks ago, two of my top prospects at their respective positions have been called up as Donald Sloan is with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Edwin Ubiles is just returning from a 10-day with the Washington Wizards. That, combined with the fact there have been numerous comings and goings related to the remainder of the list, mean that it's time for a new version.

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The Golden State Warriors have some big man problems with Andrew Bogut and Andris Biedrins out of the lineup and, as they did a few seasons ago, it looks like the team will delve heavily into the NBA Development League to fix up their roster. The team signed Mickell Gladness earlier in the week, but there's going to be a new big man arriving soon.

The Warriors are expected to call-up rookie Keith Benson from the D-League's Sioux Falls Skyforce, Ridiculous Upside has confirmed (the deal was first reported by Skyforce broadcaster Daniel Peters). Benson, a 6-foot-11 rookie, was drafted in the second round by the Atlanta Hawks last summer. He was the last cut during preseason, however, after going overseas during the lockout.

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The San Antonio Spurs have been one of the best teams in the NBA when it comes to successfully using the Development League to their advantage. On Friday night, they took advantage of the squad run by Brad Jones once again, deciding to call-up their D-League team's point guard while getting rookie Cory Joseph more seasoning with the Austin Toros.

The Spurs plan to sign dynamic guard Justin Dentmon to a 10-day contract, according to a league source. San Antonio traded for the former Washington Huskies standout prior to the season and it's paid off pretty well.

The 6-foot guard was averaging 22.9 points and 5.3 assists while shooting 42 percent from beyond the three-point arc prior to sitting out Friday night's game in anticipation of the call-up.

San Antonio has been pretty thin at the point guard position ever since T.J. Ford -- now a Toros assistant coach -- was forced to retire due to injuries. It got worse on Friday night, however, as starting point guard Tony Parker didn't dress due to tightness in his hamstring and Patty Mills is still officially unable to join the team due to visa issues.

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The Golden State Warriors were expected to sign J.J. Hickson, but he was surprisingly claimed by the Portland Trail Blazers prior to clearing waivers on Wednesday afternoon. The Warriors have went to Plan B with a familiar big to fill their roster spot, though, as they're expected to sign a player who's played with their NBA Development League team.

Mickell Gladness will sign a 10-day contract with the Warriors on Thursday, according to a source with knowledge of the deal. Gladness began the season with the D-League's Dakota Wizards before earning a training camp invite with the Miami Heat following the NBA lockout.

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Gerald Green was a bit of a pariah in NBA circles prior to his call-up to the New Jersey Nets, toiling away in the NBA Development League with the Los Angeles D-Fenders while trying to prove he wasn't the same player that unceremoniously exited the league a few years ago as a player that seemed like he just didn't "get it."

Green's game changed over the past couple of years, however, and he was quite impressive as soon as he was inserted into Eric Musselman's starting lineup at the D-League Showcase in January. In 13 D-League starts, the all-world dunker averaged 23.2 points and 5.8 rebounds while making an incredible 48 percent of his shots from beyond the 3-point arc.

Your's truly wrote in early February that Green deserved another chance, but the majority of the NBA scouts apparently still weren't convinced he'd changed. This despite seeing the change with their own eyes in Reno, something Jonathan Givony of Draft Express recently pointed out on Twitter.

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The Washington Wizards made solid deals at the NBA trade deadline, shipping out restricted free agent JaVale McGee and Nick Young while bringing in Nene from the Denver Nuggets. The solid moves will apparently continue, too -- thought not quite on the same level.

Washington is expected to call-up Edwin Ubiles from the Dakota Wizards over the weekend, according to a league source. The Wizards had a pair of roster spots open following this week's trade along with the release of Hamady Ndiaye last month.

Ubiles has been one of the best prospects in the D-League all season as the 25-year-old swingman is averaging 20.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists while shooting 50 percent from the field. That comes on the heels of his being one of the more important players on the Puerto Rican National Team that won a gold medal at last summer's Pan-Am Games.

Those accomplishments are quite impressive for the former member of the Siena Saints considering this is his first full season of professional basketball after sitting out the majority of last season with a stress fracture in his right tibia.

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