D-Leaguers ‘audition’ for limited roles

They‘ve all had a taste of life in the NBA, and they obviously liked it. But there are only so many jobs and so many ways to obtain those jobs.

So the trio signed up to play for the NBA Development League Select team that is competing at the NBA Summer League. They know nothing is guaranteed, but with every team having someone in Las Vegas to watch, maybe a team will like what it sees of them and offer an opportunity.

"It‘s an audition," said Hopson, who played in the D-League for Sioux Falls last season and has been the Selects‘€™ best player. "I‘m trying to show that I can be a consistent 3-point shooter and be a lockdown defender.

"You‘ve got to do multiple things well to be in the NBA. I‘m a much more complete and mature player."

The D-Leaguers finished pool play 2-1 after defeating Atlanta 84-74 on Monday at Cox Pavilion. They play Wednesday when the playoff portion of the summer league begins.

Hopson, a 6-foot-7-inch forward from Tennessee, had been with the Sacramento Kings during last preseason but failed to stick. He had been in the summer league with the Miami Heat in 2013 and Cleveland Cavaliers in 2014. He had previously played overseas in Greece, Israel, Turkey and Spain.

But he elected to chase his NBA dream closer to home in South Dakota. He averaged 19.2 points for the Skyforce last season, which led to an invitation to the Selects.

"I‘m trying to implement things that I‘€™ve learned from all of my stops," he said. "The thing I‘€™ve learned the most is you can‘€™t take any plays off."

Thabeet, a 7-3 center who was drafted No. 2 overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in 2009 but has struggled to stay in the NBA, is hoping to use his time with the Select team to convince someone to give him another shot. But he has had a tough week, averaging 6.0 points and 4.5 rebounds and getting ejected Sunday in the second quarter against the Washington Wizards for arguing a call.

Griffin, whose brother Blake is an all-star with the Los Angeles Clippers, played for the Phoenix Suns in 2010. He spent last year with Golden State‘s D-League affiliate in Santa Cruz and helped the Warriors win the D-League championship.

Selects coach Scott Morrison has a hard job. He‘s trying to find minutes for everyone so they can showcase their talents. He‘€™s also trying to win because the more games the team wins, the longer they get to stick around and get a look from the NBA teams as well as the numerous foreign teams that have executives scouting.

"I try to preach to them that the better we play, the better it is for them," said Morrison, who coached the Maine Red Claws to a 35-15 record and was the D-League‘€™s Coach of the year in 2015. "We‘re trying to build some chemistry and have some fun. At the same time, we’re trying to win. These are competitive guys. They didn‘€™t come here to lose."

The Selects were formed in 2009 and went 13-13 in their first five years playing in the summer league. The team has sent several players to the NBA, the most notable being Elijah Millsap, who played for the Selects in 2013 and signed a multi-year deal with the Utah Jazz in late January.

Casey Prather is hoping he‘€™ll be on an NBA roster come fall. The 6-6 former Florida forward played for the D-League‘s Bakersfield Jam last year after getting cut by Phoenix in the preseason.

Prather probably could have tried to hook up with an NBA team in Las Vegas. But every team has a pecking order when it comes to minutes, and Prather probably would have struggled to get playing time. With the Selects, he knew he would get a decent shot to play meaningful minutes, and he is averaging 6.5 points in almost 30 minutes a game.

"The D-League has some great competition, and my agent and I thought this would be the best way for me to try to get to the NBA," Prather said. "We have some great players on this team. Everyone knows how to play, and everyone gets along."

Before the start of play, Morrison had a team-building function at Caesars Palace, where the players interacted over Mexican food.

"It was a great dinner," Morrison said. "We’re not going to be together very long, so we wanted to take advantage of the time we have and get to know each other."

Hopson said while everyone has the same goal and only a couple might achieve it, there‘€™s no attitude or back-biting with the Select team.

"Nobody‘€™s going to want a selfish player or someone who doesn‘€™t fit in," he said. "Everyone here gets it."

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.