[NBA.com] Rockets Tied for Most Former D-Leaguers in the NBA

Interesting article, we're tied with Miami (worst team in the league) for the number of players on our roster with D-League experience!

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Former D-Leaguers On The Houston Rockets


Rafer Alston and the Houston Rockets have been doing plenty of celebrating lately.


by Matthew Brennan, D-League.com

March 7, 2008: The Houston Rockets are the talk of the NBA this month with the team in the midst of a franchise-record 17-game winning streak, which is now tied for the seventh longest streak in NBA history. This year's team has achieved their success with help of several former D-League players who are serving as key contributors, including startering point guard Rafer Alston and former GATORADE Call-Up Chuck Hayes. Currently, the Rockets are tied with Miami for the league lead with six players with D-League experience currently on the team roster. Here is a look at all six players, their roles with the Rockets this season, and a look back at their experiences in the D-League. You can check out some of the Rockets in action back in their D-League days in the Photo Gallery.

Rafer Alston, Guard (Mobile 2002-03)

Alston has started 58 games this year in his third season with Houston and is ranked third behind Tracy McGrady and the now-sidelined Yao Ming on the team with 12.4 points, including a season-high 24 points in Thursday's win over the Mavericks. The New York City playground legend and Fresno State star currently leads all 67 players with D-League experience in the NBA in scoring and assists, dishing out a team-high 5.8 per game. Alston's stay in the D-League was a short one, as he played in six D-League games for the Mobile Revelers back in the 2002-03 season. After averaging 15.8 points and 9.6 assists, Alston received a GATORADE Call-Up to the Toronto Raptors and has developed into a contributor for Toronto and Miami before moving on to the starting point guard spot with the Rockets, where he has started 203 games over the past three seasons.

Chuck Hayes, Forward (Albuquerque 2005-06)

Hayes is the perfect example of a D-League success story, going from an undrafted rookie, to GATORADE Call-Up, to starter with the Rockets. The 6-7 Hayes has appeared in 58 games this season for Houston, starting 44, and is averaging 2.9 points and 5.7 rebounds. He chipped in 9 points and 11 rebounds off the bench in the Rockets' win over Indiana on Wednesday. After a standout college career at Kentucky, Hayes was selected in the first round of the 2005 D-League Draft by the Albuquerque Thunderbirds. He averaged 10.8 points and 11.4 rebounds in 15 games before the Rockets signed him as a GATORADE Call-Up. He is now in his third season with Houston.

Aaron Brooks, Guard (Rio Grande Valley 2007-08)

The rookie from Oregon has provided backup minutes at guard in his first NBA season, averaging 4.3 points and 1.6 assists in 40 NBA games. The highlight of Brooks' season came on January 5 against the Knicks, when he scored a career-high 22 points on 8-10 shooting from the field. Back in December, Brooks was assigned to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers of the D-League, where he averaged 23.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.0 assists in two games before returning to Houston.

Steve Novak, Forward (Rio Grande Valley 2007-08)

Obviously Novak's shining moment of the season came a few weeks ago on February 13, when he nailed a three-pointer with two seconds left to lead the Rockets to an 89-97 win over the Kings, which was their eighth straight victory in the current streak. Known for his excellent three-point shooting, Novak is averaging 3.3 points and shooting .438 (22-47) from three-point range in his second season. Like Brooks, Novak was assigned to Rio Grande Valley at the start of the 2007-08 D-League season and went on to average 18.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in nine games. The 6-10 Novak, who was the 32nd overall pick by Houston in the 2006 NBA Draft out of Marquette, connected on .450 (27-50) from beyond the arc while he was in the D-League.

Gerald Green, Guard-Forward (Fayetteville/Florida 2005-06)

A trading-deadline acquistion by the Rockets, Green has only appeared in one game for Houston so far, scoring six points in a blowout victory over the Wizards on February 29. Before the trade, the 6-8 Green appeared in 29 games this season for the Timberwolves, averaging 5.1 points. As Boston's first round pick (18th overall) in the 2005 NBA Draft, Green was one of the first players to be assigned to the D-League in the first year of NBA affiliations. He averaged 11.9 points in nine games split between the Florida Flame and the Fayetteville Patriots.

Bobby Jones, Forward (Sioux Falls 2008, Fort Worth 2006)

The newest member of the Rockets became the 15th GATORADE Call-Up of the 2007-08 D-League season when Houston signed him to a ten-day contract on February 26. Jones has appeared in four games for the Rockets. He was signed from the D-League after briefly playing for the Sioux Falls Skyforce, and has also appeared in the NBA for the Denver Nuggets and the Memphis Grizzlies this season. Last year as a rookie with the Philadelphia 76ers the 6-7 Jones was assigned to the Fort Worth Flyers, where he averaged 13.7 points and 8.0 rebounds in three games.

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http://www.nba.com/dleague/news/rockets_080307.html

 

Well we have another D-Leaguer, Justin Williams, for the next 10 days at least