RealGM’s Player of the Week: Pierre Jackson (Idaho Stampede)

For the second time in three weeks, Jackson has been named RealGM’s Player of the Week. He broke the all-time D-League scoring record with 58 points (24-33 FG, 7-13 3FG) against the Texas Legends while he also had eight assists and six rebounds in the same game. In total, he averaged 41.7 points on 56 percent shooting, 4.7 assists, and 4.3 rebounds per game as the Stampede were 2-1 this week. Jackson was named a D-League All-Star and is the front-runner for the D-League MVP, but would probably prefer a call-up to the NBA. The Pelicans own his rights and are the only team that can sign him, yet have failed to do so this season. As an offensive sparkplug who could provide instant offense, Jackson would be an immediate contributor in New Orleans. It will be interesting to see if he gets the call-up or is possibly moved at the trade deadline.

Game of the Week: Erie Bayhawks 97, Fort Wayne Mad Ants 95

After Fort Wayne opened the fourth quarter on a 12-2 run to cut the deficit to five points, it was a tight final minutes in the Game of the Week. Erie and Fort Wayne traded baskets in the final two minutes highlighted by a put-back from Sadiel Rojas to tie the game at 95 with only 4.8 seconds left. After a timeout from Erie, Ricky Davis hit a mid-range jumper with less than a second left to give the Bayhawks the win.

Terrance Jennings led the Bayhawks with 17 points off the bench while Micah Downs had another 13. Lewis Jackson had nine points along with a game-high 13 assists.

The Mad Ants were led by Ron Howard’s game-high 25 points. Alabama’s Tony Mitchell had 18 points while North Texas’ Tony Mitchell had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Detroit Pistons assignee Peyton Siva had 10 points and five assists.

Five Stars

Robert Covington (Rio Grande Valley Vipers): The Houston Rockets assignee went for 34 points (10-19 FG, 4-9 3FG) and 10 rebounds in his lone game this week. Covington has a complete scorer’s skill set, with the ability to attack the basket, pull up from mid-range, or knock down the three, and also showed his athletic ability with some highlight dunks. The 6-foot-8 forward from Tennessee State was selected as a D-League All-Star.

Devin Ebanks (Texas Legends): Ebanks averaged 26.3 points and 8.3 rebounds this week although the Legends dropped all three contests. The 6-foot-9 small forward’s calling card is on the defensive end, but he’s been one of the top scorers in the league this year. He was also selected as a D-League All-Star. Darius Johnson-Odom (Springfield Armor): Johnson has been performing at a high level over the past month for Springfield. This week, the bulky 6-foot-3 guard averaged 29 points, eight assists, and six rebounds per game. The lefty is strong and can attack the rim, but is looking to develop into a true point guard. His 14 turnovers in three games this week is an area where he can improve.

Grant Jerrett (Tulsa 66ers): The number one pick in this year’s D-League draft averaged 23.5 points and eight rebounds per game this week. Jerrett was a surprise last season when he declared for the NBA draft after his freshman year at Arizona, but he has shown flashes as a potential NBA stretch four. He was a second round pick in last year’s NBA draft, so he wasn’t expected to contribute immediately, but the 20 year old is improving as the season goes on. The 6-foot-10 prospect should be someone to keep an eye on, although the Oklahoma City Thunder own his rights and are the only team that can call him up.

Adonis Thomas (Springfield Armor): An ultra-athletic wing, Thomas averaged 25.3 points on 53 percent shooting and 5.3 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-6 Memphis alum went undrafted last year because he was still considered raw on the offensive end; however, he had the physical tools to become an NBA player. Thomas was already solid on the defensive end, and continues to be, but has seen the biggest growth in his offensive numbers. He’s averaging 15 points per game this year while shooting 48 percent from the field and 47 percent from three-point range. With his development, Thomas could be a guy that sneaks onto an NBA roster before next season.

Darius Johnson-Odom (Springfield Armor): Johnson has been performing at a high level over the past month for Springfield. This week, the bulky 6-foot-3 guard averaged 29 points, eight assists, and six rebounds per game. The lefty is strong and can attack the rim, but is looking to develop into a true point guard. His 14 turnovers in three games this week is an area where he can improve.

Call-Ups

Shawne Williams (Los Angeles D-Fenders): After being released on January 7th, the Los Angeles Lakers resigned Williams to replace the injured Nick Young’s spot. He averaged 19.5 points and 5.8 rebounds in four games with the D-Fenders before getting the 10-day contract. So far, Williams has a combined 11 points and nine rebounds in two games where he has seen a total of 35 minutes of action.

And One: Manny Harris was showing promise with the Lakers during his two 10-day contracts, averaging 20 minutes, 8.1 points, and 3.8 rebounds per game, but it was ultimately decided that the Lakers would let him go instead of signing him for the remainder of the year. As a result, Harris made his first D-League appearance after his stint with the Lakers on Friday against the Santa Cruz Warriors. All he did was score a franchise-record 56 points (20-39 FG, 5-9 3FG) to go with 15 rebounds and four assists. It shouldn’t be long before he earns another call-up.