RealGM’s Player of the Week: Tiny Gallon (Delaware 87ers)

Gallon averaged 29.5 points and 11.5 rebounds per game on 58 percent shooting this week for Delaware including a game winner over Maine in the Game of the Week. He has been dominant since joining the D-League two months ago, averaging 18.2 points and 9.6 rebounds per game this season. The 6-foot-9, 290 pound power forward was a second round pick in the 2010 NBA Draft, but never played a game in the league. He’s bounced around in the D-League and even played three games in Puerto Rico before appearing for the 87ers this year. Gallon has been impressive enough to receive a near six-figure proposal from Liaoning in the Chinese Basketball Association but turned it down in hopes of making an NBA roster, as reported by RealGM’s Shams Charania. With his improved conditioning and addition of a consistent jumper, Gallon is making strides in the D-League.

Game of the Week: Delaware 87ers 100, Maine Red Claws 98

The nationally televised game on CBS Sports Net resulted in the most exciting matchup. In a contest highlighted by big swings, Delaware used a 15-6 run to tie the game at 91 with 3:45 remaining. The teams traded baskets from there on out and Delaware had possession with 15 seconds left. Bo Spencer was off on a jumper, but Gallon’s putback with 1.6 seconds left gave Delaware the win.

Gallon scored a game-high 32 points to go with 16 rebounds. Matt Bouldin, Kyrylo Fesenko, Damian Saunders, and Spencer were also in double-figures. For Maine, Daniel Orton had a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Frank Gaines scored 15 while Tyshawn Taylor chipped in 14.

Five Stars

Seth Curry (Santa Cruz Warriors): On a night that featured Golden State assigness Kent Bazemore, MarShon Brooks, and Ognjen Kuzmic, Curry was expected to be overshadowed by the amount of talent surrounding him. The 6-foot-2 point guard, however, scored 28 points (10-16 FG, 6-10 3FG) to go with five rebounds and two assists in the win over the Idaho Stampede. He was the most impressive player for Santa Cruz by playing within his role, getting others involved, and knocking down his open looks. Curry had 20 points (6-15 FG, 4-8 3FG), six rebounds, and four assists in his other game this week. He’s shown improvement as a floor general and still possesses the lights-out jumper he showed at Duke. After a brief 10-day stint with the Memphis Grizzlies earlier this season, Curry could see NBA action again.

Courtney Fells (Austin Toros): Fells averaged 26 points, five rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 3.5 steals per game this week while shooting 55 percent from the field. The 6-foot-5 shooting guard from N.C. State has been a good slasher from the wing with a 54 percent two point shooting percentage this season.

Darius Johnson-Odom (Springfield Armor): Johnson-Odom finds himself on this list again after averaging 28 points, 6.5 assists, and six rebounds per game this week. He continues to get a majority of his points around the rim or at the free throw line although the Marquette product nailed six of his 15 attempts from deep. Turnovers continue to be an issue, but there’s no doubt that Johnson-Odom has made a major impact for the Armor as of late.

Kevin Murphy (Idaho Stampede): In a very consistent week, Murphy had a pair of 28-point performances while shooting 60 percent from the field and 50 percent from three. He’s becoming one of the top scorers in the league and has an NBA body with a 6-foot-5 build. He can improve in limiting turnovers, as he had 10 in two games this week, but he’s an aggressive shooting guard who can score from all three levels.

James Nunnally (Bakersfield Jam): Nunnally went for 43 points in a loss to Fort Wayne while shooting 15-of-24 from the field and 4-of-8 from three. The 6-foot-7 wing from UC Santa Barbara has good length on the defensive end and if he shows this type of scoring ability on a consistent basis he’ll find himself back in the NBA very soon. He signed two 10-day contracts with the Atlanta Hawks this season.

All-Star Recap

With no call-ups this week, we take a look at this week’s All-Star festivities.

Three-Point Contest: Idaho’s EJ Singler won the three-point contest that required a sudden death round with Rio Grande Valley’s Troy Daniels to break a tie. Singler nailed the final money ball on the last rack at the buzzer to give him the trophy. The rookie out of Oregon has had a nice season for the Stampede thus far, averaging 14.1 points per game while shooting 48 percent from three. Daniels, on the other hand, went on to score 21 points in the All-Star game and was 6-of-7 from deep with some makes that might have been closer to half-court than the three-point line.

Slam Dunk Contest: Fort Wayne’s Tony Mitchell defended his crown with another Slam Dunk Contest victory. He had a good week before the All-Star break as well, averaging 26 points and four rebounds per game in a pair of victories. The D-League’s Dunk Contest turned out to be much more entertaining than the NBA’s, as each dunker had more than one attempt, although that may not be saying much.

All-Star Game MVP: Rio Grande Valley’s Robert Covington, who is currently on the Houston Rockets roster, was named MVP in the win with 33 points (12-23 FG, 4-8 3FG). The assignee set a new NBA D-League All-Star Game record for points in front of Houston’s GM Daryl Morey. Although he is on contract with the Rockets, Covington has played in more D-League contests this year than NBA games where he has consistently shown why he’s on an NBA roster with his scoring prowess.

And One: As the second half of the NBA season begins, it will be interesting to see which teams use this part of the year to evaluate talent for next year’s roster. New Orleans faces the Pierre Jackson dilemma approaching the trade deadline, with the option to call him up or ship him. He’s simply been too good to leave in the D-League and should have a chance to prove if he belongs in the NBA. In addition, Manny Harris had a nice stint with the Lakers this season and should be looked at if a contender needs an instant filler due to injury. Other names to remember are Devin Ebanks, Kevin Murphy, Seth Curry, and Troy Daniels. All of these players could see NBA action before the season is over.