D-League demystified: Rim-rattling and coach’s challenges part of unique hoops experience
Thursday marks the home opener for Raptors 905 (0-2), with the D-League team making its regular-season debut on its home court at the Hershey Centre against the Maine Red Claws (1-1). Here’s some key D-League info for the coming season.
DIFFERENT RULES: The D-League is a guinea pig of sorts for NBA rule experimentation. This year, the DLeague is allowing players to knock the ball off the rim (as FIBA rules allow). This remains goaltending in the NBA.
Coach’s challenges are allowed. Coaches can use a timeout to request a video review of a ref’s call of personal or shooting fouls, including offensive fouls, and plays that have been identified as triggers for instant replay, the D-League’s site explains. The challenging team retains its timeout and challenge — if the challenge is successful. Teams are granted a challenge in regulation and overtime.
Teams can advance the ball to the 28-foot mark in the front-court without using a timeout when they have possession, stop play and substitute. Each team has one “advance” that can be used in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter or in the last two minutes of an overtime period.
The away-from-the-play foul (hack-a-Shaq): When this takes place, personal and team fouls are assessed and one free-throw attempt is awarded to any player in the game at the time the foul is committed. Teams go into the bonus at five team fouls instead of four, like in the NBA. GAMES PLAYED: Fifty, from late November through to April 1. One of the league’s most important stretches comes from Jan. 6 to 10, when the D-League Showcase runs in Santa Cruz, Calif. Every team in the league plays two games over four days under the watch of NBA GMs, scouts and player personnel directors. The showcase comes a day after NBA teams can start signing players to 10-day contracts, which facilitates that process for the crucial weeks that follow as the NBA regular season gets into its playoff push. The other high-profile DLeague event is the all-star game, which will be played in Toronto on Feb. 14, the same day as the NBA’s. NBA/D-LEAGUE CROSSOVER: There were 170 players with DLeague experience on NBA rosters by the end of last season in the NBA, made up of players assigned to an affiliate team and those called up to the NBA from the D-League. Fortyseven players were called up to the NBA last year for a total of 63 times — both record amounts. Fifty-six NBA players were assigned to the D-League a record 195 times last year. CALL-UPS HAPPEN: Over the past three seasons, 38 players under contract in the D-League have been called up to the NBA. ROSTER SIZE: There are 10 players minimum on a roster, with room to expand to 13 if a parent team (like the Raptors) assigns players from its NBA roster. There are also two spots for on the inactive/injured list. LEAGUE-WIDE CONTRACTS: Players other than NBAers on assignment sign with the league, not one specific team, which allows for them to move from team to team easily. MORE TEAMS COMING: The Charlotte Hornets, Brooklyn Nets and Chicago Bulls have done the same as the Raptors and purchased a DLeague team. Those three will join for 2016-17, bringing the total to 22 teams.