The Top NBA D-League Teams to Watch This Season

The NBA D-League is back and there are plenty of talented players and Teams to Watch this season. Here are the top NBA D-League teams to keep an eye on.

Rio Grande Valley Vipers

The Rio Grande Valley Vipers are an American professional basketball team in the NBA Development League (NBADL) that began play in the 2007–08 season. They are based in Edinburg, Texas, and play their home games at State Farm Arena. They are affiliated with the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA).

The Vipers finished their inaugural season with a 28–22 record, good for second place in the South Division and a spot in the playoffs. In the first round, they faced the Austin Toros and were defeated 3–2.

In 2008–09, the team finished first in the South Division with a 34–16 record and made it to the Conference Finals where they lost to the Tulsa 66ers 3–1.

Los Angeles D-Fenders

Entering their fifth season in the NBA D-League, the Los Angeles D-Fenders have firmly established themselves as one of the top teams in the league. The D-Fenders have won four straight division titles, and have made it to at least the conference finals in each of their four seasons.

This season, the D-Fenders look to continue their success with a team that features a mix of experienced veterans and promising young players Headlining the team are NBA veterans Andre Ingram and Jabari Brown, who will provide leadership and scoring punch. Ingram is a phenomenal shooter who holds the D-League record for most three-pointers made in a career, while Brown is a dynamic scorer who can get buckets in a hurry.

Rounding out the team are young players like Josh Magette and Trahson Burrell, who have shown promise in limited action so far. Magette is an outstanding playmaker who has displayed great vision and court awareness, while Burrell is an athletic wing player with tremendous upside.

The D-Fenders are coached by Mt. St. Mary’s product Paul Mokeski, who has been at the helm for the past four seasons. Under Mokeski’s leadership, the D-Fenders have been one of the most successful teams in the NBA D-League, and they look to continue that success this season.

Austin Spurs

The Austin Spurs are an American professional Basketball team in the NBA G League that began play in 2005. The team is owned by the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). They play their home games at the H-E-B Center at Cedar Park a suburban city northwest of Austin, Texas. They finished first overall in 2012–13 season with a 37–13 record.

The Austin Spurs have qualified for the NBA G League Playoffs five times, most recently in 2017–18. They won the NBA G League Championship in 2012–13 and again in 2014–15. In both seasons, they were coached by current San Antonio Spurs Assistant Coach Becky Hammond.

Canton Charge

The Canton Charge are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Canton, Ohio. The Charge compete in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference They play their home games at the Memorial Civic Center.
The team is owned by the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), and are one of two expansion teams to join the league for its inaugural 2008–09 season, alongside the Sioux Falls Skyforce. They reached the NBA D-League Finals in 2013 and 2016.

Sioux Falls Skyforce

The Sioux Falls Skyforce are the two-time defending champions of the NBA D-League, and they look poised to make a run at a third straight title this season. The Skyforce are loaded with talent, including recent NBA call-ups Tyler Johnson and Rodney McGruder. Sioux Falls is also home to one of the D-League’s top prospects in guard Reggie Williams If you’re looking for a team to watch in the D-League this season, the Skyforce are definitely one of the top squads to keep an eye on.

Reno Bighorns

The Reno Bighorns are an American professional Basketball team in the NBA Development League (D-League) that began play in the 2008-09 season. They are based in Reno, Nevada and play their home games at the Reno Events Center. The team is owned by Herb Simon, who also owns the NBA’s Indiana Pacers

The team finished their inaugural season with a 28-22 record, qualifying for the D-League playoffs. They lost to the Tulsa 66ers in the first round of the playoffs. In 2009-10, they again qualified for the playoffs with a 34-16 record but lost to the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the first round. The following season they moved to Antioch, California and became known as the Reno Swift; however, they returned to Reno for the 2012-13 season and reverted to their original name. In 2013-14, they qualified for their first ever trip to the D-League Finals but lost to the Fort Wayne Mad Ants

This season, led by Head Coach Darnell Lazare, they will look to build on their success and make another deep run in the playoffs. Key Players include veteran shooting guard Jerel McNeal and rookie point guard Cameron Jones.

Idaho Stampede

The Idaho Stampede are an American professional basketball team based in Boise, Idaho. They play in the NBA Development League (D-League). The franchise began in 1997 as an expansion team of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). They joined the D-League in 2005.

The Stampede play their Home Games at CenturyLink Arena, which they share with the Boise State Broncos men’s basketball team The Stampede’s colors are green, copper, and black. Their logo features a steer’s skull with crossed basketballs and a mountain behind it.

Bakersfield Jam

The Bakersfield Jam are an American professional basketball team based in Bakersfield, California. The Jam compete in the NBA Development League (D-League), and are owned and operated by the NBA’s Los Angeles Clippers They play their home games at the Bank Arena

Texas Legends

As the NBA’s official minor league the D-League is filled with fringe players hoping to make an impact and earn a call-up to the big show. While most of the attention is focused on which players are impressing NBA scouts there are also several D-League teams with intriguing rosters that are worth paying attention to. Here are the top five D-League teams to Watch This Season

1. Texas Legends: Led by former NBA head coach Bob Hill, the Legends feature several players with NBA experience including Chris Douglas-Roberts, Yakhouba Diawara, and Derrick Byars. The Legends also have two talented young prospects in Justin Anderson and Satnam Singh

2. Los Angeles D-Fenders: The D-Fenders are one of the most talented teams in the D-League, led by 2016 All-Star Jabari Brown. Other key players include Andre Ingram, Tyler Ennis and Roscoe Smith.

3. Sioux Falls Skyforce The defending D-League champions are once again one of the top teams in the league thanks to a deep roster that includes former NBA players Greg Whittington and Okaro White.

4. Maine Red Claws: The Red Claws have a strong mix of experience and young talent, led by former All-Star Gerald Wallace and first Round Draft pick Guerschon Yabusele.

5. Long Island Nets The Nets feature several young players with potential, including Chris McCullough, Caris Levert Anthony Bennett, and Beau Beech.

Erie BayHawks

The Erie BayHawks, the D-League affiliate of the Atlanta Hawks are one of the Top Teams to watch this season They are led by two-way player Josh Magette, who is averaging 19.4 points, 7.4 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. Other Key Players for the BayHawks include John Gillon (17.2 ppg) and Adam Woodbury (11.2 ppg, 8.0 rpg).