Justin Dentmon was named the Pac-10’s Most Improved Player as a senior during the 2008-09 NCAA season with the Washington Huskies, but the 6-foot guard has improved quite a bit since. He’s looking to show NBA decision-makers just how much more he’s improved this week while playing with the Austin Toros in the NBA D-League Showcase.
The 26-year-old was averaging 23 points along with 4.6 assists and 4.3 rebounds heading into Tuesday’s game in 10 games this D-League season -- split between a training camp invite with the New Orleans Hornets -- and came out backing those numbers in a 111-88 blowout victory over the Erie BayHawks. Dentmon scored 23 points and dished nine assists while sharing a backcourt with San Antonio Spurs assignee Cory Joseph.
“My main focus down here at the Showcase was just to throw the first punch,” Dentmon told Pro Basketball Talk after the game. “Coach wrote on the board before the game ‘do what you do and do what we do’ so I did what I do and got the rest of my team involved. Scoring comes naturally, but I wanted to show I can be a complete player out there.”
Dentmon is forced to play off the ball a bit with Joseph in the lineup, but the third-year pro wants it made clear that he’s a point guard with the ability to score and not just a scorer who can play the point in a pinch.
“Today I thought I did a good job of putting our guys in the right spots and getting us set up in the offense, really,” Dentmon said. “They told me in New Orleans that I need to work on getting my teammates involved and run the offense better so that’s what I’m trying to show I can do.”
As soon as he proves he’s able to do that on a consistent basis, it’ll prove that turning down lucrative European offers paid off.
“What keeps me here is my dream. My dream is to be in the NBA and by me playing well, I don’t want to pass it up only to later say ‘what if?’” Dentmon said. “I don’t want to go overseas and then see a guy get called up and be like ‘what if that was me?’ I just want to be that ‘what if.’”
Other players that stood out on Day 2 in the D-League included:
- The first game of the day on Tuesday included another player with Washington state connections making waves as former Seattle U standout Charles Garcia put in 20 points and grabbed 13 rebounds in a losing effort for the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Garcia still has to prove he’s capable of fitting in on an NBA roster without causing any commotion, but he certainly has the size to contribute in an NBA frontcourt in the future.
- Xavier Silas isn’t a name most basketball fans are familiar with, but the rookie out of Northern Illinois may have opened some eyes Tuesday morning with a game-high 21 points in the Maine Red Claws 98-92 victory. Silas was invited to camp with the Philadelphia 76ers so he obviously has NBA talent, but he’ll need to show he can perform on a consistent basiss in order to get a further looks from the big leagues.
- Booker Woodfox has developed a reputation for standing out at the Showcase as the former Creighton standout shoots the lights out when on the big stage. It was Booker Time again on Tuesday afternoon as he had a few in attendance calling him ‘Microwave’ after coming off the bench for the Legends to score 22 points in 31 minutes.
- Mike Anderson looked solid in defeat for the Dakota Wizards as the lengthy forward scored 19 points, grabbed six rebounds and swatted four shots while converting on multiple highlight plays on both ends of the court. Former Cleveland Cavalier Manny Harris led the Canton Charge over Anderson’s team, however, by coming off the bench to score 15 points in his first D-League game.
