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The Houston Rockets, more so than even the teams that actually own their D-League affiliates (Lakers, Spurs, Thunder), have developed a model that is remarkably close to an actual farm system. They send assignees down regularly, call-up productive members for time with the team, and have adopted the hybrid system which allows them to control just the basketball operations while leaving marketing, business operations, and t-shirt gunning to local staff. One specific way they have invested in the D-League is through their development of Joey Dorsey. Dorsey came to the league with raw athleticism for a big man, excellent size, and too little control over his body. He was assigned last year to the D-League affiliate Rio Grande Valley Vipers, and then again this year. This year in particular, he was a changed individual. He lost weight, gained muscle, and dominated the D-League, leading in rebounds and notching double-doubles regularly on what many feel is the best team in the league.
And to show you the fact that the Rockets, unlike most teams in the NBA, don't just treat the D-League as somewhere to stash guys, the Rockets recalled Dorsey to the Rockets on Wednesday.
The Rockets have a multitude of capable big men that lack star power, including Chuck Hayes, Carl Landry, Luis Scola, and rookie David Anderson. But most of them are used in very specific situations, matched up against opponents to provide specific solutions to specific problems. And while Scola and Landry in particular thrive in the Rockets' system, it never hurts to add a 6-9, 265 lb. forward with bulk to the mix. Dorsey may not earn much playing time, those decisions are impossible to predict. He may play two minutes he may play twenty. But his knowledge of the Rockets' system, which the Rockets have installed in RGV, should help him with the learning curve.
The D-League looks to provide a place where teams can actually develop players, not just get rid of them while retaining their rights. The Rockets seem to grasp that contract and are taking full advantage of it.
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