NBA - Charlotte Hornets Add Dallas Lauderdale to Fall Training Camp Roster !

(Image - Dallas Lauderdale in his #50 Idaho Stampede Jersey)

NBA Opportunity - Great news came out of Charlotte, North Carolina in late September 2014 when the Hornets club announced the addition of Buckeye big man Dallas Lauderdale to their fall training camp roster in preparation for the 2014/2015 NBA Season.

This camp will be Lauderdale second official pre-season training with an NBA team after playing as a member of the Portland Trailblazers in the fall of 2012.With Portland, Dallas participated in brief action in two NBA Pre-Seasong games before missing the final roster prior to the 2012/2013 regular season. Lauderdale stayed connected to the Trailblazers organization by joining their NBA D-League affiliate team, the Idaho Stampede (late Oct. 2012), but an in injury later that fall would keep him sidelined for the reminder of that calendar basketball season.

Dallas Lauderdale officially returned to the court with the Blazers at the 2013 Las Vegas NBA Summer League competition, and then he re-joined the Idaho Stampede for NBDL 2013/2014 season. Lauderdale is now entering his fourth year of professional basketball since graduating from The Ohio State University.

U.S. NBA Prep - After playing his rookie season in Poland, Lauderdale has opted to continue his path to the NBA in the States by accepting multiple training camp invites, team workouts, summer league invitations, and participating in a full NBA Developmental League Season. In the 2013/2014 NBDL season, he started 38 out 39 games played for the Idaho Stampede with averages of 8 ppg, 9 rpg, and 3 blocks per game.

Much has been written about the plus and minues of playing in the NBA Development League versus an overseas opportunity. One benefit of going the domestic route is being able to perform directly in front of NBA management. That stateside visibility has resulted in another NBA training camp opportunity for the former Buckeye.

The Hornets - Pro Basketball Talk on NBA Pro Sports has a good breakdown of the current Charlotte Hornets roster situation (link). The roster stands has 17 players, and according to the report big Dallas may have a legitimate opportunity to battle for a potential roster spot.Charlotte signed Lauderdale to a non guaranteed  contract using the team min. 

Good luck to Dallas Lauderdale in his quest to make it in the National Basketball Association!

- Clip - Dallas Lauderdale Alley Oop at the 2014 D-League Showcase - 


                                                                               

Career history
2011–2012	Turów Zgorzelec
2013–2014	Idaho Stampede
2014–present	Charlotte Horne

NBA - Evan Turner's Top Plays of 2013/2014 Season

(Image - Evan Turner & the Sixers celebrate following Turner's Game Winning Buckeye against the Celtics - Boston, Massachusetts - 1.29.2014) 

Turner's Top Plays - Time is certainly flying, it does not seem like that long ago that Evan Turner was breaking the hearts of Michigan fans with an improbable buzzer beater in the Big Ten Tournament of his Junior year in NCAA Basketball. But the former Ohio State Buckeye has already completed four professional basketball seasons in the National Basketball Association.

The 2013/2014 Season was the most eventful pro stint for Turner. He played 54 games with Philadelphia (averaging 17ppg) before a February trade that sent him to the Indiana Pacers, a playoff contender that would later be embroiled in controversy & disappointment in the last part of the regular season and playoffs.

Lost in all the trade talk in Philly and the discussion of how Turner would fit in with the Pacers is that Evan had some big time moments last season..most notably in the clutch in his final season in a 76ers Jersey with two game winner games (vs Brooklyn & Boston) and a memorable opening night dunk against a contending Lebron James. We included those 3 plays in our favorite  top 5 Turner plays for the 2013/2014 season..along with a 360 Dunk in Los Angeles and a clutch spin move and lay up on Mario Chalmers to help the Pacers defeat the Miami Heat in a heated regular season contest.

#5. - 12.29.2013 - Los Angeles, California - In a video titled 'controversial dunk' - Turner performs a 360 dunk in the waning seconds of a victory versus the Lakers. Perhaps not the most classy thing to do..Evan seems contrite afterwards..but basketball ethics/etiquette or not, how about the sick dunk! LOL

 

 #4. - 10.30.2013 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - Opening night the NBA Season versus the defending Champion Miami Heat. It is early in the game and Turner finds himself with the ball in transition with League MVP Lebron James defending. Lebron went up with one hand, and Evan went up with two hands around the ball...the result? An epic career poster dunk for Evan Turner. We admit, it didn't seem like Bron was in full block mode on this play, but he did make a swipe/block attempt at the ball and Turner did beat his defense for the dunk so James is definitely in this poster. Evan can say he dunked on Lebron. (No, not a beastly dunk on where there is contact like a Carter on Mourning, but this play still qualifies)

 

 #3. - 3.26.2014 - Indianapolis, Indiana - Miami Heat at Indiana Pacers..a late regular season game with a playoff type of atmosphere and play. This was one intense, chippy, and physical game. With starting SG Lance Stephenson ejected, Turner came up with two critical buckets in the 4th quarter, one coming at the 1:35 mark with the Pacers down 80-79. Turner received a perimeter pass from George Hill, he then put Miami Heat guard Mario Chalmers in the spin cycle with a brilliant right to left spin move en-route to the easy layup. This game showed that Turner could play big for the Pacers when it counted..but for whatever reason it seemed as if he just did not fit in with Indiana as well as he could have (He could have been a much bigger help if he had spent more than two months with Indy..but the Pacers had a multitude of problems heading into the Playoffs) 


#2. - 1.29.2014 - Boston, Massachusetts - Game winner #1 - Last possession of the game, Evan Turner crosses over Jerryd Bayless and pulls up over fellow Buckeye Jared Sullinger for the game winning shot!

 

 #1. - 12.20.2013 - Philadelphia, Pennslyvania - Brooklyn 120 Philly 119 in Overtime. Turner gets the ball with 3.9 seconds remaining. He uses a Spencer Hawes dribble hand off slash ball screen to lose man defender Shaun Livingston..a quick hesitation allows him to dash past center Brook Lopez, and the play and game finally ends with Turner shooting the game winning shot over Paul Pierce who attempts to draw a charge by sliding over

FIBA - Jantel Lavender Helps lead USA Over China in World Cup Exhibition

(Getty Images - 9.20.2014 - Team USA Post Jantel Lavender rises for a shot attempt against China in preparation for the 2014 FIBA World Cup - Paris, France)

Top Form - Buckeye Jantel Lavender is currently continuing her outstanding year of basketball as a member of the United States' Senior Women's Basketball team in preparation for the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Turkey. Lavender helped lead Team USA to a victory in their 3rd preparation game with 14 points ( a perfect 7 for 7 shooting from the field) against China on 9.20.14. USA won by a comfortable score of 99-75 after a close game (72-66) versus Australia on 9/19.

Hoops All Year - There has been no such thing as a basketball off-season for the 25 year old Cleveland native. Jantel Lavender began the year 2014 playing overseas with Euroleague team Wisla Can Pack of Poland. In April, Lavender won her first career professional League Championship (Poland) with Wisla in the Polish League (she also participated in the 2014 Euroleague Women Playoffs with Wisla).

Upon returning to the States (May), Jantel immediately re-joined the Los Angeles Sparks for preseason of the 2014 WNBA Season (with the Sparks, Lavender ironically played China in a pre-season game on  May 10). Playing Center for L.A., Lavender started 27 of 34 games played in her 4th WNBA Season with averages of 12 ppg & 6 rebounds a game..her best statistical season as a pro. After completing the WNBA season (fell in the quarterfinals of the playoffs) in September, Jantel joined USA for training camp in prep for the FIBA tournament.

Making The Worlds - Jantel Lavender is currently in an interesting & tough competition to make the 12 player Team USA Roster for the 2014 World Cup. Training Camp opened in the United States with a 24 player pool on September 14.  The roster is now down to 15 players as the team competes in an exhibition tournament in France that runs until September 23.

Lavender (pictured left: post practice with Candace Dupree) has a good shot to make the World Cup final roster due to performance & circumstance. Jantel has reportedly performed well in training camp, in a televised intra-squad scrimmage, and in the recent preparation game with China...some believe she has earned a spot on the team. Another key aspect shaping the roster is the absence of elite post players. (article) Candace Parker (Forward), Sylvia Fowles (Center) are slated to not participate in the World Cup, and Center Britney Griner is questionable. If Griner is not able to play for USA, Lavender's inclusion would seem to be a no-brainer so to speak, as she would make for a good back up center to Tina Charles who will most likely start. However, Jantel's chances to make the roster could diminish should Griner eventually join the team overseas.

Good luck to Jantel Lavender..and why not Lavender? She is currently in the prime of her career and playing some of her best basketball. She won 3 Gold Medals by representing USA in various youth competitions (U19, U17, WUG) and has twice trained with the Senior Women's team as a member of the Select Team (2010,2013). She is ready to officially dawn the red, white , and blue at the 2014 FIBA World Cup!

Jantel Lavender - USA Profile