Consensus is that Samb may one day play in the NBA, but he isn't ready now. But does anyone have any insight why he would be left to play with his Spanish Division 2 team, rather than with the Pistons NBA Development League team? What are the advantages/disadvantages?

I think we can only have 2 players there at a time. Maybe the Pistons want those spots open for Acker or Blaylock or whoever.

From what I've seen in two SL games, Samb really should be in the D-league. That will allow him to bulk up and learn how to play in the paint. He would be able to refine his skill in Europe, but he needs to play against up and coming US big men in order to prepare himself for the NBA.

I agree with that.

I think that would work out. I could see 3/4 or 2/4 of Acker, Amir, Maxiell, and Blalock helping. Whoever doesn't make the rotation you can throw a Patriot jersey on with Cheik Samb.

In order to be sent down to the D-League, the player needs to be included on the active NBA roster.

This means signing Samb, and allocating a roster spot to him (out of the 15). That's a waste of resources.

The idea is that Cheikh will use draft status as a motivational tool to better his game and physique for next year.

As it stands now, heaven forbid Nazr Mohammed goes down and Dale Davis starts at center, forcing Samb to be our primary backup. He's simply not ready.

Re: send downs to the D-League, the team can send no more than 2 AT A TIME, from the players with less than 3 years experience. If the Pistons had 4 rookies and 2 sophmore players, they could rotate all 6 to the NBDL, 2 at a time.

One last thing. A player can only be sent down to the D-League twice in the same season. If you send him down, it's best to keep him there for several games of what is a substantally shorter season than the NBA regulars play. You can't do that now that this team is short depth in the bigs.

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There is no such thing as a good time for bad luck. - Down, On March The Saints
Progress cannot be organized. - Ludwig von Mises
You cannot stop innovation. - Sun Tzu

I would say send Samb to my mom's house. She'll make him some apple pies and fatten him up. At this point the guy could use a Cheerio as a hoola hoop. He's gotta put the drain on when he's in the shower so he doesn't get sucked down the hole. If you cloned Samb 20 times and had all 20 clones lay parallel and attached them at the head, you could make a comb.

Oh yeah, this team needs to fill roster spots with the Anthony Goldwire's and the Mikki Moore's out there. Still, I think Cato is going to stay so he'd be the backup C.
Out of 15 roster spots, usually about 10 players have NBA quality and about 8 are used on a regular basis.
Do we really need a 3rd backup C or should Flip start some experiments if one big goes down? Why not go small ball or something? I wouldn't want to use these bi-annual exception or however this is called on another average, overaged big as long as the team lacks a backup PG and a backup SF.
How many bigs do you think are needed? I'd say we'd be ok with Mohammed, Davis, Cato at the C and Sheed, Mc Dyess and Maxiell at the 4. We'd probably need one to replace Davis if he really gets traded for a quality PG as backup.

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I'm a wannabe- GM, but I stand to it.

Cheikh only has one stripe on his pajamas.
Cheikh had to stand in the same place twice to cast a shadow.
Cheikh can see out the peephole with both eyes.
Cheikh's pants have only one belt loop.

Thanks for the "skinny," Bill.