4 Promising free agents in the D-League

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The NBA's minor league has at least two dozen prospects who are former NBA players, draft picks who have been allocated by NBA teams or young players being monitored closely by NBA clubs. But here are four intriguing free agents -- available to be called up by any team -- who have NBA futures without necessarily ranking at the top of every team's list.

4. Brent Petway, 22 years old, 6-7 forward, Idaho Stampede. A superior athlete who is excellent in transition and capable of knocking down the 18-footer when his feet are set. Will rebound the defensive glass, but must improve his ball handling. Will help a team in need of mid-range scoring.

3. Dontell Jefferson, 24 years old, 6-4 guard, Dakota Wizards. A combo guard who must continue developing the point-guard skills that will be mandatory in the NBA. He's still learning to play without the ball, but he's a long defender who is capable of guarding three positions.

2. Michael Cuffee, 24 years old, 6-5 guard, Bakersfield Jam. He paid his own way to the D-League tryout camp and has quickly emerged as an NBA prospect. Cuffee reminds some scouts of the Cavaliers' Devin Brown: a tough defender and playmaker with a good mid-range game. He has a strong body and plays with relentless energy but needs to extend his shooting range.

1. Lance Allred, 26 years old, 6-11 center, Idaho Stampede. A smart, hard-working big man with touch out to 17 feet and a good feel for the game. Consistently outruns other centers in transition and extends his range for rebounds and loose balls. Allred knows how to play and has become the top-rated D-League center after barely making the Stampede last year.

3 Questions rescued from the spam

3. It's amazing how easy it is for an American player like Dwight Howard to get respect after just a few months of All-Star-level performances. Yet American media members like you still don't recognize Yao Ming as the best center in the West, when he's been a 20-and-10 player for three seasons now. Look at his statistics -- it's clear he's been the best center in the league the last three seasons. If he were American, he'd be dubbed the next Shaq.
-- Kenny, Vancouver, B.C.

I couldn't disagree more. From Day One, Yao has been celebrated for creating a new NBA passage from China. Have you forgotten how long it took Shaq to earn respect? Even when he was leading Orlando to the NBA Finals, he was still taking a lot of heat because of suspicions that he wasn't fulfilling his talent.

Howard is a no-brainer to start the All-Star Game because of his monstrous numbers and because he isn't competing with Amaré Stoudemire or Chris Kaman in the East. Yao may well be the best center in the West, but it's not a sure thing because for all of his individual numbers, he has yet to lead his team out of the first round (as Stoudemire has done). But Yao is young and -- like Shaq at the same age -- his best years are still to come.

2. I know you still think Shaq is an All-Star, but for me it's painful to watch him play. Do you think there's any chance he'd retire before his contract expires? I know the money is significant, but he seems like a proud guy who wouldn't want to tarnish his legacy in any way.
-- Robin S., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

I insist that Shaq will look better on a good team. It appears now as if the Heat are going to live with this terrible season and see if they can get lucky in the lottery. The good news for Shaq is that Dwyane Wade has put a lot of pressure on Miami to improve quickly or else risk losing him when he can become a free agent in 2010.

In the meantime, there is little chance that anyone will trade for O'Neal's contract, and less chance that he will retire early and walk away from his $20 million salary. Everything depends on Miami's improvement. No team (not even Minnesota) is far away from getting back into playoff contention -- especially a team with Wade, Shaq and a high draft pick.

1. The Canadians (and readers elsewhere) had a lot to say about my argument that Alonzo Mourning deserves to be elected to the Hall of Fame ...

I can't believe people continue to overlook what Mourning did to the Raptors. He was part of the Vince Carter trade but refused to play for Toronto because he said he was "hurt." So the Raptors ate his salary and he miraculously recovered enough to play for Miami for the last couple of years. I count that as dishonesty at best and shameless manipulation at worst. It's inexcusable that this isn't mentioned in your column.
-- Will, Toronto

Most of your pro-Alonzo Mourning arguments for the Hall of Fame aren't that strong. He played long enough? So has Calbert Cheaney. Humanitarian work? Where was his concern over kidney research before he got sick? As for before the illness, you can't award a guy based on potential -- too speculative. You also offer a very limp defense for Zo sulking his way out of New Jersey and Toronto. Other players have made their way to championship contenders with, you know, CLASS.
-- Steve, Seoul

You list five reasons why Mourning should be in the HOF. Sorry, but only one is important: accomplishment on the court. Except for Defensive Player of Year, all are team accomplishments, and for the Miami championship, he was an off-the-bench contributor. Yes, he was inspirational (although I doubt Toronto feels that way), but we're not talking about the Inspirational Hall of Fame. Very good player, but, like Dennis Johnson, not a lock for the HOF.
-- Stephen Perry, Raleigh, N.C.

There's no way Zo is a Hall of Famer. What he did to the Raptors was disgusting. Raps fans (myself included) have a lot of hate for Vince Carter and how he dogged it when he was here, but in my opinion what Zo did was a lot worse. Play out your contract. Don't threaten to retire knowing full well you are healthy enough to keep playing for another few years. Charitable work is all well and good, but this shows what kind of a person he really is.
-- Warren Gonsalves, Toronto

I think you'll find that I did mention the controversy of Mourning's departures from Toronto as well as New Jersey, and in recent years I've written quite a lot about it while reporting both sides of the story.

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