By Jeff Twiss
Celtics.com
June 9, 2006
The National Basketball Association announced this week its affiliation and assignment system for the NBA Development League's 2006-07 season. The Boston Celtics will be affiliated this season with the Austin Toros, who are coached by former Celtics guard Dennis Johnson. Under the system, the Toros will also continue as the affiliate of both the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs.
"I am excited with our continued affiliation with the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs and especially thrilled to also be affiliated with the Boston Celtics," said Toros Head Coach Dennis Johnson, who completed eight seasons with the Celtics and helped win NBA titles in 1984 and 1986.
"I am happy to be back in the fold and, I guess, I never left the Celtics family," Johnson continued. "I am looking forward to working, again, with the Celtics (and the other two teams) and especially when Danny and Doc send a player down to us. I hope that we can help that player and the franchise."
"I keep a notebook on each player that a team sends down to us. When the player get to us then I will sit down and talk with him and his coaches and see what he really needs the most work in," stated Johnson. "And from that point, just go on from there. We will try and input that information into our offense and defense and make sure the player is coming along and working as prescribed. We try to have weekly updates for the NBA teams and we strive to have the player get in and out as quickly as possible."
The D-League is designed to help grow the sport of basketball and to develop talent from across all disciplines for the NBA's 30 teams. In accordance with the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement signed in June 2005, NBA teams are permitted to assign players during their first two NBA seasons to the D-League. The assignment provides younger players in the NBA an opportunity to develop their skills during actual in-game experiences while continuing to receive their NBA salaries and benefits.