2016–17 NBA Development League season
LeagueNBA Development League
SportBasketball
DurationNovember 11, 2016 – April 1, 2017
Draft
Top draft pickAnthony Brown
Picked byErie BayHawks
Regular season
Top seedRaptors 905
Season MVPVander Blue (Los Angeles D-Fenders)
Finals
ChampionsRaptors 905
  Runners-upRio Grande Valley Vipers
Finals MVPPascal Siakam (Raptors 905)

The 2016–17 NBA Development League season was the 16th season of the NBA Development League (NBA D-League). The NBA D-League is the official minor league basketball organization owned by the National Basketball Association (NBA). The following season, the league was rebranded to NBA G League as part of multi-year partnership with Gatorade and its parent company, PepsiCo.[1]

Transactions

Retirement

  • On July 4, 2015, Blake Ahearn was named the head coach of Clayton High School's boys basketball team, effectively ending his playing career. Ahearn played for 6 NBA D-League teams during his 8-year playing career, winning one championship with the Santa Cruz Warriors in 2015.[2]

League changes

The league expanded to a record 22 teams for the 2016–17 season. Three expansion teams were introduced this season (Greensboro Swarm, Long Island Nets, and Windy City Bulls), each of them owned and affiliated with an NBA team.[3] Along with these three new teams, the Bakersfield Jam were purchased by their 2015–16 affiliate, the Phoenix Suns, and relocated to become the Northern Arizona Suns. The Idaho Stampede, who were already owned by the Utah Jazz, were also relocated and became the Salt Lake City Stars. The Reno Bighorns were purchased by their NBA affiliate, the Sacramento Kings just prior to the start of the season. The addition of the three teams, as well as the purchases of existing teams, left just eight NBA teams without a D-League affiliate and only seven D-League teams not owned by an NBA team.

The league consists of two conferences, each with 11 teams split into two divisions, two with six and two with five. The Greensboro Swarm and Long Island Nets were placed into the Atlantic Division. The Raptors 905 moved from the Atlantic Division, along with the newly formed Windy City Bulls, to the Central Division. With the addition of the three expansion teams, to even out the conferences, the Iowa Energy and Sioux Falls Skyforce moved from the Central Division of the Eastern Conference to the Southwest Division of the Western Conference.[4]

Regular season

Final standings.[5]

Eastern Conference

Atlantic Division
Team (affiliate) W L PCT GB Home Road
y – Maine Red Claws (BOS)2921.580015–1014–11
Delaware 87ers (PHI)2624.520315–1011–14
Westchester Knicks (NYK)1931.3801012–137–18
Greensboro Swarm (CHA)1931.3801013–126–19
Long Island Nets (BKN)1733.3401210–157–18
Erie BayHawks (ORL)1436.280159–165–20
Central Division
Team (affiliate) W L PCT GB Home Road
z – Raptors 905 (TOR)3911.780018–721–4
x – Fort Wayne Mad Ants (IND)3020.600916–914–11
x – Canton Charge (CLE)2921.5801017–812–13
Grand Rapids Drive (DET)2624.5201315–1011–14
Windy City Bulls (CHI)2327.4601615–108–17

Western Conference

Southwest Division
Team (affiliate) W L PCT GB Home Road
y – Oklahoma City Blue (OKC)3416.680019–615–10
x – Rio Grande Valley Vipers (HOU)3218.640219–613–12
Sioux Falls Skyforce (MIA)2921.580516–913–12
Austin Spurs (SAS)2525.500913–1212–13
Texas Legends (DAL)2525.500914–1111–14
Iowa Energy (MEM)1238.240226–196–19
Pacific Division
Team (affiliate) W L PCT GB Home Road
y – Los Angeles D-Fenders (LAL)3416.680016–918–7
x – Santa Cruz Warriors (GSW)3119.620318–713–12
Northern Arizona Suns (PHX)2228.4401214–118–17
Reno Bighorns (SAC)2129.4201312–139–16
Salt Lake City Stars (UTA)1436.280207–187–18

Playoffs

For the last time, the League held an eight-team bracket for the postseason. After the season, the League would shift from best-of-three postseason rounds to having it only be for the Finals (while retaining the arrangement of having the better seeded team host Game 2 and Game 3 if necessary).[6] Raptors 905 won the Finals in the final year of the league with the D League branding, winning over the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in three games. The Vipers won Game 1 119-106 before Raptors 905 won Game 2 95-85 and Game 3 122-96.[7]

Conference Semifinals (April 5-April 12)
Best of 3 		Conference Finals (April 13-April 20)
Best of 3 		Finals (April 23, 25, 27)
Best of 3
         
E1 Raptors 905 2
E4 Canton Charge 0
E1 Raptors 905 2
Eastern Conference
E2 Maine Red Claws 0
E2 Maine Red Claws 2
E3 Fort Wayne Mad Ants 1
E1 Raptors 905 2
W3 Rio Grande Valley Vipers 1
W1 Oklahoma City Blue 2
W4 Santa Cruz Warriors 1
W1 Oklahoma City Blue 1
Western Conference
W3 Rio Grande Valley Vipers 2
W2 Los Angeles D-Fenders 1
W3 Rio Grande Valley Vipers 2


References

  1. ↑ "NBA Development League to Become NBA Gatorade League" (Press release). NBA Development League. February 14, 2017. Retrieved February 15, 2017.
  2. ↑ "Done with pro career, Ahearn will coach at Clayton". STL Today. Archived from the original on July 2, 2018. Retrieved October 30, 2021.
  3. ↑ "NBA Development League Expansion". dleague.nba.com. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  4. ↑ "Five New Teams Highlight 2016-17 NBA D-League Schedule". dleague.nba.com. August 22, 2016. Retrieved September 30, 2016.
  5. ↑ "NBA D-League Standings". NBA D-League. Retrieved January 15, 2017.
  6. ↑ "NBA D-League Playoffs 2017 Schedule".
  7. ↑ "2017 NBA D-League Finals: Raptors 905 Defeat Rio Grande Valley Vipers, 2-1".
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