GREENSBORO SWARM Faqs 1. Where Will the Hornets NBA
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GREENSBORO SWARM FAQs 1. Where will the Hornets NBA Development League team be located? The Swarm will be located in Greensboro, North Carolina, and will play its 24 home games at the soon-to-be-renovated Fieldhouse at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex. Seating capacity will be approximately 2,300. 2. When will the Swarm begin play? The team will begin play in November 2016 when the 2016-17 D-League season tips off, becoming the league’s 20th franchise. 3. Will the Swarm’s colors be the same as the Hornets? The team’s colors will be purple, teal and cool gray. 4. How can I purchase tickets? Ticket information and pricing will be announced in February 2016. Fans interested in gaining priority to purchase season tickets can make deposits of $25 per seat. This deposit is refundable less credit card fees. 5. Who will be the head coach of the Swarm? The head coach and coaching staff will be announced at a later date. 6. What players will be on the Swarm? When a new franchise joins the league, an expansion draft is held in which the new team selects 16 players from a pool of unprotected players among the league’s other teams. The expansion team will then hold that player’s NBA D-League rights for two seasons. Each returning team can protect up to 12 of its players from being selected. In addition, the Hornets will be able to assign and recall players at any time. 7. How many players are on an NBA Development League team roster? There are a minimum of 10 players on rosters, with two additional spots for players placed on the inactive/injury list. A team’s active roster may expand to up to 13 players if its parent club assigns players from the NBA roster. 8. How are the Hornets affiliated with the Swarm? The Hornets own and operate the Swarm, meaning the Hornets dictate all basketball and business operations for the team. The Hornets have a one-on-one affiliation with the Swarm, which allows the Swarm to share the same philosophies and run the same sets as the Hornets. This ensures a seamless transition when players are assigned or recalled. 9. When did the Hornets begin the process of launching an NBA Development League team? The Hornets announced their intent to launch a D-League team on May 4, 2015. The franchise sent an RFP to eight cities/counties throughout the Carolinas seeking the best home for the D- League club before selecting Greensboro. 10. Have any current Hornets players or coaches played or coached in the NBA Development League? Hornets guards Troy Daniels (2013-14 Rio Grande Valley Vipers), P.J. Hairston (2013-14 Texas Legends), Jeremy Lamb (2012-13 Tulsa 66ers) and Jeremy Lin (2010-11 Reno Bighorns) have all played in the D-League. Hornets assistant coaches Pat Delany and Steve Hetzel both joined Steve Clifford’s staff after spending the 2013-14 season as D-League head coaches with the Sioux Falls Skyforce and Canton Charge, respectfully. In addition, Hornets Community Ambassador Matt Carroll played for the Roanoke Dazzle from 2003-05, where he was named 2004-05 D-League MVP. 11. How can I try out for the Swarm? The Swarm will hold an open tryout for local players in October 2016, prior to the start of training camp. D-LEAGUE FAQs 1. What is the NBA Development League? The NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the NBA’s official minor league, preparing players, coaches, officials, trainers and front office staff for the NBA while acting as the league’s research and development laboratory. 2. When was the NBA Development League established? The NBA Development League began play during the 2001-02 season and enters its 15th season in 2015-16. 3. How many teams are in the NBA Development League? There are an all-time high 19 NBA D-League teams heading into the 2015-16 season, each of which is singly affiliated with one NBA team. They include: Austin Spurs (San Antonio Spurs), Bakersfield Jam (Phoenix Suns), Canton Charge (Cleveland Cavaliers), Delaware 87ers (Philadelphia 76ers), Erie BayHawks (Orlando Magic), Fort Wayne Mad Ants (Indiana Pacers), Grand Rapids Drive (Detroit Pistons), Idaho Stampede (Utah Jazz), Iowa Energy (Memphis Grizzlies), Los Angeles D-Fenders (Los Angeles Lakers), Maine Red Claws (Boston Celtics), Oklahoma City Blue (Oklahoma City Thunder), Raptors 905 (Toronto Raptors), Reno Bighorns (Sacramento Kings), Rio Grande Valley Vipers (Houston Rockets), Santa Cruz Warriors (Golden State Warriors), Sioux Falls Skyforce (Miami Heat), Texas Legends (Dallas Mavericks) and Westchester Knicks (New York Knicks). 4. How many games are in an NBA Development League season? Each NBA D-League teams plays a 50-game schedule, including 24 home games, 24 road games and two games as part of the NBA Development League Showcase. 5. When do the regular season and playoffs begin and end? The regular season begins in November and runs into April. In April, the playoffs consist of three rounds, all of which follow a best-of-three series format. 6. How can I watch games? Most NBA D-League regular season games are streamed live on YouTube and NBADLeague.com and available on demand – both at no cost. Nationally televised games are not available live on YouTube, but are available for archive viewing. 7. How can I follow the NBA D-League? The official website of the NBA D-League is NBADLeague.com. You can also download the NBA D-League mobile app for iOs and Android devices. On social media, you can follow the NBA D- League on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Vine and Snapchat (“nbadleague”). 8. How many NBA Development League players have made it to the NBA? A record 170 players with NBA D-League experience were on NBA rosters at the end of the 2014-15 regular season, representing an all-time high 38 percent of the league. This group includes both players who were assigned from the NBA to the NBA D-League and players who were called up from the NBA D-League to the NBA. During the 2014-15 season, a record 47 players were called up to the NBA a record total of 63 times. A total of 56 NBA players were assigned to the NBA D-League a record 195 times. 9. Who are some of the best NBA players who have played in the NBA Development League? Top players who have been assigned to the NBA D-League include Suns guard Eric Bledsoe, Jazz center Rudy Gobert, Pistons guard Reggie Jackson and Rockets forward Terrence Jones. Top players who were called up from the NBA D-League include Spurs guard Danny Green, Heat guard Gerald Green, Hornets guard Jeremy Lin and Heat center Hassan Whiteside. 10. What is a Call-Up? A Call-Up occurs when a player under contract with the NBA D-League is signed by an NBA team to an NBA contract. Over the past three seasons, an average of 38 players have received a Call- Up. 11. What is an assignment? An assignment occurs when an NBA team sends a player to its NBA D-League affiliate. That player remains under NBA contract and the assigning NBA team has the exclusive rights to recall that player at any time. Over the past three seasons, an average of 58 NBA players have been assigned to the NBA D- League an average total of 188 times (players with under three years of service can be assigned an unlimited number of times each season). 12. How many teams make the playoffs? The playoff rules have changed as the league has expanded. In 2015, eight teams made the playoffs – four in each conference. This included the winners of each of the four divisions and two Wild Card teams in each conference – the top two teams in each conference on the basis of regular season record regardless of division. 13. Is there an NBA Development League All-Star Game? Yes, the NBA D-League All-Star Game has been part of NBA All-Star Weekend since 2007. The league also puts on its own three-point and slam dunk contests. 14. How are All-Stars selected? The All-Stars are selected by a vote of all of the league’s head coaches. Players are eligible for All-Star voting if they play in at least half of their team’s games through a predetermined date in late January. Players must be on an active NBA D-League roster at the time of the All-Star Game in order to compete and the league replaces any ineligible players. 15. Who coaches the All-Star teams? The two spots go to the head coaches of the teams with the best record in each conference at the completion of All-Star voting in late January. 16. When is the NBA Development League Draft? The NBA D-League Draft is typically held in the last week of October or the first week of November. This occurs after NBA start-of-season rosters are finalized. 17. Who is eligible to be drafted? The league signs about 180 players each year to join the pool of draft-eligible prospects. They include college players who went undrafted in the NBA Draft, international prospects, and players who were recently waived by NBA teams following training camp. Players must be 18 years old to be eligible for the NBA D-League Draft, as opposed to the NBA’s age minimum of 19. 18. How many players are on an NBA Development League roster? There are a minimum of 10 players on rosters, with two additional spots for players placed on the inactive/injury list.