After their first 10 games of the 2014-2015 season, Frisco’s own Texas Legends are sitting pretty in second place of the Southwest Division at 6-4.
Not bad considering that they’ve lost a good amount of last year’s core—including first-round NBA Draft pick P.J. Hairston. Here’s a look at some of the new faces as well as an adieu to some of last year’s favorite Texas Legends.
Some New Faces: Legends forthcoming?
Yuki Togashi (Montrose Christian)—At 5’ 7” tall, Togashi was the shortest player in the 2014 NBA Summer League. He arrived on the Legends’ roster via a trade with the Santa Cruz Warriors.
Omar Samhan (Saint Mary’s)—A well-traveled professional baller, Samhan has played in leagues the world over—including Lithuania, Germany, Poland, the Phillipines and even in Egypt. Now the 6’11” native of California will finally get to test his skills on American soil.
Doron Lamb (Kentucky)—A former teammate of current NBA stud Anthony Davis, Lamb was selected with the 42nd overall pick in the NBA’s 2012 Draft. Just 8 days after his initial release by the Legends, Lamb was reacquired as an affiliate player for Texas.
Ivan Johnson (Cal State – San Bernardino)—30-year-old Johnson is a well-seasoned D-League veteran, has played for the Anaheim Arsenal and the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in 2007 and for the Erie BayHawks in 2010.
Renaldo Balkman (South Carolina)—A former first-round pick (2006, 20th overall) of the New York Knicks, Balkman brings NBA experience forged by 221 career games in the finest basketball league on the planet.
Key Losses: Devin Ebanks, Melvin Ely and P.J. Hairston
P.J. Hairston—After a great (albeit brief) career at college powerhouse North Carolina, Hairston set the D-League ablaze when he was signed by the Texas Legends.
Hairston made history on June 26, 2014 when he was the first NBA D-League player to be drafted in the first round of the NBA’s Draft. Hairston went 26th overall to the Miami Heat on behalf of the Charlotte Hornets (yep, they’re the Hornets again).
Melvin Ely—Ely was a fan favorite at the Dr. Pepper Arena, and with good reason, as he was not only the elder statesman on the team, but one of the best players too. Ely signed with the New Orleans Pelicans last April, finished out the NBA season and was subsequently picked up by the Washington Wizards.
Devin Ebanks—One of the D-League’s top scorers all of last season, Ebanks was traded to the D-League’s Springfield Armor. After a short stint with Bnei Herzilya of Israel, Ebanks signed with Halcones Rojos Veracruz, where he will likely spend the rest of the season.
Upcoming Games
The Texas Legends return home to Frisco’s Dr. Pepper Arena tonight to take on the Delaware 87ers. Tip off is scheduled for 7:00 PM (CST). On Saturday, the Legends welcome the Sioux Falls Skyforce—tip off @ 7:00 PM (CST).