Now eleven games into the 2014-2015 NBA D-League season, the Texas Legends are inching closer to the front-running Austin Spurs. The Legends’ hot start to the season is due in no small measure to new faces added to the roster this past off-season.
Spotlight On: Forward Eric Griffin and Guard Doron Lamb
Despite having elite athleticism, Texas Legends Guard Eric Griffin has always had to fight to earn his spot on the roster. This was a trend that started during his community college days, first at Hiwassee CC, then Garden City CC.
The hard work paid off, as he landed on a Division I squad at Campbell University (home of the Fighting Camels!), where he was named 2012 All-Big South Conference first team.
Despite going undrafted during the 2012 NBA Draft, Griffin, the 6’ 8”, 190lb native of Orlando, has quite a bit of professional hoops experience.
He’s played for Aurora Basket Jesi (Italian League), Leones de Ponce (BSN Basketball League—Puerto Rico) and with the Guaros de Lara (Venezuelan Basketball League)…an impressive pro resume, especially considering he is just 24 years old.
Griffin has been an early season highlight reel for the Legends, scoring 20 or more points in six of his ten games played. All told, he’s averaging 18.8 points per game—good for 16th in the D-League, with 6.7 rebounds per game.
Whereas Griffin’s path to the NBA’s Development League has been a somewhat unconventional one, Doron Lamb has ascended the ranks in accordance with his blue chip background.
Lamb never had to prove his game on the community college level, as he was a key member of the vaunted Kentucky Wildcats program that won a National Championship in 2012. After an excellent collegiate career, playing alongside current New Orleans Pelican Anthony Davis, he was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round of the 2012 NBA Draft.
Barely 23, Lamb is one of the Legends’ youngest players, yet has already played in 100 NBA games with the aforementioned Bucks, and the Orlando Magic, averaging a very solid 39% from beyond the arc. If his torrid start to the season is any indication, he could be back in the NBA in no time flat.
For now, it’s the Texas Legends who get to enjoy the services of the Queens, New York, native as he continues to light up the D-League. Thus far, Lamb is averaging 19.9 ppg, good for 13th in the league, but you get the feeling he’s just getting warmed up.
Upcoming Texas Legends Games
If you can’t make the games, you can watch it from the comfort of your own home via the Legends’ official YouTube Channel.
