Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Emergency Services Man saves elderly woman from fire at Phoenix apartment Debt ends plans for assisted living facility Oregon's wolves first topic of lecture series Restaurant Inspections Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Emergency Services Man saves elderly woman from fire at Phoenix apartment Emergency services Emergency services Oregon prisoner linked to 1976 killings Politics and Elections Ashland aims for diversity, but numbers show shortfall Kent Bush: The keys to decoding the State of the Union address Oregon Legislature convenes, session starts Feb. 12 Councilman stirs online dust-up with anti-marijuana post Education Ballroom dance class is a hit with North Medford students Talent Elementary students learn to tinker Local elementary and middle school students qualify for state chess championships Unfair labor complaint against Medford School District resolved Arsonist attempts to burn down building at Jackson Elementary Environment Mt. Ashland Ski Area crew dips to five Public sounds off on gas pipeline Mt. Ashland ski area announces layoffs Bear cub headed to rehabbers in Idaho Grant will help restore 'legacy' oak habitat in Southern Oregon and Northern California State News Oregon focus of effort to expand background checks for guns TripCheck adding more weather stations, cameras Oregon prisoner linked to 1976 killings Superbug blamed for hospital deaths UO seeks return of released documents Nation - World Obituaries Darrel D. Spores Margarete Hennebeck Cecil Hudson Bishop Richard Ray Guile William (Bill) P. Bailey Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Shareable In memoriam: 2014’s notable deaths Looking back: Do you remember 2014’s biggest stories? Sports Latest Stories Haas pulls away to win Humana Challenge Brown wins first U.S. title, holding off Rippon Arizona tops Oregon in OT OSU on top Sherman doubts any punishment ahead for Pats Varsity 541 College Sports Arizona tops Oregon in OT OSU on top Coach K collects 1,000th victory Beavers will rely on newcomers Raider men shut down Eastern Oregon Pro Sports Haas pulls away to win Humana Challenge Sherman doubts any punishment ahead for Pats Sharapova into quarterfinals Aldridge returns, Blazers top Wizards Grizzlies coast to win over 76ers Community Sports Local Events Business Latest Stories Wine industry pays off for Oregon The heart of Brammo will remain Blog: Alaska Air Group earnings soared in 2014 New owners of Medford Center promise a hands-on approach: Practicing for the real thing Real Estate News New owners of Medford Center promise a hands-on approach: Home loan rates continue to fall, applications soar Jackson County real estate market headed back to normal Dear Monty: Best start for 1st-time homebuyers People In Business People in Business Transportation The heart of Brammo will remain Want to be an investor? Four companies will be pitching their plan to you Medford airport traffic flies to new heights Agriculture Rising prices bear fruit for local pear growers Opinion Latest Our View: Asphalt saga nears end of the road George Will: Vermont's Sanders has mountains to climb Letters to the Editor, Jan. 25 Dana Milbank: Get used to Obama's swagger Guest Opinion: Market forces work against LNG project's success Editorials Our View: Asphalt saga nears end of the road Other Views: Governor should not forget rural Oregon Our View: Edible marijuana risks demand strict rules Our View: Public salaries move only upward Our View: Restrictions on civil forfeitures are reasonable Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Jan. 25 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 23 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 22 Letters to the Editor, Jan. 21 Letters to the editor, Jan. 20 Guest Opinions Guest Opinion: Market forces work against LNG project's success Guest Opinion: More reasons to oppose gas pipeline A fair shot for all: addressing our low-wage crisis Guest Opinion: SOU biomass burner would be big mistake Guest Opinion: Reforms needed to build upon John Day’s success Lifestyle Latest stories Community blog: Breathe Away Anxiety Adopt a Pet Southern Oregon Journal: 'Just me, five mules, Jesus and two dogs' Reinventing the wheelchair Maybe home isn't so different after all Food Community blog: Trends aside, butternut squash a seasonal darling Gail Ciampa: Creative ways to explore the oft-maligned cauliflower Best of the Brews Try these shock-free-diet options Community blog: Cauliflower cuts calories in faux pasta Alfredo Home and Garden Paint a room or two in a weekend Dear Monty: Sell home now? Or wait until summer? Home Help: How to keep your house pest-free this winter Dear Monty: Consider mediation in real estate disputes Home Help: Heighten your home’s style this year Health Community blog: Breathe Away Anxiety Health Watch: Why you should consider the Mediterranean diet Community blog: Best Cities for Aging? - Not Medford Healthy Aging: Whether supper or dinner, it's best eaten together Practicing for the real thing Hiking Biking Faith Religion briefs, Jan. 23 Religion briefs Old stained-glass windows face threats Churches start new year with messages of hope Milestones and Achievements 50 years and counting: Bulebar Wedding: Lindsey-Maria Rios New arrivals Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Review: Randall Theatre's 'Irma Vep' is low brow, high laughs Live Music in Local Clubs Songs of the '60s highlight 'Those Were the Days' Paula Poundstone performs at the Craterian Brian Freeman presents 'An Evening of Scottish Music' Theater Randall Theatre presents playwright Charles Ludlam's comedy "The Mystery of Irma Vep" Roy Orbison tribute hits high note Thanks for the Memories Theatre presents 'Cardenio' Thanks for the Memories Theatre presents 'Rent' Tangled up in Dylan Music Live Music in Local Clubs Songs of the '60s highlight 'Those Were the Days' Ethan Tucker Band at the Brickroom The Farr Side: Trainor building a music niche Brian Freeman presents 'An Evening of Scottish Music' Community Events Paula Poundstone performs at the Craterian Len Dickson's 'Fall Harvest' to grace Belle Fiore wine label A look at the life and vision of Martin Luther King Jr. Ty Barnett and Ian Harris are 'Divided' Elaine Witteveen's new exhibit 'Wings' opens at the Rogue Gallery Dining The Vine offers a taste of Italy Cheeseburgers on the cheap Valley View — It's all in the family Patty Groth's Morning Glory is still a delight Entertaining with a gift of treasure Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Man saves elderly woman from fire at Phoenix apartment ... Debt ends plans for assisted living facility ... Our View: Asphalt saga nears end of the road ... Man saves elderly woman from fire at Phoenix apartment ... Debt ends plans for assisted living facility ... Our View: Asphalt saga nears end of the road ... BASKETBALL NBA's D-League becoming testing ground for new ideas Comment By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Jan. 19, 2015 @ 6:37 pm By The Associated Press Posted Jan. 19, 2015 @ 6:37 pm » Social News SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — David Arseneault Jr. thought nothing of the email when it first appeared in his inbox. The message from Dean Oliver, the Sacramento Kings' director of player personnel and analytics, just seemed like another inquiry about the quirky system his father ran at tiny Grinnell College. Little did Arseneault know that the Kings had been targeting him as a candidate to coach their NBA Development League affiliate, the Reno Bighorns, for a unique basketball experiment. "I called him, and he asked if I had interest in the job. I said, 'The head coaching job?'" Arseneault said, recalling the story during the D-League Showcase that concludes Monday night in Santa Cruz. "He said, 'Yes.' I said, 'Of course I have interest.' I was shocked. I was a 28-year-old, part-time assistant coach at a Division III school in the middle of Iowa." Arseneault's addition is the latest — and perhaps most unconventional — example of how NBA franchises are increasingly using their minor-league team as a testing ground for new ideas. Since it started in 2001, the D-League has been focused on fostering and funneling talent to the NBA. That's come mostly in the form of personnel, with the league's most recent count tallying 139 players, 29 assistant coaches and two head coaches — Memphis' Dave Joerger and Utah's Quin Snyder — currently on NBA rosters with D-League experience. With 17 of 30 NBA franchises affiliated with one lower-tier club now, the expanding partnerships are allowing the D-League to become a melting pot for innovation. Arseneault and his father, David Arseneault Sr., got the attention of the Kings in 2012 when Jack Taylor scored an NCAA-record 138 points in Grinnell's 179-104 victory over Faith Baptist Bible. Arseneault Jr. was the de facto head coach the past few years, though his dad held the official title. Now he has the Bighorns averaging 140 points per game in what has simply become known as The System. The general principles are to shoot within 12 seconds, apply a full-court pressure defense, substitute all five players every couple of minutes and attempt a ton of 3-pointers. "Organized chaos," he calls it. Arseneault said he communicates with Sacramento's front office daily, including Oliver, Kings general manager Pete D'Alessandro, assistant general manager Mike Bratz and scouting coordinator and Bighorns assistant general manager Chris Gilbert. "The ultimate goal is to provide the Sacramento Kings with something that they can use at the highest level of basketball," Arseneault said. The Kings, through a team spokesman, declined to comment on the system. But they've hardly been the only franchise taking a trial-and-error attitude with their D-League team. Last year, the Houston Rockets hired Nevada Smith — then just 33 years old — from Division III Keystone College in La Plume, Pennsylvania, to lead their D-League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers. The Rockets, led by general manager Daryl Morey, were interested in Smith because of the way his team relied almost entirely on 3s and layups. They've used Rio Grande Valley, which attempted a league-high 45.4 shots per game from beyond the arc last season, to try out different schemes. "I think we've had some creative minds," Smith said. "We have some other things we'll do at some point in the season. Kind of saving them right now. You'll have to wait and see. It's kind of crazy, but it's fun." The Golden State Warriors are fully invested in their D-League club, the Santa Cruz Warriors, who are owned and operated by the NBA franchise. Santa Cruz coach Casey Hill spent this summer learning the system Steve Kerr implemented with Golden State. The Warriors, like many teams, want players to know the system at both levels so when they're called up or sent down — as center Ognjen Kuzmic has been often this season — they know what to do. "It's a tool that we're going to use, and we have used, to make our NBA team better," Warriors general manager Bob Myers said. With constant call-ups and contract buyouts, the ever-changing rosters in the D-League create the biggest challenges for teams trying to think outside the box. Arseneault, for instance, was rotating more than 15 players at Grinnell. Now he usually has about 10 players with Reno, and they're all competing for an NBA contract. Arseneault, under the direction of the Kings, said he has made subtle adjustments every game. In a 129-119 win over the Westchester Knicks on Friday night, he had one group run the Grinnell system and another group run a traditional system to fit everyone's skills. Arseneault finds it all fascinating, mostly because he never expected the system his father adopted to ever win games — let alone at the professional level. It was just supposed to inject some fun into a small college team. "I've told (the Kings), 'Please come to me with any experiments you would like to see,'" Arseneault said. "If we can even provide them with one little thing, one little tweak, I would consider it a success." By The Associated Press MailTribune.com By The Associated Press Posted Jan. 19, 2015 @ 6:37 pm » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. fantasy football DraftKings Fantasy Pro Bowl, Super Bowl Lineup Jan. 24, 2015 at 11:37 am Fantasy Favorites, Lineup Picks for Super Bowl XLIX Jan. 22, 2015 at 9:00 am Fantasy Breakdown, Stat Predictions for Super Bowl Jan. 20, 2015 at 1:00 pm Fantasy Outlook for Raiders Stars Jan. 20, 2015 at 7:13 am DraftKings Fantasy Guide for Packers vs. Seahawks Jan. 16, 2015 at 10:00 am DraftKings Fantasy Guide for Colts vs. Patriots Jan. 16, 2015 at 10:00 am calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2015 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501