D.J. Kennedy

Here’s an interview Erie BayHawks point guard D.J. Kennedy did the day he joined the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday.

The Cavaliers will play their final home game Wednesday night against the Washington Wizards.

A 6-foot, 6-inch, 215-pound shooting guard out of St. John’s Kennedy joined BayHawks teammate Donald Sloan, who earlier this year signed with the Cavaliers for the rest of the season.

Cleveland also had BayHawks small forward Mychel Thompson at the start of this shortened 2011-12 season before waiving him in February.

Kennedy averaged 15.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 44 regular-season games. In the playoffs, the Pittsburgh native averaged 14.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 5.3 assists.

The Cavaliers were once an NBA affiliate of the BayHawks before Erie became hybrid partners with the New York Knicks.

The Cleveland Cavaliers put Luke Harangody’s mind, body and spirit to the test – and Jay Larranaga loved it.

The Erie BayHawks coach applauded Harangody for playing four games in as many days with three being for the Canton Charge in the 2012 D-League playoffs.

“I think it’s awesome,” he said. “I think it’s a credit to Luke. The kind of player he is and the kind of professional he is that he was able to do that. That he played at a high level in all four games and helped his team get a win in three of the games including the game he played for the Cavs. The kid deserves so much credit.”

The Cavs recalled the former Notre Dame star up today before Cleveland plays the Philadelphia 76ers tonight at Quicken Loans Arena. In his game with Cleveland, Haranagody had 16 points and 10 rebounds in a 99-89 home win against Washington.

The Cavs had recalled Harangody the second time April 14th and sent him back down the Charge the next day for Game 2 of their best-of-3 series at second-seeded Springfield.

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Former Erie BayHawks forward Ivan Johnson had 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting in helping the Atlanta Hawks beat the Cleveland Cavaliers, 103-87, on Sunday at Quicken Loans Arena.

Joe Johnson led the Hawks with 28 points.

The Erie BayHawks will have former NBA player Joey Graham for Thursday’s game against expansion Canton. The BayHawks (22-19) got Graham, who played for the Cleveland Cavaliers last season, out of the D-League player pool. Graham, 29, also played for the Toronto Raptors and Denver Nuggets.

Graham’s twin brother, Stephen, is also in the D-League with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants.

With Joey Graham, Erie has reached its 10-man roster limit, but have only nine players available as forward Sharrod Ford is recovering from a calf injury. At 6-7, 250-pounds, Graham gives Erie an inside presence who can defend and rebound.

The Erie BayHawks know the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers well.

The Cavs (13-20) were the main one of Erie’s two NBA affiliates in its first three D-League seasons before the Knicks (18-18) became its sole hybrid affiliate this season.

Tonight, the new (Knicks) beat the old (Cavs), 120-103, at Madison Square Garden. The outcome was a 34-point swing as Cleveland lead by as many as 17 points late in the second half before the Knicks came back to win by that same margin.

Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin finished with 19 points, 13 assists, five rebounds only one turnover and a bloody nose. in the first quarter, Cavaliers forward Omri Casspi chopped down over Lin’s nose in trying to swat the ball out of his hands.

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Here guarding NBA All-Star forward Paul Pierce, Mychel Thompson (right) started three games for the Cleveland Cavaliers./AP Photo.

Being waived by the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday didn’t stop Mychel Thompson’s pursuit of making the NBA.

Just altered it.

Before returning to the Erie BayHawks for today’s 7 p.m. game against Maine at Tullio Arena, Thompson talked about being back with Erie, what he learned in Cleveland and guarding the NBA’s all-time leader in 3-point shooting — Ray Allen.

How are you feeling about coming back to Erie? “My goal is to get back into the NBA. So I felt this gives me my best opportunity. By coming back, I hope I get another chance.”

(A third-round pick in the 2011 D-League Draft, Thompson averaged 19.8 points in five games with Erie to start the 2011-12 season.)

How was your experience in Cleveland? “It was good. I learned a lot. The last few games, I got to play. It was great being out there. I felt like I finally adjusted well to the game. Got a lot of experience. Was able to start some games. Just hoping for another opportunity like that.”

(Thompson played five games for the Cavaliers. Averaging 3.6 points a game, Thompson started three games for Cleveland. He made the final 15-man roster after the Cavaliers invited him to their training camp.).

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Mychel Thompson, right, made his first start tonight for the Cleveland Cavaliers./AP Photo.

With shooting guards Daniel Gibson (neck) and Anthony Parker (back) out with injuries, former Erie BayHawks small forward Mychel Thompson got his first start for the Cleveland Cavaliers tonight.

A 6-foot-6, 211-pound rookie, Thompson had eight points on 3-of-9 shooting, four assists and three turnovers in a 93-90 loss to the Boston Celtics.

Thompson, 23, played 30 minutes, 52 seconds tonight.

In the only two games he previous played for the Cavaliers, Thompson played 14 minutes total. He had four points in 12 minutes in a 88-87 win Sunday at Boston.

in his first action for Cleveland, Thompson didn’t score and played in the final two minutes, 23 seconds of the Cavaliers’ 92-77 loss Jan. 4 at Toronto.

Here’s another one.

Solomon Alabi played 22 games for the Erie BayHawks last season when they were affiliated with the Toronto Raptors and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The 7-footer averaged just 7.2 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks for Erie as a rookie last season. Someone that tall should dominate the D-League. So if anyone needs development, it’s him.

Now he’s back in the D-League as the Raptors sent him down to the Bakersfield Jam today. Erie is now an hybrid partner with the New York Knicks.

At least the weather will be better for him in Bakersfield. It’s 25 degrees in Erie, 57 in Bakersfield.

When Alabi played with fire and emotion as you will see below when he dunks on Miami Heat young big man Dexter Pittman, who was with Sioux Falls at the time, he was effective, but he has a laid back personality.

Plus he couldn’t stay out of foul trouble. He averaged 3.27 fouls a game.

It’s a mystery to me.

How does a guy with this much athleticism and upside keep finding himself in the D-League?

Christian Eyenga spent some time in Erie with the BayHawks when they were affiliated with the Cleveland Cavaliers. As a rookie, he averaged 12.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in 15 games with the BayHawks.

This season, the Cavaliers own the Canton Charge and sent Eyenga down to the D-League expansion franchise today. He shows enough flashes to have a spot in the NBA as you can see below, but hasn’t done enough consistently to stick in the NBA.

Unfortunately for him, it happens.

Donald Sloan tries to strip Charlotte rook Kemba Walker in Monday's preseason game./AP Photo.

Check out these articles about how current and former Erie BayHawks are doing:

Hawks blog (Atlanta Journal Constitution) – BayHawks point guard Donald Sloan was described as struggling to stop Charlotte’s D.J. Augustin in Monday night’s preseason game, but settled down later in the game.

Peachtree hoops – Former BayHawks PF Ivan Johnson had the best game of the Atlanta newcomers in Monday’s preseason game at Charlotte according to Kris Willis.

Cleveland Plain-Dealer – BayHawks  SF Mychel Thompson hopes to play for the Cavaliers in tonight’s preseason game against the Detroit Pistons at Quicken Loans Arena.

In other news, BayHawks 7-footer Chris Daniels didn’t play for the Los Angeles Lakers in Monday’s preseason game against the Los Angeles Clippers. … Former BayHawk Blake Ahearn is back with the Reno Bighorns after being waived by the Clippers. … The Denver Nuggets have a preseason game tonight against Phoenix. BayHawks SG Cory Higgins is with the Nuggets.