Allan Houston is running Erie's b-ball show./NYK.

The 2011-12 D-League season hasn’t started yet and the Erie BayHawks have already made three roster moves.

Fortunately for the BayHawks, the D-League increased roster moves from 10 to 12 this season.

Let’s take a look at the latest one, which may give a good indication of how things are going to be for the BayHawks being in a hybrid partnership with the New York Knicks, who led by Allan Houston is running their basketball operations.

A former star guard with the Knicks, Houston is their assistant general manager.

A day after the draft, Erie traded veteran point guard Blake Ahearn and second-round pick Taj McCullough, a small forward, to Reno for point guard Donald Sloan and its seventh-round pick, veteran forward/center Joe Kennerly III.

Let’s start with the appetizer part of the trade.

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Saturday, 2 p.m., Tullio Arena

ON THE AIR: WJET-AM/1400; www.nba.com/dleague
PLAYERS TO WATCH

Erie — PF Ivan Johnson (A 2011 D-League All-Star, Johnson leads the BayHawks in scoring at 20.7 points a game and 7.4 rebounds. Johnson is the only Erie player to play and start in every game this season.) … SF Tasmin Mitchell (In his last eight games, Mitchell has averaged 26.1 points as Erie’s sixth man off the bench.) … SG Garrett Temple (Has played two games with Erie since returning after two 10-day contracts with the Milwaukee Bucks. Had 25 points and 11 rebounds in Friday’s 132-110 win at Texas.)

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The Erie BayHawks need rookie combo guard Maureece Rice to deliver if they're going to make the playoffs in their first year in the D-League. Erie currently owns the eighth and final playoff spot.

Tonight’s the night.

The Erie BayHawks aren’t playing Thursday, but they should take a look at the outcome of tonight’s games. They will impact Erie’s playoff hopes and Central Division championship aspirations.

Here’s the latest.

The Erie BayHawks (25-23) are still clinging to that eighth and final playoff spot.

Here’s more.

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With a D-League leading 28 double-doubles, Erik Daniels earned first-team all-league honors

The league leader in double-doubles with 28.

The co-team leader of the Erie BayHawks along with Jackie Manuel.

The versatile lefty forward able to make crafty shots with either hand.

It’s Erik Daniels, who on Monday earned first team All-D-League honors along with league MVP, Iowa center Courtney Sims, Austin Toros forward Marcus Williams, Dakota guard Blake Ahearn and Albuquerque guard Will Conroy.

Well deserved.

Averaging 21.1 points and 10 rebounds, the 6-foot 8-inch Daniels has played in all 48 of Erie’s games. Not bad for a guy who came to training camp not in the best of condition.

He was the 7th overall pick in the 2008 D-League draft.

With the way he’s played this season, Daniels, who is 27 years old, has set himself up for an opportunity to make some serious money overseas and/or a tryout with an NBA team.

So if he doesn’t return to the D-League next season, Daniels will leave Erie having made his mark.

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Jay Humphries led his Reno Bighorns to a 108-101 win against the Erie BayHawks on Saturday night. The Bighorns shot 59.7 percent from the field, going 12-of-21 (57.1 percent) from 3-point range.

The Erie BayHawks did more than just lose to the Reno Bighorns, 108-101, Saturday night.

The BayHawks (25-23) missed out on a great opportunity to draw even closer to taking over first place in the Central Division and further solidify a playoff spot.

Now Erie is still in possession of that eighth and final playoff spot, but  Albuquerque gained some ground on Erie and remember, the Thunderbirds (23-22) own the tiebreaker against the BayHawks.

More importantly, Erie missed out on a chance to pull within a half game of the division-leading Iowa Energy (26-21).

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Othyus Jeffers scored a career-high 37 points in his last game, but it wasn't enough as the Iowa Energy lost to the sub .500 Los Angeles D-Fenders at home in overtime, 130-124, Wednesday night.

The Erie BayHawks are still currently out of playoff contention, haven’t played a game in nearly a week, but are closing ground on the Central Division-leading Iowa Energy.

The BayHawks (24-22) are just two games out of first place after the Energy (26-20) lost for the fourth time in their last five games Friday night, 130-121, to Colorado, which owns the D-League’s best record at 32-12.

With four games remaining, the BayHawks are still tied for third place with Sioux Falls in the division behind Iowa and Dakota (25-21), which is only a game behind Iowa.

Erie owns the tiebreaker against Iowa and Sioux Falls, but not against Dakota.

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Can guard Curtis Stinson and the Iowa Energy hold off Dakota, Erie and Sioux Falls to win the Central Division? How they finish this stretch of four games in five days will greatly determine their fate.

The Erie BayHawks are still ninth in the D-League playoff chase after Wednesday’s games. Eight teams make the playoffs.

Bakersfield (25-22) and Albuquerque (23-21) still are holding on to the final two playoff spots. The Jam didn’t play Wednesday and neither did the Thunderbirds or the BayHawks (24-22).

However, Iowa (26-19) lost for the third time in its last four games Wednesday when the Los Angeles D-Fenders beat them in overtime, 130-124.

So Iowa is now just 2-1/2 games ahead of Erie in the Central Division.

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Othyus Jeffers and the Iowa Energy are trying to hold on to the Central Division lead without their all-star big man, Courtney Sims, who signed a 10-day contract with the New York Knicks last week.

The Iowa Energy are losing their radiance.

Probably tired.

The Energy have played 10 of their last 11 games on the road.

Oh yeah. They’re losing games, too.

Iowa (25-18) lost at Reno (20-23) last night by 22 points, 131-109. It’s the Energy’s third loss in their last four games. They dropped six of those 10 road games.

Remember we talked before about them playing without D-League all-star center, Courtney Sims, who signed a 10-day contract with the New York Knicks last week.

The Energy are going to be without him for at least two more games and if he signs a second 10-day contract, they’ll miss him for the rest of the regular season.

Erie is now only 2 1/2 games behind Iowa. With six games left, the BayHawks (23-21) can pull within two games of the Central Division-leading Energy with a win tonight against Colorado (29-12), which has the D-League’s best record.

So a divisional title is still within striking distance of the BayHawks, who own the tiebreaker against the Energy.

However, Iowa plays five of its last seven games at home. The Energy can keep the BayHawks at bay by just winning those home games.

It’s getting fun.

With only six games remaining in their regular season, combo guard Maureece Rice (with ball) and the Erie BayHawks (23-21) trail the Central Division-leading Iowa Energy (25-17) by three games.

With only one D-League game played Tuesday night, the Erie BayHawks are still ninth in the playoff chase. Only eight teams make the playoffs.

However, the outcome of Tuesday’s game between the Bakersfield Jam and Iowa Energy has bearing on Erie’s playoff hopes.

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Erie coach John Treloar has his work cut out for him as the BayHawks have lost four of their last five games heading into Friday's game against the Colorado 14ers, who have the D-League's best record.

No games Monday night.

Good time to bring ya’ll up to speed with the D-League playoffs.

The Erie BayHawks are still ninth after Sunday’s games. Eight teams make the playoffs.

1. Colorado 14ers – 29-12 (.707) – Southwest leader
2. Utah Flash – 24-15 (.615) – West leader
3. Iowa Energy – 25-16 (.610) – Central leader
4. Austin Toros – 27-15 (.643)
5. Idaho Stampede – 27-17 (.614)
6. Bakersfield Jam – 24-19 (.558)
7. Dakota Wizards – 23-20 (.548)
8. Albuquerque Thunderbirds 22-20 (.524)
9. Erie BayHawks 23-21 (.523)
10. Sioux Falls Skyforce 22-22 (.500)

Now Erie is only a half game behind the Wizards and tied with Albuquerque, but here’s the problem. Erie would lose the tiebreaker to both teams if it came down to that eighth and final playoff spot.

So with only six games remaining, the BayHawks have some to make up some ground with little time to do so. If you look at their next game, many might say Erie has more to play for than Colorado.

Think again.

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