“I truthfully don’t listen to that. The team drafted me there. They saw what I have and that’s why they drafted me. Again, I’m out here getting better for myself and my team and that’s it,” – Hasheem Thabeet on hearing negative talk of him being the second overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft and getting sent down to play in the D-League.

The Memphis Grizzlies sent down their 7-foot-3 rookie Hasheem Thabeet, to the D-League's Dakota Wizards.

One block.

Some would say that number should have read 11 or more, but Hasheem Thabeet was only credited for one block in his D-League debut Friday night for the Dakota Wizards against the Erie BayHawks at Tullio Arena in Erie. The Wizards won, 108-103.

Personally, I thought he got two, but he finished the game with eight points on 3-of-4 shooting, two rebounds, two turnovers and four fouls in 17 minutes and 51 seconds of play.

The Memphis Grizzlies sent Thabeet down to the Wizards on Thursday and he played his first of scheduled six games with Dakota.

The second overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft out of Connecticut is scheduled to return to Memphis on March 8, Dakota coach Rory White said. The Grizzlies and Washington Wizards are Dakota’s NBA affiliates. An NBA team can send down first or second-year players up to three times a season.

Playing just 17 minutes and 51 seconds, Thabeet also had his shot blocked from behind by Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Danny Green, who at 6-foot-6 is much shorter than the 7-3 center.

Green was returning the favor as Thabeet blocked his shot within 25 seconds of him entering the game for the first time in the first quarter. An NBA affiliate for Erie, The Cavalier sent Green down to play for the BayHawks.

A rookie out of North Carolina, Green finished with a game-high 36 points Friday.

After the game, I interviewed Thabeet, who arrived in Erie hours before the 7 p.m. game.

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Seems like a mismatch. Hasheem Thabeet is 7-foot-3. Danny Green is 6-6.

So when Thabeet came off the bench in the first quarter for the Dakota Wizards and swatted Green’s shot out of bounds in his first 24 seconds of play, it wasn’t shocking.

Thabeet just smiled. Green was grinning, too, for the Erie BayHawks, but he had revenge on his mind.

“He caught me the first time,” Green said. “I forgot he was in the game for a second. I think I was in the post or something. I had a lay up and he just threw it out of bounds. I said, ‘alright, I got you neck time big dawg.’”

Thirty-nine seconds later, Green got him.

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Darnell Jackson had his way inside, but was as winded as a sail boat Thursday night.

Danny Green’s first shot, a corner 3, sailed over the other side of the rim, but his lob pass to Cedric Jackson was as perfect as a 24oo SAT score.

In the end, the Cleveland Cavaliers forwards put in work and were instrumental in Erie’s 114-108 win against the Dakota Wizards tonight.

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He's not an All-Star anymore, but Allen Iverson is still one of the game's most popular players.

19 games. 1.4 ppg and  4.4 assists per game.

Those don’t look like All-Star type numbers, but that’s what Allen Iverson has delivered this season.

Isn’t startling, but the fans love him. So much so that they voted Iverson a starter for the upcoming All-Star game next month in Dallas.

I go back and forth on this.

Iverson is a future Hall of Famer, but he’s on the down end of his career and seemingly quit on Memphis before rejoining the 76ers this season.

However, he isn’t playing too bad for Philly and other than Rajon Rondo of Boston, what other guard in the East is worthy of being a starter in the All-Star game?

I’m waiting.

The Erie BayHawks blew a 16-point halftime lead, but beat the Sioux Falls Skyforce, 109-107, Saturday as they head into their home opener Saturday, Dec. 12, against the expansion Maine Red Claws at Tullio Arena with a 2-2 record.

Leemire Goldwire had a chance to win the game for the Skyforce (2-2), but missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer after Erie center John Bryant missed a pair of free throws with 4.1 seconds remaining in overtime.

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I still don’t know what to make of this.

Allen Iverson is back in Philadelphia after saying he was retiring when leaving the Memphis Grizzlies. Truth is, Iverson didn’t want to be there so he bounced on the Grizzlies.

However, for all those Allen Iverson haters who say the guy is too selfish and only cares about himself, I for one have always marveled at how he played the game. In his prime, Iverson couldn’t be guarded.

Just ask MJ.

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The D-League season isn’t even a week old and the Maine Red Claws are getting better by the minute.

Not only has their NBA affiliates – Boston and Charlotte – sent down a player to them in forward Bill Walker (Celtics) and 7-foot center Alexis Ajinca (Bobcats), but the Mad Claws also added 6-9 forward Trey Gilder, who was waived by the Memphis Grizzles last month after helping Colorado win the 2009 D-League title.

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Erik Daniels finally saw some playing time this weekend.

After not playing in the first three games for Memphis during the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, Erik Daniels got in the final two that included Sunday’s 76-75 win against the San Antonio Spurs. The Grizzlies finished 5-0.

Daniels played 12 minutes and 44 seconds. The Erie BayHawks forward scored three points on 1-of-2 shooting (made a 3-pointer) and added two rebounds and a steal.

Once again, first-round pick Hasheem Thabeet was plagued with foul trouble as he was in the previous game Saturday night for the Grizzlies so that opened the door for the former Kentucky standout to see some action.  In the consecutive video clips, Daniels, wearing No. 32, is shown getting a block and an assist against the Suns.

In addition, power forward Darrell Arthur didn’t play Sunday. After talking with Daniels Saturday afternoon, he seemed so frustrated with the situation so it’s good to see he finally got a chance to play. Now whether that leads to him playing in the NBA again, not sure, but he at least got a chance to make a small case for it this weekend.

Quincy Douby is doing it big in Las Vegas.

Here’s how Erie BayHawks players Maureece Rice, Erik Daniels and Quincy Douby fared Thursday in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

Quincy Douby (Toronto Raptors): Douby hit the game-winning shot to give Toronto a 84-83 win against the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday afternoon. Playing 27 minutes and 23 seconds, Douby scored 17 points off the bench on 5-of-13 shooting, added seven assists, four rebounds, two steals and a block. He was 7-of-9 from the line.

In five games, Douby averaged a team-high 18 points on 46.9 percent shooting from the field. The Raptors finished summer league play 3-2.

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Erie BayHawks combo guard Maureece Rice scored four points in Cleveland’s 96-93 loss to the Washington Wizards on Tuesday night in the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

Going 2-of-2 from the field, Rice, wearing No. 6, added a rebound in four minutes and 22 seconds of play. The Cavaliers are 0-3 in summer league play.

As for forward Erik Daniels, first-team All-D-League player for the BayHawks hasn’t seen action in a game yet for the Memphis Grizzlies, who are 2-0 in summer league play after beating the New York Knicks last night, 90-86.

The Cavaliers and Grizzlies resume action Thursday night. Cleveland takes on the Dallas Mavericks while Memphis faces the Los Angeles Clipppers.

The games can be seen on NBA.com.