Today the Brooklyn Nets announced that Tornike Shengelia and Tyshawn Taylor have been assigned to their D-League affiliate, the Springfield Armor. This weekend marks the start of training camp for the Armor. The regular season for the D-League begins November 22.
Shengelia played in 10 games for the Armor last season, averaging 24.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 2.3 steals. He has not played yet this season for the Nets, due to his recovery from knee surgery. Taylor appeared in eight games for the Armor last season, averaging 24.6 points, 7.5 rebounds and 4.1 assists. He also hasn't played this season for the Nets.
This move, obviously, is to help both players continue to develop, while the Nets boast one of the deepest teams in the NBA, Taylor hasn't been able to crack the rotation -- and Toko, of course, has been dealing with his knee.
One interesting note, Mason Plumlee was not assigned to Springfield, even though Nets' GM Billy King said this summer that he expected Plumlee to spend some time in Springfield.
The move, this early in the season, marks a change for the Nets' D-League strategy. In the past, the Nets have waited, in some cases, till near mid-season, to send players down. Taylor and Shengelia weren't sent down last season until December 12. Then, after they returned to Brooklyn, they went down in January and again in January.
The two are likely to like to get a lot of time on court with the two other prospects on the D-League team, Lorenzo Brown, a 6'5" point guard, and Adonis Thomas, a 6'7" swingman.
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Nets Assign Shengelia and Taylor to Springfield Armor - Brooklyn Nets