NBA G League

Knicks Notes: Player Development, Kanter, Jack

Speaking this week to reporters, including Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News, Knicks executive Craig Robinson referred to the Knicks’ approach to player development as “innovative,” “transformative,” and “something that is completely new,” but said that he couldn’t get into specifics because “then everybody would do what I want to do.”

Given the Knicks’ spotty recent track record of player development, I imagine Robinson’s comments will be met with some skepticism from fans, but he should get an opportunity to prove the value of his philosophies in the coming years, having been hired by the new regime last August.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

  • Count Enes Kanter among the veterans around the NBA frustrated by their declining minutes and by their teams’ frequent losses. “I came here to win games. I didn’t come here to get a good lottery pick,” Kanter said after Tuesday’s loss to Dallas, per Fred Kerber of The New York Post. “I came here to win games and make the playoffs. So games like this are just weird. They make me think, ‘Why am I sitting?’ It’s weird, but we’ve got 14 games left and I’ll just try to do my best for 14 games.”
  • Jarrett Jack admits that there were “a couple of situations” available to him if he had pushed for a buyout before the March 1 playoff-eligibility deadline, as Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. Despite not playing a single minute for the Knicks since then, the veteran point guard doesn’t regret his decision. “I’m not miserable,” Jack said. “There are things that are a lot worse. I remember when I was hurt, playing for nobody, sitting on the couch. I would’ve given anything to be in the uniform.”
  • After playing on a 10-day contract with the Grizzlies, guard Xavier Rathan-Mayes has returned to the Westchester Knicks, New York’s G League affiliate, per Adam Zagoria of ZagsBlog.com (Twitter link).
  • As part of an ongoing Basketball Insiders series, Dennis Chambers offers up some suggestions for what he would do to try to build a contender around Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/14/18

Here are Wednesday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

9:00 pm:

  • The Pacers have recalled Alex Poythress from the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, according to the team’s website. The Kentucky product has played in seven G League games this season where he averaged 20.0 points and 8.9 rebounds per game.

4:56 pm:

  • For the second consecutive day, the Jazz sent Dante Exum to the G League and then recalled him later in the day, the team announced in a press release. The former fifth overall pick is preparing for his return from a shoulder injury by practicing with the Salt Lake City Stars.
  • The Lakers have assigned rookie big man Thomas Bryant to the G League, according to the club (Twitter link). Bryant, who has averaged 19.2 PPG and 7.5 RPG in 32 G League games this season, is expected to suit up for the South Bay Lakers on Thursday night when they host the Agua Caliente Clippers.
  • Chris McCullough, who had been playing for the Northern Arizona Suns, was recalled today by the Wizards and then re-assigned to the Erie BayHawks, according to the team. Washington doesn’t have a G League affiliate of its own this season, so McCullough is eligible to play for other G League squads via the flexible assignment rule.

Pelicans Notes: G League Team, Holiday, Davis

A report way back in March of 2017 indicated that the Pelicans planned on launching a G League affiliate of their own for the 2018/19 season. Since then, there have been a handful of updates on the franchise’s hunt for an appropriate spot for that affiliate to play, with an offseason report suggesting the decision would likely come down to Shreveport, Lousiana vs. Pensacola, Florida.

However, during a recent radio appearance, Pelicans GM Dell Demps said that the club’s plans for a G League team are on hold for now, as Adam Johnson of 2 Ways & 10 Days relays.

“Right now, we’ve put things on pause,” Demps said. “We’re trying to, you know, find the right situation, and the right city for the team to play is essential. Currently right now, you know, we use the G League and we’ve been using other teams that have G League teams and right now we just put things on pause until we can find the right home for us. … It will come in the future, it’s just we haven’t narrowed down the specific spot yet.”

With Shreveport’s City Council having voted against financing an arena, Pensacola looked like the odds-on favorite to host the Pelicans’ new G League squad, but based on Demps’ comments, it sounds as if the team’s search is ongoing.

The Wizards are set to launch a G League affiliate of their own in 2018/19, which will bring the list of NBAGL teams to 27 — currently, the Pelicans, Trail Blazers, and Nuggets are the only clubs without an affiliate in place or a concrete plan in place to add one.

Here’s more on the Pelicans:

  • Jrue Holiday has cashed in on another one of the incentives in his contract, as ESPN’s Bobby Marks tweets. By appearing in 66 games this season, Holiday triggered a $255K bonus to go along with the separate $255K bonus he earned earlier in the season for surpassing the 2,075-minute threshold.
  • In spite of DeMarcus Cousins‘ season-ending injury, this season has been a major success so far for the Pelicans, quieting speculation about the possibility of Anthony Davis‘ eventual departure. Frank Urbina of HoopsHype takes a closer look at how that discussion may resurface in future seasons, noting that losing Davis could even jeopardize the Pelicans’ long-term future in New Orleans.
  • The Pelicans reportedly intend to fill their open roster spot by signing Larry Drew II, as we detailed earlier today.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/13/18

Here are Tuesday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

9:50 pm: 

  • After assigning him earlier today (as noted below), the Jazz have recalled Exum from the Salt Lake City Stars, according to Eric Woodyard of the Deseret News (Twitter link). Woodyard added that the former No. 5 overall pick could play for Utah at some point this week.

3:05 pm:

  • The Jazz have assigned point guard Dante Exum to the G League, the team announced today in a press release. Exum, who has missed the entire 2017/18 season due to a shoulder injury, is aiming to return to the court later this week, so he’s participating in a practice with the Salt Lake City Stars as part of his rehab process.
  • The Nets have recalled Isaiah Whitehead from the G League, tweets Brian Lewis of The New York Post. Whitehead, who has seen far more action in the NBAGL this season than in the NBA, racked up 27 points on Sunday in his most recent game with the Long Island Nets.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/12/18

Here are Monday’s G League moves from around the NBA:

  • The Spurs recalled guard Derrick White from the Austin Spurs, according to a team press release. White, the team’s first-round pick last June, has played 19 games with Austin, averaging 18.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG and 3.1 APG in 27.0 MPG.
  • The Lakers recalled rookie center Thomas Bryant from their South Bay affiliate, the G League team tweets. The second-round pick has appeared in 10 NBA games. In his last two games with South Bay, he averaged 18.5 PPG, 7.5 RPG and 6.0 APG.
  • The Celtics recalled forward Guerschon Yabusele from the Maine Red Claws, the team tweets. Yabusele will add depth in the wake of Daniel Theis season-ending injury. A 2016 first-round pick, Yabusele has appeared in 14 games with the Red Claws, averaging 20.3 PPG and 7.9 RPG.
  • The Hawks recalled rookie forward Tyler Cavanaugh from a rehab assignment with the Erie Bayhawks, the team announced in a release. Cavanaugh, who hasn’t appeared in an NBA game since January 8th, has been working his way back from an ankle injury.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/11/18

Here are Sunday’s G League moves from around the NBA:

  • The Bucks recalled rookie forward D.J. Wilson from the Wisconsin Herd, according to the Bucks’ Twitter feed. Wilson scored 19 points for the Herd against the Westchester Knicks Saturday night. He’s appeared in 10 G League games, averaging 15.6 PPG and 5.6 RPG. Wilson, the 17th overall pick last June out of Michigan, has played in 20 games for the Bucks but is only averaging 3.4 MPG.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/10/18

Here are Saturday’s G League moves from around the NBA:

  • The Raptors assigned Nigel Hayes and Alfonzo McKinnie to their Raptors 905 affiliate for today’s game against Canton, according to a tweet  from the G League team.
  • The Knicks sent Isaiah Hicks to their Westchester affiliate for tonight’s game in Milwaukee, the team announced (Twitter link).
  • The Pacers assigned Alex Poythress to their Fort Wayne affiliate, according to a post on the team website.
  • The Thunder recalled Dakari Johnson from Oklahoma City Blue, the team announced in an email.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/9/18

These are the G League moves from around the Association on Friday:

9:26pm:

  • The Pacers have recalled Ike Anigbogu, the team announced in a press release. The rookie has played in 14 games for the Fort Wayne affiliate this season.

7:34pm:

  • The Thunder assigned big man Dakari Johnson to their affiliate, the team announced in a press release. The 22-year-old big man has averaged 24.1 points and 10.0 rebounds per game in eight stars for the OKC Blue.
  • The Warriors have recalled Damian Jones from Santa Cruz, per a team press release. The center has averaged 15.0 points and 8.2 boards per game with the affiliate.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/8/18

Here are Thursday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

  • Lakers rookie big man Thomas Bryant has been assigned to the team’s G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers, according to a tweet from the team’s official account. Bryant, 20, is averaging 19.2 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in 30 G League games this season.
  • The Bulls have assigned 10-day contract signee Jarell Eddie to their G League affiliate, the Windy City Bulls, per a tweet from the Bulls. Eddie, 26, is averaging 17.1 points and shooting 47.5% from long range in 21 games with Windy City.
  • Both Nigel Hayes and Alfonzo McKinnie have been assigned to the Raptors‘ G League affiliate, Raptors 905, according to the assignment page on the NBA’s official G League website.

NBA G League Assignments/Recalls: 3/7/18

Here are Wednesday’s G League assignments and recalls from around the NBA:

  • The Thunder have recalled rookie center Dakari Johnson from their Oklahoma City Blue affiliate, the team announced in an email. Johnson has appeared in 26 games for the Thunder this season, averaging 1.9 points, 1.2 rebounds and 5.6 minutes of playing time per night.