“A big reason guys get stuck in the G-League is because they don’t realize the position they’re trying out for. It’s like going to a job interview thinking you’re going to be the CFO of the company, and they’re looking for someone to clean the bathrooms.” – Alex Caruso
As we see more and more G-League guys produce at the NBA level I thought it would be good to get a sense of which players are succeeding at the G-League level and try to give them some positive exposure and begin to keep track of who’s succeeding. There are a number of guys who are putting up numbers but I’ve highlighted a few that could fill specific roles to NBA teams – just like Caruso has said.
First up we have Ethan Thompson – the 23 year old Oregon State product. Thompson is a 6’5″ 195 lb. combo guard that has been playing stellar ball this year for the Windy City Bulls. Sporting a pretty impressive and balanced stat line of 19.9 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 4.1 APG on 47/46/86 shooting, Thompson has put up some serious numbers for a big guard with positional versatility. I see Thompson as an intelligent player that can slide in at the 1-3 positions any given night. I’m eager to see if Thompson gets called up to the NBA at some point this season. If not, it’ll be fun to see his performance come Summer League, where I expect him to be a standout.
Next on the list of standouts is Taze Moore – a 24 year old Houston alum. Moore has made his impact on the Texas Legends felt in a number of ways. First thing that pops off the page is that he’s scoring 17 PPG and pulling down 8 RPG – but pair that with his 45% 3 point percentage on 5 (!) 3PA a game and you have an interesting prospect. At 6’5″ Moore has the skills and fight (see the 8 RPG) that could find his way on a roster soon. Any team would be happy to have a junkyard dog that can shoot 3’s at an efficient clip on their roster.
Finally, we will take a look at Jay Huff – the 25 year old 7 footer from Virginia. Huff is quite possibly the best player in the G-League this season as he stuffs the stat sheet with 15 PPG, 8 RPG, 4 BPG and 43% from 3 point land. These are dominant numbers that show up as his PIE (Player Impact Estimate) is sky high at 16.0. For reference that is along the lines of a Lauri Markannen/Julius Randle/Christian Wood impact. I really believe that we will see Huff contributing to a team within the next couple of years with his rim protection and stretch big capabilities.